Heavy Metal: US Military Primary Metals Purchases

Militaries order a lot of metal equipment, but they also order significant quantities of raw metal or basic metal forms directly for use in repair depots, machining shops, et. al. This DID article will cover these orders from FY 2007 through 2014, offering a bit of visibility to purchases of steel, brass, aluminum, and other industrial metals. Note that a contract to purchase a certain amount of titanium or steel for a weapons program would not be included, because these contracts are properly program-related, rather than items for general usage.

US DLA Document Services: 5 Years, up to $225M for Copiers

Xerox 4595

In October 2011, US Defense Logistics Agency Document Services in Mechanicsburg, PA issued a 5-year multiple-award, maximum $225 million contract to 4 companies to supply and service digital copiers for the USAF and DLA, with task orders to be issued and paid as needs arise. The 4 firms were Canon USA, Inc. in Arlington, VA (SP7000-12-D-1004); Konica Minolta Business Solutions USA, Inc. in Arlington, VA (SP7000-12-D-1002); Ricoh Corp. in West Caldwell, NJ (SP7000-12-D-1001); and Xerox Corp. in Rosemont, IL (SP7000-12-D-1003).

The DLA issued a different $103 million contract to Xerox in August 2011, for what appears to be the same services, over a very similar timeline. Then again, DLA Document Services’ reach is extensive. Their services ranging from traditional offset printing, through on-demand output, to online document services, where they are the DoD’s catalyst for moving the department toward the use of online documents and services. They even have a website design group. The group currently manages more than 180 service facilities, primarily located on U.S. military bases world-wide in 7 countries.

Canadian Forces Seek to Build Excellence in Foreign Flight Training

In 2005, the Canadian Department of National Defence awarded a 22-year, $1.77-billion (USD $1.5 billion) contract to an “Allied Wings” team lead by Kelowna Flightcraft Ltd. of Kelowna, British Columbia, who beat out a competing group led by Bombardier’s military training division in Mirabel, Quebec. The long-term contract will provide primary flight training training and support services to the Canadian Forces and international allies. These services will be provided out of the “Canada Wings Aviation Training Centre” in the Southport Aerospace Centre near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.

This is not the first time the Canadian government has chosen a public/private approach to aviation training. Bombardier was already managing the Contracted Flying Training and Support (CFTS) program, and the public-private NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC) program has been running since 1997. In some ways, however, the new “Allied Wings” contract was a logical next step aimed at solidifying Canada’s traditional advantages, as Canada attempts to make itself an international center of excellence for foreign military aviator training:

• NATO Flying Training in Canada
  
• Primary Training: Competition for CFTS [updated]
  
• The Big Picture: International Flight Training in Canada [updated]
  
• Contracts & Key Events [NEW]
  
• Additional Readings & Sources [updated]
  

ATLAS Shrugged: US Army Orders All-Terrain Telescopic Forklifts

ATLAS II

$85.7 million order for 492 ATLAS rough terrain forklifts. (April 6/10)

If you are looking for a forklift that can lift 10,000 pounds 17 feet in the air and travel at speeds up to 23 mph, then the All Terrain Lifter Army System (ATLAS) rough terrain forklifts might be just what you are looking for.

The ATLAS forklift can reach into trucks or shipping containers, lift loads over obstacles, and pick up loads from both above and below grade.

Manufactured by Oshkosh unit JLG Industries, the ATLAS comes in 2 varieties: the plain old ATLAS and the souped up ATLAS II, which includes cool multifunction attachments, high ground clearance, and lower emissions.

Once the counterweight is detached, ATLAS is good to go on a C-130, C-141, C-5A or C-17 transport aircraft…

Lex Products to Supply USMC Mobile Power Distribution System

MEPDIS-R Diagram
(click to view larger)

Lex Products Corp. in Stamford, CT received an $8 million task order under a blanket purchase agreement (M67854-07-A-5016) to provide the mobile electric power distribution system – replacement [pdf] (MEPDIS-R) to the US Marine Corps.

The system distributes electrical power from all standard tactical generators to military shelters and systems requiring power.

MEPDIS-R is a modular power distribution system consisting of portable power distribution boxes and interconnecting power cables. The system includes a series of cable adapters permitting the use of older power generation systems…

Tektronix to Supply 5,000 Oscilloscopes for US Navy Test Equipment

Tektronic Oscilloscopes
(click to view larger)

Tektronix in Beaverton, OR won a $10.8 million firm-fixed-price requirements contract for manufacture of 5,000 oscilloscopes to support the US Navy’s general purpose electronic test equipment (GPETE) weapons system. The GPETE program supports the procurement of test equipment for performing corrective and preventative maintenance to ensure optimum fire control, navigation and communications systems operation.

Tektronix will manufacture the TDS3012C-NV 100 Mhz oscilloscopes at its facility in Beaverton and expects to complete the order by August 2014. This contract was competitively procured, with 11 proposals solicited and 3 offers received by the Naval Inventory Control Point (N00104-09-D-D014).

The Tektronix TDS3012C-NV 100 Mhz oscilloscope is a graph-displaying device…

$8.5M to Taos for U.S. Military Equipment Disposal

Recycling at DRMO
(click to view larger)

Taos Industries in Huntsville, AL, received 2 task orders worth $8.5 million for the operation of 6 Defense Reutilization and Marketing Offices (DRMOs) in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. The DRMOs demilitarize and dispose of excess and unserviceable military property, with the exceptions of ordnance and HAZMAT, for U.S. military and allied forces.

Taos, a subsidiary of Agility Defense & Government Services, won the original 5-year, $97.7 million firm-fixed-price contract (SP4410-08-D-2000) in November 2007. The contract is managed by Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS), a unit of the Defense Logistics Agency, based in Battle Creek, MI.

DID has more on the Taos contract and the DRMS…

$15M to Air Rover for Air Conditioners

Air Rover ECU

Air Rover Inc. of Tyler, TX, won a maximum $15 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for Environmental Control Units (ECUs) from the Navy. The units will be used for various types of expeditionary facilities (e.g., shelters, enclosed trailers, and tent complexes). The Navy has a current requirement for 4 units to be delivered.

Air Rover works directly with the U.S. armed forces to research and manufacture field-deployable ECUs to cool living quarters and electronics. In response to troop feedback and technological advances, Air Rover’s engineering team designed modular ECUs to produce cold, refrigerated air in extreme climatic conditions that range from 50 degrees to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. A recent LA Times article noted the costs involved, however, and called attention to a temporary fix that gets much better efficiency from Army ECUs.

Air Rover expects to perform the work at its Tyler, TX, headquarters and to complete it by May 2014. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via FedBizOpps.com and the internet, with 5 offers received by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Crane, IN (N00164-09-D-JS25).

Up to $86.1M for Magnetic Silencing Facility at Pearl Harbor

SSN-23 in MSF at Kitsap

Aug 11/08: The Watts-Healy Tibbitts joint venture in Honolulu, HI receives an initial $42.4 million increment to build a drive-in magnetic silencing facility at Beckoning Point, Naval Station Pearl Harbor. The 2nd increment will be funded in FY 2009 at $35.9 million, and the 3rd increment will be funded in 2010 at $6.6 million to finish the $84.8 million contract. The contract also contains an unexercised option, which would increase the cumulative contract value to $86.1 million.

The reason behind these expensive facilities is simple. Any mass of iron stressed in the earth’s magnetic field becomes a magnet. Riveting and other construction activities magnetize a ship, as do some operational activities. That magnetization then changes gradually when the ship is underway, depending on its heading and location. A magnetized object can be detected, of course, and magnetic field changes can also be used as a trigger for weapons like mines and homing torpedoes. Magnetic Silencing Facilities provide deperming/ degaussing, which reduces the ship’s electromagnetic signature to a point that’s much closer to the earth’s natural level. Cryptome has a partial list of American MSFs, including some photos and links.

Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and is expected to be complete by October 2010. This contract was competitively procured, with 41 offers solicited and 4 proposals received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific in Pearl Harbor, HI (N62742-08-C-1311).

$55M for Metal Finshing at Warner Robins AFB, OK

Another day at work

Benham Constructors, LLC in Oklahoma, OK received a $55.1 million firm-fixed price contract to construct an advanced metal finishing facility building with various plating equipment at Robins Air Force Base, GA, while relocating a ground support equipment maintenance facility. Robins AFB is a major maintenance hub for the USAF, and the largest industrial complex in Georgia.

Work is expected to be complete by July 29/10. 16 bids were solicited on Jan 19/07, and 4 bids were received by the U.S. Army Engineer District in Savannah, GA (W912HN-08-C-0031).