Contractors Unsure of Vaccine Mandate
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The new federal vaccine requirement announced by President Joe Biden has fueled questions from defense contractors about how the mandate will work and whether they could lose employees as a result, says Defense News.
A student aviator involved in a Navy T-45 Goshawk trainer aircraft crash Sunday has survived electrocution after being caught in power lines following ejection. He is in serious condition, although officials said his injuries were not life threatening, reports Navy Times. An instructor pilot also safely ejected and was hospitalized, but authorities said the instructor was in stable condition.
Leadership of the Bureau of Land Management returns to DC, reports FCW. The BLM, a component of the Interior Department, had moved to Grand Junction, CO, during the Trump administration. Only 41 people of the 328 positions moved out of Washington, DC, at the time of the move. “The past several years have been incredibly disruptive to the organization, to our public servants, and to their families,” said Interior Secretary Deb Haaland.
The US Space Force unveiled its rank insignia Monday with a social media post from its highest enlisted official, reports Military.com.
NASA selects its landing site for its Moon rover mission, reports BBC. The agency plans to send a robotic rover to look for water-ice near a crater at the Moon’s South Pole. In 2023, the golf cart-sized vehicle will land near the western edge of Nobile Crater, a 73km-wide depression that is almost permanently in shadow. The Viper mission will support plans for human exploration of the Moon, because the ice could be mined for use as drinking water and rocket fuel.
Homeland Security has asked the Pentagon for help moving migrants from Del Rio, TX, to other processing facilities, reports The Hill. The US Customs and Border Protection requested the DoD support, which will be reimbursable, on a temporary basis, to conclude on or before October 20. DoD press secretary John Kirby said the assistance can “be provided at minimal risk to current DoD missions.
The Corps of Engineers is leading the $14 million cataloging of viruses, poisonous reptiles, and other natural threats lurking in caves as it works toward developing a robot that can go in ahead of soldiers searching for those enemies in hiding, reports Stars and Stripes. The project includes plans for advanced sensors onboard unmanned vehicles that can navigate subterranean conditions.
It appears DoD can better track its equability in applying military justice, than it could in 2019, but information gaps remain, reports Military Times. The Government Accountability Office recently updated its 2019 report that showed racial, gender, and ethnic disparities in who gets investigated and charged in the military justice system.
A CIA official reports symptoms consistent with Havana Syndrome during an India trip, reports NBC News. The mysterious affliction has struck diplomats, spies, and other government workers at home and abroad. The employee was immediately tested as part of a protocol the CIA has established to deal with the brain symptoms typically associated with Havana Syndrome and is receiving medical treatment.
The US strike killing an al-Qaida leader in Syria shows “no indications” of civilian casualties, according to the military. Military.com reports rescue workers and a war monitor describe a drone strike that hit a vehicle traveling on a rural road in rebel-controlled northwestern Syria, killing at least one person.
An Air Force general will review the errant Kabul drone strike and make recommendations for discipline, reports Military Times. DefSec Lloyd Austin has tasked the Air Force to designate the general to investigate the August 29 Hellfire missile strike in Kabul that reportedly killed 10 people.
The Space Development Agency has approved an L3Harris Technologies design for satellites able to track hypersonic weapons, reports C4ISRNET. L3Harris Technologies announced September 20 that the agency had completed preliminary design review of their satellites, marking an important milestone as the company prepares for production of the spacecraft. L3Harris will continue development of the missile warning satellites as it works toward critical design review.
Northrop Grumman now has five B-21 stealth bombers in production, reports Defense News. AFSec Frank Kendall said, “We have been living off of bomber fleet investments made many decades ago, but that is rapidly changing.”
Kaman unveiled this week a medium-lift UAV to resupply small units of Marines, reports Defense News. KARGO is an unmanned aerial vehicle meant to solve the biggest challenge to the Marine Corps’ expeditionary advanced base operations concept: resupplying small units of Marines scattered around island chains.
US troops are still deploying to Iraq, even as the Afghan War ends, reports The New York Times. About 2,500 American troops are in Iraq now, carefully scattered to protect a few strategic bases.
Contracts:
Vertex Aerospace LLC, Madison, Mississippi, is awarded a $96,467,100 modification (P00057) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost reimbursable indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0001914D0011). This modification increases the contract ceiling to extend organizational, intermediate, and depot level maintenance, logistics, and engineering support, to include support of equipment, tools, direct and indirect material for the T-45 aircraft, associated systems, and related support equipment to maintain all flight and test and evaluation operations for the Navy. Work will be performed in Kingsville, Texas (45.7%); Meridian, Mississippi (41.7%); Pensacola, Florida (10.1%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (2.5%), and is expected to be completed in December 2021. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Corps Solutions LLC, Stafford, Virginia, is awarded a $20,200,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-reimbursement, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for specialized training services to allow Marines to obtain the certifications needed to be mission ready and respond to an emergency in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or high yield explosive attack in the National Capital Region or continental US. This contract includes one six-month option period which, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value of this contract to $21,700,000. Work will be performed at Indian Head, Maryland (60%); and Perry, Georgia (40%). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 29, 2026. If all options are exercised, work will continue through March 29, 2027. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $1,183,617 is being obligated at the time of award on the initial task order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via beta.sam.gov website, with two proposals received. The Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region-Regional Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M00264-21-D-0008).
Raytheon Co., Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, was awarded a $17,508,265 firm-fixed-price contract for APX-119 transponders, digital control panels, personality modules, KIV-77 crypto modules, crypto simulators and mounting trays. 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 Sept. 20, 2026. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-21-D-5005).
Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (N6600121D0160); Epsilon C5I Inc., San Diego, California (N6600121D0161); McKean Defense Group LLC., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (N6600121D0162); Parsons Government Services Inc., Pasadena, California (N6600121D0163); Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia (N6600121D0164); Solute Inc., San Diego, California (N6600121D0165); and Systems Technology Forum Ltd., Fredericksburg, Virginia (N6600121D0066), are awarded a $68,307,374 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract with cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-with-no-fee pricing for technical support covering the contractual support requirements for Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific’s Enterprise Communication and Networks Division, including technology insertion, software and systems engineering, modeling and simulation, model based systems engineering, network engineering, installation and testing, and integrated logistics in support of communications, information technology and other command, control, communications, computers and intelligence efforts. This contract includes a three-year base period and four, one-year option periods which, if exercised, would bring the overall potential value of this contract to an estimated $169,124,257. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (90%); and at contractor facilities (10%). The period of performance of the base award is from Sept. 30, 2021, through Sept. 29, 2024. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through September 2028. Awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders and will be issued using operation and maintenance (Navy); working capital funds (Department of Defense); and research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds. This contract was competitively procured via request for proposal N6600121R0021 published on the beta.sam.gov website and the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Sixteen offers were received and seven were selected for award. NIWC Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
The Bionetics Corp., Yorktown, Virginia, is awarded a $65,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period to procure material kits and logistics services in support of the depot repair and warehouse operations for the MK57 NATO Sea Sparrow Surface Missile System at Navy Munitions Command Atlantic. Work will be performed in Yorktown, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2026. Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $405,879 will be obligated at time of award. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website, with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity (N63394-21-D-0005).
Range Generation Next LLC, Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $125,100,450 fixed-price (incentive) firm modification (P00354) for previously awarded contract FA8806-15-C-0001 in support of operations, maintenance and sustainment on the Launch and Test Range System. The modification exercises the seventh option period effective Oct. 1, 2021. Work will be performed primarily at the Western Range at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and the Eastern Range at Patrick AFB, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award. Space Systems Command, Peterson AFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 16, 2021).
Asturian-Consigli JV LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded an $8,056,801 firm-fixed-price contract task order (N40085 21F6489) under the Hampton Roads Small Business multiple award construction contract for design-bid-build, repairs and renovation at Naval Support Activity Norfolk. The work to be performed provides for repairs and renovations to Building SDA-205, to include the warehouse and offices, fire rated overhead doors, fire protection system, incidental related work, complete heating, ventilation, and air conditioning replacement, plumbing fixture replacement, casework, wood doors, exterior steel doors and frames, and sidewalk repairs. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 18, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,056,801are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-18-D-1124).
