Aircraft Big Winner in Defense Budget

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.

Beyond the 77 F-35s authorized by the 2019 defense policy bill, congressional appropriators added another 16, reports Defense News. The new compromise spending bill also buys three littoral combat ships instead of two and 13 Bell-Boeing V-22 Ospreys instead of seven. Aircraft of all kinds are the overall winner in this year’s budget, reports Breaking Defense. Congressional negotiators finalized the $675 billion bill on Thursday, reports Washington Examiner.

The US Air Force’s Air Education and Training Command says its found what was causing a rash of hypoxia-like problems in the service’s fleet of T-6 Texan II trainers, reports Air Force Times. The problems were primarily caused by fluctuating concentrations of oxygen in the cockpit. The T-6 fleet has been plagued by a series of hypoxia- or hypoxia-like events that resulted in several groundings and precautionary measures over the past year.

Defense News reports the Air Force added new technical issues to the KC-46 tanker’s list of problems, potentially throwing a wrench into the projected delivery of the first tanker in October.

The Navy is investigating the crash landing of an MQ-4C Triton last week at Naval Base Ventura County in California, reports USNI News. Operations have been temporarily halted at Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19.

The Navy is calling back most of the ships and aircraft that left Virginia last week in the days before Hurricane Florence hit the southern Eastern Seaboard, reports Navy Times. The EPA is monitoring more than three dozen toxic waste sites in the storm’s path, as well as many low-lying water- and sewage-treatment plants at risk of flooding, reports Military Times. Forty-one Superfund sites have been identified in threatened parts of the Carolinas, Virginia, Maryland, and Georgia, including polluted industrial sites, chemical plants, coastal shipyards, and military bases.

Australia has taken delivery of its ninth F-35A, reports Australian Aviation.

Reuters reports that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has increased the number of diplomats promoted to three of the top four ranks as he seeks to improve the attitudes of diplomats who were discouraged by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Five of the seven Marine commanders were removed from their posts this year because of “command climate, how they treat people, how they treat people of different genders,” Marine Corps Gen. Glenn Walters says. Military.com reports the corps is pushing to root out gender-based bias and a culture of disrespect.

Schools are now being required to collect and report data on assessments of military children, reports Military Times. The data will be based on US Department of Education performance records from the 2017-18 school year.

Contracts:

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $104,260,102 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-2105 to exercise options for engineering, technical, design, configuration management, integrated logistics support, database management, research and development, modernization and industrial support for nuclear submarines. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $981,700 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Mancon LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $92,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price contract that includes provisions for economic price adjustment to acquire supplies for authorized resale to include office supplies/equipment, janitorial and sanitation items, industrial hardware, galley supplies/equipment, safety supplies/equipment, and tactical supplies/equipment, along with store operation services at the Norfolk Super Servmart in support of Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk. The contract includes a one and a half-year base ordering period with no options. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. The ordering period is expected to be completed by April 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $50,000 will be obligated at time of award to fund the contract’s minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of that fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-18-D-0048).

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $34,037,115 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-13-C-2112 for a temporary storage period and preparations for towing of the aircraft carrier ex-USS Enterprise. The carrier will be held for a temporary storage period while the government evaluates disposal alternatives, conducts an environmental impact statement, and plans for towing of the vessel. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $34,037,115 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding–Newport News, Newport News, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Northrup Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, is awarded a $9,000,000 cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-5319 for long lead material for Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 low-rate initial production. The SEWIP is an evolutionary acquisition and incremental development program to upgrade the existing AN/SLQ-32(V) electronic warfare system. SEWIP Block 3 will provide select Navy surface ships a scalable electronic warfare enterprise suite with improved electronic attack capabilities. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland (98 percent); and Los Angeles, California (2 percent), and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2017 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Nova Global Supply and Services LLC, Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $92,000,000 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for full-line food distribution. This is an eight-month contract with no option periods. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) as stated in the Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Virginia, and other areas inside and outside the continental US, with a May 29, 2019, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Air Force and Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2018 through 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-18-D-4042).

Kforce Government Solutions Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $48,500,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for hospital equipment and accessories. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with 52 responses received. This is the 14th contract awarded from standing solicitation SPE2DH-16-R-0002. Location of performance is Virginia, with a Sept. 16, 2023, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2018 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DH-18-D-0008).

LSINC Corp., Huntsville, Alabama, is being awarded a $38,968,314 competitive cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with a 2-year base value of $13,207,721 for advisory and assistance services for Human Resources in support of technical, engineering, advisory and management support. This contract will support the development, implementation, sustainment and assessment of human resources processes, procedures, plans and policies to support the Missile Defense Agency workforce. The work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Colorado Springs, Colorado, with an estimated completion date of September 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and four proposals were received. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $582,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ014718C0038).

Leidos Innovations Corp., Gaithersburg, Maryland, was awarded a $17,800,000 modification (P00004) to contract W912DY-18-F-0153 for information technology services and support. Work will be performed in Vicksburg, Mississippi, with an estimated completion date of April 25, 2019. Fiscal 2018 revolving funds in the amount of $17,800,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

STS Solutions and Training LLC, San Diego, California, was awarded a $12,705,123 firm-fixed-price contract for programming constructs for facilities, equipment, staffing and programs that serve to enhance the individual adaptation of healthy lifestyle behavior. One bid was solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 16, 2019. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $12,705,123 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W81XWH-18-C-0051).

Tidewater Inc., Elkridge, Maryland, was awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for facility maintenance in northern California, including service calls, preventative maintenance, inspection, testing and certification, and repairs. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-18-D-0013).

Tidewater Inc., Elkridge, Maryland, was awarded a $9,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for facility maintenance in southern California, including service calls, preventative maintenance, inspection, testing and certification, and repairs. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-18-D-0022).