$99M to BearingPoint for AFSO 21 Assistance

Bearing Point in Alexandria, VA received a $99 million firm-fixed-price contract for Advisory and Assistance Services for Air Force Smart Operations 21 (AFSO 21), which is based on both Lean and Six Sigma business process improvement tools. AFSO 21 is the centerpiece of the Air Force strategy to understand and optimize the basic processes round which it organizes. The Headquarters Air Force District of Washington in Washington, DC issued the contract (FA7014-07-A-0026).

MRAP Vehicle Order: 1,000 Cougars to be Turned Loose

Testing, testing…

Small business qualifier Force Protection Industries, Inc. in Ladson, SC received a $481.4 million firm-fixed-priced delivery order (#0003) under previously-awarded contract #M67854-07-D-5031 for additional Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) vehicles. The order covers 1,000 of the firm’s Cougar vehicles: 300 of the 31,000 pound curb weight 4x4s in MRAP Category 1 (MRAP-MRUV), and 700 of the 38,000 pound curb weight 6-wheeled Cougars in MRAP Category 2 (MRAP-JERRV).

According to Force Protection, manufacturing will be performed by Force Protection in Ladson, SC and partners Spartan Chassis in Charlotte, MI (see May 11/07 release re: $107.6 million subcontracts); Armor Holdings in Sealy, TX – and by General Dynamics Land Systems in Lima, OH, under their 50/50 joint venture negotiated with Force Protection. See GD release re: their $245 million sub-contract. Kings Point, NC is also listed as a work location, and production is expected to be complete by May 2008. This contract was competitively procured, and Force Protection is one of 9 vendors authorized under MRAP. The Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA has issued a release that says that the order “resulted from FPII’s rapid delivery of test vehicles and successful verification of survivability and automotive performance.” The Cougars have successfully passed testing phase 1 (of 3), and testing of the various vehicle designs continues at Aberdeen.

2007-04: Multinational Orders for AIM-9X Missiles

AIM-9X launch from F-18C
(click for closeup view)

Raytheon Missile Systems in Tucson, AZ received a $59.5 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-07-C-0008), exercising an option for the Lot 7 production of AIM-9X Sidewinder short-range air-air missiles (SRAAMs).

The order includes both battle-ready missiles and Captive Air Training Missiles (CATMs), which have a full seeker head to help keep score but leave out the rocket motor and warhead. The Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, MD issued the contracts, and customers include:

• U.S. Air Force (17 + 15 containers; $3.1M, 5.2%)
  
• U.S. Navy (1 missile; $172,475, 0.3%)
  
• Finland (F/A-18 C/D Hornets, 100 + 40 CATM + 39 containers; $25.7M, 43.2%)
  
• Singapore (F-16s and F-15SGs, 40 + 20 CATM + 15 containers; $16.3M, 27.4%)
  
• Switzerland (F/A-18 C/D Hornets, 1 Lot – quantity classified + 18 containers; 14.2M, 23.9%).

$9.8M to Ionatron for LGE-LIPC Energy Weapon Development

A JIN to make IEDs vanish?

Ionatron in Tucson, AZ received a $9.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to fund the development of an advanced Ultra Short (femtosecond – 10^-15)Pulse Laser, physics modeling and experiments related to laser guided energy effects (i.e. Laser Induced Plasma Channel) requirements, a transportable demonstrator, and effects testing. This contract was not competitively procured by the energetics specialists at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, IN (N00164-07-C-8901). See also Ionatron release.

Ionatron has done previous work on an IED land mine neutralized called the JIN, as well as nonlethal and lethal short-range energy weapons based on its technology. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (95%); Los Alamos, NM (3%); and Urbana, IL (2%), and is expected to be complete by April 2009. The contract includes technical development support from Los Alamos National Laboratories in Los Alamos, NM; and the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana, IL. Ionatron also has a strategic development agreement with DRS.

UPDATE: WIRED’s Danger Room also reports, with background links re: Ionatron and their JIN.

$9.9M to PAR for Rapid Robust Sensor Program

PAR Government Systems Corp. in Rome, NY received a $9.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Rapid Robust Sensor development and deployment. This effort is to perform research and analysis on the technological advancements in Special Mission sensors for unmanned airborne and unattended surveillance systems development, testing, deployment and support. Work will be performed in Rome, NY (60%); Patuxent River, MD (10%); and various overseas government locations (30%), and is expected to be complete in December 2011. This contract was competitively procured via a Broad Agency Announcement with 3 offers received by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division in Lakehurst, NJ (N68335-07-C-0239).

PAR’s strengths include geospatial applications, supports the development and testing of Electro-Optical (EO), Infrared (IR), and multi/hyperspectral sensor systems for a broad range of Government and industry applications including difficult problems such as camouflage detection; buried mine, minefield, and obstacle detection; and combining data from multiple sensors.

Israel Requests 3,500 Mk84 Bombs

Mk81-84 bomb family

The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress of Israel’s request for 3,500 MK-84 general purpose bomb units, which are 2,000 pound bomb bodies. The Mk84 versions Israel is requesting would carry about 945 pounds of tritonal (about 80% TNT/ 20% aluminum) explosives, as opposed to using H-6. Mk80 family weapons can be fitted with a number of kits to give them laser guidance, GPS/INS guidance, extended range, and/or other capabilities as required; the Israelis have created kits of their own for such purposes, including the Spice GPS/laser guided weapon. The total value of this contract, if all options are exercised, could be as high as $65 million.

The deal would also entail testing, support equipment, spares and repair parts, supply support, personnel training and training equipment, publications and technical data, U.S. Government and contractor technical assistance, and other related elements of logistics support. The prime contractor will be General Dynamics in Garland, TX; Israel has used Mk 84s for a long time, and there are no known offset agreements in connection with this proposed sale. See DSCA release [PDF format].

$139.3 to DRS for Night Vision Devices

DRS technologies subsidiary Night Vision Systems in Allentown, PA received a maximum $139.3 million fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for night vision equipment on behalf of the US Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps. This is a 5-year contract with 1 base year and 4 one-year options. There were 5 proposals solicited and 4 responded. Date of performance completion is April 19, 2008. Contracting activity is Defense Supply Center Columbus, (DSCC) in Columbus, OH (SPM7AX-07-D-7014).

$15.6M for Brigade Complex Facilities at Ft Lewis, WA

Small business qualifier Alutiiq International Solutions in Anchorage, AK received a $15.6 million firm-fixed-price contract for Design and construction of a brigade complex-transitional facilities at Fort Lewis, WA. Work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2008. This was a sole source contract initiated on Nov. 24, 2006 by te U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle, WA (W912DW-07-C-0008).

Fort Lewis maneuver units are U.S. I Corps; the 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; the 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; and the 5th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; all of which are constituted as Stryker brigade combat teams. It is also home to the 593d Corps Support Group; the 555th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade; the 42nd Military Police Brigade; the 51st Signal Battalion, 11th Signal Brigade; the I Corps NCO Academy; Headquarters, Western Region Cadet Command; the 1st Personnel Support Group; 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne); 2d Battalion (Ranger), 75th Infantry; Headquarters, 5th Army (West); and 62nd Medical Brigade.

According to Coyle: Procurement Advice from Experience

Canadian Parliament
(click to view larger)

Philip E. Coyle, III served as the Pentagon’s Assistant Secretary of Defense and Director, Operational Test and Evaluation from 1994-2001. On March 29, 2007, he spoke before Canadian Parliamentary representatives and talked about his experiences. The speech covered “Four Critical Problems”: (1) Unrealistic requirements; (2) Unrealistic costs and schedules; (3) Unrealistic contractual environments; and (4) Preparing for realistic operational environments… and offered “Ten Solutions,” summarized here as a simple list:

Hanscom ESC’s Intel Fusion Center a Success in Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, there are often overlaps between the people involved in narcotics trafficking, illegal weapons and terrorist activity. Drug lords aren’t always Taliban allies, but opium trafficking is a critical source of funds for the Taliban/al-Qaeda. The US Air Force is the lead service for counter-narcotics detection and monitoring, and supports the deputy assistant secretary of Defense for counter narcotics through Air Combat Command. Unfortunately, existing intelligence gathering and sharing capabilities in Afghanistan were limited, making it difficult to share data with U.S. and coalition partners, or strengthen relations with the local counter-narcotics police.

In late 2004, therefore, the 350th Electronic Systems Group at Hanscom Air Force Base began working with its small-business partner Cambridge Communication Systems to create the counter narcotics-terrorism Intelligence Fusion Center, a commercial off-the-shelf-based system designed to capture, share and disseminate counter narcotics-terrorism intelligence data. Information gathered by Global Positioning Systems, human intelligence and coalition partners furnish the IFC’s database, which is specially tailored for the counter narcotics/terrorism mission. “This contractor had a proven track record in this arena, and a small business, set-aside contract was the fastest way to get the capability to the field,” said Col. Steven Webb, 350th Electronic Systems Group commander.

Since its deployment, the system has been used in efforts that seized more than 45 tons of drugs (mostly opium) with a street value of more than $1 billion, and boosted the related arrest rate by 75%. The IFC has supported the identification and break up of narcotics and weapons smuggling rings operating within Afghanistan, but led by suspects from Nigeria, Thailand, Ivory Coast, Pakistan, Zambia and South Africa. Additionally, the system’s use in cooperation with the Afghan police produced more than 80 SIM cards (subscriber identity modules, a portable memory chip in cell phones)e. The cards, sent to the USA’s crypto specialists at the National Security Agency for exploitation, are currently providing the best leads for identifying and breaking up new smuggling rings outside of the country. See USAF Link article.