Despite recent concerns about developing homegrown security and defense forces in Afghanistan, establishing those types of units can be vital to counterinsurgency efforts, according to the Rand Corp.
While the U.S. Air Force has ruled out oxygen system or cockpit contaminants as the cause for recent F-22 Raptor pilot breathing issues, toxic chemicals and by-products remain a concern for jet operations, according to the recent service report on pilot oxygen issues. The service should not only continue to monitor contamination issues, the report says, but look at installing filters and sensors that the pilot On-Board Oxygen Generation System (Obogs) system now lacks.
Click here to view the pdf 2013 U.S. Defense Spending: Funding for U.S. Navy, Air Force Aircraft Under The CR ($ in thousands) 2013 U.S. Defense Spending: Funding for U.S.
Iran recently revealed four copies of its Ra’d (Thunder) surface-to-air-missile (SAM) system, with each transporter carrying three Taer (Bird) missiles. Iran very likely did not develop this missile indigenously, but its configuration defies clear determination of its parentage, which is likely either Russian or Chinese. Iranian military officials told the Fars News Agency that the Taer has a range up to 50 km to an altitude of 75,000 ft. and that it was currently in production for the Iranian armed forces.
The Pentagon is continuing its efforts to buy its replacement Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) under a different purchasing strategy from the way the Defense Department developed and procured the initial fleet. The U.S. Marine Corps and Army took some heat for the way they first bought JLTVs to meet rapid development and acquisition needs for protection against improvised explosive devices (IEDs) as well as terrain conditions in recent military conflicts.
FRANKFURT — Two days ahead of an important regulatory deadline for the proposed merger of EADS and BAE Systems, another roadblock has appeared in the form of a major BAE shareholder publicly slamming the deal.
ARMY HELLFIRE Systems L.L.C., Orlando, Fla., was awarded a $403,484,222 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the modification of an existing contract to procure various models of HELLFIRE II missiles. The work will be performed in Orlando, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2014. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-11-C-0242). NAVY
The U.S. Pacific Fleet established Navy Expeditionary Combat Command NECC Pacific (NECC PAC) this month to provide administrative control for the service’s forces assigned to the area. The move reinforces the Navy’s interest in bolstering its expeditionary forces while highlighting the Pentagon’s refocus on the Pacific region. The Navy calls the establishment of NECC PAC “a signif existed since NECC’s establishment in 2006.”
WIN-T: The U.S. Army has awarded General Dynamics C4 Systems a $346 million delivery order to procure the Warfighter Information Network-Tactical (WIN-T) Increment 2 (Inc 2) network for additional Brigade Combat Teams and Division Headquarters units, according to the company. The contract follows the Pentagon’s decision to authorize the service to continue fielding WIN-T Inc 2 as part of the Army’s Capability Set 13 deployment. Initial fielding began Oct.
A $33 million program to demonstrate autonomous aerial refueling to extend the endurance of high-altitude unmanned aircraft has been ended by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) without achieving its goal of transferring fuel between two Northrop Grumman Global Hawks in flight.
ARMY The Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded a $185,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract. The award will provide for the performance based logistics services in support of the CH-47 Chinook helicopters and rotor blades. The work will be performed in Ridley Park, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2017. The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-12-D-0196).
HOUSTON — SpaceX is sorting through a first-stage Falcon 9 engine anomaly that occurred when the two-stage booster lifted off for the International Space Station on Oct. 7 under a $1.6 billion NASA Commercial Resupply Services contract that signals the restoration of U.S. cargo delivery and return capabilities lost with the space shuttle’s 2011 retirement.
NAVY Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Conn., is being awarded a $100,444,236 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-10-C-2118) to exercise an option for continued lead yard services for the Virginia-class submarine program. The work will be performed in Groton (93%), Newport, R.I. (1%), and Newport News, Va. (6%), and is expected to be completed by September 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
ARMY Raytheon Co., Andover, Mass., was awarded a $59,034,271 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract. The award will provide for the modification of an existing contract to support the Joint Land Attack Cruise Missile Defense Elevated Netted Sensor. The work will be performed in Andover, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2013. One bid was solicited, with one bid received. The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville, Ala., is the contracting activity (DASG60-98-C-0001). NAVY
U.S. Naval Supply Systems (Navsup) Command this month awarded a $218.4 million Performance Based Logistics (PBL) contract to Bell-Boeing for the V-22 Osprey, the first such award designed to serve both Marine Corps and Air Force variants of the tiltrotor.
While the Pentagon has continued to invest heavily in the logistics of transporting war support and other equipment, a recent government audit report says the Defense Department (DOD) needs to hone those efforts, particularly when it comes to pre-positioned materiel.
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) CEO Elon Musk sounded a note of caution about the company’s upcoming first operational cargo delivery mission to the International Space Station, during an online question-and-answer session Oct. 5.
FRANKFURT — Just days before the Oct. 10 deadline for merger negotiations between EADS and BAE Systems, there is still no sign that the companies and relevant European governments have developed a common strategy to proceed with the consolidation effort. An agreement by the deadline looks increasingly unlikely. BAE Systems could apply for an extension, but industry sources say the manufacturer is opposed to such a move.
CHOOSING APACHE: The Indian government has chosen the Boeing AH-64D Apache Block III in a competition for 22 new attack helicopters. As expected, the AH-64D beat out the only other contender, Russia’s Mi-28 NE, which is understood to have fallen short of requirements during field evaluation trials last year. Air Chief Marshal Norman Browne, India’s air force chief, said Oct. 5, “We have finalized our selection of the Apache. Contract negotiations and other discussions will now commence.” A final deal is expected to be worth $1.5 billion.
