Clutch Problems Ground CV-22 Ospreys
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The US Air Force Special Operations Command grounded its fleet of 52 tiltrotor CV-22 Ospreys last week after discovering “hard clutch engagement” problems, reports Navy Times. Hard clutch engagement occurs when the clutch connecting the propeller’s rotor gear box to its engine slips. Naval Air Systems Command said NAVAIR and the V-22 Joint Program Office are working with Bell Boeing to resolve the “known V-22 aircraft clutch” issue, reports Breaking Defense.
The US Marine Corps said it is not grounding its MV-22 Osprey fleet over a clutch problem, reports Defense News.
The US Navy’s MQ-8C Fire Scout completed operations under the expeditionary advance base operations concept, reports Naval Today. The autonomous, runway-independent helicopter system was launched from the vertical take-off and landing tactical UAV maintenance detachment at Naval Base Ventura County in Point Mugu, CA, simulating a ship-based departure.
AEye, a Silicon Valley company focused on detection technology, is teaming up with Booz Allen Hamilton to expand its lidar detection system product offerings, reports Defense News. Lidar works on the same principle as radar but uses light from a laser instead of electromagnetic waves.
Lockheed Martin has delivered a high-energy laser destined for installation onboard US Navy warships, reports Breaking Defense. The weapon system, called the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-Dazzler and Surveillance, or HELIOS, is a 60+ kW-class laser. The initial contract to develop the weapon was awarded in 2018. The laser is set for at-sea tests on the destroyer Preble in fiscal 2023.
The Pentagon announced Friday that the US will send another $775 million arms package to Ukraine, reports The Hill. The package will include missiles, drones, armored vehicles, and mine-clearing equipment.
VADM Karl Thomas, commander of the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, said Chinese intercepts of US and allied aircraft have become more common in recent months, reports Navy Times. Thomas said that while overall interactions remain “professional,” there has been an uptick in unsafe intercepts by Chinese aircraft. A CNN analysis reports that China is attempting to establish a “new normal” across the Taiwan Strait.
For the first time in a decade, the Marine Corps has met its retention goals amid struggles and challenges for all branches to keep and retain troops, reports Military.com.
West Virginia has called up more than 50 National Guardsmen to staff jails, reports Task & Purpose. Gov. Jim Justice issued a state of emergency to address labor shortages among corrections officers and other staff at the facilities.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned last week that solar activity could cause geomagnetic storms strong enough to trigger disruptions to GPS, communications satellites, and some military radios, reports Breaking Defense. The warning was issued on Tuesday, and NOAA said that the activity could have continued until the end of the week. Such storms happen periodically as the sun’s activity (the solar cycle) waxes and wanes, and the round last week was not catastrophic.
A Navy nuclear engineer and his wife withdrew their guilty pleas in a case involving an alleged plot to sell secrets about American nuclear-powered warships, reports The Associated Press. This comes after a federal judge rejected plea agreements that had called for specific sentencing guidelines. US District Judge Gina Groh said the sentencing options were “strikingly deficient” considering the seriousness of the charges.
More than 200,000 students who attended classes at ITT Technical Institute will see their student loan debt erased under plans announced by the Department of Education last week, but the move won’t restore GI Bill benefits for veterans defrauded by the school, reports Navy Times.
A Lexington Park, MD, woman was convicted August 15 for her participation in a conspiracy to fraudulently obtain military disability benefits, reports the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. Mary Francis Biggs, 65, and her husband received more than $170,000 in disability benefits and early retirement pay to which they were not entitled.
Thomas Hartley, 48, of Henryville, PA, a New Jersey National Guardsman who worked in the Department of Labor’s inspector general’s office, has been indicted on allegations he defrauded the government, his wife, and an insurance company out of more than $260,000, reports Military.com.
Scott A. Kohn, the ringleader of a $300 million Ponzi scheme that targeted veterans and the elderly, pleaded guilty and was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison, reports Military Times. The 68-year-old from Newport, CA, was indicted in 2019 in South Carolina for a nationwide fraud conspiracy operated through his corporation Future Income Payments LLC from 2011 to 2018.
The War Horse reports that scams are more likely to target military members and veterans. They’re also more likely to lose money in scams. A steady income and military benefits, a soft spot for helping those who serve and those in need, frequent moves and deployments, and a unique culture that scammers can tap into to gain unwarranted trust make military members and families particular targets of scammers.
The US Air Force football team will debut new jerseys on the field October 1, when Air Force hosts the US Naval Academy, reports CBS News. The back of the jerseys will read “Semper Supra,” Latin for “Always Above.”
The 2022 Department of Defense Warrior Games began last week at Walt Disney World Resort’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, reports Military Times. The annual games celebrate the commitment, strength, spirit, and resilience of active military members and veterans who have faced injuries, been wounded or fallen ill. The closing ceremony will be held August 28.
Here’s what Pennsylvania agricultural officials say to do if you see a spotted lanternfly: “Kill it! Squash it, smash it … just get rid of it.” The invasive insect is now being found in much of the eastern US, reports The Associated Press. Officials are asking people to help track the insect and slow its spread. The first Maryland spotting of the insect was in 2018 in Cecil County, according to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources.
Contracts:
Washington Headquarters Services will increase the ceiling on a cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HQ003418D0005) held by the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, by $35,000,000. The total if all options are exercised is $177,000,000, which is the ceiling amount. No funds are being obligated at this time. This contract fulfills a requirement of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security for a University Affiliated Research Center for Research and Development in Language, Information, Culture, Cognition, and Behavior. The University shall provide personnel from academic disciplines required to accomplish the following core research and development competencies: foreign languages and dialects; linguistics; disciplines relevant to the acquisition and practice of analysis and critical thinking; and disciplines relevant to the manipulation, use and sharing of information of varying quantities and diverse forms. The estimated completion date is Dec. 30, 2022. The work will be performed at the University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Cougaar Software Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $27,208,816 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for the Human-Machine Collaborative Automated Problem Solving application. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 17, 2027. US Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-22-D-0033).
International Business Machines Corp., Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $17,816,375 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for a follow-on procurement to the existing Computer Hardware Enterprise Software Systems 3-S Financial Management services task order W91CRB-19-F-0151. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 19, 2027. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $1,978,035 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-22-F-0383).
Altamira Technologies Corp., Fairborn, Ohio (FA8604-22-D B005); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., Beavercreek, Ohio (FA8604-22-D-B006); Modern Technology Solutions, Alexandria, Virginia (FA8604-22-D-B007); Radiance Technologies, Huntsville, Alabama (FA8604-22-D-B008); and Xandar LLC, Fairfax, Virginia (FA8604-22-D-B009), have been awarded a $4,797,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm, time and materials, cost reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, labor hour multiple award contract for National Air and Space Intelligence Center (NASIC) Scientific and Technical Intelligence (S&TI) Capability Support Services (NOVASTAR) to facilitate NASIC’s requirement for research, development, and sustainment of new and existing hardware, systems, and software capabilities enabling scientific and technical intelligence production for the Air Force, Department of Defense (DOD), and national-level intelligence efforts. Additionally, this contract facilitates NASIC’s requirement for the production of technical intelligence through collection, analysis, planning, processing, dissemination, archiving, and associated activities for NASIC, the Air Force, DOD, and national-level intelligence efforts. Work will primarily be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Aug. 22, 2033. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, the solicitation was posted on SAM.gov, and 10 offers were received. Fiscal 2022 funds in the amount of $25,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Sevenson Environmental Services Inc., Niagara Falls, New York (W912P9-22-D-0010); Hydrogeologic Inc., Reston, Virginia (W912P9-22-D-0011); FPM-CTI JV LLC, Oneida, New York (W912P9-22-D-0012); EA Engineering, Science, and Technology, Hunt Valley, Maryland (W912P9-22-D-0013); Environmental Chemical Corp., Burlingame, California (W912P9-22-D-0014); ARDL Inc., Mount Vernon, Illinois (W912P9-22-D-0015); Environmental Quality Management Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (W912P9-22-D-0016); Environmental Restoration LLC, Fenton, Missouri (W912P9-22-D-0017); Kemron Environmental Services Inc., Atlanta, Georgia (W912P9-22-D-0018); and PE Ayuda JV LLC, St. Louis, Missouri (W912P9-22-D-0019), will compete for each order of the $88,125,000 firm-fixed-price contract to perform or provide a wide range of remedial action services at hazardous waste sites. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 18, 2025. US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity.
DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $10,759,821 modification (P00162) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0062 for direct technical and engineering support services to programs managed, integrated, engineered, and developed by the US Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center. Work will be performed in Warren, Michigan, with an estimated completion date of June 30, 2023. Fiscal 2010 research, development, test, and evaluation, defense-wide funds in the amount of $10,759,821 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
Versar Inc., Springfield, Virginia, was awarded a $7,630,924 firm-fixed-price contract for fire and electric safety assessments. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work will be performed in Kuwait with an estimated completion date of March 31, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $7,630,924 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-22-C-0028).
BAE Systems – Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $107,736,087, firm-fixed-price contract for the execution of the USS Ross (DDG 71) fiscal 2023 extended dry-docking selected restricted availability. This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization and repair of the USS Ross. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $123,876,183. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2024. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $93,897,036 (87%); and fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,839,051 (13%) will be obligated at time of award, of which $93,897,036 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured using full and open competition via the System for Award Management website. Competitive proposals were received in response to Solicitation Number (N00024-22-R-4422). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-22-C-4422).
