March 28, 2024

F-35B Testing Begins Aboard USS America

F-35

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.

The US Marine Corps started testing its F-35B Lightning IIs aboard the Navy’s amphibious assault ship, USS America. Two F-35Bs will undergo the third shipboard phase of developmental test and five are scheduled to conduct operational testing, Naval-Technology.com reports. Aviation Pros called the newest jet fighter “a lethal assassin against foes.” Video of the vertical landing can be seen here, DoD Buzz reports. Spoiler alert: The F-35 makes it look easy.

The Pentagon’s F-35 program office has made a request for more money — $500 million — to finish the development phase for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Stars and Stripes reports. The development of the aircraft is thought to be in its last stretch after 15 years.

A satellite launched in June from Cape Canaveral that later malfunctioned was rescued last week by the Navy and Lockheed Martin, the Denver Business Journal reports. The wayward military communications satellite was placed back into a functional orbit where it’s expected to go into service.

The Navy still has not decided on a delivery date for the long-delayed nuclear-powered USS Gerald R. Ford, The Diplomat reports. NAVSEA will not decide on a commissioning date for the new warship until December.

Northrop Grumman has demonstrated its new AQS-24B towed mine-hunting sensor during the Royal Navy’s Unmanned Warrior exercises, C4ISRNET reports.

The US maintains and operates a number of quick strike, global weapons systems engineered for a rapid response. Scout Warrior takes a look at some of them.

The Air Force is working to develop a strategy to counter the weaponization of space and prepare to defend against potential space-war anti-satellite attacks, ExecutiveGov.com reports

A University of Maryland poll finds that the American public is fiercely divided heading into tomorrow’s election, but on the question of what the nation’s top national security priority should be, opinion is united, Defense News reports.  Job one is defeating ISIS.

Presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton share at least one thing in common: Each of them would become commander in chief despite having disagreed at points with military leaders during the presidential campaign, CNN reports.

Martin Ahmad is the new deputy commander of NAS Pax River’s naval aviation’s command, which is responsible for the maintenance, repair, and overhaul of aviation at the base, The Tester reports.

Officials at NAS Pax River estimate that 23,000 people visited the base during Air Expo 2016 late last month, Southern Maryland Online reports. “It was a fantastic event,” the event coordinator said. “Our team here at Pax River really pulled together to make this event possible, and everyone carried out their responsibilities professionally and flawlessly.

Contracts:

DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, is being awarded $59,490,647 for modification P00031 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N68936-11-D-0001) for weapons and systems integration support services for the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s (NAWCWD’s) aircraft integrated product teams. Services to be provided include system engineering, analysis, research, development, logistics and configuration and data management, which are critical in the development, integration, test, evaluation and fielding of new and upgraded capabilities, including F/A-18, EA-18G, F-35, AV-8B, AHN-1/UH-1, and unmanned aerial systems. Work will be performed at NAWCWD China Lake, California (87 percent); Eglin Air Force Base, Florida (8 percent); and at various locations within the US (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2017. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funding will be obligated on individual task orders at time of award. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity.

Hydroid Inc., Pocasset, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $7,408,735 modification to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00174-14-D-0001) to exercise option three for engineering support and training services for the MK18 Mod 1 and Mod 2 unmanned underwater vehicle systems. The MK18 Mod 1 and Mod 2 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) systems are in support of very shallow water missions, very shallow water mine countermeasures and underwater object localization tools. Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division has a requirement for maintenance, repairs, alterations, and upgrades of the MK18 UUV family of systems, other Remote Environmental Monitoring Unit-variant UUVs and components used in support of the Navy. This also includes preparation and upkeep of software and documentation used with these UUV systems. The work will be performed in Pocasset, Massachusetts, and is expected to be completed by November 2017. No 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. 

Assured Information Security Inc., Rome, New York (FA8750-12-D-0002); CACI Technologies Inc. Chantilly, Virginia (FA8750-12-D-0005); Global InfoTek Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8750-12-D-0003); Harris Corp., Herndon, Virginia (FA8750-12-D-0006);  L-3 National Security Solutions Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8750-12-D-0007); and Radiance Technologies Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (FA8750-12-D-0004), have been awarded a combined $200,000,000 basic contract modification for additional in-scope activities. Contractor will provide rapid development, prototyping, demonstration, evaluation and transition of cyber capabilities. Work will be performed at Rome, New York; Chantilly, Virginia; Reston, Virginia; Herndon, Virginia; and Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2019. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity.

Riverside Research Institute, New York, New York (FA8650-17-D-1900); and Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8650-17-D-1700), have been awarded a combined $48,000,000 multiple award, fair opportunity, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts for research and development for mission systems open architecture science and technology. Contractors will provide applied and advanced research and development, as well as advanced component development and prototypes, to evolve and expand emerging open architecture standards and approaches for current and next-generation Air Force weapon systems. Work will be performed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be complete by Nov. 6, 2023. These awards are the result of a competitive acquisition with seven offers received. Fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $500,000 are being obligated to each company for the initial task order at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Sodexo Management Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland, is being awarded $113,996,457 for modification P00077 under previously awarded fixed-price, incentive, and award fee provisions contract M00027-11-C-0003 to exercise option year six to provide food service at all East Coast continental Marine Corps facilities. This modification increases the basic value of the contract to $754,180,098. Work will be performed in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (47.51 percent); Parris Island, South Carolina (35.51 percent); Quantico, Virginia (6.53 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (5.98 percent); Beaufort, South Carolina (2.41 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (1.09 percent); Norfolk, Virginia (0.77 percent); and Bogue, North Carolina (0.20 percent), and work for this option period is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2017. Fiscal 2017 1105 subsistence-in-kind funds in the amount of $113,996,457 will be obligated at the time of award, and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Marine Corps Installation Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. 

Sodexo Management Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland, is being awarded $107,339,158 for modification P00067 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, incentive, and award fee provisions contract M00027-11-C-0001 to exercise an option providing food service at all West Coast continental Marine Corps bases and stations. This modification increases the basic value of the contract to $669,020,945. Work will be performed in Camp Pendleton, California (49.76 percent); San Diego, California (22.25 percent); Twentynine Palms, California (15.48 percent); Miramar, California (6.49 percent); Yuma, Arizona (4.56 percent); and Bridgeport, California (1.46 percent), and work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2017. Fiscal 2017 1105 subsistence-in-kind funds in the amount of $107,339,158 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $107,339,158 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Marine Corps Installation Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Vistronix LLC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $14,144,597 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for wideband controls systems engineering technical assistance support services to be provided under the National Institutes of Health Information Technology Acquisition and Assessment Center government-wide acquisition contract. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 3, 2019. Fiscal 2016 other funds in the amount of $1,220,071 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-17-F-5000).

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