A Debut for Blue Angels’ 1st Female Pilot

LT Amanda Lee, assigned to the Blue Angels, prepares for takeoff prior to a training flight over Naval Air Facility El Centro. (US Navy photo by Chief Mass Communication Specialist Michael Russell/Released)

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 US Navy’s Blue Angels demonstration team has its first female pilot — LT Amanda Lee, reports WTKR.com, who flew her first public show earlier this month at the Naval Air Facility El Centro Annual Air Show. Locally, fans can catch the Blue Angels performing over the US Naval Academy in Annapolis in May. Here’s the squadron’s entire 2023 schedule.

The Blue Angels’ F/A-18 Super Hornets flew with their Air Force counterparts, the Thunderbirds’ F-16 Fighting Falcons, during a joint training exchange in California. And the Blue Angels’ transport aircraft, a C-130J known as “Fat Albert,” joined the Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon for a photoshoot in Arizona. See these DoD photographs of the teams performing together.

The US Air Force’s 2023 demonstration team is made up of a diverse group of pilots, according to the Air Combat Command. The demo team showcases the capabilities of the service’s F-35A Lightning II, F-16 Viper, F-22 Raptor, and A-10C Thunderbolt II. The F-35 Lightning II demo team can be seen at the Ocean City, MD, air show in early June.

As Women’s History Month nears its conclusion, the USO takes a look at how the role of women in the military has changed over the years. Women continue to make history in the military today, pushing boundaries and taking on more roles than ever before.

Naval Forces Central Command Master Chief Celina Miller has been selected the first woman to serve as the senior enlisted leader of US 5th Fleet’s Combined Maritime Forces, reports Navy Times. She is slated to take over the role from Marine Corps SGT MAJ Cortez Brown in May.

The Navy has named new Naval Air Forces and NAVSEA commanders, reports Navy Times. RADM Dan “Undra” Cheever will be the next commander of Naval Air Forces. RADM James P. Downey, who has served as program executive officer for aircraft carriers since 2019, as the next commander of Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, DC.

LT GEN Michael Cederholm has been selected as the new commander of the California-based I Marine Expeditionary Force, one of the three main Marine forces, reports Marine Corps Time. An aviator by training, Cederholm has served as deputy commandant for aviation since July 2022.

Maryland lawmakers are preparing emergency legislation in the final days of the General Assembly session that would give them more oversight of the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home, reports Maryland Matters. The House and Senate Veterans Caucus met Thursday morning with Gov. Wes Moore (D) and Maryland Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Woods. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Jack Bailey (R) in the Senate and Del. Brian M. Crosby (D) in the House, requires operators of state-owned nursing facilities to provide near immediate notice to state officials and agencies of violations. “The bottom line is how do you even get in front of the problem if you don’t know it exists?” Del. Crosby said. “The bill is designed to do it for us.”

The US Navy accepted delivery of the final Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) unit earlier this month marking another on-time or ahead of schedule delivery for increased capability at sea, reports The BayNet.

South Korean officials said North Korea launched cruise missiles toward the sea after the North carried out what it called a simulated nuclear attack on South Korea, reports Military Times. The move was in protest to the US/South Korea Freedom Shield 23 drills, reports Naval Technology.

Armed Russian jets have flown over a US base in Syria nearly every day in March, reports NBC News. US commander LT GEN Alexus Grynkewich said Friday the jets had violated the airspace of At Tanf Garrison roughly 25 times so far this month.

The US launched retaliatory airstrikes against Iranian-linked sites in eastern Syria on Thursday after a suicide drone attack killed a US contractor and wounded five troops and another contractor at a Coalition base near Hasakah in northeast Syria, reports Military Times. The Hill reports that the main air defense system at the military base housing US troops and personnel was not fully working when the drone attack occurred.

The Russian military has lost so many tanks since its invasion of Ukraine began one year ago that it is apparently calling up ancient armored vehicles to make up for its current battlefield losses, reports Task & Purpose. It is believed that Russian is pulling older T-54 and T-55 tanks out of storage.

The Navy’s MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone has completed a rotational deployment to Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, in the US 7th Fleet in the Indo-Pacific region, reports Navy Times. The drone, which is designed to work hand in hand with the P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft, is scheduled to return to 7th Fleet later this year.

The Ford-class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy will now deliver to the US Navy in 2025, one year later than the service’s most recent projection, reports USNI News. The ship is approximately 76% complete and is progressing through final outfitting and testing.

Navy Cryptologic Technician 1st Class Robin Nicole Collins, 26, was just three days into her deployment when she died on July 18, 2021, reports Navy Times. Collins died during a secretive mission to an undisclosed country after a freak windstorm caused part of the building in which her team was operating to collapse.

TikTok’s CEO Shou Chew faced a barrage of questions about the app’s privacy from lawmakers last week, trying to assuage concerns that China was using the popular app to spy on American users, reports Defense One.

Some Native Americans using the Veterans Affairs’ Native American Direct Loan program could see their interest rates lowered as part of an initiative to make housing more affordable for them, reports Military Times.

Contracts:

Agility Consulting LLC, Indianapolis, Indiana (FA8806-23-D-0001); August Schell Enterprises Inc., Rockville, Maryland (FA8806-23-D-0002); Avantus Federal LLC, McLean, Virginia (FA8806-23-D-0003; BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration, San Diego, California (FA8806-23-D-0004); Bluestaq LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado (FA8806-23-D-0005); C3. AI Inc., Redwood City, California (FA8806-23-D-0006); Enlighten IT Consulting LLC, Linthicum Heights, Maryland (FA8806-23-D-0007); Ernst & Young LLP, New York, New York (FA8806-23-D-0008); Kinetica DB Inc., Arlington, Virginia (FA8806-23-D-0009); Mags DS Corp., Fairfax, Virginia (FA8806-23-D-0010); Map Large Inc., Atlanta, Georgia (FA8806-23-D-0011); Meroxa Inc., San Jose, California (FA8806-23-D-0012); Next Tier Concepts Inc., Vienna, Virginia (FA8806-23-D-0013); Oracle America Inc., Redwoord City, California (FA8806-23-D-0014); Palantir USG Inc., Palo Alto, California (FA8806-23-D-0015); Raft LLC, Reston, Virginia (FA8806-23-D-0016); Royce Geospatial Consultants Inc., Arlington, Virginia (FA8806-23-D-0017); and World Wide Technology LLC, St. Louis, Missouri (FA8806-23-D-0018), have been awarded a $900,000,000 ceiling, firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Data Software Services. This contract provides for furnishing commercial licenses and product deliverables for Data Software Services support and includes application development. The location of performance is El Segundo, California. The work is expected to be complete by March 31, 2028. These awards are the result of a competitive acquisition and 34 offers received. No funds are being obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N0003923D1001); Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia (N0003923D1002); and Scientific Research Corp., South Atlanta, Georgia (N0003923D1003) are awarded a not-to-exceed $536,700,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contract for the procurement of engineering services that provide integration, test, and installation of command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C4I) on surface ships. This contract vehicle will provide those services and supporting data deliverables throughout the five phases of shipboard C4I integration for each hull at the task order level. Work will be performed in Charleston, South Carolina; Marinette, Wisconsin; Seattle, Washington; San Diego, California; Pascagoula, Mississippi; Lockport, Louisiana; Bath, Maine; Morgan City, Louisiana; and Mobile, Alabama. Contract funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated on the first task order under each contract utilizing fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds; fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds; and fiscal 2023 research and development (Navy) funds. This multiple award contract is awarded pursuant to full and open competition, with three offers received. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Space, Titusville, Florida, is awarded a $474,220,267 fixed-price-incentive-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00005) to exercise options under a previously- awarded contract (N0003022C0100) for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. This contract award also benefits a foreign military sale to the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Magna, Utah (62.9%); Camden, Arkansas (9.1%); Rockford, Illinois (4.5%); Biddeford, Maine (3.2%); Elkton, Maryland (2.8%); Inglewood, California (2.7%); Denver, Colorado (2.3%); Titusville, Florida (1.4%); Lancaster, Pennsylvania (1.3%); Joplin, Missouri (1.1%); Lansdale, Pennsylvania (1%); and locations less than 1% each (7.7% total). Work is expected to be completed September 30, 2027. Fiscal 2023 operations procurement (Navy) funds in the amount $14,931,189; fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $381,968,359; and fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,223,144 will be obligated at time of award. Funds in the amount of $16,223,144 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is being awarded to the contractor on a sole source basis under 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a $1,796,323,441 firm-fixed-price contract for flight simulation training services. 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 31, 2035. US Army Contracting Command, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity (W900KK-23-D-0001).

TRX System, Greenbelt, Maryland, was awarded a $402,529,209 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-sharing and firm-fixed-price) contract for the procurement of Dismounted Assured Positioning, Navigation, and Timing System Generation II Line replaceable units and associated required services. 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 21, 2030. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-23-D-0003).

Motorola Solutions Inc., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded a $340,253,391 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Enterprise Land Mobile Radio support. This contract provides for lifecycle management and sustainment maintenance services for the Air Force land mobile radio network. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by March 23, 2033. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,352,208 are being obligated at the time of award. The 771st Enterprise Sourcing Squadron, Montgomery, Alabama, is the contracting activity (FA8055-23-D-3001).

Owl Cyber Defense Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland, has been awarded a $35,000,000 ceiling increase to indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification (P00005) to previously awarded contract FA8750-20-D-0600 for Secure Collaborative Technology (SCTECH) software and hardware. The modification brings the total cumulative ceiling of the contract to $70,000,000 from $35,000,000. Work will be performed at Columbia, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by June 5, 2025. No funds are being obligated at the time of modification. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity.

Innovative Defense Technologies LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $44,299,897 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Naval Digital Engineering Ecosystem (NDEE) effort. This contract provides for the development of an NDEE utilizing advanced automated test and re-test enterprise platform technologies capable of successfully executing the Office of Naval Research’s emerging requirements for developing and deploying counter-/command, control, communications, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting (Counter-/C5ISR-T) science and technology hardware and/or software products for rapid testing and evaluation activities, and fielded operational demonstrations. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of March 23, 2026. The maximum dollar value, including a 36-month period of performance, is $44,299,897. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,768,252; and fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $20,923,427 are obligated at time of award. Funds in the amount of $13,768,252 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase III follow-on contract that derives from, extends, or completes efforts made under prior SBIR/STTR Phase I or II awards. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-23-C-1006).

Huntington Ingalls Industries Fleet Support Group LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $18,607,521 cost-plus-fixed-fee award contract (N62793-23-F-1001) providing engineering services; planning USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) refueling complex overhaul (RCOH), maintenance and operator training; technical and repair support to ships force during the RCOH for the maintenance, operation, repair, training; and testing of the following equipment in accordance with Section C of the basic contract: aircraft elevators, weapons elevators, deck edge doors, hangar bay divisional doors, vertical package conveyors and associated handling equipment/systems. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2024. Fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $18,607,521 is obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. In accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was not competitively procured as only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, US Navy, Newport News, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62793-23-F-1001).