On November 24, 2006, The Hon. Dr Brendan Nelson, Australia’s Minister for Defence, delivered a speech to the Australian-British Chamber of Commerce. His subject was “Future Directions in Industry Policy,” which touched on past reviews of defense force structure, the current Defence Capability Plan 2006-2016, procurement reviews and reforms, and the effects of an aging population before getting to its key passage:
“Around 20,000 Australians are employed directly in defence industry. About A$ 2.1 billion [DID: about $1.6 billion] of that money that we spend on defence industry – the A$ 8.7 billion [DID: about $6.8 billion] that comes from the DMO(Australia’s Defence Materiel Organization) – about A$ 2.1 billion finds it way, one way or another, into the 300 or so SMEs that are in defence industry in Australia. At the moment – of the 20,000 that are employed – we’ve got about 5,200 that are in regional parts of Australia.
In going forward, back in May, I called together a representative group of policy analysts – CEOs from the primes and also representatives of Australia’s SMEs in defence industry – to canvass the issues that might surround the development of defence industry policy…”
Atlantic Marine Florida, LLC in Jacksonville, FL received a $21.7 million firm fixed price contract for accomplishment of the Extended Selected Restricted Availability (ESRA) of the Ticonderoga class cruiser USS Philippine Sea [CG 58], to include maintenance and modernization type repair work in dry dock.
The ESRA will consist of the accomplishment of 40 Title K Alterations (modernization) and 4 Title D Alterations (maintenance). Work will be performed in Jacksonville, FL, and is expected to be complete by July 2007. The contract was competitively procured, and advertised through Federal Business Opportunities, with 2 proposals received. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center in Jacksonville, FL issued the contract (N40027-07-C-0003).
General Electric Transportation Aircraft Engines in Lynn, MA received a $532.9 million performance-based logistics contract for repair, replacement, consumables support, and program support. The contracts covers F414 jet engine components used in the US Navy’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft and the derivative EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft that is currently in testing. The F414 delivers 35% more thrust than the GE F404s installed in F/A-18 A-D Hornets, and also features upgrades designed to improve reliability and make them easier to maintain.
Work will be performed in Lynn, MA (90%), and Jacksonville, FL (10%), and is expected to be completed by December 2010. This contract was not awarded competitively by the Naval Inventory Control Point (N00383-07-D-001M).
The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory in Cambridge, MA received a $195.75 million contract for tactical engineering support re: the Mk 6 guidance system used on American and British Trident II D-5 nuclear missiles. DID has covered the Mk 6 guidance system and its subcontractors, as well as where it fits within the larger set of modernization and procurement efforts for the Trident missile fleet. Contract funds in the amount of $76.6 million will expire at the end of current fiscal year, and this contract contains options which would bring its cumulative value to $201.9 million if exercised.
Work will include repair and recertification of Mk 6 guidance systems, including pendulous integrating gyroscopic accelerometers, inertial measurement units, electronic assemblies, inertial measurement units electronics, repair parts, test equipment maintenance, and related hardware; deliver a product and process improvement study to investigate approaches to reduce life-cycle cost and improve performance of the Fleet Ballistic Missile Guidance System program; and employ it’s personnel and facilities in the conduct of various important technical studies including the Guidance Application Program and the Radiation Hardened Application Program. It will be performed in Cambridge, MA (64%); Pittsfield, MA (23%); Andover, MA (5%); El Segundo, CA (3%); Clearwater, FL (3%); and Woodland Hills, CA (2%), and is expected to be complete September 2007. This contract was not competitively procured by the Strategic Systems Program in Arlington, VA (N00030-07-C-0001).
Rockwell Collins Inc. Government Systems in Cedar Rapids, IA received an $82.7 million firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification, exercising production options for the purchase of 37,787 defense advanced GPS receivers (DAGRs) and accessories. The DAGR provides GPS services in a hand-held, dual-frequency (L1/L2), lightweight receiver weighing less than one pound. Key features include a precise positioning system (PPS), as well as next generation tamper-resistant GPS via the selective availability anti-spoofing module (SASSM) security module. The DAGR replaces the Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR) in integrated platforms as well as for the advanced and basic GPS user. Based on publicized contracts to date and Rockwell Collins figures, DID estimates that the USA and various allies around the world have issued almost $300 million worth of DAGR contracts to date, and ordered almost 125,000 systems.
Work will be complete October 2008. The Headquarters Global Positioning Systems Wing at Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA issued the contract (F04701-02-C-0011/P00050).
General Electric Co. in Cincinnati, OH received a $12.5 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity with cost-plus-fixed fee contract. The USAF wants GE to demonstrate the resilience of an aircraft’s flight control, electric actuation, and power management and distribution subsystems against high power microwaves and nuclear electromagnetic pulses, with a focus on a near-term solution to make aircraft immune (or at least highly resistant) to electromagnetic environmental effects. At this time, $527,000 has been obligated.
Solicitations began June 2006, negotiations were complete November 2006, and work will be complete November 2011. The US Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH issued the contract (FA8650-07-D-2700 task order 0001).
DID offers thanks to all of our readers, to people like Sgt. Brandon Wooldridge, and to all American and allied soldiers in uniform. We will return on Monday.
Force Protection will be the prime contractor under the agreement, with Armor Holdings as principal subcontractor, using its Sealy, TX based capacity and core expertise in the automotive integration and assembly of the vehicle. A recent partnership with General Dynamics Land Systems covered structure fabrication for the Cougar.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded BAE Systems a GBP 5.4 million contract (about $7 million) to combine scheduled maintenance of Eurofighter Typhoon fighters with the upgrade program already underway at BAE Systems in Warton, UK. This move leaves 6 more aircraft available for front line duties, while eventually bringing 43 ‘Trache 1’ Eurofighters up to the common standard.
BAE Systems Typhoon weapon system capability director Martin Taylor said that: “Through this contract, BAE Systems will become an integral part of the RAF support process. Although based at Warton, this activity will operate as an extension to the support operations at RAF Coningsby, the Typhoon main operating base. This contract represents a significant step in our journey towards a comprehensive availability service.”
The Whole Aircraft Scheduled Maintenance and Upgrade program, named WASMU for ease, represents the first contractual step of the Typhoon Partnered Support program. Under WASMU, a program of primary maintenance activities at 400 flying hours will be carried out at the same time as the ongoing upgrade tasks. Following completion of definition work on the 800 flying hour maintenance package, a follow-on contract for the extension to WASMU through to 2012 is planned. Availability-based contracting is now expected to begin in 2009-2010. See BAE release for more.
Thales acquisition ADI Limited in Australia received a $6.9 million firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for Australian Acoustic Generators (AAG), Infrasonic Australian Acoustic Generators (IAAG) that can sound like ships, and related components. Tjhis equipment will be used by the USA’s Mine Countermeasures (MCM) Fleet. The contract also contains a provisioned spares contract line item, procured on a firm fixed-price basis.
Work will be performed in Uraidla, South Australia, and is expected to be complete by November 2009. The contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, FL (N51331-07-D-0006).
