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USAF Continues LRSO Development With Raytheon Technologies as Sole-Source Contractor; Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, Wes Kremer Quoted
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USAF Continues LRSO Development With Raytheon Technologies as Sole-Source Contractor; Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, Wes Kremer Quoted

USAF Continues LRSO Development With Raytheon Technologies as Sole-Source Contractor; Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, Wes Kremer Quoted

The U.S. Air Force has announced that the service branch will continue the Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) Weapon’s development with Raytheon Technologies as a sole-source contractor, the Air Force reported on Monday.

“Our competitive TMRR phase, which included both Lockheed Martin and Raytheon as the prime contractors, enabled us to select a high-confidence design at this point in the acquisition process,” said Maj. Gen. Shaun Morris, Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center commander and program executive officer for strategic systems.

The LRSO cruise missile will play a critical role in the development of the Air Force’s on-going nuclear recapitalization efforts. The Air Force previously awarded two contracts for the LRSO Technology Maturation and Risk (TMRR) phase, one to Raytheon Company and one to Lockheed Martin, in Aug. 2017.

The LRSO cruise missile is a strategic weapon that will replace the service’s legacy Air-Launched Cruise Missile. Raytheon Technologies will help the Air Force develop its existing LRSO acquisition strategy, including periodic reviews to assess contractor designs.

The LRSO program office has announced the development of plans to pivot to a sole-source environment. The program will also explore opportunities to redirect funding to critical areas and potentially move some activities into the TMRR phase currently scheduled for the Engineering and Manufacturing Development phase, including flight tests.

“I am confident in the program office’s ability to execute the next phase’s contract negotiations in a single-source environment and maintain schedule and affordability,” Morris said.  “We are committed to acquiring an affordable LRSO weapon system and we have exceptional cost and design insight into both contractors’ strategies, due to our progress with the acquisition reviews and the cost-capability trades.”

The initial contract award in Aug. 2017 was awarded to help the service branch modernize the air-based leg of the nuclear triad. The LSRO weapon will enhance the Air Force’s ability to develop advanced weapons. Each company was awarded a contract of approximately $900 million, with an approximate 54-month period of performance.

The LRSO program office, located at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is part of AFNWC’s Air Delivered Capabilities Directorate.  Headquartered at Kirtland AFB, AFNWC is responsible for synchronizing all aspects of nuclear materiel management on behalf of Air Force Materiel Command, in direct support of Air Force Global Strike Command.  The center has more than 1,300 personnel assigned to 18 locations worldwide.

“LRSO will be a critical contributor to the air-launched portion of America’s nuclear triad,” said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon Missiles and Defense. “Providing a modernized capability to the U.S. Air Force will strengthen our nation’s deterrence posture.”

Contract negotiations for the engineering and manufacturing development phase, with a strong focus on schedule realism, affordability, and cost-capability trades, will start in fiscal year 2021. The contract award is anticipated in fiscal year 2022.

About Raytheon Technologies 

Raytheon Technologies Corporation is an aerospace and defense company that provides advanced systems and services for commercial, military and government customers worldwide. With 195,000 employees and four industry-leading businesses ― Collins Aerospace Systems, Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Intelligence & Space and Raytheon Missiles & Defense ― the company delivers solutions that push the boundaries in avionics, cybersecurity, directed energy, electric propulsion, hypersonics, and quantum physics. The company, formed in 2020 through the combination of Raytheon Company and the United Technologies Corporation aerospace businesses, is headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts.

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Rite-Solutions Secures Spot on $74M Contract to Develop Undersea Weapons FoS for NUWC; Dennis McLaughlin, Mike Coffey Quoted
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Rite-Solutions Secures Spot on $74M Contract to Develop Undersea Weapons FoS for NUWC; Dennis McLaughlin, Mike Coffey Quoted

Rite-Solutions Secures Spot on $74M Contract to Develop Undersea Weapons FoS for NUWC; Dennis McLaughlin, Mike Coffey Quoted

The U.S. Navy has awarded Rite-Solutions, one of 17 companies, a five-year, $73.7 million contract to help the service branch develop future generations of its Undersea Weapons Family of Systems (FoS), the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) announced on Monday.

“We were awarded two functional areas where we have outstanding core capabilities: software development, and modeling and simulation,” explains Dennis McLaughlin, president and CEO at Rite-Solutions. “We are very pleased that NUWC recognizes our strengths in building high-performing teams and innovative software-based solutions, as reflected in this award.”

Under the contract, Rite-Solutions will develop core technologies in 12 functional areas, including payloads, propulsion, power storage and conversion, vehicle control and command and control.

In addition, NUWC will release task-order requests for proposals in specific or combined functional areas that companies that received awards may bid on. NUWC will receive components from multiple companies.

“This contract is very similar to the approach NUWC used with the Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) Multiple Award Contract,” Mike Coffey, Rite-Solutions executive vice president added.

NUWC, with the contract, will work to acquire technologies that will enable the division to develop, build and support these complex systems. The Center will also integrate and test the different technologies in the prototype phases of weapons development, which will establish the blueprints for future production.

Rite-Solutions has been selected as a prime contractor alongside other companies with demonstrated expertise in Undersea Warfare under the UUV FoS contract. “We are pleased to be included on this contract, with some of the biggest and most reputable companies in the aerospace and defense industry,” concluded Coffey.

About Rite-Solutions, Inc.

Rite-Solutions, Inc. is an award-winning small business specializing in system engineering, software development, information technology (IT), and cyber security for government and commercial segments. Rite-Solutions has offices in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Washington D.C., and Virginia.

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FBI’s Tonya Ugoretz: COVID-19 Researchers Targeted by Foreign Hackers
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FBI's Tonya Ugoretz: COVID-19 Researchers Targeted by Foreign Hackers

Tonya Ugoretz, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s cyber division, said at an online panel discussion that  nation-state hackers have targeted U.S. medical research institutions that are studying COVID-19 and developing vaccines against the novel coronavirus, CyberScoop reported Thursday.

She told participants during the Aspen Institute-hosted virtual event Thursday the bureau has traced reconnaissance activity and cyber intrusion into organizations that have publicly disclosed R&D efforts related to the novel coronavirus.

“Countries have a very high desire for information … about how other countries are responding — about things like research on vaccines, what’s happening in the U.S. healthcare sector in our research institutes,” Ugoretz noted, according to the publication.

Hackers targeted the Department of Health and Human Services last month in a disinformation campaign that apparently sought to disrupt COVID-19 response.

Ugoretz noted that the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center receive 3K to 4K reports daily via the IC3 website.

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Air Force Program Office Analyzes C-17 Airflow, Ventilation Patterns
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Air Force Program Office Analyzes C-17 Airflow, Ventilation Patterns

Air Force Program Office Analyzes C-17 Airflow, Ventilation Patterns

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center’s C-17 program office performed airflow tests to characterize ventilation and air movements inside a Boeing-build Globemaster III cargo aircraft.

Personnel completed 11 airflow tests and collected data over a four-day period as the C-17 in a bid to calculate the possibility of contaminant accumulation within the vehicle and determine protective personnel equipment requirements for flight crew, the U.S. Air Force said Saturday.

The military service aims to increase the C-17 aircraft’s ability to transport COVIS-19 patients but it says there was not enough real-world information or computational models for characterizing cabin ventilation.

During the tests, 28th TES fielded aerosol generator systems and photometers to validate the circulation of aerosol in equipment and cargo. The team also analyzed pressurization levels and conducted ground tests.

“Through control of the airflow and the appropriate personal protection equipment, we can drive down the coronavirus exposure risk and protect our aircrews so they are healthy for the next mission, and can go home to their families,” said Col. Scott Ekstrom, senior materiel leader in AFLCMC’s C-17 program office.

The AF Research Laboratory partnered with the Army Public Health and the University of Nebraska Medical Center to conduct data modeling and analysis aimed at understanding how the coronavirus may travel across the aircraft interior during a medical airlift mission.

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House Panel Asks FCC to Delay Vote on Proposed Space Debris Rules
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House Panel Asks FCC to Delay Vote on Proposed Space Debris Rules

House Panel Asks FCC to Delay Vote on Proposed Space Debris Rules

The House Science Committee has called on the Federal Communications Commission to delay an April 23 vote on its updated space debris regulations, SpaceNews reported Friday.

The FCC on April 2 issued its draft “Mitigating Orbital Debris in the New Space Age” regulations, which would allow the commission to deny licenses to companies operating satellite networks with a collective collision risk of more than 1 in 1,000. Under the proposed rules, satellites orbiting above 400 kilometers should be equipped with propulsion systems or other collision avoidance platforms.

“Regulatory action by the FCC at this time, without clear authority from Congress, will at the very least create confusion and undermine the [FCCs] work, and at worst undermine U.S. economic competitiveness and leadership in space,” the lawmakers wrote in an April 15 letter to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), the House panel’s chair, and Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), ranking member of the committee, signed the letter.

The Aerospace Industries Association wrote a letter to the FCC, saying the proposed regulations “lack transparency and objectivity and would likely confuse, discourage, and disincentivize the continued growth of the U.S. satellite industry.”

The Satellite Industry Association said more discussion is needed between the space sector and the FCC on the “rationale for deviations from the [U.S. government’s Orbital Debris Mitigation Standard Practices].”

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Joanne Woytek: NASA’s SEWP Contract Saw 40% More Orders in March
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Joanne Woytek: NASA’s SEWP Contract Saw 40% More Orders in March
Joanne Woytek
Joanne Woytek

Joanne Woytek, program manager for NASA’s Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement governmentwide acquisition contract, said there has been an increase in the use of the SEWP contract vehicle for information technology services during the coronavirus pandemic, Federal News Network reported Friday.

“This past month [March] was a very good one. We grew 25% as compared to last month and we saw 40% more orders going through [the] system, with a busy time especially near end of March,” Woytek said.

She said her office has advanced the use of one-day turnaround as a tool to speed up the acquisition process and help agencies meet COVID-19 response requirements.

“When we started interacting with some of our customers with emergency needs because of the coronavirus issues, they were asking if they could get quicker turnaround,” Woytek said. “Our default outside of September is usually a minimum of three days for a request for quotes. We did decide to switch to allow for that one day turnaround as we do in September.”

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White House, Congress Near Economic Relief Deal for Small Businesses; Steven Mnuchin Quoted
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White House, Congress Near Economic Relief Deal for Small Businesses; Steven Mnuchin Quoted
Steven Mnuchin
Steven Mnuchin

The White House and Congress are close to reaching an agreement on a potential $450 billion economic relief package that would provide additional funds for small businesses and expand COVID-19 testing efforts, The New York Times reported Sunday.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin described the package on CNN Sunday. He said the package would include $300 billion in additional funds for the Paycheck Protection Program; $50 billion for the Small Business Administration’s disaster relief fund; $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for coronavirus testing efforts.

Mnuchin said President Trump approved of the agreement and that he hoped the Senate could decide on the measure as soon as Monday and the lower chamber on Tuesday. He also stated in early April that he would ask Congress for additional funding for small business loans if the $350B Paycheck Protection Program runs out.

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NIST Develops Tool to Determine Best Rooms for N95 Mask Disinfecting
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NIST Develops Tool to Determine Best Rooms for N95 Mask Disinfecting
Photo from Battelle
Photo from Battelle

The National Institutes of Standards and Technology offers a new tool that would allow hospitals to identify rooms suitable for N95 mask disinfecting activities.

NIST said Thursday its new tool provides an estimation of how much vaporized hydrogen peroxide would be absorbed by masks in certain rooms.

Hospitals use VHP as a disinfectant to purify N95 masks in repurposed medical rooms. This approach was originally used to disinfect isolation rooms after a patient’s exit.

“Even if you’re hitting a room with a huge dose of VHP and you’re assuming it’s all going on your masks, a lot of it may be going on your walls or ceiling,” said Dustin Poppendieck, a NIST environmental engineer who developed the new tool.

Choosing the wrong room may lead to VHP ending up on walls or other parts of the room instead of the masks.

The tool uses data on a room’s size, ventilation and material content to help hospitals determine the percentage of VHP that would effectively disinfect the masks.

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VA’s Beth Ripley: Joint Effort With NIH, FDA Fills Health Equipment Supply Gaps
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VA’s Beth Ripley: Joint Effort With NIH, FDA Fills Health Equipment Supply Gaps

VA's Beth Ripley: Joint Effort With NIH, FDA Fills Health Equipment Supply Gaps

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Food and Drug Administration and National Institutes of Health are working with nonprofit organization America Makes to accelerate the manufacture of personal protective equipment, Federal News Network reported Thursday.

Beth Ripley, director of the Veterans Health Administration’s 3D printing network, said in an interview with the publication that the three entities partnered with America Makes to serve as a “matchmaker” between U.S. manufacturers to facilitate large-scale PPE production and deployment.

Ripley noted that the VA, NIH and FDA’s joint 3D printing effort is meant to fill gaps in the supply of equipment such as face shields and protective suits while traditional manufacturers work to catch up with current demands.

“So we bring clinical expertise within the VA, regulatory expertise and understanding what’s safe with the FDA, and the ability to share large datasets such as 3D printable files that the NIH 3D print exchange brings,” said Ripley. She added that she hopes to deploy new 3D printing concepts that can be integrated with traditional production in the coming weeks.

Ripley’s comments come after the VA, NIH and FDA announced the joint research and development initiative earlier this month.

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James Geurts Talks Navy’s $88.5B Increase in Contract Awards Amid Disruptions
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James Geurts Talks Navy’s $88.5B Increase in Contract Awards Amid Disruptions
James Geurts
James Geurts

James Geurts, assistant secretary of the U.S. Navy for research, development and acquisition, said the service has so far awarded over $88.5 billion in contracts despite the current health crisis, USNI News reported Thursday. Geurts, a 2020 Wash100 Award recipient, told the publication that the Navy increased its contract obligations from $66.3 billion in 2019 all while 95 percent of staff are teleworking.

“Everything I’m trying to do here in accelerating work, coming up with new business approaches is to create stability, a stable demand signal,” said Geurts. “I think one of our keys to steepen that recovery and reinvention ramp is going to be having steady work there as fast as we can.”

According to Geurts, the Navy is studying potential telework-based aviation maintenance work as well as remote training, installation and technology support. The Navy is also working to identify new opportunities for aircraft and ship repair activities, he added.

The Navy acquisition head noted that the service is continuing efforts to “manage our way through delay and disruption” that may impact operations within the defense industrial base.

About The Wash100

This year represents our sixth annual Wash100 Award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, achievement, and vision.

Visit the Wash100 site to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2020 Wash100 Award. On the site, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2020.

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