Thursday, March 08, 2012

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Asia's Military Spending Likely To Overtake Europe This Year

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Asia's Military Spending Likely To Overtake Europe This Year
*Asia, led by China, is becoming increasingly militarised as a result of rapid economic growth and strategic uncertainty
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Richard Norton-Taylor ~ guardian.co.uk
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: Military spending by Asian countries, led by China, is rising fast and for the first time is likely this year to outstrip Europe, where governments are cutting their defence budgets, according to a leading London-based thinktank.

"While the west reduces its spending on defence, Asia is becoming increasingly militarised as a result of rapid economic growth and strategic uncertainty," John Chipman, director general of the International Institute for Strategic Studies, said at the launch of its latest annual Military Balance survey.
Asian countries increased their defence budget by more than 3% in real terms last year, the IISS said. China increased its share of total military expenditure on weapons in the region to more than 30%. Official Chinese military spending totalled nearly $90bn last year, more than two-and-a-half times the 2001 level.
Western analysts point to China's plans for naval "force projection" to defend its growing economic interests in Africa and elsewhere, and secure maritime lanes of communication.
Most attention has focused on China's first aircraft carrier, the former Soviet ship the Varyag, and its new J-20 combat aircraft. "But China's technological advances are more modest than some alarmist hypotheses of its military development have suggested", Chipman said. "They represent nascent rather than actual capability. China, for example, does not yet have the capability to operate fixed-wing aircraft from a carrier."
More immediately significant is China's development of anti-satellite capacities, anti-ship ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and cyber-warfare capabilities. "Managing tensions in the South China Sea will be an increasing challenge," said the IISS report.
Defence analysts also pointed to potential tensions between the US and China being aggravated by Beijing refusing to agree to confidence-building measures along the lines of those between the US and the Soviet Union during the cold war. "China does not want to give a seatbelt to the US," one defence analyst said.
Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam are all investing in improving air and naval capacities, as are India, Japan and South Korea. India, for instance, plans to boost maritime capacities with submarines and aircraft carriers, said the IISS.
In Europe, defence budgets remain under pressure and cuts to equipment programmes continue. Between 2008 and 2010 there were reductions in defence spending in at least 16 European Nato member states. In a significant proportion of these, cuts in real terms exceeded 10%.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Richard Norton-Taylor ~ guardian.co.uk
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 7 & 8, 2012

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated March 7 & 8, 2012
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued  March 7 & 8, 2012 are undermentioned;


*U.S. DoD issued No. 159-12 March 7, 2012 
CONTRACTS
AIR FORCE
            Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., McLean, Va., is being awarded a $44,300,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity and cost-plus-fixed-fee type contract for the Technology, Research, Integration And Demonstration Program.  Through the use of task orders, air and space vehicle structures research and development will be conducted to deliver future air and space vehicle capabilities to the war fighter. This research and development will include conceptual design studies, experimental data analyses, systems engineering assessments, technology assessments and evaluations, and computational analyses.  The location of the performance is McLean, Va.  Work is expected to be completed June 3, 2019.  AFRL/PKVA, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-12-D3211; FA8650-12-D-3211 0001).

            University of Dayton Research Institute, Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded a $44,300,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity and cost-plus-fixed-fee type contract for the Technology, Research, Integration And Demonstration Program.  Through the use of task orders, air and space vehicle structures research and development will be conducted to deliver future air and space vehicle capabilities to the war fighter. This research and development will include conceptual design studies, experimental data analyses, systems engineering assessments, technology assessments and evaluations, and computational analyses.  The location of the performance is Dayton, Ohio.  Work is expected to be completed on June 3, 2019.  AFRL/PKVA Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-12-D-3212; FA8650-12-D-3212 0001).

            Northrop Grumman Corp., Aerospace Systems, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $24,484,465 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Multi Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program radar system development and demonstration alignment with the Global Hawk Block 40 program schedule.  The location of the performance is El Segundo, Calif.  Work is expected to be completed on Aug. 31, 2013.  Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (F19628-00-C-0100 P00213).

            MacAulay-Brown, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, is being awarded a $24,125,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to conduct electro-optical threat warning research at the Air Force Research Laboratory, electro-optics countermeasures, in the area of missile warning, hostile fire indication, sense, avoid, and space situational awareness and intelligence collection.  The location of the performance is Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.  Work is expected to be completed March 6, 2018.  AFRL/PKVA Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-12-D-1375 and 0001).

            Ultra Electronics Advanced Tactical Systems, Inc., Austin, Texas, is being awarded a $17,889,807 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with labor hour, firm-fixed-price, and cost reimbursement for supporting the Air Force, other Department of Defense services; and the Department of Homeland Defense’s Joint Air Defense Systems Integrator systems, including development, sustainment, technical refresh, and field support by modifying and upgrading JADSI capabilities in response to validated operational requirements, and effectively sustaining deployed JADSI and related equipment in the field.  The location of the performance is Austin, Texas.  Work is expected to be completed April 4, 2013.  Air Force Material Command, Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., is the contracting activity (FA8726-07-D-0001 P00014).

            BAE Systems, Burlington, Maine, is being awarded a $13,784,273 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the finder program.  This program aims to build on existing research systems to develop technology that augments the analyst’s abilities to address the geolocation task.  The location of the performance is Burlington, Maine.  Work is expected to be completed March 6, 2012.  AFRL/PKVA Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-12-C-7211).

            Science, Engineering, and Technology Associates Corp, Arlington, Va., is being awarded a $9,948,200 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop technologies to aid the analyst in geolocating images and videos in any outdoor terrestrial location in the world.  The location of the performance is Arlington, Va.  Work is expected to be completed Aug. 7, 2016.  AFRL/PKVA Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-12-C-7213).

            Northrop Grumman Technical Services, Clearfield, Utah, is being awarded a $8,409,493 cost-plus-award-fee contract to incrementally fund the Air Force Global Strike Command Systems Engineering Program on the ICBM prime integration contract.  This is a modification to contract F42610-98-C-0001.  The location of the performance is Clearfield, Utah.  Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2012.  AFNWC/PKME Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (F42610-98-C-0001).

NAVY
            Environmental Chemical Corp., Marlborough, Mass., is being awarded a $38,228,490 firm-fixed-price contract for energy and structural repairs to the consolidated submarine operations, Building 178, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.  The work to be performed provides for structural repairs and modernizes Building 178 to create a consolidated state-of-the-art shipyard industrial material handling facility.  The project goal is to provide 25,062 million metric British Thermal Units of annual energy savings and achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver certification.  Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine, and is expected to be completed by December 2014.  Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with nine proposals received.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N40085-12-C-1726.

            Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $22,194,889 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00024-12-C-5400) for standard missile engineering and technical services to perform evaluations of advanced missile configurations and advanced technology efforts with potential for current and future standard missile development programs.  This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $42,043,432.  Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz. (80 percent); Camden, Ark. (10 percent); and Andover, Mass. (10 percent).  Work is expected to be completed by January 2013.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

            Sikorsky Aerospace Maintenance, Stratford, Conn., is being awarded a $22,754,002 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-09-C-0024) to exercise an option for organizational, selected intermediate, and limited depot-level maintenance for aircraft operated by adversary squadrons.  Work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Key West, Fla. (40 percent); NAS Fallon, Nev. (30 percent); and Marine Corp Air Station, Yuma, Ariz. (30 percent).  Work is expected to be completed in December 2012.  Contract funds in the amount of $22,754,002 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

            BAE Systems Mayport, Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a $22,130,130 modification to previously awarded contract (N40024-10-C-4406) to perform dry dock, ship alterations, maintenance and repair work for the Docking Selected Restricted Availability (DSRA) of USS Carney (DDG-64).  This DSRA will include a dry docking, hull, machinery, electrical, electronics, ship alterations, piping alteration, and repair work.  The primary ship alterations being performed during this DSRA include Ballistic Missile Defense System upgrade, Vertical Launch System Ventilation upgrade, and the bow strengthening modification.  Extensive coordination will be required in support of the dry dock evolution and the numerous alterations and repairs planned for accomplishment during this DSRA.  The modification includes options, which if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $25,645,719.  Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and is expected to be completed by November 2012.  Contract funds in the amount of $20,773,362 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.

            Huntington Ingalls, Inc., Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va., is being awarded $11,069,510 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-08-C-2110) to purchase previously planned materials in support of USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) construction.  Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to complete by September 2015.  Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Newport News, Va., is the contracting activity.

            Computer Sciences Corp., Norco, Calif., is being awarded a $10,897,478 modification to previously awarded contract (N63394-12-C-5001) for engineering, technical, operational, and ancillary support services in support of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Corona Division.  Work will be performed in Norco, Calif., and is expected to be completed by September 2012.  Contract funds in the amount of $150,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Port Hueneme Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity (N63394-12-C-5001).

---
CONTRACTS
AIR FORCE
            The Boeing Co., Mo., is being awarded an $11,399,100,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, time-and-materials contract to fulfill the Foreign Military Sales requirement of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to procure 84 new F-15 Saudi advanced aircraft with systems and munitions.  This particular undefinitized contract action covers development efforts for the new aircraft and retrofit as well as procurement of the 84 new production aircraft.  The locations of the performance are El Segundo, Calif., Ocala, Fla., and Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  Work is expected to be completed October 2020. ASC/WWQ, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8634-12-C-2651).

            Modern Technology Solutions, Inc., Alexandria, Va. (FA8626-12-D-2120); Aegis Technologies Group, Inc., Huntsville, Ala. (FA8626-12-D-2117); and Cedar Creek Applied Technologies, Inc., Fairborn, Ohio (FA8626-12-D-2118), are each being awarded an $80,000,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, time-and-materials contract.  Air Force Material Command, Aeronautical Systems Center Capabilities Integration Directorate activities, and the Simulation and Analysis Facility, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, require performance-based services to support capabilities managers with integrated analyses for future capabilities development.  The locations of performance are Alexandria, Va., Huntsville, Ala., and Fairborn, Ohio.  Work is expected to be completed Dec. 30, 2017.  ASC/WNWK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

            ObjectVideo, Reston, Va., is being awarded a $15,636,013 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the FINDER Program, which aims to build existing research systems to develop technology that augments the analyst’s abilities to address the geolocation task.  The location of the performance is Reston, Va.  Work is expected to be completed June 6, 2016.  AFRL/PKDB, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-12-C-7212).

            Silence Applications International Corp., McLean, Va., is being awarded a $9,989,452 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-award-fee contract that will extend the GPS systems engineering and international contract by 60 days.  The global positioning systems at Los Angeles Air Force Base are responsible for sustaining, modernizing, developing, and managing the GPS mission in order to support capabilities for military and civilian users worldwide.  The locations of the performance are McLean, Va., and Fairfax County, Va.  Work is expected to be completed May 7, 2012.  Air Force Space & Missile Systems Center is the contracting activity (FA8807-07-C-002, P00091).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
            Draeger Medical, Inc., Telford, Pa., was issued a modification exercising the first option year on contract SPM200-07-D-8003/P00039.  The award is a fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract with a maximum $98,341,974 for entire line of anesthesia machines, monitors, ventilators, and related accessories.  There are no other locations of performance.  Using services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, federal civilian agencies, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.  There were 61 responses to the Web solicitation.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2012 Defense Working Capital Funds.  The date of performance completion is March 11, 2013.  The Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.
NAVY
            URS Federal, Inc., Germantown, Md. (N00189-12-D-Z016); Raytheon Technical Services Co., L.L.C., Dulles, Va. (N00189-12-D-Z017); Technical Software Services, Pensacola, Fla. (N00189-12-D-Z018); Camber Corp., Huntsville, Ala. (N00189-12-D-Z019); General Dynamics Information Technology, Needham, Mass. (N00189-12-D-Z020); Northrop Grumman, Herndon, Va. (N00189-12-D-Z021); Logistics Services International, Inc., Jacksonville, Fla. (N00189-12-D-Z022); and Sonalysts, Inc., Waterford, Conn. (N00189-12-D-Z023), are being awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price multiple award contract for education training products and services for the Naval Education Training Command in conjunction with Naval Education Training and Professional Development and Technology Center, which works to educate Navy sailors in a variety of ways.  The maximum contract value, including the base period and two 12-month option periods, for all eight contracts combined, is $97,361,843.  The contract minimum amount will be subject to the availability of fiscal 2012 Operation and Maintenance Navy.  The minimum amount of the contract will be $25,000 to be divided among the eight awarded contracts.  These eight contractors will compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract.  Work will be performed in Pensacola, Fla. (90 percent), and the remaining will be divided among the eight contractors (10 percent).  Work is expected to be completed March 6, 2013.  If all options are exercised, work will continue to March 6, 2015.  Contract funds will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured under a full and open competition and solicited through the Navy Electronic Commerce Online and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with 28 offers received.  The Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk in Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity.

            Honeywell Technology Solutions, Inc., Columbia, Md., is being awarded $28,979,511 for firm-fixed-price task order 0009 under a previously awarded multiple award service contract (N62473-07-D-4020) for Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (ATFP) Ashore global sustainment.  The work to be performed provides for the sustainment of life cycle ATFP Ashore projects to include all system-related hardware and software.  Services to be provided include corrective and preventative maintenance of the equipment/systems, and the response and resolution of service calls.  The task order provides the support necessary to carry out the day-to-day operations and maintenance of ATFP Ashore hardware, software, and related services.  Work will be performed at various locations worldwide and is expected to be completed by March 2013.  Contract funds in the amount of $28,979,511 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  Two proposals were received for this task order.  The Specialty Center Acquisition, Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Port Hueneme, Calif., is the contracting activity.


*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources U.S. DoD issued No. 159-12 March 7, 2012 & U.S. DoD issued No. 163-12 March 8, 2012
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Denies Obama Promised Bunker Busters To Netanyahu

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. Denies Obama Promised Bunker Busters To Netanyahu
*White House statement comes after Israeli media reports claim U.S. President agreed to give Israel the GBU-28 bombs; Netanyahu: Strike on Iran could be matter of weeks or years.
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Reuters and Haaretz
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: President Barack Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not discuss in their meetings this week a reported Israeli request for advanced U.S. military technology that could be used against Iran, the White House said on Thursday.
"In meetings the president had there was no such agreement proposed or reached," White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters. Obama and Netanyahu meet in the Oval office for two hours on Monday and then had lunch together.

Carney's comment came after an Israeli official quoted by the Maariv newspaper earlier on Thursday indicated that Israel has asked the United States for advanced "bunker-buster" bombs and refueling planes that could improve its ability to attack Iran's underground nuclear sites.

On Tuesday, Haaretz quoted a U.S. official as indicating that Netanyahu had asked Defense Secretary Leon Panetta for the GBU-28 bunker busting bombs as well as for advanced refueling aircraft.

The source added that Obama then instructed Panetta to start work on a request to work directly with Defense Minister Ehud Barak on the matter, indicating that the U.S. administration was inclined to look favorably upon the request as soon as possible.

Referring to the prospect of a military strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, Netanyahu told Channel 10 earlier Thursday that a strike of Iran's nuclear facilities could be a matter of years, saying:" If I don't make the right call [on Iran] maybe there won't be anyone to explain to."

"Who will I explain it to? The next generations? The ones that will not come?" the PM asked.


 
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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources By Reuters and Haaretz
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Air Force To Get 4 Polish-Made Brand New Helicopters

DTN News - PHILIPPINE DEFENSE NEWS: Philippine Air Force To Get 4 Polish-Made Brand New Helicopters 
Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Sun Star
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - March 8, 2012: Four brand new choppers for the Philippine Air Force (PAF) will be turned over on Friday by a Polish manufacturer to the Philippine government, Malacañang said Thursday.

The four new aircraft signals the near completion of the initial phase of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Plan aimed at making the air force more equipped in performing its mandate, it said in a statement.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin will be the guest of honor during the formal turn-over of the choppers in a simple ceremony to be held at Air Force City in Clark, Pampanga.

PZL-SWIDNIK SA, a Polish manufacturing company headed by its president Mieczyslaw Majewski, will turn-over the initial four of eight SOKOL multi-purpose Combat Utility Helicopters (CUH) to the fleet of PAF under the Aquino administration's AFP modernization program.

The arrival of the brand new combat helicopter is part of the P2.8 billion acquisition contract between the AFP and PZL-SWIDNIK SA.

Certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), these six-tonne class twin-engine helicopters have been proven to be effective and reliable in all weather conditions. An added feature of the SOKOL helicopter includes its high flexibility and significant internal and external cargo capacity, making it capable of performing a wide range of operations and an excellent utility chopper.

Dubbed as "Back to Basics," the first phase of the Modernization Program focuses on improving the AFP’s ability to conduct Internal Security Operations. Under this phase, the target acquisition include eight combat utility helicopters, seven attack helicopters, one C-130 aircraft, a long-range patrol aircraft and 18 basic trainer aircraft.

For the Capability Upgrade Program, more advanced aircrafts are expected in Phases 2 and 3 where PAF-related components are grouped into the "Horizon Programs" with Horizon 2 expected to begin in the 2012 to 2016 time frame.

Under the Horizon 2, the Air Force expects the delivery of Territorial Defense assets such as Surface Attack Aircraft, Lead-in Fighter Trainers, Long-Range Patrol Aircraft, Air Defense Radar and a Special Mission aircraft, among other that will greatly boost the country’s defense stance against external threats.

Republic Act 7898 or the AFP Modernization Act of 1995 has provided the military an opportunity to modernize with a total fund of P331 billion.

The plan follows a strict schedule for upgrades in order to modernize the AFP to a level where it can effectively and fully perform its constitutional mandate to defend the sovereignty and protect and preserve the patrimony of the Republic. (SDR/Sunnex)

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*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Sun Star
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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