F-35 Destined for Combat Test

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.

It seems unavoidable that the F-35 is destined for a combat test, Task and Purpose reports, with the US waging increasingly active anti-terror operations. So far this year, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has been deployed twice, once each by the Marine Corps and the Air Force, though neither deployment was in a combat capacity. With the US facing severe security threats around the world, the military should be buying more F-35s and buying them faster, says Breaking Defense.

The US and its closest allies have a lot to learn from each other thanks to the number of core weapon systems being bought at the same time, mainly the F-35 JSF, P-8, Triton, and Growler, Breaking Defense reports.

The Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, remains a controversial topic in South Korea, The Washington Post reports. The front-runner in the upcoming presidential election there has vowed to reconsider the deployment if he wins the election on May 9. Moon Jae-in has said that the security benefits of THAAD would be offset by worsened relations with China.

Pope Francis urged President Donald Trump and leaders in North and South Korea to try to diffuse the tensions in the region, to use diplomacy in negotiations “because it’s the future of humanity,” Fox News reports. He added that the United Nations should regain its leadership in conflict resolution, saying it has been “watered down” over time.

The US has released details of the potential sale of up to four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol planes to New Zealand, stuff.co.nz.com reports.

Major defense contractors say uncertainty over Pentagon funding hurts their planning and could have consequences for military readiness, cnbc.com reports. “There’s a lot of frustration and uncertainty associated with the fact that we’re now entering our eighth month of continuing resolution,” said David Melcher, CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association.

Eight senators are urging DefSec James Mattis to request all three Littoral Combat Ships originally planned for the 2018 budget, Breaking Defense reports.

The Navy’s MQ-8C Fire Scout has completed initial testing onboard the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery. The Fire Scout, an unmanned helicopter, complements the manned MH-60 helicopter. The two helicopters working together will extend the range and endurance of missions conducted out at sea, Military Embedded Systems reports.

Chief of Naval Operations ADM John Richardson tells the Brookings Institute it is imperative to build weapons that can be upgraded every few years, build a hull to last 30 years, but design the guts of the ships and the weapons so they can be improved on a regular basis, Breaking Defense reports.

The Army’s biggest gap developed its armed reconnaissance helicopter — the OH-58 Kiowa Warrior — retired without a replacement, Defense News reports. The Army is gearing up to start its Future Vertical Lift program to field a family of new helicopters in the early 2030s.

Army Capt. Jim Perkins opines in Defense News, the Army and its sister services have no reason to have specific cyber forces — and it may be best for the American military if they were to realize it. “Even before cyber was emphasized, each of the services already had teams working on network defense operations, but that’s not a good reason to double-down on poor design,” he writes.

Contracts:

DynCorp International, Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed of $202,434,437 for contractor operated and maintained base supply services for the T-6A/B/D Texan II aircraft. Contractor will provide serviceable aircraft material and support equipment to support Air Force, Navy, and Army Texan II aircraft. Work will be performed at Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi; Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas; Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas; Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas; Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida; Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas; Naval Flight Officer at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida; Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland; and Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. This contract is expected to be complete by April 30, 2018. This is a bridge contract and a new Contractor Operated and Maintained Base Supply (COMBS) contract is currently in source selection. Fiscal 2017 funds in the amount of $44,273,731 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8617-17-C-6210).

John C. Grimberg Co. Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $17,885,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of the advanced energetics research laboratory complex at Naval Support Facility, Indian Head for Naval Surface Warfare Center, Indian Head Division. The work to be performed provides for construction of a low-rise building to accommodate research, development, and conduction of explosive materials.  The contract also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $18,567,500. Work will be performed in Indian Head, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by August 2019. Fiscal 2015 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $17,885,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-17-C-0030).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a not-to-exceed $1,377,002,000 advance acquisition contract for long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for 130 low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-US Department of Defense (DoD) participants, and foreign military sales customers. In addition this contract provides long-lead time materials, parts, components, and effort for 110 Lot 13 and 14 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the non-U.S. DoD participants and foreign military sales customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent); El Segundo, California (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Florida (10 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5 percent); Nagoya, Japan (5 percent); and Baltimore, Maryland (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2018. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps); non-US DoD participant; and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $1,377,002,000 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Air Force ($315,500,000; 23 percent); Marine Corps ($128,925,000; 9 percent); Navy ($43,509,000; 3 percent); non-US DoD participant ($524,446,000; 38 percent), and foreign military sales customers ($364,622,000; 27 percent). This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-17-C-0001).

General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is being awarded $32,882,330 for modification P00011 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00030-16-C-0005), for sustainment of the US and United Kingdom (UK) SSBN Fire Control System, the US SSGN Attack Weapon Control System, including training and support equipment, the missile fire control for the Columbia-class and UK Dreadnought-class Common Missile Compartment program development, through first unit United Kingdom production. Work will be performed in Pittsfield Massachusetts (90 percent); Bremerton, Washington, (3.8 percent); Kings Bay, Georgia (2.8 percent); Dahlgren, Virginia (1.0 percent); Cape Canaveral, Florida (1.0 percent); Portsmouth, Virginia (1.0 percent); and the United Kingdom (0.4 percent), with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2021. United Kingdom funding in the amount of $23,202,000; fiscal 2017 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,258,000; and fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $422,330, and are being obligated on this award. Funds in the amount of $422,330 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland, is being awarded a $37,698,655 firm-fixed-price contract for the design and construction of an Embassy Security Guard Bachelor Enlisted Quarters and operations facility at the Marine Corps Base, Quantico. This facility will provide 126 rooms with semi-private bathrooms and walk-in closets, operations offices, an armory, and an administrative facility. The contract also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $44,008,465. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by November 2019. Fiscal 2016 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $37,698,655 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with 18 proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-17-C-4421).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Rotary and Mission Systems, Orlando, Florida, is being awarded a $17,781,059 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N68335-17-C-0253) for the full-rate production of seven electronic Consolidated Automated Support System (eCASS) core stations in various configurations for the Navy; and the governments of Australia and Japan. This modification also provides for mission equipment kits, self-maintenance and test calibration operational test program sets, calibration equipment suites, shore installation kits, genie lifts and rack rail kits. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (34.7 percent); Hunt Valley, Maryland (21 percent); North Reading, Massachusetts (10.6 percent); Irvine, California (9.2 percent); San Diego, California (7.3 percent); Austin, Texas (3 percent), and various locations within the continental US (14.2 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2019. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy); and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $17,781,059 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Navy ($5,899,325; 33 percent); and the governments of Australia ($9,977,028; 56 percent); and Japan ($1,904,706; 11 percent) under the Foreign Military Sales program. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.

International Marine & Industrial Applicators LLC, Spanish Fort, Alabama (N4523A-17-D-0003); and QED Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N4523A-17-D-0004), are being awarded a $260,100,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the accomplishment of preservation of critical and non-critical surfaces and installation of new coatings on naval ships/vessels. Typical work under the scope of the program include: single and multiple coat systems, ultra-high solids, epoxy, solvent based, anti-fouling, and associated structural repair requirements necessary to support the preservation process for aircraft carriers, submarines and other vessels. Under the terms of the contracts, multiple award contract holders will compete for individual delivery orders over a five-year period. Work will be performed in Bremerton, Washington (85 percent); Banger, Washington (10 percent); and Everett, Washington (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2022. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,000 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 Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $47,102,597 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, resulting from solicitation N00189-17-R-0007, that will include terms and conditions for the placement of firm-fixed-price and firm-fixed-price level-of-effort task orders to provide program management, information technology architecture and engineering, meteorology and oceanography information technology subject matter expertise, geospatial information system subject matter expertise, cybersecurity, and information technology portfolio management for the Naval Information Forces Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, and other subordinate commands. The contract will include a five-year base ordering period and six-month option period which if exercised, the total value of this contract will be $52,000,000. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia (61 percent); Stennis Space Center, Mississippi (22 percent); and Monterey, California (17 percent), and is expected to be completed by April 2022. If the option is exercised, work will continue through October 2022. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-17-D-0008).

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $12,427,641 two-year option under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost reimbursement multiple award contract (N66001-16-D-0207) for technical support services for afloat, ashore and airborne networks and information systems. Support includes assessing network requirements; designing system architecture; network modeling, simulation, and testing; network technology and prototype development; network security; information assurance and certification of networks; and network management. This is one of six multiple-award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. The original three-year base contract included this two-year option. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete July 10, 2021, which includes the remaining performance period of the base award. Funding will be obligated via task orders as they are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy); research, development, test and evaluation; and other procurement (Navy) funds. This contract was competitively procured with full and open competition via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Six offers were received and six were selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Didlake Inc., Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded an $11,598,138 modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N40085-15-D-0063) to exercise option two for annual custodial services at Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for annual custodial services, including, but not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor, and transportation services necessary to perform custodial services for office space, restrooms, and other types of rooms. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $30,414,269. Work will be performed at various installations in Portsmouth, Virginia (44 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (42 percent); and Yorktown, Virginia (14 percent). This option period is from May 2017 to April 2018. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $11,246,053 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

DY4 Inc., Ashburn, Virginia, is being awarded an $8,966,438 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for procurement of nine 128 end-of-life components, one year of component storage, and 142 single board computers in support of the AN/UPX-29(V) Interrogator set for the Navy (92); and the government of Korea (50).  Work will be performed in Ontario, Canada, and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Fiscal 2012 and 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2016 and 2017 other procurement (Navy); and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $1,600,544 are being obligated at the time of award, $115,956 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-17-D-0019).

Corps Solutions LLC, Stafford, Virginia (M0026417A0002); II Corps Consultants, Locust Grove, Virginia (M0026417A0003); MTS Technologies Inc., Arlington, Virginia (M0026417A0004); and Claxton Logistics, Stafford, Virginia (M0026417A0005), are being awarded a combined ceiling price $24,900,000 firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreements (BPAs) for an ordering period of four years. Training and Education Command requires a full range of technical and professional training support services across a wide range of subject areas relating to key educational and planning issues, policy, training, and product development. Work will be performed at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, and work is expected to be completed by April 27, 2021.  Requirements will be funded with operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) and applied when calls are issued against the BPAs. Funding is subject to availability, but shall be made available in full for bona fide requirements prior to application and award of calls issued. These agreements were set aside with 50 percent to service disabled veteran owned small businesses and 50 percent to small businesses and competitively solicited to only those contractors who currently hold a general service administration group 00CORP professional services schedule category 874 schedules, with 11 proposals received. The Marine Corps Installations National Capitol Region – Regional Contracting Office, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

CSRA LLC, Falls Church, Virginia, is being awarded a $24,106,957 five-year, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the performance of knowledge-based, information technology support services to the Marine Corps Technology Services Organization (TSO). The TSO is responsible for developing and maintaining critical information technology systems. This contract includes a one-year base period with four additional one-year options, which if exercised, would bring the total contract value to a maximum ceiling of $143,340,568. Work will be performed Indianapolis, Indiana, and is expected to be completed May 14, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $24,106,957 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively awarded via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with four offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-17-C-9000).

PAE Aviation and Technical Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is being awarded $13,170,809 for modification 00079 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, labor hour, cost reimbursable contract (N00421-11-D-0003) to exercise an option for aircraft maintenance and modification support services for the Naval Test Wing Pacific.  Work will be performed in China Lake, California (50 percent); Point Mugu, California (40 percent); and various locations in the US (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in July 2017. Navy working capital funds in the amount of $11,518,000 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $10,800,000 modification to a previously awarded advanced acquisition contract (N00019-16-C-0033) for additional hardware modules and racks in support of the F-35 low-rate initial production Lot 11 aircraft for the government of Israel under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30 percent); El Segundo, California (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Florida (10 percent); Nashua, New Hampshire (5 percent); Nagoya, Japan (5 percent); and Baltimore, Maryland (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2019. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $500,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Bay West LLC, St. Paul, Minnesota (W912DQ-17-D-3007); Cape Environmental Management Inc., Overland Park, Kansas (W912DQ-17-D-3008); EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc., PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland (W912DQ-17-D-3009); Hydrogeologic Inc., Reston, Virginia (W912DQ-17-D-3010); Los Alamos Technical Associates Inc., Westerville, Ohio (W912DQ-17-D-3011); and Engineering/Remediation Resources Group, Inc., Martinez, California (W912DQ-17-D-3012), will share in a $60,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation services in support of the US Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division and the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 15 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 27, 2022. US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity.

Bay West LLC, St. Paul, Minnesota (W912DQ-17-D-3013); Cape Environmental Management Inc., Overland Park, Kansas (W912DQ-17-D-3014); EA Engineering, Science, and Technology Inc., PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland (W912DQ-17-D-3015); Hydrogeologic Inc., Reston, Virginia (W912DQ-17-D-3016); Los Alamos Technical Associates Inc., Westerville, Ohio (W912DQ-17-D-3017); Sevenson Environmental Services Inc., Niagara Falls, New York (W912DQ-17-D-3018); and Engineering/Remediation Resources Group Inc., Martinez, California (W912DQ-17-D-3019), will share in a $60,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation services in support of the Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2 and the US Army Corps of Engineers, Northwestern Division. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 14 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 27, 2022. US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity.