DOD: DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE NEWS
The United States and its ally South Korea
will welcome the day when the light of freedom and progress covers all
of Korea and the peninsula is peacefully reconciled, Vice President
Dick Cheney said here today.
"Until then, stability and peace will be maintained by our great
military alliance," Cheney said during a speech at a National Korean War
Veterans Armistice Day ceremony at the Korean War Veterans Memorial here.
"Tens of thousands of American troops proudly serve in Korea today."
The United States and South Korea will continue to stand together in
defending civilization against global terror and building the peace that
freedom brings, he said.
Cheney said American veterans of the Korean War made great sacrifices
to the cause of freedom more than a half century ago.
"On this anniversary, gathered at this place of remembrance and
reflection, our thoughts turn to a generation of Americans who lived and
breathed the ideals of courage and honor, service and sacrifice," he said.
"There could be no more eloquent testimony to the character of our
country than those words from an American who served in that war. And it is
fitting that every year on the 27th of July we honor them all and offer
the respect of a grateful nation."
The United States and its allies held off the aggressive expansion of
communism and helped make possible the prosperity enjoyed today by 48
million South Koreans, the vice president said.
The Korean War began due to the division of the Korean peninsula along
the 38th parallel following World War II in 1945. In 1948, the South
proclaimed the Republic of Korea, and the North established the People's
Republic of Korea. Border skirmishes soon followed and, in June 1950,
North Korean forces invaded the South. That year the United States
joined the fighting on the side of the South, while communist China joined
the war on the North's side. A cease-fire agreement was signed July 27,
1953. The armistice ended the fighting, but Korea remains divided along
a military demarcation line.
Relations between the two Koreas have remained tense, and earlier this
month North Korean test-fired seven ballistic missiles, causing
international condemnation.
Cheney praised today's servicemembers who are stationed in Korea and
those fighting in the global war on terrorism. He said American troops
stationed in South Korea follow in the finest tradition of the 1.8
million Americans who fought there during the Korean War.
"The American people have been inspired once again by the bravery and
the selflessness of our armed forces," Cheney said. "Freedom is not free
-- and all of us are deep in the debt of the men and women who go out
and pay the price for our liberty."
General Officer Announcement
The Army chief of staff announces the assignment of the
following general officer:
Brigadier General William C. Kirkland, U. S. Army Reserve,
commander (troop program unit), 88th Regional Readiness Group,
Indianapolis, Ind. to commander (troop program unit), 84th U. S. Army Reserve
Readiness Training Command, Fort McCoy, Wisc.
The instant feedback of information
supplied by unmanned aerial vehicles is bringing immediate "value added" to
U.S. military operations, the Joint Staff's director for strategic plans
and policy explained yesterday.
"UAVs have become such an important tool for our decision makers --
operational battlefield decision makers and strategic decision makers,"
Air Force Lt. Gen. Victor E. "Gene" Renuart Jr. said in a Pentagon
Channel interview. "They have become an accepted part of our inventory."
Unmanned aerial vehicles are remotely piloted or self-piloted aircraft
that can carry cameras, sensors and communications equipment that
provide an integrated system of intelligence surveillance and
reconnaissance. The vehicles also provide valuable battle-damage assessment and are
used to track high-value targets. Some even carry weapons.
The Predator and Global Hawk are the two most prominent UAV systems.
The U.S. military has used UAVs for many years, but their use has
rapidly increased and evolved over the past few years, Renuart said. "We
have for years used them to test missile defense systems and air defense
systems. We've used them for a variety of single-mission approaches," he
said
Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the military has been
adapting UAV technology for multiple functions. Unmanned capabilities
have expanded with advances in technology, such as miniaturization and
digital imagery. Digital images are now provided in real time, which
enables commanders to monitor enemy movements.
"The advantage of the near-real-time or real-time information is that
you can produce essential decision-quality data for commanders on the
spot," he said. "We're dealing in tenths of seconds, as opposed to
minutes, hours or days in some cases."
The use of UAVs has steadily increased in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"There has really been a growth in the understanding of what you can
use a UAV for, both tactically on the battlefield and strategically,"
Renuart said. "As we have seen the proliferation of miniaturization and
the quality of the technology, you find battlefield commanders want
more."
The general pointed out that unmanned aerial vehicles have been helpful
in joint operations. "We're beginning to collaborate much more on our
integration and use of information that comes from these systems," he
said.
For instance, in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan, U.S. Army and
Navy special operations forces use the Air Force Predator to feed
information back to their component commanders, so they can monitor the
battlefield situation and respond accordingly, he said.
The UAV Center of Excellence was stood up in 2005 at Creech Air Force
Base, Nev. The center's focus is to integrate technology and to analyze
how to make systems more efficient and effective. The center also looks
at other ways UAVs can be used in the future.
Numerous UAV prototypes have been developed over the past two decades,
including hand-launched, slingshot-launched, truck-launched,
ship-launched and tradition runway-launched versions. The UAV Center of
Excellence works to set uniform standards that meet needs defined by all the
services.
The center also examines how to use UAVs to deal with emerging threats.
"A lot of forward-thinking engineers are looking at the problems we
need to solve in the next 15 years and trying to decide the best way to
meet those with an unmanned vehicle," Renuart said.
Maritime security is one area in which UAVs are becoming increasingly
necessary, he said. "There is a real need for an ability to monitor the
volume of shipping that goes on around the world, to ensure that we
don't have so-called rogue states moving potential weapons of mass
destruction over sea into a port," he said.
Renuart stressed that the advancement of UAV technology does not herald
the end of manned-flight vehicles. "Even if you look out to futuristic
scenarios, there is a critical place for the human touch," he said.
The Taliban is a tactical problem
for the coalition in Afghanistan, but the coalition is a strategic
problem for the Taliban, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said here
today.
Marine Gen. Peter Pace is in Afghanistan to meet with Afghan, coalition
and NATO officials.
Fighting in Afghanistan is concentrated in the country's south, the
area the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force is due to take
over in the next few days. More Taliban are "presenting themselves on
the battlefield then there have been," Pace told reporters traveling with
him. But Afghan and coalition forces have dealt the Taliban some heavy
blows, he added.
The Taliban has not reconstituted since being routed by U.S.-led
coalition forces following the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. However,
coalition officials in Kabul said, the group has "more robust" command
and control and more weapons than in the recent past.
"The Taliban can cause problems for us in certain areas of the country,
but they can't sustain it," Pace said. "Whereas, as long as the
coalition is here, the Taliban doesn't have a chance of reasserting itself and
taking over the country. That's why I say they may be a day-to-day
tactical problem for us, but we are a long-term strategic problem for them.
They can pick and chose some battles, but they cannot take over this
country again."
Pace said he sees this trip as an opportunity to thank the 21,000 U.S.
soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines serving in Afghanistan. The trip
is also an opportunity to speak with leaders on their home ground. He
said he plans to visit troops in the field "and hear first-hand from
them how they think things are going."
Pace said that opium cultivation is still a problem in Afghanistan,
though officials hope the country's growing economy will stem the problem.
Roughly one-third of Afghanistan's gross national product comes from
opium cultivation, down from past years, officials said.
"The economy is getting stronger," Pace said. "Roads have been built
that are opening up a lot of markets for the Afghan people. The more
alternatives that folks have for a livelihood, the more likely it is that
the drug trade will become a smaller and smaller part of the overall
economy."
The Afghan government needs to provide viable economic alternatives to
the country's citizens, Pace said.
The chairman said the Afghan people should be proud of how far they
have come in a short while. He added that the coalition and NATO military
effort must remain strong. "From a military standpoint, what we can do
is to continue to provide a secure environment inside which the Afghan
government can provide assistance to its own people," he said.
Tips from Iraqi citizens led coalition and
Iraqi soldiers to foil a terrorist attack and find weapons caches in
Baghdad yesterday, U.S. military officials in Iraq reported.
A concerned Iraqi citizen's tip led Iraqi army soldiers to a shop south
of Baghdad last night, where they found a munitions cache. Soldiers
from 4th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, investigated the
carpentry shop and seized 58 homemade bombs, three
rocket-propelled-grenade boosters, and two improvised explosive devices attached to
batteries. Iraqi soldiers also detained a suspected terrorist at the site and
seven others suspected of plotting an upcoming attack on a traffic
control point.
Elsewhere, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers searched three
houses last night and seized weapons and a large amount of money in central
Baghdad after acting on a tip from an Iraqi citizen.
At the first house, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 506th Infantry
Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, discovered
ammunition and two body armor vests. As the soldiers continued to search the
house, they found a false wall that contained mortar rounds and more
ammunition. In an adjoining house, the soldiers found AK-47 rifles, bloody
clothes and terrorist propaganda. In a third house that appeared to
have been used as a sniper position, the soldiers found spent shell
casings and $17,000 in U.S. currency.
When the raids concluded, Multinational Division Baghdad troops seized
a 60 mm mortar tube with base plate, 100 60 mm and 81 mm mortar rounds,
four AK-47s with magazines, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, two
102 mm rockets, two hand grenades, five cases of 7.62 mm ammunition and
various bomb-making materials. Soldiers removed the smaller weapons and
an explosive ordnance disposal team conducted a controlled detonation
to destroy the larger munitions.
In another operation, Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers and Iraqi
police seized explosives last night after searching a building north of
Baghdad. While conducting a dismounted combined patrol, soldiers from
1st Battalion, 66th Armor Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th
Infantry Division, and Iraqi police were attacked by terrorists using
small-arms fire from an apartment complex.
The soldiers and police searched the building and found five blocks of
explosives, an AK-47 and ammunition. Six suspects were questioned and
taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Increasing violence in Baghdad is due to
sectarian tensions, and the solution to the problem will involve more
than increased security forces, a Defense Department spokesman said here
today.
The U.S. will be shifting more forces into Baghdad to stem the
violence, but Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's reconciliation plan and
government activities are just as important in resolving the situation,
Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said.
"It's a more holistic approach in how you deal with the situation that
has developed in Baghdad," he said.
A sharp increase in civilian casualties in Baghdad can be attributed to
the fact that civilians make easy targets for terrorists, Whitman said.
Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., the commander of Multinational Force
Iraq, has indicated that he can increase the number of troops in Baghdad
with forces he already has in Iraq, Whitman said. As the shift occurs,
the focus in the country will remain the same -- to build the capacity
of the Iraqi security forces and the government to take over more
security responsibilities, he said.
President Bush announced yesterday during a news conference with Maliki
that additional U.S. military police will be moved to Baghdad from
other parts of Iraq to help stem the increase in insurgent violence
plaguing the city.
The security situation in Iraq is always evolving, and some areas pose
greater challenges than others, Whitman said. But, he added, progress
still is being made in the country, and Iraqi forces are taking over
security responsibilities on a weekly basis.
Army Capt. Demechel Robinson likes helping people.
From her job as the assistant logistics officer of 3rd Brigade Combat
Team, 101st Airborne Division, to her involvement in many charitable
organizations, she spends most of her time giving something back -- to her
community, her country, and her fellow soldiers.
Robinson helps bring 3rd Brigade Combat Team troops on the ground
medical supplies, water, food, ammunition and other necessities by providing
an accurate and continuous picture of the brigade's combat power.
She explained that her biggest sense of job satisfaction comes from
knowing the work she does means something and is helping provide what the
soldiers need to survive. She said she is also proud that the soldiers
know she and the other members of her team are there for them when they
need them.
One of the biggest challenges she has encountered during her tour in
Iraq is communication. The 3rd BCT covers a wide area of operation
spanning an area roughly the shape and size of Vermont. Sometimes unit
logistics specialists are not able to get supplies to the troops as fast as
they would like, but they always get them there.
Robinson hails from a military family. Her father, Simmie Robinson,
retired from the Air Force after 21 years, and she has a sister and two
cousins that have also "aimed high," completing Air Force enlistments.
She said her original plan was to stick to the family tradition and join
the Air Force too, but the Army won her over.
Entering active duty in 1991, Robinson enlisted as a private and spent
nine years on active duty before transferring to the Army Reserve as a
staff sergeant in 2000 to pursue a degree at the University of Texas,
San Antonio. In 2003, Robinson graduated with a degree in community
health and a commission as an Army second lieutenant.
"I hope to one day provide medical assistance to low-income people,"
she said. "That's one of the biggest things I see. Medicine has come so
far, but so few can afford it."
Robinson's first assignment was with the 2nd Infantry Division in Korea
before landing at the home of the Rakkasans of the 3rd Brigade Combat
Team, 101st Airborne Division.
"I would have been really disappointed if I had not gotten the 101st,"
she said. "I think working with the senior staff officers and the
soldiers has made me who I am at this point in my military career."
Outside the military, Robinson is active in the charitable sorority
Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. and the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and said she
donates time, money, clothes and food on a regular basis.
When asked what she would like to tell the people back home, Robinson
quickly replied: "I would like to let the American people know that we
are over here doing what we need to do, and its not all negative like it
sometimes gets portrayed. ... I really feel good about what I'm doing
over here."
President Bush thanked Romanian President
Traian Basescu today for his country's strong support for the young
democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speaking at a photo opportunity in the Oval Office between working
sessions, the two leaders told reporters they share goals for the region
and will continue their commitment to peace there.
"Romania will continue to remain an ally of the United States in
supporting the democracy in Iraq and Afghanistan," Basescu said.
Romania is a "stalwart ally" in the terror war, with just under 700
troops in Iraq and about 800 in Afghanistan, a senior defense official
told Pentagon reporters today. In addition, Romania contributes more than
150 troops to the Kosovo peacekeeping force and has some 80 more in
Bosnia, he noted.
During his early-morning photo session with Basescu, Bush condemned
terrorists who "can't stand the thought of democracy taking hold in parts
of the ... Middle East."
"As democracy begins to advance, they use terrorist tactics to stop
it," he said.
Bush said he's not surprised by reports of a videotape featuring Dr.
Ayman al-Zawahiri, a key al Qaeda operative, urging Muslims to become
martyrs in the conflict in Lebanon.
"Zawahiri's attitude about life is that there shouldn't be free
societies, and he believes that people ought to use terrorist tactics -- the
killing of innocent people -- to achieve his objective," Bush said. "And
so I'm not surprised he feels like he needs to lend his voice to
terrorist activities that are trying to prevent democracies from stepping
forward."
Bush said his goal is to address the root causes of the dispute between
Lebanon's Hezbollah militia and Israel to create "a lasting peace, not
a fake peace." He praised Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's
efforts, noting: "There's a serious diplomatic effort going forward."
"Our objective is to ... make sure those who use terrorist tactics are
not rewarded and, at the same time, help those who have suffered as a
result of the responses," he said.
Today's discussions between Bush and Basescu extended beyond the Middle
East to include security concerns in the Black Sea region and the
Balkans. Bush called Romania's role in the area of historical conflict
vital.
Neither leader spoke to reporters about two other issues expected to be
raised today: an oil pipeline from Central Asia to Europe that crosses
the Black Sea or plans for the U.S. to use military bases in Romania.
Rice and Mihai Razvan Ungureanu, Romania's foreign minister, signed an
agreement in early December that will give the U.S. military access to
military bases in Romania.
Basescu was scheduled to visit the Pentagon later today to meet with
Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
Today's Army is the best the U.S. has ever
sent into combat, and initiatives under way will ensure it remains that
way, the Army chief of staff said in a statement released last night.
Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker said he's confident that efforts from the Army
and Defense Department staffs, in Congress and the White House will
ensure the Army is equipped and financed to face "the many challenges that
lie ahead during these dangerous times."
Schoomaker, who came out of retirement to accept the Army's top
military job, disputed recent public statements criticizing Army readiness.
"The Army has been at war for close to five years now and I am
extremely proud of all of our soldiers, civilians, and families," he wrote. "We
have asked a lot of them, from repetitive combat tours, to transforming
the Army, to expanding our training base, to resetting our combat
equipment.
"Simply put, this is the finest Army this nation has ever put into
combat," Schoomaker said. "Our soldiers' collective efforts have been
magnificent."
What's needed now is a commitment that ensures the force remains
prepared for the future, he said.
Schoomaker cited his June 27 testimony before the House Armed Services
Committee and reiterated four key requirements needed to maintain Army
readiness:
- Timely passage of the National Defense Authorization Bill;
- Growth of the Army's base budget;
- Supplementary funding of $17.1 billion to repair, replace and
refurbish Army equipment in fiscal 2007; and
- An additional $12-13 billion a year for two to three years following
hostilities to repair and replace worn Army equipment, particularly if
current operational tempos continue.
"To prevail in the long struggle (in which) we are now engaged, we must
maintain our readiness by resetting those who have deployed through a
disciplined, orderly reconstitution of combat power," Schoomaker said in
his June testimony. "Our soldiers' effectiveness depends upon a
national commitment to recruit, train, equip and support them properly."
The high demand of fighting the war on terror has put a major strain on
Army equipment, Schoomaker told the committee, pointing to harsh
operating environments in Iraq and Afghanistan. In Iraq, crews are driving
tanks more than 4,000 miles per year, five times more than the expected
annual usage of 800 miles, he said. Army helicopters are experiencing
usage rates about three times higher than the programmed rate, and trucks
are operating five to six times their programmed rate.
"This extreme wear is further exacerbated by the addition of heavy
armor kits and other force protection initiatives," he said. "The
compounding effect of increasing tempo and severe operating conditions in combat
is decreasing the life of our equipment."
CONTRACTS from the United States Department of Defense
No. 722-06
CONTRACTS
ARMY
BAE Systems Land & Armaments, York, Pa., was awarded on July 26, 2006, delivery order amount of $192,628,556 as part of a $192,628,556
firm-fixed-price contract for FY06 remanufacture of Bradley vehicles.
Work
will be performed in York, Pa. (83 percent), Aiken, S.C. (5 percent),
San
Jose, Calif. (8 percent), and Fayette, Pa. (4 percent), and is expected
to be
completed by Dec. 31, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end
of the
current fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on May
17,
2006. The Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich.,
is the
contracting activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).
BAE Systems Land & Armaments, York, Pa., was awarded on July 26, 2006,
a
delivery order amount of $30,879,800 as part of a $30,879,800
firm-fixed-price
contract for FY06 remanufacture of Bradley vehicles. Work will be
performed
in York, Pa. (83 percent), Aiken, S.C. (5 percent), San Jose, Calif. (8
percent), and Fayette, Pa. (4 percent), and is expected to be completed
by
Dec. 31, 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the
current
fiscal year. This was a sole source contract initiated on May 17,
2006. The
Army Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the
contracting
activity (W56HZV-05-G-0005).
Chickasaw Nation Industries Inc.*, Ada, Okla., was awarded on July 25,
2006,
a $20,868,745 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for
relocatable
facilities for combat aviation brigades. Work will be performed at
Fort
Riley, Kan., and is expected to be completed by July 1, 2007. Contract
funds
will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This was a sole
source
contract initiated on May 31, 2006. The Army Corps of Engineers,
Kansas City,
Mo., is the contracting activity (W912DQ-06-C-0039).
Bean Stuyvesant, New Orleans, La., was awarded on July 25, 2006, a
$12,815,300 firm-fixed-price contract for Columbia River channel
improvement
and maintenance dredging. Work will be performed in Astoria, Ore., and
is
expected to be completed by July 13, 2007. Contract funds will not
expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. There were two bids solicited on
May 18,
2006, and three bids were received. The Army Corps of Engineers,
Portland,
Ore., is the contracting activity (W9127N-06-C-0034).
JMR Construction Corp.*, Folsom, Calif., was awarded on July 25, 2006,
a
$6,691,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a modern
freestanding
dental clinic facility. Work will be performed in Monterey, Calif.,
and is
expected to be completed by Nov. 1, 2007. Contract funds will not
expire at
the end of the current fiscal year. There were three bids solicited on
May
19, 2006, and two bids were received. The Army Corps of Engineers,
Sacramento, Calif., is the contracting activity (W91238-06-C-0021).
H. Koch and Sons Co., Anaheim, Calif., was awarded on July 26, 2006, a
$5,094,999 modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for two and four
belt
restraint kits for the improved high mobility multipurpose wheeled
vehicles.
Work will be performed in Anaheim, Calif., and is expected to be
completed by
Nov. 4, 2007. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal
year. This was a sole source contract initiated on Oct. 24, 2005. The
Army
Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command, Warren, Mich., is the
contracting
activity (W56HZV-06-C-0052).
Kellogg Brown & Root Services Inc., Arlington, Va., was awarded on
July 26,
2006, a delivery order amount of $5,000,000 as part of a $54,069,740
firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-award-fee contract to provide all
resources and
management necessary to plan for, establish, maintain, and dismantle
base camp
and remote site operations in support of contingency operations.
Performance
location will be determined with each delivery order, and is expected
to be
completed by June 30, 2011. Contract funds will not expire at the end
of the
current fiscal year. There were 66 bids solicited on Sept. 29, 2003,
and
three bids were received. The Army Transatlantic Programs Center,
Winchester,
Va., is the contracting activity (W912ER-05-D-0003).
NAVY
Northrop Grumman Corp., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a
$135,821,763
modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-award-fee
contract
for continued development and test of the RQ-8B Fire Scout vertical
takeoff
unmanned vehicle. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif. (81
percent);
Moss Point, Miss. (7 percent); Horsehead, N.Y. (6 percent);
Wilsonville, Ore.
(4 percent); and Wayne, N.J. (2 percent) and is expected to be
completed in
August 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current
fiscal
year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the
contracting
activity.
Science Applications International Corp., McLean, Va., is being
awarded an
$8,639,983 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for data collection and
technical
analysis services in support of the U.S. Joint Forces command joint
fires
integration and interoperability team. This contract includes one base
year
and four one-year options, which if exercised, bring the total
estimated value
of the contract to $59,894,319. Work will be performed in Eglin Air
Force
Base, Fla. (90 percent), and other continental United States locations
(10
percent) and work is expected to be completed by August 2007. Contract
funds
will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was
competitively procured through Navy Commerce Online, with three offers
received. The Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Norfolk Contracting
Department, Philadelphia Division, is the contracting activity
(N00140-06-D-0057).
General Electric Aircraft Engines, Lynn, Mass., is being awarded an
$8,569,193 repairables order (GB28) under a previously awarded contract
for
repair or replacement of F414 engine components utilized on the F/A-18
aircraft. Work will be performed in Lynn, Mass., and is expected to be
completed by October 2006. Contract funds will not expire before the
end of
the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured.
The
Naval Inventory Control Point is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Lockheed Martin Co., Orlando, Fla., is being awarded an $87,429,990
firm-fixed-price contract. This action provides for joint
air-to-surface
standoff missile, initial operational capability and full operational
capability assets. This effort supports foreign military sales to the
Commonwealth of Australia (100 percent). At this time, $87,429,990 has
been
obligated. Solicitations began March 2006 and negotiations were
complete July
2006. This work will be complete December 2011. Headquarters 328th
Armament
Systems Group, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity
(FA8682-06-D-0072-0002 (long lead assets and FA8682-06-D-0072-0004
(balance of
assets).
Boeing Co., Long Beach, Calif., is being awarded an $80,700,000
cost-plus-incentive-fee/fixed-price award fee/time and materials
contract
modification. This contract modification is a foreign military sales
requirement for Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) C-17 Globemaster III
sustainment partnership program. The RAAF is buying four C-17 aircraft
(via a
separate contracting action). This action incorporates the RAAF
aircraft into
the C-17 "virtual fleet" which includes aircraft maintenance, upgrade,
and
sustainment. At this time, $39,750 has been obligated. Headquarters
Aeronautical Systems Center, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is
the
contracting activity (FA8614-04-C-2004/P00110).
Boeing Co., McDonnell Douglas Aerospace Division, St. Louis, Mo., is
being
awarded a $10,523,457 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. This action
provides for
the small diameter bomb (SDB), increment I program plans to award a
$10,523,457 effort for providing a universal armament interface (UAI)
compliant carriage system (Bomb Rack Unit-61A). This effort will
provide
warfighter with UAI compliant miniature munitions carriage by Dec. 31,
2009,
while retaining legacy interfaces. This enables both SDB I and II
weapon
systems to fully integrate on aircraft platforms that are UAI compliant
while
maintaining current load-out with SDB I on F-15E. At this time,
$4,600,000 has
been obligated. This work will be complete December 2009. Solicitation
began
May 2006 and was completed in July 2006. Headquarters Air Armament
Center,
Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity
(FA8681-06-C-0210).
* Small Business
