Army

Technological leaps in ground station capabilities, such as interference cancellation, band diversity and phased array antennas, will allow the U.S. Army to use new Internet of Things satellite constellations to boost combat communications. New technologies offer lower latency, higher throughput and greater network resilience while being easier for soldiers to use.

Recent Army experiments, including the Network Modernization Experiment (NetModX) and Project Convergence, have included a range of technologies for enhancing and protecting satellite communications (SATCOM). The technologies will support Army modernization goals, including a more resilient network, long-range precision fires and air and missile defense.

The Boeing Co., Mesa, Arizona, was awarded a $40,717,442 modification (P00054) to contract W58RGZ-16-C-0023 for a Longbow Crew Trainer and spares. Work will be performed in Mesa, Arizona, with an estimated completion date of February 28, 2025. Fiscal 2010 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $40,717,442 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Operational assets once available largely to commanders now are being delivered to individuals in the foxhole. Coupled with new technologies, the U.S. Army is tapping into the ultimate high ground for cutting-edge capabilities not only empowering warfighters but also giving commanders more information for decision making.

Despite the benefits orbital assets provide, drawbacks remain. Fiscal uncertainty lurks throughout the future planning process. Adversaries have increased their efforts to overcome the lead position U.S. forces traditionally held in space. In addition, cultural and architectural barriers inhibit Army space forces from realizing their full potential.

General Dynamics Missions Systems, Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $19,150,909 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support Warfighter Information Network Tactical Increment 2 equipment. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Taunton, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of January 22, 2023. Fiscal year 2021 procurement (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $8,867,882 were obligated at the time of the award. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W15P7T-21-F-0021).

When the U.S. Army conducts its Multi-Domain Operations Live experiment in the Indo-Pacific region next year, it will mark the first time the service has undertaken a full-scale technology development experiment in a combat theater. The goal is to assess technologies under the same conditions they will face in times of war, rather than in a stateside setting.

During an October 27 telephonic roundtable discussion with reporters, Lt. Gen. John Morrison, USA, Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-6, revealed four pillars for the restructured office. They include building a unified network; posturing signal, cyber and electronic warfare forces for multidomain operations; reforming and operationalizing cybersecurity processes; and driving effective and efficient network and cyber investments.

The recently completed Network Modernization Experiment (NetModX) included an army of autonomous agents unleashed in defense of the network and in some cases also protected other artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

NetModX is a science and technology experiment held July 20-October 2 at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. The science and technology experiment provides lessons learned for Army acquisition decisions, science and technology specifications, requirements and strategies necessary to modernize the force. Systems that performed well this year might ultimately end up in the Army’s arsenal as part of the capability sets to be fielded in 2023 and 2025.

U.S. Army researchers plan to demonstrate in December and March capabilities that could lead to a secure, mobile power grid capable of automatically providing electricity from the best available source, including batteries, vehicles or diesel generators.

On October 14 the U.S. Army released a request for information to industry about how commercially-managed satellite communication (SATCOM) services could support the service’s logistics network modernization efforts in constructing a Sustainment Tactical Network, also known as the STN.

The STN, meant for general purpose users, will include new baseband, local transport and antenna hardware solutions. In addition, STN systems will provide the network connectivity for sustainment, medical and administrative information to be exchanged on the battlefield across multiple echelons, according to a statement from the U.S. Army’s Program Execute Office Command, Control and Communications – Tactical (PEO C3T).

General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded a $25,917,217 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to procure engineering and technical support services to execute a pilot program Tactical Network-Transport on the Move systems and equipment. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Taunton, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of September 29, 2021. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W15P7T-20-F-0286). Awarded September 30

Radiance Technologies Inc.,* Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $120,784,794 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for engineering and technical assistance support to the U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office. Bids was solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of September 29, 2023. Fiscal year 2019 and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $2,794,694 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W50RAJ-20-F-0014).

Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia (W9128Z-21-D-0001); General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia (W9128Z-21-D-0020); and NCI Information Systems Inc., Reston, Virginia (W9128Z-21-D-0003), will compete for each order of the $800,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for engineering related activities in support U.S. Army Information Systems Engineering Command.  Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of October 4, 2023. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Sherpa 6 Inc.,* Littleton, Colorado, was awarded a $24,565,468 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop a variety of technologies to support research and development concept prototype components for dismounted Soldier mission command systems, the Integrated Visual Augmentation System and Nett Warrior.  Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Littleton, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of September 30, 2024.  Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Army) funds in the amount of $2,100,000 were obligated at the time of the award.  U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-C-0102). *Small Business

Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $70,000,000 cost-no-fee contract to research and develop a new translational research methodology that leverages autonomy and artificial intelligence to minimize time spent on low-impact, high-time activities. Bids were solicited via the internet with 999 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of September 3, 2025. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QX-20-D-0008).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, was awarded a $7,340,642 modification (P00005) to contract W52P1J-20-F-0225 for Apache modernized day sensor assembly kits. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida, with an estimated completion date of August 31, 2023. Fiscal year 2018 aircraft procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $7,340,642 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

SAIC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $36,290,371 hybrid (cost-no-fee, time-and-materials) contract for the procurement of information technology services.  Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; and Corpus Christi, Texas, with an estimated completion date of August 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $36,290,371 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W9124P-20-F-0397).

The U.S. Army’s wearable authentication tokens intended for the tactical environment could be used for nontactical purposes, such as accessing strategic-level systems, enterprise networks and medical systems, researchers say.

Veraxx Engineering Corp., Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $218,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, fixed-price-incentive and time-and-materials) contract for advanced planning and preview systems, mission simulators and rehearsal capabilities that enable live, virtual and constructive training in support of special operation's unique joint training and mission requirements.  Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of August 23, 2028. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-D-0014).

The Army announced today that U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command (USAMDC) will take on the additional responsibility of serving as the Army service component command to U.S. Space Command, while retaining its responsibilities as the service component command to U.S. Strategic Command.

Naming USASMDC as the service component command to both Space Command and Strategic Command will strengthen integration and synchronization of these vital operations and has been endorsed by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to a service press release.

General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Taunton, Massachusetts, was awarded an $8,598,384 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to perform recapitalization and/or repairs, to a like-new condition, on Switch Multiplexer Units (SMU), SMU power supplies and circuit card assemblies used in the Patriot missile system. 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 12, 2023.  U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W911N2-20-D-0032).

The U.S. Army wants an automated communications planning system. In the short term, researchers expect to use an “intelligent engine” but in the future, artificial intelligence will likely take over the task.

Planning communications for different conditions is commonly known as PACE planning. The acronym stands for “primary, alternate, contingency and emergency” communications. Different situations call for different communications systems, explains Michael Brownfield, chief of the Army Future Capabilities Office within the Combat Capabilities Development Command’s research organization formally named the Command and Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) Center.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded an $11,916,585 modification (P00001) to contract W58RGZ-20-C-0024 to support the continued system operations and sustainment services and test and training services in support of the Saturn Arch Aerial Intelligence Systems Quick Reaction Capability Program. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia; Bridgewater, Virginia; and Huntsville, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2024. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,916,585 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Radiant Mission Solutions Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $12,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide the Army Geospatial Center with remote ground terminal systems. 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 4, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Alexandria, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W5J9CQ-20-D-0006).

The U.S. Army has spent the last two years pursuing a modernized integrated tactical network, or ITN, that supports increased mobility, resiliency and capabilities. Now, the service has a focus toward making sure that the modernization of that network can enable joint all-domain command and control, or the concept of JADC2. The service is preparing to fight seamlessly across the sea, land, air, space and cyberspace, or multidomain operations, by 2028.