Biden Likely to Outline Foreign Policy Vision Today

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.

President Joe Biden is expected to give his first major foreign policy address today, Monday, Feb. 1, reports CNN, as he plans a visit to the State Department to meet with StateSec Tony Blinken. The US is facing many challenges — from Iran and North Korea to Russia, China and the war in Afghanistan, which began 20 years ago this fall, reports NBC.

Former DefSec James Mattis offered some advice to the new secretary of defense while being interviewed during Thursday night’s “Oh So Social” conversation series hosted by the Office of Strategic Services Society. Mattis said he hopes Lloyd Austin works to “demilitarize” the nation’s foreign policy. “Over the last 25 years we’ve over-militarized our foreign policy, and he is going to have to deal with that,” Mattis said.

At a panel discussion Friday sponsored by the US Institute of Peace, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser to Biden, said there are some foreign policy initiatives from the Trump administration that the White House will build on, reports NPR.

For the first time in three years the US Navy has sent three ships – including destroyers USS Porter and USS Donald Cook – into the Black Sea, reports Breaking Defense.

DefSec Austin told Germany’s Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer that Germany is “highly valued” as a station for US soldiers, reports Military Times. The Pentagon provides a readout of Austin’s call with Kramp-Karrenbauer.

The Pentagon has suspended the processing of some of former President Donald Trump’s last-minute appointees to defense advisory boards, reports Politico, as the new administration looks to weed out loyalists to the former president.

Some Republican lawmakers are calling on the president to maximize alliances on emerging technology such as artificial intelligence and 5G networking, reports Defense News.

Military Times reports that the Biden administration is reviewing the conditions for a full withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan and its May deadline. Afghan security forces are struggling to hold off the Taliban as international troops withdraw from the country, reports Barron’s.

US Capitol Police officer and US Air Force veteran Brian Sicknick, who died from injuries sustained in the riot at the US Capitol on Jan. 6, will lie in honor in the Capitol rotunda on Tuesday, reports Military.com.

 

 

The US Space Force now has an official rank structure for its members, reports Military.com.

The Space Force is not likely to go away under the new administration, reports The Associated Press, since its elimination would required an act of Congress and there is bipartisan congressional support for the service.

The US Air Force space acquisition office is being reorganized, but a question remains about who will be in charge of making decisions about what the Space Force buys, reports Breaking Defense.

Rep. Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from New Jersey, believes there should be a leadership change at the US Postal Service, reports NPR. He said the six members of the board of governors and the top leadership, including Postmaster General Louis DeJoy should be removed.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration scientists launched a research drone last month from a NOAA Hurricane Hunter plane to test its ability to gather weather data that could improve hurricane forecasts, reports Homeland Security Today. The drone test missions were conducted out of NAS Patuxent River.

The US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration says it will use one of its Nuclear Emergency Support Team Bell 412 helicopters to conduct low-level radiation mapping and detection flights over Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL, in preparation for Super Bowl LV on Feb. 7, reports ainonline.com. The flights are expected to begin today, Feb. 1.

The first private crew of four astronauts plans to fly to the International Space Station in January 2022 on a SpaceX mission arranged by aerospace company Axiom Space reports UPI. Axiom Space, based in Houston, TX, said the crew will include American real estate and tech entrepreneur Larry Connor, Canadian investor Mark Pathy, and Israeli businessman and former Israeli Air Force pilot Eytan Stibbe, reports International Business Times. The three will each pay $55 million for the opportunity.

The Fort Lee (VA) Traveller ceased publication last week, the post’s newspaper reports, due to financial losses and declining ad sales during the pandemic.

The Fleet Readiness Center East names Eric Jackson as its Mentor of the Year, reports dvidshub.net. Naval Air Systems Command leadership recognized Jackson and other NAVAIR Mentors of the Year during a virtual celebration last month.

Sidney Alford, who received the Department of the Navy Distinguished Public Service Award at the Winter EOD Technology and Training Program board meeting at Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division on Jan. 26, died the next day, reports The Baynet. Alford had been a significant contributor to the joint service EOD community throughout the DoD for more than 25 years.

Contracts:

Alutiiq Solutions LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded a $7,677,543 modification (P00003) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00421-20-D-0007. This modification exercises an option to provide research and analysis, strategic initiative, executive leadership management, administrative, operational and technical program support for the Command Strategic Leadership Service Team in support of the commander, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and direct reporting teams, the NAVAIR Corporate Operations Group, the Business Financial Management Competency, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) front office, and the NAVAIR Washington Liaison Office. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (60%); and Arlington, Virginia (40%), and is expected to be completed in February 2025. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Georgia, has been awarded a $612,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for C20/C37 engineering services support. The contractor will provide the engineering and data support on a recurring basis for all Gulfstream executive aircraft for the duration of the contract. Work will be performed for the Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines and Coast Guard in Savannah, Georgia; Naval Air Station Sigonella, Italy; Ramstein Air Base, Germany; Joint Base Andrews, Maryland; Hickam Air Force Base, Hawaii; Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Hawaii; and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Washington, DC. The work is expected to be completed Jan. 31, 2031. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,872,957 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8134-21-D-0001).

Filius Corp., Centreville, Virginia, has been awarded a $70,617,597 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for AN/TYQ-23A Tactical Air Operations Modules contractor logistics support. The contractor will provide all labor, tools, equipment, technical data/manuals, materials, supplies, parts, original equipment manufacturer service bulletins and the service necessary to provide contractor logistics support. Work will be performed in Centreville, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by January 2026. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $400,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8217-21-D-0001).

Abel Unlimited Inc., West Palm Beach, Florida (SPE1C1-21-D-1422, $160,548,560); Hilo Enterprises LLC, McLean, Virginia (SPE1C1-21-D-1424, $149,109,475); Odell International LLC, Mooresville, North Carolina (SPE1C1-21-D-1425, $90,509,251); At Ease Sustainment LLC, Pataskala, Ohio (SPE1C1-21-D-1421, $50,171,425); and Seaich Card & Souvenir Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah (SPE1C1-21-D-1426, $35,251,200), have each been awarded a fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE1C1-20-R-0137 for disposable surgical gowns. These were competitive acquisitions with 73 offers received. They are one-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are Texas, Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina and Utah, with a Jan. 27, 2022, ordering period end date. Using customers are the Department of Health and Human Services and Federal Emergency Management Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ACE Maintenance & Services Inc., Austin, Texas, is awarded a maximum value $90,175,044 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for janitorial services at Naval Support Activity Bethesda, Maryland. The work to be performed provides for all labor, management supervision, tools, materials and equipment required to perform base janitorial services. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance (Navy); operation and maintenance (Army); Navy working capital funds; and Defense Health Program funds. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by March 2026. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army); Navy working capital funds; and fiscal 2021 Defense Health Program funds in the amount of $17,855,592 will be obligated under the initial task order at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work under the initial task order is expected to be completed by February 2022. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-21-D-0004).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded a $77,475,197 five-year, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for interim contractor support for Amphibious Combat Vehicle replacement parts, support and test equipment and the repair of repairables/repairable parts. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (70%); Aiken, South Carolina (20%); Sterling Heights, Michigan (5%); and Stafford, Virginia (5%), and is expected to be completed in January 2026. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(ii). The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-21-D-0001).

Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., Overland Park, Kansas (W912GB-21-D-0014); Coplan-Merrick JV LLP, Greenwood Village, Colorado (W912GB-21-D-0015); and WSP USA Solutions Inc., Washington, DC (W912GB-21-D-0016), will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for General Architect-Engineer Services in Bulgaria, Hungary, and Romania. 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 Jan. 27, 2026. US Army Corps of Engineers, Wiesbaden, Germany, is the contracting activity.

Buffalo Group LLC., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $14,093,489 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Department of the Army Intelligence Information Services intelligence operations support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 24, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $14,093,489 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W50NH9-21-C-0002).

KBRwyle Technical Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $78,252,029 modification (000286) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0061 for maintenance, supply, transportation and other logistics functions for the Army Prepositioned Stock-3 Charleston Afloat program. Work will be performed in Goose Creek, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 14, 2022. Fiscal 2010 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $12,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

GP Strategies Corp., Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $40,671,032 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for life cycle logistics support and chemical demilitarization training facility operations and maintenance to facilitate the mission of the Chemical Materiel Training Facility at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland. 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 April 15, 2026. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-21-D-0015).

Technica Corp., Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $22,040,950 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order (FA8307-19-F-0098) for weapon system engineering and maintenance services to include incremental software version development and installation, security patch installations, preventative maintenance, trouble shooting and responsive Tier 1, 2 and 3 support for the Cyberspace Vulnerability Assessment/Hunter weapon system. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia, and is expected to be completed Aug. 14, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds; fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds; and fiscal 2021 Air National Guard procurement funds, in the full amount are being obligated at the time award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8732-14-D-0015).

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $21,744,548 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00032) to contract FA8750-17-F-0105 for enterprise exploitation and information assurance. This contract modification provides for additional hours to facilitate development of electro-optical emerging data sources as part of the Assured Cyber Enterprise for the Intelligence Community Program. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, and is expected to be completed Sept. 28, 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $74,381 are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $71,427,681. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity.

La Playa Inc. of Virginia, Chesapeake, Virginia (N64498-21-D-0002); Life Cycle Engineering Inc., North Charleston, South Carolina (N64498-21-D-0003); Q.E.D. Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N64498-21-D-0004); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia (N64498-21-D-0005); and Continental Tide Defense Systems Inc., Wyomissing, Pennsylvania (N64498-21-D-0006), are awarded a combined $67,512,167 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of support services for the Navy’s air conditioning and refrigeration systems on all types of military vessels and small crafts. Each awardee will be awarded $2,200 (minimum contract guarantee per awardee) at contract award. Work will be assigned according to individual delivery orders and is expected to be completed by February 2027. It is estimated that work will be performed on the West Coast (41%); outside the continental US (31%); and the East Coast (28%), at the following locations: Norfolk, Virginia; Mayport, Florida; Bremerton, Washington; Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; Yokosuka, Japan; Bahrain; United Arab Emirates; San Diego, California; Groton, Connecticut; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; Seattle, Washington; and Guam. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funding in the amount of $11,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. All other funding will be made available at the delivery order level as contracting actions occur. This multiple award contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with five offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

Bering Global Solutions LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded a maximum-value $44,636,195 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base operations support services to be performed at Naval Support Activity Northwest Annex, Chesapeake, Virginia. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2029. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,387,967 for recurring work will be obligated under the initial task order at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work on the initial task order is expected to be completed by March 2022. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-21-D-0006).

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $32,070,700 firm-fixed-price task order (N400-85-F-4540) under previously awarded multiple-award construction contract N40085-19-D-9070 for the construction of design-build project P224 Operations Support Facility and P999 Training Facility at Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek, Virginia. P224 will design and construct an operations support facility. The project includes all pertinent site preparations and site improvements, mechanical and electrical utilities, telecommunications, emergency generator, landscaping, drainage, parking and exterior lighting. Built-in equipment includes equipment cages, passenger/freight elevator, lockers and emergency generator. P999 will design and construct an operations training facility, to include administrative spaces with both private and open offices, open workstations, conference rooms, cage rooms to secure personal belongings, shower rooms and supporting spaces including server rooms, mechanical rooms, restrooms, break rooms, janitor closets and circulation spaces. Work will be performed at Joint Expeditionary Base, Little Creek, Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2023. Fiscal 2021 military construction funds in the amount of $32,070,700 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Five proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

East Coast Repair and Fabrication LLC, Portsmouth, Virginia, is awarded a $12,131,903 firm-fixed-price contract for a 50-calendar day shipyard availability. The work to be performed provides services for the mid-term availability of the fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196). The contract also contains five unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase cumulative contract value to $13,566,323. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by April 19, 2021. Fiscal 2021 working capital contract funds (Navy) in the amount of $12,131,903 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.SAM.gov website with four proposals received. The Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N32205-21-C-4008).

Lockheed Martin Space, Titusville, Florida, is awarded a $10,952,454 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00006) to exercise options under previously awarded contract N00030-20-C-0100 for Trident II (D5) deployed systems support. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado (40.1%); Bangor, Washington (17.9%); Kings Bay, Georgia (8.8%); Magna, Utah (8.2%); Oak Ridge, Tennessee (7.3%); Washington, DC (6.3%); Sunnyvale, California (5.6%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (3.5%); and other various locations (less than 1% each, 2.3% total). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2025. Fiscal 2021 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,907,204; and fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,500,000 are being obligated on this award, $1,500,000 of which 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.