DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated December 11, 2013

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated December 11, 2013
Source: K. V. Seth - DTN News + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-024-13 December 11, 2013
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 11, 2013: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued December 11, 2013  are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Equilon Enterprises doing business as Shell Oil Products, Houston, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $1,359,019,230 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Texas with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0463). 

ExxonMobil Fuels Marketing Co., Fairfax, Va., has been awarded a maximum $872,570,007 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0480).

 Valero Marketing and Supply Co., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $769,729,995 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Texas with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0474).

 Placid Refining Company LLC*, Port Allen, La., has been awarded a maximum $320,296,759 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Louisiana with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0477).

 Phillips 66 Co., Bartlesville, Okla., has been awarded a maximum $292,016,625 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are Oklahoma and Colorado with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0465).

 Equilon Enterprises doing business as Shell Oil Products, Houston, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $281,774,306 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are Texas and Alabama with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0464).

 Husky Marketing and Supply Co., Dublin, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $194,906,385 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Ohio with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0479).

 Calumet Shreveport Fuels LLC, Indianapolis, Ind., has been awarded a maximum $189,694,644 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are Indiana and Louisiana with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0476).

 Wynnewood Energy Co., Oklahoma City, Okla., has been awarded a maximum $179,238,610 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Oklahoma with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0469).

 Alon USA LP., Dallas, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $159,634,730 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Texas with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0471).

 Petromax LLC.*, Pasadena, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $154,116,245 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Texas with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0475).

 Tesoro Refining & Marketing Co., San Antonio, Texas, has been awarded a maximum $89,568,843 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are Texas, North Dakota, and Minnesota with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0470).

 Hunt Refining Co., Tuscaloosa, Ala., has been awarded a maximum $65,314,925 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Location of performance is Alabama with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0468).

 Wyoming Refining Company, Rapid City, S.D., has been awarded a maximum $59,814,800 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are South Dakota and Wyoming with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0481).

 Irving Oil Terminals, Portsmouth, N.H., has been awarded a maximum $42,164,940 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are New Hampshire and Maine with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0467).

 Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc.*, Titusville, N.J., has been awarded a maximum $41,402,283 modification (P00008) exercising the second one-year option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2D0-127-D-0001) with seven one-year option periods for various pharmaceutical products.  This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.  Location of performance is New Jersey with a Dec. 15, 2014 performance completion date.  Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 warstopper funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.

 Epic Aviation LLC*, Salem, Ore., has been awarded a maximum $9,011,683 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for aviation turbine fuel.  This contract is a competitive acquisition, and 26 offers were received.  Locations of performance are Oregon and Minnesota with an April 30, 2015 performance completion date.  This contract has a delivery period of 14 months with a 30-day carryover.  Using service is Defense Logistics Agency Energy.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Va., (SP0600-14-D-0473). 

NAVY

 Interstate Electronics Corp., Anaheim, Calif., was awarded a $47,401,675 cost-plus-incentive fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, level of effort, completion type contract for specialized technical support for flight test instrumentation systems in support of Trident II flight tests.  This contract provides for, but is not limited to, engineering services for flight test mission support requirements for strategic systems programs, to include flight test operations and data acquisition, operations and maintenance, systems engineering, post-mission processing and analysis, instrumentation refreshes, and strategic weapons system training program support.  Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif. (55.5 percent); Cape Canaveral, Fla. (25 percent); Newark, Calif. (3.2 percent); Bremerton, Wash. (3 percent); Kings Bay, Ga. (3 percent); Norfolk, Va. (3 percent); Washington, D.C. (3 percent); Silverdale, Wash. (2 percent); Austin, Texas (1.3 percent); San Jose, Calif. (less than 1 percent); Huntsville, Ala. (less than 1 percent); Sunnyvale, Calif. (less than 1 percent); and El Segundo, Calif. (less than 1 percent); with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2016.  The maximum dollar value, including the base period and two option years, is $177,254,512.  Fiscal 2012 weapons procurement, Air Force contract funds in the amount of $292,528; fiscal 2013 weapons procurement, Navy contract funds in the amount of $1,465,757; fiscal 2014 weapons procurement, Navy contract funds in the amount of $1,982,000; fiscal 2013 other procurement, Navy contract funds in the amount of $1,015,335; fiscal 2014 other procurement, Navy contract funds in the amount of $3,212,000;  fiscal 2014 research, development, test & evaluation, Navy contract funds in the amount of $802,415; Fiscal year 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $13,216,055; and United Kingdom contract funds in the amount of $2,624,809.  Contract funds in the amount of $292,528 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was a sole-source acquisition pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c) (5).  The Department of the Navy, Strategic Systems Programs Office, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00030-14-C-0006).  (Awarded Dec. 9, 2013)

EMCOR Government Services, Inc., Arlington, Va., is being awarded a $30,755,772 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity contract to exercise option three for regional base operating support services at Naval Support Activity Washington, Naval Support Activity Bethesda, Naval Support Activity South Potomac, and Quantico Marine Corp Base.  The National Capitol Region Base Operating Support Services including, but not limited to, repair and maintenance of property, facilities, and assets.  The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $198,088,060.  Work will be performed in the Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D.C. (40 percent); Bethesda, Md. (40 percent); Anacostia, Washington, D.C. (eight percent); Arlington, Va. (six percent); Quantico, Va. (five percent); and Dahlgren, Va. (one percent), and work is expected to be completed December 2014.  Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy; fiscal 2014 working capital funds, Defense; fiscal 2014 health program, Defense; fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Marine Corps; fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Defense contract funds in the amount of $23,586,019 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N40080-07-D-0374). 

AIR FORCE

 EDO Corp., Defense Systems Division, Amityville, N.Y., has been awarded an estimated $10,206,061 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements contract for depot level repair efforts of ALQ-161 radio frequency surveillance/electronic countermeasure (RFS/ECM) system components.  Contractor will acquire depot level repair on a combination of line replaceable and shop replaceable units consisting of 235 national stock numbers in support of ALQ-161A RFS/ECM used on the B-1 aircraft.  Work will be performed at Amityville, N.Y., and is expected to be complete by Dec. 5, 2014.  This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition.  No fiscal 2012 consolidated sustainment activity group supply division funds from working capital funds will be obligated at time of award.  Air Force Sustainment Center/PZABB, Robins Air Force Base, Ga., is the contracting activity.  (FA8522-14-D-0002) 

Northrop Grumman Technical Services Inc., Hill Air Force Base, Utah, has been awarded a $7,697,898 modification (P03927) for an existing contract (F42610-98-C-0001) for the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Remote Visual Assessment (RVA) Wing III Retrofit program.  The contract modification is to provide interim contractor support (ICS) maintenance.  This will include all ICS support at the missile alert facility such as Launch Control Center RVA feeds, closed circuit television system, flight security controller functions and all supporting equipment.  This will include all ICS support at the Launch Facility and all supporting equipment.  Work will be performed at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., Minot AFB, N.D., and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2014.  Fiscal 2013 missile procurement funds in the amount of $7,697,898 are being obligated at time of award.  Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center/PZBE, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

 Circle City Telcom Inc.*, Ala., was awarded a $7,870,392 firm-fixed-price contract to complete the installation, and testing of upgrades to the information technology infrastructure at Fort Rucker, Ala.  The work will complete the installation, and secure and test upgrades to Fort Rucker's installation information infrastructure.  It will install the remaining outside plant core and fiber optic cable, inside plant fiber optic cable terminations, complete site preparation for two communication shelters, and core data node installations.  It will also complete data network fielding at the remaining end-user locations, and the cutover and migration of data users to the new installation information infrastructure modernization network.  Fiscal 2014 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $7,870,392 were obligated at the time of the award.  Estimated completion date is Dec. 11, 2014.  Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received.  Work will be performed at Fort Rucker, Ala.  Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal Rock Island, Ill., is the contracting activity (W52P1J-14-C-0063).

 *Small Business

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources U.S. DoD issued No. CR-024-13 December 11, 2013
*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 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - SOUTH AFRICA: Barack Obama’s Selfie With Danish Prime Minister Leaves Twitter a-Tweet About Michelle Obama ‘Soap Opera’

DTN News - SOUTH AFRICA: Barack Obama’s Selfie With Danish Prime Minister Leaves Twitter a-Tweet About Michelle Obama ‘Soap Opera’

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources National Post
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 10, 2013: While world leaders gathered in celebration of the life of South Africa’s Nelson Mandela, social media seemed more interested in a selfie and a soap opera in the stands.

President Barack Obama jokes with Danish prime minister, Helle Thorning-Schmidt, left, as first lady Michelle Obama looks on at right during the memorial service for former South African president Nelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto, near Johannesburg, South Africa, Tuesday Dec. 10, 2013.

U.S. President Barack Obama managed to upstage his own universally praised speech about Mandela Tuesday not once, but twice, with pictures taken in the stands at FNB stadium.

First there was a picture of Obama shaking hands with Cuba President Raul Castro. Then was the superpower selfie taken by Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt with a smiling Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

While some on social media said it was inappropriate to take such as picture at a memorial, many others focused on U.S. First Lady Michelle Obama, who was sitting to the right of the president, wearing a grim look on her face.

While she appears to be facing the centre of the stadium, headlines and tweets were focused on her unimpressed look in comparison to the smiling world leaders next to her.

Comic Rob Delaney called the photo gallery the “funniest 3-panel comic in history.”

The later photo shows the Obamas have switched seats, with the first lady sitting next to the Danish prime minister and the president looking ahead sombrely. The president got up to leave and when he did, Michelle Obama could be seen chatting with Thorning-Schmidt.

A headline at Gawker blared “Obama in the Doghouse After Taking Too-Friendly Selfie with Danish PM” and linked to the photo gallery. Buzzfeed asked “Is this the most important selfie of 2013?”

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources National Post
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: US-Russian Helicopter Deal Under Fire

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: US-Russian Helicopter Deal Under Fire

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Defense News

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 10, 2013: The US government is under fire for allegedly misleading the Congress into buying Russian transport helicopters for US troops in Afghanistan.

The Pentagon ordered 63 Russian Mi-17 rotorcrafts worth $1 billion over the past two years.

According to the Associated Press, senior Pentagon officials have repeatedly assured members of Congress that the Department of Defense had made the right call, citing a top-secret 2010 study that named the Mi-17 as the superior choice.

The report also states the Boeing Chinook was found to be “the most cost-effective single platform type fleet for the Afghan Air Force over a twenty-year” period.

The 2010 study "specifically analyzed the opportunity for DOD to provide a U.S. alternative to the Mi-17 for Afghanistan," the report said, adding the Boeing helicopter is larger than its Russian counterpart, carries up to a 26,000 pound payload, which is twice as much as the Mi-17, and can operate at nearly the same high altitude.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Defense News
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - SOUTH AFRICA: Is this REALLY time to take a selfie, Dave? Obama and Cameron strike a pose with Danish PM during Mandela's memorial service (but doesn't Michelle look unimpressed?)

DTN News - SOUTH AFRICA: Is this REALLY time to take a selfie, Dave? Obama and Cameron strike a pose with Danish PM during Mandela's memorial service (but doesn't Michelle look unimpressed?)

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Daily Mail - UK
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 10, 2013:  Prime Minister David Cameron and US President Barack Obama pose for a selfie alongside Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt (left) at the memorial service for Nelson Mandela - prompting an outpouring of criticism. 

The world leaders, attending the historic service to honour former South African leader Mandela in Soweto today, smiled as they leaned in for the snap... while Obama's wife Michelle looked non-plussed as she declined to join in. The U.S. president was also seen sharing jokes with the Danish PM, although his wife seemed less than impressed (top right).

Earlier, President Obama shook hands with Cuban President Raul Castor, an unprecedented gesture of friendship between the Cold War enemies. He also paid an emotional tribute to Nelson Mandela, calling him a 'giant of history' as he spoke in a stadium where around a third of the seats were mysteriously left empty (bottom right).

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Daily Mail - UK
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated December 9, 2013

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated December 9, 2013
Source: K. V. Seth - DTN News + U.S. DoD issued No. CR-023-13 December 9, 2013
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 9, 2013: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued December 9, 2013  are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

Physio-Control Inc., Redmond, Wash., has been awarded a maximum $46,011,356 modification (P00012) exercising the third one-year option period on a five-year base contract (SPM200-07-D-8261) with five one-year option periods for defibrillators, related components, and accessories.  This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity contract.  Location of performance is Washington with a Dec. 7, 2014 performance completion date.  Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.

NAVY

Raytheon Co., Tucson, Ariz., is being awarded a $35,019,637 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-10-C-5432) to exercise an option to accomplish fiscal 2014 design agent engineering services for the MK-31 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) Guided-Missile Weapon System (GMWS) improvement program support, guided-missile round pack support, and guided-missile launching system support.  The RAM MK-31 GMWS is a cooperative development and production program conducted jointly by the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany under Memoranda of Understanding.  The support is required to maintain current weapon system capability, as well as resolve issues through design, systems, software maintenance, reliability, maintainability, quality assurance and logistics engineering services.  Work will be performed in Tucson, Ariz., and is expected to be completed by September 2014.  Fiscal 2014 weapons procurement Navy; fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation; fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy and German funding in the amount of $8,246,505 will be obligated at the time of contract award.  Contract funds in the amount of $733,035 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-10-C-5432).

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Sudbury, Mass., is being awarded a $29,521,981 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-13-C-5115) to exercise options for the production of the AN/SPY-1D(V) radar transmitter group, missile fire control system MK 99 and site support for DDG 119.  Raytheon will also be responsible for related technical services to facilitate system testing, shipyard installation, and other requirements.  Work will be performed in Andover, Mass. (78.3 percent); Sudbury, Mass. (19.3 percent); Moorestown, N.J. (0.9 percent); Norfolk, Va. (0.5 percent); and Canada (1 percent) and is expected to be completed by June 2017.  Fiscal 2013 ship conversion, Navy contract funds in the amount of $29,521,981 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Sechan Electronics Inc.*, Lititz, Pa., is being awarded a $17,212,201 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of the Target Detecting Device (TDD) MK 71 Mod 1 to support the Quickstrike Mine Improvement program.  This contract will require the fabrication, assembly, integration, testing and delivering of the hardware components which constitute TDD MK 71 Mod 1.  TDD MK 71 Mod 1 has been developed and fielded for use in the air-delivered Quickstrike mine shape MK 65, and is also planned for use in two additional mines:  Mine MK 62 and Mine MK 63.  Work will be performed in Lititz, Pa., and is expected to be completed by December 2018.  Fiscal 2013 weapons procurement, Navy contract funds in the amount of $3,071,600 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online and the Federal Business Opportunities websites, with one offer received.  The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61331-14-D-0001).

Air Cruisers Co., LLC, Township, N.J., is being awarded a five year $16,970,294 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the long term repair of four different sized life rafts that comprise the Multi-Place Life Raft (MPLR) Program.  The MPLR is a critical safety/critical application item designed to save and sustain the lives of Navy and Marine Corps air crewmen in the event of ejection or aircraft abandonment at sea.  Work will be performed in Liberty, Miss., and work is expected to be completed December 2018.  Fiscal 2013 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $2,252,626 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire before the end of the current fiscal year.  The contract was not competitively procured in accordance FAR 6.302-1.  The NAVSUP Weapons System Support, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting activity (N00383-14-D-002P).

AIR FORCE

Diversitech Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio, has been awarded a $7,499,501 modification (P00011) for an existing indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (FA8601-11-D-0001) for civil engineering facility and equipment support (FA8601-11-D-0001) extending the ordering period for one year.  This requirement provides routine maintenance and repair work for 7,352 pieces of equipment that support the mission of the Air Force Institute of Technology, Air Force Research Laboratory, National Air and Space Intelligence Center, and others.  Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2014.  Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance and eesearch and development funds will be obligated on individual task orders.  Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/PZIO, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

ARMY

Luhr Bros., Inc., Columbia, Ill., was awarded a $7,000,000 contract modification (P00001) to exercise option year one on contract W912QR-13-D-0032 for the leasing of a dredge, plant attendant, and on-shore disposal equipment for channel maintenance dredging on the Ohio River and Ohio River pooled tributaries and the upper Mississippi River 0.0-185.00.  Funding and the work performance site will be determined with each order.  Estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2014.  Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Ky., is the contracting activity.

*Small Business

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources U.S. DoD issued No. CR-023-13 December 9, 2013
*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 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - THAILAND UNREST: Thailand PM Yingluck Shinawatra Dissolves Parliament

DTN News - THAILAND UNREST: Thailand PM Yingluck Shinawatra Dissolves Parliament

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 9, 2013: Desperate to defuse Thailand's deepening political crisis, Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said Monday she is dissolving the lower house of parliament and called for early elections. But the moves did nothing to stem a growing tide of more than 150,000 protesters vowing to overthrow her in one of the nation's largest demonstrations in years.

Analysts said the steps come too late and are unlikely to satisfy opponents who want to rid Thailand of her powerful family's influence. The protesters are pushing for a non-elected "people's council" to replace her democratically elected government.

In a speech late Monday, protest leader Suthep Thaugsuban lashed out against Yingluck, calling her administration "corrupt" and "illegitimate" as crowds of supporters cheered.

The man behind Thailand's latest political upheavals
Thailand PM Yingluck Shinawatra pleads for end to protests
The protest movement does "not consent to allowing the dictatorial majority … to betray the people, to destroy the balance of democratic power," Suthep said. The people must use "their rights as citizens to take back their power," he said.

Thailand has been plagued by major bouts of upheaval since Yingluck's brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, was toppled in a 2006 army coup that laid bare a deeper conflict between the elite and educated middle class against Thaksin's power base in the countryside, which benefited from populist policies designed to win over the rural poor.

An attempt by Yingluck's party last month to pass a bill through parliament that would have granted amnesty to Thaksin and others triggered the latest round of unrest. Thaksin fled overseas in 2008 to avoid a corruption conviction he says was politically motivated.

Emotional address

"After listening to opinions from all sides, I have decided to request a royal decree to dissolve parliament," said Yingluck, her voice shaking as she spoke in a nationally televised address that broke into regular programming. "There will be new elections according to the democratic system."

Yingluck's ruling party won the last vote two years ago in a landslide, and is likely to be victorious in any new ballot.

Government spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi said the cabinet had proposed a new vote be held Feb. 2. The date must be approved by the Election Commission, and electoral officials will meet with the government in the next few days to discuss it, said Jinthong Intarasri, a spokeswoman for the commission.

Yingluck said she will remain in a caretaker capacity until a new prime minister is named.

As Yingluck spoke Monday, long columns of marching protesters paralyzed traffic on major Bangkok boulevards, filling four-lane roads as they converged from nine locations on Yingluck's office at Government House. Suthep spoke on a stage erected nearby.

Many feared the day could end violently and more than 60 Thai and international schools closed as a precaution. But the marches were peaceful and no violence was reported.

Resignation not enough, protesters say

Suthep has repeatedly said that calling new elections and even Yingluck's resignation would not be enough to end the conflict.

Protesters agreed.

"We will keep on protesting because we want her family to leave this country," said Boonlue Mansiri, one of tens of thousands who joined a 20-kilometre march to Yingluck's office.

The sentiment was the same across town, where protesters filled a major four-lane road in the city's central business district, waving flags, blowing whistles and holding a huge banner that said, "Get Out Shinawatra."

Asked about the dissolution of Parliament, one middle-aged woman in the crowd said, "It is too late" and "It's not enough."

"At the end of the day, we are going to win," said the woman, who identified herself as Paew. "What happens now? Don't worry. We will figure it out."

Suthep's supporters on Monday appeared to abandon the two places they had occupied for more than a week — the Finance Ministry and part of a vast government complex.

The country's political standoff deepened Sunday after the main opposition party resigned from the legislature en masse to join the anti-government demonstrations. The minority Democrat Party held 153 of the 500 seats in the legislative body, according to the latest figures on their website.

The Democrats — who are closely allied with the protesters — have not won an election since 1992, and some of their leaders appear to have given up on electoral politics as a result.

Abhisit Vejjajiva, the leader of the Democrats and a former prime minister, led one of the marches through Bangkok on Monday. He declined to comment on whether the party would participate in the next election.

Since the latest unrest began last month, at least five people have been killed and at least 289 injured. Violence ended suddenly last week as both sides paused to celebrate the birthday of the nation's revered king, who turned 86 Thursday.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Funeral For Top Hezbollah Commander Marches in Sidon

DTN News - SYRIA UNREST: Funeral For Top Hezbollah Commander Marches in Sidon

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 9, 2013: (Sidon, Lebanon) Hezbollah held a funeral procession in the suburb of the coastal city of Sidon Monday for a top military commander who was killed in Syria a day earlier.

The procession was led by Hezbollah MP Ali Fayyad, the Imam of Haret Sayda Sheikh Abdel-Hussein Abdallah and a Hezbollah Commander, Ali Daoun.

Ali Bazzi's coffin was carried on the shoulders of Hezbollah members as the commander's friends fired shots in the air.

The large procession prompted the Lebanese Army to deploy at the northern entrance of the city and in several neighborhoods leading to Haret Sayda.

Sidon is the home of fugitive Salafi-labelled Sheikh Ahmad Assir who was a staunch critic of Hezbollah and its involvement in the Syrian crisis. Assir and his supporters were engaged in deadly armed clashes against the Army in June.

Bazzi is originally from the southern town of Bint Jbeil but his family moved to Sidon decades ago. His father owns a shoe shop in the area.

A Lebanese security source told The Daily Star Sunday that Bazzi was killed in a combat zone.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that Hezbollah fighters were killed during battles in Nabk, one of the last rebel-held areas in the Qalamoun region bordering Lebanon.

Hezbollah-backed regime forces have launched a military campaign to root out rebel forces in Qalamoun, near the border with Lebanon.

Residents of southern Lebanon said Sunday that two other Hezbollah fighters – Ali Saleh and Qassem Ghamloush – were also killed in Syria Sunday and buried.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth 
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - INDIA ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2013 RESULTS: BJP Wins Congress Routed

DTN News - INDIA ASSEMBLY ELECTIONS 2013 RESULTS: BJP Wins Congress Routed
**Factors of Congress debacle - Foremost corruption, public's lack of trust in the UPA government, bar on  dynasty rule, Congress contrived cases via CBI on oppositoin and  protect tainted supporters / politicians

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Defence News

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 8, 2013: Congress party's 0-4 mauling and BJP's triumph in three states in what was billed as the "semifinal" for the 2014 elections was the big headline, but the central takeaway on super Sunday was Aam Aadmi Party's stunning debut in Delhi, prising open space in national politics for an outsider.

Congress's debacle exposed its sliding popularity as well as Rahul Gandhi's failure to connect with the voters. It has also fortified the perception of Narendra Modi-led BJP being the frontrunner for 2014. For all practical purposes, the UPA government will now be a lame duck one.

The BJP won a three-fourth majority in Rajasthan, scored a two-third victory in Madhya Pradesh and beat back Congress in Chhattisgarh after a ding-dong battle. In Delhi, only AAP prevented BJP from a clear victory, but its tally of 31 still underscored its advantage over Congress which crumbled to a measly eight seats.

The clear man of the match was AAP's Arvind Kejriwal. He not only beat Sheila Dikshit by a margin of over 25,000 votes, his party fed off a deep disillusionment with the political class, boosting hopes of a new brand of politics, perhaps a desi version of the Arab Spring.

As a result, the spunky rookie subverted traditional assumptions about vote banks by drawing support from diverse socio-economic strata. AAP finished second to the BJP, but the victory of its greenhorn candidates over heavyweights belonging to Congress and BJP was reminiscent of the waves of 1977 and 1984, a feat that would encourage it to go beyond Delhi in 2014.

Predictably, there was a debate over how much the Modi factor impacted the BJP landslides in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh and in Chhattisgarh. Party insiders insisted Modi was a strong force multiplier and that in Delhi, he helped it emerge as the single-largest party.

Whatever the case, the result can only add to Modi's aura and provide BJP tailwind as it heads for the LS challenge. The fact that Congress succumbed to incumbency and crashed to humiliating defeats in Rajasthan and Delhi whereas BJP held its own in MP and Chhattisgarh would be cited to argue that something beyond "local issues" was in play here.

Both Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi acknowledged the role of larger factors in Congress defeats. But they said Gehlot's and Dikshit's losses were baffling, given their good governance records.

Sonia spoke of inflation, one of the many issues that Modi will exploit in 2014 when he, with his tantalizing promise of a decisive leader and much-trumpeted Gujarat model of development, will be in the fray himself, seeking to tap into the same yearning for change which helped Kejriwal in Delhi.

Rahul Gandhi acknowledged that there was a lesson in AAP's dramatic debut and said "aggressive changes" would now be carried out in the Congress to "embed" the common man in Congress programmes.

Related Images;

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources Defense News
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS

DTN News - NORTH KOREA DEFENSE NEWS: Is North Korea’s Navy Finally Falling Apart?

DTN News - NORTH KOREA DEFENSE NEWS: Is North Korea’s Navy Finally Falling Apart?
*Two accidents in rapid succession suggest all is not well, but the country still has some significant assets

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Stefan Soesanto - The Diplomat
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - December 8, 2013: North Korea’s state news agency (KCNA) and South Korea’s Chosun Ilbo reported on November 4 that two North Korean ships sank only a few days apart in mid-October during military drills in the East Sea. With KCNA releasing several photos of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un visiting the newly erected gravestones for the approximately 15-30 perished sailors, the two naval accidents have become a political tool in Pyongyang’s domestic power games. While it is extremely rare for the state media to report on North Korean military accidents, the two separate incidents do beg the question: Is the DPRK’s navy finally falling apart?

Media reports have so far identified the two sunken ships as the 60-meter long, 375-ton Hainan-class Submarine Chaser No. 233, and an undisclosed 100 to 200-ton North Korean patrol boat.

The Hainan-class is a Chinese-built anti-submarine warfare vessel. Some 126 of these boats were assembled from the 1960s to the mid-1980s. According to IHS Jane’s, 26 of these vessels were fitted for export to countries like Bangladesh, Egypt, Myanmar, Pakistan and North Korea. Pyongyang received its Hainan delivery in three shipments during 1975 to 1978. While the Hainan was primarily conceptualized for coastal anti-submarine warfare, its operational range also includes scouting, mine-laying, and coastal rescue missions. Prior to the incident in October, the North Korean navy maintained six Hainan vessels, as reported in the IISS Military Balance 2013.

But although KCNA clearly named the Submarine Chaser No. 233 as the vessel that sank in the East Sea, the South Korean military classification of a Hainan-class does not seem to be correct. According to IHS Jane’s fleet list there is no North Korean Hainan-class with the designated Number 233, nor does it seem likely that a Chinese-built vessel would defy the DPRKs geopolitical challenge and end up operating off its distant East Coast. Whether South Korea’s military intelligence or outside naval experts will be able to clarify these discrepancies remains to be seen.

The second undisclosed 100 to 200-ton patrol boat falls into a wider range of categories of North Korean military vessels. Three possible patrol boat types would fit the media description. The 130-ton Chinese-built Shanghai II, which was transferred to North Korea from 1967-1975; the 150-ton Chong-Ju-class, which was put into service somewhere during the 1990s; and the 190-ton modified Russian-model SO-1, which was assembled starting in 1957, and became infamous as the main vessel involved in the capture of the USS Puebloin 1968. From here, it is pure speculation which model would be more prone to malfunctions that could sink it. However, the best guess would be the SO-1, given its advanced age and the fact that this vessel-type is primarily deployed on North Korea’s East Coast.

Most of the DPRK’s 700-800 strong green-water fleet is on average 30 to 50 years of age and does not operate more than 50 miles offshore. With seas on both sides and no chance of exchanging vessels between its Eastern and Western fleet, Pyongyang is forced to allocate scarce resources in a long-term and strategic manner to guarantee the operational readiness of both fleets.

North Korean patrol boats have been mostly involved in skirmishes surrounding the Northern Limit Line (NLL), the still-disputed maritime border between the two Koreas in the West Sea. Conditions in the West are ideal for North Korea’s small, fast and agile patrol boats, given the rugged coastal line and shallow waters. Conditions in the East, however, are much more favorable for North Korea’s large submarine fleet, which on numerous occasions during the 1990s conducted regular infiltration operations into the South, such as the infamous 1996 Gangneung and 1998 Sokcho incidents.

From the limited media information available the most feasible explanation for the two naval accidents in the East Sea is a lack of strategic prioritization and funding from Pyongyang to properly maintain its underused patrol boats in the East. If Pyongyang has truly been pressed to make this military trade-off, it will reflect the naval strategies employed by other East Asian countries when it comes to choosing between naval assets covering territorial disputes and those responsible for military warfare. While the former – essentially patrol boats – focus on policing and constabulary, the latter are geared towards eliminating enemy combatants and conducting clandestine naval operations, which in North Korea’s case is the job of its submarine force. In short, patrol boats are not made to take the fight to the enemy, but merely to safeguard and protect coastal lines, which the territorial dispute makes more challenging off North Korea’s western coast, despite the easier waters.

But despite the two naval accidents in quick succession and a possible change in naval strategy to accommodate resource constraints, there is little evidence to suggest that the North Korean navy is in rapid decline. Surely it will lose more vessels if they are highly stressed in military exercises or forced into outright combat missions. North Korean patrol boats in particular are highly unsuitable for active frontline duty, and in most skirmishes with South Korean naval forces they have invariably ended up either on fire, highly damaged or at the bottom of the sea.

North Korean submarines are, however, an entirely different story, as evidenced by the sinking of the South Korean Cheonan corvette in early 2010. According to IHS Jane’s, the DPRK maintains around 40 mid-size Sang-O-class submarines built between 1995 and 2003, and some 20 large Romeo-class vessels which were built between 1976 and 1995. Additionally, Pyongyang has been churning out midget submarines of the Yono-class since the 1990s, and has some 20 outdated midget Yugo-submarines in reserve. All in all, the numbers for North Korea’s relatively modern submarine fleet vary between 70 and 90 vessels, making it the largest submarine fleet in the world.

But being the smallest branch within the vast North Korean armed forces (with 1.2 million personnel) naturally imposes its own budget constraints at a time when the upper echelons in Pyongyang are focusing on ballistic missile programs, nuclear enrichment, the expansion of the Special Forces, and enhancements to frontline artillery. But to discount North Korea’s navy due to the loss of two insignificant patrol boats would be the wrong lesson to take away here.

While the DPRK’s navy may well still be seaworthy, these latest two incidents could press Pyongyang to modernize its naval force at the expense of other programs. Especially when looking to the South, which is already determined to establish itself as a naval power with its three billion-dollar Aegis destroyers and plans to build three more, the two accidents and Kim Jong-Un’s subsequent visit to the graves of the fallen sailors may end up being the first step in an asymmetric challenge to South Korea’s naval ambitions.

Stefan Soesanto is a non-resident James A. Kelly Fellow at Pacific Forum CSIS.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Stefan Soesanto - The Diplomat
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
*Photograph: IPF (International Pool of Friends) + DTN News / otherwise source stated
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS