While visions of high-tech fighter pilots are splashing across movie screens this summer, the state of digital helmet systems in real life almost seem like a Hollywood creation, given the level of advanced capabilities. A helmet vision system in development for several years for helicopter pilots—which is a cousin of the sophisticated F-35 Joint Strike Fighter helmet system—is delving into new capabilities with a dual eye, visor-projected display that is binocular and full color. It allows helicopter pilots to see a terrain grid with data points overlaid on the real world, combining data streams not integrated before.
Army
Oshkosh Defense LLC, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was awarded a $51,059,230 modification (0011 13) to contract W56HZV-09-D-0159 for procurement of Family of Medium Tactical Vehicle variants based on the current A1P2 technical data package which includes the long term armored strategy design on the vehicles. Work will be performed in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of August 25, 2019. Fiscal year 2018 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $51,059,230 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Technical Services Inc., Sierra Vista, Arizona, was awarded a $42,694,244 modification (P00041) to contract W58RGZ-13-C-0010 to continue logistical services for the Hunter unmanned aircraft system. Work will be performed in Afghanistan and Sierra Vista, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2016. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $17,254,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
The U.S. Army’s massive modernization effort requires rapid adaptability in the courses being taught in its cyber and signal schools. Efforts are underway to fundamentally change the approach to teaching and instituting courses for zero trust, cloud computing and other technology advances that will affect the future of combat.
As with the U.S. industrial base, commercial market and defense sector, the cyber threats to U.S. Army networks are increasingly complex and persistent. The service’s chief information officer, Raj Iyer, along with its key communication and network leaders, are positioning the Army’s information technology infrastructure and strategically aligning its cyber posture to protect against future attacks.
Issued a year ago, the President’s Executive Order 14028, Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity, required federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, to enhance their cybersecurity and software supply chain integrity. This order has helped propel digital security, Iyer noted.
The Army’s Unified Network, which will enable the service to deliver the strategic, operational and tactical effects that maneuver commanders need across joint and coalition operations, is advancing, said Lt. Gen. John Morrison, USA, deputy chief of staff and the Army G-6, speaking at AFCEA’s TechNet Cyber conference in Baltimore on April 26.
The U.S. Army announced on April 19th that it had awarded a 10-year firm-fixed-price follow-on production contract to Sig Sauer for the manufacture and delivery of two Next Generation Squad Weapon (NGSW) variations, including the XM5 Rifle and the XM250 Automatic Rifle, and the 6.8 Common Cartridge Family of Ammunition.
"This award was made following a rigorous 27-month prototyping and evaluation effort that included numerous technical tests and soldier touch points of three competing prototype systems," an Army spokesperson stated.
In a March 29 telephonic roundtable discussion with reporters, U.S. Army officials provided additional details about the service’s technology priorities in the 2023 budget request that reduces research, development, test and evaluation (RDT&E) dollars by 5.5 percent from 2022.
The Army released its $178 billion budget request Monday. The overall request includes a modest increase of $2.8 billion over the 2022 appropriations and balances current readiness and the continued transformation toward the Army of 2030 as the service strategically pivots from two decades of focus on counterterrorism to an Army ready to meet the challenges posed by more sophisticated adversaries, such as Russia and China, Army officials say.
As U.S. and global telecommunication carriers deploy more and more fifth-generation wireless network infrastructure, or 5G, in America and around the world, U.S. defense officials are examining the use cases for military applications of 5G such as autonomous vehicles; support of deployed warfighters; smart bases, warehouses and logistics; and cloud-related applications.
One feature that may be ideal for Defense Department use is network slicing, experts say. The ability to separate or “slice” a 5G network into subnetworks for designated users at specific security levels could prove to be versatile, explained Neal Ziring, technical director, National Security Agency (NSA), speaking at AFCEA DC’s recent 5G Luncheon.
This is the first in a series of online articles written by Army Signal Corps officers.
As an armored formation, our lethality is not just derived from our firepower but also from our mobility—the speed that we can bring lethality into the fight.
Novatio Engineering Inc., Belmont, Massachusetts, was awarded a $30,946,185 firm-fixed-price contract for the production and delivery of a family of lightweight tactical power source units and components. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 10, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W909MY-22-D-0003).
ECS Federal LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $11,572,950 modification (P00010) to contract W911QX-20-C-0019 to support full motion video, visual search and single object tracker, and broad area search and tracking medium scale integration algorithm testing. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of June 27, 2022. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $250,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Caelum Research Corp.,* Rockville, Maryland, was awarded a $96,000,000 hybrid (firm-fixed-price and time-and-materials) contract for information technology support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 24 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of January 8, 2027. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-22-D-0002). *Small Business
Which articles from our SIGNAL Media team caught your eye this past year? Check out the top 10 most-read articles from 2021.
1. Special Forces Command Seeks Key Data Aggregation, Cyber Tools
By Kimberly Underwood, February 17, 2021
Agile Defense Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $50,028,195 firm-fixed-price contract to support information technology (IT) systems design/integration/consolidation, IT education/training, systems operation and maintenance, enterprise network support, cyber security, information assurance and information systems security. Bids were solicited via the internet with 34 received. Work will be performed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2027. Fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $50,028,195 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W9124P-22-F-0036).
Pittsburgh-based Near Earth Autonomy, developer of autonomous flight systems, and Melbourne, Florida-based L3 Harris Technologies are partnering in a medically oriented effort and are seeing progress. According to Near Earth, the companies successfully demonstrated an unmanned aircraft vehicle (UAV) and system that can autonomously deliver whole blood and other medical supplies hundreds of miles from an operational base to medics in precise locations.
As part of its effort to modernize the fires mission thread, the U.S. Army is overhauling two systems critical to providing sensor data to weapon systems to more effectively engage battlefield targets.
Those two systems are the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS) and the Joint Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (JADOCS), which will be replaced by the Joint Targeting Command and Coordination System (JTC2S). The updated systems will provide critical information to weapon systems through the data fabric being developed under the Rainmaker project.
The transition plan for some of the technologies involved in the U.S. Army’s Project Convergence 2021 (PC 21) campaign of learning should be delivered to the commander of U.S. Army Futures Command by Christmas, according to his deputy commander.
Lt. Gen. James Richardson, USA, deputy commander, Army Futures Command, told the audience at the Association of United States Army (AUSA) annual conference in Washington, D.C., that PC 21 includes about 110 technologies, some of which could transition very quickly to programs of record. PC 22 began this month and will end on November 9.
The U.S. Army equipped the I Corps’ 5th Battalion, 3rd Field Artillery Regiment, 17th Field Artillery Brigade, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington, with the nation’s first prototype hypersonic ground equipment, the service announced in a press release.
The former chief of staff of the U.S. Army, Gen. Raymond Odierno, USA (Ret.), died October 8 at age 67 after battling cancer. He was chief of the service from 2011-2015, the 38th such leader since the position began in 1903.
Over his 35-year illustrious career, Gen. Odierno led troops in every echelon and deployed to lead overseas operations in Germany, Albania, Kuwait and Iraq. He is most known for his leadership during Desert Shield, Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $68,133,496 modification (P00023) to contract W911S0-18-C-0004 to provide mission support for the planning, coordination, and execution of exercises conducted by the Army’s Mission Command Training Program. Work will be performed in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, with an estimated completion date of October 14, 2024. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $68,133,496 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
U.S. Army 1st Lt. Mahdi Al-Husseini, assigned to the 25th Infantry Division based in Hawaii, won the fifth iteration of the XVIII Airborne Corps Dragon’s Lair competition for his innovation: an AI pilot biofeedback system applicable to all rotary wing Army airframes, on September 27.
“Mahdi’s program has the potential to revolutionize the way our Army manages aviation practices and pilot and crew performance,” Col. Joe Buccino, USA, XVIII Airborne Corps innovation officer, says is a press release. “This was among the most well-developed, visionary concepts we’ve seen come into Dragon’s Lair thus far.”
The U.S. Army is moving beyond a forward-operating base ideal and is preparing for communications and operations geared instead toward near-peer competition in a contested environment. This winter, the Army’s Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications- Tactical, PEO C3T, will conduct a new pilot program that will begin to identify what kinds of communications and network technologies could successfully be applied to moving armored vehicles to support soldiers in such an environment. The work is part of PEO C3T’s Capability Set 2025 (CS25) iterative effort to harness industry innovation and add tactical communication solutions in two-year sprints.
Raytheon Co., Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, was awarded a $17,508,265 firm-fixed-price contract for APX-119 transponders, digital control panels, personality modules, KIV-77 crypto modules, crypto simulators and mounting trays. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 20, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-21-D-5005).
The RAND Corp., Santa Monica, California, was awarded an $184,246,908 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research and analysis support. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 20, 2030. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-21-D-0025).
The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $29,239,146 modification (P00086) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 to definitize multiple directed changes, communication interface system obsolescence, critical safety items, and metal hydraulic filters, and to issue directed changes for strap pack product improvement. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of October 1, 2024. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $29,239,146 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $21,678,810 hybrid (cost-no-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee) contract for the Air and Missile Defense Workstation Block VI. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 16, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-21-D-0023).
The U.S. Army selected Redstone, Alabama-based Kord Technologies and McKinney, Texas-based-Raytheon in a $123.9 million contract to supply three more 50-kilowatt high-energy laser energy weapon systems for three Stryker A1 vehicles, Raytheon reported September 7. The companies are delivering the combat-capable directed energy systems as part of the Army’s rapid capability acquisition effort to secure Directed Energy Maneuver-Short Range Air Defense, or DEM-SHORAD capabilities. The service made the contract award based on how the companies performed at the Combat Shoot-Off event at Fort Sill, Oklahoma in July.
Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $91,301,276 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to assess energy vulnerabilities, defining requirements for energy resilience projects and identifying third-party funding sources for energy resilience and security projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of July 24, 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $2,808,360 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-21-F-0370).
Intuitive Research and Technology Corp., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $10,527,201 modification (0014CT) to contract W31P4Q-09-A-0016 for technical support for a prototype integration facility. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of September 6, 2022. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds; fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, defense-wide funds; and fiscal 2021 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $10,527,201 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has been awarded a maximum $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for production of radio receivers and radio sets to support Army helicopter tactical navigation and landing systems. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year contract and no option periods. Location of performance is Iowa, with an August 30, 2022, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 Army working capital funds.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $40,003,512 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provides air and missile defense planning and control system tactical support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 1, 2024. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-21-D-0020).
Leidos Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland, was awarded a $20,948,444 modification (P00043) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0058 for contractor logistics support for Mi-17 and PC-12 aircraft previously supporting Afghanistan forces in over-the-horizon location, United Arab Emirates. Work will be performed in United Arab Emirates, with an estimated completion date of August 31, 2022. Fiscal 2021 Afghanistan Security Forces Funds in the amount of $20,948,444 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Rockwell Collins Inc., Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was awarded a $43,300,000 firm-fixed-price modification (P00010) to contract FA8102-16-D-0005 for services and supplies in support of modernization, expansion and depot-level contractor logistic support. The contractor will provide support for SCOPE Command’s High Frequency Global Communications System in support of Air Force, Navy and Coast Guard requirements. Work will be performed in Richardson, Texas, and is expected to be completed August 30, 2022. This option exercise is the result of a sole-source acquisition. The estimated cumulative contract value is $113,300,000, and no funds are being obligated at the time of the award.
Skyline Software Systems Inc.,* Herndon, Virginia, was awarded an $8,200,000 firm-fixed-price contract for renewal of commercial-off-the-shelf node-locked site license for TerraExplorer Pro with Command and Control/Mission Planning and TerraBuilder 3D Geospatial Viewing and Analysis software. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 29, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56JSR-21-D-0010). *Small Business
L3 Harris Technologies Inc., Salt Lake City, Utah, was awarded a $23,386,618 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Air Force and Army Anti-Jam Modem Half Transport Rack U.S Air Force Airborne Modem. This contract provides for the purchase of 16 pre-production units under the delivery order. The location of performance is Salt Lake City, Utah; and Camden, New Jersey, and work is expected to be completed by September 30, 2023. This award is the result of a Fair Opportunity competitive acquisition in which two solicitations were mailed and one offer received. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,888,716 were obligated at the time of award.
Honeywell International Inc., Tucson, Arizona, has been awarded a maximum $40,954,196 firm-fixed-price contract for Bradly Fighting Vehicle system generators. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Arizona, with an August 24, 2026, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Warren, Michigan (SPRDL1-21-D-0008).
BAE Systems Information and Electronics Systems Integration, Nashua, New Hampshire, was awarded an $843,894,209 modification (P00006) to contract W58RGZ-21-D-0023 for life cycle contractor support for the Limited Interim Missile Warning System Quick Reaction Capability. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of February 2, 2026. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Soldiers on the battlefield may be using ray guns to defend against airborne threats sooner rather than later. The U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office (RCCTO) is fielding four prototype units of Stryker-mounted laser systems in the Directed Energy Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (DE M-SHORAD) effort.
Each of the four systems employs 50-kilowatt-class lasers powered internally by the Stryker using gasoline-fueled generators. The lasers are designed to protect divisions and brigade combat teams against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary- and fixed-wing threats, rocket artillery and mortar rounds, Army officials say.
Within this decade, commanders of combat units will have to plan and execute information activity, according to Army officials speaking at the August 17-19 AFCEA TechNet Augusta conference in Augusta, Georgia.
Appearing via video, Lt. Gen. Ted Martin, USA, commander, Combined Arms Center, Fort Leavenworth, said the new doctrine being drafted “as we speak” by Army officials “is forcing us to move into the future, and part of that future is information advantage.”
The U.S. is in the final stages of developing its unified network plans, according to Lt. Gen. John Morrison, USA, deputy chief of staff, G-6.
Gen. Morrison made the comments on the first day of the 2021 AFCEA TechNet Augusta conference in Augusta, Georgia, the organization’s first in-person conference since the coronavirus pandemic.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Stratford, Connecticut, was awarded a $116,512,253 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance and overhaul of the Black Hawk main rotor blade. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of August 15, 2026. Army Contract Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-21-D-0078).
R.A. Miller Industries Inc.,** Grand Haven, Michigan, has been awarded an estimated $9,720,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Single Channel Ground and Airborne System repair parts. This was a competitive acquisition with five offers received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Michigan, with an August 15, 2026, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2026 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (SPRBL1-21-D-0002). ** Women-Owned Business
Sierra Nevada Corp., Sparks, Nevada (W15P7T-21-D-0001); and General Dynamics Mission Systems, Dedham, Massachusetts (W15P7T-21-D-0002), will compete for each order of the $744,220,874 hybrid (firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed-fee) contract for the Next Generation Load Device-Medium. 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 August 8, 2031. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Morse Corporation, Inc.,* Cambridge, Massachusetts, was awarded a $10,861,549 modification (P00003) to contract W911NF-19-C-0101 to develop novel artificial intelligence/machine learning test, evaluation, and algorithmic capabilities. Work will be performed in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of September 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $10,861,549 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. *Small Business
Reston, Virginia-based TIAG is supporting the Army Resilience Directorate's (ARD's) Readiness and Resilience mission (R2) as it enhances the Behavioral Health Survey Instrument (BH Pulse) with digital data collection through a web-based, mobile survey and online survey management system to assist Behavioral Health Officers and their commanders assess unit health, the company reported recently. "We are honored to extend our relationship with ARD," said TIAG General Manager, Charlie Doutt. "BH Plus is part of the larger initiative at ARD to help build resilience and mental fitness across the Army."
With plans for future U.S. Army soldiers to work with a cadre of autonomous systems, scientists at the Army Research Laboratory are examining the intricacies of communication to support effective operations between groups of soldiers and robotic systems. They are finding ways to measure communication and study conversational processes to understand human-autonomy team performance, trust and cohesion.
Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $151,434,777 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the High-Resolution Three-Dimensional Geospatial Information Operations and Technology Integration II. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Poland, Afghanistan, Iraq, Niger, the Philippines, Djibouti, and Manassas, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 5, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $26,400,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Army Geospatial Center, Alexandria, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W5J9CQ-21-F-0015).
Around for several decades, the technology of combined-fiber, high energy lasers are advancing to the battlefield from laboratory or exercise demonstration. The advent of the production of the technology, advanced battery capabilities and higher laser power—along with a mounting unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) threat—are all combining into more demand and use by the U.S. military. The transition of laser weapon systems to the battlefield brings with it concept of operations and tactics, techniques and procedures that will improve warfighting, said Michael Jirjis, lead, Directed Energy Weapons Experimentation, U.S.
The U.S. Army is employing blockchain-related capabilities to provide information trust on the future battlefield. The advanced solution, being developed in support of to be part of the Program Executive Office Command Control Communications-Tactical, or PEO C3T, Capability Sets 25 and 27, also relies on machine learning and zero trust applications. Computer engineers at the service’s tactical communications research and development arm, the Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center, at Aberdeen, Maryland, tested the solution in May during the Network Modernization Experiment 21 (NetModX 21), held at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.