Blue Angels Receive First Hornet for Testing
(Boeing photo)
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 first F/A-18 Super Hornet has been delivered to the US Navy’s Blue Angels for testing and evaluation, reports NBC15 WPMI in Mobile, AL. The jet, which will undergo testing at NAS Patuxent River, is the first of 11 jets expected to be delivered in 2020. The demo team’s transition to the Super Hornet will make airshows “look a little like 1973,” reports Forbes.
The Navy completed the first captive carry flight test of an Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range, or AARGM-ER, on a F/A-18E Super Hornet last week at NAS Pax River, reports Navy Recognition. The Navy plans to initially field the missile on its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers by 2023, but the missile is also designed to fit inside the internal bays on the service’s F-35Cs, reports The Drive.
The Navy’s transition away from the P-3C was completed in mid-May, reports Navy Times, when Patrol Squadron 40 at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, WA, turned in its last Orion. The last of the active-duty P-3Cs was delivered to the Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, FL, as well.
New Zealand’s Air Force will purchase five Super Hercules C-130J aircraft to replace the air force’s aging transport fleet, reports Seeking Alpha. The service also plans to replace its Orions with P-8 Poseidon aircraft.
Are better, quieter drones headed to the Army? Vertical lift drones brigades are now assessing fly quieter with more survivability, reports Army Times.
The Washington Post reports that in recent weeks, Chinese maritime surveillance vessels have confronted a Vietnamese fishing boat, a Malaysian oil exploration ship, and sailed an aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait. “Whether it’s on the South China Sea or whether it’s along the border with India, we continue to see provocations and disturbing behavior by China that raises questions about how China seeks to use its growing power,” a State Department official said.
President Donald Trump has ordered a drawdown of US troops in Germany, reports the Wall Street Journal. The number would drop by 9,500 servicemembers, from 34,500 to about 25,000.
Congress has a plan that would create a rapid retraining program for veterans who lost their jobs due to the coronavirus pandemic, giving them potentially 12 months of courses in “high demand” career fields, reports Military Times.
US Special Operations Command has created a new program executive office dedicated to software, reports Defense News. The office will continue to operate in Tampa, FL, with satellite offices in Fort Belvoir and Joint Base Langley-Eustis.
Military families applying for passports must submit paperwork no earlier than 60 days, but no later than 45 days from their departure date, said a top travel official, as COVID-19 stop movements are lifted, reports the Fort Hood Sentinel. DoD will be following the White House’s lead in determining where service members can travel on official business, reports Military Times. The guidance will allow travel for many permanent change-of-station moves and training exercises that have been put on hold since March 12.
Col. Jocelyn Schermerhorn, former vice commander of the 11th Wing at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington, has taken over command of the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, FL, reports WKRG5 CBS. She is the first female commander of the 1st Special Operations Wing.
A federal plan to contain protests in Washington, DC, allocated about 7,600 civilian law enforcement, National Guard, and active-duty Army personnel, reports Bloomberg News. The forces were stationed at Joint Base Andrews, Fort Belvoir, and Fort Myer, but most have returned to their home bases such as Fort Bragg, Fort Drum, and Fort Riley, reports NBC News. Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser asked the president to remove all military and federal law enforcement from the city, following several nights of peaceful protests, reports Military Times.
Sailors at NAS Pax River are helping the non-profit Sleep in Heavenly Peace build beds for children in need, reports dcmilitary.com. The local SHP chapter — the sixth in Maryland — is operated by retired Navy P-3 pilot Gary Faller and wife Debbie, a retired educator with St. Mary’s County Public Schools. SHP’s mission: No Kid Sleeps on the Floor in Our Town.
Contracts:
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $29,939,440 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6327 to exercise options for mounted systems, dismounted systems and auxiliary kits for the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment One Block One (I1B1) systems full rate production in support of the Expeditionary Warfare Program Office. Work will be performed in San Diego, California. This option exercise is in support of Australia (Foreign Military Sales (FMS) case AT-P-LGA) for mounted systems, dismounted systems, auxiliary kits, support equipment, and operational and depot level spares to provide support needs. Work also includes diminishing material and depot repairs to keep FMS and I1B1 viable for future production and to maintain operational readiness for the field. Work is expected to be complete by April 2022. FMS Australia funding in the amount of $29,939,440 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, DC, is the contracting activity.
DynCorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $40,422,804 modification (P00015) on an existing firm-fixed-price contract for the executive airlift maintenance support contract. This contract provides the following services: aircraft maintenance and back shop support of aircraft assigned to the 11th Wing and 89th Wing at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington, Maryland, and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2021. The cumulative face value of the contract is $105,218,774. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of award. The 11th Contracting Squadron, Services Flight, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA7014-18-F-5045).
Middle Atlantic Wholesale Lumber Inc., Baltimore, Maryland (SPE8E6-20-D-0016); Progressive Services Corp., Beaverton, Oregon (SPE8E6-20-D-0017); S&S Forest Products LLC, Boerne, Texas (SPE8E6-20-D-0018); and Sylvan Forest Products LLC, Portland, Oregon (SPE8E6-20-D-0019), are sharing a maximum $16,800,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE8E6-20-R-0002 for lumber, millwork and plywood for the Wood Products Tailored Logistics Support Program, East Region. This was a competitive acquisition with seven responses received. These are two-year base contracts with three one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Maryland, Oregon and Texas, with a June 3, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $12,355,663 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract M67400-18-F-0065 to exercise Option Year Two for analytics support for III Marine Expeditionary Force and Marine Corps Installations Pacific (MCIPAC). Work will be performed in Okinawa, Japan, and is expected to be complete by July 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funding in the amount of $12,355,663 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The MCIPAC Regional Contracting Office, Marine Corps Base Camp Butler, Okinawa, Japan, is the contracting activity.
Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $8,750,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity contract for face covers. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. This was a sole-source acquisition using authority granted by the expanded AbilityOne procurement list, make-to-order notice dated April 9, 2020. Location of performance is Maryland, with a June 4, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-B089).
Trident Systems Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, has been awarded a $35,000,000 maximum ordering amount, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price orders for Secure Collaborative Technology (SCTECH) software and hardware. This contract provides for the research, adaptation, enhancement and transition of critical Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) technologies to provide new capabilities which are secure and provide access between multiple levels of security domains and bridge between different chat protocols. This effort will result in the delivery of several software releases to the SCTECH user community, to include computer software, technical documentation, hardware, installation and maintenance of the current systems located at existing customer sites. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia; and Morrisville, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed June 5, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition under the SBIR program. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-20-D-0600).
Novavax Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland, was awarded a $21,952,384 cost-no-fee contract for the development and production of the Novavax nanoparticle vaccine against COVID-19. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of June 3, 2021. Fiscal 2020 Defense Health Agency Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act funds in the amount of $21,952,384 were obligated at the time of award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QY-20-C-0077). (Awarded June 4, 2020)
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $21,703,157 modification (P00063) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0014 for logistics support services for government-owned fixed wing fleet performing special electronic mission aircraft missions. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $21,703,157 were obligated at the time of award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $10,693,344 modification (000182) to contract W31P4Q-18-A-0011 for converged infrastructure engineering support; technical modeling support, containerized weapon system mission data analysis and engineering support; implementation support; and precision fires manager engineering and analysis. Work will be performed at Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of June 4, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $10,693,344 were obligated at the time of award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Ocean Construction Services Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, was awarded a $9,492,405 firm-fixed-price contract for road repairs at Arlington National Cemetery. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 5, 2021. Fiscal 2020 cemeterial expenses (Army) funds in the amount of $9,492,405 were obligated at the time of award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91236-20-C-0019).
