More M777s, eh?
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BAE Systems received orders worth $118 million for 63 more M777 howitzers, bringing the M777 order total to 800 guns. The U.S. Department of Defense is buying 38 guns for the Marine Corps and Army, and Canada is acquiring 25 more through the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program to add to the 12 it already has in service. BAE Systems also received a $3 million contract to reset 33 U.S. howitzers returning from operations in Afghanistan. Both the U.S. and Canada operate M777s in Afghanistan, providing fire support to coalition forces.

The M777 ultra-lightweight towed 155mm howitzer has an integrated digital fire control system, and can fire all existing 155mm projectiles…

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Five small businesses won cost-plus fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contracts to build and maintain structures and facilities at Navy and Marine Corp facilities worldwide. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command awarded the contracts to Sound & Sea Technology Inc. in Lynnwood, WA (N62583-09-D-0064); PCCI Inc. in Alexandria, VA (N62583-09-D-0065); Truston Technologies Inc. in Annapolis, MD (N62583-09-D-0066); GPA Technologies Inc. in Ventura, CA (N62583-09-D-0067); and MAR Inc. in Rockville, MD (N62583-09-D-0068). The maximum dollar value, including the base period and 4 option years, for all 5 contracts is $250 million.

The work will provide support for Naval Ocean Facilities Engineering Program (NOFP) requirements managed by the Engineering Service Center, Port Hueneme. Projects will involve incidental construction work or equipment fabrication, including ocean cable systems, ocean work systems, waterfront facilities, hyperbaric facilities, offshore structures, moorings, and ocean construction equipment. The companies will perform the work in environmental conditions ranging from Arctic to Tropic and at all water depths where equipment installation or removal, maintenance, inspection, repair, and salvage operations may be required.

The expected completion date of the work is May 2014. The contracts were competitively procured as a 100% small business set-aside via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 6 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command’s Specialty Center Acquisitions in Port Hueneme, CA.

Walbridge Aldinger Co. Inc. in Detroit, MI won a $149.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of an Infantry Brigade Combat Team Barracks at Fort Stewart, GA. Walbridge expects to complete the work by March 15/11. There were 4 proposals solicited with 3 received by the U.S. Army Engineer District in Savannah, GA (W912HN-07-D-0054).

Under the contract, Walbridge will build 3 small and 3 medium tactical vehicle equipment maintenance facilities (totaling 159,870 square feet) with an accompanying tactical/ organizational vehicle paved parking area (155.5 square feet); and Infantry Brigade Combat Team Barracks (364,777 square feet) consisting of administrative modules, supply (readiness modules) and covered paved parking area (66,555 square feet). The project also includes construction of infrastructure and utilities, including access roads; electricity, natural gas, water, and sewer services; water storage tank and well; security perimeter fencing with gates; security lighting and exterior lighting; parking and walking areas; gutter and storm water drainage; signage; information systems; site improvements; and landscaping.

The construction is to accommodate changes at Fort Stewart, including the addition of an infantry brigade combat team in fiscal year 2011. Fort Stewart is best known as the home of the 3rd Infantry Division. The additional brigade is part of a broader effort, announced in 2007, to grow the US Army by 74,200 troops and 6 brigade combat teams (BCTs)/ 8 support brigades. “US Army Stationing Decisions, FY 2008-2013” (subscription) provides a full list and timetable.

P-3/ CP-140 Aurora
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Canada’s C$ 1.67 billion Aurora Incremental Modernization Project began in 1998, and is an amalgamation of 23 individual projects grouped into 4 chronologically consecutive block upgrades. Key upgrades successfully performed under the AIMP to date have included new electro-optical and infared sensors (L-3 Communications) under Block III, and upgrades to the navigation and flight instruments (CMC Electronics) under Block II. AIMP, plus the Aurora fleet’s new long-term, performance-based maintenance program, are designed to keep Canada’s fleet flying until 2015 or so.

Canada is also pursuing land-surveillance upgrades to its fleet. Given Canada’s commitments on the ground in Afghanistan, and employment of American P-3 Orion and British Nimrod MRA2 aircraft for ground surveillance in that theater, these contracts may yet contribute to NATO’s Afghan mission.

The latest update involves deployment of the aircraft to Afghanistan on a special overland mission….

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AE 2100D3 inspection
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Rolls-Royce announced an $80 million contract to provide AE 2100D3 spare engines and parts to power new C-130J military transport aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, the Royal Norwegian Air Force and the Indian Air Force. The contract, which is managed by Robins Air Force Base in GA, includes an initial 27 AE 2100D3 spare engines and parts for delivery through 2011.

The AE 2100D3 engine is a modular turboprop engine with 4,600 shaft-horsepower. The AE engine line is produced by Rolls-Royce and manufactured in Indianapolis, IN. Along with the AE 3007 and AE 1107C-Liberty, the engine line has totaled more than 37 million hours of service.

“The C-130J: New Hercules & Old Bottlenecks” (subscription) covers the aircraft, including the Norwegian and Indian C-130J contracts.

The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia, PA has awarded 2 contracts, worth a total of $46.7 million, to supply influenza vaccine to the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies.

One contract went to MedImmune Vaccines Inc. of Gaithersburg, MD, which received a maximum $32.3 million firm-fixed-price, sole source contract. There was one response to the original solicitation. The date of performance completion is June 30/10 (SPM2DP-09-D-0005).

Another contract went to Sanofi Pasteur in Swiftwater, PA, which received a maximum $12.4 million firm-fixed-price contract. There were eight proposals originally solicited for this contract, with one response. The date of performance completion is May 26/10 (SPM2DP-09-D-0007).

LCAC versatility
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Oceaneering International’s Marine Services Division in Chesapeake, VA won a $14 million firm-fixed-price contract to extend the service life of 3 landing hovercraft. Oceaneering is performing the work under the Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) Service Life Extension Program (SLEP), which extends the expected service life of the LCAC by 50%, from 20 years to 30 years. The scope of this contract includes repair and upgrade of the buoyancy box, gas turbine engine replacement, installation of a new skirt, installation of an integrated C4N equipment package, craft alterations, and repair work. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring its cumulative value to $38.9 million.

LCACs are high-speed, fully amphibious hovercraft capable of carrying a 60-ton payload (75 tons in overload) over water and land at speeds in excess of 40 knots and a nominal range of up to 200 nautical miles. Carrying equipment, troops, and/or supplies, the LCAC launches from inside the well deck of an amphibious warship, then travels the waves at high speed, runs right through the surf zone near the beach, and stops at a suitable place on land. “LCAC Hovercraft: US Navy’s Champion Schleppers Get SLEPped” (subscriptions) discusses the LCAC hovercraft and the SLEP.

Oceaneering will perform the work in Norfolk, VA and expects to complete it by November 2012. This contract was competitively procured via FedBizOpps.com, with four offers received by the Naval Sea Systems Command at the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC (N00024-09-C-2240)

ScanEagle launch
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ScanEagle’s base Insight™ UAV platform was originally developed by Washington State’s Insitu, Inc. to track dolphins and tuna from fishing boats, in order to ensure that the fish you buy in supermarkets is “dolphin-safe”. It turns out that the same characteristics needed by fishing boats (able to handle the salt-water environment, low infrastructure launch and recovery, small size, 20-hour long endurance, automated flight patterns) are equally important for naval operations from larger vessels, and for battlefield surveillance. A partnership with Boeing took ScanEagle to market in those fields, and the design is carving out a market-leading position in its niche.

This article covers recent developments with the ScanEagle UAV system, which is quickly evolving into a mainstay with the US Navy – and others as well. The latest news involves a big win with US Special Operations Command – and industrial offset contracts in Canada…

• The ScanEagle Family
• Contracts and Key Events: 2008 – Present [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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An impressive 18 companies won indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts to develop integration and management technology for radio frequency (RF) radar and communications functions on future naval platforms. The contracts are being awarded by the Office of Naval Research for its Integrated Topside (InTop) Program, which will develop a scalable family of electronic warfare, radar and communication equipment to support multiple classes of ships and other Navy platforms. Each contract has an ordering ceiling of between $50 million and $800 million.

InTop plans to reduce the number of topside equipment on Navy ships through the use of integrated, multi-function, multi-beam arrays…

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The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) recently awarded contracts for innovative research proposals under its Terahertz (THz) Electronics Program. The program solicited proposals that offer innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in electronic devices and integrated circuits achieving THz frequencies (at least a trillion cycles per second). The program will work to develop technologies such as THz transistor devices and integrated circuits and THz high power amplifier modules for military application.

Commenting on the THz Electronics program, Dr. Mark Rosker, program manager of DARPA’s Microsystems Technology Office, said:

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