DoD’s Innovation Unit Delivering New Technologies

As part of the Defense Innovation Unit’s Shield AI program, an autonomous tactical airborne drone such as this one transitioned to production in 2019. (US DoD photo)

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 Defense Innovation Unit is highlighting new technologies that were transitioned to Defense Department partners last year, reports C4ISRNET. The DIU’s FY 2021 Annual Report notes eight successful transitions to DoD end-users, 1,116 commercial proposals received, and $892.7 million in contracts issued since June 2016. Hypersonics and cybersecurity tools were among the projects receiving contracts, reports Breaking Defense.

Platform Aerospace, a veteran-owned business based in Hollywood, MD, set a world record flight time with its drone late last year, reports the Maryland Department of Commerce. The company’s new aircraft made a 12,000-mile journey above Southern California, totaling just over eight days of consecutive unrefueled flight time.

Soldiers and airmen from nearly a dozen bases across the Army and Air Force are on heightened alert should the US sends troops to respond to a Russian incursion into Ukraine, reports Military Times. The 82nd Airborne Division, specifically, maintains a high readiness that is always on quick recall. Most recently, it was sent to Afghanistan in August during the US’ withdrawal of troops from the Kabul airport. Here is a list of the other units on standby.

The Navy says the video that is circulating on the internet showing the final moments of an F-35C Lightning II landing aboard an aircraft carrier and an image of an F-35C in the water are authentic and depict last week’s crash aboard the USS Carl Vinson, reports Military.com.

The US Commerce Department says the computer chip shortage is even worse than first thought, reports ComputerWorld. A report released last week revealed an “alarming” shortage of computer chips at a time when the median demand for them was as much as 17% higher in 2021 than 2019.

Last week’s separation of 23 active-duty sailors from the Navy for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 brings the total number of ousted sailors to 45, reports The Hill. The most recently separated sailors were discharged with “an honorable characterization of service.”

The Defense Department will stop processing exemption requests or disciplinary actions for civilian employees who are still not vaccinated against COVID-19, reports Military Times, as a federal lawsuit continues to play out. The 82nd Airborne Division, specifically, maintains an Immediate Response Force that is always on quick recall.

Governors from Alaska and Texas are suing to block DoD from mandating vaccines for National Guard members who are under state command, reports The Associated Press.

A third Marine’s religious exemption to the required COVID-19 vaccine has been granted, reports Marine Corps Times. A total of 3,428 Marines have requested religious exemptions.

 

 

New York National Guard Army BRIG GEN Isabel Rivera Smith says that since March 2020, the Guard has seen a significant increase in its retention rate, reports The Associated Press. Some of the reasons given include the extra income during this uncertain time, tuition assistance, gaining employment skills, and the opportunity to give back to the community.

Military.com notes that many service members and their families find comfort in the job stability that comes with military life. They might move more than the average American family and the service member might be called away at any time, some benefits make it more bearable.

The US Air Force Recruiting Service is seeing fewer leads on new recruits, reports Federal News Network. “The aggregate effect of these two years of COVID is driving downward trends in our pool of qualified applicants,” says MAJ GEN Edward Thomas, Jr., commander of the recruiting service.

Maxim Biomedical, based in Rockville, MD, has received emergency use authorization from the Food and Drug Administration for its at-home COVID-19 antigen test, reports WTOP News.

President Joe Biden signed the new executive order last week that makes sexual harassment an offense in the military, reports Federal News Network. “The executive order that the president signed today establishes sexual harassment as a specific offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It also strengthens the military justice response in prosecuting cases of domestic violence, and fully implements changes to the military justice code to criminalize the wrongful broadcast or distribution of intimate visual images,” reads a White House statement.

Every wonder how DefSec Lloyd Austin earned the Silver Star? Task & Purpose has the backstory. DefSec Austin is one of a few general officers who have received the Silver Star during the war on terrorism.

A French soldier was killed and a US service member was wounded by mortar shelling on a base in Mali last week, reports Military Times. The US Africa Command supports French efforts in the region.

North Korea said its two latest rounds of weapons tests last week were successful, reports Military Times. Leaders are vowing to bolster its nuclear “war deterrent” and speed up the development of more powerful warheads.

A new analysis for a commuter ferry from Woodbridge, VA, to Washington, DC, is underway, reports InsideNoVA. The idea is that a commuter boat could travel on the Potomac River from possibly Occoquan or Belmont Bay to the nation’s capital, with stops at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, MD, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, and other spots along the river.

Contracts:

BCG Federal Corp., Bethesda, Maryland (HT003822D0001); Capgemini Government Solutions LLC, McLean, Virginia (HT003822D0002); Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia (HT003822D0003); Blue Clarity LLC, Vienna, Virginia (HT003822D0004); Edera L3C, Washington, DC (HT003822D0005); and Optimal Strategix Group Inc., Newtown, Pennsylvania (HT003822D0006), are being awarded a maximum $1,425,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The award provides services in support of the Program Executive Office (PEO) – Defense Healthcare Management Systems (DHMS) in its efforts to leverage innovative new processes, methods, and/or best-in-class methodologies from the private sector to enable the entire PEO DHMS workforce to deliver world-class technology. This effort has a base period of performance with five option periods, with an estimated completion date of January 2028. Work will primarily occur in Rosslyn, Virginia. The contract will be funded by fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance funds. Defense Health Agency, Contracting Division – Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Jan. 27, 2022.)

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a $171,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for support services for biomedical research application, evaluation. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 27, 2027. US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W81XWH-22-D-0004).

ARSC Federal Professional Services LLC, Beltsville, Maryland, has been awarded a $71,086,228 services contract for the Governance, Engineering and Operations Support II. Work will be performed in locations outside the continental US; and Beltsville, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 21, 2027. This contract is 100 percent Foreign Military Sales. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $78,559,137. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity (FA8730-22-C-0001).

Centauri LLC, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $39,527,629 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for research and development of distinguishing the effects of natural and manufactured threats to spacecraft, payloads and space services. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2026. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $387,479 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Lab, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9453-22-C-0001).

Technica Corp., Sterling, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,695,170 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (FA8307-19-F-0098) to previously awarded contract FA8732-14-D-0015 to exercise the third option period. The contract provides for weapon system engineering and maintenance services for the Cyberspace Vulnerability Assessment/Hunter weapon system. Work will be performed in Sterling, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 14, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and seven offers were received. Fiscal 2022 research and development; operations and maintenance; and 3840 procurement funds in the amount of $20,695,170 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Joint-Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity.

Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $64,411,044 firm-fixed price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00174-22-D-0006) for the Close-In Weapons System (CIWS) Alteration Installation Team (AIT). This contract provides support in performing the functions of an alteration installation team with the installation of ship alterations, ship change documents, and ordnance alterations as related to the CIWS on Navy, Army, Coast Guard and Foreign Military Sales vessels. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (41%); San Diego, California (30%); Everett, Washington (6%); Mayport, Florida (6%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (5%); and various overseas ports (12%), and is expected to be completed January 2027. Fiscal 2022 weapon procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,000 will be obligated at time of award, of which none will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division, Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Space, Titusville, Florida, is awarded a $9,276,079 fixed-price-incentive, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00007) to exercise options under a previously awarded contract (N0003021C0100) for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. Work will be performed in Denver, Colorado (29%); Sunnyvale, California (23.1%); Kings Bay, Georgia (15.3%); Bangor, Washington (10.5%); Washington, DC (10.1%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (6.5%); Titusville, Florida (5.3%); and other various locations (less than 1.0% each, 0.2% total). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2026. Fiscal 2022 operational and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,449,619; and fiscal 2022 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,826,461 will be obligated, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is awarded to the contractor on a sole source basis under 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Tuckman-Barbee Construction Co., Inc., Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is awarded a $7,753,000 firm-fixed-price task order (N4008022F4151) under a previously awarded multiple-award construction contract (N40080-21-D-0024) for renovation of a hangar at Naval Support Facility Dahlgren. Work will be performed in Dahlgren, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2023. Fiscal 2022 working capital (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,753,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This task order was competed under the previously awarded contract, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $10,368,113 modification (P00019) to contract W91QVN-20-F-0157 for information technology support. Work will be performed in Pyeongtaek, Republic of Korea, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2025. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $10,368,113 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army 411th Contracting Support Brigade, Camp Humphreys, Republic of Korea, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Defense Systems Sector, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $150,000,000 ceiling cost-type, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering support to the AN/ALQ-161A Operational Flight Program sustainment effort and to deliver block cycle updates. Work will be performed at US government installations and McLean, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2032. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,984,919 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8523-22-D-0001).

Jones Lang Lasalle Americas Inc., Washington, DC, has been awarded a $97,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Air Force Housing, Enhanced Use Lease, and Utilities privatization management to support the Air Force Civil Engineering Center Installations Directorate. This contract provides long-term management of services in support of the Department of the Air Force privatized programs. Work will be performed in Washington, DC, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2023. This award is the result of a full and open competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $6,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8903-22-D-0001).

Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, is awarded a maximum-value $73,026,986 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract for Philippines operations support services. Work will be performed in the Republic of the Philippines and is expected to be completed by April 2027. The maximum dollar value includes the base period, four option periods, demobilization, and a six-month extension of services. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-22-C-3507).

Futron Inc., Woodbridge, Virginia, is awarded a $12,063,150 firm-fixed-price task order (N4008522F4495) under previously awarded multiple-award construction contract N40085-21-D-0100 for renovation of a barracks at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $12,063,150 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Ten proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.