March 28, 2024

F-35As Heading to Pacific Theater

F-35As Heading to Pacific Theater
Two US Air Force F-35 Lightning IIs, assigned to the 61st Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., break off from formation at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, on Sept. 6, 2019. (US Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aaron Larue Guerrisky)

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

In preparation for the arrival of the first of its F-35s next spring, Eielson Air Force Base in Alaska has reactivated the 356th Fighter Squadron, reports Air Force Times. Lt. Col. James Christensen has been named as commander. “The 356th FS is reactivating to bring F-35As out to the Pacific Theater,” Christensen said.

Norway’s F-35s have a feature that distinguishes them from other countries’ version of the jet fighter, reports Defense News, a drag chute that is used to slow the landing of the jet in icy conditions. Reports say the drag chute is failing more than expected and the Royal Norwegian Air Force is working with the Pentagon to fix the issue.

The Netherlands has announced plans to purchase nine more of Lockheed Martin’s F-35 jets, a move that would bring the country’s inventory to 46, reports Defense News.

DefSec Mark Esper is carrying out the president’s orders to move US forces in Syria south of Turkey’s attacks against the Kurds, but not leave that conflict-wracked country, reports Military Times. US special operations forces in Syria came under fire Friday but did not sustain any casualties, Military Times reports.

Marine Corps Lt. Col. Mark “Ammo” Amspacher is the newest commanding officer of the Air and Test Evaluation Squadron (VX-23) at NAS Pax River, reports baynet.com. The change of command ceremony took place last Friday

Iranian officials say two missiles have struck an Iranian tanker traveling through the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia, reports Navy Times.

Precise Systems Inc. again makes the 2019 Inc. 5000 list, ranking at No. 3700 on the list of the fastest-growing private companies in the US, reports smnewsnet.com. This is the Lexington Park company’s four appearance on the list.

Shareholders have approved the United Technologies’ purchase of Raytheon, reports USNI News, paving the way for the creation of Raytheon Technologies. The all-stock deal still needs approval from federal regulators.

Boeing’s board of directors have removed its top executive from the chairmanship position in the wake of the 737 MAX safety crisis, reports Defense News.

Flight Global reports Boeing delivered 77 military aircraft in the third quarter of 2019, a 114% jump over the number of aircraft it delivered in the second quarter, as the company continues catching up on orders delayed by quality issues.

Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems says it will sell more than 1,000 THOR mini-drones to an unnamed Southeast Asian country in a $153 million deal, reports UPI News.

Sikorsky has unveiled its design for the Army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft, reports Breaking Defense. The Raider-X will be a larger and more advanced version of Sikorsky’s current S-97 Raider, which has been flying since 2015.

ATLANTIC OCEAN — A MV-22B Osprey assigned to the Blue Knights of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365, prepares to land on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan, Oct. 10, 2019. Bataan is underway conducting a composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) with the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Kaitlin Rowell/Released)

The Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals has withdrawn an opinion asserting that it is unconstitutional for the Pentagon to prosecute retired service members, reports Military Times.

Veterans hunting for jobs may have thought “Hire Military Heroes” was just another jobs website that would help them find employment. But in reality, the site prompted users to download an app containing malicious malware that would allow the attacker to access some of their information, reports Military Times.

A pilot ejected from a Canadian Snowbird plane that later crashed at the Atlanta Air Show on Sunday, reports CBS News. The pilot landed safely after ejecting from the CT-144 aircraft, which went down in a sparsely populated area.

Contracts:

Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a $434,370,635 contract for lead yard support and development studies and design efforts related to Virginia class submarines. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (94.1%); Newport News, Virginia (4.8%); and Newport and Quonset, Rhode Island (combined 1.1%), and is expected to be complete by September 2020. The contract provides lead yard support for Virginia class submarines that will maintain, update and support the Virginia class design and related drawings and data for each Virginia class submarine, including technology insertion, throughout its construction and post-shakedown availability period. The contractor will also provide all engineering and related lead yard support necessary for direct maintenance and support of Virginia class ship specifications. In addition, the contract provides development studies and design efforts related to the Virginia class submarine design and design improvements; preliminary and detail component and system design; integration of system engineering, design engineering, test engineering, logistics engineering and production engineering. The contractor will continue development studies and design efforts related to components and systems to accomplish research and development tasks, and prototypes and engineering development models required to fully evaluate new technologies to be inserted in succeeding Virginia class submarines. Fiscal 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (SCN) (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and engineering (RDT&E) (Navy) funding in the amount of $68,321,021 will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,050,000; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and engineering (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,341,250 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year — fiscal 2018 SCN (38.8%); fiscal 2017 SCN (34.9%); fiscal 2019 RDT&E (10.7%); fiscal 2014 SCN (7.1%); fiscal 2019 SCN (5%); fiscal 2016 SCN (3.4%). This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) — only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-C-2120).

Space Ground Systems Solutions LLC, West Melbourne, Florida, awarded a $17,082,880 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to overall ceiling for previously awarded contract (N00173-15-D-2015) for spacecraft engineering, software, research and development services to the Naval Center for Space Technology (NCST). Specifically, the indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) provides support for software engineering development, maintenance, enhancement and configuration management support for all components contained within the Neptune™ software suite under the direction of the NRL Configuration Control Board, and the VMOC™ software framework under the direction of the VMOC™ program management and software engineering teams. Funding will be obligated for each task order and no funds are obligated on the base IDIQ contract. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia (50%); and West Melbourne, Florida (50%), and is expected to be completed by March 2020. The US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Ordnance Systems Inc., Radford, Virginia, was awarded an $8,309,050 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to incorporate a requirement to stabilize the legacy nitroglycerin area facility at Radford Army Ammunition Plant.  One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Radford, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2019 procurement of ammunition, Army funds in the amount of $8,309,050 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-F-0021).

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