The U.S. Space Force is requesting $24.5 billion from Congress for its fiscal year 2023 operating budget, most of which is an ask for $15.8 billion for research, development, test and evaluation efforts, given the need to modernize and protect U.S. military space-based assets. The Space Force provides space-based capabilities in support of the Air Force’s core missions of command and control, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, amongst other efforts.
ISR
The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) has been a government leader in cloud adoption and development security operations for software development. Among other efforts, the agency now is trying to foray into practices not widely employed before in an intelligence community setting, including the use of commercial solutions and expansion of unclassified operations.
The U.S. Air Force would be foolish to cut its MQ-9 Reaper program, as the unmanned aircraft provides key strike and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, or ISR, capabilities that will still be very much needed into the future, an expert claims. Amidst great budgetary pressures, the service is proposing to cut the program in 2035.
Ideal Aerosmith Inc., Grand Forks, North Dakota, is awarded a $25,685,970 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Expeditionary Mission Support Station (EMSS) effort. EMSS, including updating the advanced mission planning systems, is strategically important for allowing dedicated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets to gather ISR data that can be used in the planning process. This contract provides for the creation of mission planning software that will have the ability to plan multi-day routes with dynamic weather considerations changing over both time and location. Work will be performed in Grand Forks, North Dakota, with an expected completion date of September19, 2024.
For military intelligence, the status quo is unacceptable in this new era. The prescription is change, and that must come across the board for the military to be able to prevail against growing adversarial threats.
That point was presented by a panel of high-ranking military intelligence officers and officials on the first day of the Intelligence and National Security Summit, hosted by AFCEA and INSA and being held at the Gaylord Convention Center near Washington, D.C., September 13-14. The live panel at the live event wasted little time in telling the audience what needs to transpire for their intelligence needs to be met.
Telos Corp., Ashburn, Virginia, has been awarded a $19,397,304 task order for XACTA Information Assurance Manager (XIAM) support services. This contract will deliver assessment and authorization of sensitive compartmented information (SCI); and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) networks and weapons platforms for authorization decision by the authorizing official for Air Force SCI and ISR Mission Systems. The majority of work will be based out of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and is expected to be completed March 20, 2026. This is a sole-source acquisition, and fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,750,265 are being obligated at the time of award.
Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded an $11,219,955 firm-fixed-price contract for intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance modernization support. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of December 31, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $5,609,977 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W50NH9-21-F-0034).
The U.S. Space Force is in the process of standing up the National Space Intelligence Center, or NSIC, with a goal of reaching initial operating capability, or IOC, by January 2022. NSIC will perform national and military space foundational missions and will evaluate capabilities, performance, limitations and vulnerabilities of space and counterspace systems and services, said Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, USAF, director, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), U.S. Space Force.
Similar to other members of the intelligence community, the U.S. Space Force is responsible for advancing intelligence-related mission objectives for U.S. national security. The service is performing space-related intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to provide key information and data to the community. Being part of the intelligence community is an important step for the year-old service, said Maj. Gen. Leah Lauderback, USAF, director, Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), U.S. Space Force, speaking last Friday at a virtual Mitchell Institute event.
Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $13,911,950 modification (P00013) to contract W58RGZ-20-C-0024 to support the continued system operation 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, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2024. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $13,911,950 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,681,160 modification (P00002) to contract FA2517-20-C-0003 for Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep Space Surveillance system support. Work will be performed in Socorro, New Mexico; Maui, Hawaii; and Diego Garcia, British Indian Ocean Territory, and is expected to be completed April 30, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the full amount will be obligated the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $57,097,418. The 21st Contracting Squadron, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
A-Tech Corp., Albuquerque, New Mexico, has been awarded a $34,905,249 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Surveillance, Intelligence, and Reconnaissance Enhanced Network (SIREN) program. The objective of SIREN is to provide an autonomous, multi-modal, space-based sensing capabilities for persistent tactical intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed December 4, 2025. The award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal year 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $199,000 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the co
The U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command, headquartered at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia and known as ACC, has a new leader. In a ceremony broadcast via video on August 28, Gen. Mark Kelly, USAF, took over the command from retiring Gen. Mike Holmes, USAF. Gen. Kelly also received his fourth star at the event, promoting him from lieutenant general.
Most recently, Gen. Kelly served since August 2018 as the deputy chief of staff for ACC operations at the Pentagon. The deputy chief of staff determines the requirements, capabilities and training necessary for the service to conduct its missions.
Redhorse Corp. of San Diego, California, was awarded a $9,385,703 firm-fixed-price contract. The contract supports the coordination of department-wide efforts advising senior leaders regarding national programs and policy support (NPPS) under the direct guidance of the director of NPPS. This includes advising senior leaders regarding global intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations and/or resulting in the rapid production of ISR capability from concept initiation to specialized modification to deployment into the operational theater. Work performance will take place in the Pentagon Reservation, Arlington, Virginia.
The Syncon LLC,* Chesapeake, Virginia, is awarded a $23,242,171 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of Commander Undersea Surveillance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations expansion located at Naval Air Station Oceana. The contract also included three planned modifications. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a new addition attached to the current facility. The new addition will be constructed of a structural steel frame, concrete slab, and a modified bitumen roof system. The existing building will be reconfigured to compliment the expanded spaces to meet mission requirements. Site improvements include but are not limited to demolition of the existing warehouse.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California, is awarded a $7,826,673 modification (P00005) to a previously-awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-18-C-1063). This modification provides for Group 5 unmanned air system intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services. These services are in support of outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS) Task Force Southwest and U.S. Marine Corps operations utilizing contractor-owned/contractor-operated MQ-9 unmanned air systems. Work will be performed in Yuma, Arizona (35%); Poway, California (15%); and various OCONUS locations (50%), and is expected to be completed in May 2020.
Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $72,575,612 firm-fixed-price contract for services in support of the existing Night Eagle System. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of April 25, 2022. Fiscal years 2020, 2021 and 2022 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $72,575,612 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-20-C-0021). (Awarded January 25, 2020)
Huntington Ingalls Industries secured a General Services Administration One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services, or OASIS, task order to provide Persistent Multi-Role Operations support to the U.S. Air Force-Europe (USAFE) by the Federal Systems Integration and Management Center. The task order will provide contractor owned-contractor operated manned and unmanned airborne intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in support of Air Force requirements in the European and African theaters of operation. The task order has a base period of one year with four option years and a potential value of $954 million.
Less than two months on the job, Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, USAF, commander of the 16th Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), is already shaping the structure of the service’s new information warfare Numbered Air Force (NAF). Stood up in October, the NAF combines the service’s cyber operations; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities; electronic warfare and information operations, including capabilities folded in from the 24th and 25th Air Forces.
On the battlefield of the future, warfighters will need to be extraordinarily interconnected to weapon systems in the air, sea, space, land and digital realms. To support operations across these multiple domains, warfighters will have to rely on advanced command and control capabilities and vigorously employ cyber defenses to its weapons and systems.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Military Aircraft Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded a $1,362,276,582 firm-fixed-price modification (P00009) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive (firm target) contract (N00019-18-C-1037). This modification is for non-recurring and recurring engineering for the production and delivery of nine Japan configuration E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Act. This modification definitizes a previously awarded modification (P00003) for long lead parts associated with the Japan E-2D aircraft. Work will be performed in St.
The General Services Administration (GSA), on behalf of the United States Special Operations Command (SOCOM), issued a Request for Information on May 3 to determine the availability and technical capability of the industry to provide joint airborne intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (AISR)-related services. The anticipated North American Industry Classification System Code (NAICS) for this requirement is 517410 Satellite Telecommunications with the corresponding size standard of $32,500,000.00.
General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, Virginia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $217,000,000 task order under General Services Administration Alliant 2 Unrestricted Government-Wide (GWAC) for the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing technical operations support. This task order provides for support of the Distributed Common Ground System network weapon system and all supporting activities, such as the development, integration, maintenance, administration, management, documentation, assessment, disposal and troubleshooting of 480 ISRW information technology assets from the network and enterprise level.
Under a $2,458,707,154 contract modification, the U.S. Navy, the United Kingdom and Norway are purchasing 19 P-8A lot 10 aircraft from The Boeing Co. of Seattle. The P-8A aircraft, also known as the Poseidon, has long-range anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities across a broad area of maritime and littoral operations, according to the company. The award comes under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-14-C-0067). Boeing will produce and deliver 10 Poseidons to the U.S. Navy, 4 for the United Kingdom and 5 to Norway.
A resurgent Russian military that has adopted an entirely different posture than its communist predecessor is posing a major military challenge to U.S. forces worldwide, according to U.S. service intelligence chiefs. Where China is boosting its military to realize its goal of global economic supremacy, Russia is focusing its force modernization to defeat the U.S. military in any setting, the flag officers said.
NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp.,* Warminster, Pennsylvania, is awarded $13,389,665 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N6833518F0414 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-18-G-0033). This delivery order provides for the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III effort that continues intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensor development, testing, and evaluation under SBIR topic numbers N92-170 and AF-083-0006 in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Fleet Innovative Team.
The Rockhill Group, Molino, Florida, has been awarded an $8,430,746 firm-fixed-price modification (P00020) to contract (FA4890-16-C-0011) for the air-to-ground intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance contract. The contract modification is for exercising Option Year Two. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $76,627,660. Work will be performed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico; Hancock Field, New York; March Air Reserve Base, California; and Creech AFB, Nevada. Work is expected to be completed by September 30, 2019 for this option period. Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Burlington, Massachusetts, was awarded a $58,395,992 modification (P00068) to contract W9113M-13-C-0009 for surveillance system supply and support. Work will be performed in Burlington, Massachusetts, with an estimated completion date of September 30, 2019. Fiscal year 2018 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $6,835,517 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
The U.S. Navy is procuring advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) systems. It awarded six indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple-award contract for engineering services to provide development, technical, management and engineering services for such systems. The awards to companies included: Science Application International Corp., Reston, Virginia ($17,221,542); Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia ($16,446,968); Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia ($15,685,313); General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Virginia ($15,651,710); Lockheed Martin Corp., Manassas, Virginia ($14,991,699); and Solute, Inc., San Diego, California ($13,390,442).
NATO is building a wide range of technological capabilities, including open source intelligence, counterterrorism, artificial intelligence, space-based surveillance, electronic warfare and biometric solutions, some of which were previously left to the individual nations or other international organizations.
The flurry of activity amounts to a complete metamorphosis of NATO’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) assets, according to Matt Roper, the joint ISR chief within NATO’s Communications and Information Agency. Roper notes that the alliance’s new direction results directly from the 2012 summit in Chicago.
URS Federal Services Inc. (an AECOM Co.), Germantown, Maryland, is being awarded a $33,735,531 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide responsive and real-time intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support to U.S. Central Command, U.S.
Orbital ATK, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded an $86,402,055 firm-fixed-price undefinitized contract action for the Afghanistan Air Force AC-208 armed intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft requirement. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas and is expected to be complete by June 9, 2019. The contract involves pseudo foreign military sales. The award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal year 2017 Afghan security forces funds in the amount of $42,337,007 are being obligated at the time of award. 645th Aeronautical Systems Group, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8620-18-C-4023).
The U.S. Air Force has awarded Colorado Springs, Colorado-based Polaris Alpha a $96 million contract vehicle for maintenance and enhancement for command, control, intelligence and surveillance, and reconnaissance operations. Under the task orders, the company will support projects ranging from advanced research and development of machine learning and complex event processing, to the creation and deployment of state of the art command and control applications, to cross-community intelligence reporting and analysis tools and software development. "We’ve been privileged to provide this national security enterprise support for the Air Force for over 15 years," the company's Executive Vice President Kevin Moffat said.
The U.S. Air Force is deploying a new open architecture for its primary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance system. At the same time, Air Force researchers are developing deep learning capabilities that will allow the decades-old system to sort through reams of data more easily, enabling faster decision making on the battlefield and enhancing multidomain command and control.
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, has been awarded a $15,670,445 firm-fixed-price contract for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) services, to include supporting force protection efforts and providing a non-developmental Contractor-Owned and Contractor-Operated UAS ISR solution to perform operational, engineering, and sustainment efforts. Work will be performed at Bagram and Kandahar Airfields, Afghanistan, and is expected to be complete by September 27, 2018. The award was a sole-source acquisition. Air Combat Command Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-18-C-0005).
The Navy is working to improve its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and information operations systems across ocean, airborne, land and space platforms. It recently executed four contracts for engineering, software development, test and evaluation support services in this area. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. Five offers were received and the four two-year awards were competitively procured via request for proposal N66001-17-R-0291 and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website.
Spectrum Comm Incorporated of Newport News, Virginia, has been awarded a $22,431,365 firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursable, and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the enterprise contracted logistics support and provides for an enterprise approach to total lifecycle logistics support and specialized global supply chain management for supported command and control intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft weapon systems. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, with an expected completion date of November 30, 2023. The contract was a competitive acquisition and 15 offers were received.
Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) engineers have embarked on a new miniature version of the AgilePod in an effort to increase the platform’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities, according to an AFRL announcement.
While space has always been an important domain for military intelligence, the intelligence community is renewing its emphasis on the stars, according to officials speaking at the Intelligence and National Security Summit in Washington, D.C.
“One of the reasons this conversation is taking place is because of the evolving threat environment. We realize, as much as we thought we appreciated the role of space historically, it’s become even more critical, both from a warfighting perspective and from an economic perspective,” said Maj. Gen. James Marrs, USAF, Air Force assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
Insitu Incorporated, Bingen, Washington, is being awarded $7,407,625 for firm-fixed-price order N00019F0235 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-17-G-0001) for the procurement of six ScanEagle unmanned aircraft systems, related support equipment, training, site activation, technical services and data for the government of the Philippines. Work will be performed in Bingen, Washington, (70 percent); and Hood River, Oregon (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2019. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $7,407,625 are being obligated at the time of the award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, is being awarded a maximum $30,000,000 modification for a non-competitive, single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for mid-endurance unmanned aircraft systems (MEUAS 2.0-B) intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services at multiple locations worldwide. This contract is being extended for a period of up to 12 months for a maximum not-to-exceed value of the contract to $105,000,000.
Over the next five years U.S. Defense Department researchers plan to build a prototypical system that will converge radar, communications and electronic warfare functions for a range of unmanned aerial systems, including the RQ-7 Shadow and the RQ-21 Blackjack. A do-it-all system will efficiently switch between intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; command and control; networking; and combat operations support missions without changing payloads.
General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Scottsdale, Arizona, was awarded a $250,000,000 hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract to modify, test, train and sustain the Prophet System, a tactical signals intelligence and electronic warfare capability. One bid was solicited and one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 15, 2022. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-17-D-0006).
AAI Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, is being awarded a multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a $475,000,000 (H92222-17-D-0019), along with Insitu Inc., Bingen, Washington, (H92222-17-D-0011), maximum combined order ceiling for Mid-Endurance Unmanned Aircraft Systems intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services at multiple locations worldwide. This multiple award contract supports competition at the task order level.
NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp.,* Warminster, Pennsylvania, is being awarded $12,527,206 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N6833517F0118) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-14-G-0040) to provide engineering analyses, advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensor evaluation, and enhanced surveillance capabilities to the deployed warfighter that can be integrated into existing naval platforms to support the Special Operations Command’s Special Surveillance Program activities. These efforts are in support of Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase III work that derives from, extends, or completes an effort performed under SBIR Topics N08-023 Precision H
Researchers are planning the inaugural test flight of a cyborg dragonfly, a brand-new type of micro aerial vehicle. Harnessing the power of nature, the hybrid system is smaller, lighter and stealthier than most man-made systems and could prove valuable for military reconnaissance and a variety of other missions.
Scientists with The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), Ashburn, Virginia, are partnering on a Draper-funded project known as DragonflEye.
The recent activation of the Unified Video Dissemination System (UVDS) at the Defense Information System’s Agency’s (DISA's) data center in Weisbaden, Germany, has improved the reliable, secure transport of full-motion video (FMV) collected for the purpose of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) in support of missions led by all combatant commands, the agency has announced.
Lt. Gen. VeraLinn “Dash” Jamieson, USAF, is thankful that her ears bleed in unpressurized aircraft cabins.
She might not otherwise have become an intelligence officer, and now the deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and the Air Force’s senior intelligence officer.
She entered the Air Force through the ROTC program at West Virginia University, and was awestruck by motivational leaders who helped her develop a yearning to become a pilot.
But her ears bled.