The USAF uses its simplified acquisition of base engineering requirements (SABER) contract to fulfill engineering requirements on a variety of projects, ranging from small renovations to large scale infrastructure needs involving pipelines, electrical substations, and life safety issues.
The SABER contract’s main purpose is to expedite contract award of civil engineer requirements through the issuance of individual delivery orders. The contract contains a collection of detailed task specifications that include most types of real property maintenance, repair, and construction work. A number of SABER contracts have been awarded.
The US military uses far more fuel than any branch of the American government, and the US Air Force uses far more fuel than the other services. DID has spotlighted the magnitude of these buys before, in March 2009 and March 2006, as a way of driving this reality home. The phenomenon has also been examined by organizations like the US Army Corps of Engineers, and the Brookings Institute, both of whom have raised concerns about meeting that demand in future.
March is not the only month for fuel contracts by any means, as purchases continue throughout the year. These purchases are handled by the US military’s Defense Logistics Agency Energy, located in Fort Belvoir, VA. To date, December 2010 fuel contracts total $1,551,570,807.
IAP World Services in Panama City, FL received a $12.4 million firm-fixed-price contract exercising the 2nd option year (3rd year of service) to operate and maintain the electrical power grids at Forward Operating Bases Salerno, north of Khowst and Sharana in Paktika Province, Afghanistan. The contracts will run until Oct 15/12. Bids were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with 5 bids received by the Defense Contract Management Agency at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan (W91B4N-07-C-0075).
Previous awards under this contract have not been publicly announced.
If it moves on the battlefield, it needs power. Power often means batteries, in various sizes and shapes. Thermal weapon sights. Soldiers’ radios. Laser rangefinders. Missile targeting systems. Ground robots. On and on, and on. They’re frequently on the soldiers, which is creating weight problems due to the number of spares they have to carry. Until that problem is solved, however, batteries are required and will be carried, packed in vehicles and robots, and otherwise taken where they’re needed.
That’s why the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime in Columbus, OH recently issued firm-fixed-price, indefinite quantity contracts for batteries, on behalf of the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. These were total set-aside contracts for small businesses, and the DLA solicited 5 proposals, receiving 3 responses. The contracts appear to be a multiple-award buy, with competition for each delivery order, running for a year until Sept 26/11.
Veteran-owned small business qualifier Bren-tronics Inc. in Commack, NY wins a maximum $84.2 million contract (SPM7LX-10-D-7153).
Woman-owned small business qualifier Mathews Associates in Sanford, FL wins a maximum $84.2 million contract (SPM7LX-10-D-7154).
The US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southwest in San Diego, CA awarded 7 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract for new construction and repair of dry utilities construction at US military facilities in the US Southwest.
The maximum dollar value for all 7 contracts combined is $300 million. The terms of the contracts are not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of April 2015.
The work to be performed provides for new construction, addition, repair, or upgrade of electrical distribution systems, lighting systems, cable television lines, airfield lighting, and communication transmission lines.
April is not the cruelest month for companies that sell aviation fuel to the US military. Six more firms have secured up to $768.6 million in new aviation fuel contracts from the US Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) in Fort Belvoir, VA.
They are 12 month fixed price with economic price adjustment indefinite-delivery/ indefinite quantity contracts for aviation fuel for delivery in the USA.
Despite the “going green” trend of the US military, there continues to be a huge demand for good, old-fashioned fuel.
To feed that need for fuel, on April 23/10 the Defense Energy Support Center (DESC) in Ft Belvoir, VA, awarded up to $1.24 billion in aviation fuel contracts to 7 firms.
These are 12 month fixed price with economic price adjustment indefinite-delivery/ indefinite quantity contracts for aviation fuel for delivery in the USA.
Refinery Associates of Texas, a small business qualifier in New Braunfels, TX, received a maximum $253.8 million fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for naval distillate fuel.
The fuel normally used in naval diesel engines is naval distillate fuel (NATO symbol F-76), but other fuels such as JP-5 (NATO symbol F-44) and naval distillate lower pour point (NATO symbol F-75) are also used.
Air BP in Warrenville, IL won a maximum $124.8 million fixed-price with economic price adjustment, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.
Aviation turbine fuel is used for powering jet and turbo-prop engined aircraft. There are currently two main grades of turbine fuel in use in civil commercial aviation: Jet A-1 and Jet A, both are kerosene type fuels. There is another grade of jet fuel, Jet B, which is a wide cut kerosene (a blend of gasoline and kerosene).
The military equivalent of Jet A-1 and Jet A fuel is JP-8, which also includes corrosion inhibitors and anti-icing additives. The military equivalent of Jet B is JP-4, with the same additions as JP-8…
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…
