China Invited to Rim of the Pacific Exercises

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.

Despite ongoing tensions in the South China Sea and several recent tense aerial confrontations, China has been invited to attend next year’s US-hosted Rim of the Pacific exercises. Defense News reports the exercises, sponsored by the US Pacific Fleet and hosted by the subordinate Third Fleet, run over several weeks and include numerous social and athletic engagements before heading to sea for a variety of operating scenarios.

The Guardian reports German Chancellor Angela Merkel tells election rally in Munich that Europe must take its fate into its own hands after “unsatisfactory” G7 talks. She suggested the postwar western alliance had been badly undermined by the UK’s Brexit vote and Donald Trump’s election as US president.

The number of weapons released by US and allied aircraft in Afghanistan sharply spiked in April, hitting the highest point in nearly five years, reports Air Force Times, releasing  460 weapons last month, more than double the 203 weapons released in March. It was the most in a single month since August 2012, when 589 weapons were released.

The president’s proposed 2.1 percent military pay raise will get close scrutiny from lawmakers already worried that troops’ salary and benefits may not be generous enough to keep military families financially stable, reports Military Times.

The Navy’s unmanned minesweeper prepares for operational tests in 2018, reports c4isrnet.com.

The carrier Gerald R Ford heads to acceptance trials and prepares for delivery, reports Jane’s 360. Acceptance trials are primarily aimed at demonstrating to the Navy’s Board of Inspections and Survey an ability to conduct operations at sea and that the ship is constructed in accordance with contract specifications.

The Pentagon successfully shot down an intercontinental ballistic missile using its own upgraded long-range interceptor missile on Tuesday in what was widely seen as a test of US ability to counter a North Korean missile launch, reports CNN.

UPI has video of lawmakers scuffling on floor of Texas House of Representatives after immigration authorities were  called on protesters.

More than 600 Carrier employees in Indianapolis will soon be out of a job, reports USA Today. Originally the company planned to move its entire operation to Mexico, laying off more than 1,000 residents, but President Trump struck a deal with Carrier to save many of those jobs..

Contracts:

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Greenbelt, Maryland, is being awarded an $11,615,029 firm-fixed-price contract for central heating plant conversion at Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point. The work to be performed provides for conversion of two coal-fired boilers and two oil-fired boilers to four dual fuel boilers (natural gas and fuel oil). This contract also contains four unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative contract value to $12,490,453. Work will be performed in Havelock, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by January 2018. Fiscal 2017 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $11,615,029 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with one proposal received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-17-C-8306).

Battle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio, was awarded a $10,332,484 modification (P00008) to contract W52P1J-15-F-0024 to provide advisory, analytical, and assistance services on logistics processes to the US Army Deputy Chief of Staff G-4. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $10,332,484 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Grant Thornton LLP, Alexandria, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $29,217,140 labor-hour contract for general fund audit services of the US Special Operations Command. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia, and other locations inside and outside of the US. with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2018. The contract has a 19-month base period with three individual one-year option periods. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition for which one quote was received. Fiscal 2017 Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Comptroller) defense-wide operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,137,562 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-0088).

Cotton & Co. LLP, Alexandria, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $24,588,105 labor-hour contract for working capital fund audit services. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2018.  The contract has a 19-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. Fiscal 2017 US Transportation Command funds in the amount of $8,721,917 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-0071).

CPS Professional Services LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, is being awarded a modification to a firm-fixed-price contract for $1,630,422 (bringing the cumulative total of funds awarded to $7,833,152) to provide a full range of administrative services in support of the mission of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness in the following areas: Management Support Office/human capital management; Personnel and Readiness Executive Services Directorate; strategic initiatives; and the Department of Defense/Veterans Affairs Collaboration Office. Work performance will take place in Arlington, Virginia, and other metropolitan Washington, District of Columbia locations. The expected completion date is May 31, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of the award.  Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting office (HQ0034-13-F-0175).