Information Shifts: From Facebook, With Love

James never had
this little problem…

In March 2008, “Sharpen Yourself: LinkedIn & Social Networking Sites” discussed both the career benefits and security risks associated with social networking sites. Sir John Sawers, the prospective head of Britain’s MI6 intelligence agency is probably wishing he had read it. His wife recently leaked dangerously specific information about him on Facebook, and created a controversy about his fitness for the job. Sir John now faces a possible parliamentary probe.

Social networking is becoming a larger part of the military, and the industry. In July 2009, Lockheed Martin released its internal company social networking application’s underlying code as open source software. Social networking efforts are being explicitly built into PR contracts, and it’s becoming one of the information shifts that are changing the battlespace. The Pentagon recently launched an official blogging platform at DODLive.mil, and US Forces Afghanistan launched a social networking strategy that extends to Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Followed by orders to bases to stop blocking key social networking sites. These efforts can make a big difference toward ensuring that the Pentagon is no longer, as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates puts it, “being out-communicated by a guy in a cave.” On the other hand, they are not risk-free.

$132.9M to Apptis for U.S. Army C4I Systems

DCATS Satcom Terminals
(click to view larger)

Apptis in Chantilly, VA won a $132.9 million time and material task order to provide management, engineering, integration and acquisition of U.S. Army command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems worldwide. Apptis will provide the systems to the Command Center Upgrades/Special Projects Office, which is part of Team Defense Communications and Army Transmission Systems (TEAM DCATS). Work is to be determined by mission requirements with an estimated completion date of June 30/11. For the contract, 16 bids were solicited and 3 bids received by Army Contracting Command in Alexandria, VA.

Located at Fort Monmouth, NJ, TEAM DCATS manages more than 100 projects that support soldiers, major commands and combatant commanders worldwide. Projects include strategic satellite communications and wideband control systems, long-haul terrestrial microwave and fiber optic communications systems, tech control facilities, Combat Service Support Communications systems, critical power infrastructure, command center upgrades, base radios and combat vehicle intercom systems.

The Apptis work is being performed under the $20 billion Army Information Technology Enterprise Solutions-2 Services (ITES-2S) multiple-award contract vehicle. DID has more on ITES-2S, including a list of companies that are eligible to compete and their contract numbers…

Up to $33M to Trijicon for M240B Machine Gun Optics

Iraqis train: M240B, PKMs

Trijicon in Wixom, MI won a $33 million not-to-exceed ceiling, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement, delivery, maintenance, and logistical support of the M240B 7.62-mm machine gun day optic (MDO), which is a magnified day optic that mounts onto the M240B. The MDO aids the machine gunner in target detection, recognition, and identification.

This contract is a 5-year contract with a minimum buy of 25 MDO systems within the 1st contract year. Trijicon will perform the work in Wixom and expects to complete it by July 2014. Contract funds in the amount of $16.4 million will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online, with 2 offers received by the Marine Corps Systems Command in Quantico, VA (M67854-09-D-1015).

DID has more on the M240B…

Fire Crash Rescue Station at Travis AFB, CA

Too Hot to Handle?

Barnhart in San Diego, CA won a $8.8 million firm-fixed-price task order (#3) under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-08-D-8614) for design and construction of a large fire crash rescue station at Travis Air Force Base, CA. The task order also contains one unexercised option and one planned modification, which if exercised would increase the cumulative value to $10.3 million.

Barnhart will perform the work at the base in Fairfield, CA and expects to complete the facility by December 2010. For this contract, 4 proposals were received by the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest in San Diego.

DID has more on Travis AFB’s firefighters…

$8.9M to Eyak for Brain Injury Testing for Deploying U.S. Troops

Head X-ray
(click to view larger)

Eyak Development Corp. in Falls Church, VA received a $8.9 million firm-fixed-price contract to provide testing services for the U.S. Army’s Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) program for deploying service members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Marines.

The ANAM program was set up to provide cognitive assessment for U.S. service members because of concern about brain injuries caused by explosions, resulting in concussions. A concussion may cause changes which include a slower reaction time, headaches, irritability, memory impairments, and sleep difficulty. These symptoms may result in decreased performance. One reason that such a concussion can go unnoticed is that symptoms may not be obvious.

DID has more on the ANAM tool and the Eyak contract…