Defense Aerospace recently published a list of costs for US aircraft and helicopters, extrapolated from the Pentagon’s latest Selected Acquisition Reports (SARs) tabled on August 10, 2006. A couple of important notes are in order to readers reviewing the figures, which will be different than the published acquisition costs per unit:
(1) All estimates include anticipated inflation allowances. Weapons programs are typically baselined at a specified year to help remove inflation as a comparison factor between weapons. On the other hand, budgeted figures over a program’s life are affected by inflation. Which figure is best depends on what you’re trying to measure.
UH-60M: included
(2) The list’s price figures are calculated by dividing the total program cost by the number of units, which amortizes R&D costs and some support costs. That’s why the list’s calculations put the C-17 at $330.8 million, for instance, even though recent contracts indicate that Australia paid $195 million per plane for its C-17s.
Subjects discussed included how the job of Fleet Forces Command has evolved since its creation in 2001, global piracy, the “thousand ship navy” concept, new directions in anti-mine warfare, developments related to the Littoral Combat Ship and its program innovations, et. al. The answers were substantive, and the interview is worth your while.
AT&T Government Solutions, Inc. in Honolulu, HI received a firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract with a base period of 6 years with up to 4 one-year options and a maximum ceiling amount of $250 million. This contract will provide the primary inter- and intra-base telecommunications services for the Department of Defense (DoD) in the State of Hawaii, providing end-to-end common user switched and dedicated transmission services. Other authorized users may include US federal, state, and local agencies.
The requirement was solicited and awarded on a full and open competition basis, with solicitation announced via the Federal Business Opportunities (FEDBIZOPPS) website; 2 proposals were received. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization – Pacific (DITCO-Pacific) issued the contract (HC1019-06-D-2002).
BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies (Insyte), has been awarded a contract worth over GBP 200 million (about $350 million at current conversion) to design and manufacture the FALCON communications system for controlling combat operations at corps, divisional and brigade level.
The IP-based FALCON system is due to enter service in 2010, and a recent contract with Thales has brought the program back to our attention.
Back in January 2006, DID covered Israel’s second upgrade program for its F-15 A-D fleet, aimed at making them more versatile multi-role aircraft. At the time, DID noted that the Israeli efforts were a possible model for similar American efforts, as the USAF tries to keep its fighter fleet at an acceptable strength despite the high procurement costs for its new F-22s and F-35s.
UPDATE: See “F-15s Looking for the AESA Edge” for updates related to the addition of multi-role AESA radars. Note that additional enhancements will be required to make the F-15C a truly multi-role aircraft.
DID has covered the rising importance of titanium, as well as recent joint ventures and mergers designed to take advantage, political controversies, et. al. The MER-DuPont Titanium Consortium in Tucson, AZ recently received a $3.8 million increment of a $5.7 million technology investment agreement. Under the agreement, the consortium will design, build and demonstrate an electrolyzer to produce low-cost titanium from titanium oxide. Work will be performed in Tucson, AZ (88%) and Wilmington, DE (12%) and will be completed in August 2008 (HR0011-06-3-0007).
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) issued a solicitation in Federal Business Opportunities on February 8, 2005, and over 100 proposals were received.
