The U.S. Navy awarded General Atomics of San Diego a $9.6 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract. The deal covers components for the aircraft launch and recovery equipment being built into USS Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carriers.
This modification provides for the procurement, installation and checkout of two production shipsets. The production shipsets consist of 140 Generation 3 configuration position sensor blocks for the USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise. Additionally, this effort updates the purchase cable drum (PCD) -05 configuration for USS John F. Kennedy, and procures one PCD-07 configuration for USS Enterprise. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia (66%); San Diego (13%); and Tupelo, Mississippi (21%), and is expected to be completed in January 2026.
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The Naval Air Systems Command of Patuxent River, Maryland awarded the contract, announced on Sept. 28.
Kratos to Build Jet Drone Systems
Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. (Nasdaq: KTOS) announced on Sept. 29 that its Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems division recently received an approximate $50 million, single award, sole source, high performance jet drone system related indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract from an unspecified U.S. government agency. The Unmanned Aerial Systems unit specializes in the rapid design, manufacture and delivery of affordable, high performance jet drone systems. Work under the contract will be performed as funded task orders are issued by the customer. Kratos offered no other information about the deal.
“The Kratos team did an outstanding job working in partnership with this critical customer, addressing their needs and requirements and successfully negotiating this single award, sole source IDIQ contract,” said division President Steve Fendley. “We expect this contract to be fully funded over the contract’s multi-year period of performance.”
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Navy Replaces Old Genasys Electronics With New
Genasys Inc. (Nasdaq: GNSS) announced on Oct. 12 that it received a $1.8 million LRAD systems order from the U.S. Navy under a three-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract announced in June 2020. The Navy is replacing its first generation LRADs with next generation LRAD 1000Xi systems.
“The Navy’s ongoing replacement of first generation LRAD systems, many of which have been in service in extreme maritime conditions for more than a decade, attests to the rugged reliability of our long-range communication systems,” said Richard S. Danforth, CEO of Genasys. “In addition to the Navy, 27 international naval forces also use LRAD systems for ship self-defense, establishment of vessel exclusion zones and restricted areas, port and harbor security, search and rescue operations, and boarding and interdiction missions.”
The LRAD 1000Xi is a power efficient, long-range communication system designed for critical infrastructure protection, territorial water, border and port security, and large vessel and vehicle installations. Featuring rugged military construction and a carbon fiber emitter head with integrated electronics and amplification, the LRAD 1000Xi delivers audible hails, warnings, notifications and commands from close range out to 3 kilometers, or 1.8 miles.
Cubic to Miniaturize Antenna
The U.S. Air Force awarded Cubic Defense Applications Inc. of San Diego an $8.9 million cost-plus-fixed-fee completion modification to a previously awarded contract for Aerial Layer Mesh Networking with Halo. The contract modification provides for the research and development to miniaturize the Halo directional antenna to make it more usable for airborne networks. Work will be performed in San Diego and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2021 research, test, development and evaluation funds of $8.9 million are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $17.1 million. Air Force Research Laboratory of Rome, New York awarded the contract, announced on Sept. 30.
Dell Deal for Special Operations
The U.S. Special Operations Command awarded MCP Computer Products Inc. of San Marcos a $9.3 million firm-fixed-price, sole-source contract for computer peripherals, namely Dell laptops, desktops, docks, towers and accessories intended as lifecycle replacements in support of the command. The work will be performed at the Dell Federal Facility in Nashville. This contract is a blanket purchase agreement award based on an existing General Services Administration schedule. The U.S. Special Operations Command at MacDill Air Force Base, Florida awarded the deal, announced on Sept. 28.
