• The US DoD acquisition office hosted the 1st Product Support Manager (PSM) Conference last week. Among the material presented there, we recommend this overview [PDF] of Open Systems Architectures (OSA) and data rights. “Data rights are rights granted to the government for technical data and computer software” which can help DoD maintain competition over the life of a program, among other benefits.

• Also of interest from the PSM event: sustainment metrics [PDF]; this primer [PDF] on the role of PSMs, a position created under Section 805 of the FY10 defense authorization bill. Per DTM 10-015 [PDF], all ACAT I/II major programs must have a PSM supporting them.

• Conundrums can arise when safety procedures meet environmental concerns in the life of a military base. For instance, US DoD policy requires periodic aircraft hangar fire suppression foam system nozzle discharge checks to make sure these systems will perform when needed. But these necessary checks generate nontrivial amounts of wastewater, a liability and another burden to deal with. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering Service Center think they have an answer with their “NoFoam” design [PDF].

• Meanwhile the US Army is trying to scale its renewable energy efforts through its recently-created Energy Initiatives Task Force (EITF).

• If you’re a US military member preparing to enter the federal or private sector workforce, this US Navy primer will help.

• The WSJ reports that the CIA has made concessions about how it uses UAVs for strikes in Pakistan.

• The USAF’s unique BACN jets and UAVs receive official designations.

• Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs Andrew J. Shapiro gave a speech last Friday summarizing the nature of American military support for Israel, which receives $3B per year in funding for training and equipment under Foreign Military Financing (FMF), or 60% of a total $5.5B spread among 70 countries.

• Transfield Services (Australia) Pty Ltd wins A$ 90 million Comprehensive Maintenance Services (CMS) contract for all Defence establishments in South Australia, from 2011-2014, with options to 2017.

• The US Air National Guard has approved the new LITENING G4 surveillance and targeting pod for fielding on its F-16s.

• Bloomberg has a wrap-up on the F-35, one of the few programs that have been identified by name in recent budget cut talks.

• 6th Swiftship patrol boat delivered to Iraq.

• The anti-climatic video below shows US National Guard soldiers loading tanks to be shipped out of Contingency Operating Base Adder, Iraq:
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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.

• Following the release of its annual assessment of China’s military power, a US Department of Defense official suggests that Beijing has also developed a ‘workable design’ of its DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile. Meanwhile, China has continued its condemnation by saying the report indulged in exaggeration and ‘groundless suspicion’.

• Successful test of the CONECT upgrade to USAF B-52H heavy bombers; program on track to finish ground and flight tests in October 2011.

• EADS passes a half way point, delivers the 180th UH-72A light utility helicopter to the US military.

• The US Navy confirms the successful test-flight of a T-45 Goshawk trainer using biofuel.

• Following Hugo Chavez’s recent gratitude for Russian assistance in re-equipping Venezuela’s armed forces, diplomatic sources reveal that Moscow is preparing to loan Caracas an additional $4 billion for military purchases.

• The US Air Force awards Vision Systems International a $36 million contract for electrical and electronic equipment components.

• Rosoboronexport delivers 6 Mi-17 helicopters to Indonesia. A $56 million contract was signed by Jakarta and the state-owned corporation for the helicopters.

• The US military continues to reallocate hundreds of millions toward surveillance, mostly for Special Operations. But are they looking for ISR in all the wrong places?

• With the end of the Libyan conflict seemingly in sight, a number of interesting stories are beginning to emerge. France confirms the deployment of its EADS/IAI Harfang unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Libyan airspace. Qatar also punched above its weight by providing military training and special forces.

Federal Business Opportunities (FBO) has recently disclosed the following Requests for Proposals (RFP), modifications and notifications:

• The US Air Force releases a Statement of Work, Questions and Answers and additional documents in relation to the purchase and installation of a Lawful Intercept (LI) capability for the Government of Iraq (GOI). LI will provide the GOI with enhanced communications intelligence to support a range of security operations.
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“Lend me your ears”

$9.7 billion DLITE contract. (July 5/11)

The US military has come to rely more and more on contractors to provide linguist services to function effectively in non-English speaking regions. The need for these services is particularly acute in the Middle East and Central Asia where US troops are actively engaged.

This DID FOCUS free sample covers US military linguist services contracts and key events.

• Terrible Terps Can Leave You Tango Uniform
• Interpreters vs Translators
• US Army Recruitment
• $4.6B INSCOM Contract
• Sending out an SOS: Other Firms
• Contracts and Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
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• Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen and Defense Under Secretary for Policy Michelle Flournoy testified at a House Armed Services Committee hearing on President Obama’s Afghanistan troop reduction plan – C-Span video.

• The UK’s RUSI think tank and Cranfield University publish their joint paper [PDF] on reform of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Proposed changes outlined in The Defence Reform Agenda include military reorganization away from single service orientation and organizational change to stimulate greater financial accountability.

• The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry in India (ASSOCHAM) calls for the raising of permissible limit of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the defense sector from 26% to 49%. ASSOCHAM believes that increased FDI will stimulate technology transfers and develop the Indian defense sector’s capabilities.

• Reuters reports that Daimler and Rolls-Royce now have full control of the engine manufacturer Tognum AG. Over the past few weeks the Anglo-German partnership has increased its majority shareholder stake from 58% to 94% of the company.

• Speculation regarding China’s stealth fighter program is now accompanied by intrigue over its unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The Dew Line publishes a photograph of a UAV flying above a Chinese naval vessel on exercises near Okinawa which does not appear to resemble China’s ASN-209 or ASN-802 drones.

• Officials from the Malaysian, Indonesian and South Korean Ministries of Defense to discuss regional development of armored vehicle fleets at the 3rd Armoured Vehicles Asia conference in Singapore. The announcement comes after Malaysia’s recent decision to award the BAE Systems NSS joint venture a $557 million to supply its armed forces with 257 AV-8 8×8 wheeled armor vehicles.

• Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tells the Philippines’ Foreign Secretary that the United States is prepared to provide the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) with affordable military equipment to safeguard its territorial claims in the South China Sea.

• The Australian Strategic Policy Institute says the Defence Posture Review will move Australia on from WWII-era thinking regarding ‘secondary defense areas’ as energy resources off Western Australia and Northern Territory become security considerations. The review will also make it difficult for Australia to sit out a future US-China conflict.

• Danger Room reports on the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence’s hearing on General David Petraeus becoming the next Director of the CIA. They suggest that Petraeus’ remarks are the closest a top intelligence official has come to saying that unmanned airstrikes are not the CIA’s only counterterrorist measure.

• US intelligence pores over Al Qaeda materials retrieved from Osama Bin Laden’s compound.

• RAF Tornado fighters destroy Libyan FROG-7 mobile rocket launchers and missiles as well as Scud missile containers south of Sirte. NATO release

• Qadaffi’s regime in Libya is laying mines near Misrata. The Dutch RNLMS Haarlem is now sweeping them, alongside French vessels.

• Russia’s new SU-35S fighter begins full flight testing of the production version. It will supplement existing SU-27/30 Flanker family machines in Russian service, and bridge the gap to the T50/PAK-FA stealth fighter.

• Russian Deputy PM Sergei Ivanov raises alarms over the state of the Caspian Sea fleet, despite recent Tartarstan/Gepard Class frigate launches. They may have to get in line behind the Black Sea Fleet, among others.

• Royal Navy commissions HMS Diamond, a Type 45 Daring Class air defense destroyer using the Sea Viper anti-air missile system.

• Northrop Grumman to unveil new Firebird MALE UAV with a pilot option.

• NCI snags $26.5 million task order under GSA Schedule 70 to provide IT support to the US Air National Guard headquarters.

• Talon USA in Morrisville, NC restructures its defense contractor subsidiary into 3 separate subsidiaries: USfalcon, a C4ISR services supplier; Greyhawk Defense, a military IT supplier; and Durango Group, a defense consulting firm.

• US, Romania agree to install European missile defense system site at Deveselu Air Base, about 145 miles west of Bucharest, Romania.

• Biometrics played role in Osama bin Laden identification, says White House counterterrorism adviser; DoD provides background briefing on US operations to take out Bin Laden.

• Northrop Grumman buys $1 billion worth of its stock from Goldman Sachs as part of $4 billion share repurchase program.

• DoD is dragging its feet on developing a life extension program for the aging stockpile of B61 tactical nuclear bombs in Europe, says GAO.

• Tactical Air Defense Services (TADS) in Carson City, NV acquires exclusive use of counter-insurgency aircraft from Tactical Air Support Services, which TADS is in the process of acquiring. TacAir’s training and contract services operates L-39s and CF-5s, and is upgrading an EMB-314 Super Tucano.

• UK opens training center for Afghan National Army personnel near Camp Bastion in Helmand Province.

(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. Recent developments include:

• Defense budget cuts split HASC Republicans between hawks and Tea Partiers.

• With a bevy of batteries weighing soldiers down, MIT’s research into mini gas turbines in a silicon chip promises a possible way out.

• US Army’s Dugway Proving Ground, which stores and tests chemical and biological weapons, reopens after a lockdown because of a “serious concern within the test area.”

• Hard to find is one thing. But could it be possible to make a submarine completely invisible to sonar? Experiments by scientists at the University of Illinois indicate that a sonic cloak may be possible.

• Lockheed Martin rocks 4th quarter with an 18.9% jump in net earnings.

• URS gets up to $63 million to provide engineering, program management, analysis, and logistics support for the B-2 bomber program.

• CACI gets $238 million in national security intelligence support work.

• Eurofighter CEO sees 2011 as a pivotal year, in order to avoid the end of production in 2015. India’s M-MRCA competition, and hopes of a “Tranche 3B” from its consortium countries, are the key underpinnings.

• The Marines recently said they’re more focused on local police and governance than on technology in Afghanistan. They won’t be the only ones cheering the recent firings of many Afghan police officials.

• One of the USAF’s big technologies, meanwhile, is on shaky ground. The twin-pod Gorgon Stare payload for UAVs and aircraft is supposed to let troops cover square kilometers with surveillance, instead of looking through a soda straw. But the left-wing CDI reveals that a recent testing report gave it a terrible rating. The US Air Force has some disagreements with that assessment, but probably regrets their recent boasting to the Washington Post. So does Chuck Spinney, albeit for a different set of reasons.

• Meanwhile, ex-Army general Stan McChrystal talks about his aggressive pursuit of tech on the battlefield – and the human side that makes it worth anything.