BAE Systems Specialty Group in Jessup, PA recently won a maximum $114 million firm-fixed price US Army contract for modular lightweight load-carrying equipment (MOLLE). Work will be performed in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Kentucky, Tennesse, Wisconsin, and Puerto Rico. This contract is for the first term option period, with 1 more 1-year option period remaining. The original proposal was Web solicited with 6 responses, and this option will expire on May 2/10. The Defense Supply Center Philadelphia (DSCP) in Philadelphia, PA manages this contract (SPM1C1-08-D-1080).
Modular Light-weight Load Carrying Equipment (MOLLE) is a modular quick-release backpack with compartments and components that can easily be clipped on or removed, plus a fighting load vest that can accept removable pockets for the Rifleman, Pistol, Squad Automatic Weapon (SAW) Gunner, and Grenadier configurations. Its modularity allows individuals to tailor their load and configuration to meet mission needs. MOLLE has been modified over the years in response to Army feedback from the field, but the US Marines replaced it entirely with their own ILBE (Improved Load Bearing Equipment) packs, in the wake of negative after-action reviews.
Harris Corporation in Rochester, NY received a $13.5 million order to provide the U.S. Air Force with vehicular radios and a digital tactical intercom system for their Hummers. The USAF’s up-armored HMMWV is the M1116. The Air Force is buying Harris’ Falcon III AN/VRC-110 multiband, multimode radios, along with the RF-7800I tactical intercom system.
Jacobs Engineering Group recently announced a 1-year, $3 million contract from the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA to support the Program Manager (PM), Marine Corps Enterprise Information Technology Services (MCEITS). Jacobs will develop and manage program strategies and acquisition plans; support systems engineering, logistics and test activities; provide business management services; and assist in systems interoperability and migration efforts for the PM MCEITS. The contract has a potential value of $9.9 million over 3 years.
MCEITS provides the Marine Corps with integrated Web services consisting of enterprise shared data environment, portal, online identity management, and web system access control. MCEITS is the Marine Corps’ IT platform for participation in the Defense Information Systems Agency’s Net-centric Enterprise Services (NCES) program, which is trying to get data out of functional silos and into the hands of people on the front lines. The 2008 EDS article “Enabling an Information-Driven Battlespace Through Net-Centric Logistics” discusses one possible implementation along these lines. NCES’ Core Enterprise Services are packaged into 4 product lines: Service-Oriented Architecture Foundation (SOAF), Collaboration, Content Discovery & Delivery, and the Portal.
