Lockheed’s JSF is Overdue, Over Budget – and Too Big to Fail
The Department of Defense revealed last week that the estimated cost of each F-35 JSF doubled in the last ten years. Despite this the program will...Deputy Commanding General (Support) to Brief Live from Iraq
Filed under: Department of Defense, Iraq, Syndicated Industry News
March 16, 2010
Army Brig. Gen. Thomas S. Vandal, deputy commanding general (support), U.S. Forces Iraq, will brief the media live from Iraq at 10 a.m. EDT, March 16, in the DoD Briefing Room, Pentagon, to provide an update on ongoing security operations in Iraq.
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Department of Defense (DoD), Iraq
GAO Report: Overseas Contingency Operations: Reported Obligations for the Department of Defense. GAO-09-791R
July 10, 2009The Government Accountability Office (GAO) today released the following reports, testimony, and correspondence:
CORRESPONDENCE
Overseas Contingency Operations: Reported Obligations for the Department of Defense. GAO-09-791R, July 10
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GAO (Government Accountability Office)
Today in the Department of Defense, Friday, March 12, 2010
Filed under: Department of Defense, Syndicated Industry News
March 11, 2010
Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates and Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn have no public or media events on their schedules.
Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Ashton Carter will conduct a press briefing at 11 a.m. EST in the DoD Briefing Room.
A National Capital Region flyover of Arlington National Cemetery occurs at 3:05 p.m. EST with four A-10s.
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Department of Defense (DoD)
House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Statement on Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 Competitive Engine
House Armed Services Committee: Skelton Statement on Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 Competitive EngineHouse Armed Services Committee
February 25, 2010
Skelton Statement on Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 Competitive Engine
Washington, D.C. – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) released the following statement on the Department of Defense’s update of the Joint Strike Fighter/F-35 competitive engine cost-benefit analysis:
“Yesterday, I was finally provided with a copy of the ‘business case’ upon which Secretary Gates based his decision to oppose the development of the competitive engine for the F-35. While the committee is still reviewing the analysis, it appears that the Department’s approach focuses on near-term costs to the exclusion of what the committee sees as the long-term benefits of this program. The costs of the second engine in the next few years must be balanced against the fact that life-cycle costs of having two engines are comparable to having only one. The Department’s analysis does not consider the risk that a single engine would present not only to our fighter force, but to our national security, given that the F-35 will account for 95 percent of our nation’s fighter fleet. With this program, as with all others, we cannot use near-sighted vision when long-term security is at stake. I look forward to continuing the dialogue on this program with my colleagues and the Department of Defense. But I remain unconvinced that terminating the alternate engine program makes sense.”
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F-35 Lightning II, HASC (House Armed Services Committee), JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) Program
New RFP Released Today
Filed under: Boeing, Congress, Department of Defense, EADS, KC-X, KC-X Tanker News, Northrop Grumman Corp., Protest, Syndicated Industry News
The Air Force and Department of Defense acquisition officials briefed Congress and the press today on the new RFP for the KC-X. It had some slight changes from the draft release a few months ago. The key question is will Northrop bid this time around?
They won the last contract to have that thrown out on Boeing’s protest. Much more to come on this in the days ahead.
DoD To Contract With Babysitting Site
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, Services, logistics
In another entry of our series on the Department of Defense buys lots of different things it was reported that they had signed a contract with Sitterycity.com. No value was given for the contract and it may just be to make the web based matching service available to military members who must pay the membership fees if they want to use the service.
Sittercity.com does not only offer a service to find baby sitters but also nannies and elderly caregivers as well. The company is making a push to be included as a “benefit” for employees by corporations and the business model they are using there is to charge companies a small fee per employee.
Kongsberg To Build More CROWS
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Additions, Contract Awards, Countries, Department of Defense, Events, Konsberg, Norway, Pennsylvia, Services, States, U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, production program
The U.S. Department of Defense added to a contract previously won by Kongsberg of Norway for Crew Remote Operated Weapon Stations (CROWS). The value of this addition is over $800 million. The add to the existing contract will purchase a further 3,849 CROWS bringing the total to over 10,000.
The contract will be done over five years at Kongsberg Pennsylvania facility. CROWS allows weapons to be operated by a gunner sitting in the vehicle rather then up in the turret. This provides maximum protection to them in combat. CROWS are installed on HUMVEES as well as MRAP vehicles and are used in Iraq and Afghanistan.
TRICARE Contract Awards To Be Reviewed And Possibly Recompeted
The U.S. Department of Defense earlier this year awarded new contracts to manage their TRICARE health insurance program. Two of these awards were...Second TRICARE Protest Sustained For Health Net Raises Issues With Whole Process
A second of the three protests for the TRICARE management contracts awarded by the U.S. Department of Defense earlier this year was sustained....Lockheed Martin To Continue IT Support For Pentagon
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, IT, Lockheed Martin, Services, logistics
The Department of Defense awarded a contract to Lockheed Martin to continue to provide network and IT support for the world’s largest office building, The Pentagon. The contract is worth almost $300 million. This contract is a continuation of one awarded in 2000.
The Pentagon has been undergoing renovation since the late Nineties with further work required due to the attack on 9/11. This has meant significant upgrades to the networks and capability installed in the building. At the same time the U.S. military has invested heavily in data and computer technology. This contract will have Lockheed Martin running the Network Infrastructure Service Center for the building.
Buying Some Meals Ready To Eat For The Troops
Filed under: AmericaQual Group LLC, Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, DLA, Department of Defense, Events, Services, afghanistan, logistics, production program
The U.S. Department of Defense placed an order worth over $170 million with AmericaQual Group LLC for the standardized, packaged Meals Ready to Eat (MRE). These are used by all parts of the U.S. military and also include humanitarian ration versions. The MRE has been produced for the U.S. military for over thirty years and is considered a vast improvement over more traditional rations used by soldiers through the ages. This was an option on a contract previously awarded and is good for the next year.
The MRE is a self contained kit with an entree and other food and drinks. It includes self heating food as well. One MRE is supposed to fee one person and they come packaged in cases of twenty-four normally. With the large numbers of U.S. troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan over the last eight years the demand for MRE has been high. Especially with many of the soldiers deployed in smaller units at bases scattered across the two countries there normally cannot be fixed housekeeping services like kitchens, canteens or restaurants as there are on bigger U.S. bases.
Northrop Threatening No Participation Over Cost Data
Filed under: Alabama, Boeing, Department of Defense, EADS, KC-X, KC-X Tanker News, Northrop Grumman Corp., Proposal, Protest, Syndicated Industry News
Yesterday Northrop announced that it is considering not participating in thew new KC-X competition. They are concerned that the the way the price requirement is structured may not be fair to them. They are also pursuing the complaint that their cost data was provided to Boeing during the protest of the last award and want access to the same information.
If Northrop and EADS don’t submit a bid it will be hard to get actual competition on the contract. That would leave just one submission, Boeing, or perhaps two from them if they go the route of having a 777 as well as a 767 proposal. This situation would make it hard for the Air Force to proceed.
The chances of Northrop doing this is low and the Department of Defense realizes it. This is the largest procurement coming down the road and both EADS and Boeing need the work. Of course if there is really a belief that their bid cannot win no matter what then Northrop should just save the money and not prepare one. This is only the draft RFP so the next year or so should be interesting.
Logistical Costs Burden Operations In Afghanistan
Filed under: Business Line, Congress, Countries, DLA, Department of Defense, Events, Federal Budget Process, Services, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, logistics
Wars are expensive there is no doubt. As part of the planning for adding troops to Afghanistan the U.S. Department of Defense was asked why it costs about a $1 billion a year for a 1,000 soldiers to operate there. One of the main expenses it turns out is fuel. To get one gallon of JP8 to a soldier or airman who needs it costs about $400 if all related costs are taken into account. This figure alone is giving Congress second thoughts.
That is because the gas is shipped to Pakistan and then trucked to Afghanistan. To get it to the various outposts and bases sometimes requires aircraft and helicopters. For a helicopter to carry a gallon of gas probably takes a few gallons of gas and at a high maintenance rate. There is also the cost of all the personnel and contractors to handle the gas and supplies.
This should not really surprise anyone. In John Ellis’ book about World War II soldiers, On The Front Lines, he estimated it took about eleven personnel to support one front line soldier in the Pacific and almost ten in the European. That counted everyone who touched a ton of supplies as it moved from the U.S. to the actual soldier. That cost alone was fairly high. Take into account the gas used to move it and the maintenance of the ships, trucks and aircraft and the costs go up even more. Afghanistan is remote and costs even more.
U.S. Department of Defense Invests In Prostrate Cancer Treatment
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Congress, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, Federal Budget Process, S&T, SRI International, Services, development program
The U.S. Department of Defense/Prostrate Cancer Research Program (DoD/PCRP) gave a grant of just over $1.5 million dollars to SRI International to support pre-clinical studies of the non-profit organization’s agents that might be able to develop into drugs to treat prostate cancer. This grant follows an earlier one that had led to some positive results utilizing plant products.
The U.S. defense budget contains a great deal of novel R&D efforts and a lot of funding. Congress has used it to fund breast and other cancer and disease prevention and treatment research. Obviously the military has a great deal invested in their human capital and medical treatment and this funding helps in those areas. SRI International is a spin-off of Stanford University specializing in sponsored research for government, businesses and foundations.
DoD, USAF security teams merge
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J., Sept. 30 (UPI) -- The merger of the Department of Defense police and Air Force security forces at a joint base in New Jersey will create a premier security force, officials say.
Pentagon eyes ultra-long-range blimp
WASHINGTON, Sept. 29 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense said it plans to deploy an ultra-long-endurance unmanned surveillance airship to Afghanistan by 2011.
Army Awards Forensic Contract
Filed under: Amercian Systems, Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Events, IT, SETA, Services, U.S. Army, crime, logistics
In our continuing saga of the Department of Defense buys a great deal of different things the Army awarded a contract to American Systems to provide IT support for criminal forensics services. This while it may seem like the U.S. Army is getting into the CSI business is really not that surprising. Under this one year with four option yeas American Systems will provide support for the Defense Forensic Enterprise System (DFES) in use for both military criminal investigations and combat operations. If all options on the contract are exercised it will be worth up to $145 million.
The contract is structured for task orders and this award qualifies American Systems to compete for discrete task orders. This means that despite qualifying there is no guarantee that the company will receive any work or revenue. The Army has used these type of contracts commonly with SETA support to their large acquisition commands to allow entities to buy the necessary services from qualified vendors.
EF Johnson picked for secure technology
IRVING, Texas, Sept. 25 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Defense tasked communications company EF Johnson Technologies Inc. with providing maritime wireless solutions for counter-terrorism.
U.S. Military Buys Helium
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Countries, Department of Defense, Events, Services, United States, logistics, production program
The U.S. Department of Defense contracted with Global Gases Group to provide bulk helium for use by its military. The gas will be used to support operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Global Gases Group relies on Matheson Tri-Gas to provide the helium that ins then processed at various factories across the globe to support industrial use. Helium is used for welding as well as the more traditional use of lighter-then-air gas as well as diving operations.
The United States and Algeria produce most of the world’s supply of the gas. In fact up to 1996 the U.S. government controlled the supply from their production and used civil firms to process it. In that year Congress began liquidating the U.S. owned reserves and now the gas is produced and sold commercially. This contract continues to illustrate that the U.S. military buys everything and anything in support of its troops and operations.
SAIC Wins IED SETA Contract
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, S&T, SAIC, SETA, Services, development program
The United States Department of Defense awarded a Scientific, Engineering, Technical and Analytical (SETA) support contract for the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) to SAIC. The contract is for five years and has a ceiling amount of over $400 million. SETA support will cover all aspects of program management and engineering efforts by the organization.
The IED has proved to be the major threat to U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan for the last five years or so inflicting a significant number of casualties. The DoD has set up and run a variety of organizations to coordinate the efforts to defeat them. At one point there was a joint program office and now this organization. All different types of defenses have been looked at and the most visible is the MRAP.
MRAP are passive defenses using armor to defeat the mines and blast weapons. Active defenses have been jammers to prevent the command detonators as well as different detection systems. The U.S. has poured a great deal of money into this effort and this contract reflects that. There is of course no guarantee that all of the contract will be awarded to fill the ceiling.
Defense Department Translator Contract Criticized
The Department of Defense obviously has a great need for translators considering the current main efforts are in Iraq and Afghanistan. In order to...MRAP-ATV Fallout Leads To Navistar Layoffs
Filed under: Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, Mississippi, Navistar, Restructuring, Services, production program
Oshkosh won the MRAP-ATV contract for a new vehicle for use in Afghanistan. One of the losing bidders was Navistar who had sold several thousand MRAP vehicles for use in Iraq to the U.S. Department of Defense.
Now with the fact that they did not win the contract to build the new vehicles for use in Afghanistan the company has announced layoffs at their Mississippi plant. This illustrates one of the problems with defense contracting. If you don’t continue to win contracts to provide systems or services you will eventually wither. Defense acquisition is normally for a certain number of units or for a period of time that will end. Companies win or lose contracts and that leads to contractions or expansions in work forces.
Contracts Continue for BearingPoint
Filed under: Bearing Point, Business Line, Companies, Contract Awards, DLA, Events, IT, Services, logistics
Despite its recent bankruptcy filing BearingPoint continues to win contracts providing technical and management support to the U.S. Department of Defense. WashingtonTechnology.com writes that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) just gave them a small contract to provide acquisition management and support. The contract is worth about $3.5 million. BearingPoint has supported DLA in this area since 2002. DLA has been satisfied with the work that BearingPoint has done.
DoD Invests in New Cyber Security Test Range
Filed under: Business Line, Contract Awards, Department of Defense, Events, IT, Lockheed Martin, development program
Lockheed Martin won a $5 million plus contract from the U.S. Department of Defense to help develop the National Cyber Range. The Orlando Sentinel reports that this new “virtual” range will be used to test computer systems and software for security issues. Lockheed was one of seven companies that will collaborate on the range. Obviously as the military invests in more-and-more complicated software, IT systems and computer tools the threat of Denial of Service, hacking and stealing information increases. This range will support efforts to counter those threats.
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