China Is Biggest Exporter of Combat Drones
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According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China is now the biggest exporter of combat drones, reports Task & Purpose. The Middle East is among the main recipients.
A DoD inspector general report found that Pentagon officials did not account for and manage $2.1 billion worth of F-35 parts and must now rely on the aircraft’s maker, Lockheed Martin, to tell them where and when it spent the funds, reports The Hill. DoD does not know the actual value of the F-35 property, according to the report.
While deliveries of Boeing-built KC-46 tankers have resumed, Will Roper, assistant secretary of the of Air Force for acquisition, says the company needs to do more to improve controls on its production line, reports Breaking Defense. “If we don’t see progress, we will have to raise the stakes,” he says.
The aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman sailed away from Norfolk on Saturday to conduct training, reports Navy Times. It is a test run of the Dynamic Force Employment plan created by former DefSec Jim Mattis to keep potential enemies guessing about where and when carrier crews will deploy overseas.
Bridget Lauderdale has been named vice president and general manager for Lockheed Martin’s integrated fighter group, the part of the company responsible for development, manufacturing and sustaining F-16 and F-22 aircraft, reports Flight Global. She was most recently VP for the F-35 global sustainment team.
The Trump administration may send a volunteer emergency response team to assist with security and humanitarian efforts at the US-Mexico border, reports Politico.
Military Times reports the idea of a US effort to force “regime change” in Venezuela might be gaining momentum in Washington, DC. Last week, StateSec Mike Pompeo ordered all US diplomats to leave the South American country.
The US will likely keep almost 1,000 troops in Syria, reports The Hill, several months after President Donald Trump said he was removing all US forces from the country.
The Air Force flew two bombers over the South China Sea last week, marking the second time it has sent the nuclear-capable aircraft to the region in just over a week, reports Stars and Stripes.
The Pentagon is drafting a new Arctic defense strategy focusing on competition with China, reports The Washington Post, whose expansion around the world has drawn scrutiny from senior US officials.
The Navy is moving toward privatizing all lodging in the Navy and Marine Corps, with NavSec Richard Spencer citing the successes of the military housing privatization program in his reasoning, reports Military Times.
US defense officials have made an offer to permanently station US troops in Poland, though it’s still a few years away from being a possible duty assignment, reports Military Times. Polish President Andrzej Duda jokingly referred to the base as “Fort Trump” during a press conference with President Trump last fall.
The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Association is looking for people to serve on its board of directors, reports thebaynet.com. Board member Chad Miller is leading the search for new directors.
Contracts:
Research and Engineering Development LLC, California, Maryland, is awarded a $42,791,557 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division Human Systems Department. The Human Systems Department identifies, develops, and implements Human Engineering and Human Systems Integration analysis and design solutions for various Navy and Marine Corps aviation flight and weapon systems, and their associated maintenance and training elements. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2022. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0042).
General Dynamics Electric Boat, Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $2,039,763,908 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-2100 for additional material (to include Long Lead Time Material and Economic Ordering Quantity) associated with the Fiscal 2019 – Fiscal 2023 Virginia class submarines (SSNs 802 – 811). Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (19 percent); Annapolis, Maryland (6 percent); Tucson, Arizona (3 percent); Spring Grove, Illinois (3 percent); Stoughton, Massachusetts (3 percent); Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (3 percent); Jacksonville, Florida (3 percent); Arvada, Colorado (3 percent); Minneapolis, Minnesota (2 percent); Groton, Connecticut (2 percent); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (2 percent); Florence, New Jersey (2 percent); York, Pennsylvania (2 percent); Arlington, Texas (2 percent); Newport News, Virginia (2 percent); Depew, New York (1 percent); Peoria, Illinois (1 percent); Warren, Massachusetts (1 percent); Manassas, Virginia (1 percent); Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1 percent); El Cajon, California (1 percent); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (1 percent); Farmingdale, New York (1 percent); South El Monte, California (1 percent); Cleveland, Ohio (1 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1 percent); Syracuse, New York (1 percent); Manchester, New Hampshire (1 percent); Westfield, Massachusetts (1 percent); Loanhead, United Kingdom (1 percent); Linden, New Jersey (1 percent); Louisville, Kentucky (1 percent); Orrville, Ohio (1 percent); and other US sites, each less than 1 percent (25 percent). Fiscal 2019 and 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,039,763,908 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The statutory authority for this sole-source award is in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Advantaged Solutions Inc., Washington, District of Columbia (N66001-19-A-0008); Alamo City Engineering, San Antonio, Texas (N66001-19-A-0009); Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia (N66001-19-A-0010); and Oakland Consulting Group, Lanham, Maryland (N66001-19-A-0011), are awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price, Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firms’ General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contracts. The overall estimated value of this BPA is $975,980,000. The four individual agreements are awarded for SAP Public Services Inc. (SAP) commercial-off-the-shelf software; software maintenance support; information technology professional services; and Cloud services in support of DoD ESI and under the direction of Office of Management and Budget Enterprise Software Category Team. The BPA provides for purchase of these products and services by the DoD, US intelligence community, Coast Guard, and the federal government community world-wide. The ordering period will be for a maximum of 10 years from March 12, 2019, through March 11, 2029. This BPA is issued under DoD ESI in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74. This BPA will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders using operations and maintenance (DoD) funds. Requirements will be competed among the awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2), and the successful contractor will receive firm-fixed-price orders. This BPA was competitively procured via the GSA E-Buy website among 679 vendors. Four offers were received and four selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
East Coast Repair and Fabrication LLC, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a not-to-exceed $212,967,725 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) multiple award contract (MAC) for ship repair, maintenance, and modernization of surface combatants (DDG and CG) class ships and amphibious (LSD, LPD and LHD) class ships homeported in Mayport, Florida, under Lot 1. This award was made under rolling admissions of the current IDIQ-MAC Lot 1. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $376,964,825. Work will be performed in Mayport, Florida, and is expected to be complete by November 2019. If all options are exercised work is expected to continue through November 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Mayport, Florida, is the contracting activity (N4002719D1001).
BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $93,962,658 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to design, procure, integrate, test, train, deliver, and support command, control, communications, computers and intelligence (C4I) systems, information and computer systems, and sensor systems for various platforms, including ships, unmanned aerial systems (UAS), shore installations and ground based systems. Services are in support of Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships, the Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Air Systems Command, PEO C4I, and other federal agencies. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (35 percent); and various locations throughout the continental US (65 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2025. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; two offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-D-0047).
Wiley Wilson Burns & McDonnell JV, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded $9,337,864 for firm-fixed-price task order N4008019F4289 under a previously awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N40080-15-D-0452) for the preparation of a design bid build construction package for the construction of the Wargaming Center at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. The design bid build construction package consists of full plans, specifications, detailed cost estimate, and other services as requested by the scope of work. The package is to constructs a new wargaming facility, parking structure, and area distributed node facility. The project replaces the Cinder City Switching Station and demolishes eight existing structures in the project area. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2019 military construction, planning and development, contract funds in the amount of $9,337,864 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One proposal was received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
