House Moves To Keep VH-71 Increment One Alive

July 20, 2009 by Matthew Potter · Comment
Filed under: Agusta Westland, Business Line, Companies, Congress, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, Federal Budget Process, Lockheed Martin, Military Aviation, Restructuring, Services, U.S. Navy, development program, production program

The various defense appropriations and authorization bills are working their way through the House and Senate. Many items have been included not requested by the Obama Administration or Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. This really is not surprising as Gates attempted to cut a lot very quickly. He spared no service cutting Air Force F-22 and C-17 aircraft, Navy VH-71 and destroyers, and Army vehicle and missile defense systems. Congress has pushed back on certain programs.

One that they are trying to keep alive is the VH-71 helicopter for use in transporting the President. This program has not only been unfunded in the President’s 2010 budget but Lockheed Martin has been told to stop work. The company and the Pentagon are negotiating termination costs.

The House Appropriation Defense sub-committee, though, included almost half a billion dollars to try and utilize the Increment One aircraft already procured. The program was structured with two increments of aircraft, the first being basic ones to be used to support testing and development. A larger buy in five or so years would have all the required equipment. To date the U.S. has invested about $3 billion in the program. The House wants to see if some use could be derived of the aircraft already delivered.

While the current fleet of VH-2 and VH-60 aircraft have served the President well they are somewhat dated. The VH-71 would have more modern survivability and communications equipment with greater range and lift. The strenuous requirements are what led to the programs cost and schedule growth. There will be more to come on this issue to say the least.

Tags: air force, army vehicle, authorization bills, budget, Congress, defense appropriations, destroyers, helicopter, Lockheed Martin, missile defense systems, obama, pentagon, robert gates, secretary of defense, secretary of defense robert gates, senate, termination costs, U.S. Navy, vh

Agility DGS Awarded Army Vehicle Storage Contracts — Press Release

July 13, 2009 by Matthew Potter · Comment
Filed under: Agility DGS, Business Line, Companies, Press Releases, Services, U.S. Army, logistics

Agility DGS Awarded Army Vehicle Storage Contracts

Separate Wins as Prime and Subcontractor Valued at $128 Million

HUNTSVILLE, Ala., July 10, 2009 – Agility Defense & Government Services (DGS), a leading provider of integrated logistics, supply chain management and commodity services, won three vehicle-storage contracts awarded by the U.S. Army Installation Management Command (IMCOM).

Each award has a one-year base and four one-year options. They are worth a combined $128 million over five years.

Under the $42 million Privately Owned Vehicle (POV) Storage Services-East contract, Agility DGS will act as the prime contractor and will be responsible for storage of deployed soldiers’ vehicles at U.S. Army bases in the eastern United States. The bases are: Ft. Drum, Ft. Stewart, Ft. Benning, Ft. Polk, Ft. Bragg and Ft. Campbell. The main subcontractor on the POV Storage Services-East contract will be Fayetteville VPC.

Under the $31 million POV Storage Services-Hawaii contract, Agility DGS will act as the prime contractor and will be responsible for storage of deployed soldiers’ vehicles at Schofield Barracks, a U.S. Army installation in Hawaii. The main subcontractor on the POV Storage Services-Hawaii contract will be Dawson Group, Inc.

Agility DGS will work as subcontractor on the $55 million POV Storage Services-West contract, which was awarded to a team led by SDV Command Source, LLC, a service-disabled veteran-owned small business. The team includes subcontractors Ready One and Skookum, which are both AbilityOne companies. It will be responsible for storage of deployed soldiers’ vehicles at U.S. Army bases in the western United States: Ft. Hood, Ft. Riley, Ft. Sill, Ft. Carson, Ft. Bliss and Ft. Lewis.

“These awards broaden Agility DGS’s service offerings and mark our first wins with IMCOM. Storage of private vehicles is another logistics solution we are able to offer to our customers,” said Dan Mongeon, president and CEO of Agility DGS. “These contracts build on the broad capabilities we’re able to provide in the continental United States, where we also manage parts for the U.S. Army at the Tobyhanna Army Depot and personal equipment for the U.S. Marine Corps at 19 bases here and abroad.”

About Agility Defense & Government Services

Agility Defense & Government Services is the public sector arm of Agility. It provides complete supply chain management, logistics services and commodity services to defense and government customers. With more than 550 offices in 120 countries, Agility DGS and its parent offer a vast network of global land, sea and air transportation capabilities, including warehousing and storage.

For more information, contact Jim Cox, Agility DGS vice president of public affairs and marketing, at 703 417-6050 or at jcox@agilitylogistics.com, or visit www.agilitylogistics.com.

Tags: agility, army vehicle, huntsville ala, storage contracts, subcontractor, vehicle storage