WASHINGTON (August 1, 2007) - The U.S. Department of Defense today announced the following contract awards that pertain to local Navy activities.
American Electronic Warfare Associates, California, Md., is being awarded a $23,678,624 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee/level of effort contract (N00421-03-C-0078) to exercise an option for engineering and technical services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Atlantic Ranges and Facilities Department, Integrated Combat Environments Division. The estimated level of effort for this option period is 248,000 man-hours. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. (90 percent) and California, Md. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2008. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
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The Department of Navy announced today that Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Integrated Systems – Western Region, San Diego, Calif., has been selected to provide the Navy Unmanned Combat Air Systems Technical Demonstration.
This $635.8 Million Cost Plus Incentive Fee contract will launch a technical effort to demonstrate the aircraft carrier suitability of an autonomous low-observable unmanned air vehicle, as well as demonstrate critical aircraft carrier suitability technologies in a relevant environment.
“Today’s announcement is a significant milestone towards understanding and mastering autonomous and low-observable flight in the maritime environment,” said Dr. Delores Etter, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition. “The determined effort, long hours and hard work by both the Government team and our industry partner will build on the knowledge gained in previous joint unmanned combat system efforts and help us launch follow-on developmental efforts in the future.”
Specifically, the effort, which is scheduled to conclude in 2013, will involve shipboard operation, including catapult takeoffs, arrested landings and flight in the immediate vicinity of an aircraft carrier. The air vehicle will not carry weapons.
“This specific contract is for technology development and demonstration and will not be an operational system” explained Navy Capt. Rich Brasel, program manager for NAVAIR’s technology demonstration effort here. “But through it, we will develop knowledge, skills and technologies specific to operating an autonomous low-observable unmanned air vehicle in an aircraft carrier environment. This is a critical step in efforts to develop future Naval Aviation combat capabilities.”
Specific products of the effort, referred to as “UCAS-D,” are expected to include flight test data, test reports, trade studies, simulation, and detailed engineering analyses to enable future developmental efforts, according to Brasel.
The contractor-provided system will be comprised of two unmanned, low-observable air vehicles, two mission control segments, and a support segment. The system will be capable of autonomous launch, recovery and operations in the Carrier Control Area.
Flight testing is scheduled to begin in late 2009 and culminate with carrier flight operations in 2013.
Work will be performed in Rancho Bernardo, Calif. (38 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (29 percent); Palmdale, Calif. (13 percent); East Hartford, Conn. (7 percent); Jupiter, Fla. (2 percent); Nashville, Tenn. (2 percent); Hazelwood, Mo. (1 percent), and various locations within the United States (8 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2013. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through a request for proposals; two firms were solicited and two offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command Patuxent River, Md. is the contracting activity (N00019-07-C-0055).