Soldier Systems Daily Soldier Systems Daily

NDIA’s Hand Is in DoD’s Coronavirus Response – Wants To Take Small Business Concerns to DoD

March 25th, 2020

ARLINGTON, VA – Defense Department actions to address three key concerns of the defense industrial base amidst the COVID-19 virus outbreak have resulted from daily meetings last week with the National Defense Industrial Association, its fellow associations and the DoD, the Arlington, VA-based association announces today.

Details of the progress so far may be found in this DoD release.

The three concerns are the ability of critical defense contractor workforce to keep working, to ensure cash flow to the defense industrial base, and to get standardized guidance out to industry. The meetings, which continue, are led by Jennifer Santos, deputy assistant secretary of Defense for industrial policy.

On Friday, March 20, DoD issued two memos that address all three concerns:

* Ellen Lord, Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment issued a Defense Industrial Base Essential Critical Infrastructure Workforce memo. It defines the defense industrial base (DIB) workforce and ensures its critical employees can continue working. It also reiterated Lord’s commitment to workforce safety and her support of the national security. The memo followed Lord’s close work with Congress and the Department of Homeland Security.

* Kim Herrington, director of Defense Pricing and Contracting, issued a Deviation on Progress Payments memo. Among actions, the memo states that once in contracts, the progress payment rate that contracts can get paid for will increase from 80% of cost to 90% for large businesses, and from 90% to 95% for small businesses. Also, DoD will accelerate payments through several means to prime contracts and direct prime contractors to expedite payments to subcontractors.

Please consult the DoD release for detailed information.

“NDIA’s work here is incredibly important,” said President and CEO Hawk Carlisle. “It gets right to the heart of what we do as an organization and allows us make a big impact in support of the defense industrial base during this critical time. We’ll continue to voice the issues the defense industrial base is facing and help the Office of the Secretary of Defense in crafting solutions.”

Lord’s Acquisition and Sustainment leaders in Industrial Policy, Defense Pricing and Contracting, Defense Logistics Agency, and the Defense Contracting Management Agency are part of this continuing dialog with NDIA, the Aerospace Industries Association, the Professional Services Council, and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

-—

NDIA to small businesses: We’ll take your COVID-19 concerns to DoD

ARLINGTON, VA – The Defense Department’s Office of Acquisition and Sustainment wants to know what challenges small-business contractors are facing in response to the COVID-19 crisis. A five-minute survey from the National Defense Industrial Association will collect contractors’ initial impacts and concerns for DoD officials by Friday, March 27, the Arlington, VA, association announces today.

Of the more than 300,000 businesses that work with the Defense Department, a vast majority is small business. Of the 1,700 companies with NDIA membership, about 70% is small business. All information from the survey will remain confidential and anonymous; no comments will have individual attribution. Participation is voluntary, and respondents don’t need to answer any or all of the questions posed.

“We greatly appreciate the time small businesses will take to complete this survey,” said Corbin Evans, principal director of strategic programs at NDIA, who is managing the survey. “The time they spend doing this survey will help themselves, fellow small-businesses and the Defense Department respond and ensure a healthy industrial base when this crisis ends.”

Questions about the survey, its purpose or contents may be sent to Evans at Cevans@NDIA.org

Posted in Industry, Press Release | Comments Off on NDIA’s Hand Is in DoD’s Coronavirus Response – Wants To Take Small Business Concerns to DoD

RMJ Tactical S13 SHRIKE

March 25th, 2020

The S13 SHRIKE is one of RMJ Tactical’s most popular models due to its 13″ handle being a smidge shorter than the SHRIKE’s original 15″ which makes it easier to swing in confined spaces like for breaching or extraction.

The 1075 Carbon Steel head features a 3” forward facing edge combined with a 3″ distal tapered spike that can be used for digging, shattering tempered glass, breaching windshields, penetrating sheet metal, hacking through concrete and wood or even breaking chains and hardened padlocks. In fact, the blade will also cut electrical wire. To this end, it has a rubber over molded handle. The butt end of the grip features a cap that screws off to gain access to a small storage compartment. The 13 SHRIKE features a Tungsten Cerakote finish for corrosion and wear resistance and a low visibility look. Included is a molded, bottom-eject kydex sheath and low-ride M.O.C. straps.

Offered with Black, Green or Coyote handle.

www.rmjtactical.com/collections/tactical-tomahawks/products/s13-shrike

Posted in Knives | Comments Off on RMJ Tactical S13 SHRIKE

UCSD Medical Center Requesting MCSC’s Help to Support COVID-19 Crisis

March 25th, 2020

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. —

The University of California San Diego Medical Center has requested Marine Corps Systems Command’s assistance to help medical professionals as they deal with the evolving crisis of COVID-19.

On March 16, Dr. Sidney Merritt, an anesthesiologist at UCSD Medical Center, contacted MCSC’s Advanced Manufacturing Operations Cell requesting assistance in coordinating 3D printer assets to design parts to enable the simultaneous ventilation of multiple patients.

AMOC initiated collaboration with the Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific Reverse Engineering, Science and Technology for Obsolescence, Restoration and Evaluation Lab to rapidly design, print, test and evaluate prototype ventilator splitters using various materials.

The AMOC team also worked with the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery for support in evaluating, certifying and approving the parts prior to delivery to the medical center.

MCSC, NIWC Pacific and UCSD have established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement to facilitate current and future support requests. A Memorandum of Understanding among MCSC, NIWC Pacific and the Navy’s Bureau of Medicine and Surgery is also being established to codify roles and responsibilities.

MCSC’s involvement

On March 18, Merritt provided design files for the ventilator splitter based upon a successful test print conducted by the UCSD engineering team. UCSD requested assistance in printing ventilator splitters in higher resolution and with diverse materials that could meet specific design requirements.

After receiving the design files, AMOC and the NIWC Pacific RESTORE lab printed several prototypes using different materials. In less than a day, AMOC used its industrial printer in Quantico, Virginia, and the RESTORE Lab employed its organic printers to produce initial prototypes.

The 3D-printed ventilator splitters were scanned to ensure accuracy with the design files and then brought to UCSD Medical Center for fit testing and further design analysis.

AMOC’s reputation in advanced manufacturing has grown since its establishment in 2019. The cell has demonstrated the ability to produce 3D-printed parts and provide other sustainment and manufacturing solutions in a timely fashion. When called upon, the AMOC can produce parts in a fraction of the time it takes traditional manufacturers.

“AMOC’s response to this situation demonstrates how additive manufacturing can respond quickly to supply chain disruptions and rapidly prototype, evaluate and test new solutions to meet emerging urgent requirements,” said Scott Adams, AMOC lead at MCSC.

The rapid response by AMOC and the NIWC Pacific RESTORE lab to UCSD Medical Center’s request for support is indicative of how the Department of the Navy is prepared to respond to the medical community during the COVID-19 crisis.

“I couldn’t be prouder of the Marine Corps and NIWC Pacific team,” said Carly Jackson, NAVWAR Chief Technology Officer. “We are demonstrating the power, agility and speed of response that our Naval research and development centers bring to bear in times of national need.”

By Matt Gonzales, MCSC Office of Public Affairs and Communication | Marine Corps Systems Command

Posted in Disruptive Tech, Guest Post, MARCORSYSCOM, Medical, USMC | Comments Off on UCSD Medical Center Requesting MCSC’s Help to Support COVID-19 Crisis

SEAMS announce collaborative efforts in response to need for suppliers of Covid-19 PPE products

March 25th, 2020

“We are all in this together”

SEAMS, The Association and Voice for the US Sewn Products Industry for more than 50 years has announced a community program for manufacturers to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. SEAMS and its members have pulled together as a strong community to pitch in and help not only their members but the entire industry in a time of crisis where our country is experiencing shortages of medical products and loss of capacity to keep the supply chain strong.

“The U.S. based supply chain remains an important infrastructure in our country to support our communities, partners and upmost our consumers and their families. This Covid-19 outbreak has and will continue to impact us all and SEAMS, which is built on a foundation of sharing, supporting and empathy is here for our members, our industry and our nation”, states Will Duncan, Executive Director of SEAMS. “First and foremost, we hope our industry, their employees and families are safe and healthy.”

SEAMS announced this week, a program to provide open capacity to help manufacturers in need where their own factories were closed or could not meet production requirements. The program had an overwhelming response from members and non-members willing to pitch in and support the industry as a whole. The US government and Healthcare Industry are looking for assistance to produce necessary medical products and once again the association stands ready to leverage a strong network to assist.

Duncan continued stating “SEAMS is working on behalf of the industry and country to help bring organization to the difficult task of aligning PPE sourcing agents with PPE supply chains. We are working in concert with NCTO, INDA, and IFAI to help establish a greater organization to the process. We are also working with the Manufacturing Solutions Center and large brands to provide these greatly needed PPE products.”

If you are looking for suppliers for the following list of products or would like to join with your own resources during this pandemic, SEAMS would like to hear from you. Please contact them via email at nkinder@seams.org or call 803.642.1111.

List of PPE Products SEAMS Members Can Supply:

A) N95 Face Masks

B) Surgical Masks

C) Surgical Gowns

D) Scrub Suits/Gowns

E) Coveralls/Apron

F) Disposable Head Cover/Hats/Caps

G) Disposable Shoe Cover

H) Cloth Washable Masks

I) Sanitizing Wipes

J) Hospital Linens

K) Tents

Posted in Industry, Press Release | Comments Off on SEAMS announce collaborative efforts in response to need for suppliers of Covid-19 PPE products

HENSOLDT Technologies Protecting Rhino in South Africa

March 25th, 2020

Pretoria, South Africa, 23 March 2020 – While HENSOLDT is a global pioneer of technologies that are designed for protecting armed forces, civilians, assets and borders, the company is also actively making a difference as a protector of endangered species.

South Africa is known for its iconic wildlife and is also home to one of HENSOLDT’s largest industrial sites. As a result, it came as a natural progression to protect the country’s wildlife using state-of-the-art defence and security technologies. In recent years, animals such as rhinos have been under increased pressure due to rising poaching levels, threatening the future of these animals. South Africa holds nearly 80% of the world’s rhinos and has been hit the hardest by poaching, with more than 1 000 rhinos killed each year between 2013 and 2017.

HENSOLDT responded to this threat and is now combining advanced intelligence, radar and optical surveillance systems with physical security for high-end wildlife protection.

This week, HENSOLDT celebrates three years of zero poaching on the world’s largest rhino conservancy, where HENSOLDT’s technologies have been keeping a large number of rhino safe. HENSOLDT South Africa designed and installed a surveillance and security system on the farm and since then, not one animal has been lost to poaching. “Before that, we had poaching every month, sometimes every week,” says John Hume, owner of Buffalo Dream Ranch.

A thank you from 1 800 rhinos

In 2017, Buffalo Dream Ranch, the world’s largest rhino farm, started a partnership with HENSOLDT to secure 8 000 hectares of land, where some 1 800 rhinos now live peacefully, protected by state-of-the-art HENSOLDT technology. The specially developed system combines a number of advanced sensors, including optical and radar sensors, to monitor the rhinos, farm and surrounding area. Data from these sensors are fused using advanced analytics at a command and control centre to provide complete situational awareness and early-warning of potential poachers approaching the area.

In combination with existing physical barriers and a team of security personnel, the system augments the total security approach to create a surveillance solution, with technology that is always on guard, never fatigues and which cannot be compromised. “We are for the first time in years feeling confident, with HENSOLDT, of perfecting the protection of our rhino,” says Hume.

A new market

“We are honoured to be part of important initiatives such as the conservation of our wildlife and we aim to expand our efforts,” says Hennie Venter, Chief Executive of the HENSOLDT South Africa GEW business unit. The know-how acquired through these projects can be applied for protecting other wildlife and national parks to safe-keep endangered species such as lions, elephants and even abalone.

HENSOLDT prides itself on its relationship with its clients. “For us it’s not putting down the equipment and getting the business, for us it’s rather a journey,” says Werner Muller, GEW’s Chief Executive of Spectrum Monitoring and Security. Because of this philosophy, and because each wildlife scenario is different, with its own unique set of challenges, HENSOLDT’s experts collaborate with each client to develop a solution that addresses their specific needs.

Posted in International, Press Release | Comments Off on HENSOLDT Technologies Protecting Rhino in South Africa

Darley Defense – Standing By to Help

March 25th, 2020

Darley Defense is procuring stocks of PPE and disinfecting products as fast as we can to be available to military and first responder customers at our cost.

We do not want to profit from this situation, only get the correct equipment to those working to protect us.

catalog.darleydefense.com

Posted in Advertiser, Medical, Press Release | Comments Off on Darley Defense – Standing By to Help

Regulus Global Prepared To Provide Field Hospitals To Deal With COVID-19 Pandemic

March 25th, 2020

Some months back I visited Regulus Global to discuss the fully equipped field hospitals they have been providing to the UN for Ebola response in Africa. Considering the current COVID-19 pandemic, I thought it was a good idea to share some of the information I learned.

Regulus Global has a history of providing fully functional, ready-to-deploy, scalable UN Level II Mobile Hospitals.

They provide Medical shelter modular systems which are mobile and rapidly-deployable featuring liners (with floor) to provide a clean environment for medical operations. Additionally, there is a pre-installed electrical system and air distribution plenum is standard.

They offer complete infrastructure/inventory for stabilization and treatment-in-place of patients during mass-gathering incidents. These include an Emergency Medical Treatment and Triage Solution Module (E-MTTS MOD). There are also three configurations for surge-capacity patients (12 bed, 25 bed hub and spoke and 25 bed square) which can be scaled by combining as needed. These freestanding units are designed for quick set-up and can be augmented with medical equipment and supply sets to provide a total turnkey solution for mobile medical needs.

Other options include alternate care sites used during a mass casualty event and/or drive-thru distribution systems for use during a pandemic all the way to hospital surge facilities.

Of particular interest during this current crisis, their Drive Thru Clinic System offers a versatile mode of providing services or conducting checkpoints.

Modular Mobile Hospital Configurations, including surgery, can provide complete stand-alone mobile hospitals customized for 12 to 100 beds or more.

Regulus will work with the customer to provide the right-sized mobile medical facility. Everything arrived kitted and ready-to-go. In many cases, transportation boxes are used for storage and as furniture in the medical facility.

Regulus Global can also provide full power generation and conditioning along with HVAC solutions as well as billeting and dining facilities for medical and support personnel.

To learn more, visit www.regulusglobal.com.

Posted in Advertiser, Medical | Comments Off on Regulus Global Prepared To Provide Field Hospitals To Deal With COVID-19 Pandemic

OSS Suppressors Hires Steven Digregorio for International Sales

March 25th, 2020

Millcreek UT March 24, 2020 – OSS Suppressors LLC is pleased to announce that Steven DiGregorio has joined the company in the position of Sr. International Business Development & Sales Manager. He comes to OSS with key industry experience most recently as International Government & OEM Sales Manager at optics company Leupold & Stevens Inc.

“I’m excited to join the OSS sales team and build upon my experience at Leupold” said the former US Marine. “I know well the International and OEM customer, and increasingly they are requiring the proven performance of OSS Flow-Through® suppressors for their elite military and special forces rifle programs.”

In his new position, DiGregorio will report to Dennis Cunningham, Director – Government and International Sales. “Steven is a truly great addition to the OSS team,” said Mr. Cunningham. “His ability to build relationships and drive results for OEMs and partners is unmatched, and he’ll be leading OSS’s ongoing development and expansion of our international business.”

“With OSS’s patented Flow-Through suppressors being selected for critical military programs like CSASS and SDMR, major OEMs partnering with OSS for contract submissions, and the industry acknowledging the negative effects of toxic gas blowback, Steven is joining the OSS team at the right time to help achieve our goals” added John Spurrier, CEO.

osssuppressors.com

Posted in Industry, Press Release, Suppressors | Comments Off on OSS Suppressors Hires Steven Digregorio for International Sales