$90M in Construction Contracts for NC Naval & Marine Facilities

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, VA has issued six firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, multiple-award construction contracts (contract numbers N62470-05-D-6830/6831/6832/6833/6834/6835) for general construction projects at naval and USMC facilities in North Carolina. The total amount per contract is not to exceed $15 million (base year and four option years) with a guaranteed minimum of $5,000 each, bringing the cumulative total for all six contracts to $90 million. All contracts went to small businesses as defined by Pentagon procurement standards.

$6.7M for All-Terrain Forklifts

ATLAS II

JLG Industries Inc. in McConnellburg, PA received a sole-source $6.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for All-Terrain Lifter Army System (ATLAS) Rough Terrain Forklifts (and GlobalSecurity.org profile). Work will be performed in McConnellburg, PA and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2007. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-05-C-0229).

Raytheon Wins Contract for Australian SEA 4000 AEGIS Destroyers

SEA 4000 Concept Drawing

Subject to final contract negotiations, Raytheon Australia has beaten out rivals BAE systems and Saab systems to become the Project Combat System-System Engineer for Australia’s $4.6 billion ($6 billion Australian) program to build three SEA 4000 Air Warfare Destroyers.

As part of the contract, Raytheon will undertake studies for the Commonwealth on Combat System Integration and Risk Reduction. That contract is valued at approximately $15 Million. “This important task will assist Defence to gain a better understanding of different combat system design options for Cabinet consideration later this year,” said Australian Defence Minister Robert Hill. The decision to conduct the studies is consistent with the Government’s implementation of the Kinnaird Review’s recommendation that increased planning and analysis be undertaken during the early stages of defense projects.

DoD Buys 2,048 Processor Linux Supercomputer for Weapons Design

Big Iron

As part of the Department of Defense (DoD) High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP), The Aeronautical Systems Center (ASC) Major Shared Resource Center (MSRC) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH has purchased an SGI Altix supercomputer to help the United States military maintain its technological supremacy over its adversaries in weapon systems. The SGI Altix supercomputer will be available to more than 1,000 researchers across the U.S. DoD, and will be used to: aid weapon systems design of innovative materials; advance design concepts; improve and speed modification programs; increase high fidelity simulations; and enable more efficient tests and evaluations.

A spokesman noted that this massive shared-memory system from SGI allows the DoD to simulate entire aircraft, entire weapon systems, and entire battlefield engagements, with fidelity not possible before now.

Wind Power Debuts at Gitmo

Any way the wind blows

Standing 275-foot tall, with blades spanning 177 feet, the Navy’s four new 3-blade wind turbines are among the most noticeable features at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Each of the four turbines will generate 950 kilowatts (kw) of electricity. Together, the four turbines will generate 3,800 kw, and in years of typical weather the wind turbines will produce almost 8 million kilowatt-hours of electricity. They will reduce the consumption of 650,000 gallons of diesel fuel, reduce air pollution by 26 tons of sulfur dioxide and 15 tons of nitrous oxide, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 13 million pounds each year.

$97.6M for More FMTV Trucks

FMTV

Stewart & Stevenson Tactical Vehicle Systems L.P. in Sealy, TX won a $97.6 million modification to a firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract for Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle Trucks. Work will be performed in Sealy, TX and is expected to be completed by Nov. 15, 2008. There were two bids solicited on Aug. 15, 2002, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., issued the contract (DAAE07-03-C-S023).

Shipyard Disputes Claim of Poor Workmanship on Carriers

Got Foam?

Northrop-Grumman’s Newport News Shipbuilding is challenging a report published in The Savannah Morning News on April 23, 2005, which alleged that a dozen shipyard workers who had installed protective foam inside the hulls of aircraft carriers said “they had fudged records or installed the foam contrary to specifications in order to meet deadlines.” The polyurethane substance is pumped between layers of steel in some portions of a carrier’s hull and hardens to provide an additional barrier against torpedoes, missiles and mines.

$12M Shore Protection Project in Sarasota

Weeks Marine Inc., Covington, LA won a $12 million firm-fixed-price contract for a Shore Protection Project in Sarasota, FL, which is expected to be complete by Oct. 6, 2005. There were an unknown number of bids solicited via the Internet on Nov. 29, 2005, and two bids were received. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Jacksonville, FL issued the contract (W912EP-05-C-0015).

$5.2M for SF-10A Parachutes

SF-10A Parachute

Irvin Aerospace Inc. in Santa Ana, CA received a $5.2 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for the SF-10A Personnel Parachute Canopies. The SF-10A is designed for units that require a robust parachute capable of safely delivering paratroopers onto small, rugged drop zones at high elevations. In order to accomplish this mission, the SF-10A had to demonstrate gentle openings and softer landings than previously seen with other parachutes such as the MC1-1C. The SF-10A is a static line deployed parachute that can be fitted to the world standard T-10/MC1-1 parachute harness, container and deployment bag and is compatible with all standard reserve parachutes in service with the U.S Army.

Work will be performed in Santa Ana, CA and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2006. This was a sole source contract initiated on March 5, 2005 by the U.S. Army Research, Development, and Engineering Command in Natick, MA (W58P05-04-C-0012).

More Help for USN’s Financial Improvement Plan

The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk Detachment in Philadelphia, PA continues to issue cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contracts in support of the implementation of the Department of the Navy (DON) Financial Improvement Plan (FIP). These contracts were competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, and nine offers were received. The FIP is a corrective program designed to achieve an unqualified audit opinion for its Annual Financial Statements.

Initial contracts with a one-year value of $72.4 million were issued recently to SAIC and IBM Consulting, with options that could expand their combined total to $212.7 million over several years. These two contracts are cumulative with a combined $72.4 million in contracts issued on March 15, 2005 to Bearing Point and Deloitte Consulting LLP, with options that could raise their combined long-term value to $213.5 million.