Senate Passes 2015 Spending Bill
Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River economic community. The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.
The $1.1 trillion 2015 spending bill was approved by the Senate over the weekend and funds most of the federal government through the next fiscal year, reports The Washington Post. A small group of conservatives, led by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), tried to block debate on the bill by raising concerns with President Obama’s immigration policy, forcing a marathon weekend session. The move angered other Republicans who complained that forcing senators to stay in session produced nothing positive for the GOP.
Business Insider reviews the status of the Navy’s UCLASS program which will build and deploy a next-generation UAV that can be launched from an aircraft carrier and refuel in mid-air. In the first quarter of 2015, the Navy will pick a winner from among the four defense contractors asked to design a version of the aircraft.
China now denies that its new J-31 stealth fighter could take down the F-35 Joint Strike fighter after recent statements to the contrary, according to indiatoday. However, it admitted that challenging the F-35 has always been a goal.
The defense policy bill now passed by Congress authorizes $30.7 billion for the defense health program, rejected DoD proposals to consolidate Tricare into a single plan, but still makes significant changes, reports Military Times. The bill changes how often service members get mental health exams, where they fill some prescriptions, and how long they stay in a hospital for mental health treatment. There is also a requirement that all active-duty and Selected Reserve troops receive one-on-one mental health screenings once a year.
Project Silent Nemo is under way where a team of civilian engineers and Navy personnel are testing the capabilities of a 5-foot, 100-pound experimental robot that’s designed to look and swim like a bluefin tuna, reports PilotOnline.
US Cyber Command is trying to ramp up operations while dealing with archaic equipment, constantly evolving threats, and trying to justify its existence amid funding cuts and force reductions, according to Stars and Stripes. The cyber force is expected to be fully in place by the end of 2016 with a staff of 6,000. About 2,400 have been hired since fiscal year 2013 began and they are now in teams that have at least “initial operating capability.”
The Naval Test Wing Atlantic (NTWL) changed hands during an official ceremony in the VX-20 hangar at NAS: Pax River, according to NAVAIR News. Navy Capt. Brett Pierson relieved Marine Col. Roger Cordell, as NTWL commander.
MarketWatch provides a list titled, “10 Things the Military Won’t Tell You.”
The tactical air navigation (TACAN) system used by all military aircraft recently received extensive upgrades, bringing the system state-of-the-art functionality, reports NAVAIR News. The new TACAN system, with its modern, digital, solid-state technology, replaces legacy, vacuum tube technology, which was developed in the 1950s to provide bearing and slant-range distance to aircraft for more than 200 ships and 41 shore stations.
Bell-Boeing Joint Project Office, Amarillo, Texas, is being awarded $31,264,447 for cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable delivery order 0067 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-12-G-0006). This order provides for on-site flight test management, flight test engineering, design engineering, and related efforts for the Naval Rotary Wing Aircraft Test Squadron in support of the V-22 aircraft. Work will be performed at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland (53 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (32 percent); and Fort Worth, Texas (15 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2015. Fiscal 2015 aircraft procurement (Navy) and fiscal 2015 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $31,264,447 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Seattle, Washington, is being awarded a $67,812,302 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-04-C-3146) for integration of capabilities and training system upgrades for the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. These capabilities include high altitude anti-submarine warfare weapon capability, high altitude anti-submarine warfare sensor capability, and Link-16 network enabled weapon capability. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (64 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (23 percent); and Patuxent River, Maryland (13 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. Fiscal 2015 research, development, testing and evaluation (Navy) and international partner funds in the amount of $26,002,829 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
American Systems Corp., Chantilly, Virginia, is being awarded a $15,011,341 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-11-D-0030) to exercise an option for technical and engineering services in support of the Naval Air Systems Command’s Air Vehicle Engineering Department and the Manned Flight Simulator/Air Combat Environment Test and Evaluation Facilities. Services to be provided support the development and utilization of advanced air vehicle technology for evaluating air vehicle flying qualities and controllability, developing simulation software, and building prototype simulations. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in December 2015. Funds will not be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
