USA Awards 251 More Seaport-e Contracts

The U.S. Navy is awarding indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts to 251 contractors that will all their competition for service requirements solicited by Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, Naval Supply Systems Command, Military Sealift Command, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Strategic Systems Programs, and the Marine Corps. DID covered a similar contract on June 2nd, 2005.

These contracts are in addition to the existing 648 contracts previously awarded under the SeaPort Enhanced (SeaPort-e) acquisition program for services procurements. The government estimates a maximum of $5.3 billion worth of services will be procured per year via orders issued under the SeaPort-e multiple award contracts. The 22 functional service areas within the scope of the contracts include:

EDA on European Defense Research Spending

Here are some figures that make up a useful accompaniment to our recent article, “EDA to Launch New European Procurement Code on July 1, 2006.” According to data collected by the EU’s European Defence Agency, its 24 members (all EU states except Denmark) expect to spend a little under EUR 2.5 billion on defense R&D this year ($3.2 billion at current conversion), with only about one-tenth of the money going on collaborative projects in Europe. Total defense expenditure is estimated to be around EUR 180 billion ($230.16 billion at current conversion). “Collectively we are investing less than 1.5% of defense spending in the future of Europe’s defence technological base,” said EDA head Javier Solana. EDA release.

See “Whitney & the EDA React to CSIS Report on European Defense Industry” for more information regarding the EDA’s broader efforts, and the challenges currently facing Europe’s defense industry in the years before the continent’s huge demographic shift.

Cameras for Cougars in Iraq & Afghanistan

Cougar-H 4×4 EOD

GyroCam Systems LLC in Sarasota, FL received a $43.4 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum ordering quantity of 67 of their 360-degree camera systems plus associated manuals, installation, deployment blocks, field support, and training. Manufacturing will be performed in Sarasota, FL, with installation on the Joint Explosive Ordnance Disposal Rapid Response Vehicles in Iraq and Afghanistan. Alert DID reader will recognize the JERRV as a designation for Force Protection’s V-hulled Cougar vehicles, whose success in Iraq was documented in our anchor article “Cougar Armored Trucks to Stalk Mines on the Battlefield.”

Work on the GyroCam contract is expected to be complete by May 2007. This contract is a limited competitive commercial contract award to GyroCam Systems LLC by the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA (M67854-06-D-5034).

C-17 Upgrades Underway Under Global Susutainment Partnership

C-17 Globemaster III

The C-17 Globemaster III remains the backbone of US Air Mobility Command inter-theater transport efforts around the world, and its ability to operate from shorter and rougher runways has made it especially useful during the Global War on Terror. While the Pentagon proposes to cap production at 180 planes and a fierce fight is underway to preserve the program, various upgrades (including LAIRCM defensive systems) continue – along with heavy usage that is accumulating fatigue hours far faster than originally planned.

The Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH has awarded a number of contracts under the private-public C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership (GSP) framework to perform some upgrades within the fleet. These modifications were placed with Boeing subsidiary McDonnell Douglas under contract # FA8614-04-C-2004; several of them are covered in more depth in the Boeing Frontiers September 2005 article “Sweet 16.”

Additional background, and contracts issued during FY 2006 and beyond can now be found in DID’s FOCUS Article for the C-17 Global Sustainment Partnership.

$18.7M to GD for Inflatable Low-Altitude Bomb Fins

BSU-85/B

General Dynamics in Garland, TX received an $18.7 million firm-fixed-price contract for BSU-85/B bomb retarder fin assemblies. These are especially useful for low-altitude work. Work will be performed in Garland, TX and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2008. Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Nov. 18, 2005, and two bids were received by the Army Field Support Command, Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-06-C-0027).

$8.5M to Wolf Coach for Homeland Security Vehicles

Sentinel C4I van

L-3 Communications subsidiary Wolf Coach Inc. in Auburn, MA received an $8.5 million firm-fixed-price contract for special vehicles to support homeland security. Wolf Coach specializes in mobile communications vehicles, and their web site outlines the kinds of vehicles contemplated by this contract.

Work will be performed in Auburn, MA and is expected to be complete by Nov. 22, 2006. This was a sole source contract initiated on May 22, 2006 by the Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Warren, MI (W56HZV-06-F-0102).