ISR

AeroVironment Incorporated, Monrovia, California, recently announced that it has received a firm fixed-price order for 12 hybrid small unmanned aircraft systems from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (Försvarets Materielverk) on behalf of the Swedish Army. The order consists of Puma AE and Wasp air vehicles, ground stations, training, and logistics support. Contract options could increase the procurement to a total of 30 systems. The Swedish Army will deploy the systems to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities in support of a wide variety of missions.

NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corporation, Warminster, Pennsylvania, is being awarded a $12,499,940 cost-plus-fixed-fee order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement for a Phase III B Small Business Innovation Research project under topics N92-170 and N94-178 entitled, respectively, "Laser Radar (LADAR) Identification Demonstration" and "Air Deployable Multi-Parameter Environmental Probe." This order provides for the assessment and deployment of innovative intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR), and communication systems that, when combined, will extend the range and performance of ISR capabilities of the Persistent Ground Surveillance System Phase IIIB. It also provides for the identification and procurement of commercial-off-the-shelf equipment that enhances these same capabilities. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland; Yuma, Arizona; and Afghanistan. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.

The littoral fight must adapt asymmetric ground tactics if U.S. forces are to defeat the enemy. In his viewpoint article, one Navy lieutenant believes it must be done; but can operational obstacles from land to sea be overcome?

SAIC, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $32,876,384 firm-fixed-price, time-and-material contract to fulfill a requirement of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Wing (480 ISRW) for support of the Air Force Distributed Common Ground System intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission. Air Force Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

Insitu, Bingen, Washington, recently announced that it has signed a contract to deliver its ScanEagle unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to the Netherlands to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) for the Ministry of Defense (MOD). The Netherlands will use ScanEagle both domestically and abroad. ScanEagle will provide an ISR capability during the second half of 2012, replacing a program that ended in the middle of 2011. Looking forward, Netherlands MOD and Insitu plan to continue to explore the potential for multi-mission ISR capabilities using a next-generation Insitu UAS that carries multiple ISR sensors and enables rapid, robust payload integration.

AAI Corporation, Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded a three-year contract to provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance service in support of U.S. Special Operations Command with the Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft System II. The value of the contract was approved up to $600 million. AAI will provide the service with contractor-owned and contractor-operated equipment. U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters Procurement Division, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Atlantic Diving Supply Incorporated, Virginia Beach, Virginia; CDW Government, LLC, Vernon Hills, Illinois; Global Technology Resources Incorporated, Denver, Colorado; GTSI Corporation, Herndon, Virginia; iGov Technologies Incorporated, McLean, Virginia; Mercom Incorporated, Pawleys Island, South Carolina; Science Applications International Corporation, McLean, Virginia; Scientific Research Corporation, Atlanta, Georgia; and World Wide Technology Incorporated, St. Louis, Missouri, are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price, multiple award supply contract for the procurement of commercial-off-the-shelf, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, information operations, and information awareness equipment and related incidental support services. Each contractor will be awarded $11,111 at the time of award. These contracts include options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative combined value of these contracts to an estimated $500 million. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity.

AAI Corporation, Hunt Valley, Maryland; CSC, Falls Church, Virginia; and Insitu Incorporated, Bingen, Washington, are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for unmanned aircraft system (UAS) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services in support of the Department of Defense and other government agencies, as well as potential coalition military Foreign Military Sales customers. There are two separate performance-based work statements; one for sea-based requirements, and one for land-based requirements. The scope includes provision of necessary trained personnel, UAS ISR non-developmental equipment, certifications, installation, operation, maintenance, sustainment, spares/product support, and other related support services necessary to support various worldwide sea- and land-based locations. The aggregate not-to-exceed amount for these multiple award contracts is $874 million. The companies will have the opportunity to compete for associated task orders. AAI and Insitu are eligible to compete for both sea-based and land-based task orders. CSC is only eligible to compete for land-based task orders. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

NATO is making interoperability MAJIIC happen, led by nine member nations, with its Multi-sensor Aerospace-ground Joint Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Interoperability Coalition 2 project.

L-3 Communications Corporation, Greenville, Texas, is being awarded a $12,551,264 cost-plus-firm-fixed modification for the integration of two King Air 350ER aircraft in support of the Army Constant Hawk Program. The integrated King Air 350ER aircraft provide an immediate response to urgent intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance requirements in combat zones. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity.