Kfir C2 w. ALQ-167
(click to view full)

Over the last 12 years, ATAC has performed a wide range of flight training operations for the US Navy, US Air Force and Air National Guard, including participation in US Navy fleet training, acting as adversary fighters for the “TOPGUN” program, Red Flag exercises and F-22 Raptor training; participating in JTAC/ FAC-A/ CAS ground controller training; and even serving American research & development programs. Under their agreement with US Navy, their services have also been used to train militaries in the UK, Canada, Japan, the Philippines, and others.

Unlike most other contractors, who operate Learjets and similar business aircraft, ATAC operates fighters and attack jets…

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General Dynamics Team
Trimaran LCS Design
(click to enlarge)

Exploit simplicity, numbers, the pace of technology development in electronics and robotics, and fast reconfiguration. That was the US Navy’s idea for the low-end backbone of its future surface combatant fleet. Inspired by successful experiments like Denmark’s Standard Flex ships, the US Navy’s $30+ billion “Littoral Combat Ship” program was intended to create a new generation of affordable surface combatants that could operate in dangerous shallow and near-shore environments, while remaining affordable and capable throughout their lifetimes.

It hasn’t worked that way. In practice, what the Navy wanted, the capabilities needed to perform primary naval missions, and what could be delivered for the sums available, have proven nearly irreconcilable. The LCS program has changed its fundamental acquisition plan several times since 2005, and canceled contracts with both competing teams, without escaping any of its fundamental issues.

The latest additions include completion of LCS-2 builder tests, and plans to deploy LCS-1 ahead of schedule…

• LCS: Concept & Needs
• LCS: The Competing Teams
• LCS Solution = Standard Equipment + Mission Modules
• LCS: Controversies & Cautions
• LCS: Budgets and Program Structure
• LCS: Export Potential
• LCS: Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• LCS Ancillaries: Mission Module & Weapon Contracts & Key Events
• Additional Readings & Sources [updated]
  
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The US Army Contracting Center of Excellence awarded contracts worth a combined $220.3 million to 2 firms for provision of personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and other services to the US Army Continuing Education System (ACES).

ACES programs and services expand soldier skills, knowledge, and aptitudes for leadership. The programs support leader development and soldier career progression by building job-related critical thinking and decision-making skills required for combat, peacekeeping operations, and competence on the digitized battlefield, according to the Army.

The 2 firms who won contracts to support ACES are:

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T-50 Golden Eagle
(click to view full)

Korea’s defense industry is advancing on all fronts these days. On the armored vehicle front, vehicles like the XK2 tank and K9/K10 self propelled howitzer are beginning to win export orders, and its XK-21/KNIFV amphibious infantry fighting vehicle may not be too far behind. All fill key market niches, promising performance at a comparatively inexpensive price. Its shipbuilding industry, one of the world’s busiest, is beginning to turn out LHDs, and December 2008 saw its first-of-class KDX-III AEGIS destroyer accepted into service on time and on budget. Now its aerospace industry is in flight abroad with the already-exported KT-1 trainer. Not to mention a clever entry into an incipient market.

Enter the T-50 Golden Eagle family, which offers a supersonic high-end trainer and light fighter aircraft at an attractive price. The aircraft is hitting the international market just as many of the world’s jet training fleets are reaching ages of 30 years or more, and high-end fighters are pricing themselves out of reach for many countries. The TA-50 LIFT variant and F/A-50 lightweight fighter are especially attractive as lightweight export fighters, and the ROKAF’s own F-5E/F Tiger II and F-4 Phantom fighters are more than due for replacement.

Weapons export and corporate issues have now been resolved, and a contract to produce the F/A-50 is underway. So, too, is a major new radar contract to equip them…

• T/F/A-50: The Program, The Planes
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
• Additional Readings
  
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CH-47D Lifts Target
At Pohakuloa Training Area
(click to view larger)

Kiewit Pacific Co. in Kapolei, HI won a $32.2 million firm-fixed price contract for construction of a battle area complex (BAX) and a tactical vehicle wash facility at the Pohakuloa Army Training Area.

Located on the island of Hawaii, the Pohakuloa Training Area (PTA) has a 51,000 acre impact area used for bombing and gunnery practice, which was refurbished by the 25th Combat Aviation Brigade in March 2009 to allow helicopter training. There are approximately 32,000 acres of land level enough for large maneuvers. The total PTA area (108,863 acres) is the largest US Department of Defense installation in the state of Hawaii.

The contract awarded to Kiewit Pacific combines work on 2 Army construction projects…

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Around $2 billion is being doled out to contractors for major construction work taking place at US military installations in San Antonio, TX as part of ongoing Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) adjustments.

The construction program will provide facilities to accommodate thousands of military personnel, federal employees, and military missions that are moving to and within San Antonio as a result of the 2005 BRAC process.

Work is scheduled to take place at Fort Sam Houston, Camp Bullis, Lackland and Randolph Air Force Bases through September 2011…

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Vance Air Force Base
(click to view full)

CSC Applied Technologies in Fort Worth, TX received a $70.5 million contract for base operating support and aircraft maintenance at Vance Air Force Base in Oklahoma in support of undergraduate pilot training. AETC/CONS/LGCK at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas manages the contract (FA3002-08-C-0007, P00025).

Vance AFB is home to the 71st Flying Training Wing, which trains US Air Force, US Navy, and US Marine Corps pilots. Since 1941, the wing has trained 31,112 pilots…

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Raytheon is helping the US Naval Oceanographic Office recover hydrographic educational materials lost in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina. The office’s hydrographic training center located in south Mississippi was destroyed by the hurricane and 50% of the original hydrographic training curriculum was lost. Since then, about 25 percent of the materials have been recovered, leaving the remaining 25 percent, or about 222 hours, still missing, according to Kristin Patterson Jones with Raytheon Technical Services. Hydrographic information is used to draft nautical maps and enhance geospatial information.

A recent task order received by Raytheon directs the company to perform a gap analysis, develop the missing hours and fulfill the requirements of hydrographic recertification, she noted. The task order was issued under a $256.5 million contract vehicle awarded last year to 6 companies to provide education and training products and support services to the US Navy…

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USS Ronald Reagan docks
at Naval Base Coronado
(click to view full)

Barnhart in San Diego, CA received an $8.7 million firm-fixed-price task order (#0004) under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, multiple-award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8608) for design and construction of a Special Operations Forces (SOF) combat crew training facility at Naval Base Coronado, CA.

The 2-story structure will provide classrooms for training and a boat maintenance and storage area. Barnhart expects to complete construction of the facility by December 2010. 5 proposals were received for this task order by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest in San Diego, CA. Naval Base Coronado is the largest command in the southwest region of the United States…

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Turner-Penick in San Diego, CA won a $103.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of 4 barracks at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California. The barracks will house a total of 1,384 Marines and will include a multipurpose community area and laundry facilities.

The contract contains 5 options, which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative contract value to $110.5 million. Turner-Penick expects to complete the facilities by June 2011. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 10 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest in San Diego (N62473-09-C-1233).

DID has more about Camp Pendleton…

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