Related Stories: Americas - USA, Contracts - Awards, Contracts - Modifications, Delivery & Task Orders, Other Corporation, Raytheon, Sensors & Guidance, Support & Maintenance, UAVs
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The MQ-1 Predator UAV has become a stable of the Global War on Terror; the program is finishing up a major 5-year fleet expansion. Its successor, the larger MQ-9 Reaper UAV/UCAV (aka. ‘Predator B’), is designed to carry more ordnance while loitering over its coverage area for long periods.
Amidst all the gee-whiz, it’s worth recalling that these systems need the same things any other craft needs: maintenance, spares beyond initial buys, back-end and even in-field support, support for associated systems like sensors, etc. Hence a number of recent contracts, one of which may be related to the recently-publicized ability of Iraqi terrorists to intercept Predator signals…
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Note that DID’s coverage includes contractor support of integral sub-systems like the UAVs’ surveillance and targeting turrets, but not the purchase of new drones or sub-systems. Unless otherwise indicated, all contracts are issued by the Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH.
Dec 31/09: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in Poway, CA received a $266.1 million contract for program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contract engineering technical specialists, contractor inventory control point and spares management, depot repair, flight, operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, and CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection entry for the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) program. At this time, $53.2 million has been obligated (FA8620-05-G-3028).
Dec 31/09: Raytheon Co in McKinney, TX received a $38.1 million contract to provide for CY 2010 contractor logistics support of the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper’s multi-spectral targeting system turrets. At this time, $12.6 million has been committed by the 703rd AESG/SYK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8620-06-G-4041).
Sept 30/09: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. of Poway, CA received a $46 million contract for Linux operating systems, technical orders, improved display, and spares for the Predator/Reaper. At this time, the entire amount has been committed by the 703 AESG/SYK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8620-05-GD-3028).
May 18/09: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of Poway, CA receives a $9.8 million firm fixed price contract for Predator receiver terminals, installation, and software updates. At this time, the entire amount has been committed by the 703rd AESG/SYK at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH (FA8620-05-G-3028).
Subsequent media reports in December 2009 would reveal that standard-issue Predator UAVs were vulnerable to interception of their surveillance footage, using an inexpensive satellite receiver and low-cost SkyGrabber software. Some reports added that retrofits have been underway to fix this, beginning with deployed UAVs. See Wall St. Journal | Ars Technica | cnet | Defense Tech | John Robb’s Global Guerrillas | Flight International.
March 3/09: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems of San Diego, CA received a $168.4 million firm-fixed-price contract for program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contractor inventory control point and spares management, depot repair, flight operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, data collection/entry and numbered periodic depot maintenance for the Predator MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program. At this time, the entire amount has been obligated (FA8620-05-G-3028).
Dec 30/08: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in San Diego, CA received a $42.6 million contract for program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contractor engineering technical specialists, contractor inventory control point and spares management, depot repair, flight operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, and CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection/entry for the Predator/ Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program. At this time, $42.6 million has been obligated (FA8620-05-G-3028 Delivery Order 0048).
Dec 29/08: Raytheon Co. in McKinney, TX receives $27.3 million to provide CY 2009 Contractor Logistics Support for the MQ-1 and MQ-9’s Multi-Spectral Targeting Systems. At this time, $4.1 million has been committed under this cost plus fixed fee contract by the 703rd Aeronautical Systems Group at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8620-06-G-4041, #009).
Oct 30/08: General Atomics in San Diego, Calif., received a cost plus fee term contract for $177.1 million for program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contractor engineering technical services, contractor engineering technical specialists (formerly field support representatives), contractor inventory control point (formerly depot supply support) and spares management, depot repair, flight operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, CAMs/REMIS/CEMS data collection/entry and numbered Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) for the Predator/ Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) programs. At this time $163.1 million has been obligated (FA8620-05-G-3028 Delivery Order 003502).
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June 27/08: Raytheon Co. in McKinney, TX received a firm-fixed-price $11.4 million contract to provide Multi-Sensor System (Predator MTS-A and the Reaper’s Multi-Sensor System-B) support at American and overseas locations. It includes depot OEM spares and repairs, depot configuration management, technical manual OEM system source data and software maintenance, depot level contractor Field Services Representative (FSR) support and other functions. At this time $10 million has been committed by the 658th Aeronautical Systems Squadron at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH (FA8620-06-G-4041, DO 0007).
Dec 21/07: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in San Diego, CA received a contract for $67 million for program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contractor engineering technical specialists (formerly field support representatives), contractor inventory control point (formerly depot supply support) and spares management, depot repair, flight operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection/entry and numbered Periodic Depot Maintenance for the Predator/ Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) program. At this time $50.3 million has been obligated (FA8620-05-G-3028 Delivery order 0035).
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June 22/07: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems in Poway, CA received a $69.4 million contract modification for program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contract engineering technical specialists, contractor inventory control point and spares management, depot repair, flight, operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, and CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection entry for the Predator/Reaper MQ-1 and MQ-9 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) program. At this time, $53.2 million has been obligated (FA8620-05-G-3028 Delivery Order 001503)
Dec 29/06: General Atomics in San Diego, CA received a $42.7 million cost-plus fixed-fee term contract. This contract delivery order includes all program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contractor engineering technical specialists (formerly field support representatives), contractor inventory control point (formerly depot supply support) and spares management, depot repair, flight operations support, reliability/maintenance enhancements, CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection/entry and numbered Periodic Depot Maintenance (PDM) for the Predator MQ-1 and MQ-9 Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) program.
Work will be complete December 2007. At this time $38,099,885 has been obligated (FA8620-05-G-3028 Delivery Order 0015).
Dec 29/06: Raytheon Company in McKinney, TX received an $11.5 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract for Contractor Logistics Support of the Predator A and B Multi-spectral Targeting Systems (MTS). This contract includes program management, repairs and services, depot configuration management, technical manual system source data and software maintenance, engineering technical services, contractor field service representatives support, contractor inventory control point and spares management, depot-level repair, design and engineering reliability/maintenance enhancement, Core Automated Maintenance System/Reliability and Maintainability Information System/Maintenance Management Information System data collection/entry, and obsolescence management.
Work will be complete in December 2007. To date, $8.7 million has been obligated (FA8620-06-G-4041, #0003).
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March 15/06: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. in San Diego, CA received a $30.1 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract modification. This action will provide services necessary to perform Predator organizational maintenance of aircraft, Ground Control Stations, and Predator Primary Satellite Links. This work will be complete March 2007. The Air Combat Command Contracting Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, VA issued the contract (FA4890-05-C-0001/P00016).
March 13/06: General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. in San Diego, CA received a $27.1 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract to provide total support to the for the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Predator B unmanned aircraft system programs. Specifically, this contract includes all program management, urgent repairs and services, logistics support, configuration management, technical manual and software maintenance, contractor inventory control point (formerly depot supply support) and spares management, depot repair, flight operations support, engineering technical specialists (formerly field support representatives), reliability/ maintenance enhancements, CAMS/REMIS/CEMS data collection/entry, and numbered periodic depot maintenance.
Solicitations began September 2005, negotiations were complete March 2006, and work will be complete December 2006 (FA8620-05-G-3028, delivery order #0011).
Feb 10/05: General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems in San Diego, CA received an $8.3 million cost-plus fixed-fee contract to provide services necessary to perform Predator Organizational Maintenance for: aircraft, Ground Control Stations, and Predator Primary Satellite Links. The contractors also shall be responsible for Launch and Recovery Elements including contract aircrew for forward deployed operations. The contractor will be responsible for program management and providing support, following the basic requirements of AFI 21-101.
The principal place of performance is Indian Springs Air Force Auziliary Field, NV as well as various worldwide locations. Other key locations of performance are General Atomics-Aeronautical San Diego, CA, and the Indian Springs Auxiallary Airfield, NV. Total funds have been obligated. Solicitation began June 2004, negotiations were completed January 2005, and work will be complete by March 2006. The Air Combat Command Contracting Squadron at Langley Air Force Base, VA issued the contract (FA4890-05-C-0001).
