BAMS-D Aircraft Welcomed Back to Pax
The US Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator team at Patuxent River celebrates the return of BAMS-D from the Fifth Fleet to its home base at NAS Pax River on June 17. (Photo courtesy of Northrop Grumman)
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 Global Hawks are back home at NAS Patuxent River after its more than a decade-long mission, reports The Drive. Returning after a 13-year deployment that was initially supposed to be a six-month concept demonstration, the remaining Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Demonstrator program, or BAMS-D, aircraft are on their way to tying off a storied career.
The House Armed Services Committee advanced plans for its $840 billion defense policy bill Thursday, reports Military Times. It includes more money to offset the costs of inflation, purchase new equipment, and provide additional support for Ukraine.
Ukraine wants to make the case for the top two technologies it needs to repel Russia’s air force: additional ground-based air defense systems and Western fighter jets, reports Breaking Defense. What’s not on the list of priorities? The MQ-1C Gray Eagle drone.
Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said at a news conference last week that his confidence in the VA’s new $16 billion electronic medical records system “has been shaken” by more setbacks, reports Navy Times, including evidence that the changeover has resulted in dangerous medical complications for some patients.
US Rep. Mark Green (R-TN) wants the sale of Chinese-made products banned in military exchanges and commissaries, reports Marine Corps Times. Some military resale experts say the proposal would be “devastating,” especially to military exchanges.
South Korea has developed a robot for autonomous tunnel exploration, reports C4ISRNET. The robot can explore underground tunnels without topographic information, detecting risks and generating a 3D map of the exploration area, according to the South Korean Agency for Defense Development.
Battlefield robots getting “common sense” training before they are deployed, reports C4ISRNET. “They don’t understand a great deal that all of us sort of just know,” said Howard Shrobe, program manager for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Machine Common Sense project.
A US Navy P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane flew over the Taiwan Strait late last week in a demonstration of the US’ “commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific,” reports CNN, just days after dozens of Chinese warplanes entered Taiwan’s self-declared air defense identification zone.
US Pacific Fleet commander ADM Sam Paparo said that close cooperation between the US and Japanese naval forces is more important than ever in the region amid rising tensions over China, North Korea, and Russia, reports The Associated Press. Paparo met Friday with Japan’s Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi.
US Army GEN Christopher Cavoli received Senate confirmation to serve as commander of the US European Command, reports The Hill. Cavoli will also take over as NATO’s supreme allied commander in Europe.
Spain has signed $2.15 billion contract with the NATO Eurofighter and Tornado Management Agency for 16 single-seater and four twin-seater Eurofighter combat aircraft to replace its F-18 fleet, reports Breaking Defense. The Spanish Air Force’s F-18s were bought from the US Navy second-hand and are scheduled to be retired in 2024.
Sentries at the NAS Pax River gate have returned to the handling IDs at gates and entry control points, reports The Southern Maryland Chronicle.
Active military members who want to be considered for the Space Force have until June 30 to apply, reports Military Times. The newest military service plans to bring in 243 active duty troops from the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps.
The world’s deepest shipwreck has been found, reports CNN. It is the USS Destroyer Escort Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413), known as the Sammy B. The Sammy B. sank in the Battle off Samar, on October 25, 1944, in which the US Navy defeated the larger Japanese fleet, east of the island of Samar in the Philippines.
ArmySec Christine Wormuth has issued a new policy allowing troops to have small tattoos on their hands, ears, and necks, reports Army Times. This comes as the service is struggling to find new recruits.
A Vietnam era Bell UH-1B went down Wednesday on state Route 17 in Logan County, WV, reports wvmetronews.com. The aircraft was part of a Huey Reunion happening at the Logan Airport sponsored by Marpat Aviation. The reunion offers tourist rides.
The federal Interior Department’s Bureau of Offshore Energy Management held its first public meeting last week on a plan to erect wind energy turbines off the coast of Ocean City, reports Maryland Matters, and even though the proposal has generated controversy there, only one person testified against it. US Wind proposes building up to 121 turbines that would generate enough electricity to power 285,000 homes from wind energy by 2026.
The St. Mary’s County League of Women Voters held the second of three candidate forums in Lexington Park on June 22, reports The BayNet. A June 29 forum will feature primary candidates for Commissioner District 1, Commissioner District 2, Commissioner District 4, and Commissioner President.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) announced an international business partnership with Ireland while visiting the country on an “economic development mission,” reports WTOP News. The partnership is between Maryland’s Global Gateway Initiative and the Guinness Enterprise Centre in Dublin, Ireland, in hopes that international businesses will come to Maryland. This follows Hogan’s announcement of a $2 million investment in the program.
Contracts:
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a $12,000,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee contract for Integration Support Contract (ISC) 2.0. The main function of ISC 2.0 is to support the government as the lead systems integrator and augment government resources for Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) weapon system systems engineering and integration and professional services. Work will be primarily performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 24, 2040. This award is the result of a competitive request for proposals through publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and five offers were received. The Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center, Hill AFB, Utah is the contract activity (FA8207-22-D-0001).
Leo A Daly Perkins and Will, Washington, DC, was awarded a $60,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for pre-design, design and construction phase services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 14 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of June 23, 2032. US Army Corps of Engineers, Concord, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (W912WJ-22-D-0001).
Federal Staffing Resources LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, was awarded a $53,757,083 firm-fixed-price contract to provide patient appointing services, referral management services, and clear and legible reporting services. 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 June 30, 2027. US Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (W81K04-22-C-0015).
Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $12,880,718 modification (P00016) to contract W31P4Q-21-F-0057 for engineering and professional services supporting systems-of-systems, battlespace effectiveness models, simulations and analysis. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 23, 2023. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., acting through its Northrop Grumman Defense Systems sector in Elkton, Maryland, is being awarded a $7,871,015 modification (P00009) to previously awarded contract HQ0860-21-C-0003 to exercise an option. The value of this contract is increased from $6,743,960 to $14,614,975. Under this modification, the contractor will mature their axial upper stage design and fabricate, characterize the subassemblies, and conduct a heavyweight motor hot fire test. The work will be performed in Elkton, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 2023. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,000,000 are being obligated on this award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Pyrotechnique By Grucci Inc., Radford, Virginia, was awarded an $11,747,554 firm-fixed-price contract for M115A2 ground burst and M116A1 hand grenade simulators. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Radford, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of June 9, 2028. Fiscal 2020, 2021 and 2022 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $11,747,554 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-22-C-0031).
