DoD Gets $738B of $1.3T Budget Bill

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.

Congress has agreed on a spending deal that avoids a Friday shutdown and gives $738B to defense, reports Defense News, including paving the way for President Donald Trump’s Space Force. It’s not the $750B Trump sought for defense, but about $20B more than FY19. That leaves $632B for non-defense spending in the $1.3T budget package, reports National Review, and reiterates $1.375 billion in border-wall spending.

The US House unanimously passes legislation banning government buys of Huawei equipment, reports The Hill. The bipartisan Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act could get a vote in the Senate as soon as this week.

CNN reports a Russian spy ship operating in an unsafe manner off the South Carolina and Florida coasts. The Viktor Leonov, a Russian surveillance ship, is not using running lights in low visibility weather and not responding to hails from commercial vessels attempting to establish its position to avoid potential accidents.

Guardsmen deployed to the southern US border will get credit toward GI Bill benefits under a memorandum signed by DefSec Mark Esper, reports Military Times.

The Saudi officer who killed three at NAS Pensacola had passed rigorous vetting, reports Military.com.

Sen. Lindsey Graham says Trump will announce a US troop drawdown in Afghanistan, likely to begin next year, reports The Associated Press. Speaking from Afghan capital Kabul, Sen. Graham said troops would be reduced from the current 12,000 to 8,600, and that Afghanistan’s National Security Forces are up to the task of defending their country.

The NDAA could give 4,000 more Afghan interpreters special immigrant visas, thanks to the defense bill, which contains a provision upping to 22,500 visas from the Special Immigrant Visa program from the 18,500 limit previously in place, reports Military Times.

US says it won’t accept North Korea-set deadline on nuclear talks, reports The Associated Press, and urges Pyongyang to return to a negotiating table immediately. Stephen Biegun, the US special representative for North Korea, said, “It is time for us to do our jobs. Let’s get this done. We are here. And you know how to reach us.”

 

 

The US Africa Command this week took out another terrorist on its 60th airstrike in Somalia in 2019, reports Air Force Times. AFRICOM’s 60 airstrikes in 2019 included eight against ISIS-Somalia and 52 against al-Shabaab militants, leadership, infrastructure, fighting positions, and equipment. This compares to 35 strikes in Somalia in 2017 and 47 in 2018.

California lawmakers introduce a bill to improve small passenger vessel safety after the deadly Conception boat fire off Santa Barbara, CA. reports gCaptain. The bill mandates no less than two means of escape to different parts of the vessel; safety standards for the handling and storage of phones, camera, and other electronic devices with lithium ion batteries; and establishes stricter standards for interconnected fire alarm systems.

Staff Sgt. Jessica Smiley and Sgt. Danielle Faber became this month the first female Army Guard enlisted soldiers to graduate Ranger School, reports Army Times.

The US Army ends curfew for nearly 28,000 troops in South Korea, reports Military Times. The curfew required troops to remain on base, in their residences, or hotel rooms from 1-5 am. The curfew was suspended on a 90-day trial in  June, then the suspension extended another 90 days in September.

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Dec. 16, 2019

Contracts:

Raytheon Co., Dulles, Virginia, is awarded a $7,052,009 modification to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00039-15-C-0002) for the purchase of an additional 25 Global Broadcast Service (GBS) below deck terminals being produced under the basic contract. GBS is a key component of the Joint Military Satellite Communications program, which provides high speed information flow of high volume data to users afloat and ashore. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed by January 2021. This modification increases the value of the basic contract by $7,052,009 to a new total value of $33,614,608. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 and 2020 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,052,009 will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Kearney & Co. PC, Alexandria, Virginia, is being awarded a labor-hour contract option with a maximum value of $9,043,356 for audit services of the Marine Corps General Fund. Work will be performed in Alexandria, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition for which four quotes were received. The contract had a three month base period plus three individual one-year option periods, with a maximum value of $38,372,103. This award brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $38,372,103. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $9,043,356 are being obligated at the time of this award. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (HQ0423-16-F-0114).

Rolls-Royce Corp., Indianapolis, Indiana, is awarded a $140,335,673 modification (P00003) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract (N61340-19-D-0004). This modification provides intermediate level and depot level maintenance, logistics and engineering support for the F405-RR-401 engine and the 096 MKII Gas Turbine Starter System. Work will be performed in Meridian, Mississippi (43%); Kingsville, Texas (45%); Pensacola, Florida (11%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (1%), and is expected to be completed in September 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be issued against individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Florida, is the contracting activity.