US Coast Guard Cutter Healy
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The US Coast Guard awarded Todd Pacific Shipyards in Seattle, WA a $12.5 million modification to a previously awarded contract (HSCG85-05-C-625306) in support of repairs and alterations performed during the triennial Dry-Docking Planned Maintenance Availability (DPMA) of the icebreaker USCG Cutter Healy (WAGB-20).

The contract modification provides for repair and maintenance of the ship’s main propulsion system, auxiliary systems, and other structural, mechanical, and electrical features aboard the ship, including underwater hull inspection and renewal.

The USCG Cutter Healy is the USA’s largest icebreaker…

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Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors in Syracuse, NY received a $15.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for the production of 5 TB-29A thin line towed arrays (TLTAs), which are passive underwater acoustic sensors attached by tow cables to surface ships and submarines. This contract contains options, which, if exercised, will bring its total cumulative value to $29.9 million.

Towed arrays create a longer baseline than other types of underwater sensors, which enhances detection capabilities. According to the 2002 edition of the US Navy’s Vision…Presence…Power: A Guide to U.S. Navy Programs, the TB-29A is a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) version of the legacy TB-29 towed array:

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STS International in Berkeley Springs, WV won a $23.3 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for operational capabilities for the surface and subsurface surveillance system (Quad-S). Quad S is a multifunction surveillance system that can be used in both military expeditionary operations and homeland security missions.

STS will perform the work in Tampa, FL and expects to complete it by September 2014. This contract was competitively procured via Navy Electronic Commerce Online and FedBizOpps websites, with 3 proposals received by the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NAVSEA) Panama City Division in Florida (N61331-09-C-0020).

Quad-S integrates a range of maritime sensors…

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Sealift in Oyster Bay, NY received a $7.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for a 1-year time charter of a vessel, which will be US-flagged upon delivery to the US government. The ship’s primary mission will be to resupply US armed services personnel on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $31.4 million.

Sealift expects to provide the ship through November 2010, or October 2014 if all options are exercised. This contract was competitively procured with 6 offers received by the Military Sealift Command in Washington, DC (N00033-09-C-5502).

Container Security:
Sensor or Dog, which is better?
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Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) in San Diego, CA received a $7 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N66001-09-D-0034) from the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SPAWAR) Pacific to develop a container security device (CSD), a small, low-power sensor mounted on or within a shipping container to detect and warn of the opening or removal of container doors. The contract includes a 3-year ordering period without options.

SAIC will perform work in San Diego and expects to complete it by July 23/12. This contract was not competitively procured; this is a sole source, follow-on contract under the authority of U.S. federal law: only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Development of the CSD was initiated by SAIC under contract N66001-05-D-6013, which was competitively awarded.

DID has more on container security devices…

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USNS Bruce C. Heezen
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3PSC LLC in Cape Canaveral, FL won a $19.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for the operation and maintenance of 6 U.S. Navy Military Sealift Command (MSC) oceanographic survey ships worldwide. This contract includes options, including a 7th-vessel option, 4 one-year options and 5 six-month award-term options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $266.5 million.

3PSC will perform the work worldwide and expects to complete it by Sept. 30/10. If all options are exercised, work is expected to be completed in March 2017. This contract was competitively procured via the MSC website, with multiple proposals solicited and 5 offers received by the Military Sealift Command in Washington, DC (N00033-09-C-2504).

DID has more on the MSC fleet of oceanographic survey ships…

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SS Fisher
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Sealift Inc. in Oyster Bay, NY received a $9.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for a 334-calendar-day time charter of the cargo ship SS Fisher to preposition U.S. Marine Corps ammunition at sea. Fisher is expected to operate in and around Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $46.5 million.

Sealift expects to begin work on the contract in November 2009 and to complete the work within 334-calendar-days or, if all options are exercised, in September 2014. This contract was competitively procured, with 4 offers received by the U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command (N00033-09-C-3301).

SBX-1, Pearl Harbor
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As rogue state proliferation by North Korea et. al. made missile defense a growing priority for nations like the USA, Japan, Israel, et. al., the USA began to look at the linchpin of any defense: powerful radars that could both track ballistic missiles, and guide interceptors. The USA has its BMEWS tracking system, but that would not serve. America’s Safeguard ABM system, meanwhile, was dismantled long ago – though Russia still maintains its counterpart System A-135 network around Moscow. Something new would be needed.

Raytheon’s giant XBR radar is a distant relative of the X-band radars used by police to detect speeding drivers, but designed to detect and illuminate incoming missiles instead. It floats on a system resembling an oil drilling platform, and will usually provide long-range mid-course guidance for ballistic missile defense systems. It can also provide earlier guidance if positioned correctly. The Sea-Based X-Band radar (SBX) that uses it was originally planned as a land-based system, but a sea-based system became possible when the George W. Bush administration withdrew from the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty. Basing the radar at sea offers numerous advantages. One is the obvious ability to move the radar as threats materialize, allowing much greater coverage with fewer radars. Another is the ability to protect allies, without having to invest in expensive systems whose regional capabilities and value to the USA could be put at risk by the decisions of a single foreign government.

In exchange for this freedom from political interference, of course, the designers must contend with nature’s. This is DID’s FOCUS article for the SBX system, which is linked to Boeing’s land-based GMD missile system but can also operate with other naval and land elements. The radar and system have experienced teething problems, which are not unusual for such new technologies, but the program is now entering a make-or-break phase – along with its GMD partner program…

• The XBR Radar & SBX Platform
• Contracts & Events
• Additional Readings & Sources
  
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Small business qualifier Sound & Sea Technology, Inc. in Lynnwood, WA received $5.9 million under a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N62473-06-D-3005) to exercise option year 4 for engineering and technical services in support of the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center (NFESC), Ocean Facilities Department in Port Hueneme, CA. The current total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $28.5 million. Work will be performed at various installations under NFESC’s area of responsibility worldwide, and is expected to be complete in April 2009. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, Specialty Center Contracts Core in Port Hueneme, CA issued the contract.

Work to be performed provides for ocean engineering services. This category includes project planning and execution of sub-sea cable projects including shore landings, seafloor engineering, ocean work platform support, underwater construction tool development, offshore structure and buoy projects, marine power systems, heavy load handling engineering, and harbor and waterside security projects.