Mk-80 Bomb Bodies

General Dynamics in Garland, TX received a delivery order amount of $44.9 million as part of a $104.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for MK80 series bomb bodies. Work will be performed in Garland, TX and is expected to be complete by Dec. 31, 2010. This was a sole source contract initiated on Feb. 16, 2006 by the U.S. Army Field Support Command in Rock Island, IL (W52P1J-06-D-0006).

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems adds that delivery order covers a combination of 500 lb., 1,000 lb. and 2,000 lb. bomb bodies, totaling more than 25,000 units, for the U.S. Navy and Air Force. They say “bomb bodies” because bombs are produced in sections, with threaded holes at front and back for mixing and matching add-ons like different guidance sections, fuzes, tail fin kits to get different ranges and types of performance, et. al.

MK80 Bomb Structure

General Dynamics OTS is the world’s only manufacturer of MK80 Series Bomb Bodies that conform to the U.S. Dept. of Defense’s approved technical data packages. In this capacity, General Dynamics OTS is the U.S. Government’s restricted source of supply for all MK80 Series General Purpose Bomb Bodies, both tactical and inert training rounds.

BAE Systems and VT Group’s 50/50 joint venture Flagship Training has enhanced its contract with the UK Royal Navy, extending its contract that has Flagship Training designing, planning and assisting with the delivery and assessment of a range of training courses. The extension expands the scope of training delivery and adds another 21 months to the agreement, stretching it to 2013 subject to performance. As part of the new contract, Flagship will deliver 900 naval and maritime training courses at naval training establishments throughout the south, from HMS Collingwood in Fareham to HMS Raleigh in Cornwall.

Flagship’s relationship with the Royal Navy began in 1996, and recent months have seen a flurry of activity. A training facility is being built at HMS Collingwood, Fareham to house the Navy’s Maritime Composite Training System (MCTS) that will train operators for the Navy’s new ships. In addition, the revised training agreement will involve transferring some 350 roles, mainly instructors and training support staff, directly to Flagship, and a major recruitment campaign has been launched for instructors and training support staff in areas from warfare to fire fighting, engineering and communications. This new addition to Flagship’s role represents the largest transfer of naval training to the private sector to date, and the firm estimates that it represents an additional GBP 120 million (currently about $235 million) in revenues over the next 5 years. VT Group release | Flagship Training release.

Small business qualifier Coastal Pacific Food Distributors in Stockton, CA received a maximum $149.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for full line food distribution services on behalf of US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, federal civilian agencies – Job Corps Center, and US embassies in Japan, Singapore and Diego Garcia. This is an indefinite delivery/ indefinite-quantity type contract exercising option year 4.

There were 15 proposals submitted and 4 responded; date of performance completion is March 16, 2008. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA issued the contract (SPM300-07-D-3046).

Takeoff: F-35, or costs?

The US Government Accountability Office releases its latest report covering the F-35 Lightning II, also known as the Joint Strike Fighter program. They offered their assessment and made their recommendations, but the USAF agreed to disagree and will continue as planned. GAO writes:

LITENING III on GR4

In September 2006, QinetiQ was assigned the system integrator role for an Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) program to integrate RAFAEL’s LITENING III surveillance and targeting pods onto the RAF’s Tornado GR4 attack aircraft in support of Operation Telic in Iraq. Similar LITENING AT pods have been used successfully by American Harriers in Iraq, and targeting pods like LITENING, ATFLIR, and Sniper ATP have enabled fighter aircraft like the F-16, F/-18 and F-15 to operate in ground surveillance roles down to the level of watching specific exits from a house. That capability comes at an extremely high operating cost per hour, of course, but without lower-cost manned platforms in inventory capable of carrying a sensor pod and effective precision weapons, this has been the default response and clearly serves a useful role. LITENING pods also allow for precision targeting in support of mobile units using Lt. Col. Labouchere’s successful “Bedouin approach,” and can help avoid some of the criticisms leveled at British Harrier’s in Afghanistan (which are also being remedied via new targeting pods).

LIII targeting image

QinetiQ, in partnership with the RAF Joint Test & Evaluation Group, under contract from the Tornado Integrated Project Team, carried out an extensive series of rig, ground and eventual UK based flight trials at MOD Boscombe Down, working closely with 41 R Squadron Fast Jet & Weapons Operational Evaluation Unit, and the RAF Tornado In-Service Software Maintenance Team (TISMT). The modified LITENING III, which Britain is also buying for its Eurofighter aircraft, was fitted onto an in-service Tornado GR4, then tested to ensure that it was fully qualified for flight and cleared for use with all onboard systems and in service weapons. The resulting operational capability was delivered very quickly – it was in theater within 5 months of the request (by the end of January 2007), and has received positive reviews from the front lines. QinetiQ release.

Wintara-Salihi Group Inc. in Fort Washington, MD received an $8.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for the combustion inspection, re-commissioning and start-up of 2 Siemens gas turbine units (V64 and V94) including the associated auxiliary systems and equipment at the Kirkuk/Taza power plant in Kirkuk, Iraq. Work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2007. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Jan. 3, 2007, and 4 bids were received by the U.S. Army Joint Contracting Command-Iraq/Afghanistan in Baghdad, Iraq (W91GXY-07-C-0012).

Iraq’s power system was discovered to be in terrible shape post-invasion, and built mostly for the benefit of the area around Baghdad. Improving power distribution has been a long process marked by slow progress, with a growing focus on improving regional power capabilities as a key lever for building local support and stability. Kirkuk is a northern city that has always been something of a mix, with a large Kurdish majority population and significant Turkomen and Arab minorities. A large number of additional Arabs were later settled there by Saddam in order to displace the Kurds, a fact which complicates the current political situation. Kirkuk’s status going forward remains a live political issue within Iraq, and beyond.

In February 2006, “Small Businesses Succeeding As USAF’s $9B NetCents Contract Receives Promo Push” shone a spotlight on the Network Centric Solutions (NETCENTS) program. Recently, a Northrop Grumman-led team received a large NETCENTS award – a maximum $267 million task order from the US Army to develop Defense Knowledge Online (DKO). The Army already has its own Army Knowledge Online (AKO) system; DKO is envisioned as the entry point for all U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and authorized users worldwide to access DoD and government intranets supporting operations, missions and critical support processes. DKO applications will all be provided through a secure, service-oriented framework, as opposed to the standard I.T. approach of stovepiped applications and non-prioritized bandwidth.

This is the largest portal task order ever awarded by the US federal government, and Northrop Grumman’s many teammates on the contract include:

Lockheed LCS Concept
(click for cutaway)

Cost growth recently led to stop-work on Team Lockheed LCS-3 construction. Now, in the wake of a comprehensive two-month program review, Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter had announced that he is prepared to lift the stop work order – under a renegotiated contract, and as part of a revised program plan. In the end, however, the Navy canceled the contract for LCS 3 part-way through construction.

This new plan will also affect the General Dynamics/ Austal team, whose competing trimaran design for LCS 2 and LCS 4 is expected to offer interesting handling and survivability characteristics, plus a significantly larger helicopter landing area. Under the restructured Littoral Combat Ship program plan, however, the Navy will recommend deferral of FY 2007 LCS procurement, and use those funds to complete the construction of LCS 1-4 by the Lockheed and General Dynamics teams.

This will be part of a wider package of efforts aimed at controlling program costs… before those costs raise comparisons, questions, and dilemmas that begin to control the program.

MQ-9 at Creech AFB

General Atomics in San Diego, CA received a $43.7 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. It covers the manufacture, test and delivery of 2 Predator B MQ-9 (Reaper) unmanned aerial vehicles, 2 mobile ground control stations, and associated equipment to include initial spares, ground support equipment, pack-up kits, and Ku SATCOM antennas. At this time, $32.7 million has been obligated, and work will be complete December 2008. The Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (FA8620-05-G-3028, order number 0024/no modification number at this time).

Creech Air Force Base, NV received its first operational MQ-9 on March 13, 2007, soon to be assigned to the 42nd Attack Squadron. The Pentagon’s FY 2008 budget request asks for 4 MQ-9s,at a cost of $79 million.

In December 2006, the National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy Executive Order was signed by President Bush. Among its various provisions, it resolved to:

“2(a) review the funding and activities of the Federal Government relating to aeronautics R&D;

3(a) develop and, not later than 1 year after the date of this order, submit for approval by the President a plan for national aeronautics R&D and for related infrastructure, (the “plan”), and thereafter submit, not less often than biennially, to the President for approval any changes to the plan.”

The first effects are now being felt…