Russian President Vladimir Putin says his country has developed new strategic nuclear weapons that can’t be intercepted by US defenses, reports Fox News. CBS News reports CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell saying the development is a reflection that the US and Russia are “in a conflict.” The Pentagon’s response: US military capabilities, including the American nuclear force, will “remain unmatched,” reports Washington Examiner.

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-TX) floated the idea of increasing available fitness waivers for some new enlistees, Army Times reports. This comes as the services are experiencing a dwindling number of eligible recruits. “Should we make it easier for someone who has, for example, expertise in computers to serve in the military even though they can’t meet all the physical requirements?” he said.

The Navy wants 25,000 more sailors over the next few years. To reach that goal the service announced the Targeted Reentry Program, Navy Times reports. The Navy will offer gold or silver tickets to qualified officers and enlisted sailors who might be dead set on leaving, but might want to return within a couple years.

President Donald Trump has nominated Lt. Gen. Timothy Ray to be the next leader of Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees the nation’s intercontinental ballistic missiles and strategic bombers, reports Defense News. Lt. Gen. Ray is the current deputy commander for US European Command in Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.

Almost 210,000 women are currently serving on active duty in the US military. In honor of Women’s History Month, Army Times presents its favorite moments highlighting female service members.

Some folks in Burlington, Vermont, are protesting the Vermont Air National Guard’s plan to base its F-35 fighter jets at the airport there, reports Vermont Public Radio. Save Our Skies activists are concerned with the noise from the jets. “The old plane was the F-16. We’re bringing in the F-35 — four times louder, much bigger noise impact zone, which is going to put in jeopardy 3,000 homes,” one activist said.

Contracts:

AEP Energy Inc., Chicago, Illinois, has been awarded a $362,516,855 firm-fixed-price, requirements-type contract to supply and deliver retail electricity and ancillary/incidental services. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with five responses received. Locations of performance are Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, with a June 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Air Force, Army, Navy, Department of Commerce, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Using customers are solely responsible to fund this contract and vary in appropriation type and fiscal year. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia (SPE604-18-D-8007).

Webco Distribution Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded $8,000,000 for an indefinite-delivery requirements contract N00189-18-D-0025 to acquire commercially available items for authorized resale in support of the Navy Exchange Service Command Ships Store program. The contract includes a one-year base period and four 12-month option periods which if exercised, the total value of this contract will be $44,000,000. Work will be performed in Japan (10 percent); San Diego, California (20 percent); Pacific Northwest (10 percent); Hawaii (10 percent); Guam (10 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (10 percent); Mayport, Florida (10 percent); Diego Garcia (10 percent); and goods for export (10 percent). The delivery period is expected to be completed by February 2019; if the options are exercised, work will be completed by February 2023. No funding will be obligated at the time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The requirement was sole-sourced under authority 10 US Code 2304 (c)(5) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5(a)(2)(ii). Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics One Source LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, was originally awarded a firm-fixed price contract (H92239-17-F-0016) for Special Operations Mission Training Center support services in support of US Special Operations Command, G3 for a base and four option years in the amount of $26,945,474. In March 2017, the base year was obligated at $5,092,744. In September 2017, an additional framework was added to the base year in the amount of $498,017 and $3,390,465 for the remaining options, bringing the total overall contract value to $30,833,956. At this time, US Army Special Operations Command intends to exercise the first option which increases the total obligated amount to $11,915,782 (incrementally funded). The work will be performed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2022.

Two Six Labs LLC, Arlington, Virginia, has been awarded a $13,244,573 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract in support of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s SIGMA project. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia (84 percent); Falls Church, Virginia (10 percent); Bowie, Maryland (4 percent); and Andover, Massachusetts (2 percent), with an estimated completion date of March 2020. Fiscal 2018 research and development funds in the amount of $1,590,773, are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR0011-18-C-0050).