Ebola Response a High-Stakes Military Challenge

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 necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.

The American response to the Ebola outbreak presents the US military with a complex logistical challenge to act quickly while ensuring that the 3,000 military personnel involved are protected from the deadly virus, reports The Wall Street Journal. President Obama said, “It’s a potential threat to global security if these countries break down, if their economies break down, if people panic” and added that the virus is “spiraling out of control…spreading faster and exponentially.” The Obama administration informed lawmakers Tuesday night that the Pentagon would provide $500 million in unobligated funds to support an expanded effort to contain the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, according to The Washington Post. Last week the DoD moved to redirect $500 million to Iraq and the Ebola epidemic, meaning the Pentagon may spend up to $1 billion on combating the disease.

Breaking Defense provides a history of the F-35 JSF program that includes the opinion that it was “doomed the day the contract was signed.”  Bolstering the blistering critique: the F-35’s track record of delays, cost overruns, technical problems, operational limitations, and the recent grounding of the entire fleet because of an engine fire.

A year after 12 people were killed by a subcontractor at the Washington Navy Yard, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has fired the firm that handled its background checks, conducted multiple reviews of security-clearance processes and changed key screening policies in an effort to improve security, reports The Washington Post. The OPM increased its engagement with the police and is working on IT upgrades to connect more effectively with crime databases. The agency is now conducting follow-up clearance investigations every five years and is looking to reduce the overall number of cleared personnel.

Northrop Grumman named Tarik Reyes vice president, business development for its integrated air and missile defense division in the company’s Information Systems sector, according to Washington Technology.

An airplane-mounted laser weapon turret was recently tested by Lockheed over the skies of Michigan, reports engadget. The Aero-optic Beam Control turret is being developed for DARPA. It can rotate 360 degrees and eliminate targets from basically any direction.

The DoD said this week that it will crack down on service members who act in or provide filmmakers with classified information about their operations without permission, reports The Hill.

Lockheed has established a subsidiary in Israel which will use acquisitions, partnerships and investments to increase its footprint in the country, according to Bidness etc. A company exec said Lockheed Martin Israel, Ltd is geared toward “cybersecurity, enterprise information technology, data centers, mobile, analytics and cloud.”

Boeing signed a deal with Danish company Sky-Watch to develop a vertical take-off and landing UAV, according to IHS Jane’s 360.

PAE, a global mission services company, will provide full-spectrum support services to the Navy and Marine Corps test and training range under a cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, reports UPI. The work will be conducted for the NAWCAD’s Atlantic Test Range and Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations Division, located at NAS Pax River. Services will include system operations, laboratory and field testing, marine operations and target support services, engineering, range sustainability, maintenance, data reduction and analysis.

Coherent Technical Services, Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland, is being awarded $8,087,228 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order 0007 against a previously issued Basic Ordering Agreement (N68335-11-G-0035) for work associated with a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research effort under Topic A06-086, entitled “Multiplex Data Bus Controller/Translator.” Work will be performed in Lexington Park and is expected to be completed in March 2016. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) and working capital (Defense) funds in the amount of $4,516,906 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.