DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Lockheed Martin Corp., For MH-60R Helicopters Under FMS Program

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. DoD Awarded Contract To Lockheed Martin Corp., For MH-60R Helicopters Under FMS Program

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth +  U.S. DoD issued No. 773-13 November 5, 2013
(NSI News Source Info) KOTTAKKAL, Kerala, India - November 13, 2013: Lockheed Martin Corp., Owego, N.Y., is being awarded $10,458,900 for firm-fixed-price delivery order 4092 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-09-G-0005) for non-recurring engineering efforts for development and testing of the system configuration 15 series modifications to the MH-60R VHF Omni-directional Range/Instrument Landing System, crash data recorder, and ABS-B Out for the Government of Australia under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) Program. 

Work will be performed in Owego, N.Y., and is expected to be completed in February 2016. 

FMS funds in the amount of $10,458,900 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. 

The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

The Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multimission helicopter replaces SH-60B and SH-60F helicopters in the US Navy's fleet and combines the capabilities of these aircraft. MH-60R is also referred to as 'Romeo'.

The helicopter is equipped for a range of missions, including: anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASuW), search and rescue (SAR), naval gunfire support (NGFS), surveillance, communications relay, logistics support and personnel transfer and vertical replenishment (VERTREP). For vertical replenishment missions, the helicopter is fitted with a 2,721.55kg (6,000lb) cargo hook. Lockheed Martin, Owego, is the mission systems integrator.

MH-60R Seahawk helicopter development
The maiden flight of the MH-60R took place in July 2001. The first low-rate initial production (LRIP) helicopters were remanufactured SH-60Bs but the following MH-60Rs are all new-builds.

The first new production MH-60R helicopter was delivered in August 2005. Operational evaluation (OPEVAL) was completed in October 2005 and full-rate production approved in April 2006.

Production levels are due to increase to up to 30 helicopters a month. The US Navy expects to operate 252 MH-60R helicopters by 2015.

In October 2007, the US Navy established the first of five MH-60R squadrons, Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71 at Naval Air Station (NAS) North Island, San Diego.

In March 2008, the MH-60R conducted first 'at sea' operations from the USS Preble (DDG-88) Aegis destroyer. First operational deployment of the helicopter was completed in early 2009 with the USS Stennis carrier group.

The helicopter operates from frigates, destroyers, cruisers, amphibious ships and aircraft carriers and is suitable for intense littoral warfare operations for handling numerous contacts in confined spaces, and for open-water operations

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth +  U.S. DoD issued No. 773-13 November 5, 2013
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News 
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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - FACEBOOK: 'The Faces of Facebook' Displays All of Facebook's 1.2 Billion Profile Pics in One Project

DTN News - FACEBOOK: 'The Faces of Facebook' Displays All of Facebook's 1.2 billion Profile Pics in One Project

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Daniel Bean, Yahoo News 
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 29, 2013: Facebook has over 1.2 billion users, and a new web project from programmer Natalie Rojas has brought them all together as a mosaic of user pics on The Faces of Facebook.

Visually impressive, the site loads up as a supposed view of Facebook's 1.2 billion users. You can select any area of the picture to zoom in for a closer look at clusters of individual profile images, all chronologically ordered, according to Rojas. Hovering over a user's picture will give you their name and "FACE #," representing the order all profiles were created. Clicking a user's picture will even launch their full profile page on Facebook.

Of course, if a profile is marked as private, no information that isn't publicly available is shown here or when following the link to the full profile. "Relax. We're not breaking any Facebook privacy rule because we don't store anyone's private information, pictures or names," Rojas writes.

"We've just found a harmless way to show 1,260,866,093 Facebook profile pictures and organize them in chronological order"

The Faces of Facebook experience is enhanced if you sign in to your Facebook account while visiting. The project will give you the FACE #s for you and your friends, and also point out the areas where you each lie on the overview.

So visit the page and see which of your friends has the longest Facebook tenure. Just understand that none of you have been around longer than Mark Zuckerberg - he is, naturally, FACE #1.


*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources By Daniel Bean, Yahoo News 
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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: US DoD Has Awarded Contracts To Lockheed Martin For F-35 JSF Aircrafts

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: US DoD Has Awarded Contracts To Lockheed Martin For F-35 JSF Aircrafts

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by K. V. Seth from reliable sources U.S. DoD #691-13 Dated September 27, 2013 + Baynet.com

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 28, 2013: The U.S. Department of Defense and Lockheed Martin signed two F-35 contracts today, valued at $7.8 billion, for a total of 71 F-35 Lightning II aircraft to be produced in the sixth and seventh Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) lots. These agreements are a significant milestone for the F-35 Program, and reflect cost reduction initiatives shared by government and industry.
The LRIP 6 contract, valued at $4.4 billion ($3.7 billion awarded through a December 2012 undefinitized contract action; ref: N00019-11-C-0083, and $0.7 billion awarded through today’s contract) funds production of 36 aircraft, with average aircraft unit cost approximately 2.5 percent lower than LRIP 5 aircraft. LRIP 6 per variant unit prices (not including engine cost) follow:

·   23 F-35As CTOL - $103 million/jet

·   6 F-35B STOVL - $109 million/jet

·   7 F-35C CV - $120 million/jet

The LRIP 7 contract, valued at $3.4 billion, funds the production of 35 aircraft, with average aircraft unit cost approximately 6 percent lower than LRIP 5 aircraft. F-35 LRIP 7 per variant unit prices (not including engine cost) follow: 

·   24 F-35As CTOL - $98 million/jet

·   7 F-35B STOVL - $104 million/jet

·   4 F-35C CV - $116 million/jet

The 71 aircraft are currently in various stages of production. Lockheed Martin will begin delivering LRIP 6 aircraft in the second quarter of 2014 and LRIP 7 jets in the second quarter of 2015. LRIP 6 will mark the first delivery of international F-35 jets for Italy and Australia, and LRIP 7 will mark the first delivery to Norway.

 The LRIP 6 and 7 contract terms reduce the government’s exposure to target cost overruns relative to previous LRIP contracts. In the LRIP 6 and 7 buy, Lockheed Martin will cover all cost overruns. The government and Lockheed Martin will share returns (20/80) derived from any under runs in target cost.

 The LRIP 6 and 7 contracts contain performance-based payments, whereby the contractor will receive incremental payment as measured goals are achieved along the production line until government aircraft acceptance. LRIP 6 and 7 contracts also include a concurrency clause which requires Lockheed Martin to share costs equally with the government (50/50) for known concurrency changes arising from System Development and Demonstration testing and qualification. Newly discovered concurrency changes identified during LRIP 6 and 7 production periods will be authorized via engineering change proposals.

F-35 engines are funded through separate contract actions with Pratt & Whitney.

Lorraine Martin, VP and GM of the F-35 Program, said about the contracts “Lockheed Martin is extremely pleased with the LRIP 6 and 7 contract signing, which represents a significant milestone for the F-35 Program and its path to enhanced affordability. With each successive production lot, unit costs have declined. That’s a trend we look forward to continuing as this program moves toward full rate production and operational maturity. Working together with the Joint Program Office, our entire industrial team is focused on delivering the F-35’s 5th generation capabilities to our Armed Forces and partner nations at a 4th generation price point.”

U.S. DoD #691-13 Dated September 27, 2013

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $3,405,427,661 modification with fixed-price-incentive-firm, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost-plus-incentive-fee line items to a previously awarded advance acquisition contract (N00019-12-C-0004) for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot VII F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft production. This modification provides for the manufacture and delivery of 19 F-35 Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) for the U.S. Air Force; six F-35 Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft for the U.S. Marine Corps; four F-35 Carrier Variant (CV) aircraft for the U.S. Navy; two F-35 CTOL aircraft for Norway; three F-35 CTOL aircraft for Italy; and one (1) F-35 STOVL for the United Kingdom. This modification also provides for LRIP Lot 7 production requirements, including manufacturing support equipment, diminishing manufacturing sources management, ancillary mission equipment, including Pilot Flight Equipment, and concurrency changes to LRIP Lot 7 aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Navy, and for non-U.S. DoD Participants in the F-35 Program. Concurrency changes are changes to the LRIP Lot 7 configuration baseline resulting from the F-35 development effort. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (55 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (15 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (10 percent); Orlando, Fla. (5 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and Cameri, Italy (5 percent). Aircraft deliveries are expected to be completed in October 2016. Fiscal 2013 Aircraft Procurement, Air Force; Fiscal 2013 Aircraft Procurement Navy; and International Partner funding in the amount of $3,405,427,661 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($1,823,737,540; 53.55 percent), U.S. Marine Corps ($567,802,742; 16.67 percent), the U.S. Navy ($401,457,402; 11.79 percent); and the Governments of Italy, Norway, United Kingdom, Australia, Turkey, the Netherlands, Canada, and Denmark ($612,429,977; 34.46 percent) The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $742,657,068 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive (firm target) modification to the previously awarded F-35 Lightning II Low Rate Initial Production Lot VI advance acquisition contract (N00019-11-C-0083). This modification provides for the manufacture and delivery of two F-35 Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft for the Government of Australia and three F-35 CTOL aircraft for the Government of Italy. In addition, this modification provides for LRIP Lot VI production requirements, including manufacturing support equipment, diminishing manufacturing sources management, ancillary mission equipment including pilot flight equipment, and concurrency changes to LRIP Lot VI aircraft for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, the U.S. Navy, and the non-U.S. DoD Participants in the F-35 Program. Concurrency changes are changes to the LRIP Lot VI configuration baseline resulting from the F-35 development effort. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (55 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (15 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (10 percent); Orlando, Fla. (5 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); Baltimore, Md. (5 percent); and Cameri, Italy (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2016. Fiscal 2012 and 2013 Aircraft Procurement, Air Force; Fiscal 2012 Aircraft Procurement, Navy; and International Partner funding in the amount of $742,657,068 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($130,677,491; 17.60 percent); the U.S. Navy/Marine Corps ($66,199,572; 8.92 percent); and the Governments of Italy, Australia, United Kingdom, Turkey, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway and Denmark ($545,780,005; 73.49 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.

*Link for This article compiled by K. V. Seth - DTN News from reliable sources U.S. DoD #691-13 Dated September 27, 2013 + Baynet.com
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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: U.S. And Israel Are Nervous About Chinese Entry Into The UAV Market

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS:  U.S. And Israel Are Nervous About Chinese Entry Into The UAV Market

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Strategy Page
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 24, 2013:  Despite all the publicity American UAVs receive, the major exporter of UAVs in the last decade has been Israel. Between 2002 and 2012 Israel exported $4.7 billion worth of UAVs, about twice as much as the U.S. exported. Part of this was due to the U.S. military demand for UAVs in Iraq and Afghanistan, which was largely met by American suppliers. But there were also U.S. government restrictions on American UAV exports. These still exist, for political (no weapons and a long list of countries that cannot buy) and security (many countries cannot be trusted to keep American secrets secret). These restrictions are becoming a major issue for U.S. UAV manufacturers because Israel already has a head start as an exporter and China (using copies of many Israeli and U.S. UAVs) is coming up fast. The UAV market is expected to double (to over $11 billion a year) in the next decade and American firms have to export to survive, because the American military has cut purchases way back and will not be buying much for the next five years (or more).

It’s understandable that the Israelis are leading exporters, as they developed a lot of the basic technology that made possible best-selling American models (like Predator and Raven). Israel kept developing UAV tech after successful American designs appeared. As a result of this trend, in the last decade nations have found that if they wanted American style UAVs but often could no buy American for whatever reason. But the Israelis probably had what you needed, and often at a better price.

Take, for example, the well-known American MQ-1 Predator. This is a one ton aircraft that is 8.7 meters (27 feet) long with a wingspan of 15.8 meters (49 feet). It has two hard points, which usually carry one (47 kg/107 pound) Hellfire each. Max speed of the Predator is 215 kilometers an hour while max cruising speed is 160 kilometers an hour. Max altitude is 8,000 meters (25,000 feet). Typical sorties are 12-20 hours each. The Predator evolved from concepts and UAV designs developed in Israel and Israel has long offered cheaper (and often similar looking) models that did what Predator did.

Before the Predator there was the Gnat 750 and  I-Gnat ER/ Sky Warrior Alpha. These looked like Predator and in terms of design and capabilities they were cousins, not siblings. The Gnat is a 1980s design that was used in Iraq, along with and the I-Gnat ER, which was similar in size and capabilities to Predator. All of these UAVs evolved from earlier Israeli designs and UAV concepts.

Another UAV with Israeli DNA was the Shadow 200. This was a 159 kg (350 pound) UAV that carries day and night cameras and laser designators but usually no weapons. Shadow is being replaced by the much larger MQ-1C. This “improved Predator” weighs 1.5 tons, carries 135.4 kg (300 pounds) of sensors internally, and up to 227.3 kg (500 pounds) of sensors or weapons externally. It has an endurance of up to 36 hours and a top speed of 270 kilometers an hour. MQ-1C has a wingspan of 18 meters (56 feet) and is 9 meters (28 feet) long. The MQ-1C can carry four Hellfire missiles (compared to two on the Predator), or a dozen smaller 70mm guided missiles. Each MQ-1C costs about $10 million. The army uses warrant officers as operators. The MQ-1C has automated takeoff and landing software and is equipped with a full array of electronics (target designators and digital communications so troops on the ground can see what the UAV sees).

As its model number (MQ-1C) indicates, this UAV is a Predator (MQ-1) replacement. The U.S. Air Force had planned to replace its MQ-1s with MQ-1Cs but later decided to buy only larger Reapers. The MQ-1C was developed for the army. The last member of the Predator family is the MQ-9 Reaper. This is a 4.7 ton, 11 meter (36 foot) long aircraft with a 20 meter (66 foot) wingspan that looks like the MQ-1. It has six hard points and can carry about a ton (2,400 pounds) of weapons. These include Hellfire missiles (up to eight), two Sidewinder or two AMRAAM air-to-air missiles, two Maverick missiles, or two 227 kg (500) pound smart bombs (laser or GPS guided). Max speed is 400 kilometers an hour, and max endurance is 15 hours. The Reaper is considered a combat aircraft, to replace F-16s or A-10s in ground support missions.

The most numerous U.S. Army UAVs are the micro-UAVs (Ravens and Pumas). There are over 6,000 of these tiny (under six kg/13.2 pound) reconnaissance aircraft in army service. They are the most heavily used UAVs. The RQ-11 Raven is a two kilogram (4.4 pound) aircraft popular with combat and non-combat troops alike. The current RQ-11B can stay in the air for 80 minutes at a time. The Raven is battery powered (and largely silent unless flown close to the ground). It carries a color day vidcam or a two color infrared night camera. The larger (5.9 kg) Puma AE UAV can stay in the air twice as long as Raven is more resistant to bad weather and carries better sensors.

Israel has UAVs similar in capabilities to all those mentioned above, and in many cases the Israeli versions got into service first. But that won’t do much good with the Chinese closing in. Both the U.S. and Israel are nervous about Chinese entry into the UAV market. The Chinese stuff is often copied or stolen tech and usually not as effective orreliable. But the Chinese stuff is cheaper and they will sell anything to anyone who can pay.  The Chinese pay more attention to Israeli UAVs and sales methods than those of the United States. Israel exports 80 percent of its UAVs and has customers in fifty countries. Unlike the United States, Israeli UAVs can operate within Israel and are heavily used by the Israeli military. This gives Israeli UAVs that “combat proven” seal of approval.

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Strategy Page
*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 
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Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Major News Media (NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 17, 2013: Comprehensive daily news related to Paris Air Show from Le Bourget, France. *Comprehensive daily news related to Paris Air Show from Le Bourget, France.

DTN News: Paris Air Show Top Stories / Headlines News Dated June 17, 2013

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Major News Media

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 17, 2013: Comprehensive daily news related to Paris Air Show from Le Bourget, France.

*Comprehensive daily news related to Paris Air Show from Le Bourget, France.

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated May 29, 2013

DTN News: U.S. Department of Defense Contracts Dated May 29, 2013
Source: U.S. DoD issued No.  370-13 May 29, 2013
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 29, 2013: U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) Contracts issued  May 29, 2013  are undermentioned;

CONTRACTS

DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY

            Philips Healthcare Informatics, Foster City, Calif., has been awarded a maximum $88,477,787 modification (P00002) exercising the first option year of a two year base contract (SPM2D1-11-D-8305) with one two-year option and one one-year option periods for digital imaging network-picture archive communication system.  The contract is a firm-fixed-price contract.  Location of performance is California with a June 2, 2015 performance completion date.  Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies.  Type of appropriation is fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2015 Defense Working Capital funds.  The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa. 

NAVY

            ManTech TSG-1 Joint Venture - Fairfax, Va. (N00189-13-D-0019); TASC Inc., Andover, Md. (N00189-13-D-0020); Gryphon Technologies L.C., Washington, D.C. (N00189-13-D-0021); CGI Federal Inc., Fairfax, Va. (N00189-13-D-0022); Alion Science and Technology Corp., Burr Ridge, Ill. (N00189-13-D-0023); Wyle Laboratories Inc., Huntsville, Ala. (N00189-13-D-0024); and Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Va. (N00189-13-D-0025), is being awarded a indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract with fixed-price provisions for operational test and evaluation analytical support services to Command Operational Test and Evaluation Force.  ManTech TSG-1 Joint Venture is being awarded $11,773,778, and if all options are exercised, the total aggregate value will be $35,994,900.  TASC Inc. is being awarded $13,254,787, and if all options are exercised, the total aggregate value will be $40,296,352.  Gryphon Technologies L.C., is being awarded $13,409,846, and if all options are exercised, the total aggregate value will be $41,353,490.  CGI Federal Inc. is being awarded $13,723,896, and if all options are exercised, the total aggregate value will be $41,725,463.  Alion Science and Technology Corp., is being awarded $14,795,958, and if all options are exercised, the total aggregate value will be $45,217,337.  Wyle Laboratories is being awarded $15,408,024, and if all options are exercised, the total aggregate value will be $47,118,477.  Booz Allen Hamilton is being awarded $16,700,031, and if all options are exercised, the total aggregate value will be $51,039,160.  Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va., and work is expected to be completed June 2, 2014.  If all options are exercised, work will continue through June 3, 2016.  Research, Development, Test & Evaluation funding in the amount of $20,000 for the minimum guarantee, will be obligated and will be equally divided among all contractors.  Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The contract was competitively procured under full and open competition and solicited via the Navy Electronic Commerce On-line and Federal Business Opportunities websites, with seven offers were received in response to this solicitation.   The NAVSUP Fleet Logistics Center, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. 

            Lockheed Martin Corp., Liverpool, N.Y., is being awarded a $39,050,000 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-5300) to exercise a firm-fixed-price option for the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 2 System low-rate initial production units.  SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) Electronic Warfare System. The SEWIP Block 2 will greatly improve the receiver/antenna group necessary to keep capabilities current with the pace of the threat and to yield improved system integration.  Work will be performed in Syracuse, N.Y. (68 percent), and in Lansdale, Pa. (32 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2014.   Fiscal 2013 Other Procurement, Navy funding in the amount of $39,050,000 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

            Raytheon Co., Fullerton, Calif., is being awarded a $14,633,925 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-08-C-0034) for the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS) maintenance Design Phase II.  This modification includes assessing, documenting and implementing design modifications to the existing maintenance design to allow for increased organizational level maintenance of the JPALS Increment 1A Ship system.  Work will be performed in Fullerton, Calif. (60 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (28 percent); and Indianapolis, Ind., (12 percent); and is expected to be completed in December 2013.  Fiscal 2012 and 2013 Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, Navy contract funds in the amount of $13,944,653 are being obligated on this award, $5,326,104 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. 

            Honeywell International Inc., Aerospace – Defense & Space, Albuquerque, N.M., is being awarded a $9,029,507 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement of 121 advanced multi-purpose displays for the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft.   Work will be performed in Albuquerque, N.M., and is expected to be completed in January 2015.  Fiscal 2013 Aircraft Procurement Navy contract funds in the amount of $9,029,507 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-13-C-0048). 

ARMY

CORRECTION (dollar amount corrected from 24 September 2012 release) 

            BAE Systems Land and Armaments L.P., Sterling Heights, Mich., was awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee contract with a maximum value of $234,330,410 for the engineering design, logistics and test and evaluation services in support of the Bradley Engineering Change Proposal Effort.  Work will be performed in York, Pa.; Sterling Heights, Mich.; Santa Clara, Calif.; and Akin, S.C.; with an estimated completion date of Sept. 29, 2017.  Fiscal 2011 research, development, testing and evaluation funds in the amount of $55,899,804 were obligated at time of award.  The bid was solicited through the Internet, with one bid received.  The Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity (W56HZV-12-C-0358).

*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources U.S. DoD issued No.  370-13 May 29, 2013
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*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News Contact:dtnnews@ymail.com 
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DTN News - STRATFOR: U.S., Mexico - The Decline of The Colorado River

DTN News - STRATFOR: U.S., Mexico - The Decline of The Colorado River

Source: DTN News - - This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Stratfor
(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 14, 2013: An amendment to a standing water treaty between the United States and Mexico has received publicity over the past six months as an example of progress in water sharing agreements. But the amendment, called Minute 319, is simply a glimpse into ongoing mismanagement of the Colorado River on the U.S. side of the border. 

Over-allocation of the river's waters 90 years ago combined with increasing populations and economic growth in the river basin have created circumstances in which conservation efforts -- no matter how organized -- could be too little to overcome the projected water deficit that the Colorado River Basin will face in the next 20 years.

ANALYSIS

In 1922, the seven U.S. states in the Colorado River Basin established a compact to distribute the resources of the river. A border between the Upper and Lower basins was defined at Lees Ferry, Ariz. The Upper Basin (Wyoming, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico) was allocated 9.25 billion cubic meters a year, and the Lower Basin (Arizona, California and Nevada) was allotted 10.45 billion cubic meters. Mexico was allowed an unspecified amount, which in 1944 was defined as 1.85 billion cubic meters a year. The Upper and Lower basins -- managed as separate organizations under the supervision of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation -- divided their allocated water among the states in their jurisdictions. Numerous disputes arose, especially in the Lower Basin, regarding proper division of the water resources. But the use of (and disputes over) the Colorado River began long before these treaties. 

As the United States' territory expanded to the west, the Colorado River briefly was considered a portal to the isolated frontier of the southwestern United States, since it was often cheaper to take a longer path via water to transport goods and people in the early 19th century. There was a short-lived effort to develop the Colorado River as the "Mississippi of the West." While places like Yuma, Ariz., became military and trading outposts, the geography and erratic flow of the Colorado made the river ultimately unsuitable for mass transportation. Navigating the river often required maneuvering around exposed sand banks and through shallow waters. The advent of the railroad ended the need for river transport in the region. Shortly thereafter, large and ambitious management projects, including the Hoover Dam, became the river's main purpose.

Irrigation along the river started expanding in the second half of the 19th century, and agriculture still consumes more water from the Colorado than any other sector. Large-scale manipulation of the river began in the early 20th century, and now there are more than 20 major dams along the Colorado River, along with reservoirs such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead, and large canals that bring water to areas of the Imperial and Coachella valleys in southern California for irrigation and municipal supplies. User priority on the Colorado River is determined by the first "useful purposing" of the water. For example, the irrigated agriculture in California has priority over some municipal water supplies for Phoenix, Ariz.

Inadequate Supply and Increasing Demand

When the original total allocation of the river was set in the 1920s, it was far above regional consumption. But it was also more than the river could supply in the long term. The river was divided based on an estimated annual flow of roughly 21 billion cubic meters per year. More recent studies have indicated that the 20th century, and especially the 1920s, was a time of above-normal flows. These studies indicate that the long-term average of flow is closer to 18 billion cubic meters, with yearly flows ranging anywhere from roughly 6 billion cubic meters to nearly 25 billion cubic meters. As utilization has increased, the deficit between flow and allocation has become more apparent.

Total allocations of river resources for the Upper and Lower basins and Mexico plus water lost to evaporation adds up to more than 21 billion cubic meters per year. Currently, the Upper Basin does not use the full portion of its allocation, and large reservoirs along the river can help meet the demand of the Lower Basin. Populations in the region are expected to increase; in some states, the population could double by 2030. A study released at the end of 2012 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation predicted a possible shortage of 3 billion cubic meters by 2035.

The Colorado River provides water for irrigation of roughly 15 percent of the crops in the United States, including vegetables, fruits, cotton, alfalfa and hay. It also provides municipal water supplies for large cities, such as Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles, San Diego and Las Vegas, accounting for more than half of the water supply in many of these areas. Minute 319, signed in November 2012, gives Mexico a small amount of additional water in an attempt to restore the delta region. However, the macroeconomic impact on Mexico is minimal, since agriculture accounts for the majority of the river's use in Mexico but only about 3 percent of the gross domestic product of the Baja Norte province. 

There is an imbalance of power along the international border. The United States controls the headwaters of the Colorado River and also has a greater macroeconomic interest in maintaining the supply of water from the river. This can make individual amendments of the 1944 Treaty somewhat misleading. Because of the erratic nature of the river, the treaty effectively promises more water than the river can provide each year. Cooperation in conservation efforts and in finding alternative water sources on the U.S. side of the border, not treaty amendments, will become increasingly important as regional water use increases over the coming decades.

Conservation Efforts Along the Colorado

The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation oversees the whole river, but the management of each basin is separate. Additionally, within each basin, there are separate state management agencies and, within each state, separate regional management agencies. Given the number of participants, reaching agreements on the best method of conservation or the best alternative source of water is difficult. There are ongoing efforts at conservation, including lining canals to reduce seepage and programs to limit municipal water use. However, there is no basin-wide coordination. In a 2012 report, the Bureau of Reclamation compiled a list of suggested projects but stopped short of recommending a course of action. 

A similar report released in 2008 listed 12 general options including desalinization, vegetation management (elimination of water-intensive or invasive plants), water reuse, reduced use by power plants and joint management through water banking (water is stored either in reservoirs or in underground aquifers to use when needed). Various sources of water imports from other river basins or even icebergs are proposed as options, as is weather modification by seeding clouds in the Upper Basin. Implementation of all these options would result in an extra 5 billion cubic meters of water a year at most, which could erase the predicted deficit. However, this amount is unlikely, as it assumes maximum output from each technique and also assumes the implementation of all proposed methods, many of which are controversial either politically or environmentally and some of which are economically unviable. Additionally, many of the methods would take years to fully implement and produce their maximum capacity. Even then, a more reasonable estimate of conservation capacity would likely be closer to 1 billion-2 billion cubic meters, which would fall short of the projected deficit in 2035.

The Potential for New Disputes

Conflict over water can arise when there are competing interests for limited resources. This is seen throughout the world with rivers that traverse borders in places like Central Asia and North Africa. For the Colorado River, the U.S.-Mexico border is likely less relevant to the competition for the river's resources than the artificial border drawn at Lees Ferry.

Aside from growing populations, increased energy production from unconventional hydrocarbon sources in the Upper Basin has the potential to increase consumption. While this amount will likely be small compared to overall allocations, it emphasizes the value of water to the Upper Basin. Real or perceived threats to the Upper Basin's surplus of water could be seen as threats to economic growth in the region. At the same time, further water shortages could limit the potential for economic growth in the Lower Basin -- a situation that would only be exacerbated by growing populations.

While necessary, conservation efforts and the search for alternative sources likely will not be able to make up for the predicted shortage. Amendments to the original treaty typically have been issued to address symptomatic problems. However, the core problem remains: More water is promised to river users than is available on average. While this problem has not come to a head yet, there may come a time when regional growth overtakes conservation efforts. It is then that renegotiation of the treaty with a more realistic view of the river's volume will become necessary. Any renegotiation will be filled with conflict, but most of that likely will be contained in the United States.

Read more: U.S., Mexico: The Decline of the Colorado River | Stratfor 
*Link for This article compiled by Roger Smith from reliable sources Stratfor
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