Meridian Medical Technologies Inc. in Columbia, MD received a maximum $49.1 million firm fixed price contract for nerve agent antidotes, morphine and related medical services and supplies.
Work will be performed in Columbia, MD and in Missouri on behalf of the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Federal Civilian Agencies. There was originally one proposal solicited with one response, and the contract will end on March 31/09. The contracti will be managed by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA (SPM200-05-D-0010).
How do you train militaries and public agencies for the challenges and scale of nuclear, chemical, or biological (NBC) attacks or outbreaks, without creating unacceptable levels of disruption in society’s daily workings during the exercise? The US military has similar scope and space problems for other military exercises. Its solution is a combination of live training, virtual simulators et. al., and “constructive” environments. That last piece of the puzzle integrates the live and virtual efforts in an imaginary world, and provides status reports to commanders.
Right now, the “live virtual constructive” training environment for NBC operations appears to be falling short of its goals. To fix this, Cubic Applications, Inc. in Lacey, WA received a not-to-exceed $16.3 million cost-plus-fix-fee contract. They will provide investigative research and analysis, explore emerging technologies, and develop proof-of-concept/ prototype solutions to the shortfalls in realistic Nuclear, Chemical and Biological training. The goal is to create “a single, more realistic operational and training environment for the Live Virtual Constructive.”
Work will be performed in Shalimar, FL and is expected to be complete in May 2011. Contract funds in the amount of $2 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a Broad Agency Announcement, with 1 offer received by The Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems Division in Orlando, FL (N61339-08-C-0024).
Science Applications International Corporation recently announced an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity, joint services contract from the U.S. Army’s Space and Missile Defense Command’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) — Installation Protection Program (IPP). The program was initiated in December 2003, and is managed by the Joint Project Manager Guardian (JPMG) for the Joint Program Executive Office (JPEO) for Chemical and Biological Defense, and the goal is to ensure that American military installations can continue operating after being hit with CBRN weapons.
The concept is nothing new. After all, that very motivation is what spurred the creation of the ARPANet – now the Internet. In Europe, NATO’s reliance on nuclear deterrence rather than conventional military parity made military operations in a nuclear environment a certain planning scenario. Meanwhile, Soviet doctrine emphasized heavy front line and second echelon use of chemical weapons in a major war’s opening offensive phases, forcing corresponding bio-chemical preparations. Biological weapon defenses were considered a secondary aspect, but that conceit was shaken after advanced, treaty-breaking Soviet biological weapons programs came to light through the post-Soviet revelations of scientists like Dr. Ken Alibek.
The need for JPMG’s IPP is nothing new, therefore. What has changed is the depth profile of the threat. A Soviet strike on the Pentagon would almost certainly have triggered global thermonuclear war, in a way that chemical or even nuclear strikes across and behind the front lines in West Germany and the Netherlands likely would not. On the other hand, it’s quite possible to launch a strike against the Pentagon in the modern era, using supported organizations that confer deniability. With the notion of restrictions on targets or means destroyed by 9/11’s example, modern planners are faced with a growing threat in the new era that extends to a much wider range of military installations.
SAIC worked with JPMG on the original contract, and the new contract has a one year base period of performance plus 4 one-year options, with a contract ceiling value of $500 million if all options are exercised. SAIC will provide program management and execution of all phases of the IPP’s design, purchases, integration and fielding. They will then support the system’s architecture, training and exercises, and logistics, while providing technical expertise, equipment, and services to meet current program requirements. Work will be performed primarily in Abingdon, MD.
Genetic Chemistry, Inc. in Palo Alto, CA received a $6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for “research to develop countermeasures to an intercellular bio threat agent.”
Work will be performed in Palo Alto, CA and is expected to be complete by July 28/11. Multiple bids were solicited in October 2006, and 1 bid was received by the Research, Development & Engineering Command Acquisition Center in Research Triangle Park, NC (W911NF-08-C-0023).
Ever since World War 1, operations in chemical environments have been a standard scenario for many of the world’s armies. With the invention of nerve gas, the risks multiplied further. Its ability to kill on contract required complete exposure protection, and the dawn of the nuclear era added the ability to operate in irradiated areas as a key criterion for NBC(Nuclear, Biological, chemical) protective equipment like the USA’s MOPP and JSLIST gear. Even so, protection against ionizing radiation is limited.
The UK Ministry of Defence recently placed a GBP 6.6 million (about $13.1 million) order for 44,000 chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) suits. The suits guard against biological or chemical attacks, and provide some degree of protection from nuclear fallout. They are worn with rubber over-boots and gloves, and are designed to seal around the CBRN service respirator and fit over combat clothing. Woodland and desert camouflage patterns are available.
The suits will be manufactured by Remploy, which was formed more than 60 years ago to provide work for people injured at home and abroad during the World War 2. The company has supplied specialist protection suits for several years from its workshops around Scotland and the United Kingdom.
Britain has made a number of improvements to its CBRN capabilities lately. While its forces no longer face a Soviet enemy across the Fulda Gap, whose operational doctrine caled for massive chemical weapon strikes in advance of an attack. Nevertheless, the falling technology curve continues to make it easier for rogue states and other elements to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction. Other recent improvements the UK moD has made in this area include truck-mounted Integrated Biological Detection Systems, man-portable chemical agent detectors, and tactical radiation monitoring equipment. MoD release.
General Electric Co. in Cincinnati, OH received a $12.5 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity with cost-plus-fixed fee contract. The USAF wants GE to demonstrate the resilience of an aircraft’s flight control, electric actuation, and power management and distribution subsystems against high power microwaves and nuclear electromagnetic pulses, with a focus on a near-term solution to make aircraft immune (or at least highly resistant) to electromagnetic environmental effects. At this time, $527,000 has been obligated.
Solicitations began June 2006, negotiations were complete November 2006, and work will be complete November 2011. The US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (FA8650-07-D-2700 task order 0001).
Small business qualifier Harris Manufacturing Co., Inc. in Trenton, NJ received a maximum $7.3 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/quantity type contract for waterproof bags and clothing for Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. The firm as a whole is knwon for producing “toxological agents protective” (TAP) clothing. Given the different nature of this contract, however, it is almost certainly being filled by Harris subsidiary Utility Products. They specialize in custom industrial rainwear and rain gear, and are based in Trenton.
Other locations of performance include Smyrna, DE, where the rest of the firm is located. Proposals were Web solicited and 2 responded. Date of performance completion is Sept. 30, 2007. The contract was issued by the Defense Supply Center Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA (SP0100-05-D-4175).
Hentzen Coatings in Milwaukee, WI received a delivery order amount of $9.2 million as part of a $14.1 million firm-fixed-price contract for chemical agent resistant coatings for vehicles. Work will be performed in Milwaukee, WI, and is expected to be complete by April 12, 2007. There were two bids solicited on Nov. 30, 2004, and three bids were received by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Texarkana, TX (W911RQ-05-D-0013).
The Elbit/ Rockwell-Collins joint venture Vision Systems International, LLC (VSI) in San Jose, CA received a firm fixed price contract for $156 million from Lockheed Martin, as part of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase. This new contract expands the company’s effort to include provision of pilot flight gear, including the oxygen mask and chemical/ biological hazard protection. VSI was previously awarded a contract to design the advanced JSF Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS) for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, and Lockheed Martin informed VSI that it has been selected to supply JSF HMDS to all domestic and international F-35 customers. See corporate release.
Principal suppliers include Elbit Systems Ltd. (display Management Computer, contains advanced graphic processing and head tracking); Rockwell Collins, (helmet Mounted Display, including advanced optical design); and Helmet Integrated Systems Ltd. of the UK (helmet shell and pilot personal fitting system).
HMDS, testing
DID has covered its predecessor the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing Systems (JHMCS) before, from its revolutionary effect on air combat when used with high off-boresight 4th generation SRAAMs like the AIM-9X Sidewinder, AA-11 Archer et. al., to the program’s rocky but ultimately successful history as a key companion to US F-15, F-16, and F/A-18 aircraft. JSF HMDS takes this one step further, providing day or night imagery that applies to both air and ground attacks; it also features advanced head tracking capability and near-zero latency, in order to provide a virtual heads-up display and imagery screen anywhere the pilot’s head moves. Since the F-35 will be the first tactical fighter jet in over 30 years to fly without a HUD, this capability is mandatory.
