Lockheed Martin Launches AI Fight Club

(Lockheed Martin illustration)

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 reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

John Clark, Lockheed Martin’s senior vice president of technology and strategic innovation, said the company is launching a new program called AI Fight Club, reports Space News. The initiative is a virtual battleground where companies can test their artificial intelligence algorithms for use in military applications. Clark revealed the program during an AI conference hosted by the Special Competitive Studies Project, a nonprofit focused on US competitiveness in advanced technologies.

Military flyovers and fireworks planned for the US Army’s birthday party in Washington, DC, on Saturday, June 14, are expected to disrupt flights, reports The Washington Post. Reagan National Airport will halt takeoffs and landings for several hours to accommodate the flyovers and other events on the National Mall, all part of the service’s 250th birthday celebration. More than 100 flights could be affected. The parade is expected to feature an “extensive” flyover, reports NBC WESH2, involving more than 50 helicopters. Those will include AH-64 Apaches, UH-60 Black Hawks, and CH-47 Chinooks.

The Army has planned a week-long celebration that began Saturday and continues through Flag Day, on June 14. USA Today says here is what you should know about the celebrations and how to get tickets.

President Donald Trump on Thursday banned nationals from a dozen countries, including Afghanistan, Haiti, and the Republic of Congo, from entering the United States, reports NBC News. He said the new restrictions, which primarily target African and Asian countries, are necessary to fortify national security and combat terrorism.

The Trump executive order blocks Afghan nationals from entering the US, another blow to Afghan allies seeking refuge in a country that has provided fewer and fewer pathways for their safety, reports Army Times.

VADM Brad Cooper, currently deputy commander of US Central Command, has been nominated to lead the command, reports Breaking Defense. Other Pentagon picks are Air Force LT GEN Dagvin Anderson for Africa Command and Navy VADM Frank Bradley for Special Operations Command. If Anderson’s nomination is approved as AFRICOM head, he would be the first airman to lead that command, reports Air & Space Forces Magazine.

The Pentagon plans to move its oversight of Greenland from US European Command to US Northern Command, a switch that would bring the Denmark-aligned island closer to alignment with the United States, reports Politico.

Michael Duffey was sworn in as the Defense Department’s under secretary for acquisition and sustainment Thursday, reports Executive Gov. Duffey will be in charge of DoD’s vast procurement, sustainment, and industrial base enterprise.

The USS Harry S. Truman returned June 1 to Naval Station Norfolk, VA, after a 251-day deployment that saw the vessel fire more than 1.1. million pounds of ordnance and deliver the largest carrier-launched airstrike in history, reports Navy Times. The aircraft carrier’s arrival in its home port followed months of almost ceaseless action in the Middle East against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels as part of Operation Rough Rider.

Women veterans gathered on Capitol Hill last week to protest recent Defense Department moves they see as working to erase or undermine the roles of women in the armed forces, reports Military Times. They believe that DefSec Pete Hegseth and the White House appear intent on transforming the military into a hyper-masculine caricature of a fighting force, even at the expense of national defense. “Women have earned their places in the infantry, in the armor, in the artillery, in combat aviation, and in Ranger school,” said Sue Fulton, founder of the Women in the Services Coalition Initiative and a West Point graduate.

Marine Attack Squadron VMA-231 flew its final AV-8B Harrier II flight late last month and is set for deactivation in September, reports Marine Corps Times.  The squadron at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point in North Carolina will switch to the F-35B Lightning II.

Lockheed Martin workers have ended their strikes in Orlando, FL, and Denver, CO, as a new union contract was approved. The workers will see pay raises of nearly 20%, reports Orlando Weekly.

Drone developer Draganfly announced the first deliveries of its Flex FPV (First Person View) systems under an order from a major US military prime contractor, reports Drone Life. The delivery supports land systems operations for allied forces and marks a key step in the company’s growing role in defense technology.

The US Army said that it has reached its annual goal of recruiting 61,000 active-duty soldiers, reports Military.com. The boost in new recruits is likely fueled by efforts to reach out to young Americans who historically have been unqualified to serve and an uncertain economy.

Cheryl Mason, Trump’s pick to serve as the inspector general for Veterans Affairs, had her confirmation hearing last week before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. She defended her ability to be an unbiased investigator of the administration, despite her past political role with the department, reports Navy Times. Mason currently is a senior adviser to VASec Doug Collins.

CAPT Gregory Hinkle relieved CAPT Dennis Lloyd as head of the Air Anti-Submarine Warfare Systems Program Office (PMA-264) at NAS Pax River, MD, reports The BayNet. The change of command ceremony took place May 30.

Did you get a text recently from someone alleging to be the Motor Vehicle Administration? After a swarm of scam texts, you may be left wondering how your personal information fell into malicious hands. It turns out, you might have handed over your information willingly, but unknowingly, reports The Hill.

June 1 marked the start of some new laws in Maryland, reports Maryland Matters. One new law starts the long process of slowing utility rate increases; there are also two new state symbols — an official state mineral and a state cocktail.

Though rising energy cost discussions dominated this year’s Maryland General Assembly session, higher bills are on the way, reports Maryland Matters. Ratepayer advocates point the finger at PJM Interconnection, which operates the power grid in a 13-state region, including Maryland, for policies that have driven rates higher. Demand from data centers is a contributing factor.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission held a technical conference last week on resource adequacy issues facing grid operators, reports Utility Dive. “Data centers could overwhelm the grids if they chose to,” Joseph Bowring, Market Analytics president, said during the FERC conference. His solution: Require data center owners to procure new generation for their projects.

Amazon announced it will invest $10 billion to create data centers in North Carolina aimed at expanding its artificial intelligence and cloud computing technology capabilities, reports Fox Business.

Contracts:

Aviation Systems Engineering Co., Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $294,019,257 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering services and supplies associated with the research, development, system prototyping and limited production, modification, and sustainment support of naval airborne anti-submarine warfare systems. The requirements span all Navy and Marine Corps type, model, series, other government agency and Foreign Military Platforms, and across all phases of the systems life cycle. Work will be performed in California, Maryland (20%); Lexington Park, Maryland (20%); Patuxent River, Maryland (10%); Jacksonville, Florida (10%); Warminster, Pennsylvania (10%); Horsham, Pennsylvania (10%); Huntington Beach, California (10%); and Whidbey Island, Washington (10%), and is expected to be completed in June 2030. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured with one offer received. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0042125D0082).

Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $646,519,738 fixed-price incentive (firm-target) modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-5500) to exercise options for hardware production of the AN/SPY-6(V) family of radars. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts (31%); San Diego, California (9%); Sykesville, Maryland (9%); Scottsdale, Arizona (8%); Syracuse, New York (5%); Cerritos, California (5%); Stafford Springs, Connecticut (4%); Tulsa, Oklahoma (3%); Indianapolis, Indiana (3%); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (2%); Riverside, California (2%); and various locations across the US, each less than 1% (19%). Work is expected to be completed by September 2028. Fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $270,651,566 (42%); fiscal 2025 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $187,934,086 (29%); and fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $187,934,086 (29%), will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $53,058,280 modification (P00003) to a cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001924F0259) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This modification exercises an option for the production and delivery of 30 Next Generation Electronic Attack Unit (NGEAU) B-Kits and 22 NGEAU B-Kit Spares in support of the Growler Block II phase 1 upgrade for the Navy. Work will be performed in Minneapolis, Minnesota (75%); Linthicum, Maryland (23%); and St. Louis, Missouri (2%), and is expected to be completed in December 2028. Fiscal 2025 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $53,058,280 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Advanced Internet Marketing, doing business as GBS Group, Virginia Beach, Virginia (N3220525D4054); Auxiliary Systems Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N3220525D4055); AVMAC LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia (N3220525D4056); Custom Panel and Controls LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (N3220525D4057); EMS Industrial, Chesapeake, Virginia (N3220525D4058); Gulf Copper & Manufacturing Corp., Port Arthur, Texas (N3220525D4059); KD Shipyard Repairs LLC, Portsmouth, Virginia (N3220525D4060); MD Marine Electric, Tacoma, Washington (N3220525D4061); Marine Systems Corp., Boston, Maine (N3220525D4062); Olokun LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia (N3220525D4063); PowerGen Controls LLC, Houston, Texas (N3220525D4064); and The McHenry Management Group Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia (N3220525D4065), are awarded a combined maximum-value $44,585,355 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for electrical services for Military Sealift Command vessels. Each awardee will be awarded a $3,500 minimum contract guarantee at contract award. These contracts include a five-year base period and an unexercised six-month option period. Work will be performed at government and commercial facilities worldwide and is expected to be completed by May 30, 2030. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $3,500 per contract, for a total of $42,000, will be obligated on the initial delivery orders for the minimum guarantee and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was a small business set-aside solicited via the Government Point of Entry website and 12 offers were received. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

SecuriGence LLC, Leesburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $174,254,183 modification (P00063) to previously awarded task order HR001121F0006 for information technology multi-network support services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the task order to $698,451,122 from $524,196,939. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of June 2026. Fiscal 2024 and 2025 research and development funds in the amounts of $1,948,000 and $34,698,771 respectively, are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Systems Planning and Analysis Inc., Arlington, Virginia, has been awarded a $16,906,573 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-reimbursement hybrid contract, for Information Innovation Office (I2O) support services. This contract provides technical and subject matter expertise support to I2O for existing and planned programs, new start efforts, scientific research, and technology transition. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of December 2025. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,966,287 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a sole source acquisition. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001125CE032).

BL Harbert International LLC, Birmingham, Alabama (N69450-25-D-0024); Gilbane Federal, Concord, California (N69450-25-D-0025); Hensel Phelps, Orlando, Florida (N69450-25-D-0026); RQ Construction LLC, Carlsbad, California (N69450-25-D-0027); Sauer Construction LLC, Jacksonville, Florida (N69450-25-D-0028); The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland (N69450-25-D-0029); and Walsh Federal LLC, Chicago, Illinois (N69450-25-D-0030), are awarded a combined $1,999,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract for new construction, renovation, demolition, and repair projects throughout the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility. Work will be performed in Florida (20%), Georgia (20%), Texas (20%), South Carolina (15%), Louisiana (15%), Mississippi (5%), and Tennessee (5%), and is expected to be completed by June 2030. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Each awardee is awarded $1,000 (minimum contract guarantee per awardee) at contract award. All other funding will be made available at the delivery order level as contracting actions occur. This contract was competitively procured on the SAM.gov website via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment Solicitation Module, with 18 offers received during phase one, and seven in phase two. NAVFAC Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.