DOD

The U.S. Department of Defense is progressing in its efforts to address how it will fight in a joint all-domain warfighting environment. At the center of that work is how to build a Joint All Domain Command and Control (JADC2) platform, and one in which allies and partners can effectively communicate and operate as well, explained Lt. Gen. Dennis Crall, USMC, director for Command, Control, Communications, and Computers/Cyber and chief information officer, the Joint Staff, J-6.

Ampex Data Systems, Hayward, California, has been awarded a $9,999,999 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for telemetric electrical system-supplies and ancillary services. The contractor will furnish all personnel, equipment, labor, tools, materials and other items necessary to provide recorders, parts, technical engineering support, upgrades and the ability for maintenance sustainment of airborne data recorders and ground data recorders for the Air Force Test Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California; Eglin AFB, Florida; and other Department of Defense and National Aeronautics and Space Administration continental U.S. activities.

The Defense Department reported on October 26 that it had awarded a $20 million per year contract to Texas A&M University's Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) to establish and manage the University Consortium for Applied Hypersonics, known as UCAH. The award has a base year and four additional optional years of $20 million, with a total value of up to $100 million.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Rolling Meadows, Illinois, is awarded a $91,166,757 fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract that procures the necessary hardware, technical engineering support, management support and logistics support to fabricate, assemble, test and deliver the required fiscal 2020 AN/APR-39C(V)2 and AN/APR-39D(V)2 radar warning receiver hardware for Department of Defense aircraft in support of Navy, Army, Navy Supply Command and various Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.

Deloitte Consulting LLC, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a Systems Engineering, Technology, and Innovation prime integrator task order (HC102820F2000) for an estimated $106,352,518 to design and build the Joint Common Foundation artificial intelligence development environment for the Department of Defense Joint Artificial Intelligence Center. The period of performance is a one-year base period from August 17, 2020, through August 16, 2021, valued at approximately $31,000,000, with three one-year option periods through August 16, 2024. Work will be performed in the greater Washington, D.C., area.

AV3 Inc., Mechanicsville, Maryland, is awarded a $9,770,558 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures the audio and visual video teleconference equipment for the integration of specialized network video teleconference systems in support of the integrated command, control and intelligence divisions of the Joint Staff and combatant commanders, Department of Defense agencies and services, and Department of Homeland Security operational and support components.  Work will be performed in Mechanicsville, Maryland, and supports the command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. Work is expected to be complete by June 2022.

On May 12, the Defense Department and the Health and Human Services Department issued a $138 million contract to ApiJect Systems America to coordinate the production of prefilled syringes in anticipation of a future COVID-19 vaccine, DOD announced.​

"Today the Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, announce a $138 million contract with ApiJect Systems America for 'Project Jumpstart' and 'RAPID USA,' which together will dramatically expand U.S. production capability for domestically manufactured, medical-grade injection devices starting by October 2020," said Lt. Col. Mike Andrews, USAF, DOD spokesman.

ForAllSecure, a NEA portfolio company, announced that is will provide the Defense Department with a next-generation fuzzing solution under a $45 million contract with the Defense Innovation Unit. The company's software security product, known as Mayhem, will be used by several DOD entitieservices branches, including: the Air Force 96th Cyberspace Test Group, the Air Force 90th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, the Naval Sea Systems Command and the U.S. Army Command, Control, Communication, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, according to the company. The product, which automatically finds software vulnerabilities, is a patented next-generation solution developed at Carnegie Mellon University.

On May 6, the Senate Armed Services Committee held a hearing, “Department of Defense Spectrum Policy and the Impact of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC’s) Ligado Decision on National Security,” to discuss the security risks of the FCC granting the company a license modification to commence terrestrial wireless operations. Taking that action presents a great risk to the military’s Global Positioning System (GPS) operations, now run by the U.S.

Boston Consulting Group Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, has been awarded a $37,706,832 firm-fixed-price bridge contract. The requirement provides support to the Department of Defense Chief Management Office, assessing at least 90% of annual contract spending, implementation and training to increase the Department's contract spend efficiency through enterprise-wide commodity management and structured negotiation. Work performance will take place at the Pentagon Reservation, Arlington, Virginia. The contract is being incrementally funded, with fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,500,000 being provided at the time of award. The remaining $30,206,832 will also be operations and maintenance funds.

During a town hall on the response to COVID-19, leaders at the Pentagon stressed the importance of cybersecurity as more employees shift to telework. Along with personal hygiene, Daniel Walsh, acting director, Pentagon Force Protection Agency, asked Pentagon personnel to practice good cyber hygiene.

Essye Miller, principal deputy, Department of Defense Chief Information Officer, echoed similar sentiments. “With the increased telework capability comes an increased attack surface for our adversaries. They are already taking advantage,” she said.

Accessible radio frequencies are crucial for warfighter training, testing and operations. Ensuring access to the necessary electromagnetic spectrum for U.S. Defense Department missions is not an easy task, especially in a time of growing demand across the military and commercial sectors, explains Col. Frederick Williams, USAF, acting director of the Office of Spectrum Policy and Programs, Office of the Secretary of Defense, or OSD. The military operates in a wide range of spectrum bands, both on an exclusive and shared basis. In the last several years, Defense Department operational requirements for spectrum access have increased.

Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, Washington, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling value of $10,000,000,000 over a period of 10 years, if all options are exercised.  The JEDI Cloud contract will provide enterprise level, commercial infrastructure-as-a-service and platform-as-a-service to support Department of Defense business and mission operations. Work performance will take place at the awardee's place of performance.  Fiscal year 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000,000 are being obligated on a task order against this award to cover the minimum guarantee. The expected completion date is October 24, 2029, if all options are exercised.  Washington Hea

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $7,027,643,109 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-reimbursable contract (N00019-17-C-0001). This modification provides for the procurement of 114 F-35 aircraft for Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy; non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers.

Sprint Communications Co. L.P., doing business as Sprint, Reston, Virginia (N00244-19-D-0013); and Manhattan Telecommunications Corp., doing business as MetTel, New York, New York (N00244-19-D-0014), are awarded an estimated $993,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for wireless services and devices in support of the Navy, Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, other Department of Defense agencies, and federal agencies. The contract will include a base period, September 30 to November 7, 2019, due to an on-ramp to the existing Spiral 3 Wireless Services multi-agency contracts. The awards have three one-year option periods which if exercised, would make the total value of the contract $993,500,000. 

Officials from several federal agencies testified on Wednesday as to the effectiveness of the government’s cloud accreditation process, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, with mixed reviews. Most witnesses before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Reform’s Subcommittee on Government Operations hearing, entitled To the Cloud! The Cloudy Role of FedRAMP in IT Modernization, confirmed the positive benefits of the program.

Data Intelligence LLC,* Marlton, New Jersey, is awarded a $12,584,840 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide cybersecurity and security engineering-related services to the Department of Defense, National Guard Bureau and Department of Homeland Security. This two-year contract includes one, three-year option period which, if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $31,832,280. Work will be performed in Marlton, New Jersey (25%) and in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (75%), and work is expected to be completed June 18, 2021. If the option is exercised, work will continue through June 18, 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award.

According to an announcement from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine (Pitt), the Department of Defense has selected Pitt and neighboring Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to create an autonomous trauma care system for injured soldiers. Under the so-called TRAuma Care In a Rucksack program or TRACIR, the universities will work to develop artificial intelligence (AI) platforms that enable medical interventions.

Carlsbad, California-based Viasat Inc. announced on May 21 that the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) had awarded the company a five-year, sole-source indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract for rapid migration of command, control, communications, computers and cyber (C5AD) capabilities. The IDIQ, which has a maximum ceiling of $450 million, was structured by GSA to meet the immediate needs of the Department of Defense (DoD) in mobile networking, cybersecurity and broadband satellite communications technology sectors. 

As the Defense Department’s acquisition and sustainment office works to improve the military’s contracting processes, the research and engineering component—newly separated from acquisition and sustainment in a major reorganization last year—is ready for industry advancements, said Doug Schroeder, DASD Space, Strategic and Intelligence Systems and deputy director, National Intelligence Division, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD).

Rockville, Maryland-based Fedmine* recently announced that along with Gartner and Forrester Research it had been awarded a multiple award, fixed-firm price Department of Defense (DOD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA) valued at $446 million. The companies will have fixed-price task orders over the life of the contract that runs through 2029.

The Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) aims to connect DOD agencies with commercially-available tools and services. The Navy awarded the BPA via the General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule on March 25, 2019. All defense and intelligence agencies, U.S. Coast Guard, state and local governments as well all prime contractors have access to the BPA.

Nimbis Services Inc., Oro Valley, Arizona, has been awarded a $49,950,000 ceiling increase modification (P00003) to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinitely-quantity contract FA8650-16-D-1722 for research and development.This modification provides for the Department of Defense (DoD)-wide Cloud-Based Collaborative Microelectronics Design contract to establish a DoD-wide cloud-based collaborative silicon microelectronics design ecosystem that will form the basis for microelectronics research and development, evaluation of emerging authenticity/reliability tools, and a platform to help address supply chain risk management.

The Department of Defense has awarded $10 million in funding to the Digital Manufacturing and Design Innovation Institute (DMDII), with an option of $20 million more over the upcoming five years to lead the digital future of manufacturing, according to a report from DOD. The award is part of a new multi-year follow-on agreement with a ceiling of $60 million of government funding.

Machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can be used by DOD to gain a competitive advantage, especially in cyberspace operations. While the technology has made it easier for the military to operate and communicate, “It has also a unique set of challenges with dependencies and vulnerabilities for the department, our nation, our economy and our everyday lives,” said Vice Adm. Nancy Norton, USN, director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) and commander, Joint Force Headquarters–Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN). The admiral presented the keynote luncheon address at the AFCEA Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium on February 5 and spoke to SIGNAL Magazine.