Call to Replenish Paycheck Protection Program Expected

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.

TresSec Steven Mnuchin and Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (NY) are expected to reach a deal this week on an interim coronavirus relief bill that would provide money to businesses, hospitals, and state governments, reports The Hill, and the Small Business Administration is expected to call for immediate replenishment of the small-business Paycheck Protection fund.

About 25,000 people have answered the Army’s call for volunteers to assist with the coronavirus response after the service sent emails to 800,000 former soldiers gauging their interest in returning to duty, reports Army Times. The preference is for those who are currently licensed in medical fields, other former soldiers can also volunteer.

The Army’s premiere infectious diseases lab is developing a COVID-19 test for people without symptoms, calling it a key to “normal” return, reports McClatchyDC.

The Pentagon has placed a $415 million order for 60 machines that can disinfect N95 masks, which will allow doctors, nurses, and others treating coronavirus patients to reuse the scarce gear up to 20 times, reports Defense One.

The top infectious disease expert in the country predicts another coronavirus outbreak in the fall, but expects the US to be better prepared to combat the virus, reports The Hill

 

 

Boeing to reopen the KC-46 and P-8 production lines, reports Defense News, after a three-week pause in operations spurred by the spread of the novel coronavirus in Washington state. The company temporarily shut down operations in the Puget Sound region on March 25. The phased re-opening of Boeing facilities will help support its supply base and will ensure the company has enough protective equipment available for the 2,500 employees who will return to work.

Aljazeera reports North Korea has fired a salvo of suspected cruise missiles toward the Sea of Japan, according to South Korea’s military. The major show came on the eve of a key state anniversary in the North and parliamentary elections in the South.

Patriot missile defense systems are now active in Iraq, reports Defense News, at al-Asad Air Base and at the military base in Irbil, where American and allied forces have been attacked by Iranian-backed insurgents in recent months.

The Air Force evacuated three US government contractors who had tested positive for COVID-19 out of Afghanistan — using a modified transportation method originally used for Ebola patients in 2014, reports Air Force Times. Air Mobility Command aircrew and medical personnel retrieved the three from Afghanistan. They are in the Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for additional treatment.

Navy hosts virtual industry day to keep the hammerhead mine on accelerated acquisition path, reports USNI.org. Sixteen companies attended a recent virtual industry day that allowed the rapid-acquisition program to keep progressing despite coronavirus-related restrictions in place.

Veterans’ remote mental health appointments skyrocket amid coronavirus outbreak, reports Military Times.

A sailor from Theodore Roosevelt has died of COVID-19 complications, reports Navy Times. This is the second service member death, reports Military Times. A New Jersey Army National Guardsmen has also died along with 13 others, according to the latest Defense Department data. Among those are six civilians, two dependents, and five contractors, holding DoD’s mortality rate at 0.3% compared to the overall US rate of 4%. The infection rate among troops is now 1,222-per-million, compared to 1,607-per-million of US residents, according to the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention numbers.

There are now more than 29,000 Air and Army National Guard professionals supporting the COVID-19 crisis response at the direction of their governors, reports Military Times.

The embattled Roosevelt prompted the Navy to take extreme measures to preserve its carrier surge, reports Defense News. The carrier Harry S Truman, at the tail end of a seven-month deployment, is being held offshore indefinitely as the Navy aims to keep its surge carrier deployment ready. The Navy has already quarantined the crews of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group ahead of its upcoming deployment to ensure that its ready to make its Pacific deployment.

Twenty states so far have extended their mandated statewide school closures through the remainder of the school year, with two more states recommending (but not mandating) their schools remain closed until summer. The Journal has an updated list of statewide school closures.

Contracts:

Cherokee Nation Red Wing LLC, Tulsa, Oklahoma (N68520-20-D-0001); ACE Aeronautics LLC, Guntersville, Alabama (N68520-20-D-0002); Orbis Sibro Inc., Charleston, South Carolina (N68520-20-D-0003); Coherent Technical Services Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0004); Precision Turbines Inc., Boca Raton, Florida (N68520-20-D-0005); Platform Aerospace, Hollywood, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0006); Skyquest Aviation LLC doing business as Gold Coast Helicopters, Glendale, Arizona (N68520-20-D-0007); Delaware Resource Group of Oklahoma LLC, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (N68520-20-D-0008); Erickson Inc., Medford, Oregon (N68520-20-D-0009); Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0010); ASES LLC doing business as Field Aerospace, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (N68520-20-D-0011); AVMAC LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0012); Support Systems Associates Inc., Melbourne, Florida (N68520-20-D-0013); Aircraft Services Alliance LLC, Anchorage, Alaska (N68520-20-D-0014); ASR International Corp., Hauppauge, New York (N68520-20-D-0015); F3 Logistics LLC, Warner Robins, Georgia (N68520-20-D-0016); Logmet LLC, Austin, Texas (N68520-20-D-0017); Kay and Associates Inc., Buffalo Grove, Illinois (N68520-20-D-0018); Telford Aviation Inc., Milwaukee, Wisconsin (N68520-20-D-0019); Talentscale Inc., Las Vegas, Nevada (N68520-20-D-0020); Keystone Turbine Services LLC, Coatesville, Pennsylvania (N68520-20-D-0021); AXXEUM Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (N68520-20-D-0022); Mint Turbines LLC, Stroud, Oklahoma (N68520-20-D-0023); EagleSystems Inc., California, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0024); J.F. Taylor Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0025); Naval Systems Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0026); Strategic Technology Institute Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0027); Resicum International LLC, Warrenton, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0028); Yulista Tactical Services LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (N68520-20-D-0029); KIHOMAC Inc., Reston, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0030); Akima Logistics Services LLC, Herndon, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0031); Adams Communication and Engineering Technology Inc., Reston, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0032); Science and Engineering Services LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (N68520-20-D-0033); ACET JV, Waldorf, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0034); AOC Global Services LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0035); Magee Technologies LLC, California, Maryland (N68520-20-D-0036); Commuter Air Technology Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (N68520-20-D-0037); Y-Tech Services Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (N68520-20-D-0038); Battlespace Flight Services LLC, Reston, Virginia (N68520-20-D-0039); King Aerospace Inc., Addison, Texas (N68520-20-D-0040); Affordable Engineering Services Inc., San Diego, California (N68520-20-D-0041) and Powerhouse Resources International Inc., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (N68520-20-D-0042), are awarded $6,106,000,000 for indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. The kits, aircraft recovery, augmentation, components, and engines (KRACEn) multiple award contract will provide aircraft maintenance services and support. Specific work locations will be determined on individual orders as they are issued. Work includes modification kit build and installations; recovery of downed aircraft; repair of aircraft and components; overhaul of engines; and augmentation labor supplement for maintenance where custody of the aircraft is not required. Additionally, KRACEn will support single satellite site, simple platform and organizational level contractor logistics support requirements involving limited aircraft quantities in support of Navy Fleet Readiness Centers. Work is expected to be complete by April 2030. The estimated cumulative aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $6,106,000,000, with each company having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. No funds will be obligated at the time of award, but funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured as a small business set-aside via an electronic request for proposals and a total of 42 offers were received. The Commander Fleet Readiness Center Procurement Group, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Technology Service Corp., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $14,000,000 modification on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity delivery order contract (H92408-19-D-0001) in support of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) for the Long Endurance Aircraft (LEA) program. The LEA program provides aircraft, turrets and spares required for a full multi-intelligence capability at Joint Special Operations Command. This modification raises the contract ceiling to $63,000,000 and is funded with procurement appropriation for fiscal 2020. The work is expected to be completed by March 31, 2021. USSOCOM Headquarters, Tampa, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 10, 2020)