Research and Markets: The South African defense industry is expected to continue its consolidation trend, with fewer firms competing for more international business. No surprise, given its weak domestic market.
F-35 flight tests suspended, due to issues with fuel-system software on all variants and with a door hinge on the Marines’ F-35B.
Collateral Economy: US military’s 17 facilities in Maryland generate $36 billion annually in economic activity, according to a University of Baltimore report [PDF].
Cleveland Rocks: Defense News reports that Cleveland Ship has bid for Northrop Grumman’s shipbuilding unit, which Bloomberg estimates to be worth up to $4.6 billion.
Canada’s AirBoss-Defense gets $22 million worth of orders to supply CBRN protective boots and gloves to the US military.
Up to $8 million to Kratos for IT and cybersecurity support for the US Navy’s Pacific region network.
The Sikorsky Aircraft Corp. in Stratford, CT received an $118.9 million firm-fixed-price requirements contract modification, to provide spare parts and support for components of the H-53 helicopter. Work will be performed in Stratford, CT, and is expected to be complete by September 2015. Sikorsky is the H-53’s manufacturer, and this contract was not competitively awarded by the Naval Inventory Control Point in Philadelphia, PA (N00383-06-D-003F).
CH-53E in Pakistan, 2010
There are actually several H-53 heavy transport helicopter variants in service with the US Navy and Marines: twin-engine CH-53D Sea Stallions, 3-engine CH-53E Super Stallions, and sled-towing MH-53E Sea Dragons in the mine countermeasures role. The USAF’s “Pave Low” combat rescue variant was retired in 2007. Heavy use and delayed replacement has left the US military short on H-53 airframes, and unexplained delays to the CH-53K program will make it even more imperative for the existing fleet of aging helicopters to be kept in flyable condition.
On Oct 1/10, the Pentagon announced a $102.7 million contract modification to Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Inc. in Newport News, VA to support the US nuclear submarine fleet, from the SSN fast attack boats of the SSN-688/I Los Angeles, SSN-774 Virginia, and SSN-21 Seawolf classes to the Ohio Class’ mix of SSBN nuclear missile carriers and SSGN special forces/ strike subs…
US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii in Pearl Harbor recently awarded a set of multiple award umbrella contracts for construction projects located primarily within Hawaiii. These are indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity opportunities to compete for design-build or design-bid-build construction contracts under this pre-approved umbrella. The contract will run for 5 years (base period and 4 option years) until September 2015, and the maximum for all 6 contracts combined is $200 million. A similar contract was issued in August 2007.
Work asked for can include, but is not limited to, labor, supervision, tools, materials and equipment necessary to perform new construction, repair, alteration and related demolition of existing infrastructure based on design-build, or design-bid-build (full plans and specifications) infrastructure within the state of Hawaii. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 14 proposals received. Winners are all officially-designated small businesses, and include:
Environet, Inc. in Honolulu, HI (N62478-10-D-4019)
FOPCO, Inc. in Kapolei, HI (N62478-10-D-4020), who also wins the $540,000 Task Order 0001 to repair Building 445, at the Fleet Industrial Supply Center in Pearl Harbor, HI. Work is expected to be complete by April 2011.
Pioneer Contracting Co., Ltd in Wahiawa, HI (N62478-10-D-4021)
Raass Brothers, Inc. in Provo, UT (N62478-10-D-4022)
San Juan Construction, Inc. in, Montrose, CO (N62478-10-D-4023)
