Showing results 1 - 10 of 16 for the search terms: DTRA.
Results for "DTRA"
SAIC to Provide Counter IED Training to US Navy SPARWARSYSCEN
14-Oct-2009 14:08 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Delivery & Task Orders, Electronics - General, Explosives, Simulation & Training, Support Functions - Other, T&C - SAIC
Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) received a task order to provide counter improvised explosive device (C-IED) training services to the US Navy Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWARSYSCEN) Atlantic’s Tactical Command and Control (C2) Division.
The task order, awarded under the SeaPort-e contract, has a 3-year period of performance and a total value of $32 million. SAIC will perform the training at Camp LeJeune, NC; and Camp Pendleton, Twentynine Palms, and Bridgeport, CA.
Seaport-e is a $5.3 billion multiple-award umbrella contract that enables the US Navy to use an integrated approach to contracting for support services.
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USA Moves to Improve Arms Export Regulation Process
06-Oct-2009 18:25 EDT |
Related Stories: Alliances, Contracts - Awards, Issues - Political, Legal, Lobbying
“US Industry Associations Pushing to Reform Export Controls” covered a push from major players in the US defense industry to change US ITAR export controls. ITAR processes make it difficult to share information with their own international subsidiaries, to include American technology in bids for foreign contracts, or even to explore collaboration with foreign firms in allied nations. Many outside America also perceive the USA’s export regimes as tools uses as often for for protectionism and hindering business competitors, as for true security needs. American actions have sometimes fed and validated this perception. The result is a growing set of concerted efforts abroad to design American defense technologies out of foreign military systems, in order to avoid falling under ITAR controls.
At the same time, however, proliferation of advanced military technologies is nothing to be casual about. “Cut out” transfers via foreign subsidiaries and partnerships are more than possible, and the age of the rogue state appears imminent. What to do?
Fortunately, the answer of “nothing” no longer applies. Like President Bush, President Obama is taking up this issue. Unfortunately, cumbersome rules and a slow American bureaucracy are still costing the USA important international deals and partnerships. Even as the USA’s use of export controls for protectionist and political purposes begins to have the predictable effect of making American defense components toxic to potential international customers…
- The Proposed Reforms
- The January 2008 Presidential Directives
- Recent Updates and Additional Developments (2009-) [NEW]
- Additional Readings
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US Funds Novel Anti-Bacterial Research at PolyMedix
23-Jul-2009 10:16 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Biological Weapons, Contracts - Awards, Design Innovations, Medical, Other Corporation, R&D - Contracted, WMD Defenses
PolyMedix of Radnor, PA has now received 3 biodefense-related contracts from the US government, including a a $1.6 million, 1-year contract from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to develop new “defensin-mimetic antibiotic compounds.” The primary goal of that contract is to devise more effective rapid-response countermeasures against anthrax, plague, and tularemia. Other work may have benefits against pan-Staphylococcal infections, and pneumonia.
How does their proposed approach work, and what makes it novel?
- BAAC to the Future?
- Contracts and Key Events [updated]
- Additional Readings
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The UK’s FSTA: An Aerial Tanker Program - With a Difference
17-Jul-2008 15:16 EDT |
Related Stories: BAE, Bases & Infrastructure, Boeing, Britain/U.K., Contracts - Intent, EADS, FOCUS Articles, Issues - Political, Legal, Other Corporation, Partnerships & Consortia, People, Power Projection, Pre-RFP, Procurement Innovations, Public Partnering, RFPs, Rolls Royce, Specialty Aircraft, Support & Maintenance, Support Functions - Other, Thales, Transformation
FSTA Concept
(click to view full)
Back in March 2005, “British AirTanker Deal May Go Private” discussed the deal for a potential public-private partnership to buy, equip, and operate the RAF’s future aerial tanker fleet, and noted the selection of a preferred consortium. The RAF would fly the 14 Airbus A330-MRTT aircraft on operational missions and receive absolute preferential access to the planes, while the contractor handled maintenance, received payment from the RAF on a per-use basis, and operated them as passenger or transport aircraft when the RAF didn’t need them. The deal became politically controversial; though it was based on a practice that has been successful in Britain, it had surface similarities with the USA’s controversial and canceled KC-767 lease deal. Negotiations on the multi-billion pound, 27-year deal, meanwhile, charted new territory for both the government and private industry.
Which may help to explain why the final decision to move ahead on a “Private Financing Initiative” basis had yet to be issued, and procurement had yet to begin, over 2 years after a preferred bidder was selected. That hurdle is now clear, and Britain has just issued the world’s largest-ever Defence Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract. This FOCUS Article describes the current British fleet, the aircraft they chose and how the new fleet will compare, the innovative deal structure they’ve chosen, and the project’s key events. The most recent events include a contract for LAIRCM self-protection systems…
DTRA Researching Hemorrhagic Fever Anti-Viral Compounds
01-Jul-2008 16:21 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - Other, Americas - USA, Biological Weapons, Contracts - Awards, Europe - Other, Materials Innovations, Medical, New Systems Tech, R&D - Contracted, Science - Basic Research, Small Business, WMD Defenses
Ebola patient
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency at Fort Belvoir, VA is awarding contracts to find new anti-viral compounds that are effective against hemorrhagic fever viruses, a class that includes Ebola et. al.
DID would caution readers that drug development is a long and expensive process ($100 million is often mentioned as the table stakes to get a drug through approvals), and that promising therapies don’t all make it through the research and testing stages. Even so, we think the research is interesting, and worth our time to share and explain. The latest award is a contract to research a treatment called “Bavituximab.” DID explains that, and more, below…
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$6.1M from DTRA to CSC-SS for ICPP vs. WMD
12-Feb-2008 10:49 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Other Corporation, WMD Proliferation
The Defense Threat Reduction Agency at Fort Belvoir, VA leads US Department of Defense efforts to stop the global spread, transfer, and usage of chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons of mass destruction.
Recently, they issued a $6.1 million contract to Dyncorp’s CSC Systems & Solutions, Inc. subsidiary in Alexandria, VA, to support the “International Counter Proliferation Program.” Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, VA, and is expected to be complete by Aug 27/08. One bid was solicited on Jan 2/08, and 1 bid was received (DTRA01-02-D-0064).
DTRA & Achaogen Targeting Class A Bacterial Pathogens
21-Jun-2007 08:04 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Biological Weapons, Contracts - Awards, Medical, R&D - Contracted, Small Business, WMD Defenses
Achaogen in San Francisco, CA is working on “preclinical development of novel therapeutics that reduce the virulence of, and inhibit resistance in, Class A Bacterial Pathogens.” Achaogen closed a $26 million round of venture financing in October 2006; their approach focuses on small molecules that inhibit the emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. An October 2006 contract has now been followed by a June 2007 contract, and the terms appear to indicate progress.
So, just what are “Class A bacterial pathogens?” You certainly know some of them by name…
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ScanEagle + ShotSpotter = Sniper Spotter
26-Jan-2007 06:06 EST |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Boeing, Contracts - Awards, Domestic Security, Field Innovations, Field Reports, IT - Software & Integration, New Systems Tech, Soldier's Gear, Training & Exercises, Transformation, UAVs
ShotSpotter, Redwood City
(click to view full)
In 1996, the ShotSpotter Gunshot Location Systsem was combined with ESRI’s GIS and other software to dramatically improve the understanding police had when arriving at gunfire scenes in Redwood City, California – and dramatically reduce gunfire incidents. By 2006, it was deployed in Iraq on vehicles and even PDA-sized devices worn by soldiers. Now a US Joint Forces Command (USJFCOM) experiment during the December 2004 Training in Urban Environment Exercise (TRUEX) is headed for the front lines, as ShotSpotter is being paired with Boeing’s ScanEagle UAVs. The 820th Security Forces Group at Moody AFB, GA will conduct the user evaluation and training beginning in March 2007, then match the equipment with a deploying squadron.
Originally developed to spot tuna schools for fishermen, the Insitu/Boeing ScanEagles can remain aloft for 20 hours at a stretch, operating autonomously or under human control. They have logged over 27,000 combat hours, earning kudos from the US Marines and US Navy; are being modified by the US DTRA to detect chemical/biological weapons; and are being combat-trialed with the Australian Defence Forces. Now they will serve the US Air Force as well via the Ground Situational Awareness Toolkit (GSAT). Anti-sniper tools have been an important but largely-unheralded spinout from the current phase of the war, and GSAT joins several other anti-sniper technologies in theater.
ScanEagle launch
(click to view full)
Under GSAT, ShotSpotter acoustic sensors on patrolling Airmen and Humvees will detect the location of enemy muzzle blasts and, in some cases, the path of the fired projectiles. This information is then passed to on-the-ground commanders for analysis and shared with an overhead Scan Eagle, which directs its advanced cameras to the area and gives a picture of the enemy’s location. While the release doesn’t say this, ScanEagle is GPS-enabled and an application similar to the one used to such effect in Redwood City is very possible. See Boeing release | USAF release.
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Transcript: Brig-Gen. Ham on the Stryker in Iraq
16-Oct-2006 10:56 EDT |
Related Stories: Americas - USA, Field Reports, General Dynamics, Leadership & People, Middle East - Other, Tanks & Mechanized, Warfare - Lessons
M1126 ICV & Squad, Iraq
(click to view full)
Our October 2005 article “M1126 Strykers in Combat: Experiences & Lessons” offered a review of the Stryker armored personnel carrier’s performance in Iraq. That performance came as a surprise to a number of individuals – including their commanders in some instances.
What follows is a transcript from the US Army’s recent “Warrior’s Corner” series (Oct 3/06). The presentation by Brigadier General Carter Ham, available in synchronized audio and Power Point, is titled “Stryker: Meeting the Challenge in Iraq.” Brig.-Gen. Ham served with two of the Stryker Brigades, both at Fort Lewis, WA in 2003 and in Iraq during 2004. His views would appear to mesh with the Army’s official position, but they are very definitely his own as well.
The transcript follows… note that any URLs in it are added by DID as explanatory resources.
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$9M to Boeing for New Bunker-Buster Bomb Design
05-Oct-2006 06:00 EDT |
Related Stories: Boeing, Bombs - General, New Systems Tech, Transformation
Existing GBU-28 Bomb
Oct 4/06: The Boeing Company in St Louis, MO received a $9 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification. This effort will design and test “a large penetrating munition” in order to “demonstrate the weapon’s lethality against multi-story building with hardened bunkers and tunnel facilities,” and to reduce technology risk for future development. This program is funded by the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and work will be complete October 2009. The Air Force Research Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base, FL issued the contract (FA8651-04-D-0427/P00002).
The USA already has the 5,000 pound GBU-28 “bunker-buster” bomb. Details regarding this new weapon were not released, though its statement of capabilities lead one to believe it is more of a weapon for situations similar to Hezbollah-Iran-Syria’s recent “Rocket War,” rather than a substitute for the nuclear RNEP.
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