Special Purpose Contracts

This contract is associated with another EMI contract, the Aerial Cable Test Program. Deliverables are issued via WAO, and include engineering and fabrication of target vehicles, fabrication process procedures for thermosetting and thermoplastics, and engineering related to performance of vehicles, including carrier performance, cable analysis, and flight dynamics and associated tasks. A carrier production WAO required development, fabrication and acceptance testing of two test carriers capable of traversing a three-mile catenary cable at speeds up to 250 knots, transporting weights up to 6,000 lbs. A second WAO required fabrication and testing of a two-dimensional target vehicle simulating an AH-64 Apache Helicopter without rotor blades. Examples of other requirements are strand testing of the Kevlar rope used on the test fixture and replacement sheave production.

EMI upgraded the existing VHF and UHF radio systems at Edwards to increase security, versatility, compatibility and efficiency. The VHF upgrade required procuring and integrating components to upgrade to a Digital Encryption System (DES) XL capability. The UHF upgrade required procuring and installing the components to upgrade to a trunking system. The contract also required EMI to purchase prefabricated concrete communications shelters, 140′ antenna towers, and emergency power generators, and install one of each at three different commo sites on base. Contract additions required road construction, concrete footings for the antenna towers, electrical upgrade of a site at 29 Palms, CA, and installation of a 6-channel UHF trunked radio communications system.