House Committees Paying Close Attention to Communications

Department of Defense IT officials requested $7.4 billion for command, control, communications and computer systems in FY 2006 – a $1 billion increase from the previous year. Meanwhile, legislators are pushing for faster standardization; many think troops could better communicate and access intelligence in Iraq and Afghanistan if they consolidated their communications systems.

“The subcommittee is interested to learn why DOD has so many different tactical information technology systems performing similar, if not, the same functionality,” said Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, during a March 3 hearing.

At the same time, the Defense Department’s CIO assured congressional leaders that combat units in Iraq and Afghanistan will not be frustrated by a Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS) program policy that prohibits the services from buying existing radio systems without a waiver from the JTRS Joint Program Office. JTRS has not fielded deployable hardware since the program was started in 2001, forcing units to obtain waivers to buy radios urgently needed for combat requirements. The waiver process has resulted in some combat units going around the program office and the military procurement systems by buying commercial two-way radios online or at the local Radio Shack before they deploy.

Raytheon Receives $51.5M to Refresh Patriots

Patriot Missile launch

Raytheon Co. in Andover, MA received a delivery order amount of $51.5 million as part of a $158 million firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Continuous Technology Refreshment of 90 Patriot PAC-2 missile forebodies and the upgrade of 73 Patriot GEM downlinks to GEM+ Frequency Generator. Work will be performed in Andover, MA, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2007. This sole source contract (DAAH01-00-D-0004) was initiated on June 30, 1999 by the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command at Redstone Arsenal, AL.

$10M for Undersea Network Centric Laboratory

M. A. Mortenson Co. of Minneapolis, MN won $10.4 million for firm-fixed price Task Order 0011 under an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity multiple-award construction contract (N62472-02-D-0802). The Task Order covers construction of an Undersea Network Centric Laboratory at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, RI. Work will be performed in on the premises, and is expected to be completed by January 2007. The basic contract was competitively procured via the NAVFAC e-solicitation website. A total of 23 proposals werre submitted, and Mortenson received the contract on Sept. 18, 2002. The total contract amount is not to exceed $250,000,000 over the five-year performance period, and the five contractors selected may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the existing contract. Two proposals were received for this task order, which was issued by Engineering Field Activity Northeast at Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Lester, PA.

SPAWAR Awards Intelsis a 2-Year Systems Support Contract

The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego, CA has awarded small business qualifier Intelesis Technologies Corp. a $6.1 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity two year contract with a cost-plus-fixed-fee pricing arrangement. The contract covers engineering support services for advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR), and information technology systems engineering. This contract includes an additional option year which would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $16.2 million. Work will be performed in San Diego, CA and is expected to be completed by March 2007. This contract was a competitive, best value, 100% small business set-aside procurement, which was advertised through the Commerce Business Daily’s website, FedBizOps, and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. Four offers were received. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center in San Diego, CA issued the contract (N66001-05-D-5028).

$48M for Hanscom Air Base Radar

Raytheon Co. in Marlborough, MA won a $48 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract modification to acquire additional engineering and technical support (labor hours) for the procurement and installation of Digital Airport Surveillance Radar production systems at Hanscom Air Force Base. Required contractor services include site implementation services (site surveys and site designs), engineering/technical support (including integration, test support and certification support) and engineering analysis and labor related to dismantling of existing radars. This work will be complete by September 2009. The Headquarters Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, MA issued the contract (F19628-96-D-0038, P00058).

Open Skies Given $7.5M Hardware & Software Upgrade

Defense Mission Systems Div. of Reston, VA is being awarded a $7.5 million firm-fixed-price contract modification. The OC-135 Open Skies Integrated Data Annotation Recording Mapping System is being modified to update both the hardware and software. Solicitation began August 2004 and negotiations were completed February 2005. Work will be performed in San Pedro, CA and completion is expected by February 2010. The Headquarters Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center for Tinker Air Force Base, OK issued the contract (FA8105-05-C-0001).

$17.7M for Housing Maintenance in Oahu

Small business qualifier Hui O Hawaii Hale, LLC of Honolulu, HI is being awarded a $17.7 million firm-fixed price, estimated indefinite quantity contract for family housing maintenance at various areas in Oahu, HI. Work will include management and performance of maintenance and repair services to approximately 2,500 individual housing units, associated playgrounds/tot lots and facilities on common grounds, community centers, and other related real property and facilities at various housing areas. This contract contains one six-month option period, which if exercised, will bring the total contract amount to $26.8 million. Work will be performed at various military family housing areas in Pearl Harbor, HI (57%) and Central Oahu, HI (43%), and work on the base contract is expected to be completed March 2006. This contract (N62742-05-D-2234) was a sole source negotiated procurement under the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 8(a) program, issued by the Resident Officer in Charge of Construction at Pearl Harbor, HI.

Navy Investigates Dolphin Beaching

Sonar, or Nature?

The Navy and marine wildlife experts are investigating whether the beaching of dozens of dolphins on Marathon in the Florida Keys is related to possible sonar use by the Los Angeles class attack sub USS Philadelphia during a training exercise with Navy SEALs near Key West. More than 20 of the 70 rough-toothed dolphins have died since the beaching last Wednesday. “This is absolutely high priority,” said Lt. Cdr. Jensin Sommer, spokeswoman for Norfolk, Va.-based Naval Submarine Forces.

Some scientists surmise that loud bursts of sonar, which can be heard for miles in the water, may disorient or scare marine mammals, leading to decompression sickness or disruption of their biological sonar navigation systems. Associated Press: Dolphin Beaching Came After Sub Exercise