Rapid Fire: 2010-10-01

• NSA’s Cyber Center: US Army awards $1.2 billion contract to Balfour Beatty/DPR/Big-D joint venture to build a data center at Camp Williams, Utah, reportedly for the National Security Agency.

• Financial Management?: The GAO tells a Senate panel DoD’s financial management IT systems are behind schedule and $6.9 billion over budget.

• Good Morning, Vietnam: Japanese Defense Minister Kitazawa could hold talks with his Chinese counterpart in Vietnam next month, despite strained relations.

• Neodymium Delirium: China dominates the market for neodymium, a rare earth metal used in US smart bombs.

• Short Fuze: Kaman snags $36 million order to supply joint programmable fuzes (JPF) used in smart bombs to the USAF.

• Simulation Profits: Canada’s CAE gets more than C$75 million in contracts to provide upgrades for the following: 12 German Army helicopter simulators, software avionics for Canada’s CF-18 fighters, RAF’s C-130J transport aircraft simulators, and a C-130H simulator for an undisclosed North African customer.

US-UK Treaty Aims to Ease ITAR Export Control Burdens

In December 2005, “UK Warns USA Over ITAR Arms Restrictions” and “ITAR Fallout: Britain to Pull Out of F-35 JSF Program?” seemed to herald a very difficult period in Anglo-American defense relations. Despite the promises of 2 successive American Presidents, the ITAR exemptions that Britain had sought remained blocked in America’s legislature – and European initiatives to resume defense exports to China were not improving the situation. Meanwhile, MPs in Britain were becoming very insistent on a fix. The stakes were high.

In time, many of these issues were worked out. In August 2006, the US and UK reached a technology transfer agreement concerning the F-35 fighter – an agreement that would serve as a model for other F-35 industrial partners. By December 2007, Tier 1 partner Britain had signed the F-35′s Production, Sustainment & Follow On Development MoU. A broader fix was still on the agenda, however, and in July 2007 it materialized as a a treaty that would change the way the American and British defense firms cooperate on defense programs.

This Spotlight article aims to act as a one-stop briefing that explains the treaty’s motivation, key terms, and outstanding issues; keeps track of ongoing developments; and links to the key documents. The treaty has now been ratified…

Rapid Fire: 2010-09-30

• Top Pentagon officials defend plans to cut $100 billion in spending before the Senate Armed Services Committee; Virginia Sen. Webb says Pentagon withheld information about closure of JFCOM.

• Leaked letter reveals Defence Minister Fox’s opposition to UK government’s plans for deep defense cuts.

• China is open to restoring bilateral military relations with the US, which were suspended in January in response to the announcement of $6.45 billion in US arms sales to Taiwan.

• Defense Technology gets Russian export approval to purchase 21 civil variant Mi-17 medium lift helicopters and parts worth $379 million for the US Navy, which will then supply them to the Afghan Army Air Force.

• DoD’s National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency awards Raytheon a contract worth up $88.7 million to provide information assurance for the agency’s computer networks.

• Harris gets $10 million contract to upgrade the communications network for 8 Air National Guard facilities located in California, Georgia, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, and Oklahoma.

Rapid Fire: 2010-09-29

• Storm Warning: Cyber Storm III [PDF], being held this week, tests preparedness of cybersecurity personnel in the Pentagon, other US federal and state agencies, US industry, and foreign governments.

• The Supremes: US Supreme Court to hear appeal by Boeing and General Dynamics over the Pentagon’s 1991 cancellation of the $4.8 billion US Navy A-12 II Avenger attack plane.

• Deloitte: New report [PDF] identifies 5 growth areas in the aerospace and defense market: ISR, cybersecurity, government services and IT, business process improvements, and globalization and international markets.

• Azeri Rifle: Azerbaijan’s IST 12.7-caliber, 14.5-mm sniper rifle attracts interest at South African aerospace and defense conference.

• Shower a Day: GTEC snags a $26 million contract to provide shower water recycling systems for US Army in Afghanistan, the second contract this month.

• Up to $14 million to BAE Systems to provide technical services for the Tomahawk cruise missile weapon control system.

US Military Issues Its FY 2011 Battery Buys

BA-5390 battery
(click to view larger)

If it moves on the battlefield, it needs power. Power often means batteries, in various sizes and shapes. Thermal weapon sights. Soldiers’ radios. Laser rangefinders. Missile targeting systems. Ground robots. On and on, and on. They’re frequently on the soldiers, which is creating weight problems due to the number of spares they have to carry. Until that problem is solved, however, batteries are required and will be carried, packed in vehicles and robots, and otherwise taken where they’re needed.

That’s why the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime in Columbus, OH recently issued firm-fixed-price, indefinite quantity contracts for batteries, on behalf of the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. These were total set-aside contracts for small businesses, and the DLA solicited 5 proposals, receiving 3 responses. The contracts appear to be a multiple-award buy, with competition for each delivery order, running for a year until Sept 26/11.

Veteran-owned small business qualifier Bren-tronics Inc. in Commack, NY wins a maximum $84.2 million contract (SPM7LX-10-D-7153).

Woman-owned small business qualifier Mathews Associates in Sanford, FL wins a maximum $84.2 million contract (SPM7LX-10-D-7154).

Rapid Fire 2010-09-28: Defense Manufacturing Innovation

• Major Offensive: Washington, DC-based defense firms take the offensive in the mergers and acquisitions war.

• DARPA’s AVM aims to “revolutionize defense manufacturing.” [PDF]

• Are Lockheed Martin’s negotiations with the United Arab Emirates for 12 C-130J-30 tactical transport planes about to be derailed by Brazil’s KC-390?

Rapid Fire 2010-09-27: Terrestrial Military SATCOM Market

• Bully on the Block: China’s growing military might could lead to confrontation with neighbors in South China Sea.

• Something Old, Something New: Iran demonstrates “domestically upgraded” Shah-era C-130 transport plane.

• Gates to Curry Favor: Pentagon chief Gates plans to lobby for US candidates in the $10 billion Indian medium multi-role combat aircraft (MMRCA) competition when Indian defense head Antony visits Washington this week.

• Possible drastic military cuts by the UK government are worrying US defense officials.

• Strategy Analytics: The market for terrestrial military SATCOM components, such as satellite-capable radios, is expected to grow from $423 million in 2008 to $684 million in 2013.

• Sound Idea: US Office of Naval Research awards a contract worth up to $7.1 million to a consortium led by North Carolina State University to research the use of acoustics to detect roadside bombs and suicide bombers.

Slimmer, Trimmer US Army Land Warrior System Moves Ahead

Slimmer and Trimmer
(click to view larger)

A couple of years ago, it looked like the Land Warrior program was dead due to soldiers’ concerns that the equipment was too heavy and complex. However, after trimming down the system from 17 pounds to 7.2 pounds, the Army is moving ahead with the program.

While those efforts are underway, the US Army still owns more than 900 Land Warrior ensembles, 300 vehicle-integration kits, and related equipment as of October 2009. Now, a new set of contracts enables General Dynamics’ field service engineers to deploy with all Land Warrior-equipped units and provide support for housing, repairing and shipping spare and replacement Land Warrior gear worldwide.

Rapid Fire 2010-09-24: CF-5 Refurbishing

• It’s one thing to read it, another to hear and see it. On C-SPAN, Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Undersecretary Ashton Carter discuss motivations and plans for their new military acquisition and procurement guidelines.

• US GAO looks at Iraq’s budgetary surpluses, and asks questions about American aid.

• No S-300s for Iran: Russian President Medvedev signs decree prohibiting the sale of the long-range, high-altitude S-300 air defense systems to Iran; Iran vows to make its own system.

Iraq Requests M113 APCs

US M113A3, Iraq

On Sept 15/10, the US DSCA announced [PDF] Iraq’s formal request to buy 440 refurbished M113A2 tracked Armored Personnel Carriers, which would be transferred from American stocks as Excess Defense Articles. The total contract value could be up to $131 million, and would also include 440 M2 .50 caliber machine guns mounted up top, 607 AN/VRC-90E Single Channel Ground and Airborne Radios Systems (SINCGARS), plus M259 Smoke Grenade Launchers, Combat Vehicle Crewmember Helmets, publications and technical documentation, tools and test equipment, spare and repair parts, support equipment, site survey, construction, personnel training and training equipment, and U.S. Government and contractor support.

The prime contractor will be BAE Corporation in Rosslyn, VA, and implementation of this proposed sale will require the assignment of multiple additional U.S. Government and contractor representatives to Iraq for a period of 2 years, with an option for additional years.

Iraq’s neighbors in Jordan and Saudi Arabia already operate M113s, whose light weight and tracks given them good all-terrain mobility. The M113A2 variant lacks the power train and transmission upgrades of the most modern M113A3 variants. Iraqi Order of Battle compiler DJ Elliott believes this order is part of an ultimate pool of 1,026 M113 APC, command, and mortar variants, which will accompany Iraq’s M1 tanks and serve is some of its mechanized divisions.