Hypoxia Nagging Safety Problem in Some Aircraft
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The Navy has yet to solve a troubling pattern of hypoxia-like symptoms in the cockpit among pilots of F/A-18 Hornet variants and EA-18G Growler aircraft. VADM Mike Shoemaker, head of naval aviation, calls it his top safety priority, Military.com reports. Marine Corps and Navy aviation leaders are pushing forward with a multi-pronged approach that includes better training and a close analysis of the onboard oxygen generation system.
Contractors, airmen, and Air Force civilians at Edwards AFB have finalized a decontamination system and facility to test the F-35 Lightning II’s ability to be decontaminated from chemical and biological weapons exposure, reports Air Force News Service. It will be the first time an F-35 has been decontaminated and will demonstrate the capability to DoD and joint-partner nations, certifying the weapon system to go into full-rate production. Testing will be conducted through December, and if all goes well, additional testing will be conducted with a Marine Corps F-35B from the operational fleet in early 2017.
A $1.27 billion windfall in contracts for Boeing to maintain and upgrade its aircraft validates Boeing defense boss Leanne Caret’s strategy to stop building fighter jets and instead maintain and upgrade the roughly 1,900 F-15 and F-18 fighter jets in service around the world today, the Motley Fool reports. Ms. Caret’s strategy combines maintenance revenues from sales of non-fighter jet planes to maintain Boeing’s $25 billion in annual military sales — without ever selling another fighter jet.
The F-35 program at Edwards AFB completed 25 weapons tests in a month, a marked surge from the previous high of three in November 2014, Breaking Defense reports. The weapons tests used the aircraft’s latest software, the 3F version. Testing included delivery accuracy and weapon separation.
Nearly a decade of missions and operations have proven the Marines’ MV-22 Osprey as a unique aircraft providing flexibility in combat. But the tiltrotor continues to present complex operational challenges, Aviation Week reports. The Osprey’s dual rotors can create blinding dust clouds; engine failures have been experienced; and the landing gear and nacelles continue to cause trouble.
The US military plans to introduce several changes into this year’s version of the annual Black Dart counter-drone exercise, including making the threat scenarios more complex and more challenging to defend against, Defense Daily reports. Compared to earlier Black Darts, next month’s event will increase the number of unmanned aircraft systems flying at one time and provide more variation in their direction and altitude, according to organizers. More than 20 different small- and medium-sized UAS will fly in the Sept. 11-23, 2016, demonstration, and various government and industry systems will try to detect, track, and negate the drones.
The Internet turns out to be the surprise source of images of the prototypes for the T-X trainer competition, Defense News reports. Photos posted Aug. 19 on Twitter appear to show Northrop Grumman’s T-X prototype during high-speed taxi tests in Mojave, Calif. Northrop — which is collaborating with BAE Systems and L-3 on the design — has been reticent to reveal its offering, showing it only once to reporters in 2015. Just days after the Northrop appearance, Boeing quietly launched a wave of new content on its website related to its T-X design, a co-development with Saab, which has been kept under a blanket of secrecy for years.
Contracts:
Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, VA (N00189-16-D-Z039); Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Orlando, FL (N00189-16-D-Z040); Science Applications International Corp., McLean, VA (N00189-16-D-Z041); Leidos Inc., Reston, VA (N00189-16-D-Z042); and Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, VA (N00189-16-D-Z043), are being awarded a combined estimated $155,770,425 multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price task orders contract to obtain analytical, engineering, and project/program management services in support of the Joint Staff J6 Directorate’s C4/Cyber Program. Contracts will run concurrently, and each contract includes a 60-month ordering period. Work will be performed in Norfolk/Suffolk, VA (49.5 percent); Eglin Air Force Base, FL (27 percent); Arlington, VA (13.5 percent); and contractor facilities (10 percent). Work is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2016 research, development, test, and evaluation (Department of Defense) funds in the amount of $50,000 will be obligated on each of the five contracts to fund the contract’s minimum amount, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Each of the five contractors will be allowed to bid on the individual task orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with six offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Contracting Department, Philadelphia, PA, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, MD, is being awarded a $21,154,450 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-15-C-5327) to exercise options for various component equipment associated with the MK-41 Vertical Launch System Launch Sequencer. Work will be performed in Clearwater, FL (54 percent); Burlington, MA (18 percent); Detroit, MI (13 percent); Baltimore, MD (8 percent); and Greenville, SC (7 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2016 other procurement (Navy); and fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $21,154,450 will be obligated at the time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, MD, is being awarded a $15,785,902 firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-15-C-5332) to exercise options for associated equipment with the MK-41 Vertical Launch System for various upgrade kits and components. Work will be performed in Baltimore, MD (35 percent); Indianapolis, IN (15 percent); Fort Walton Beach, FL (13 percent); Detroit, MI (12 percent); Johnstown, PA (10 percent); Orlando, FL (8 percent); and St. Peters, MO (7 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2016 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2016 weapons procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $15,785,902 will be obligated at the time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp., Warminster, PA, is being awarded $12,398,648 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order 0003 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-14-G-0040) for work associated with Phase I and Phase II Small Business Innovation Research efforts under Topics N08-023 Precision High Altitude Sonobuoy Emplacement; N92-170 LADAR Identification Demonstration; and AF083-006 Low-Cost Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. This order provides for the development, test, and evaluation of advanced intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors, as well as enhanced surveillance capabilities to deployed warfighter that can be integrated into existing naval platforms to support Special Operations Command activities. Work will be performed in Yuma, Arizona (40 percent); Johnston, PA (18.5 percent); Guthrie, OK (12 percent); Patuxent River, MD (9 percent); Tampa, FL (8 percent); Ponco City, OK (7.5 percent); Avon Park, FL (3.5 percent); and Washington, DC (1.5 percent). Work is expected to be completed in August 2018. Fiscal 2015 and 2016 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense wide) funds in the amount of $284,793 will be obligated at time of award, $79,980 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, NJ, is the contracting activity.
