Beryl Opens Week; NATO Closes It

A Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew conducts flyovers of Matagorda, Texas City, Galveston, and the port of Houston, Texas, July 8, 2024. CAPT Keith Donohue, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston, joined the aircrew to assess damage impacts from Hurricane Beryl. (US Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Jessica Fontenette)

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 week began for the US Coast Guard Air Station Corpus Christi sending out a HC-144 Ocean Sentry air crew to survey and assess damage in the wake of Hurricane Beryl along the Texas coast, including Matagorda, Texas City, Galveston, and the port of Houston, reports Stars and Stripes.

Convening in Washington on Wednesday for their annual summit, NATO member states were poised to unveil new aid for war-ravaged Ukraine, reports Reuters. Other security issues on the agenda include the Israel-Gaza war and deepening bonds between Russia, Iran, China, and North Korea.

NATO members are also likely to declare Ukraine’s path to membership “irreversible,” says Politico. The term already appears in an agreed-to section written by the US, set for the final version to be signed by all 32 members. The message offers Ukraine the alliance’s word that, as long as Kyiv undergoes democratic reforms, it will inevitably become a full-fledged member of the bloc.

The Senate wants a 3.4% spending hike for defense next year and 2.7% increase for non-defense programs, reports Defense News. The bipartisan Senate agreement adds $13.5 billion to non-defense and $21 billion for defense programs above the respective $780.4 billion and $895.2 billion. President Joe Biden and former Speaker Kevin McCarthy set for FY25. House Republicans, now, concur with the Biden-McCarthy 1% increase for defense, but significantly cut non-defense to reach an average 6% cut, though some programs would be cut much more and some GOP priorities not at all.

The Senate’s FY25 defense policy bill will not pay for surgeries for transgender troops or therapy for transgender military kids that “could result in sterilization,” reports Military.com. The unanticipated Senate restrictions on gender-affirmation care also appear in the House’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act which includes similar efforts to curtail services for LGBTQ+ troops.

US military bases across Europe were placed on a heightened state of alert last week for the first time in a decade after the US received intelligence that Russian-backed actors were considering carrying out sabotage attacks against US military personnel and facilities, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

Alone among the US armed services, the Navy expects to fall short of its recruitment target for a second consecutive year. Military Times reports, with three months left in the fiscal year, the Marine Corps has slightly exceeded its year-to-date goal. The Air Force and Army indicate they are on track to reach their end-of-year goals.

Congress keeps trying to rein in the long-troubled F-35 program, which has failed to meet its promises and is facing new problems with the latest generation, reports The Hill. Two top Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee say they are having conversations about an amendment to the annual defense bill that would reduce the number of aircraft purchased by the Air Force for the next fiscal year.

Cost projections have grown once again for the US Air Force’s new Sentinel intercontinental missile, with the program now expected to cost taxpayers $141 billion, or 81% more than forecast four years ago, reports Bloomberg.com. A fresh review has concluded that costs for the Sentinel may increase to as much as $214 million per missile  when calculated in 2020 dollars, up from $118 million each. The military has indicated it will continue developing its new LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, reports Defense News, but has told the US Air Force to restructure the program to get its ballooning costs under control.

The US is supplying Poland with a new $2 billion loan to help them buy American-made weapons, Breaking Defense reports. This is the second weapons loan made to the NATO ally in the last calendar year, a sign, a State Department official said, of how dedicated Poland is to strengthening its defense.

The Supreme Court’s ruling giving presidents immunity from prosecution for official acts raises serious questions about orders issued by the commander in chief to the military, especially if those commands clearly violate US or international law, says The Hill. A commander in chief with broad immunity from criminal prosecution would have more power and leeway in issuing controversial orders that the military is in most cases obligated to carry out, according to the chain of command.

Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people, reports AP News. Federal prosecutors gave Boeing the choice of  pleading guilty and paying an additional $243.6 million fine or facing a trial on the felony criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States. Prosecutors accused the American aerospace giant of deceiving regulators who approved the airplane and pilot-training requirements for it.

Virginia’s fishery managers have lifted the longstanding ban on dredging for blue crabs during the winter in the Chesapeake Bay, a seismic policy shift that drew strong criticism from their Maryland counterparts and conservationists, says Maryland Matters. The Virginia Marine Resources Commission voted 5–4 on June 25 to repeal the 16-year prohibition on winter dredging. The board is expected to reconvene in September to consider staff recommendations on how to implement the fishery. The new season could open as early as this December.

More than six months before the next American president takes office, across the NATO alliance and beyond, efforts to manage a potential transfer of power in America are ongoing. Politico reports many allies anticipate they will be dealing with a new Trump administration defined by skepticism toward Europe, a strident strain of right-wing isolationism, and a hard resolve to put confronting China above other global priorities.

The pier to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza will be reinstalled for a few days this week and then permanently removed, reports Military.com. The project has been plagued by bad weather, security uncertainties, and difficulties getting food into the hands of starving Palestinians.

US troops in the Pacific have already sunk two ships this summer in live fire exercises dubbed “SINKEXs,” reports Task & Purpose. The real fireworks are expected for the sinking of the amphibious assault ship USS Tarawa, second in size only to an aircraft carrier, in a SINKEX finale to this year’s ongoing RIMPAC, the huge annual war game exercise with the US’s Pacific partners that lasts until Aug. 1

VADM Thomas Ishee relieved this week, CAPT Lenard Mitchell, Gold crew commander of the expeditionary sea base USS Hershel “Woody” Williams, during its soft grounding in Africa in May. Mitchell was relieved due to a lack of confidence in his ability to command, reports Stars and Stripes.

Contracts:

Kekolu Contracting LLC, La Plata, Maryland, was awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, single award contract with a ceiling of $200,000,000 for construction work on real property facilities at Eglin Air Force Base and its associated sites in Florida. This contract provides for support of real property maintenance, repair, alteration, non-complex minor construction, restoration and moderation, and renovations efforts. Work will be performed at Eglin AFB, Florida, and is expected to be completed by July 7, 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and six offers were received. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Test Center, Eglin AFB, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA2823-24-D-0006).

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $51,443,980 cost-plus-incentive-fee missile warning missile threat enhancement contract. This contract provides the North American Aerospace Defense Command, Cheyenne Mountain Complex-Integrated Tactical Warning and Attack Assessment (NCMC-ITW/AA) system to obtain essential services to enhance the Combatant Commanders Integrated Command and Control Systems’ (CCIC2S) missile warning capabilities. It will also develop the capability within non-traditional source-processing and display to process, display, and evaluate high fidelity data from non-traditional data sources for integration into the CCIC2S enterprise. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by July 1, 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and three offers were received. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,800,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Space Systems Command Acquisitions, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA8723-24-F-B007).

Omega Foundation Services Inc., Slaughter, Maryland, was awarded a $28,927,540 firm-fixed-price contract for clearing and grubbing; construction of temporary retaining structures; maintenance and diversion of stormwater; construction of cast-in-place flumes, transitions and demolition; structural excavation and backfill; construction unwatering; driving pre-stressed concrete piles and compression pile load tests; driving steel sheet piling; fertilizing, seeding and mulching; relocation of utilities; installation of storm drainage systems; installation of sanitary sewer pipe, removal and replacement of street paving and curbs; providing and maintaining traffic control and coordination; installation of roadway lighting; miscellaneous metal work; and other related incidental work. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, with an estimated completion date of April 27, 2026. Fiscal 2024 civil construction funds in the amount of $28,927,540 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity (W912P8-24-C-0015).

McColm & Co. LLC, St. Petersburg, Florida, is awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price, and time-and-materials contract (HQ0034-24-D-00021) with a ceiling of $7,700,000. No funds are being obligated at time of award. The total if all options are exercised is $7,700,000. The Defense Security Cooperation University (DSCU) Defense Advisors program administers Ministry of Defense Advisors (MoDA) training curriculums and requires non-personal services necessary to perform instructional and training management support services. The Defense Advisors program was established from the MoDA training program, which was originally established in response to security cooperation and operational requirements for, and an increased U.S. government emphasis on, civilian-led capacity building at the ministerial level. The work will be performed at Camp Atterbury, Indiana; the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, Indiana; and Arlington, Virginia. The estimated contract completion date is July 8, 2029. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

CACI Inc.- Federal, Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a $69,209,548 firm-fixed-price contract (N3220524C4115) to provide worldwide logistics services in the following eight functional areas: lifecycle logistics support, special materials type desk support, material handling equipment and ordnance handling equipment support, ships acquisition support, consolidated maintenance and logistics system support, combat logistics force support, ordnance management support, and supply chain support. The contract contains a phase-in period of two months, a base period of 10 months and four option years, plus 52.217-8, Option to Extend Services for a total of 66 months. The contract will be performed on a worldwide basis beginning Oct. 18, 2024, and will conclude on Oct. 17, 2029. This contract was a consolidated and bundled Full and Open with proposals solicited via the Government Point of Entry website and two proposals received. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Argon ST Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded $11,940,859 for a firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00383-24-F-ST04) under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00383-22-G-ST01) for the procurement of amplifier chassis for the support of operations on the MQ-4C Triton aircraft. All work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by April 2026. Working capital (Navy) funds in the full amount of $11,940,859 will be obligated at the time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement under authority 10 US Code 3204 (a)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is awarded $8,592,533 for a firm-fixed-price bridge modification to a previously awarded contract (HT001124C0011) for Global Nurse Advice Line (GNAL) support services. The GNAL is a service to Military Health System eligible beneficiaries and provides access to telehealth registered nurses for triage services, self-care advice, and general health inquiries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds are obligated for contract modification HT001124C0011-P00001 to exercise and fully fund Option One Contract Line Items 1001-1007 for two months from July 18, 2024, through Sept. 17, 2024. The place of performance is Falls Church, Virginia. The Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $27,382,539 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-21-C-2104) to exercise an option to support research and development of advanced submarine technologies for current and future submarine platforms. Work will primarily be performed in Newport News, Virginia and is expected to be completed by June 2025. Fiscal 2024 foreign partner funds in the amount of $2,950,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured and is a sole-source award pursuant to 10 US Code 3204(a)(3) Industrial Mobilization. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

CACI Inc. – FEDERAL, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $21,486,000 modification (P00007) to previously awarded FA8821-24-B-0001 for the Satellite Control. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $326,573,878. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2027. Fiscal 2024 procurement funds in the amount of $21,486,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Space Systems Command, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.