March 29, 2024

Defense Industry Pushes On During Outbreak

Budget Battles

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

The Pentagon says its defense contractors have largely avoided widespread closings or major impacts so far from the coronavirus pandemic, reports Bloomberg. “We’re staying on top of what this coronavirus is doing to our industry partners, and we’ll do everything we can to support them as they support us,” Army Lt. Darrell Williams said in a report from the Defense Logistics Agency. DLA said it is continuing to “take the pulse” of industry and offer support as companies respond to disruptions caused by the health threat.

The fabrication of the destroyer Ted Stevens officially started Monday in Mississippi, reports WLOX 13, at Huntington Ingalls Industries Shipbuilding.

As part of its ongoing effort to bolster the defense industrial base, the Pentagon has issued two new pieces of guidance, reports Defense News, one focused on workers and one focused on prototype contracts.

The Army needs a new scout helicopter to fill the gap in its reconnaissance squadrons left by the retirement of the OH-58 Kiowa, reports Breaking Defense. Bell and Sikorsky are building dueling Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft prototypes and work continues despite the ongoing health crisis.

The Defense Department released its latest requests for prototype proposals to help pave the way for incorporating 5G technologies into military networks, reports Federal News Radio. Depending on how the project works out, it also could lead to improvements in how 5G networks operate in the commercial sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic might increase pressure on Great Britain to take a tougher line on Chinese telecom company Huawei, reports Yahoo! News. The company warned that disrupting its involvement in the rollout of 5G would do Britain “a disservice.”

The White House rushed through a $96 million contract to a company never had to bid, reports Pro Publica, an unusual move in the FEMA bidding process. The AirBoss Defense Group transaction is the single largest no-bid purchase.

A member of the USS Theodore Roosevelt crew died Monday of coronavirus complications, reports The Associated Press, just weeks after the aircraft carrier’s captain was fired for pressing his concern that too little was being done to safeguard the aircraft carrier’s crew.

DoD is considering whether to relocate at least one of the two Navy hospital ships deployed to support the COVID-19 pandemic response, reports Military.com. A decision has not been made on whether the Comfort, currently in New York, or the Mercy, in Los Angeles, will move.

 

 

The Army’s Green Beret training continues during the coronavirus pandemic, reports Army Times. According to JFK Special Warfare Center and School commander Maj. Gen. Patrick B. Roberson civil affairs and psychological operations training courses have continued, though some advanced training, such as shooting courses and the combat diver course, have shut down. The service also is not slowing plans to field an enduring indirect fires protection capability. Defense News reports the Army had to get creative in order to keep the program moving forward.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been discharged from the hospital, reports The Associated Press, after being treated for the coronavirus. The United Kingdom on Sunday became the fourth European country to surpass 10,000 virus-related deaths.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, US Naval Test Pilot School instructors are coming up with ingenious alternatives to the traditional blackboard to continue distance learning, reports The BayNet.

The Defense Department has said that barber shops would remain open at Marine Corps installations, reports Marine Corps Times. “In today’s challenging environment, the barbershops are providing Marines and sailors with essential services,” according to an announcement from Camp Pendleton, CA.

The families of four Marines killed in an April 3, 2018, CH-53 crash in El Centro, CA, filed a lawsuit against two companies they allege provided a faulty part that led to the deadly crash, reports Marine Corps Times.

The Baltimore Sun outlines what you need to know if you get laid off in Maryland during coronavirus pandemic.

Officials with a Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security proposed coronavirus tracking program are asking Congress for $3.6B to hire workers, reports WTOP News.

Contracts:

Sustainable Design Consortium Inc., Baltimore, Maryland (W911SA-20-D-2005); Dcr Services & Construction Inc., Detroit, Michigan (W911SA-20-D-2006); and Meridian Engineering Company, Tucson, Arizona (W911SA-20-D-2007), will compete for each order of the $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide all parts, labor, tools, equipment, materials, transportation, and supervision necessary to accomplish design/build projects for the 63rd Readiness Division Region 3. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 14, 2025. The 419th Contracting Support Brigade, Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, is the contracting activity.

Boston Consulting Group Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, has been awarded a $37,706,832 firm-fixed-price bridge contract. The requirement provides support to the Department of Defense Chief Management Office, assessing at least 90% of annual contract spending, implementation and training to increase the department’s contract spend efficiency through enterprise-wide commodity management and structured negotiation. Work performance will take place at the Pentagon Reservation, Arlington, Virginia. The contract is being incrementally funded, with fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,500,000 being provided at the time of award. The remaining $30,206,832 will also be operations and maintenance funds. The expected completion date is Jan. 13, 2021. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-20-C-0071).

McKinsey & Company Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a $19,719,172 firm-fixed-price bridge contract. The requirement provides support to the Department of Defense Chief Management Office, assessing at least 90% of annual contract spending, implementation and training to increase the Department’s contract spend efficiency through enterprise-wide commodity management and structured negotiation. Work performance will take place in Washington, District of Columbia. The contract is being incrementally funded, with fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,500,000 being provided at the time of award. The expected completion date is Jan. 12, 2021. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-20-C-0072).

CORRECTION: A contract modification announced April 10, 2020, to Affigent LLC, Herndon, Virginia (W52P1J-19-F-0391), to provide Oracle Java subscription software maintenance in support of the Army Enterprise, was actually awarded today, April 13, 2020.
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