The US Army Tank-Automotive Research Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) awarded 16 omnibus contracts to support its research and development (R&D) efforts encompassing the life cycle of military manned and unmanned ground vehicles. The contracts have a total potential value of $430 million.

TARDEC is the Army’s laboratory for military automotive technology and the lead agency for simulation and testing, demonstration, development and full life cycle engineering for ground vehicle survivability, robotics, power and energy, mobility, maneuver and sustainment, and condition-based maintenance.

The 5-year indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contracts were awarded for TARDEC omnibus services under multiple award task order (MATO) arrangements to the following companies:

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67% of the fleet
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The prime missions of the new DDG-1000 Zumwalt Class destroyer are to provide naval gunfire support and next-generation air defense in near-shore areas where other large ships hesitate to tread, possibly even as the anchor for an action group of stealthy Littoral Combat Ships and submarines. The estimated 14,500t (cruiser sized) Zumwalt Class will be fully multi-role, however, with undersea warfare, anti-ship, and long-range surface attack roles.

That makes the DDG-1000 suitable or another role – as a “hidden ace card,” using its overall stealth to create uncertainty for enemy forces. At over $3 billion per ship for construction alone, however, the program faced significant obstacles if it wanted to avoid fulfilling former Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter’s fears for the fleet.

True, or False?
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DID’s FOCUS Article for the DDG-1000 program covers the new ships’ capabilities and technologies, key controversies, associated contracts and costs, and related background resources. From the outset, DID has noted that the Zumwalt Class might face the same fate as the ultra-sophisticated, ultra-expensive SSN-21 Seawolf Class submarines. That appears to have come true, with news of the program’s cancellation at 3 ships. Or will it be 2?

The latest news involves more funds to finish the ship’s computing backbone, which has been identified as a concern in recent GAO reports…

• Zumwalt Class: Program and Participants (i.e. “Continue reading…”)
• DDG-1000 Key Technologies and Features
• DDG-1000 Issues and Controversies
• Zumwalt Class: Contracts and Key Events
  • FY 2009 [updated]
  • FY 2008
  • FY 2007
  • FY 2006
  • FY 2005
  • FY 1998 through 2004
• Additional Readings & Sources
  
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Oshkosh M-ATV
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US government FedBizOpps, November 2008:

“The Government plans to acquire an MRAP All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV). The M-ATV is a lighter, off-road, and more maneuverable vehicle that incorporates current MRAP level protection. The M-ATV will require effectiveness in an off-road mission profile. The vehicle will include EFP and RPG protection (integral or removable kit). The M-ATV will maximize both protection levels and off-road mobility & maneuverability attributes, and must balance the effects of size and weight while attempting to achieve the stated requirements.”

The current plan expects to spend up to $3.3 billion to order 5,244 M-ATVs for the US Army (2,598), Marine Corps (1,565), Special Operations Command (643), US Air Force (280) and the Navy (65), plus 93 test vehicles. Monthly delivery rates of up to 1,000 vehicles were part of the solicitation. Those requirements, and American requirements around classified data and regulatory compliance, ensured that the only reasonable contenders were firms that already produced MRAPs, trucks, or tactical vehicles for American forces: BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Force Protection, Navistar, and Oshkosh. Oshkosh Defense secured a long-denied MRAP win, and continues to remain ahead of production targets.

The latest news includes FY 2010 budget updates, delivery performance, and a $400+ million order for more vehicles…

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A Raytheon team received a $28 million task order from the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) to develop network operations situational awareness (NetOps SA) across US Department of Defense (DoD) classified and unclassified networks.

Under the task order, part of the Raytheon’s Encore II contract (HC1028-08-D-2024), Raytheon and its team – General Dynamics, SAIC, Eye Street Software, and BCMC – will provide NetOps SA products that will, among other things, enable detection of network intrusions and assess the overall health of DoD networks…

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General Dynamics Information Technology received a $22.2 million contract from the US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) to support the Naval Integrated Tactical Environmental System Next Generation (NITES-Next) program. The contract has a potential value of $67.7 million over 5 years if all options are exercised.

General Dynamics will design, develop, integrate, test and support the deployment of NITES-Next, which uses software to display meteorological and oceanographic (METOC) information on Navy mission-planning and command and control (C2) systems. NITES-Next is a follow-on system to the Navy’s NITES…

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General Dynamics C4 Systems in Scottsdale, AZ received a $7.6 million contract to develop a new KG-530 SONET OC-768C in-line encryptor in support of a National Security Agency (NSA) initiative to secure and distribute data at 40 gigabits per second (Gbps) for US military and civilian government networks.

The KG-530 will secure large image, data and video files, classified up to and including Top Secret, that travel through US military and government networks…

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“Slick 32”
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The US Navy’s AN/SLQ-32 ECM (Electronic Countermeasures) system uses radar warning receivers, and in some cases active jamming, as the part of ships’ self-defense system. The “Slick 32s” provides warning of incoming attacks, and is integrated with the ships’ defenses to trigger Rapid Blooming Offboard Chaff (RBOC) and other decoys, which can fire either semi-automatically or on manual direction from a ship’s ECM operators.

The “Slick 32” variants are based on modular building blocks, and each variant is suited to a different type of ship. Most of these systems were designed in the 1970s, however, and are based on 1960s-era technology. In an era that features more and more supersonic ship-killing missiles with better radars and advanced electronics, that won’t do. Hence the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP)...

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Mk19 40mm
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General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products received a $13 million order from the US Army TACOM-ARDEC for production of MK19 MOD 3 40mm grenade machine guns [pdf]. Deliveries are expected to begin in June 2010 and will be completed by late 2011.

This order follows a $10 million order for MK19s announced July 1/09. Both orders were made under a contract initially awarded in September 2008, and brings the total contract value to date to approximately $81 million.

The MK19 grenade machine gun is a self-powered, air-cooled, belt-fed, blowback operated, crew-served weapon…

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French Mirage F1s
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Morocco’s combat air force currently flies 2 squadrons of old F-5s, and 2 squadrons of only slightly newer Mirage F1s; T-37 light jets serve as key transitional trainers. Their neighbor and rival Algeria flies MiG-23s of similar vintage, but the Force Aerienne Algerienne also flies SU-24 Fencer and SU-25 Frogfoot strike aircraft, even more modern and capable MiG-29s, and is set to receive multi-role SU-30MKs as part of a multi-billion dollar weapons deal with Russia.

Morocco can’t beat that array. Instead, they’re looking for replacement aircraft that will prevent complete overmatch, and provide a measure of security. Initially, they looked to France. France’s Rafale is part of a set of European 4+ generation fighters that were developed and fielded during the 1990s-early 21st century, with the aim of surpassing existing offerings among America’s “teen series” fighters, as well as Russia’s Mig-29 Fulcrum and SU-27/30 Flanker family. “Dogfight at the Casbah: Rafale vs. F-16” discussed the French sales slip-ups that cost Dassault its first export order for the 4+ generation fighter. That outcome is now official.

Just to make things worse, the final multi-billion dollar deal involves new-build F-16s, at a price comparable to the rumored figures for the Rafale. Not to mention an accompanying American deal to replace Morocco’s T-37 trainer fleet with T-6Cs, and contracts for air-launched weapons, targeting pods, and C-27J short-haul transports. The latest development includes a DSCA request for CH-47D helicopters…

• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Why The F-16? DID Analysis – Dec. 2007
• Additional Readings
  
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USS Hartford [SSN-768] returns
to New London for repairs
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General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp. (GDEB) in Groton, CT received a $25 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00024-10-C-4302) to staff and operate the Nuclear Regional Maintenance Department (NRMD) at the Naval Submarine Base New London, according to Robert Hamilton at GDEB. The company will perform project management, engineering and planning, training, inspection, and radiological control services for nuclear submarine maintenance, modernization and repairs.

The contract has a potential value of $78 million over 3 years if all options are exercised. The US Department of Defense incorrectly announced Oct 26/09 that the GDEB contract was for non-nuclear maintenance and repair support at the base’s Naval Submarine Support Facility.

GDEB had been operating the NRMD under a previously awarded contract. The company’s current NRMD staff is around 25 employees, but that number has been as high as 100, according to Hamilton. The NRMD consists of five groups…

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