DoD to extend five-year global counternarcotics program

08/16/11
Abigail Poe
Latin America and the Caribbean
Counternarcotics, U.S. Policy

As revealed on the "U.S. Trade & Aid Monitor" website last week, the U.S. Department of Defense intends to extend a five-year $15 billion global counternarcotics program that is due to expire in 2012. The "Special Notice" released on August 2nd by the DoD Counter Narco-Terrorism Program Office (CNTPO) advises potential contractors that the U.S. Government is seeking to issue a "follow-on procurement" to extend the program, and is seeking information regarding the "capabilities, capacity and qualifications of interested prime contractors."

In 2007, five prime contractors were awarded a multiple award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (MAIDIQ) contract to "provide the necessary goods and services required by DoD CNTPO to support [counternarcotics & counter-narcoterrorism] missions of DoD, [other government agencies], partner nations and State and local authorities." The contractors are: Blackwater Lodge & Training Center, Inc.; Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems; ARINC Engineering Services, LLC; Raytheon Technical Service Company; and Northrop Grumman/TASC, Inc.

The extended program would again be granted for a five-year period, beginning on or about June 1, 2012, and would continue to support the CNTPO's mission to "disrupt, deter, and defeat the threat to national security posed by illicit trafficking in drugs, small arms and explosives, precursor chemicals, people, and illicitly-gained and laundered money. Support shall be provided in the following major functional areas: Training; Operations and Logistics; Program Support; and Command, Control, Communications, Information, Detection & Monitoring (C3IDM)."

Specific details about the extended program have not been released, but the announcement did include four attachments (attachments 2-5) detailing projects anticipated under the follow-on contract. While the current scope of work for the MAIDIQ contracts focuses on Colombia, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the follow-on contracts also would also include Mexico, as outlined in the anticipated projects documents.

Though not specified, funding for these contracts is likely to flow out of DoD's Section 1004 Counter-Drug Assistance account. Some anticipated projects relevant to Latin America, divided by "major functional areas," are:

TRAINING:

  • Conduct advance driver training for selected personnel within the Armed Forces of Mexico (CONUS).
  • Provide UH-60 and Schweizer 333 or OH-58 pilot training and UH-60 mechanics non-rated crewmembers (NRCM) training for crew members of the Mexican Secretariat of Public Security (SSP).
  • Train up to forty eight (48) personnel to command and pilot Bell 206 helicopters for Mexico.
  • Develop and deliver curriculum, provide all necessary personnel, equipment and materials, and conduct Night Vision Goggle (NVG) Helicopter Pilot/Crew Chief Flight Training for Mexico.

OPERATIONS & LOGISTICS

  • Provide a Contractor-Owned/Contractor-Operated airborne ISR platform based in Bogota, CO in support of USSOUTHCOM Counternarcotics missions.
  • Provide UH-1 and OH-58A maintenance, spare parts, maintenance support, maintenance training, and maintenance Quality Assurance (QA) for Colombian Military (COLMIL) personnel.
  • Operate and maintain a deployed squadron of MQ-9 unmanned air vehicles.

PROGRAM SUPPORT

  • Produce a report on best practices (tactics, techniques and procedures) for finding, tracking and apprehending self-propelled, semi-submersible water craft.
  • Provide subject matter experts in counter-threat finance topics to assist in all-source / financial crimes analysis for Combatant Commands.
  • Perform an engineering assessment of the material condition of the airframes, avionics systems, power plants, and mission systems (EO/IR and Radar) of C-26 Fairchild Metroliner aircraft located in Mexico.
  • Provide U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Information Technology (OIT) with support required to field an array of detection and inspection technologies that support interdicting contraband by conducting demonstrations, evaluations and writing technical reports.
  • Perform an Electrical Load Analysis (ELA) and fuel systems analysis to evaluate the condition of all electrical circuits and electrical systems on four (4) Mexican Government-owned C-26 Fairchild Metroliner aircraft.
  • Provide counsel, training and media analysis to officials of the Colombian Government with counterdrug responsibilities.

COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS, INFORMATION, DETECTION & MONITORING:

  • Provide, deliver, assemble/install and provide training for a trans-border microwave communications system (voice, data, and video) for exchange of illicit drug trafficking activity information between U.S. and Mexico security agencies.
  • Provide support in procuring, assembling, integrating, deploying, installing, maintaining, and conducting operator training for Multi-Domain Awareness (MDA) System in support of Joint Task Force-North operations.
  • Select, install, test and operate a communications and signals intelligence system on an existing Beech King Air B-350 based out of Colombia, SA.
  • Procure and install radio encryption modules on fixed wing and rotary wing aircraft in Bogota, CO.
  • Provide a contractor-owned/contractor-operated aircraft with mission systems (COMINT/SIGINT/DF, EO/IR, and SATCOM) in support of USSOUTHCOM Counternarcotics missions.
  • Provide the Government with a Technology Demonstration of a field-proven MALE UAS that supports Detection and Monitoring involved with Counter Illicit Trafficking operations in the United States Southern Command Area of Focus.