M50 mask training

In December 2011, Avon Protection Systems, Inc. in Cadillac, MI won a 5-year, $176.4 million firm-fixed-price contract to make M61 filter canisters for the new M50 Joint Service General Purpose Mask. Work will be performed in Cadillac, MI, and is expected to run until Dec 22/16. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with 6 bids received by U.S. Army Contracting Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD (W911SR-12-D-0001).

The new M50 mask is designed to be more compact, lighter, more comfortable and more effective than the older M40. When worn in conjunction with a MOPP suit, the mask allows over 24 hours of protection against chemical or biological agents and radioactive particulates. Improvements include a single cast, optically correct visor with a wider field of view than the previous twin-lens design, and a twin conformal filter for a 50% improvement in breathing resistance. Anyone who has ever tried heavy physical exertion in a gas mask understands how much that improvement means. The convenient integrated 3L Camelbak for drinking, and clip-on sunglasses or corrective lenses, will also be appreciated.

Another research contract; WSJ Top 50. (Sept 23/11)

Achaogen in San Francisco, CA is working on “preclinical development of novel therapeutics that reduce the virulence of, and inhibit resistance in, Class A Bacterial Pathogens.” Achaogen closed a $26 million round of venture financing in October 2006, and they had raised $103 million in equity by March 2011. Their approach focuses on small molecules that inhibit the emergence of bacterial resistance to antibiotics. Initial efforts had the goal of making the bacteria susceptible to existing fluoroquinolones, and potentially to other classes of antibacterial drugs.

So, just what are “Class A bacterial pathogens?” You certainly know some of them by name…

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

• The US Navy adds an additional clause and extends the closing date to 9th September for its RFP for a Firm Fixed Price (FFP) contract for the acquisition of engineering and technical support services for the Virginia Class (SSN 774) submarine and the Ohio Replacement Program (ORP).
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The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has a central role in addressing the threat of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Their Research and Development Enterprise [PDF] is especially wide-ranging, covering everything from protective gear, to predictive and decision-support algorithms, to ScanEagle UAV variants that can monitor WMD levels, to co-operative non-proliferation programs, to development of new weapons like the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Some of this work has even led to commercial spinoffs, vid. Sanofi Pasteur’s acquisition of VaxDesign and its DARPA/DTRA-financed MIMC model: an in vitro tool capable of predicting human immune response to specific bio-threat agents.

• Contractor killed in blast and fire at the US Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.

• Integral Systems in Colorado Springs, CO gets $21.8 million in contracts to provide technical support for US military satellites.

• ATK gets $13.4 million in new 25mm tactical ammunition contracts from allies in the Middle East and North Africa.

• AAI receives $9.7 million contract to provide an electronic warfare radio frequency simulator to the USAF’s EW Avionics Integration Support Facility at Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

• Alion snags $4.6 million US Navy contract to provide PC-based systems to train sailors for the Littoral Combat Ship-2 readiness control officer position.

“Go Ahead, Make My Day”

The US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has undertaken an R&D effort to provide an integrated approach to combating weapons of mass destruction (WMD) known as the Research and Development Enterprise [PDF]. Their efforts are aimed at improving situational awareness about the WMD threat, controlling WMD materials and systems worldwide, reducing the threat to US troops, protecting the homeland, transforming the US nuclear deterrent, and controlling the threat of loose nuclear weapons in the world.

As part of this effort, DTRA awarded a contract April 18/11 worth up to $600 million to TASC in Chantilly, VA to provide advisory services to the agency’s effort in this area…

• UK Public Accounts Committee report cites GBP 3.5 billion in cost overruns for RAF Typhoon fighter program; MoD says program is “under control and back on track.”

• Republican US senators send letter to President Obama, opposing reported proposal giving Russia “red-button” sway over European missile defense shield, and sharing sensitive information about the program.

• Boeing Military Aircraft president Christopher M. Chadwick discusses India’s potential orders for 4 more P-8i sea control jets, and 10 C-17 heavy aerial transports.

• DARPA wants to explore the science of storytelling. Otherwise known as “Neurobiology of Narratives.”

• David Axe offers front-line descriptions of recent combat in Afghanistan.

• Recent NASA R&D funding involves new “magic skin” outer layers for composite airframe structures – incl. conductive film and energy-absorbing foams.

• L-3’s Platform Integration division gets approval to begin low-rate initial production of the ISR mission avionics suite for the US Navy’s EP-3E Spiral 3-configured electronic eavesdropping aircraft.

• Russian Navy floats out 3rd Steregushchy-class corvette (Boyky) from the St. Peterburg Severnaya Verf shipyard.

• UK completes Route Trident extension linking Lashkar Gah and Gereshk in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province.

• General Atomics opens a UK division to support its British customer, who has received 6 MQ-9 Reapers and awaits the arrival of the other 4.

• GD NASSCO launches USNS William McLean (T-AKE 12) dry cargo/ammunition supply ship at its San Diego shipyard.

• US falls short on efforts to develop and acquire medical countermeasures for CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiation, and Nuclear) agents, says GAO [PDF]. As the Japanese are learning, those countermeasures can have civilian applications, too.

• Sino-Russian detente – or at least a service contract or 2: China, Russia sign military cooperation agreement that includes contracts for spare parts for air defense systems, aviation, and naval equipment.

• Not so bad: CEO of UK defense contractor Babcock expects UK defense spending to improve over the next 6 months; company wants to revive canceled UK military training contract.

• Could India’s C-17 order rise from 10 planes to 16?

• It’s so urgent: In response to an urgent CENTCOM request, DISA fields 5,300 push-to-talk DTCS-RO radios, which use the Iridium satellite communication infrastructure, in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• UAV drones heading into everyday life: is “C3Paparazzo” next?

• Northrop Grumman expects a $230 million fourth-quarter pretax charge related to its recent offer to buy back $1.9 billion in debt.

• Medic, medic: Malaysia is sending a 40-unit medical unit to work with New Zealand troops in Afghanistan.

• ManTech snags $24 million contract to provide technical support to the US Naval Air Warfare Combat Center Aircraft Division for combat ID and air traffic control.

• Snowdon gets $8.2 million contract to develop novel medical treatments for biowarfare pathogens under the DoD’s Transformational Medical Technologies program.

• EU countries are participating this week in Cyber Europe 2010, the first pan-European cybersecurity exercise.

• Up and running: After a month’s delay, the DoD’s Cyber Command is fully operational.

• The same cannot be said about the USA’s RFP to replace its Bradley IFVs, though the rebooted Ground Combat Vehicle RFP will supposedly aim for more off-the-shelf technologies.

• Significant cuts planned for New Zealand’s tiny military.

• Off we go…: The Mitchell Institute for Airpower Studies in Arlington, VA will release on November 10 a database of the full USAF aircraft inventory from 1950 to 2009.

• France and DCNS sign an innovative contract, wherein the French Navy will receive a privately-developed Gowind family Ocean Patrol Vessel to operate for 3 years. The goal? Endorsement and operational success, to boost export sales for the scalable OPV/ Corvette family.

• Russian Rosoboronexport executive denies reports of a Syrian MiG-31 contract.

• Research and Markets: China is shifting production from military to commercial products, with 450 production lines used for defense equipment now producing civilian goods.

• Old-school counterinsurgency planes are getting more popular around the world – and a number of OV-1D Mohawks are available, refurbished and sporting a 30mm chain gun from ATK.

• Accenture wins 5-year, $6.3 million contract, under the $5.3 billion SeaPort-e contract vehicle, to provide hardware and software maintenance for the US Navy’s effort to modernize its ships’ C4ISR systems.

• General Dynamics gets $9.8 million contract from Raytheon to supply composite capsule launch systems for the submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missile.

• DARPA’s $100 million Blue Angel program testing new approaches to speed up flu vaccine production, hopes to prove out the techniques in preparation for more sinister threats.

• Thinking Strategically: UK government’s new National Security Strategy [PDF] identifies terrorism, cyber attacks, natural disasters, and foreign wars as the top 4 threat facing the nation.

• Not So Strategic: UK parliamentary panel is not impressed with government’s strategic thinking.

• Max Boot looks at indicators of progress in Afghanistan, while WIRED discusses the prospects for an innovative program that aims to provide cellphone justice.

• Stepping Stone: Xi Jinping is named to head China’s People Liberation Army, a stepping stone to the presidency.

• Israel urged to step up civil disaster capabilities as a nuclear Iran – or Israeli strikes – loom large.

• Up to $490 million to ManTech to provide integrated logistics support services to US Army Sustainment Command.

• Peru and Ukraine’s Morozov begin testing their Tifon-2 derivative of Peru’s T-55 tanks.

• Raytheon gets $37.6 million initial production contract to supply 22 Navy Multiband Terminals (NMT), compatible with a range of US military satellite constellations, as part of $1 billion program.

• General Dynamics ATP continues its relationship with Boeing for C-17 parts & spares.

• Britain’s “Wolfhound” blast resistant supply vehicles are operational in Afghanistan.

• Infowar front: The suicide protest. Not the Buddhist variety.