USA Issues MRAP-II Solicitation

New participants?

The USA has moved very slowly to give its forces mine-protected vehicles, but when it finally did move, the move has been dramatic. The $8.4 billion, 7,774 vehicle, 5-service (Army, Navy, USAF, Marines, SOCOM) MRAP Program has seen FY 2007 funding rise to $4.9 billion, and as of July 31/07, 5,621 orders have already been issued for MRAP CAT-I MRUV patrol vehicles and the larger CAT-II JERRV squad vehicles. With over 70% of orders already placed, an additional Army request in the works, and Explosively-Formed Penetrator (EFP) land mines upping the ante in Iraq, a next step was needed.

That next step appears to be underway. A July 4/07 Federal Business Opportunities notice was the first step, and had this to say:

US Defense Budget FY08: Earmark Database Created

Earmarks involve designating funds in spending legislation that must be used for a very particular purpose. While they can be a useful tool, they can also be a magnet for shady dealings and last-minute surprises. Indicted Naval ace and former Congressman Randy Cunningham’s activities revolved around earmarks, for instance; so, too, did the recent scandal that revolves around Congressman Jack Murtha. Past US national defense budgets have included everything from renovations to Washington’s baseball stadium (based on the standings, a donation to hire players might have been better), to Utah watershed conservation, to the initial funding that got the famous Predator UAVs going.

In anticipation of the House floor debate on the 2008 defense appropriations bill, a group called Taxpayers for Common Sense has just posted a database of all the bill’s disclosed earmarks – including dollar amounts, which the chart in the bill’s official report happened to leave out. The recent Congressional “Ethics” bill eviscerates many recent transparency reforms, but to the extent that information is being made available, readers can find the database and summary at TCS.

The group is also working on an update that will list the earmark recipients named in the required disclosure letters. See also “House FY 2008 Defense Budget Earmarks: Excerpts” for our coverage and background/explanation for the defense earmarks highlighted in a previous TCS press release.

MRAP: Another One Bites the Dust?

Alpha: Tango Uniform?

Textron Land Systems’ M1117 Guardian Armored Security Vehicle has already been disqualified from the USA’s MRAP competition, though purchases for American military police continue. Now Oshkosh Truck’s Category 1 partnership with Protected Vehicles, Inc. to produce the Alpha may have joined the casualty list, in the wake of testing at Aberdeen. The Alpha vehicle was a partnership with PVI and Battelle, whose ShieldAll(TM) ceramic armoring has reportedly survived recent testing against EFP land mines. The 13-ton Alpha was one of the 6+ person CAT I patrol vehicle’s heavier entries, but it had been an early winner in the MRAP field thanks to a 100 “low risk” rapid-fielding order on Feb 14/07 before testing had commenced. A July 12/07 DefenseLink announcement listed a revised contract completion time frame of July 2007 for this order.

Bloomberg’s July 27/07 article “Oshkosh Mine-Resistant Truck Rejected By Pentagon” excerpts a June 29/07 letter from the Marine Corps to Oshkosh Truck official Moss Ruedinger – and has significant implications for both Oshkosh and PVI going forward…

$200M for US DoD Infrastructure in Hawaii

Pearl Harbor

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Hawaii in Pearl Harbor, HI have awarded 5 firm-fixed price multiple award indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contracts for various construction projects within the state of Hawaii. The total contract amount is not to exceed $200 million for new construction, repair, alteration, and related demolition of existing infrastructure based on design build, modified design build or full plans and specifications for Department of Defense infrastructure in Hawaii.

The term of the contract is not to exceed 5 years, with an expected completion date of August 2012 (August 2008 for the base period). Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was issued as a Section 8(a) small business set-aside with 44 solicitations distributed, and 12 proposals received. These 5 winners may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract:

• American Piping & Boiler Co. in Kapolei, Hawaii (N62478-07-D-4003)
  
• RMA Land Construction in Brea, CA (N62478-07-D-4004)
  
• Niking Corp. in Wahiawa, Hawaii (N62478-07-D-4005)
  
• Standard Sheetmetal & Mechanical, Inc. in Honolulu, Hawaii (N62478-07-D-4006)
  
• Su-Mo Builders, Inc./NAN, Inc. Joint Venture in Honolulu, Hawaii (N62478-07-D-4007)