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The Cocos Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Timor-Leste are among a handful of locations outlined in a new Pacific Deterrence Initiative multiple award construction contract published by the US Navy.
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The contract, published by the Department of the Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command, seeks design-build and design-bid-build construction services to support the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI).
The PDI is aimed at making targeted investments that enhance US force posture, infrastructure, presence, and readiness as well as the capacity and capabilities of US allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
The contract lists potential construction of new facilities, repair/renovation, and upgrades to a variety of facility types, including wharves/piers, dredging, aprons, runways, fuel storage, roads, hangars, and other base infrastructure facilities.
Other locations potentially under consideration include Bandiana, Palau, Micronesia, Tinian, US Pacific - Midway, US Pacific - Wake Island, and other areas.
“The Department of the Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command is seeking to award multiple Indefinite Delivery Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contracts for the Pacific Deterrence Initiative Multiple Award Construction Contract (PDI MACC),” according to information published in June this year by Naval Facilities Engineering Command.
“The purpose is to provide design-build and design-bid-build construction services to support the PDI program at various locations in the Indo-Pacific region. The services required span a wide range of projects including new facilities, repairs, renovations, and infrastructure upgrades.
“Proposals will be evaluated using a best value trade-off process, with non-price factors like technical approach, experience, and past performance being significantly more important than price. The solicitation has a due date of September 11, 2024.
“This full and open procurement has no set-aside designations. It is anticipated that a minimum of three IDIQ contracts will be awarded, each with a 60-month base period and three 12-month option periods, for a total contract ceiling of up to $15 billion across all awardees. Task orders under the MACC will typically range from $20 million to $2 billion. The primary places of performance are expected to be in Australia, Micronesia, the Philippines, and other areas under the cognisance of NAVFAC Pacific.
“It is anticipated that this PDI MACC may include projects in Australia - Cocos Islands, Australia - Papua New Guinea, Australia - Timor-Leste, Australia - Bandiana, Micronesia - Palau, Micronesia - Federated States of Micronesia, Micronesia - Rota, CNMI - Tinian, Philippines, US Pacific - Midway, US Pacific - Wake Island, and other areas under NAVFAC Pacific cognisance.”
The Australian Department of Defence has previously announced airfield upgrades for the Cocos Islands. Defence has stated that due to insufficient length and strength of the existing airfield pavement, large Defence aircraft are unable to operate out of CKI.
The CKI Airfield Upgrade Project proposes to improve pavement infrastructure, enhance airfield lighting and drainage infrastructure, develop a new permanent construction wharf and removal of waste from West Island.
The project will be delivered at the airfield (located adjacent to the West Island town centre), Rumah Baru Port Facility (located on the north-east of West Island).
Defence has previously stated that works are expected to commence in mid-2024, with construction to commence in late 2024. All works are forecast to be complete by mid-2027.
