The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified the US Congress regarding a pair of requests from the government of Iraq. These requests include an extensive range of small arms, ammunition, and related soldiers’ equipment, as well as armored vehicles and even 20 Russian-designed Mi-17 “Hip” helicopters. A second request involves servicing and maintenance for its vehicle and helicopter fleets.
DID summarizes those requests below, but it’s worth noting that they represent an evolution. For the last few years, the US approach has focused on building up the Iraqi Army’s fighting capacity. Native logistics and support was less important than rifles on the ground, for obvious reasons, and US forces could and do fulfil those support functions. These contracts include a number of provisions for training Iraqi personnel in these back-end tasks, however, as well as equipping them.
The requests are detailed below, along with a number of links to more information about the specific items sought.
The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA recently issued a slew of fixed-price with economic price adjustment contracts for maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) supplies in various parts of the Southeast operating region. The US Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies can all use these services. All are indefinite delivery/quantity type contracts exercising a 2nd option; the original proposals were Web-solicited and 11 firms responded. These options will end on September 17, 2007.
Sept 19/06: Science Applications International Corp. in Fairfield, NJ, received a maximum $1.05 billion contract for MRO supplies in the Southeast region, Zone 1 (SPM500-02-D-0121).
Sept 19/06: SupplyCore, Inc. in Rockford, IL received a maximum $525 million contract for MRO supplies in the Southeast region, Zone 2 (SPM500-02-D-0122).
Sept 19/06: Graybar Electric Company in St. Louis, MO received a maximum $175 million contract for MRO supplies in the Southeast region, Zone 3 (SPM500-02-D-0123).
General Dynamics C4 Systems, Inc. of Gilbert, AZ received a cost-plus-award fixed-fee contract modification to equitably adjust the contract for the Government-caused delay to the Near Field Infrared Experiment (NFIRE) launch delay effort. The total estimated value of the contract modification is $11.1 million. Work will be performed in Gilbert, AZ and is expected to be complete by August 2008. $3.5 million of the funds will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Missile Defense Agency, Washington, D.C. issued the contract (HQ0006-02-C-0050).
NFIRE is composed of a low-Earth orbiting satellite with an onboard Track Sensor Payload (TSP) and TESAT Laser Communication Terminal (LCT), plus two ground-based Mission Operations Centers (MOCs). General Dynamics notes that NFIRE will gather “near field, high resolution data that will assist in development of boost phase intercept systems.” The problem is that during the boost phase, a ballistic missile’s signature comprises both the missile body itself, and the large rocket plume that “blooms” around the missile at high altitudes to create a sort of hot smoke screen. A boost-phase kill vehicle must be able to detect and hit the missile within the plume, and better understanding of ballistic missiles’ boost-phase signature will help the USA understand what it takes to create accurate ABM targeting devices. NFIRE will also assess the viability of a laser communications system for missile defense applications, a system that could have implications for projects like the T-SAT high-bandwidth communications backbone.
The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, NJ has just given small business qualifier MagCanica, Inc. of San Diego, CA a not-to-exceed $5 million Phase III Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program contract for Topic N01-024: “Innovative Gas Turbine Engine Propulsion” (N68335-06-D-0016)
MagCanica, who is also working with a number of Formula 1 race car teams using its magneto-mechanical torque sensing and control technologies, will provide a wide variety of services and materials. These will include research and development, prototype development and fabrication, demonstration/validation, product development services, product application studies and modeling, fabrication/production of hardware, software design, software development and fabrication, retrofitting developed products into existing air and sea-based platforms, and in-service engineering pertaining to non-contacting torque sensing technology. Work will be performed in San Diego, CA and is expected to be complete in September 2011. The Phase I effort was competitively procured using SBIR Program Solicitation under Topic N01-024; 30 offers were received.
