Lower Monumental Dam

Project Time & Cost, Inc. in Atlanta, GA won a 5-year, firm-fixed-price contract worth up to $150 million. They’ll provide “architect-engineering services for nationwide cost engineering” in support of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Walla Walla District in Washington State. The district’s site offers a summary of the key projects it’s involved in, and the firm has been working with the US ACE for over 25 years now. Work location will be determined with each task order, with an estimated completion date of Nov 6/16. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 4 bids received by the US Army Corps of Engineers in Walla Walla, WA (W912EF-12-D-0003).

According to AACE International, cost engineering is ”...the area of engineering practice where engineering judgment and experience are used in the application of scientific principles and techniques to problems of cost estimating, cost control, business planning and management science, profitability analysis, project management, and planning and scheduling.” That scope includes Cost Estimating, Earned Value Management, Risk Management, and Schedule Management.

In October 2011, Global Integrated Security (USA), Inc. in Reston, VA won a 4-year, $480 million firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, for Reconstruction Security Support Services throughout Afghanistan. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Oct 19/15. Five bids were solicited, with 5 bids received by the USACE office in Winchester, VA (W912ER-12-D-0001).

Global Integrated Security has performed RSSS work in Afghanistan before. A $34 million task order in December 2009 focused on Kabul and Kandahar, but a March 2010 contract [PDF] from the US Army Corps of Engineers saw them expand those services to encompass a National Operations Center providing intelligence and analysis, reconnaissance teams, interpreters, aviation services throughout Afghanistan; and “mobile security support services” to USACE personnel during travel to, and presence at, construction sites.

APOBS

The MK7 MOD 2 Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System (APOBS) is used to clear mines or wire obstacles, and create a safe footpath for troops. APOBS can be carried by 2 people, takes 30 to 120 seconds to be set up, and fires a rocket from a 25-meter standoff position, sending a line charge with fragmentation grenades over the minefields or wire obstacles. The grenades clear the mines, and sever the wires. Developed by the US Army Armaments Engineering and Technology Center in Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, APOBS won a US Army top military inventions of the year award in 2004. It replaces the Bangalore Torpedo, which was heavier, took longer to set up, and required 4 times the number of people to carry.

In 2006, small business qualifier Ensign-Bickford Aerospace & Defense Co. in Simsbury, CT received a maximum $150.8 million, 5-year contract for up to 3,000 units. In 2011, however, the Army/USMC contract shifted to Chemring Ordnance, Inc. in Perry, FL…

CENTCOM

June 20/11: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Middle East District in Winchester, VA awarded 14 multiple-award contracts, out of 43 bids received via FBO.gov for design-build and construction projects in U.S. Central Command’s area of responsibility.

The firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery /indefinite-quantity task orders could be worth up to $3.8 billion, and run until June 30/16. Each task order will be competed among these winners:

• US Army Corp of Engineers unveils $5 billion Civil Works plan for FY 2011.

• Nearly 1,000 workers at 3 defense contractors in the Washington, DC area – General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman – are being laid off this year, the Washington Examiner reports.

• A number of projects are working to free science from the bottlenecks of copyright-bound paper articles, even for research produced on the public dime. Open source science is impractical for much defense R&D, except as a potential input. On the other hand, new Open Science approaches have shown great promise for areas like disease cures – which do have a military dimension.

• India continues working on creating a nuclear triad with the deployment of its 1st Arihant class nuclear submarine expected in 2012. It also has inspection teams doing assurance checks in advance of an expected buy of M777 ultra-light howitzers.

• UK announces plans for a new nuclear-powered submarine to replace its existing Vanguard class submarine. Advance design contracts for the missile section started a while ago, and the main build decision is expected in 2016.

• Italy accepts 2 of its 4 ordered KC-767A aerial tankers into service, after a long set of technical delays and certifications.

• Israel is setting up a taskforce to develop defense capabilities against cyber attacks on critical infrastructure. Rumor has it that they set up a task force to handle the other end a while back. You’d have to ask the Iranians.

Off we go…

The USAF uses its simplified acquisition of base engineering requirements (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 SABER contract’s main purpose is to expedite contract award of civil engineer requirements through the issuance of individual delivery orders. The contract contains a collection of detailed task specifications that include most types of real property maintenance, repair, and construction work. A number of SABER contracts have been awarded…

Lake Ponchartrain
& New Orleans (shaded area)
(click to view larger)

USACE awards $675 million contract to CBY for Lake Pontchartrain canal closures and pumps. (April 18/11)

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in the process of doling out large contracts to repair and strengthen flood control infrastructure in New Orleans and the vicinity.

The contracts are being awarded under the Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS – formerly the Hurricane Protection System). USACE has developed an interactive map with the status of all of the projects under this program in the New Orleans area.

The USACE expects to complete construction under the HSDRRS in 2011…

(c) DJ Elliott

DJ Elliott is a retired USN Intelligence Specialist (22 years active duty) who has been analyzing and writing on Iraqi Security Forces developments since 2006. His Iraqi Security Forces Order of Battle is an open-source compilation that attempts to map and detail Iraqi units and equipment, as their military branches and internal security forces grow and mature. While “good enough for government use” is not usually uttered as a compliment, US Army TRADOC has maintained permission to use the ISF OOB for their unclassified handouts since 2008.

This compilation is reproduced here with full permission. It offers a set of updates highlighting recent changes in the ISF’s composition and development, followed by the full updated ISF OOBs in PDF format. Reader feedback and tips are encouraged. This month’s developments include:

• Pentagon drafts new conflict of interest rules for contractors.

• US Defense Secretary Gates’ effort to cut defense spending could hurt stock prices of US defense firms. That sort of follows, doesn’t it?

• Learning from sponges to make glass that’s very hard to break.

• SAIC secured $24 million contract to supply 19 deployable tactical air navigation (D-TACAN) systems for the USA’s Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS).

• BAE Systems gets $10.7 million order for 20,000 US Army modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE) quick-release backpacks. ATK also picked up a recent order, in a new camo pattern for Afghanistan.

• India conducts successful test of the nuclear-capable Agni-II, an in-service weapon with a range of 1,240 miles.

• Up to $50 million to Tetra Tech for US Army Corps of Engineers’ environmental remediation work in the USA.

• NATO chief proposes common funding pool for NATO missions and country-specific specialization in major weapon system procurement.

• US CSBA rips “flawed logic” [PDF] of USA’s recent nuclear posture review. April 2010 backgrounders also include the related “Meeting the Challenge of a Proliferated World,” [PDF] and “Understanding the Threat of Nuclear Terrorism” [PDF].

• Russia places a military satellite, believed to be a Parus navigation and communications satellite, into orbit aboard a Kosmos 3M rocket.

• Lockheed gets $1.5 million to continue lightweight “Kinetic Energy Net” composite armor development, aims to replace metal in aircraft.

• Australia formally releases its solicitation for “AIR 9000, Phase 8” to buy naval helicopters: either the NH90 NFH or the MH-60R, decision in 2011.

• Japan opens 1st overseas military base in Djibouti, Africa, to combat pirates.

• Northrop Grumman delivers 3rd and last Airborne Laser Mine Detection System (ALMDS) pods to the U.S. Navy ahead of schedule, doesn’t discuss performance issues raised by US GAO.

• Northrop Grumman, General Dynamics beat analysts’ quarterly earnings estimates.

• USJFCOM, Northrop Grumman extend ISR research accord.

• UK, Afghan military engineers partner on 1st joint project to expand Patrol Base Rahim in Nahr-e Saraj to accommodate 300 Afghan and UK soldiers.