Contractors Uneasy With DoD Cybersecurity Program

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.

Months of silence from the DoD on the status of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification program is stirring unease among defense contractors, reports Defense Systems. In a September 8 letter to Deputy DefSec Kathleen Hicks, the Information Technology Industry Council, National Defense Industrial Association, and Professional Services Council called for more transparency and communication from the Pentagon on the CMMC program.

FCW reports Hick’s office says the Pentagon wants defense contractors to continue implementation of the program despite pending results from its internal review, which could bring significant changes.

Capitol Police and other law enforcement officials are ramping up security measures ahead of Saturday’s rally in Washington to support the pro-Trump insurrectionists who attacked the Capitol earlier in the year, reports The Hill.

CNN reports that two days after the January 6 attack on the US Capitol, President Donald Trump’s top military adviser, Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, single-handedly took secret action to limit Trump from potentially ordering a dangerous military strike or launching nuclear weapons, according to “Peril,” a new book by journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa.

“While today’s US military is near its smallest size since the end of World War II in terms of active duty end strength, personnel costs are at a historic high — surpassed only by the height of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Left unaddressed, high personnel costs may limit resources for Department of Defense modernization initiatives and could threaten the long-term sustainability of the force,” reads a Center for Strategic and International Studies report released this month.

The British Ministry of Defence has awarded three directed-energy weapon demonstrator contracts totaling $100 million to British industry teams, reports Defense News. Two of the demonstrators will user laser weapons, while a third program will involve a radio-frequency weapon. All of the work is part of the British Novel Weapons Programme.

European-based companies Milrem Robotics and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace are teaming up to design and build a new robotic combat vehicle geared to meet requirements for European militaries and the US, reports Defense News. The Type-X tactical vehicle platform is designed to deliver “equal or overmatching” firepower to be used by units with Infantry Fighting Vehicles and would also provide mechanized units with the ability to breach enemy defenses while giving troops greater protective standoff.

 

 

These are the approximate positions of the US Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of September 13, 2021, according to the USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker.

Air Vice Marshal Harvey Smyth, head of the United Kingdom’s new Space Directorate, warned that increased access to space increases the possibility of “space terrorism,” drawing parallels to the way terrorists were able to use commercial aircraft during the 9/11 attacks, reports Defense News.

BAE Systems has taken a step into the satellite sector in the UK with the acquisition of low earth orbit spacecraft builder In-Space Missions, reports Defense News. Acquisition of the Alton, England-based company was announced by the two companies as the DSEI defense show opened at the Excel Centre east London. No price for the transaction was given.

Americans’ incomes fell last year but fewer people were living in poverty amid COVID-19 as trillions of dollars in federal aid offered relief to the millions who were laid off, reports USA Today. Median US household income fell 2.9% to $67,500, the US Census Bureau said Tuesday, the first significant decline since 2011.

Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee are backing a $1 billion investment for the IRS to support enrollment in the advance child tax credit program among non-English speakers and eligible recipients who don’t file tax returns, reports FCW.

BAE Systems is moving into the quadcopter drone sector in a collaboration with drone maker Malloy Aeronautics to produce an electric-powered vehicle capable of lifting loads up to 300kg, reports Defense News.

Navy Times reports the command master chief of the US Coast Guard Academy had a reputation for getting too close and “huggy” with female cadets and academy personnel, which lead to Master Chief Brett VerHulst being relieved and simultaneously resigning as the academy’s senior enlisted leader in April, a move that Superintendent RADM William Kelly made permanent a few months later.

Defense News reports the Pentagon’s fiscal 2023 budget proposal will more clearly delineate climate change mitigation efforts, according to Deputy DefSec Hicks.

Contracts:

Norfolk Dredging Co., Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia, is awarded a $23,255,989 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of maintenance dredging at Naval Weapons Station Earle. The work to be performed provides for maintenance dredging the areas surrounding piers including all berths, turning basin, terminal channel, and a portion of Sandy Hook federal channel. Work will be performed in Colts Neck, New Jersey, and is expected to be completed by December 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) in the amount of $23,255,989 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-21-B-0055).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $16,616,380 firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-18-C-4208 to exercise options for machinery control systems shipsets in support of DDG modernization. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (40%); Airmont, New York (20%); Rancho Cucamonga, California (10%); Brenham, Texas (7%); Baltimore, Maryland (6%); Milford, Massachusetts (6%); Pompano Beach, Florida (6%); and Brockton, Massachusetts (5%), and is expected to be completed by December 2025. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,050,920 (66.5%); fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,525,460 (33.3%); and fiscal 2015 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,000 (0.2%) 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.

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, is awarded a $9,583,816 cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides support services for the analysis, design, development, test, integration, deployment, and operations of various information technology (IT) systems. This support includes software maintenance, enhancements, design, development, testing, evaluation, coding, integration, database administration, and data analysis for various Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division (NAWCWD), Logistics Maintenance Information Systems Technology Division IT projects. Work will be performed in China Lake, California, and is expected to be completed in September 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposal; two offers were received. The NAWCWD, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N6893621D0050).

The MITRE Corp., Bedford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $474,422,385 cost-reimbursement option contract for services. This contract provides for support to the Air Force from MITRE as the administrator of the National Security Engineering Center federally-funded research and development center. Work will be performed in Bedford, Massachusetts; McLean, Virginia; and various locations throughout the continental US and outside the continental US, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2022. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $59,157 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8702-19-C-0001).