Arms control treaties and other deactivations have left the USA with over 1,400 ballistic missile rocket motors in storage. The USAF’s Rocket Systems Launch Program looks at ways to reuse them for missile defense testing or spacecraft launches, examines the use of ballistic missile technology for a Conventional Strike Missile (CSM), and studies related technologies. RSLP has supported various technology development efforts for guidance and navigation systems; advanced reentry physics; avionics; Missile Technology Demonstration (MTD); Ballistic Missile Defense System (BMDS) and Ballistic Missile Range Safety Technology (BMRST).
In December 2012, US Space & Missile Command’s Space Development and Test Wing issued 3 indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price RSLP contracts, with up to $900 million in task orders to be competed among the winners:
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Grand Prairie, TX receives a $145.5 million firm-fixed-price contract modification to produce 130 ATACMS Block 1A export version T2K “unitary guided missile launching assemblies.” In English, that’s 130 MGM-140 ATACMS missiles and their launch container, which fits on compatible vehicles like the tracked M270 MLRS and truck-based M142 HIMARS. An ATACMS pod replaces a pod of 6 x 227mm guided rockets with a GPS-guided missile that can travel over 150 miles, delivering a 500-pound WDU18 unitary warhead at hypersonic speed. Export models will have to comply with the Missile Technology Control Regime, which limits range to under 300 km/ 186 miles.
The sale country was not named in this release, but the contract manager indicates a Foreign Military Sale. In recent years, public FMS requests for ATACMS missiles have been announced by the US DSCA for Bahrain, the UAE, and Taiwan. Armored M270 MLRS carriers with ATACMS missiles were also recently positioned near the border by South Korea, who can now hold the capital of Pyongyang at immediate risk if North Korean artillery decides to target Seoul.
Work will be performed in Grand Prairie, TX; Horizon City, TX; and Lufkin, TX, with an estimated completion date of Oct 31/13. One bid was solicited, with one bid received by the U.S. Army Contracting Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL (W31P4Q-07-C-0302).
Up to $1.7 billion to CSC, Sparta, and General Dynamics for infrastructure and deployment services for the US Ballistic Missile Defense System under the MDA’s Engineering and Support Services (MiDAESS) program.
Debt Buyback: Northrop Grumman to purchase $2.1 billion in debt securities of its Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding and Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. subsidiaries.
A Flare for Flares: ATK snags $71 million contract to supply aircraft-deployed LUU-2D/B visible light illumination flares and LUU-19B/B infrared energy illumination flares for battlefield operations.
Can you hear me now?: ManTech receives a $68 million contract to build and deploy an expeditionary cell phone system for the US Army’s forward bases in Afghanistan.
Midwest Research Institute gets $35.5 million order to supply a test system for chemical weapon contamination at the US Army Research, Development and Engineering Command at Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.
Guest article by Ian P. Wilson, Grant Thornton UK LLP
Given unprecedented fiscal pressures inherited by the new UK Government, there is an increasing recognition that the UK will have to reassess how it seeks to assert itself militarily. Given the poor condition of the country’s public finances, it is a widely-held view that the UK simply cannot afford to buy and support military assets to simultaneously project air, sea and land force capabilities on a global scale; nor can it expect to address several major conflicts while maintaining effective security at home.
As it proceeds with its promised 2010 Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR), the new UK Government faces the dilemma of having to fund a fundamental realignment and upgrade of the country’s defence and security infrastructure, whilst seeking to reduce a record fiscal deficit. Inevitably, priorities will have to be determined and certain programmes will face cancellation or curtailment…
Up to $160M to ManTech to support LRSW space launch operations. (March 23/10)
The US Air Force’s Launch and Range Systems Wing (LRSW) is modernizing the US space launch ranges – the Eastern Range (Patrick AFB, FL) and the Western Range (Vandenberg AFB, CA)
A focus on LRSW’s modernization efforts is the US Launch & Test Range System (LTRS), which consists of ground-based surveillance, navigation, flight operations and analysis, command and control, communications and weather assets located at the Eastern Range and the Western Range.
The majority of the equipment supporting the US space launch ranges was installed during the 1960s and 1970s. Multiple LTRS upgrade efforts are underway including the Range Standardization and Automation (RSA) program, ongoing Instrumentation Modernization (IM) projects, numerous recapitalization efforts, and various depot support projects to reduce operations and sustainment costs. The current modernization efforts is replacing approximately 20% of the system.
The LRSW uses contractors to support its modernization work…
The US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) awarded indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contracts to 3 small business qualifiers to provide advisory and assistance services to MDA’s Quality, Safety and Mission Assurance Directorate. Each contract has an ordering ceiling of $209.6 million.
The contractors will assist the directorate in assessing the engineering, technology, production and programmatic practices/ processes used to develop and operate the Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system. MDA is developing a layered BDM system that is designed to destroy enemy missiles by engaging them in all phases of flight (see graphic).
The MDA has come under criticism for the slow pace of BMD development, cost overruns, questionable auditing practices, and repeated test failures. The 3 contracts are part of an effort by MDA to streamline is contracting processes. The winners of the contracts are:
AGM-129A loaded on a B-52 at Minot Air Force Base, ND
In 2007, a B-52 carried 6 unsecured nuclear-tipped AGM-129 ACM cruise missiles from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. The nuclear warheads were supposed to have been removed before the aircraft took off, but they remained on the aircraft unsecured at both Minot and Barksdale for 36 hours.
As a result of the incident, 4 USAF commanders were relieved of their commands; it also contributed to the resignation of top USAF officials. A Blue Ribbon Panel chaired by former Defense Secretary James Schlesinger recommended that the USAF and the US Department of Defense (DoD) overhaul its handling of nuclear weapons security. In response, the USAF set up an Air Force Global Strike Command to oversee all bomber- and missile-based nuclear weapons.
The incident also prompted the US Navy to beef up its nuclear weapons security, which is overseen by the Strategic Systems Program…
The newly established USAF Global Strike Command (AFGSC) is taking over responsibility for the USA’s ICBM force as part of an effort to unify all USAF nuclear assets under 1 command.
Based at Barksdale Air Force Base, LA, the command was stood up on Aug 7/09 to oversee all of the USAF nuclear forces and conduct strategic deterrence and global strike operations.
To support the command’s work, the USAF awarded on Dec 28/09 a contract to Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) to provide requirements assessment, strategic planning, and programming support.
