China Blames US for Hong Kong Election Results
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 Chinese government, still coming to terms with a stunning electoral victory for the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, is accusing the US of meddling in its internal affairs following the election, seen as a rebuke of the authoritarian policies of President Xi Jinping, reports The New York Times.
An ongoing legal dispute between the US government and Lockheed Martin over intellectual property rights has emerged as the source of a 30-month delay in activating a key system required to complete initial operational testing and the full-rate production decision in the F-35 program, reports Aviation Week.
President Donald Trump has tapped Kenneth Braithwaite, his ambassador to Norway, to replace ousted NavSec Richard Spencer, reports CNN. Spencer left amid tensions between top military leaders and the White House over a controversial case involving a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes. Politico reports a handful of the Pentagon’s highest-ranking officials have been debating just when they would feel compelled to resign over what they see as Trump’s disregard for the chain of command.
The Navy has named a guided-missile destroyer after Army’s football coach. Navy Times quotes Acting NavSec Thomas Modley’s explanation. “As a result of a friendly wager with my friend Mark Esper, current SECDEF and West Point graduate, I am pleased to announce that the USS Jeff Monken will be the next great Navy destroyer.” Had last year’s Army-Navy gridiron tilted the other way, future Army aviators would’ve been flying FARA-360s named in honor of Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo.
Russia is one step closer to being banned from the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, reports LA Times. Three years after Russia was banned from the 2018 Winter Olympics, a limited number of its athletes allowed to compete as “neutrals,” anti-doping officials suggested a similar policy for the next two Games. The Russian scandal dates back years, encompassing allegations of systemic cheating among athletes, coaches, and officials. The country was banned by the international track federation in addition to its Olympic sanctions.
Before you hit the road this Thanksgiving week, check the weather forecast. Time.com reports storms in the northeast, central, and western US are expected to bring heavy rain and snow throughout the week. “As we get into Thanksgiving Day, we’re going to have a fairly large portion of the country affected by stormy weather,” says Andrew Orrison of NOAA’s Weather Prediction Center.
A veterans suicide prevention proposal turned into a bitter fight between Congress and the VA, reports Military Times. Veteran Affairs officials call the languishing legislation a crucial step to stem veterans suicide. The three-year pilot program would award up to $750,000 to outside groups to provide some mental health intervention at taxpayer expense.
With few Afghan air controllers, the US is stuck in a forever war of air support in Afghanistan, reports Military Times. In a war where airstrikes reign on the battlefield, Afghan forces appear unprepared to bear the burden of a sustained air campaign against Taliban forces — jeopardizing American plans to draw down forces in Afghanistan.
Libyan forces trying to seize Tripoli shot down a US drone last week, now say it was a mistake, reports Defense News. The US said it lost the drone last week while assessing the security situation and monitoring extremist activity. US Africa Command declined to elaborate, saying only that the incident was under investigation.
Court documents filed as part of Amazon Web Services’ protest of DoD’s cloud contract show Amazon making the case that Trump’s dislike for the company’s founder affected the award of the controversial JEDI contract, reports Federal Times.
A sailor assigned to NAS Patuxent River became the first service member to be recognized as a Certified Navy Emergency Manager, reports The BayNet. Chief Damage Controlman Johnathan Zavatsky was presented with the certification on the Washington Navy Yard, after serving as an emergency management officer, completing personnel qualification standards, a series of online courses and the Commander, Navy Installations Command Emergency Manager Course.
Three of 100 soldiers earned the new Expert Soldier Badge during a five-day event at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, VA. It was the first time soldiers had a chance to gain the coveted badge, created for soldiers outside of combat jobs working to improve their warrior and battle skills when not in pre-deployment training.
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Nov. 25, 2019
Contracts:
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded an $831,008,187 modification to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-17-C-0001). This modification provides for the production and delivery of 15 lot 14 F-35A aircraft and associated red gear in support of the Government of Australia. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (59%); El Segundo, California (14%); Warton, United Kingdom (9%); Cameri, Italy (4%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); and various locations outside the continental US (2%), and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Non-US Department of Defense participant funds in the amount of $831,008,187 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $327,950,000 fixed-price-incentive-firm-target advance acquisition contract to procure long lead material, parts and components in support of the Lot 15 production and delivery of 48 F-35A Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35%); El Segundo, California (25%); Warton, United Kingdom (20%); Orlando, Florida (10%); Nashua, New Hampshire (5%); and Baltimore, Maryland (5%), and is expected to be completed in June 2023. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $327,950,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 US Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-C-0009).
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $17,620,319 fixed-price-incentive (firm target), cost and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-5104 to exercise options for ship integration and test of the AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) for AWS Baselines through Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 12. The contract provides for AEGIS shipboard integration engineering, AEGIS test team support, AEGIS modernization team engineering support, ballistic missile defense test team support, and AWS element assessments. This contract will cover the AWS ship integration and test efforts for five new construction DDG 51 class ships, the major modernization of five DDG 51 class ships, and the major modernization of six CG 47 class ships. It will additionally cover the integrated combat system modifications and upgrades for all current ships with all AWS baselines up to and including ACB 12. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (44%); Everett, Washington (42%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (4%); Bath, Maine (3%); Moorestown, New Jersey (3%); Camden, New Jersey (2%); and various places below one percent (2%), and is expected to be complete by November 2021. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy-OPN); fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy-OMN); and fiscal 2013 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy-SCN) funding in the amount of $10,882,412 will be obligated at the time of award, and $589,453 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year — fiscal 2020 OPN, 92%; fiscal 2020 OMN, 5%; and fiscal 2013 SCN, 3%. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $13,741,368 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N00019-20-F-0338) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This delivery order provides production engineering support for the installment and integration of weapon systems on the F/A-18 E/F and EA-18G aircraft. This delivery order also includes an option for research development, test and evaluation production engineering support. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (82%); and St. Louis, Missouri (18%), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,641,692 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Leidos, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $71,539,840 modification (P00010) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0047 for support services at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant, Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant and the Anniston Field Office. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 23, 2028. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation Army funds in the amount of $6,941,878 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
