RAND on Counter-Insurgency Airlift

RAND Corporation’s Project Air Force undertakes a number of studies as part of its mandate. A recent example looks at US airlift capabilities and their fit with the needs of counter-insurgency operations. The answers could matter a great deal to programs like the Joint Cargo Aircraft, the GPS-guided JPADS paradrop system, et. al., and to tactical options like the British Lt. Col. Labouchere’s successful “Bedouin approach” in southern Iraq. Select quotes from RAND’s “Airlift Capabilities for Future U.S. Counterinsurgency Operations” [RAND release | Report] include:

“…The positive influence of airlift on counterinsurgent morale and confidence is also well documented and strategically important… Very quickly, a conventional theater airlift fleet can run out of “tails” to support such dispersed operations …a counterinsurgent airlift effort likely will include a greater proportion of small-scale, quick-response military missions overshadowed by the possibility of encountering serious air defense threats… The U.S. armed forces’ experience with the C-7 Caribou… provides an instructive precedent… the C-7 possessed a unique combination of moderate speed, economy of operation, and the ability to take off and land on rough fields that …proved to be enormously valuable in Vietnam… there may be a need to refill the C-7′s operational niche. However, this need should be understood as a shortfall in capability… two general program goals that DoD should emphasize…

Dubai Aerospace Buys Standard Aero, Landmark for $1.9B

Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) is part of an integrated aerospace cluster that is being assembled at Dubai World Central – the new 140 square kilometer airport and logistics city being constructed at Jebel Ali, Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates. The firm is made up of 6 divisions – DAE Airports, DAE Capital, DAE Engineering, DAE Manufacturing, DAE Services, and DAE University. Dubai has long since taken over from Lebanon as the business and financial center of the Middle East, however, and DAW sees growing regional and global opportunities in the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) business.

Which may explain the formal completion of DAE’s $1.9 billion acquisition of aviation service providers Standard Aero and Landmark Aviation from The Carlyle Group…

US GSA Selects $50B Alliant Participants

The US General Services Administration (GSA) is a procurement hub for many US government agencies. In late July 2007, the GSA announced a continued special focus on easing acquisitions for its largest customer, the Department of Defense (who has some surprising most-requested GSA items), including the launch of a full DoD/GSA portal site.

They’ve also just announced the selection of 29 firms for award under the maximum $50 billion Alliant Governmentwide Acquisition Contract. The Alliant umbrella contract provides all US federal government agencies, including the Pentagon, with a centralized source to acquire integrated Information Technology (IT) solutions worldwide. The contract has a 5-year base period with a 5-year option period, and replaces two similar contracts set to expire: Millenia, and ANSWER (Applications ‘N Support for Widely diverse End user Requirements)…

USN: $40M to Convert Ships to No-CFC A-C

LHD 5 Harrier launch

York International Corp. in York, PA received a $47.9 million firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of up to 40 x 200-ton DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Class destroyer Air Conditioning Plant kits, 19 x 200-ton CG-47 Ticonderoga Class cruiser Conversion Kits, 9 x 125-ton LSD-41 Whidbey Island Class amphibious transport Conversion Kits, and 6 x 300-ton LHD-1 Wasp Class amphibious air/assault ship Air Conditioning Kits, with associated equipment and support services.

Subject conversion kits are required to modify the existing shipboard centrifugal compressor air conditioning plants to operate with non-CFC refrigerant on CG-47, DDG-51, LSD-44 through 52, and LHD-1 Class surface ships. Work will be performed in York, PA and is expected to be complete by August 2010. The contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, Ship Systems Engineering Station in Philadelphia, PA (N65540-07-D-0015)

WPSI Gets 7-Year Contract to Administer Dual TRICARE/Medicare Claims

The Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corp. of Madison, WI received the follow-on TRICARE Dual Eligible Fiscal Intermediary Contract. It covers claims processing, customer service and administrative services for individuals who are eligible for both TRICARE (the US military health benefits program) and Medicare (the US public health benefits program). Future medical costs are a serious long term issue for both programs, but this move simply covers administrative necessities.

The contract includes a 12-month base period and 6 more 12-month option periods, for a total of 7 years if all options are exercised. The base period for transition is August 1, 2007 – June 30, 2008, and delivery for the TDEFIC for claims processing, customer service and administrative services will begin on July 1, 2008 if option 1 is exercised. The estimated delivery order value through the Option 1 period is $92.7 million.

This contract was competitively procured via the TRICARE Management Activity e-solicitation Web site, with 2 offers received by the Department of Defense TRICARE Management Activity (H94002-07-0001).