Defense Funding for Drones Nearly Triples

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.

C4ISRNET reports the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act is a boon for drones, allocating funding for nearly three times as many unmanned vehicles as in previous years. The Association of Unmanned Vehicles System International has provided a report at how exactly the 1.4 percent of the defense budget allocated to drones is spent. Read the AUVSI report here.

The US Navy has awarded a $39.5M contract to General Atomics Aeronautical Systems to provide MQ-9 Reaper UAVs to Marine Corps troops stationed in Afghanistan, reports FEDweek.

Orbital Sciences Corp. is building additional supersonic Target drones for the US Navy and allies to help surface warship crews practice how to detect incoming supersonic anti-ship missiles, reports Military & Aerospace Electronics.

Where do all the millionaires in America live these days? You might be surprised with cheatsheet.com’s list. Read it here.

The US Air Force says it grounded a portion of its F-15C/D Eagle fleet at an Oregon base earlier this year partially due to lost paperwork, not over structural issues with the aging aircraft, Military.com reports.

Discussions of withdrawing US troops from Germany will not be included in this week’s NATO summit, despite reports that President Donald Trump has considered the move, reports Defense News.

US Navy pilots are conducting flight operations with French Naval Aviation aircraft this week, reports Defense News. Designed to increase readiness, demonstrate systems and mission interoperability, and strengthen NATO, the exercise tests pilots by practicing air warfare and strike techniques. “France is our oldest ally and a vital partner in ensuring security and stability in the region and across the globe,” said RADM Gene Black, commander of Carrier Strike Group 8.

China is developing a new fighter jet for aircraft carriers to replace its J-15s after a series of mechanical failures and crashes, reports South China Morning Post.

Thirty-six US servicemen stationed in Okinawa, Japan, has been dispatched to Thailand to assist in efforts to rescue 12 boys and their soccer coach stranded for nearly two weeks in a cave, reports Task & Purpose.

There is a lot of drone activity on the on the US-Mexico border, reports Washington Examiner. The small UASs are being piloted by multiple interests — drug traffickers looking for a way into the country, the US government trying to keep them out, and journalists hoping to get a new point of view on the immigration issue.

A study in the Defense Health Agency’s Medical Surveillance Monthly Report found that incidence rates of eating disorder diagnoses among military personal have risen steadily from 2013 to 2016 before decreasing slightly last year, reports Stars and Stripes.

Contracts:

DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $14,909,094 modification (P00022) to contract (FA8617-17-C-6210) for continued contractor operated and maintained base supply support. The purpose of this contract modification is to exercise an option to extend services in accordance with 52.217-8 “Option to Extend Services.” Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; Laughlin AFB, Texas; Randolph Air Force Base, Texas; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Air Force Combat Systems Officer at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; Navy Naval Flight Officer at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida; Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland (satellite), and Army Aviation Flight Test Directorate (satellite). Work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2018. Fiscal 2018 Air Force operations and maintenance; fiscal 2018 Navy operations and maintenance; fiscal 2018 Navy research development test and evaluation; Navy defense working capital, and fiscal 2018 Army operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $261,922,970 Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Training Aircraft Division, Joint Primary Aircraft Training System, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

General Technical Services, Wall Township, New Jersey, was awarded a $9,997,151 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for scientific, engineering, and analysis support services. Bids were solicited via the Internet with two received. Work will be performed in Adelphi, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of July 4, 2019. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,731,600 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QX-18-F-0053).

Engility Corp., Andover, Maryland (W15QKN-18-D-0087); Envision Innovative Solutions Inc., Manasquan, New Jersey (W15QKN-18-D-0088); Nexagen Networks Inc., Morganville, New Jersey (W15QKN-18-D-0089); Polaris Alpha LLC, Colorado Springs, Colorado (W15QKN-18-D-0090); Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia (W15QKN-18-D-0091), and Universal Technical Resources Inc., Cherry Hill, New Jersey (W15QKN-18-D-0092), will share in a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to assist in providing the Armament Software Engineering Center (SEC) Directorate with services involving software engineering, infrastructure, technologies and equipment requirements in the functional areas of software development, software sustainment, software process assurance and Armament SEC infrastructure support. Bids were solicited via the Internet with six received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 5, 2023. US Army Contracting Command, Fort Dix, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.

Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Greenbelt, Maryland, is awarded $33,262,387 for firm-fixed-price task order N6247318F4783 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62473-17-D-0822) for the construction of a dining facility for enlisted Marines, an administration building and an operations building for Marine Corps community services, and a library building for the Marines on board Marine Corps Air Station, Yuma. Work will be performed in Yuma, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by July 2021. Fiscal 2018 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $33,262,387 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Booz Allen & Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is being awarded $13,202,807 for modification P000010 to extend the previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract (N00189-15-D-0043) to exercise Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-9 for third option year for enterprise management and technical support to the Navy Information Force’s Shore Modernization and Integration Directorate in the areas of enterprise architecture and operational transition planning; shore network and communications modernization; information technology service management process standardization; cyber security; and information technology portfolio management support. The contract includes a 12-month base year and four 12-month option periods. The exercise of this option will bring the estimated cumulative value of the task order to $52,794,273, and if all options are exercised, total estimated contract value to $66,000,020. Work will be performed in Suffolk, Virginia (88 percent); San Diego, California (11 percent); and Charleston, South Carolina (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by August 2019. If all options on the contract are exercised, work will be completed by August 2020. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds will be obligated as individual task orders are issued, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This requirement was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems, Annapolis, Maryland, is awarded a $9,948,825 firm-fixed-priced, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to the previously awarded contract (N61331-15-D-0011) to exercise options for the accomplishment of depot level repair, maintenance, and modifications of the AN/AQS-24 mine detecting system to support the Navy for the currently deployed airborne mine countermeasures legacy systems. Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems will provide depot repairs and incorporation of engineering change proposals, including the updates of all integrated logistics support documentation to support the conversions and sustainment. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by April 2019. No funding will be obligated at time of award. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity.

General Technical Services, Wall Township, New Jersey, was awarded a $9,997,151 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for scientific, engineering, and analysis support services. Bids were solicited via the Internet with two received. Work will be performed in Adelphi, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of July 4, 2019. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,731,600 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QX-18-F-0053).