Help Wanted: Naval Flight Officers

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.

The Navy is offering a $120,000 retention bonus for select naval flight officers with command experience in “primary warfighting missions” to remain on active duty for three more years, reports Military Times. The call for commanders screened for “aviation milestone command” to remain on active duty was released last week: 2026 TRAINING AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE RESERVE AVIATION COMMAND RETENTION BONUS.

All six crew members who were aboard an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker that crashed in western Iraq have been confirmed dead, reports Stars and Stripes.

(Clockwise from top left) Maj. John “Alex” Klinner, Capt. Ariana G. Savino, Tech. Sgt. Ashley B. Pruitt, Capt. Seth R. Koval, Capt. Curtis J. Angst, and Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons. (Air Force)

The refueler went down in friendly airspace at approximately 2 pm Eastern Time on Thursday. The circumstances are still under investigation, but CENTCOM said it was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire. Including the tanker crew, 13 service members have now been killed as part of Operation Epic Fury.

French President Emmanuel Macron,Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Norwegian Prime Minster Jonas Gahr Støre were among the European leaders to denounce the Trump administration Friday for temporarily lifting sanctions on Russian oil in an effort to bring down surging energy prices amid the US and Israeli attacks on Iran, reports Politico. “We want to ensure that Russia does not exploit the war in Iran to weaken Ukraine,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. “There is currently a price problem, but not a supply problem. And in that regard, I would like to know what other factors led the US government to make this decision.”

Pro-Iranian hackers targeting sites in the Middle East are stretching into the United States, raising the risk of digital chaos, reports AP News. In recent years, groups working for Tehran have infiltrated the email system of President Donald Trump’s campaign, targeted US water plants, and tried to breach the networks used by the military and defense contractors. “Something is going to happen because the gloves are off,” said Kevin Mandia, founder of the cybersecurity companies Mandiant and Armadin.

FBI searches of US citizens’ data, collected using a controversial spying authority, rose some 35% in 2025, reports Nextgov/FCW, from 5,518 in December 2024 to 7,413 in November 2025.

Pentagon officials told senators in a classified briefing this week that the first six days of Operation Epic Fury cost American taxpayers an estimated $11.3 billion, reports Defense News. The figure did not include a range of war-related expenses and the overall total is likely to rise.

DefSec Pete Hegseth posted a video ordering an overhaul of the military’s civilian and uniformed legal offices, a little more than year after firing the Army, Navy, and Air Force’s top lawyers, claiming they were “roadblocks to orders that are given by a commander in chief.” The message and timing startled current and former members of the judge advocate general corps, reports Defense One, coming during a conflict some experts claim is illegal and which has involved an airstrike on an Iranian elementary school that left 175 people dead with early evidence showing the US is culpable.

Outdated intelligence likely led to the United States carrying out a deadly missile strike on an elementary school in Iran that killed over 165 people, many of them children, in the opening hours of the conflict, Military.com reports from findings in a preliminary US military investigation.

The Navy decommissioned half of its mine countermeasure ships last year and began replacing them with littoral combat ships that possess anti-mine capabilities. Military Times reports, three LCS with the anti-mine package arrived in the Middle East last year with a fourth on its way. Entering Operation Epic Fury to address Iranian mines would mark the new anti-mine ships first combat deployment.

The irony is hard to ignore, says Military Times. Ukraine spent four years begging the US for Patriot missiles and building its own layer of air defense at a fraction of the cost. Washington, which spent roughly $4 billion on missile defense interceptors in the first week of the Iran war, is calling Kyiv for help. Last month, Ukrainian interceptors costing from $1,000 to $2,500, destroyed more than 70% of incoming Shahed drones over Kyiv. The 800 Patriot interceptor missiles the US used in three days were more than Ukraine received from allies throughout four years of war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said last week.

Ukraine is awaiting White House approval for a major drone production agreement proposed by Kyiv last year, reports AP News. “We have not yet had the opportunity to sign this document,” Zelenskyy said last week.

Some of Ukraine’s best-known drone military commanders and experts will be visiting Washington on March 25 to brief policymakers and defense leaders on  modern drone warfare, reports Defense News.

Drones equipped with thermal sensors have made the battlefield so hazardous that the best defense is not to be spotted at all, reports Military Times. So, the US Marine Corps is looking for camouflage cloaks that shield wearers from prying eyes and infrared cameras, according to a Marine Corps Systems Command Sources Sought notice.

The United States was granted permission to use bases in NATO ally Romania for operations in Iran following a meeting last week of defense officials in Bucharest, reports Stars and Stripes.

The Turkish Ministry of Defense announced that a Patriot air defense system is being stationed in Malatya, following waves of Iranian missile and drone attacks against key military infrastructure in the region, reports Defense News.

Ecuador’s Interior Minister John Reimberg took to the radio to urge citizens to observe an 11pm to 5am curfew from March 15-30 in the provinces of Guayas, Los Ríos, and Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas—three of the most violent in the South American country. Ecuador slated last weekend as the  launch of a major offensive against criminal organizations with logistical support from the United States, according to Military Times.

The Army has a new hand grenade devised out of lessons learned from door-to-door urban warfare, reports Military.com. The M111 does not rely on shrapnel to kill. Detonation releases a wave of force that behaves very differently inside a closed room than fragmentation. Walls, door frames, and furniture offer no refuge.

Anthropic has sought a stay from a US appeals ​court after the Pentagon said the company ‌was a supply-chain risk, pending a judicial review of the case, adding that the designation could cost it billions ​of dollars in lost revenue, reports Reuters. The AI firm separately ​filed a lawsuit earlier this week in a California federal ‌court ⁠to challenge its Pentagon blacklisting.

Microsoft has also filed a challenge to Hegseth’s shutting Anthropic out of military work by labeling its AI products as threats to national security. A group of 22 former high-ranking US military officials have also filed suit, some of whom were secretaries of the Air Force, Army, and Navy and a head of the Coast Guard. They allege in their own court filing that Hegseth’s actions are a misuse of government authority for “retribution against a private company that has displeased the leadership.”

Coast Guard LT CDR Jesse Millard is again up for a promotion to the rank of captain, despite findings of career ending retaliation against a subordinate, reports Military.com. Millard was first nominated for promotion to captain in November 2023, but had that nomination pulled on March 7, 2024. As the Senate Commerce Committee again considered the promotion, former Coast Guard Commander Dr. Kimberly McLear wrote the committee regarding the 2015 to 2018 findings of Millard’s retaliation against her. In a party-line vote, 15 Republicans (versus 13 Democrats) on the Senate Commerce Committee advanced the promotion to the full Senate. McLear called her experience reminiscent of “the deeply disturbing institutional behavior” involving more than 100 allegations of sexual assault  at the Coast Guard Academy. “Different victims, same flag officer leadership, . . . concealment of the misconduct, protection of perpetrators, punish the truthtellers. This is culture.” 

Policy discussions in Washington about modernizing the Selective Service System to conduct a draft, would likely continue to use a national lottery based on birthdates, similar to the system used during the Vietnam War, reports Military.com. The order of induction would typically prioritize: 20-year-olds first; then 21-year-olds; 22–25-year-olds; and finally 18- and 19-year-olds. The US has been an all-volunteer military since 1973, but federal law still requires male citizens and male immigrants ages 18 to 25 to register.

Contracts awarded in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., March 12-13, 2026:

AT&T Corp., Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a non-competitive, firm-fixed-price contract modification to the National Security and Emergency Preparedness Priority Service contract. An in-scope modification was completed to award the optional task for Wireless Priority Services on 5G. The face value of this action is $9,161,537 funded by fiscal 2025 Procurement, Construction, and Improvements funds. The total cumulative face value of the contract has increased from $160,477,418 to $169,638,955. Performance will be in Columbia, Maryland; Atlanta, Georgia; and Middletown, New Jersey. The performance completion is February 28, 2028. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC, Laurel, Maryland, was awarded a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for participation as a University Affiliated Research Center in support of the Complex Advanced Teaming Operations program for the Aviation and Missile Command. The amount of this action is $25,000,000. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 12, 2031. Army Contracting Command, Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W911W6-26-D-A001). (Awarded March 11, 2026)

The DCODE Group Inc, Washington, D.C., was awarded a $19,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to support the Joint Innovation Outposts Team, which will accelerate decision-making, field advanced capabilities at the pace of technology, and foster innovative environments for rapid Army solution deployment. Work will be performed in Washington District of Columbia, with an estimated completion date of March 12, 2030. Fiscal year 2026 research, development, test, and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $800,000 were obligated at the time of the award. The contracting activity is Army Contracting Command, – Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, (W9128Z-26-C-A007).

AE Works Ltd,* Sewickley, Pennsylvania (W91248-26-D-A015); BBIX LLC,* Boston, Massachusetts, (W91248-26-D-A016); BKM Prime AE SB JV LLC,* Baltimore, Maryland, (W91248-26-D-A017); G.M. Hill Baker JV LLC,* Jacksonville, Florida, (W91248-26-D-A018); and MJ-FFA LLC,* Albany, New York, (W91248-26-D-A019), were awarded a $249,500,000 order-dependent contract for Army enterprise architect and engineering design services to support the planning and design of facilities and infrastructure for construction projects in the Northeast Region. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2036. U.S. Army 419th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort Campbell, Kentucky, is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $38,899,972 firm-fixed-price order (N0001926F0220) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This order is for the procurement of 44 advanced capabilities mission computer units, to include 26 spares for the Naval Supply Systems Command and 18 laboratory assets for the Navy. Work will be performed in Bloomington, Minnesota (68%); St. Louis Missouri (22%); and Linthicum Heights, Maryland (10%), and is expected to be completed in June 2029. Fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $168,400; fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,844,734 and fiscal 2026 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $22,886,838, will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a not-to-exceed $489,306,966 cost, undefinitized order (N0001926F1055) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This order is for the procurement of non-recurring engineering and associated test assets, to include four Beowulf A-Kits, four Gunbay Pallet A-Kits, 12 Beowulf B-Kits, 15 sensor control unit B-Kits, and nine power control unit B-Kits, as well as support equipment in support of the design, development, and integration of the AN/ALQ-264(V) Beowulf upgrade to the existing EA-18G platform. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (61%); St. Louis, Missouri (28%); and Bethpage, New York (11%), and is expected to be completed in February 2030. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $33,988,353 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded an option exercise of $95,703,960 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-25-C-2127) for advance planning and long-lead-time material procurement to prepare and make ready for the accomplishment of the inactivation and defueling of USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2027. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $32,695,077 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1), (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., St. Louis Missouri, is awarded a $60,103,735 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00006) to an order (N0001924F0259) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This modification adds scope for the procurement of developmental and operational test support, developmental and operational test aircraft installation and capability validation activities, including avionics and airframe material, to support the Growler Block II Phase I upgrade, known as the Next Generation Electronic Attack Unit. Additionally, this modification adds non-reoccurring engineering, consisting of anti-tamper requirements, functional and physical configuration audits, systems engineering, software development and integration, human engineering, test and evaluation requirements, developmental and operational ground and flight testing, product support requirements, and additional software requirement changes. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland (16.3%); Bethpage, New York (37.9%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (27.4%); and St. Louis, Missouri (18.4%), and is expected to be completed in February 2029. Fiscal 2026 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $13,082,629 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Southwest-Environmental Planning JV, Charlottesville, Virginia, is awarded a $55,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for architect-engineer environmental support services. This contract provides for the preparation of Navy and Marine Corps environmental planning documents and tasks. Work will be performed at Navy and Marine Corps government facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Southwest area of responsibility, and is expected to be completed by March 2031. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance; Navy funds in the amount of $5,000 will be obligated at time of award to satisfy the minimum guarantee and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the SAM.gov website, with two offers received. NAVFAC Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N62473-26-D-0010).

Gibbs & Cox Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $30,699,293 cost-plus-award-fee and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-2313) to exercise options for surface combatant ship design and engineering efforts for the U.S. Navy’s future surface combatant force, as well as other emerging ship concepts, and feasibility studies as part of supporting the broader Navy fleet. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C. (60%); Arlington, Virginia (35%); and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5%), and is expected to be completed by February 2027. Fiscal year 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,852,465 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Amentum Services Inc., Chantilly, Virginia (W912UM-26-D-A001); IDS International LLC, Arlington, Virginia (W912UM-26-D-A002); and Singularity Security Group LLC,* McLean, Virginia (W912UM-26-D-A004), will compete for each order of the $200,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for security-related engineering, surveillance, inspection, analysis, development, acquisition, installation, testing, training, operations, maintenance, and management in support of physical and construction security monitoring for new construction or renovation of U.S.-only secure facilities in the Republic of Korea. This total cumulative face value is $200,000,000. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 11, 2033. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Far East District, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 11, 2026)

Technomics Inc.,* Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract for non-personal, project-based cost analysis support services, including cost, economic, and technical analyses for combat weapon systems, support systems, information management systems, and related acquisition and financial management reporting. The amount of this action is $83,255,557. Bids were solicited via the internet with ten received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 10, 2031. The Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W912CH-26-D-0017). (Awarded March 11, 2026)

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $38,899,972 firm-fixed-price order (N0001926F0220) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This order is for the procurement of 44 advanced capabilities mission computer units, to include 26 spares for the Naval Supply Systems Command and 18 laboratory assets for the Navy. Work will be performed in Bloomington, Minnesota (68%); St. Louis Missouri (22%); and Linthicum Heights, Maryland (10%), and is expected to be completed in June 2029. Fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $168,400; fiscal 2026 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,844,734; and fiscal 2026 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $22,886,838, will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Lynntech Inc.,* College Station, Texas, is awarded a $9,999,992 firm-fixed-price order (N6833526F1004) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N6833525G0017). This is a Small Business Innovation Research Phase III effort, Topic N132-093 entitled “Mask-on Hypoxia Training Device” that will procure, deliver, and support 35 hypoxia and dynamic breathing threat training systems comprised of flight breathing awareness trainers and simulation-based aviation flight stations. Work will be performed in College Station, Texas (89%), Jacksonville, Florida (1%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (1%); Whidbey Island, Washington (1%); Norfolk, Virginia (1%); Pensacola, Florida (1%); Lemoore, California (1%); Patuxent River, Maryland (1%); Miramar, California (1%); and various within the continental U.S. (3%), and is expected to be completed in March 2029. Fiscal 2026 procurement (Defense Wide) funds in the amount of $9,999,992 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competed, and one offer was received. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey,ac is the contracting activity.

Colville Inc., Anchorage, Alaska (SPE605-26-D-1000, $39,026,450); Crowley Fuels LLC, Anchorage, Alaska (SPE605-26-D-1001, $36,072,482); Petro Marine 49 Inc.,* Seward, Alaska (SPE605-26-D-1004, $17,775,457); Petro Star Inc.,* Anchorage, Alaska (SPE605-26-D-1006, $14,424,665); Bades Group LLC,* Germantown, Maryland (SPE605-26-D-1010, $11,359,811); Delta Western LLC, Seattle, Washington (SPE605-26-D-1009, $9,847,874) and Shoreside Petroleum Inc.,* Anchorage, Alaska (SPE605-26-D-1007, $9,251,770) have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract under solicitation SPE605-25-R-0208 for delivery of various types of fuel in support of the Alaska PC&S 3.9 purchase program. This was a competitive acquisition with 14 responses received. These are five-year base contracts with one six-month option period. The location of performance is Alaska, with a March 31, 2031, performance completion date. Using customers are War Department and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2026 through 2031 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.