Rapid Fire September 17, 2012: 3rd CRH DRFP | OMB Report

Sep 17, 2012 10:30 UTC by Defense Industry Daily staff
  • The White House released its report [PDF] on the effects of sequestration, restating that sequestration is an indiscriminate instrument meant for threats, not actual use, and laying sole responsibility at the feet of Congress in general, and House Republicans in particular. Democrats at the House Budget Committee stuck to tying the fate of defense budgets with tax increases for the rich (what these two things have to do with each other we’ll never know) while HASC Republicans made procedural complaints. Exec summary: stuck until the election.
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  • The USAF’s Combat Rescue Helicopter request for proposal is not quite ready yet, but seems to be getting there, with a 3rd iteration of the draft RFP posted on FBO, as well as a CLIN-SOW matrix (Contract Line Item Numbers and Statements of Work).

  • On the other hand the Air Force’s RFP for the Joint Miniature Munitions Bomb Rack Unit is now final. JMM BRU, aka BRU-61A/A, is a miniature munitions carriage for SDB II and F-35B/C weapon systems. Note that some of the RFP’s documents are available on request only to DoD personnel and US contracts under distribution statement D.

  • The US Army is organizing an Industry Day [MS Word] on Oct. 16 in Fort Belvoir, VA, to present its Soldier Protection System (SPS) forthcoming opportunity. They are seeking 5 subsystems: torso protection (hard armor); torso/extremity protection/load management (soft armor); head protection (helmet, maxillofacial and hearing); eye protection; and the Integrated Soldier Sensor System (to monitor the wearer’s health).

    • Reducing weight and increasing modularity will be underpinning the whole set of requirements for these body armor requirements. In May last year PEO Soldier said [PDF] that staffing for Capabilities Development Document (CDD) had begun. A draft RFP should be published in the days leading to the event. In the meantime, this RAND report [PDF] should be useful on background, this PM Soldier presentation [PDF] from Jan. 2012, and the relevant RDT&E Army budget [PDF] as of the February 2012 Presidential Request, for what it’s worth.

    • General Dynamics, Electric Boat was awarded a $94M cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order to repair USS Miami after it was set on fire by one of its painters. If an option is exercised the final bill may end up above the $100 million mark. Work will be performed in 4 states with completion expected by June next year.

    • A year after taking the job, Duncan Lewis leaves his position as Australia’s Secretary of the Department of Defence (a senior management position not to be confused with the higher-ranking Defence Minister). He was reportedly frustrated with planned budget cuts. Dennis Richardson comes from the Department of Foreign Affairs to replace Lewis. The high turnover among senior Defence officials does not make the Labor government look good.

    • China’s new (guessed) military naming of the month: J-31, for a stealth fighter… designed in the US?

    Categories: Australia & S. Pacific, Budgets, China, Daily Rapid Fire, Fighters & Attack, Helicopters & Rotary, Issues - Political, People, Pre-RFP, RFPs, Soldier's Gear, Submarines, USA

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