MQ-8B Fire Scout
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The USA’s RQ/MQ-8 Fire Scout Unmanned Aerial Vehicle has had a colorful history. The program was begun with promise by the US Navy, canceled, adopted by the US Army, and finally revived by the Navy as well. The MQ-8B Fire Scout is currently linked with two major new defense programs: the Future Combat Systems program and the USA’s new Littoral Combat Ships (LCS); this is both helpful to the program because of the implicit commitments, and harmful because it ties the UAV to a pair of programs that have endured stormy histories and may face more turbulence ahead. Meanwhile, a competition expected in 2008-2010 may see the Fire Scout used by the US Marines, and the US Coast Guard’s Deepwater program is another potential buyer.

Fire Scout-related awards to Northrop Grumman and Raytheon have been quite varied. DID lists them, along with budgetary figures from official DoD documents, and also explains the Fire Scout’s history and capabilities. The latest developments include export interest from the Middle East, and manufacturer estimates of potential demand…

• MQ-8: The Platform (i.e. Continue reading…)
• MQ-8: The Program
• Fire Scout Program Budgets
• Fire Scout Contracts & Key Events, full history [updated]
• Additional Readings & Sources
  
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The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded a $31 million contract to a team lead by Lockheed Martin to develop a network protocol to improve the confidentiality, integrity, and security of US military networks.

In developing this new protocol, Lockheed Martin’s team will develop router technologies that include strong authentication and self-configuration capabilities to improve security and bandwidth allocation and lower overall life cycle costs for network management.

Lockheed Martin’s team includes Microsoft, Juniper Networks, Anagran, Stanford University, and LGS Innovations, which has been quite active in securing military IT business on its own…

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ICT FlatWorld Simulation
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A decade ago, the US Army turned to the University of Southern California, the gaming industry, and Hollywood to develop virtual reality systems to simulate the battlefield situations and cultural interactions that soldiers would face in deploying overseas. The result was the establishment of the Institute for Creative Technologies (ICF).

The institute uses technologies in artificial intelligence, graphics, and immersion to create interactive simulations that help soldiers not only see the training situation but also interact with virtual soldiers, insurgents, and civilians.

To continue that work, the Army awarded the institute a $78.5 million, 7-year indefinite delivery/ indefinite quantity contract…

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EMALS Components
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As the US Navy continues to build its new CVN-21 Gerald R. Ford Class carriers, few technologies are as important to their success as the next-generation EMALS (Electro-MAgnetic Launch System) catapult. The question is whether that technology will be ready in time, in order to avoid either costly delays to the program – or an even more costly redesign of the first ship of class.

Current steam catapult technology is very entertaining when it launches cars more than 100 feet off of a ship, or gives naval fighters the extra boost they need to achieve flight speed within a launch footprint of a few hundred feet. It’s also stressful for the aircraft involved, very maintenance intensive, and not really compatible with modern gas turbine propulsion systems. At present, however, steam is the only option for launching supersonic jet fighters from carrier decks. EMALS aims to leap beyond steam’s limitations, delivering significant efficiency savings, a more survivable system, and improved effectiveness. This free-to-view spotlight article covers the technology, the program, and its progress to date.

The latest developments include additional costs and continued testing, which is not yet finished…

• From Steam to Magnets: EMALS vs. Current Approaches
• Program Teams [NEW]
• Contracts and Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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Northrop Grumman Space & Mission Systems in Redondo Beach, CA won a $28.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to conduct research for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Nitride Electronic Next Generation Technology (NEXT) Program.

The NEXT program is designed to enable revolutionary advances in nitride electronic devices and integrated circuits resulting in their ability to operate at very high frequencies while maintaining extremely favorable voltage breakdown characteristics. DARPA is looking for ways to overcome the limitations of nitride-based electronics technologies, such as gallium nitride (GaN). “GaN: DARPA’s 3-Pronged R&D Strategy” has more on DARPA’s GaN research efforts.

The program aims to develop high-speed, high-power transistors for use in radar and electronic warfare systems…

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Off we go…
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DWG & Associates in Colorado Springs, CO received a $40 million modified contract for simplified acquisition of base engineer requirements (SABER) at the US Air Force Academy. At this time, $100,000 has been obligated. 10th Contracting Squadron, US Air Force Academy, in Colorado Springs, CO manages the contract (FA700-09-D-0020). The SABER contract is a comprehensive general construction contract to support maintenance, repair and construction requirements.

According to DWG & Associates, the USAF Academy uses the SABER contract to fulfill engineering requirements on a variety of projects, ranging from small renovations to large scale infrastructure needs involving pipelines, electrical substations, and life safety issues. The company expects a large part of this contract modification to involve energy use reduction and modernization.

The High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) was set up to modernize the US Department of Defense (DoD) labs’ high performance computing capabilities. The HPCMP provides supercomputer services, high-speed network communications, and computational science expertise that enables the DoD labs and test centers to conduct a range of research, development, and test activities to put advanced technology in the hands of US forces.

The HPCMP office recently awarded a contract to High Performance Technologies (HPTi) in Reston, VA to provide training and support to the DoD’s high performance computing users under the User Productivity Enhancement, Technology Transfer and Training (PETTT) program. The contract (GS04T09DBC0017) has the potential to be worth $147 million over 10 years.

HPTi has assembled a team of university and industry partners…

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Solar Farm at Nellis AFB
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The US Air Force Academy is having a 3 megawatt solar farm built on its campus in Colorado Springs, CO to provide solar electricity to the educational complex. Currently, all of the academy’s electricity comes from external sources.

USAFA’s 10th Contracting Squadron awarded a $18.3 million contract (FA700-09-F-0023) to Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to provide renewable photovoltaic solar electrical energy through construction of the solar farm.

The CSU sent an interoffice memorandum to the Colorado Springs mayor and city council about talks it was having with the USAFA concerning the solar farm…

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Wyle Laboratories in Huntsville, AL received a $38.6 million option on a previously awarded contract (HC1047-05-D-4005) to provide support to the U.S. Defense Technical Information Center’s Reliability Information Analysis Center (RIAC). The center is the technical focal point for information, data, analysis, training, and technical assistance in the engineering fields of reliability, maintainability, quality, supportability, and interoperability (RMQSI) for Department of Defense (DoD) military and support systems. The 55th Contracting Squadron, Offutt Air Force Base, manages the contract.

DID has more on Wyle contract and the work of the RIAC…

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FRES-U finalists:
There can be… none?
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Many of Britain’s army vehicles are old and worn, and the necessities of hard service on the battlefield are only accelerating that wear. The multi-billion pound “Future Rapid Effects System” (FRES) aims to recapitalize the core of Britain’s armored vehicle fleet over the next decade or more, filling many of the same medium armor roles as the Stryker Family of armored wheeled vehicles and/or the Future Combat Systems’ Manned Ground Vehicle family. Current estimates indicate a potential requirement for over 3,700 FRES vehicles, including utility and reconnaissance variants. Even so, one should be cautioned that actual numbers bought usually fall short of intended figures for early-stage defense programs.

DID’s FOCUS articles offer in-depth, updated looks at significant military programs of record. The FRES program was spawned by the UK’s withdrawal from the German-Dutch-UK Boxer MRAV modular wheeled APC program, in order to develop a more deployable vehicle that fit Britain’s exact requirements. Those initial requirements were challenging, however, and experience in Iraq and Afghanistan led to decisions that changed a number of requirements, and raised the acceptable weight limit. The UK MoD has taken some criticism for its selection of wheeled APCs as its FRES-U infantry fighting vehicle finalists, and even more criticism for making the Boxer MRAV one of those finalists after spending all that time and sterling on FRES development. In the end, GD MOWAG’s Piranha V won the utility vehicle competition.

FRES-U is not the end of the competition, however, or the contracts. In fact, FRES has just seen the winning bidder’s preferred status revoked, and that entire phase will now take a back seat to the FRS-SV scout version. For which the MoD has now issued 2 Invitations to Tender…

• FRES: The Program (Continue reading…)
• FRES: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings [updated]
• Appendix 1 – The British Army’s Armored Vehicle Fleet, late 2006
• Appendix 2 – A New Procurement Approach: System House Challenges
• Appendix 3 – FRES: Key Challenges for the Contractors
• Appendix 4 – FRES Experiments: Electronic Architecture Contracts
• Appendix 5 – FRES Experiments: Vehicle-Related Contracts
  
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