Big Buyouts Eyed for DoD Civilian Workers

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the Internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River naval economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Federal workers are looking to a new $40,000 buyout program set up by the Pentagon, Military Times reports. The buyout, increased in legislation from $25,000, will likely be a hit at DoD as the Pentagon moves to cut headquarters staff. Washington Examiner reports the buyout would be nearly equal to half a year pay for the average federal worker.

Col. Matthew Kelly is the new head of the Naval Air Systems Command’s V-22 Joint Program Office, reports ExecutiveGov.com. Col. Kelly is the former MV-22 military lead for the V-22 Osprey program. He succeeds former program manager Col. Dan Robinson.

Flight Global says the US Navy is going forward with the Next Generation Jammer increment 2 to develop a low-band jamming pod for the Boeing EA-18G Growler. NAVAIR has released a draft statement of objectives to potential bidders.

DoD awards Lockheed Martin a multi-billion undefinitized contract to continue production on the latest batch of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters even as it continues to negotiate a firm price for the fifth-generation jets, DoD Buzz reports.

The US military is budgeting for greater use of small unmanned aircraft systems for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance support, ainonline.com reports.

Breaking Defense attempts to answer the questions of how a small country like North Korea can build a road-mobile liquid propellant ICBM — a feat never achieved by either the Soviets or the US — and have that missile threaten the continental US. Military Times reports that it would likely be years before that country could use such a weapon in a real-world scenario.

DefSec James Mattis says the US would prevail in a military strike against North Korea and he believes it would be “a catastrophic war,” Military Times reports.

“We will return to the Moon and we will put American boots on the face of Mars.” That’s the message from Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at NASA Kennedy Space Center, reports Spaceflight Insider. The veep recently was designated to lead the National Space Council.

The US, India, and Japan are gearing up for the Malabar naval drills this week amid reports of increased Chinese activity in the Indian Ocean, Military.com reports.

The San Diego-based America Amphibious Ready Group left late last week for the Middle East. The flotilla includes the high-tech America, warships San Diego and Pearl Harbor, plus the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, the Wildcards of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Civilian employees from the Naval Air Systems Command and Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Research and Engineering and Test and Evaluation departments, were presented with Length of Service Awards and pins at NAS Patuxent River, The Tester reports.

Contracts:

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $5,577,714,486 modification to a previously awarded F-35 Lightning II low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot 11 advance acquisition contract (N00019-16-C-0033).  The LRIP 11 contract contains requirements for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, international partner nations, and foreign military sales (FMS) customers. This modification provides for the procurement of 74 fiscal 2017 aircraft, comprised of 48 F-35A aircraft for the Air Force, 18 F-35B aircraft for the Marine Corps, and eight F-35C aircraft for the Navy and Marine Corps. In addition, this modification adds funding to previously awarded fiscal 2015 and 2016 aircraft contract line item numbers for the US Services. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (55 percent); El Segundo, California (15 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (10 percent); Orlando, Florida (5 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (5 percent); and Cameri, Italy (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. Fiscal 2015, 2016, and 2017 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $4,491,634,930 will be obligated at time of award, $275,641,724 of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($3,428,766,751; 61 percent); Navy ($1,444,492,090; 26 percent); and the Marine Corps ($704,455,645; 13 percent). An undefinitized not-to-exceed contract modification to fund procurement of 50 F-35 Partner and FMS aircraft for $2.2 billion is anticipated within the month of July 2017. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Sodexo Management Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland, is being awarded $20,290,305 for fixed-price modification P00078 under previously awarded contract M00027-11-C-0001 for an increase in quantity of meals needed for fiscal 2017 in support of the US Marine Corps Regional Garrison Food Services Program. This modification increases the cumulative value of the contract to $686,688,135. Work will be performed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (47.51 percent); Parris Island, South Carolina (35.51 percent); Quantico, Virginia (6.53 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (5.98 percent); Beaufort, South Carolina (2.41 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (1.09 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (0.77 percent); and Bogue, North Carolina (0.20 percent). The increase in quantity of meals has no impact to the fiscal 2017 delivery schedule as it remains in full force and effect. Fiscal 2017, 1105 subsistence-in-kind funds in the amount of $20,290,305 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Marine Corps Installation Command, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Raytheon Co., Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, has been awarded a $78,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for delivery of identification friend or foe transponders and ancillary equipment. Work will be performed at Largo, Florida, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 6, 2020. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2017 procurement funds in the amount of $1,439,380 are being obligated at the time of award. Aerospace Management Systems Division Contracting Office, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-17-D-0006).

Harris Corp., Lynchburg, Virginia, was awarded a $461,246,563 firm-fixed-price contract to support the capability to upgrade and modernize existing land mobile radio system infrastructure, as well as replace systems with the latest technology. Two bids were solicited and two bids received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 6, 2022. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-17-D-0037).

Motorola Solutions Inc., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, was awarded a $461,246,563 firm-fixed-price contract to support the capability to upgrade and modernize existing land mobile radio system infrastructure, as well as replace systems with the latest technology. Two bids were solicited and two bids received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 6, 2022. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-17-D-0038).

Project Management Services Inc., Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for cost engineering services in support of Army Corps of Engineers nationwide cost engineering projects. 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 July 5, 2022. US Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla, Washington, is the contracting activity (W912EF-17-D-0013).

Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company LLC, Oak Brook, Illinois, was awarded a $12,733,300 firm-fixed-price contract for Atlantic Coast beach re-nourishment, Ocean City, Maryland. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Work will be performed in Ocean City, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 16, 2018. Fiscal 2017 other funds in the amount of $12,733,300 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-17-C-0025). 

Kearney and Co. LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $46,587,841 labor-hour contract for financial statement audit services of the Defense Health Program. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2018. The contract has an 18-month base period with three individual one-year option periods. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition for which two quotes were received. Defense Heath Agency fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $14,938,838 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (HQ0423-17-F-0096).