RIMPAC Under Way. Pacific Fleets from 22 nations are participating in the RIMPAC 2014 team building and force transparency and interoperability exercise that runs June 26-Aug. 1. Participation includes for the first time forces from China, and for the first time will include a special operations component.
Photo: USS Peleliu (LHA 5)
The RIMPAC Combined Information Center says details of the exercise scenario or exercise structure will not be released to preserve “a degree of realism” for the participants and to have meaningful interaction among participating units. Broadly, such things as anti-submarine warfare and missile defense would be part of the activities. RIMPAC 2014 is led by Vice Adm. Kenneth Floyd, commander of the U.S. Third Fleet. RIMPAC Vice Commander is Rear Adm. Yasuki Nakahata of the Japanese Naval Maritime Self Defense Forces.
Mulling Budgeting Changes. House leadership may be considering moving from its one-year budgeting rules to a two-year process that would provide more stability for programs and more oversight for lawmakers. The powerful House Rules Committee held a hearing on June 25 to look at the Biennial Budgeting and Enhanced Oversight Act of 2014. If implemented, on odd-numbered years Congress would draft and adopt a budget plan as it does now, but covering two fiscal years. In even-numbered years, Congress would focus on “on conducting detailed oversight of government agencies and programs,” according to a Rules Committee statement. House Appropriations defense subcommittee member Tom Cole (R-Okla.) was among the lawmakers who testified in support of the bill at the hearing.
Cloud at the Tactical Edge. While computing at home may get a boost from additional cloud projects, soldiers abroad may still await the benefits of a cloud environment. A crucial piece of the Pentagon’s vision for creating information flows among its components–the Joint Information Environment (JIE)–is the ability to bring data to the tactical edge. As domestic offices move to more flexible computing models in the cloud, barriers remain for bringing those same services where there is less network coverage. The federal cloud approval process currently only allows commercial data centers in the United States to host government applications. In order for networks to have connectivity in more remote areas, companies providing cloud services to DoD must be able to leverage their data centers in foreign countries, Mark Fox, DoD Sales Executive for Amazon Web Services (AWS), says at the company’s government symposium in Washington last week. AWS–the largest cloud provider in the world–has 10 regions across the globe that support private sector customers. Most of the company’s .mil accounts reside in its U.S. East region. “The issues that will come up from the DoD standpoint will be data sovereignty in the countries where the centers reside,” Fox says. Amazon and other commercial providers hope to get the department comfortable with using commercial services domestically before they tackle the international policy issues, he says.
Export-Import Bank In Trouble. The House is gearing up for a battle over the future of the Export-Import Bank, which needs reauthorization later this year. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), who will take over as Majority Leader later this summer, opposes the bank, as do many conservative members of the House. But House Budget Committee ranking member Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) says June 25 that Ex-Im “has been an institution to support the export of American products, American goods. And they’ve been actually making a profit. This has not been a cost to the taxpayer, but it’s been a huge benefit to American workers and manufacturers because it helps export these goods, and yet they’ve now been targeted by the House Republican leadership.”
Border Security Bill. Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.) has introduced a bill that would expand the number of Border Patrol agents and Customs and Border Protection officers, complete the construction of fencing along the southwest border, and direct the acquisition of the appropriate number of nuclear detection devices for use by Border Patrol agents. The eight-page National Border and Homeland Security Act packs a lot into it. It would add 6,000 Border Patrol agents and at least 800 CBP officers by 2018. It also calls for the Department of Homeland Security to establish a biometric entry and exit system within 18 months of enactment, tightening the Global Nuclear Detection Architecture between ports of entries and for railways, private aircraft and small vessels, and for the creation and implementation of a strategic plan for detecting and interdicting chemical and biological weapons entering the United States.
More of the Same. The uncertain and challenging government spending environment shows no signs of abating, CACI International Chief Ken Asbury tells investors. Going forward, Asbury says to expect “contract bridging, declines in run rates and delays in new awards” and “we don’t expect pressures on our customers’ budgets to ease appreciably this year.” Asbury says some of CACI’s customers are operating better in this constrained budget environment and as a result the reduction in run rates on professional services contracts “has slowed somewhat.”
Check on Security Contractors. The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed a bill that prevents contractors from conducting the final reviews of their own background investigations. The Preventing Conflicts of Interest with Contractors Act (S. 2061) was introduced by Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) after Justice Department allegations that the government contractor U.S. Investigative Services approved its own incomplete investigations to receive payment from the federal government, Tester’s office says. “Our measure will hold federal contractors more accountable and make sure the same folks doing the background investigations aren’t the ones putting the final stamp of approval on them,” he says.
Acquisition By Legislation? Draft language for the defense appropriations bill circulating on the Hill would prohibit the Army from spending any Research, Development, Test and Evaluation funding on a medical evacuation variant in the AMPV program to replace M113 vehicles. The draft language comes ahead of the Senate Appropriations Committee mark this week. It implies there is something wrong with the Army’s AMPV requirements as it says: “The committee notes the Army already has developed a medical evacuation vehicle based on a wheeled combat vehicle and that this vehicle has successfully deployed in combat with Armored Brigade Combat Teams….” General Dynamics has been promoting its wheeled armored Stryker medical vehicle to replace that M113 mission. The company was prompted to do so after its protest of AMPV program requirements was denied. General Dynamics then declined to bid on the program, saying it would continue discussions with the Army. Some program critics promote a split buy of Stryker vehicles and Bradley-based vehicles to fulfill the M113 missions the Army requires. BAE Systems was the only bidder on the AMPV program.
New Vehicle. The U.K.’s Hobson Industries used the Defense Vehicle Dynamics (DVD) military equipment event last week to debut a Land Rover-platform Armored Riot Control THEMIS vehicle. It is fitted with Thales’s Battlefield Acoustics Vehicle Mounted Acoustic Sensor System (VMASS). The VMASS Vehicle mounted passive detection system uses acoustic sensors to provide detection, recognition and identification capabilities.
Taking A Look. The U.K. House of Commons Defense Committee launches an inquiry into the future. The committee will be scrutinizing the Ministry of Defense plans for the future of the Armed Forces—Future Force 2020. The committee said it is “particularly concerned about the size and capability of the armed forces.
Power Up. Aura Systems Inc. says it received about $500,000 in orders from two Israeli defense contractors to deliver numerous VIPER mobile power systems over the next few months. Some of the systems are designated for the Israeli Defense Force. Aura CEO Melvin Gagerman says, “We have been shipping small quantities to Israel over the last several years and we are beginning to see increase demand from Israeli companies. We are in discussions with the IDF directly and other contractors for additional programs.”
Training Work. Cubic Defense Systems says it was awarded a new more than $12 million contract to provide specialist Home Station Counter IED training and an Instrumented Collective Combat Training Center with follow-on maintenance to increase full spectrum training capacity for the Italian army. The contract provides a home station training resource at 16 locations across Italy as well as a regional training center to enhance the Combat Training Centers already in place. “This contract is significant because it confirms the Italian Army’s trust and confidence in Cubic’s ability to produce effective and efficient training products for their soldiers–making us the Italian Army’s training system vendor of choice,” says Dave Schmitz, president,
Adm. Rogers Support For Cyber Legislation. The joint chief of the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command expressed his support for cyber legislation that would enable the private sector to better share information with the government. “Cyber legislation remains a very important part of this journey,” Adm. Michael Rogers says at the AFCEA International Cyber Symposium in Baltimore, Md., last week. Voluntary programs have shown “some progress,” he says, but “it just has not gotten us to where we need to be.” Rogers did not specify which of the several bills currently in the House and Senate he supports. Congress has struggled for the past several years to pass cyber legislation amid privacy and liability concerns if shared data were leaked. Rogers says he supports liability protections for the private sector. “If we can’t create an environment where we have a dynamic information flow and a common situational awareness between critical infrastructure in the civil sector and the capabilities the U.S. government brings to the fight…if we can’t bring this all together in a real time basis, it’s like fighting a battle with one hand tied behind your back,” he says.
New PSC Vice Chair. The Professional Services Council (PSC) elects Accenture Federal Services COO John Goodman as the new vice chairman of its board of directors, PSC says in a statement. The board is responsible for policy oversight and setting the direction of the association. A former U.S. deputy undersecretary of defense and, more recently, the chairman of DoD’s Defense Business Board, Goodman is a member of PSC’s executive committee. He’s also on the board and chairs PSC’s acquisition policy review committee, which will soon issue acquisition reform recommendations to Congress and the administration. Goodman will serve out the term of Jim Jaksa, who recently stepped down as PSC vice chair following this retirement from AECOM.
GEO-KOMPSAT-2. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) awards Northrop Grumman a firm-fixed-price contract worth nearly $9 million to provide space inertial reference systems for the GEO-KOMPSAT-2 space satellite program, according to a company statement. Northrop Grumman is providing its Scalable Space Inertial Reference Units (Scalable SIRU) for the 2A and 2B series of satellites. The Scalable SIRU supplies critical rotation rate data that enables the stabilization, pointing and attitude control of satellites and space vehicles. The contract includes an option for one additional unit to be exercised by July 2015 for the KOMPSAT-6 program.
F-35 Helmet Display. The Navy awards Lockheed Martin a $76 million modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 252 F-35 helmet mounted display systems, according to a service statement. The helmets are for the Navy, Air Force and the governments of Japan and Israel. This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($34 million, 44 percent); Air Force ($29 million, 38 percent); international partners ($10 million, 13 percent); and Japan ($2 million, 3 percent) and Israel ($1 million, 2 percent). Work is expected to be completed by July 2017.
AEHF-3. Northrop Grumman’s protected communications payload for the Air Force’s third Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite completes on-orbit testing ahead of schedule without any discrepancies, according to a company statement. Launched Sept. 18, AEHF-3 reached its final position in geostationary orbit (GEO) in January when the payload began transmitting as planned when it was activated for the first time. The Air Force’s 4th Space Operations Squadron took over satellite operations in March from Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (AFSMC). AEHF is protected communications satellite constellation. AEHF-4 is scheduled to launch sometime in 2017, according to the Air Force.
Dauria Perseus-M. Dauria Aerospace successfully delivers two Perseus-M spacecraft into low earth orbit June 19, marking the initial stage of the constellation’s deployment, according to a company statement. These satellites will combine with Dauria’s DX1 spacecraft and eight Perseus-O imaging satellites to form the Perseus space monitoring and remote sensing constellation. The maritime segment of the Perseus constellation will track and monitor vessels in open seas and navigable waterways in the United States, Canada, northern Europe and Russia. Dauria Aerospace is a multi-national aerospace company providing global satellite-based remote sensing information services.
South Korea F-16. BAE Systems’ upgrade of 134 South Korean F-16s marks the first time a non-original equipment manufacturer (OEM) performs a major upgrade for a fourth-generation U.S. fighter jet, according to a company statement. Two of the F-16s recently arrived at the company’s modification facility in Fort Worth, Texas, where they will be equipped with advanced weapons and next-generation avionics, including advanced mission computers, new cockpit displays and advanced radars and targeting sensors. Under the terms negotiated by the U.S. and South Korean air force, BAE is performing phase one of the KF-16 program, which also includes associated equipment, parts, training and logistical support. Phase two, which funds completion of the systems integration and flight test activities, will begin this year. The F-16 is developed by Lockheed Martin.
GPS IIF-6. The Air Force’s sixth Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF series satellite completes on-orbit checkout, according to prime contractor Boeing. With checkout, Boeing reaches the halfway mark in delivering the current series of satellites to the ARI Force. GPS IIF-6 was launched May 16, the second GPS IIF launch in three months. The launch of GPS IIF-7 is schedule to take place before the end of September. GPS IIF is a position, navigation and timing (PNT) system.
No More Mines. The Obama administration announced Friday the United States will align itself with the 1997 Ottawa Convention by no longer deploying anti-personnel land mines or produce or acquire more of the devices, even to replace existing stockpiles. Officials made the announcement in Maputo, Mozambique while attending the third review of the convention. Leftover land mines are believed to accidently kill thousands of innocent people every year. The United States will also work toward steps to formally join the convention. The move drew swift criticism from congressional Republicans. Buck McKeon (R-Calif.), the chairman of HASC, says the announcement goes against the advice of senior military commanders. “Signing the Ottawa treaty goes against the best advice our nation’s military commanders have offered, substantially increases our risk in dangerous parts of the world, and imposes a needless financial burden on an already strapped military,” he says.
LCAC Tests On MLP. The Navy has successfully completed interface tests of amphibious landing craft on the first Mobile Landing Platform, a new ship designed to operate as a floating base to stage operations. The testing on the USNS Montford Point (MLP 1) took place June 13 off the coast of southern California. During the test, Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC) vessels launched off the ship. “These tests mark the first complete demonstrations of Montford Point’s capabilities working with Fleet assets,” says Capt. Henry Stevens, strategic and theater sealift program manager for PEO Ships at Naval Sea Systems Command. “These tests prove just how valuable this vessel will be in support of at-sea operations for the Navy.”