Satellite with FAST
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Boeing Satellite Systems in El Segundo, CA won a $13.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for Phase 2 of the Fast Access Spacecraft Testbed (FAST) satellite power generation and propulsion program. The objective of the FAST program is the development and demonstration of a high power generation and propulsion system for mobile satellites.

DARPA’s FAST program is a multiphase effort to design and develop a ground test prototype of a new High Power Generation Subsystem (HPGS) for mobile satellites. DID has more on the FAST program…

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FOB Leatherneck
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IAP Worldwide Services in Irmo, SC, won a $21.3 million service, firm-fixed-price contract to provide electrical power distribution service to Forward Operating Base (FOB) Leatherneck in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. The service is required to distribute power from a leased power plant in order to maintain the life support of the camp. IAP will provide the electricity distribution system, which will be located underground. IAP will perform the work in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of June 07/10. 7 bids were solicited with 4 bids received by the Kandahar Air Field Regional Contracting Center in Afghanistan (W91B4L-09-C-0045).

FOB Leatherneck is one of the FOBs operating in the southern region of Afghanistan, where most of the 21,000 U.S. troops deploying to the country this summer will be concentrated. The U.S. military is working to ensure that the basic infrastructure is in place to continue receiving troops in Kandahar before sending them out to the FOBs, which are in various stages of development throughout the region, U.S. Forces Afghanistan officials said. As FOB development continues, troops could remain in Kandahar for several weeks before deploying out to their final destinations throughout the summer months. See American Forces Press Service article for more information.

Watts Constructors in Honolulu, HI won a $17.3 million firm-fixed price contract to replace fuel pipelines at the Fleet Industrial Supply Center Pearl Harbor. Watts will build new fuel transfer pipeline systems operating from a fuel pier to the main fuel pumphouse and storage tanks for three fuel products, ballast water, and contaminated fuel with valve stations, pumps and appurtenances. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center provides logistics and support services to the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, Joint and Allied Forces throughout the Pacific Rim.

Watts will perform the work in Pearl Harbor, HI and expects to complete it by July 2011. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 6 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, in Pearl Harbor (N62742-09-C-1302).

Sierra Nevada Corp. in Sparks, NV won a $36.5 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only contract for production of Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) 3.1 dismounted systems to meet the requirements of U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dismounted JCREW systems are electronic jammers designed to prevent the initiation of radio-controlled improvised explosive devices (RCIED). ITT Corp., which supplies the JCREW 2.1 vehicle mounted system, and Northrop Grumman were also competing for this contract.

According to the FedBizOpps solicitation, Sierra Nevada will provide 200 JCREW 3.1 dismounted systems, support equipment and services, and additional long-lead time material. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would result in Sierra Nevada supplying an additional 2,300 systems for a cumulative value of $248.3 million. The contract includes 9,000 hours of engineering support services (ESS) for the initial 200 systems and 13,000 hours of ESS for the option quantity of 2,300 systems, field service representative support in-theater, depot level repair material and services, spares, and associated technical data.

Sierra Nevada will perform the work in Sparks, NV (90%) and Rancho Cordova, CA (10%), and expects to complete it by December 2010. This contract was competitively procured via the FedBizOpps website, with 3 proposals solicited and 3 offers received by the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC (N00024-09-C-6306). See also Sierra Nevada release.

The Navy’s Southwest Regional Maintenance Center (SWRMC) in San Diego, CA awarded a total of 15 contracts to provide boatyard services and industrial support for vessels of various sizes at Naval facilities in San Diego. The contracts are worth up to $1.36 billion.

Work will be performed in San Diego or contractor’s facility along the West Coast and is expected to be completed by June 2010. The contracts were competitively procured and advertised via the FedBizOpps website, with 20 proposals solicited and 15 offers received by SWRMC. DID has a complete breakdown of the contracts and companies….

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Walter Reed Army Hospital
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The U.S. Army Medical Command (MEDCOM) awarded 12 healthcare staffing contracts worth up to $48 million to InGenesis Arora Staffing in San Antonio, Texas, to provide physician, nursing, and related medical services at Army medical facilities throughout the United States.

The 12 InGenesis Arora contracts are part of 3 larger multiple award task order contracts (MATOCs) worth up to $1.27 billion:

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Iraqis train: M240B, PKMs
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June 11/09: Agility Logistics subsidiary Taos Industries Inc. in Huntsville, AL won a $30.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for 33,400,938 rounds of “various non standard ammunition” for the Republic of Iraq. Work is to be performed in Huntsville, AL until Oct 29/10. Bids were solicited on the World Wide Web, with 3 bids received by the Rock Island Contracting Center in Rock Island, IL (W52P1J-09-C-0026). See also firm release.

Taos has also been contracted by Rock Island to supply “non-standard” ammunition to Afghan Army forces, in the wake of the AEY scandal. In these cases, “non-standard” means non-NATO standard. The Soviet caliber 7.62×39 ammunition used in AK-47 type assault rifles would qualify; Iraq is phasing them out in favor of the American 5.56mm M4 carbine, but Iraqi forces operates some. Likewise, the 7.62×54mm ammunition used in Iraq’s Dragunov sniper rifles and PKM light machine guns is a non-NATO caliber, and hence “non standard.” In Afghanistan, Taos is also supplying 12.7×108 mm ammunition for Soviet heavy machine guns, and 70.5mm PG-7VM rocket propelled grenades.

MQ-1’s MTS-A turret
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June 10/09: Raytheon Co. of McKinney, TX received a firm-foxed-price, not-to-exceed $87.3 million contract to buy 35 “MTS-A” AN/AAS-52 surveillance and targeting turrets for use on MQ-1 Predator UAVs. This contract also buys 25 of the more advanced pre-production “MTS-B” AN/DAS-1 units for the larger MQ-9 Reaper hunter/killer UAV. Other items will include a retrofit gyro, a retrofit imager, and associated replaceable unit spares and containers for these multi-spectral targeting systems. At this time, $14.1 million has been committed. The 703rd ASG at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH manages this contract (FA8620-06-G-4041).

DID has covered similar contracts in September 2007 and February 2007. The biggest change over time appears to be the growing balance between MTS-A and MTS-B orders.

The University of California, Los Angeles, received a $7.2 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide family support services for U.S. military personnel being deployed overseas. The services include group level briefings for pre- and post-deployment military and family, individual consultations, skill-building sessions for families, and multi-session family interventions. The services also include consultation to military staff, schools, family, and community on parenting and combating stress, traumatic grief, and other deployment-related stresses.

The contract awarded by the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery (BUMED) is part of the FOCUS Project (Families OverComing Under Stress), which is a resiliency-building program designed for military families and children facing the challenges of combat operational stress during wartime. DID has more on the FOCUS program…

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Mounted RT-1523 SINCGARS
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ITT Corp in Fort Wayne, IN won a $363.1 million 24-month-base-firm-fixed-price contract for the Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radio System (SINCGARS), system enhancements and logistics support. ITT will provide 58,000 RT-1523 SINCGARS radios [PDF], 34,800 vehicle adapter assemblies/Internet routers and 34,800 radio frequency amplifiers to the Army’s Communications-Electronics Command.

SINCGARS is the the U.S. Army’s current core tactical radio technology, deployed in over 130 military platforms, such as Humvees (HMMWV), Bradley fighting vehicles, and transport trucks…

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