CNC West Oct Nov Web

8 www.CNC-West.com CNC WEST October/November 2018 EXEC H TLINE Continued on page 88....... Boeing Awarded $2.9 Billion for Fourth KC-46A Tanker Produc- tion Lot The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing a $2.9 billion contract for 18 KC-46A tanker air- craft, spares, support equipment, spare en- gines and wing air refueling pod kits. With this fourth production lot, Boeing now is on contract for 52 KC-46 tankers. Boeing received its first two production lots, for 7 and 12 aircraft, in August 2016. The third lot, for 15 aircraft, was awarded in January 2017. Boeing plans to build 179 of the 767-based refueling aircraft for the Air Force to replace its legacy tanker fleet. Tanker deliveries are expected to begin later this year. Boot Camp Gets Small Companies Competitive For Contracts in San Diego Fifteen small defense contractors from San Diego County have been chosen to participate in the Defense Innovation Voucher program, called DIVx for short. The program, funded by the Department of De- fense, seeks to make small defense contractors more resilient. Diversification is one aim. The companies, chosen by the San Diego Re- gional Economic Development Corp., are Accel- RF Instruments Corp., Amaratek, American Lith- ium Energy Corp., Coast Precision Enterprises Inc., EpiSci (also known as EpiSys Science Inc.), Fuse Integration Inc., GET Engineering Corp., intelliSolutions Inc., Marine Group Boat Works LLC, Ocean Aero, Planck Aerosys- tems, Sidus Solutions, Trabus Technologies, VetPowered LLC and Vortex Engineering. The Pentagon’s Office of Economic Adjustment provided money to the city of San Diego to fund the program. Driving the program is Propel San Diego, a partnership between six entities: the city, the San Diego Military Advisory Council (also called SDMAC), the Regional EDC, the East County Economic Development Council, the South County Economic Development Council and the San Diego Workforce Partnership. The DIVx program will provide a six-month “boot camp” to educate company leaders on how to be more competitive. In addition, consultants identified by the Regional EDC will provide each defense con- tractor with $15,000 in complimentary consult- ing services. Topics will include marketing, accounting compliance, certifications, lean supply chain and additive manufacturing tools, and strategic planning. The 15 firms will compete for a DIVx grand prize, which will be $25,000 in services from a pre-approved contractor. Some 89 percent of San Diego’s defense contracting supply chain is made up of small businesses: that is, businesses employing fewer than 50 people. Forty percent of companies employ fewer than 5 people. AeroVironment Lands $6 Million Contract with Portuguese Army AeroVironment Inc. has secured a nearly $6 million contract to provide its Raven drones to the Portuguese army, the Monrovia, California unmanned aircraft manufacturer has announced. Delivery on the drones will occur over a three-year period. AeroVironment develops, manufacturers and tests its unmanned aircraft in Simi Valley, California. Shipbuilding Work in San Diego General Dynamics National Steel and Ship- building of San Diego, Calif., has received a $147.7 million contract for the modernization availability of the USS Cowpens, a Ticondero- ga-class cruiser. The U.S. Navy contract, announced by the De- partment of Defense, provides for a long-term availability which will include maintenance, modernization and repairs. The contract in- cludes options which if executed would bring the total value of the contract to $154.8 million. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by December 2019. Navy fiscal 2018 operations, maintenance and procurement funds in the amount of $147.7 million will be obligated at time of award.