NPOESS Weather Satellites: From Crisis to Program Splits

NPOESS

The National Polar-orbiting Observing Satellite System (NPOESS) was a joint program of the Department of Defense, Department of Commerce and NASA to replace less sophisticated weather satellites that are expected to fail over the next several years. It would help develop 3-7 day weather forecasts for civilian and military purposes, including weather like hurricanes, tornadoes, etc. Unfortunately, the program ended up billions over budget, and 6 or more years late. Some gaps in coverage are possible during that time, if enough older satellites fail.

In November 2005 testimony given at a House of Congress Science Committee hearing, the Administrator of NOAA and the Undersecretary of the Air Force promised new cost and schedule estimates and policy options, as well as fuller and more rapid information. NPOESS was openly described as “a program in crisis.” Just under 5 years later, that crisis came to an end with a program split into civilian (JPSS) and military (DWSS) systems, and a 5-year NPOESS Preparatory Project (NPP) satellite that will test key instruments and serve as a capability bridge:

• The NPOESS Program: Basic Briefing
  
• Hereafter: NPP, JPSS and DWSS [updated]
  
• Contracts & Key Events [updated]
  
• Appendix A: Stormy Weather – NPOESS’ Rocky Ride
  
• Appendix B: Nov 2005 DID Op/Ed: How About “Good Enough, and Working”?
  
• Appendix C: Additional Readings
  

Rapid Fire 2011-09-13: France Buys More Panhard Armored Patrol Vehicles

• James Hasik looks at future options for the American super-carrier fleet, and delivers a preliminary cost analysis for various scenarios – including a scenario that involves halting the new CVN-21s after the 2nd-of-class CVN 79, mothballing 2 existing Nimitz Class boats, and dropping to 8 operational carriers.

• France orders 200 more of Panhard’s compact PVP armored patrol vehicles, to keep production going in 2012. Their 933 vehicle order from 2004 will end production in December 2011.

• Lockheed Martin submits its final CANES shipboard networking proposal to the US Navy. They’re competing with a Northrop Grumman team.

• A US military facility in Germany found cost savings by replacing its existing oil-fired water heaters with biomass/wood-chip equipment.

• The 1st Galileo GPS satellite lands in French Guiana, in preparation for its Oct 30/11 launch on board a Russian Soyuz rocket.

• NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen called for more open US and European defense markets.

• Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduce legislation to make the Obama administration sell F-16C/Ds to Taiwan.

• Today’s video (embedded below): the Panel on Defense Financial Management and Auditability Reform’s hearing last week with the House Armed Services Committee. Among the issues is whether the branches (let alone DoD at large) are able to reconcile their books with the Department of Treasury. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller Jamie M. Morin [PDF bio] says the USAF is now achieving 99.99% accuracy on its 1 million+ records/month ledger.

$200M for Environmental Services at NAVFAC Atlantic

In late August 2011, the AECOM/EnSafe joint venture, Resolution Consultants in Virginia Beach, VA won a maximum $200 million cost-plus award-fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract for comprehensive long-term environmental services at NAVFAC Atlantic’s installations.

Both firms have extensive experience in this area, and have worked with the Navy on similar efforts; indeed, Resolution consultants is just one of AECOM’s joint ventures in this area…

$170M Enviro-services Contract for CH2M Hill

(click to visit)

Defense purchase coverage often focuses on weapons, but in FY 2010, weapon procurement is actually only 20.1% of the Pentagon’s budget. By comparison, “Operations and Maintenance” took up 34.7%. That $180+ billion total includes a wide range of items. For instance…

CH2M Hill, Inc. in Virginia Beach, VA wins a maximum $170 million cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract for comprehensive long-term environmental action services on NAVFAC Atlantic Navy and Marine Corps installations, running until May 2016. Their architectural and engineering services will include program management and technical environmental services in support of the Department of the Navy’s Environmental Restoration Program, the Munitions Response Program, and other similar programs at any Navy and Marine Corps activity in NAVFAC Atlantic’s AOR(Area Of Responsibility)…

New Orleans Flood Control Infrastructure Contracts Keep Coming

Lake Ponchartrain
& New Orleans (shaded area)
(click to view larger)

The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is in the process of doling out large contracts to repair and strengthen flood control infrastructure in New Orleans and the vicinity.

The contracts are being awarded under the Hurricane & Storm Damage Risk Reduction System (HSDRRS – formerly the Hurricane Protection System). USACE has developed an interactive map with the status of all of the projects under this program in the New Orleans area.

The USACE expects to complete construction under the HSDRRS in 2011.

Up to $50M to HDR E2M for US Navy Marine Species Monitoring

Do Not Disturb!

HDR engineering-environmental Management (e2M) in Englewood, CO won a indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for marine species monitoring, evaluations, and/or assessments at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic and Pacific area of responsibility. The maximum amount of the contract is $50 million.

The US Navy carries out marine species monitoring in live-fire ranges and areas where naval exercise are conducted to assess the impact on marine life.

For example, the Navy monitors bird colonies, turtle nests, and marine mammal activity around its Farallon de Medinilla target range in the Northern Marianas Islands. The range, located 150 miles north of Guam, is the Pacific Fleet’s only US range available for live-fire training for forward deployed naval forces…

$40M to TEC-AECOM for Environmental Studies on US Navy Homeport Infrastructure

The US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic awarded TEC-AECOM Joint Venture in Charlottesville, VA an indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract, worth a maximum of $40 million, for environmental planning and engineering services at various US Navy and US Marine Corps facilities and other US government facilities worldwide.

Part of the work will include environmental and engineering services for proposed infrastructure projects at US Navy homeports.

The US Navy operates 18 homeports around the world: Annapolis, MD; Baltimore, MD; Bangor, WA; Bremerton, WA; Everett, WA; Gaeta, Italy; Groton, CT; Guam; Kings Bay, GA; Little Creek, VA; Manama, Bahrain; Mayport, FL; Newport News, VA; Norfolk, VA; Pearl Harbor, HI; San Diego, CA; Sasebo, Japan; and Yokosuka, Japan.

Nowadays, any US military infrastructure project requires reams of environmental impact documents, and TEC-AECOM will assist NAVFAC in preparing those documents.

NAVFAC Awards $30M in Pacific Environmental Remediation Contracts

The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Pacific in Pearl Harbor, HI awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts to 4 small business qualifiers in support of the Environmental Remedial Action Program at various sites in NAVFAC Pacific’s area of responsibility (AOR).

The maximum dollar value, including the base period and 4 option years, for all contracts is $30 million.

The 4 small business qualifiers are…

Rapid Fire 2010-02-01: QDR 2010

• In the Quadrennial Defense Review 2010 the Pentagon seeks to rebalance the US military and to institutionalize DoD reforms.

• President Obama FY 2011 budget contains a record $708 billion in defense spending, including a 3.4% increase in the Pentagon’s base budget and $159 billion to fund US military missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan, Reuters reports. At the same time, the Pentagon may be targeting at least 7 programs for cancellation.

Up to $316M to URS for US DoD Engineering and Maintenance Support

URS Corp. in San Francisco, CA received 4 contracts from the US Department of Defense (DoD) to provide engineering services and maintenance support to the US Army and US Navy. The 4 contracts have a combined maximum value of $316 million over 5 years if all options are exercised.

In addition, URS is active in the DoD environmental contracts area, having won in 2009 lucrative contracts awarded by the US Air Force and US Army to provide environmental construction and remediation services.

The 4 engineering and maintenance support contracts are: