DoD Funds 8 New Microelectronics Commons Hubs

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.

The US Defense Department will award $238 million to eight regional “innovation hubs” around the US which will be a part of the Microelectronics Commons, reports Washington Examiner on MSN. The hubs are expected to spur development of a domestic microelectronics manufacturing industry. Three of the hubs are located on the East Coast in Massachusetts, North Carolina, and New York. A bipartisan group of more than 20 congressmen had lobbied DefSec Lloyd Austin to place one of the hubs at the University of Maryland-led Mid-Atlantic Semiconductor Collaborative, Lexington Park Leader reported in May.

GEN Eric Smith was confirmed Thursday to be the top Marine general, ending a monthslong limbo in the Senate for the Corps as it lacked an official commandant, reports Marine Corps Times. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) has been blocking hundreds of military promotions to protest a Pentagon policy allowing leave and travel expenses for abortions. Last Tuesday, he signaled his intention of forcing a vote on one nominee: Smith, whom the Alabama senator previously had said he looked forward to supporting.

The Senate’s Wednesday approval of Air Force GEN Charles “CQ” Brown to be the next Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman, as well as the Thursday votes on GEN Randy George to become chief of staff of the Army and Smith as commandant of the Marine Corps, still leaves hundreds of other nominations in limbo. “We’re optimistic that this is a break in the dam,” a Senate aide told The Hill.

Twice last week, House Republicans failed to start debate on a key military funding bill after five members blocked the measure over demands for additional spending cuts, reports NBC News. The standoff does not bode well for preventing a government shutdown at the end of this week.

Concerns of a possible funding lapse are reverberating throughout the federal government, as well as the contracting community that supplies it, reports Army Times. Here’s how contractors are bracing for a shutdown. The Pentagon has not detailed how it would operate without appropriations but issued a limited level of contingency plan guidance on personnel, PCS moves and contracting, reports Stars and Stripes. The contingency plan was released in August.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the White House and Capitol Hill on Thursday with specific objectives at each place: secure long-range munitions from the US while persuading skeptical Republicans to pass a fifth aid package for his country worth $25 billion, reports Defense News.

Poland said it will not send new weapons to Ukraine, reports NBC News. Poland has been one of Kyiv’s staunchest allies since Russia invaded, but the countries have fallen out over Ukrainian grain exports after Warsaw extended a ban on them.

Days after a $100 million F-35B fighter jet crashed in rural South Carolina, a Government Accountability Office report released Thursday highlights ongoing maintenance delays showing F-35s are “mission capable” only 55% of the time, reports NBC Connecticut. “This performance was due in part to challenges with depot and organizational maintenance. The program was behind schedule in establishing depot maintenance activities to conduct repairs.  As a result, component repair times remained slow with over 10,000 waiting to be repaired — above desired levels. At the same time, organizational-level maintenance has been affected by a number of issues, including a lack of technical data and training,” according to the government watchdog’s report.

As the Marine Corps continues its investigation into the crash of the jet, audio of the 911 call was made public, reports The Hill. “I’m not sure where the airplane is. It would have crash-landed somewhere, I ejected,” the pilot said. Listen to the call here.

A rare look inside US nuclear missile bases and weapons production facilities shows how military troops and government technicians will keep the arsenal working as the US’s biggest nuclear overhaul since the Cold War begins to take place. The US plans to spend more than $750 billion over the next decade to revamp nearly every part of its more than 50-year-old nuclear defense system, reports The Associated Press.

An additional 800 troops will be deployed to assist in stemming the migration influx at the US-Mexico border, reports The Hill. The active-duty personnel will focus on “logistics and other functions at the border to allow more Customs and Border Protection agents and officers to return to their core mission and responsibilities,” according to the White House.

The US Postal Service will not institute a surcharge for the upcoming holiday season after cutting its need for temporary workers, reports Federal News Network.

Poor oversight from the Pentagon leaves military barracks in dire condition, reports Navy Times. A Government Accountability Office report,” Military Barracks: Poor Living Conditions Undermine Quality of Life and Readiness,” was released last week.

The US Army Audit Agency has concluded that the service failed to ensure that privatized on-base homes with lead-based paint or asbestos are “safe for Army families,” reports Army Times. The agency report said the Army’s revamped housing inspection program, established in 2020, has lacked “effective oversight.”

Research from the Wounded Warrior Project finds that injured women veterans are lonelier and more stressed than their male peers, reports Navy Times. Researchers say the findings do point to gaps in after-military care and well-being for women veterans, especially those facing more challenges than their peers.

The backlog of veterans first-time disability claims in coming weeks is expected to surpass 300,000 cases for the first time in almost a decade, reports Marine Corps Times. But VA leaders said that the rise isn’t a sign of their systems being overwhelmed like they were in the past.

The Pentagon will start reviewing the records of military personnel who may be eligible for a discharge upgrade as a result of getting kicked out under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, reports Military.com. The policy prevented gay and lesbian troops from serving openly until it was repealed in 2011.

Thirty-nine logistics management specialists launched a new chapter in their careers at a NAVAIR Navy Acquisition Development Program graduation ceremony at the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland in California earlier this month, reports The BayNet. “Graduates like you will be leading NAVAIR,” said NAWCAD Executive Director Stephen Cricchi.

Six governors tell President Joe Biden that offshore wind projects need federal help to get built, reports The Associated Press. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) was among the executives signing a letter warning that a cornerstone of the climate change fight could be in jeopardy if their states didn’t get more federal funding and planning assistance.

The Clorox Company said a cyberattack on its IT infrastructure is causing a shortage of its products, reports NPR. Officials said the company has contained the hack but is still operating at a lower rate of processing. Clorox brands include Pine-Sol, Brita, Glad, Burt’s Bees, and more. MGM Resorts’ officials said Thursday their company’s computers were back up after being down 10 days due to casino cyberattacks, reports CBS News. Caesars Entertainment said it also was hit by a cyberattack earlier this month.

A senior information scientist at RAND Corp. reminds the security community of a “few uncomfortable truths:” “First, it should be recognized that cybersecurity systems can be just as flawed as the systems they protect. Development of cybersecurity tools falls victim to the same pressures and incentives that leave other software insecure, such as rushed delivery cycles and a market that values new features over greater quality,” writes Chad Heitzenrater in a C4ISRNET op-ed. ” … Second, and perhaps more controversial, there is mounting evidence that the current approach to cybersecurity may not meet US security needs in conflict.” Computer science professor Sheldon Jacobson reminds that every industry is vulnerable to cyberattacks. “There were over 1 billion ransomware attempts made worldwide in 2021 and 2022 combined,” he writes in an opinion piece for The Hill.

Contracts:

Fluor Marine Propulsion LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $1,362,922,002 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2130 to exercise the fiscal 2024 options for Naval Nuclear Propulsion work at the Naval Nuclear Laboratory. Work will be performed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (46%); Schenectady, New York (45%); and Idaho Falls, Idaho (9%), and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $6,000,000 (50%); fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,019,658 (25%); fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) in the amount of $2,300,000 (19%); and fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation in the amount of $673,049 (6%), will be obligated at time of award and $3,692,707 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Rohde & Schwarz USA Inc., Columbia, Maryland, is awarded a $62,202,863 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N66001-23-D-0022) for production, integration support, production training support, and life cycle support for modern high frequency radio transceivers and associated hardware and software components. The contract includes a single five-year ordering period and a five-year option period. The option period, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $91,072,426. The period of performance of the base award is from Sept. 22, 2023, through Sept. 21, 2028. If all options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through Sept. 21, 2033. Work will be performed in Columbia, Maryland (98%); and, on a temporary basis, at DOD facilities (2 %, if applicable), and will be annotated at the delivery order level. Funding will be obligated via delivery orders. The predominant types of funding anticipated to be obligated on delivery orders are other procurement (Navy); and operations and maintenance (Navy). This single-award contract was not competitively procured due to circumstances permitting other than full and open competition pursuant to 10 US Code 3204(a)(5), authorized or required by statute, as implemented by Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 6.302-5; and 10 US Code 3204(a)(1), Only One Responsible Source, as implemented by FAR 6.302-1. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Crofton Construction Services Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1156); Doyon Project Services LLC, Federal Way, Washington (N40085-18-D-1157); Ocean Construction Services Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1158); Seaward Marine Corp., Chesapeake, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1159); and W.F. Magann Corp., Portsmouth, Virginia (N40085-18-D-1160), are awarded a $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contracts for waterfront-related projects. This award brings the total cumulative value for all five contracts to $120,000,000. Work will be performed at various Navy installations in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia and will be completed by September 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance, (Navy) and military construction funds. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $150,949,292 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technology, innovation, and data engineering research and development; and disruptive intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance, science and technology research and development. 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. 21, 2028. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QX-23-D-0010).

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $32,835,105 modification (P00048) to contract W52P1J-18-C-0048 for support services at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Blue Grass Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant, Pueblo Chemical Agent Destruction Pilot Plant, and the Anniston Field Office. Work will be performed in Reston, Viginia, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 23, 2024. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $5,084,385 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Valneva USA Inc., Bethesda, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $48,025,600 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Japanese encephalitis vaccines. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a one-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is the United Kingdom, with a Sept. 21, 2024, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2023 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DP-23-D-0004).

MetroStar Systems LLC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $22,270,626 labor hour task order for strategic advisory assistance in support of Department of the Air Force Category Management, Performance Management and Improvement programs. This contract provides for development and execution of strategies, business analysis, and data analytics to advance the efforts across the Department of the Air Force and the Department of Defense. Work will be performed in the National Capital Region, Washington DC; and Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 21, 2028. This contract was a competitive acquisition with three offers received. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,657,190 is being obligated at time of award. Air Force District of Washington, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA7014-23-F-0349).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Chantilly, Virginia; and Herndon, Virginia, have been awarded a $20,559,433 modification (P00038) to previously awarded contract FA8808-19-C-0004 for Enhanced Polar System Recapitalization Control and Planning Segment design and or system engineering, integration, and testing. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $114,539,503. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by April 30, 2025. Fiscal 2022 Space Force research and development funds in the amount of $256,918; and fiscal 2023 Space Force research and development funds in the amount of $2,000,000 are being obligated at time of award. Space Systems Command, El Segundo, California, is the contracting activity.

Arrowpoint Corp., Alexandria, Virginia (FA7146-23-D-0007); and Intelligensis LLC, Columbia, Maryland (FA7146-23-D-0008), were awarded a combined, not-to-exceed ceiling $60,000,000, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for enhancing Defense Industrial Base (DIB) partners cybersecurity. This contract provides for a comprehensive solution for cyber defenses. Work will be performed in Washington, DC; Linthicum Heights, Maryland; and the continental US. Work will be completed by Sept. 20, 2028. This contract was a competitive acquisition and five offers were received. Fiscal 2023 operational and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000 are being obligated at time of award for each awardee for a total of $2,000. The Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Concepts, Development, and Management Office, Fairfax, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, was awarded an $8,992,719 cost-reimbursable contract for the establishment of a Convergence Lab Initiative (CLI). The establishment of CLI will drive new discoveries, enhancements, and prototype products in the derivative applied areas of electro-optics, infrared, radio frequency, and cyber technologies. Work will be performed at Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2024. This contract was a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $8,992,719 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contract activity (FA8651-23-C-A023).

Absher Construction Co., Puyallup, Washington (N44255-23-D-1700); The Haskell Co., Jacksonville, Florida (N44255-23-D-1701); Macnak Construction LLC, Lakewood, Washington (N44255-23-D-1702); Shape Construction, Poulsbo, Washington (N44255-23-D-1703); Tompco-Triton JV, Seabeck, Washington (N44255-23-D-1704); Contrack Watts, McLean, Virginia (N44255-23-D-1705); GlenMar-Hensel Phelps JV, Clackamas, Oregon (N44255-23-D-1706); and NH1 JV, Highland, Utah (N44255-23-D-1707), are awarded a combined maximum-value $1,000,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award construction contract for new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition and repair of facilities at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Northwest area of operations. Work will be completed no later than October 2025. Fiscal 2023 military construction funds in the amount of $23,625,994 are obligated on this award. Seven awardees will be awarded $5,000 each at contract award. This contract was competitively procured via SAM.gov with 31 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N00030-24-C-6007), is awarded a $23,548,881 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for logistics engineering and integration support services for Trident II Strategic Weapon System and the Submarine Submersible Guided Missile Attack Weapon System. This contract award also benefits a foreign military sale to the United Kingdom. Work will be performed in Kings Bay, Georgia (40.1%); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (35.2%); Rockville, Maryland (17.3%); Bremerton, Washington (1.7%); and various other locations (less than 1% each, 5.7% total). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2024. Fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,244,147; and United Kingdom funding in the amount of $3,051,000 will be obligated upon award. Subject to the availability of funds, fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,724,388 will be later obligated. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole source acquisition in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1). Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Rockwell Collins Simulation and Solutions, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is awarded a $10,302,492 firm-fixed-price modification (P00015) to a previously awarded contract (N6134021C0017). This modification exercises options to procure computer hardware and software updates for flight and tactics software integration lab devices, as well as provides associated technical data and computer software documentation in support of the trainer architecture modernization efforts for the E-2D Hawkeye Integrated Training Systems. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia (80%); and Orlando, Florida (20%), and is expected to be completed in December 2025. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,160,900 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $39,586,250 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with an estimated completion date of March 1, 2024. Fiscal 2023 civil construction funds in the amount of $39,586,250 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (W912BU-23-C-0035).

Amentum Services Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $13,020,057 modification (P00226) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0011 for logistics services for government-owned fixed-wing fleets. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 28, 2023. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $13,020,057 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Four Points Technology LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (HT001523F0193), is awarded $39,639,478 for a firm-fixed-price delivery order for Intersystems Cache software licenses, subscriptions, and software maintenance supporting Defense Health Agency (DHA) infrastructure by providing a commercial operational database management system used to develop software applications for health care management and other sectors. This software supports the DHA’s most mission-critical applications’ ability to store, use, and analyze transactional and historical data concurrently in any form required. Intersystems software increases the efficiency in loading and reconfiguration of software for servers and virtual datacenters across the DHA. This task order provided a fair opportunity but only one offer was received. This is a three-year contract with an estimated delivery to begin on Oct. 1, 2023. Task Order will be funded with fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,824,507 for the base year. Place of performance is Falls Church, Virginia. DHA Enterprise Medical Services Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, is awarded a $19,949,698 six-month bridge modification/extension to contract GS-00F-057CA, task order HT9425-23-F-0021 P00005. This is the second bridge for this requirement. The extension will provide continuing strategic support services except for information management and information technology services. Specifically, these services include administrative, program management, training, consultation, facilitation, privatization, financial, and product support as is necessary to facilitate full program coordination, management, policy development, execution, and oversight across all US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity advanced development and acquisition areas. This effort allows for structuring and alignment of medically advanced development efforts to maintain an adequate balance among candidate programs in terms of risks, technical performance benefits, needs, and timing factors to meet Army Warfighter requirements. Fiscal 2023 and 2024 Army research and development, system development and demonstration funds; and fiscal 2023 and 2024 Defense Health Program, research, development, testing and evaluation funds will be obligated at time of award. The place of performance is Fort Detrick, Maryland. The period of performance will be Oct. 1, 2023, to March 19, 2024. The contracting activity is US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland.