Here at DID, some of our readers have been asking us to make our Focus Articles more accessible. These are DID’s pieces that highlight key weapons programs and cover related events and contracts on an ongoing basis, or deal with a critical industry issue.
In response, we’ve created a new topic category under the major heading “DID Site.” I’ve also gone back through the archives and tagged a number of key pieces that belong in the new topic archive. Presenting: DID Focus Articles, with pieces whose range includes missiles, blimps, aircraft, maintenance programs, ground vehicles, contracting vehicles, ships and submarines, benefits costing, robots & uavs, and more.
Reader feedback is appreciated here at DID, and we’re always looking for tips and additions regarding our focus article series. Just drop us a line via defenseindustrydaily.com’s tips@ emailbox.
On Sept. 14, 2006, the US Government Accountability Office released report # GAO-06-883: “Best Practices: Stronger Practices Needed to Improve DOD Technology Transition Processes.” The report’s home page reads:
“The Department of Defense (DOD) relies on its science and technology community to develop innovative technologies for weapon systems, spending $13 billion on basic, applied, and advanced technology research. Several GAO reports have addressed problems in transitioning technologies to the acquisition community. This report, which was prepared under the Comptroller General’s authority to conduct evaluations, compares DOD’s technology transition processes with commercial best practices. Specifically, GAO identifies technology transition techniques used by leading companies [DID: actually just 3M, Boeing, IBM, and Motorola] and assesses the extent to which DOD uses the techniques…”
Faced with an enemy that has no compunctions about committing war crimes by using human shields, the US Army is discovering that snipers are a critical battlefield asset. For instance, the American Snipers 501c3 support organization got this letter from a 1st Stryker Brigade sniper team it had helped out with some gear:
“…On April 9th all hell broke loose here in Mosul and we were up on an OP. My shooter spotted approximately 150 personnel with RPG’s and AK’s inter mixed with civilian personnel. He was able to fire three shots before the crowd dispersed. He killed two and wounded one at a 430 meters while under indirect fire. Now the shot does not seem that difficult but if you add the fact that he was firing from the 5th story out of a 12 degree loophole and the persons were running. I am proud of my shooter for making those shots. We were in heavy fire for about 5 hours that day and in all my company killed about 30 NCF and sustained no friendly injuries. I just thought I would tell you a little bit about us…”
Of course, the rifles themselves need to come from the military. Remington Arms Company Inc. in Ilion, NY received an $11.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for M24 sniper rifles (and see weapon review), spare parts, and modular access rail systems (aka. “Picatinny Rails”). Work will be performed in Ilion, NY, and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2007. This was a sole source contract initiated on May 18, 2006 by the U.S. Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command in Rock Island, IL (W52H09-06-C-0152).
Roy Anderson Corp. in Gulfport, MS received a $42.5 million firm-fixed price two-phased design-build construction contract for the design and construction of the Ocean Science Laboratory Complex at Stennis Space Center. Work will be performed in Bay St. Louis, MS, and is expected to be completed by September 2008. This contract was competitively procured as a two-phase design build via the Naval Facilities Engineering Command e-solicitation website with 6 offers received in Phase I, 5 selected to proceed to Phase II, and 3 offerors submitted Phase II proposals. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast in Jacksonville, FL issued the contract (N62467-06-C-0092).
