Esper Is Trump’s New Pick for DefSec
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President Donald Trump says he intends to nominate Mark Esper as the new defense secretary, David Norquist as the deputy defense secretary, and Ryan McCarthy as the Army secretary, reports Defense News.
US National Security Adviser John Bolton has a message for Iran: Don’t mistake US prudence and discretion for weakness, after the US called off military strikes against Iran in response to the shooting down of an unmanned American surveillance drone, reports Military Times.
Security measures have been increased at Balad Air Base in Iraq, reports Air Force Times, following a mortar attack, reports Air Force Times. The base houses US Air Force trainers and other American contractors.
Lots of news came out of the Paris Air Show last week. Lockheed Martin was promoting its F-35 as the proven fifth-generation option, as many European companies were drumming up support for sixth-generation jet fighters. General Atomics is optimistic about its sales of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone in Europe, reports Defense News. AAR Corp. is hoping its aftermarket aviation services for the F-16 will be profitable for the company, reports Defense News. “… While others are running after the F-35, we’re cleaning up on the F-16s, and we’re happy to do that,” an AAR official said.
Acting Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Donovan said last week that he believes an independent space force is a necessity. He also backs the creation of the Space Development Agency, or SDA, a new DoD organization tasked with creating a distributed constellation of many small satellites in low-Earth orbit, reports Defense News.
HDMS MSF-1 assigned to Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One conducts side scan sonar exercises while transiting the Baltic Sea during exercise Baltic Operations 2019 on June 18. BALTOPS is the annual maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic Region, marking the 47th year of one of the largest exercises in Northern Europe enhancing flexibility and interoperability among allied and partner nations. (US Navy photo courtesy of NATO by CPO Brian Djurslev/Released)
Gen. David Bellon has been nominated as the next commander of the US Marine Corps Forces Reserve and US Marine Corps Forces North, reports ExecutiveGov.com. DoD will elevate Bellon’s rank to lieutenant general as he takes on the two new roles. Gen. Bellon is currently director of plans for the US Southern Command.
The deadline for sailors who do not have the ability to serve four more years in the US Navy to transfer their Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits to dependents is July 11, reminds a Navy news release.
One of the US Navy’s newest towing, rescue, and salvage ships will be named the Cherokee Nation to honor the service and contributions the Cherokee people have made to the Navy and Marine Corps, reports Navy Times.
Irene Hirano Inouye christened a warship bearing the name of her late husband, Hawaii Sen. Daniel Inouye, during a ceremony at Bath Iron Works on Saturday, reports Navy Times.
A Japanese UH-1 Iroquis helicopter was damaged during landing practice Friday near the home of US Forces Japan, Stars and Stripes reports.
Lt. Col. Robert Friend, one of the last original members of the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II, has died, reports Air Force Times. He was 99.
Contracts:
TCOM L.P., Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $978,946,631 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and firm-fixed-price) contract for the Persistent Surveillance Systems – Tethered engineering, logistics, operations and program management support. 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 June 19, 2024. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-19-D-0020).
Texas Power & Associates, Palm Harbor, Florida (SPE8EG-19-D-0117); Atlantic Diving Supply, doing business as ADS, Virginia Beach, Virginia (SPE8EG-19-D-0112); Berger/Cummins, Washington, District of Columbia (SPE8EG-19-D-0113); Caterpillar Defense, Peoria, Illinois (SPE8EG-19-D-0114); Inglett & Stubbs International, Atlanta, Georgia (SPE8EG-19-D-0115); and QGSI-USA Emergency Power, Houston, Texas (SPE8EG-19-D-0116), are sharing a maximum $900,000,0000 fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE8EG-18-R-0007 for generators. This was a competitive acquisition with eight offers received. These are five-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are Florida, Virginia, Washington, District of Columbia, Illinois, Georgia, and Texas, with a June 19, 2024, performance completion date. Using customer is Federal Emergency Management Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Advanced Solutions Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, was awarded $16,863,635 for firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded task order N00039-18-F-0069 issued against Blanket Purchase Agreement N00104-08-A-ZF42 and the underlying a multiple award schedule in support of Navy Enterprise Resource Planning. This modification exercises an option for cloud and integration support services. Work will be performed in Loudon, Virginia (50%) and Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (50%) and is expected to be completed in June 2020. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,863,635 will be obligated at the time of the award, which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded June 20, 2019)
Concentric Security LLC, Sykesville, Maryland (FA8003-19-D-A001); Nasatka Barrier Inc., Clinton, Maryland, (FA8003-19-D-A002); Cherokee Nation Security & Defense LLC., Tulsa, Oklahoma, (FA8003-19-D-A003); and Perimeter Security Partners LLC., Nashville, Tennessee (FA8003-19-D-A004) have been awarded a $45,000,000 firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for vehicle barriers maintenance and repair services. This contract provides for all personnel, labor, equipment, supplies, tools, materials, supervision, travel, periodic inspection, minor repair, and other items and services necessary to provide maintenance for Air Force vehicle barrier systems. Work will be performed at all Contiguous United States (CONUS) (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) active duty Air Force installations and is expected to be completed by June 23, 2024. These awards are the result of a competitive acquisition and four offers were received. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,000 ($1,000 per awardee) are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio is the contracting activity.
Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a modification to exercise an option totaling $8,825,457 to previously awarded contract HR0011-18-C-0127 for a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) research project. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $13,204,195. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia; San Diego, California; and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, with an expected completion date of September 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $4,600,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
