Star SAFIREs for H-60 MEDEVAC Helicopters

UH-60Q, Baghdad

Sikorsky’s H-60 Hawk family has become the backbone of the US Army and Navy’s helicopter force, with a number of fielded variants. The USAF’s HH-60 is well known for its medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) role, as well as its combat search and rescue functions. The US Army also operates dedicated MEDEVAC models. The UH-60Qs include a 6 patient litter system, on-board oxygen generation, medical suction system, and other advanced medical capabilities. They are complemented by more recent HH-60Ls, and the entire fleet will eventually be recapitalized using new HH-60M MEDEVAC models.

The HH-60M’s higher power rating might make them somewhat more useful in hot and/or high altitude conditions like Afghanistan. In that theater, H-60 helicopters have taken a back seat to larger machines like Boeing’s H-47 Chinooks, the USMC’s CH-53E Super Stallions, and Eurocopter’s Super Puma/Cougar series. In the mountainous altitudes around Tora Bora, for instance, the California Army National Guard’s 126th Medical Co. (Air Ambulance) reportedly had to use its UH-60Ls stripped of their heavy litter carousels. One area where usefulness can receive quick improvements across the entire fleet, however, involves surveillance and visualization.

Rapid Fire 2011-09-26 | UK MOD UAS Doctrine; Top 2010 Contractors

• British MoD publicly released its joint doctrine approach to UAS’s [PDF]. Why define UAV doctrine? Well, from the introduction: “[i]n the absence of any higher level policy, all UAS currently used by UK armed forces have been procured or leased under the Urgent Operational Requirement (UOR) process.” See table on page 3-13 for a flowchart to assist the key decision: is manned or unmanned the right choice given any specific mission?

• USAF 301st Fighter Wing is trying to work out fuel savings by testing different fuel mixes.

• Aviation Week Intelligence Network crunched the numbers about top defense contractors for 2010: Lockheed Martin comes top at $12.5B through more than 6.3K contracts, followed by Boeing at $8.3B.

• Pay reimbursement for all private execs may get capped at $694K if a bill passed by the US House of Representatives is approved by the Senate. Senator Grassley (R-IA) thinks the underlying formula to calculate the executive compensation cost ceiling should be reformed.

• US Senate debates continuing resolution today (Monday) after it rejected the House’s own stopgap bill on Friday (see what its impact would be on short-term defense spending). 5 days to work things out before government shutdown.

• Last Friday the Senate confirmed Ashton Carter as Leon Panetta’s deputy. Question: who will lead Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics (AT&L)? Presumably Frank Kendall is acting in that capacity for the time being until the Obama administration makes a decision.

• The US House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Republicans have an analysis in hand of what would happen to defense spending if automatic cost cutting were to be triggered by a lack of deal coming out of the Supercommittee before its deadline, says Politico.

• A video of last week’s HASC hearing on Defense Financial Management and Auditability Reform is embedded below. Key milestones have been missed for 4 out of the 11 ERPs meant to get DoD where it needs to be. Sadly this was predictable.

Saudis Look to USA for Towed Light Artillery

M119 105mm

Sept 21/11: The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announces Saudi Arabia’s formal request for up to $886 million of equipment to augment the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s existing light artillery capabilities. The Royal Saudi Land Forces already have towed 155mm and 105mm howitzers and support vehicles and systems, and DSCA says they will have no difficulty absorbing these additional howitzers into their armed forces. If a contract is negotiated, implementation of this sale will not require the assignment of any U.S. Government or contractor representatives to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

As a Foreign Military Sale mode purchase, any contract will be managed by a US Army department, probably the Rock Island Arsenal, IL. The specific items requested include:

DTRA & Achaogen Targeting Class A Bacterial Pathogens

Latest updates[?]: Another research contract; WSJ Top 50.

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.

Rapid Fire 2011-09-25 | CVLSP Draft RFP Delayed; Defense Job Cuts

• USAF delays the release of its CVLSP draft RFP, a platform meant to replace its fleet of 62 UH-1Ns with up to 93 helicopters.

• The US Army transferred the buying office in charge of the Information Technologies Enterprise Solutions-3 Hardware (ITES-3H) competition from the Contracting Command National Capital Region (ACC-NCR) to the Contracting Command Rock Island (ACC-RI).

• BAE set to cut up to 3,000 jobs in the UK? More details expected in the days to come.

• Hedging Pascal’s wager. In case prayer doesn’t do it, a rally to save Avondale Shipyard in Louisiana is set on October 1st. The shipyard is scheduled to close in 2013 after the last LPD-17 built there is finished. Reliability improvements noted by the Navy a case of too little too late given the track record? There are still many jobs at stake.

• Airbus bought 51% in German subcontractor PFW Aerospace said to face a “severe liquidity crisis”. The company manufactures tube & duct systems, cargo loading solutions and metal structures, and lists the Typhoon, EC 135, EH 101 Merlin, and A400M among the military programs it participates in.

• Closet diplomat. The Economist ponders the future of America’s lasting alliances in Asia. Maybe Admiral Lord Alan “We’re Not Bloody Belgium” West could help?

• Stock buybacks: Raytheon, Lockheed Martin.

Rapid Fire: 2011-09-23 | Senate Rejects CR; Choice Words for Pakistan

• Update: The US Senate rejects the continuing resolution bill that the House of Representatives had voted for last night to keep funding the federal government until November 18. It was clear Democrats in the Senate didn’t like the bill and a government shutdown is still a possibility. More likely is that recess will be cut until a deal is worked out. Next episode on Monday.

• After running a cyber defense workshop earlier this week, NATO is planning a multinational project office to pool cybersecurity efforts within the alliance. The proposal dubbed MD CD2 plans to put in place letters of agreements with member nations during the next two months then get the office established by end of year.

• UK MoD signs a research agreement with its Indian counterparts to work on UAVs, explosives and human performance in combat.

• The shadow (i.e. parliamentary opposition) defence team from the Labour party in the UK published its ideas on procurement [PDF]. Among proposed measures: move to longer 10-year rolling budgets but shorter projects, focus more on affordability than “exquisite systems” (a fashionable but sensible theme nowadays), frame policy in “make or buy” terms, use “should cost” estimates and more fixed priced contracts (again things currently in the air), and restructuring of Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S). See also Defense News.

• In its latest quarterly acquisition wrap-up [PDF], the USCG looks at infrastructure upgrades, such as pier extensions, dredging or electrical work, that are necessary to accommodate new assets like its frigate-sized NSCs.

• Try harder. The US GAO states that, with an estimated, and possibly understated, $1B in improper payments during FY10, the DoD has a long way to go to meet its legal obligation and be ready for auditing 6 years from now.

• Looming over civilian aircraft sales, for now: French banks have been reviewing aircraft financing because they’re short on US dollars: WSJ, Reuters. Yesterday the FT reported that Siemens recently moved more than half-a-billion euros (about $680M) from a large French bank to the European Central Bank. If you’re starting to feel this is looking like 2008 all over again, you’re not alone.

• The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget (CFBR) hosted a panel yesterday arguing in favor of aggressive budget cuts, way beyond the ~1.2T in savings the deficit supercommittee is tasked with finding.

• During yesterday’s hearing at the US Senate Committee Armed Services on the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Mullen, after jesting about the fact this was for sure his last Senate testimony, had some pretty tough words for Pakistan’s government. Predictably, they’re not happy.

• Mike Turner (R-OH), alongside the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Strategic Forces he chairs, asks the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee to conduct an investigation in the role of the Chairman of the FCC, the White House, and the Harbinger Capital Partners hedge fund in the LightSquared/GPS kerfuffle.

Plan B: A V/STOVL Fighter for Taiwan?

GR9 in Afghanistan w.
Sniper, Paveways

In late Sept 2011, The Washington Times reported on a unreleased U.S. Defense Department study, which had apparently concluded that Taiwan’s best response to the threat of massive Chinese missile strikes against its airfields involved buying short-takeoff and vertical-landing jets such as the V/STOL(Vertical/ Short Take Off and Landing) AV-8B Harrier II, or the new F-35B Lightning II STOVL(Short Take-Off, Vertical Landing capability) model. The Pentagon is delivering the study, which was Congressionally mandated at the behest of Sen. John Cornyn [R-TX], to Capitol Hill by the end of this week.

Militarily, this recommendation actually makes a great deal of sense, and a few countries already have that kind of survivability built into their defense plans and fighter choices…

Daily Rapid Fire: 2011-09-22 | UTC; Defense Industrial Base; Resolution to Discontinue

• The 1st USAF CHIRP (Common Hosted Infrared Payload) launches aboard SES SA’s Orbital Star 2.4 variant satellite, riding an Ariane 5 rocket from the spaceport in French Guiana. It wasn’t easy, but this is the 1st time the USAF has hosted a military satellite payload on a commercial satellite, and their 1st wide field-of-view infrared staring payload. CHIRP will power on in 30 days, and begin experiments.

• The USA’s 1st JHSV fast transport catamaran, USNS Spearhead, has been christened at Austal’s Mobile, AL yard.

• Alenia North America delivers C-27A tactical transports #12-14 to the Afghan Air force, from the 20-plane program.

• Pakistan has begun fielding Chinese Type 022/ Azmat Class Fast Attack Catamaran missile boats.

• Russia has reportedly given the go-ahead for full production of the SU-34 Fullback long-range strike fighter.

• Elbit Systems lands a contract for perimeter security systems at Haifa port, networked back to the Security Center. Israel has one of the world’s most advanced maritime surveillance systems – mostly based on shore.

• It’s done: United Technologies buys Goodrich for $16.5B ($18.4B counting net debt assumed). Meanwhile the Virginian-Pilot reports that General Dynamics plans to acquire the Metro Machine Corp. ship-repair facility in Norfolk.

• The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)’s Report on Security Clearance Determinations [PDF] states that 2.17M government employees held a confidential/secret clearance as of October 1st, 2010, and 666K were at the Top Secret level. Add private contractors and others gets you to 4.2M people, which the Federation of American Scientists notes is quite higher than previous estimates published by the GAO. Of course getting a clearance is different from keeping it.

• Barry Watts and Todd Harrison at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) look at how to sustain the US defense industrial base [PDF]. Step 5 – Acceptance: the US defense industry does not function like a free market. In order to maintain vital sectors of the industry, it is likely the government cannot rely just on private decisions and need to come up with its own strategy. This will involve defining what is and is not vital.

• The US House of Representatives did vote on a Continuing Resolution yesterday. It did not vote for it though: keeping the federal government funded through Nov. 18 failed 195-230. This stopgap measure will be looked at again tomorrow. Next week Congress will be on recess. Politico, The Hill, Bloomberg.

• In his list of recommendations [PDF] for the committee on deficit reduction, US Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) seeks $1.4T in savings over 10 years. In his recipe: cut the workforce by 10% through attrition, freeze civilian pay until 2015, and cut the contractor workforce by 15%. Many of these come from Tom Coburn (R-OK)’s Back in Black plan from last July.

• Video of the day: 1st hearing from the House Armed Services Committee panel on defense industry challenges, embedded below, worries about small business market access, barriers to entry and deterrents to even bother selling to DoD:

GDC4S to Support JTRS High-Bandwidth Radio Waveform, 2011-2016

In September 2011, General Dynamics C4 Systems in Scottsdale, AZ won an estimated $64.6 million, 5-year indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-incentive-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Wideband Networking Waveform software in-service maintenance, upgrades, and enhancements. WNW is the COFDM digital waveform protocol developed for the USA’s range of JTRS software-programmable radios, with data rates up to 12.1 Mbps. It’s part of the Network Enterprise Domain set that underlies all of the specific JTRS radio programs for aircraft, ships, vehicles and soldiers.

GDC4S has been involved with JTRS programs for some time, and is also the lead for the soldiers’ JTRS HMS program, working alongside Thales Communications et. al. WNW work will be performed in Scottsdale, AZ, and is expected to be complete by September 2016, but contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year, on Sept 30/11. The contract was competitively procured via the FBO.gov website and the SPAWAR E-commerce website, with 2 offers received; GDC4′s most likely competitor was the L-3 Communications conglomerate. The US Space and Naval Warfare Systems (SPAWAR) Center Atlantic in Charleston, SC manages this contract (N65236-11-D-4806).

Daily Rapid Fire: 2011-09-21 | CORs Must Be Govt Employees

• Harris Corporation opens a 573,000 square-foot plant in Henrietta near Rochester, NY in to consolidate production of tactical radios and other communication systems. About 1,100 people will work there.

• DFARS clarification: a Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) must be an employee, military or civilian, of the U.S. Government, a foreign government, or a NATO/coalition partner, in other words private contractors cannot serve as a COR. This rule denies a request from Headquarters NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan (NTM-A) to permit the designation of non-U.S. Government employees as CORs in support of the NTM-A’s efforts to train the Afghan National Security Force (ANSF).

• US Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command (MICC) tweaks its acquisition process by introducing the Acquisition Milestone Agreement (AMA) to replace the Milestone Tracking Report by January next year. This change is meant to reduce the number of missed milestones by making contracting officers team with their requiring counterparts earlier. MICC plans, awards and administers contracts for Army Commands, Direct Reporting Units and other organizations.