Strategic Energy, LLC in Pittsburg, PA won a maximum $28.8 million firm fixed price contract for electricity for federal civilian agencies including the US Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory near Chicago. There were 49 proposals solicited and 8 responded. Date of performance completion is December 31, 2008 (SP0600-07-D-8006). DID has covered other electricity providers to Fermilab, most notably Peoples Energy Services Corp. in Chicago, IL, who received a $30.1 million contract in January 2006 that lasts until December 2007.
FermiLab works with high energy physics, undertaking projects ranging from linear colliders to cancer treatment research to the search for extra dimensions. As one might imagine, Fermilab uses a lot of electricity. They’ve instituted energy conservation projects with the support of the Department of Energy and collaboration from commercial suppliers, including the development and use of superconducting magnets. Recent improvements will save the laboratory several hundred thousand dollars every year.
CACI Inc. Federal in Arlington, VA received a $34.5 million cost-plus-fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for engineering, manufacturing, logistics and technical services to the Gun Weapons System Department at Port Hueneme (pronounced “Why-nee-mee”) Division in Louisville, KY. During the Base Realignment & Closure (BRAC) 2005 process, a realignment recommendation was made to relocate this gun and ammunition Research and Development & Acquisition group to Picatinny Arsenal, NJ.
Work will be performed in Louisville (85%), and various field service locations (15%), and is expected to be complete by March 2012. Contract funds in the amount of $1.8 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities website, with 2 proposals solicited and 1 offer received by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division in Port Hueneme, CA (N63394-07-D-4004)
Northrop Grumman Electronic Systems in Linthicum Heights, MD received a $29 million firm fixed price, time and material contract to provide the total repair and return of the existing APG-68(V)9 Radar flown on many non-US F-16 fighter aircraft, especially the Block 50/ block 52+ models. Interfaces are maintained between the performance work system primary areas of system test/evaluation, project management, repair and facilities. At this time, $1 million have been obligated. The Headquarters Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, UT issued the contract (FA8232-07-D-0001)
Small business qualifier SupplyCore, Inc. in Rockford, IL won a maximum $250 million fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract for maintenance, repair, and operations prime vendor services. Work will be performed in Rockford, IL; Okinawa; and mainland Japan on behalf of the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. This contract is exercising option year one (1).
Proposals were web-solicited and 6 responded. The date of performance completion is March 30, 2008. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA issued the contract (SPM500-05-D-BP06).
Science Applications International Corp. in San Diego, CA received a $62.7 million indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and technical services in support of Pacific Air Force Command. This work will encompass I.T. systems for Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Wargaming, and Force Protection at operational, proposed, and deployed-to sites in the Pacific Area of Operations. Engineering and technical services in information technology and staff analyst support are also provided to non-Headquarters Pacific Air Force organizations.
At this time, $1 million has been obligated. Solicitations began October 2005, negotiations were complete October 2006, and work will be complete October 2012. The Headquarters Pacific Air Forces at Hickam Air Force Base, HI issued the contract (FA5215-07-D-0005).
“A small group of Airmen are having a dramatic effect on the battlefield. They’re in demand from everyone from Army squads and platoons to large defense contractors. Everyone wants a joint terminal attack controller on their team — and with good reason. They are crucial to putting air force bombs on target by controlling the air strikes the ground commander needs. With less than 1,100 of them to go around the Air Force, their career field has been forced to come up with better ideas for fighting the war on terrorism…”
Given the coming size expansions of the US Army and Marines, the need for more JTACs is acknowledged. There’s also the nature of counterinsurgency campaigns, with dispersed units and the potential need for air support in unexpected places and times. If the USAF itself is acknowledging resource issues, one might think that the idea we’re about to cover refers to a way of using electronic assets like ROVER and other ‘sensor fusion simplifiers’ to make it easier for more people in the armed forces to become as effective as current JTACs. The idea described is indeed a form of sensor fusion simplification – but it will not help with the JTAC squeeze… yet.
A radome is simply the covering in front of a radar that protects it but allows signals through – on a fighter plane’s nose, an AWACS plane’s back, or what have you. That’s something of challenge, however, when the vehicle is moving at Mach 5-10 and has to cope with the tremendous heat created by air friction. See “Australia, USA Collaborating on Hypersonic Research” for more coverage of current research into hypersonic vehicles, missiles, and launch systems.
Along with that research comes its obvious corollary: research into radomes that can remain effective and survive hypersonic speeds…
Small business qualifier Bristol Design Build Services LLC in Anchorage, AK received a $9.2 million firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of a Department of Homeland Security border patrol station in Sumas, WA. Work is expected to be completed by June 30, 2008.
Bids were solicited via the World Wide Web on Oct. 12, 2006, and 5 bids were received by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle, WA (W912DW-07-C-0005).
On October 14, 2006, Airman First Class Leebernard E. Chavis, assigned to the USAF’s 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron, was killed by an enemy sniper near Baghdad, Iraq as he sat in the turret of his armored Hummer. He working as part of a U.S. military police training team supporting Iraqi police. Ironically, the USAF’s M1116 HMMWV has been ahead of its counterparts in the area of gun shield protection – but this death was not unusual in and of itself. What was unusual was the response by his compatriots.
Maintenance workers from the 447th Air Expeditionary Group approached 732nd ESF Sqn security forces personnel who work the streets of Baghdad. Their goal: create a whole new turret design built for the urban battlefield. Using pieces cannibalized from junked or wrecked vehicles, old parts and scrounged materials, their cooperative did just that – and their “Chavis turret” design is winning high praise. In fact, it’s doing more than that – it’s headed into early production.
Lockheed Martin Corp. in Marietta, GA received a $23.4 million firm-fixed-price contract modification for C-5 AMP production Lot V kits and spares. At this time, total funds have been obligated and work will be complete May 2009. The Headquarters Aeronautical Systems Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, OH issued the contract (F33657-98-C-0006/P00167). See “$33.3M to Continue C-5 Galaxy AMP-RERP Modernization” for in-depth coverage of what this major refit to the super-giant Galaxy transport aircraft entails, as the USAF attempts to improve the availability of an aircraft whose readiness rates have hovered at just 55-60%. The USAF is not yet certain that the upgrades will succeed in meeting readiness goals on the older C-5As, as the program experiences cost growth. Meanwhile, a battle is brewing between C-5M and C-17 supporters in Congress, and a reader writes:
After: C-5M cockpit
“I enjoy your articles covering various military spending. I have been checking your aircraft transport listings and haven’t seen much about the C5A. My reason for asking here in Martinsburg, WVA the Air Guard (167th) is spending between 300 million and 400 million to completely rebuild the base that was used for C130H to C5A. The work they’re doing on the other side of the field is absolutely amazing, huge new hangars, new runways and taxiways, construction crews working day and night. I find the amount of money being spent to be simply unbelivable with all of the spare capacity at BRAC’ed air bases. I guess Sen Byrd is spending house ways and means money instead of DoD to get it through, but I was wondering what are you folks hearing? You really got to see it to believe it, and you hear next to nothing in the media. Can your organization tell me anything about the Air Forces plan for the C5A and whats up at the 167th — Big money being spent.”
