ITT Exelis wins $10M Navy contract for airborne minesweeping system

ITT Exelis has won a $10 million contract to provide an airborne minesweeping system to the U.S. Navy.

Specifically, the company will provide the system to the U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division in Panama City, Fla.

The Exelis MK 105 Mod 4 system will provide reliability and performance improvements, enabling the Navy to better conduct high-speed, quick response airborne mine countermeasures missions for the next 10 years, the company said in a release.

ITT Exelis said that the system has been used in every major mine-clearance operation since its introduction to the U.S. Navy fleet in 1972.

Washington, we have a procurement problem

I am not a government procurement expert.  While I have attended multiple courses to understand the nature of our federal procurement system and the Federal Acquisition Regulations, there is much that I do not know. 

I have been a consumer of the government’s procurement ‘products’ for decades.  I have listened to various speakers since the mid-1990s share that the procurement system has serious underlying problems including a looming shortage of qualified personnel.  We are now at the precipice.

Not just a tank story

The Army doesn’t want more tanks, but Republicans and Democrats in Congress keep shoving money -- to the tune of $436 billion over two years -- to modernize a fleet of tanks that doesn’t need modernizing.

The Associated Press is reporting that the Army wants to suspend the buying of Abrams tanks until 2017, when a newer version will be ready for production.

U.S. courts release $95M Dell product contract

The U.S. judiciary is developing a blanket purchase agreement to buy nearly $100 million on a variety of Dell products and related services.

The products will include IT systems, wide area networks, local area networks and software applications for the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, courthouses and data centers.

MCR Federal forms program management alliance

MCR Federal and Safran North America LLC have formed an alliance that will let the two companies develop and integrate program management solutions.

Both companies have strengths in program management, and this collaboration will bring together MCR’s Linked CREST Analysis and Assessment process, a data analytics tool, with Safran’s program management solutions, the companies said in a statement.

DHS develops ID management contract

The Homeland Security Department is developing a single-award, task order contract for an identity management system that will issue 300,000 IDs.

The contract will support implementation of Homeland Security Presidential Directive – 12 (HSPD-12), which is supposed to increase security, reduce identity fraud and protect personal privacy.

Plenty of unanswered questions about $10B OASIS contract

One of the most closely watched procurements of the year is the General Services Administration’s proposed OASIS vehicle, a multiple award contract designed to provide integration services for complex solutions. GSA issued the draft request for proposals in March and is expected to issue the final request for proposals later this summer.

CACI wins contract supporting littoral combat ships

CACI Technologies has won a $20.2 million contract modification with the U.S. Navy for professional support.

These services will support the Program Executive Office Littoral Combat Ships, and will include program management, acquisition support, technical and engineering support, business and financial management support and logistics support.

Intell community showers more love on the cloud

In-Q-Tel, the CIA’s venture capital group, has invested in Apigee, a developer of a cloud platform for sharing data and services through apps.

Apigee has developed an application programming interface, or API, that In-Q-Tel believes can benefit the intelligence community.

SBA opens roadshow for women-owned businesses

The Small Business Administration is going on the campaign trail to promote opportunities for women-owned contracting firms, Government Executive reported.