Army

The U.S. Army is serious about the narrative that it is serious about cyber. The service has put its organizational architecture on the line by prioritizing the newest warfighting domain while converging it with long-extant but re-emerging combat disciplines, a senior leader says.

U.S. Army leaders have not consistently evaluated the efficiency and effectiveness of the department’s contracting operations, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has concluded. To amend the situation, the office recommends developing metrics to assess contracting operations for timeliness, cost savings and contract quality; documenting rationales for key decisions; and establishing measurable objectives to assess the effects of organizational changes on contracting operations.

Raytheon Company has announced that it has been awarded a contract valued up to $600 million for software support and sustainment to modernize missile defense and other strategic systems. The work will be conducted at the Software Engineering Directorate, U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Research, Development and Engineering Center at Redstone Arsenal. Rapid prototyping, hardware development, testing and validation will support Raytheon's software engineering. Systems include: Strategic missiles and launchers; radars; data mining and visualization tools; condition-based maintenance; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; virtual operations centers; and cyber resiliency of fielded systems.

A new computer-controlled exoskeleton is now available to help warfighters carry heavy equipment in physically challenging environments. The FORTIS Knee Stress Release Device (K-SRD) features military-specification batteries approved for infantry use, improved control box ergonomics and faster actuators that generate more torque.

Using Dermoskeleton bionic augmentation technology developed by B-Temia Incorporated, the device increases leg capacity for tasks that require repetitive or continuous kneeling, squatting, lifting, dragging, carrying or climbing with heavy loads.

Yorktown Systems Group Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $22,469,405 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for operations support services, including conducting and providing predictive modeling and trend analyses concerning global asymmetric threats. Bids were solicited via the Internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Fort Meade, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2021. No funding will be obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W911S0-17-C-0007).

*Small Business

Lockheed Martin, Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $332,136,017 firm-fixed-price foreign military sales (United Kingdom, Egypt, India, Korea, Republic of Indonesia, Taiwan, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Poland) contract for Modernized Target Acquisition Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor System, subcomponent production, and technical services for the Apache attack helicopter. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2018. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-17-D-0043).

Leidos, Reston, Virginia (W911QY-17-D-0017); AASKI Technologies Inc., Tinton Falls, New Jersey (W911QY-17-D-0018); and AAI Corporation/Textron, Hunt Valley, Maryland, will share in a $900,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for technical services and field support in support of Product Office Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Bids were solicited via the Internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order with an estimated completion date of April 5, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Natick, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Corp., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $48,061,680 modification (P00144) to contract (W31P4Q-08-C-0418) to provide support to the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) development contract engineering and manufacturing development phase activities; and provide continuity during transition of the IBCS effort. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 31, 2017. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $20,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado, was awarded a $17,468,173 firm-fixed-price contract for information technology support and services to support the mission of the 2nd Signal (Theater) Brigade within the U.S. Army Europe, U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility. Bids were solicited via the Internet with two received. Work will be performed in Germany, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Israel, Turkey, and Kosovo, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $6,455,776 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S.