F-35A Altitude Restrictions Lifted
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economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.
The US Air Force is lifting its altitude flight restriction for F-35A Joint Strike Fighters at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, reports Military.com. Pilots had been ordered to fly at lower altitudes to avoid succumbing to possible hypoxia-related symptoms.
The USS Wasp left Naval Station Norfolk for Sasebo, Japan, reports WAVY.com reports, where the amphibious assault ship will be the forward-deployed flagship of the amphibious force of the US 7th Fleet. The shift will introduce an F-35B-capable ship to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region, pairing it with the F-35Bs of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121.
South Korea carried out live-fire exercises over the weekend, The Hill reports, and is strengthening its controversial US-made THAAD missile defense system after North Korea said it had successfully tested a nuclear bomb. F-35Bs, B-1 bombers, and Japanese and South Korean F-15s fighters conducted a mock bombing drill Thursday over South Korea after North Korea fired a missile over Japan, reports CNN.
In the event of war on the Korean peninsula, Warrior Scout says the US Navy will play a major role with its surface ships and submarines, but American airpower also would play a key role. And that job would likely fall to the F-22 Raptor, F-35, and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber.
The US Pacific Command plans to conduct “freedom of navigation” operations two to three times over the next few months, The Australian reports, reinforcing the US challenge to what it sees as excessive Chinese maritime claims in the South China Sea. (Paywall.)
It’s the US Navy’s responsibility to navigate vessels, and it is the lawmakers’ responsibility to ensure that service members are adequately resourced. Right now, they are not, says National Review.
VADM Mike Shoemaker offered details about what the service expects from its future MQ-25 Stingray tanker drones, reports The Drive. The plan is for the final unmanned aircraft to nearly double the operational range of carrier-based F/A-18E/F Super Hornets. The Naval Institute talked with VADM Shoemaker about the current state of naval aviation and some issues getting attention in the press, reports USNI News.
DefSec James Mattis signed orders to send more troops to Afghanistan, Military Times reports, but he is not saying how many are going.
The US is holding up $255 million in military assistance for Pakistan until it cracks down on extremist groups that threaten neighboring Afghanistan, reports Associated Press. This is the first concrete step since President Donald Trump vowed to ramp up pressure on that country.
Capt. Jason Hammond assumed command of Naval Air Station Pax River in a ceremony Aug. 31, DVIDS reports. Hammond’s role as commanding officer at Pax follows his previous position as the base executive officer.
Navy Times reports the Navy has begun its second case against an officer implicated in the “Fat Leonard” corruption scandal surrounding a defense contractor and its leader, Leonard Francis. Prosecutors outlined their case against Navy Cmdr. Jason W. Starmer, a former enlisted sailor turned foreign area officer.
Contracts:
Foster-Miller Inc., Waltham, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $10,561,789 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00174-16-D-0001) to exercise an option for post-production support under the Man Transportable Robotic System (MTRS) MK2 Robotic Systems program. Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division has a continued need for the procurement of depot level repair services, quality assurance, metrics tracking and reporting, catalog ordering logistics tracking system (COLTS) data entry and implementation of government approved configuration management changes and engineering enhancements to support the MTRS MK 2 series. As the sole designer and developer, Foster-Miller Inc. has the unique knowledge, special skills, and data required to provide the modification and conversion of the MTRS MK-2 system configuration and therefore is the only source capable of providing the required post-production support. The work will be performed in Waltham, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by August 2018. No additional funds are being obligated at the time of this action. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division Indian Head, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $24,672,353 firm-fixed-price delivery order (THA6) against a five-year basic ordering agreement (SPE4A1-16-G-0005) for antenna group assemblies. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1). Location of performance is Maryland, with a Nov. 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2017 appropriated APN6 funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Aviation, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Leidos, Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a $49,500,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for hazardous toxic radioactive waste investigation services in support of the Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program. Bids were solicited via the Internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2023. US Army Corps of Engineers, St. Louis, Missouri, is the contracting activity (W912P9-17-D-0014).
McKinsey and Co. Inc., Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a $20,035,401 modification (P00001) to contract W15QKN-17-F-0005 for integrated consulting services. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 28, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $10,000,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
Atlantic Machinery Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $31,000,000 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract for sweeper and scrubber equipment. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with eight responses received. Locations of performance are Maryland, Florida, Wisconsin, and Alabama, with an Aug. 30, 2022, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2017 through year 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE8EC-17-D-0006).
RQ-Blackwater JV, Carlsbad, California, is being awarded a $42,372,000 firm-fixed-price contract for electrical shore and industrial power systems repair and replacement of Piers 2, 6, 7, and 11 at Naval Station Norfolk. The work to be performed provides for the removal of the existing 480 volt electrical shore power and industrial power distribution systems on Piers 2, 6, and 7 and constructs new systems similar to the present 480 volt electrical shore power and 480 volt ship service system on Pier 11. This project also retrofits the existing cable support system conduit at Pier 11. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2019. Fiscal 2017 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $42,372,000 are obligated on this award; of which $18,921,476 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-17-C-0307).
Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is being awarded a $16,962,451 modification to single-award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N00167-15-D-0003 to provide ongoing engineering and technical services for Synthetic Signature Guidance (SSG)-based systems. The services under this contract support scientific, engineering and technical services required for the design, development, fabrication, integration, test, fleet implementation, and maintenance of SSG-based systems. This will include critical documentation of the existing All World Environment Simulation and Periscope Simulation systems and team trainers’ system architecture. This effort supports completion of technical software code and system engineering documentation efforts to allow software updates, system updates and modifications, and full software configuration management by government or future competitive contracted efforts. Work will be performed at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division’s facilities in West Bethesda, Maryland (65 percent); and at Leidos’s facilities in Bethesda, Maryland (35 percent), and is expected to be completed by February 2019. Fiscal 2017 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,602,500 will be obligated at time of award; and fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) of $1,198,168 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(1), the services needed are available from only one responsible source and no other services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock, West Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is being awarded an $11,204,712 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-08-C-2110 for additional material and advance planning of the post-shakedown availability/selected restricted availability (PSA/SRA) of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to complete by April 2018. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,700,000; and fiscal 2011 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount $500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
SAIC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded an $11,285,621 modification (0033) to contract W31P4Q-05-A-0031 for performance of systems engineering of integrated and non-integrated entry control point systems in Afghanistan in support to Product Manager, Force Protection Systems. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; and Washington, District of Columbia, with an estimated completion date of July 15, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,285,621 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Huntington Ingalls Inc. (HII-INC), Newport News, Virginia, is being awarded a $2,800,000,000 cost-plus-incentive fee contract for USS George Washington (CVN 73) Refueling Complex Overhaul. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by August 2021. Fiscal 2017 and 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,449,741,444 and $56,868,846 respectively will be obligated at contract award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured under the authority of 10 US Code 2304(c)(1). HII-INC is the original building yard contractor for all ships of the CVN-68 class, the reactor planning yard, the lead design refueling yard, and the only private shipyard capable of refueling and overhauling nuclear powered aircraft carriers. Therefore, it is the only source with the knowledge, experience, and facilities required to accomplish this effort in support of the refueling and overhaul of CVN-73 without an unacceptable disruption of Navy-wide overhaul and repair schedule. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-17-C-2105).
Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is being awarded a $17,496,073 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-15-C-5151) to exercise options for ship integration and test of the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) for AWS baselines through Advanced Capability Build 16. Work under this modification will be performed Pascagoula, Mississippi (40 percent); Moorestown, New Jersey (20 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (10 percent); Bath, Maine (10 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (10 percent); San Diego, California (10 percent), and is expected to be completed by February 2020. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,237,019 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year; and fiscal 2017 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $457,931 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
