F-35s Certified to Carry Nukes

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.

The F-35A Joint Strike Fighter has been operationally certified to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb, reports Breaking Defense, making the stealth fighter a “dual-capable” aircraft that can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons. The F-35 Joint Program Office statement said, “The F-35A is the first 5th generation nuclear capable aircraft ever, and the first new platform (fighter or bomber) to achieve this status since the early 1990s.”

The US will use a surprise $300 million in savings it found while buying supplies for Kyiv to provide the first batch of military aid for Ukraine this year, more than three months after running out of money to replace the weapons it sent, reports Defense News. The package will fund ammunition, anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank weapons and artillery rounds.

Congressional action to block US arms sales to Israel is “certainly something that’s on the table” if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launches a large-scale invasion of Rafah, said Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), reports Politico. Democrats are pushing President Joe Biden to take a tougher tack in his rift with Netanyahu over Israel’s strategy in Gaza.

Tensions deepened over the weekend between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as hopes crumbled of striking a deal to pause fighting before Monday’s start of Ramadan and a US military ship set sail to ease the flow of aid into Gaza. The Wall Street Journal reported, Biden had warned on Saturday that an Israeli attack on the southern Gaza city of Rafah would cross a “red line” if it caused extensive civilian casualties.

An aid ship carrying 200 tons of food set sail for northern Gaza on Tuesday, reports Military.com. The food was gathered by World Food Kitchen, the charity founded by celebrity chef José Andrés, and is being carried on a barge attached to a ship belonging to the Spanish aid group Open Arms. It is expected to arrive at an undisclosed location on the Gaza coastline in two to three days.

Military Times reports, four Army logistical support vessels are on their way to the eastern Mediterranean Sea to build an offshore pier that will open a maritime corridor to flow humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

The US flew in helicopters Sunday to beef up security at the US Embassy in Haiti and allow nonessential personnel to leave, reports AP News. The US emphasized “no Haitians were on board the military aircraft.”

American, British and French forces shot down 28 one-way attack drones launched by the Houthi movement over last weekend. Task & Purpose reports, the drones targeted the Singapore-owned and flagged merchant vessel Propel Fortune, according to the Houthis.

Poland’s foreign minister says the presence of NATO forces in Ukraine “is not unthinkable”, reports AP News. Radek Sikorski’s observations reflect a larger European debate over how to help Ukraine as Russia has gained some momentum on the battlefield and Kyiv is running low on ammunition.

The Marine Corps, Air Force, and Navy are refreshing troops’ training and changing maintenance procedures on the V-22 Ospreys, but no equipment modifications are slated as the military looks to put the 400 grounded aircraft back to work, reports Military Times.  It will take months before the tiltrotor aircraft are fully back to flying real-world missions following their three month grounding.

Osprey pilots and air and maintenance crews with the 3rd Marine Airwing are training with MV-22 Ospreys again, reports Military.com.  These six squadrons that make up the first to fly again are those that are next to deploy.

A National Guard soldier from New York who was seriously injured in the crash of a helicopter flying over the US-Mexico border remained hospitalized Sunday. Killed in the Friday crash in a field in Texas near Rio Grande City were: Chief Warrant Officer 2 Casey Frankoski, 28, and Chief Warrant Officer 2 John Grassia, 30, both with the New York National Guard; and Border Patrol Agent Chris Luna, 49. The cause of the crash remains under investigation, reports Military Times.

A Pentagon study to examine reported sightings of UFOs over almost a century found no evidence of aliens or extraterrestrial intelligence, consistent with past US government efforts to assess claimed sightings, reports Military Times. The report said “most sightings were ordinary objects and phenomena and the result of misidentification.”

Former Naval Information Warfare Center civilian employee James Soriano and defense contractor Russell Thurston were indicted in San Diego Thursday for participating in a bribery scheme that resulted in more than $100 million in government contracts. Navy Times reports, the pair allegedly conspired to commit fraud to the tune of more than $100 million, according to an indictment brought by the US Southern District of California.

Sterling Robert Cale, last known Pearl Harbor attack survivor living in Hawaii, was laid to rest last week, reports Military.com. He was 102 years old and even into the last years of his life regularly volunteered at the Pearl Harbor National Memorial to share his experiences as a Navy pharmacist mate who had just come off duty at the base hospital when the attack began. Today of the 87, 000 military personnel who were stationed at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, only about two dozen remain alive.

Former President Donald Trump said he believes that TikTok is a national security threat but that he couldn’t support Congress’ banning the popular app because doing so would boost support for Facebook, which is the “enemy of the people,” reports NBC News.

The FY 2025 proposed budget reached Congress this week:

Despite a still unsettled FY24 budget, the week opened with the reveal of its FY25 spending plan, reports Military Times. Maryland Matters reports, the $7.266 trillion budget reflects the president’s beliefs of how to direct taxpayer dollars. Only Congress can release funds. Biden’s budget proposal sticks to the spending agreement brokered last year and revamps tax laws so that the “wealthy pay their fair share.” The fiscal 2025 budget request totals 188 pages.

According to Federal Times, Biden’s proposed $7.3 trillion for FY25 borrows $1.8 trillion to cover the shortfall from tax receipts. The child tax credit returns briefly to the 2021 level funded by Biden’s coronavirus pandemic relief package. Homebuyers could get a tax credit worth up to $10,000 and $10 billion is proposed in down payment aid for first-generation buyers. Corporate taxes would jump upward, while billionaires would be charged a minimum tax of 25%. Deficits could be pruned $3 trillion over a decade that would raise tax revenues by a total of $4.9 trillion and use roughly $1.9 trillion to fund various programs, with the rest going to deficit reduction.

The DoD is looking to balance some of its personnel numbers by downsizing the active duty Army and Navy by several thousand, while adding some of those spots back in the Reserve and National Guard, reports Military Times. The fiscal year 2025 request asks for a drop of 7,800 authorized billets in the active component and an increase of 2,100 positions in the reserve component. That’s a 0.6% drop in overall end strength.

The Dept. of Veterans Affairs plans to trim about 10,000 full-time jobs from agency offices in 2025 after last year’s hiring focus led to a larger than expected workforce, reports  Military Times. The cuts represent about 2% of the total VA employee count of more than 458,000, the largest total in department history. VA has seen significant additions in staffing in recent years, adding more than 82,000 workers to the payroll since 2019.

The Navy will postpone most of its planned development and purchases of large unmanned systems and next-generation ships and planes in fiscal 2025, citing spending caps. Defense News reports, the Navy’s request seeks six ships instead of the previously planned seven and trim its research and development budget by 2.7% and military construction spending by 26.1%.

The proposed budget contains an average 2% pay raise for federal employees for 2025, reports Federal Times. This is significantly lower than January’s 5.2% pay raise and the 4.6% in 2023 but on par with what government workers received pre-pandemic and with projections that inflation will drop to less than 2% next year.

The Space Force will be seeking “space domain awareness” in its FY25 budget request, reports CISRNET. Under consideration is development of a new constellation of domain awareness satellites, about 22,000 miles above Earth, to better characterize and deter threats from adversaries like Russia and China. Space Systems Command — the service’s acquisition arm — is in the early phases of planning for the capability, according to March 5 notice, and is seeking industry feedback as it studies the prospect of increasing its portfolio of observation satellites.

Congress is still hashing out the details of the administration’s FY24 request of $12.7 billion for federal cybersecurity spending and is now in receipt of the FY25 cyber security proposal of $13 billion. Federal News Network reports, the cybersecurity funding is spread across civilian departments and agencies, and represents a major increase over the $11.8 billion pegged for civilian agency cybersecurity spending in fiscal 2024 and the $11.3 billion spent on the same activities in fiscal 2023.

Contracts:

ISI-Markon JV LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HQ003424D0006) valued at $21,000,000 to provide construction management technical services in support of the Washington Headquarters Services (WHS), Facilities Services Directorate (FSD).  Fiscal 2023 Pentagon Reservation Maintenance Revolving Funds in the amount of $7,699,505 are being obligated at the time of award.  The total, if all options are exercised, is $105,000,000. The contractor will provide facility planning, program and project execution, project oversight, building and utility operations, design, and construction management support services to assist the WHS FSD in the accomplishment of its missions.  In addition, capabilities will include program management support for identifying requirements, scheduling, estimating, and planning for construction, alterations, and repair projects.  The work will be performed at the Pentagon Reservation, Arlington, Virginia; the Mark Center, Alexandria, Virginia; and Raven Rock Mountain Complex.  The estimated contract completion date is March 11, 2029. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Axiom Resource Management Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, is awarded a $7,567,768 modification (P00005) extending services on a firm-fixed-price order (HT001123F0015) for program management support services to the TRICARE Health Plan (THP), clinical services, and all subordinate chiefs, managers, and staff. The services will support functions of management and administration of THP programs; management of the Military Health System health plan and associated managed health care programs; program and acquisition management of TRICARE purchased health care services; management and administration of programs and activities; operation of elements of the Office of the Deputy Assistant Director, Health Care Operations, and THP; and overall accomplishment of the missions, functions, and tasks of the THP enterprise and its organizational entities. The modification obligates $7,567,768 in fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance appropriations for services through Aug. 8, 2024. Total value of the order is $25,729,060. Places of performance are Falls Church, Virginia; Aurora, Colorado; and San Antonio, Texas. The modification was issued under limited sources justification with one quote received. The Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Mar. 8, 2024)

Q.E.D Systems Inc. Virginia Beach, Virginia (N55236-24-D-0004); Bender CCP, Vernon, California (N55236-24-D-0005); Bay City Marine Inc., National City, California (N55236-24-D-0006); Epsilon Systems Solutions, San Diego, California (N55236-24-D-0007); Colonna’s Shipyard West San Diego, California (N55236-24-D-0008); Miller Marine Inc., San Diego, California (N55236-24-D-0009); and Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, California (N55236-24-D-0010), were each awarded firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts with a five base year ordering period to provide Commercial Industrial Services pumps and motors repair service. This contract will provide labor, services, equipment, and materials for the removal, overhaul, rewind, repair, installation, and testing (in-shop and shipboard) of various pumps, close-coupled pumps, and motors onboard Navy ships. These contracts have an overall maximum ceiling value of $35,000,000. These seven companies will have an opportunity to compete for individual delivery orders. Each contract’s base year begins March 11, 2024, and completes on March 10, 2029. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $70,000 ($10,000 for minimum guarantee per contract) will be obligated under each contract’s initial delivery order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via the Sam.gov web site; seven offers were received. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 12, 2024)

Federal Prison Industries,** doing business as UNICOR, Washington, D.C., has been awarded a maximum $14,025,000 modification (P00003) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-23-D-0037) with two one-year option periods for physical fitness uniform jackets. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Location of performance is Illinois, with a March 26, 2025, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2024 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

U.S. Marine Management, Norfolk, Virginia, was awarded a $37,672,500 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for maintenance and repair of government vessels and other watercraft. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Yokohana-shi, Japan, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 20, 2024. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $600,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-14-G-0023).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $19,227,992 modification (P00038) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N0001921C0060). This modification provides logistics and test support for mission control and operator training systems as well as associated engineering and field service representative technical support to sustain MQ-4C Triton air vehicles, ensuring continued mission-capability for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions for the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (37.55%); San Diego, California (23.54%); Jacksonville, Florida (8.75%); Mayport, Florida (7.54%); Baltimore, Maryland (6.34%); Salt Lake City, Utah (1.94%); Sterling, Virginia (1.64%); and various locations outside of the continental U.S. (12.70%) and is expected to be completed in May 2024. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,128,638; fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,100,000; and Royal Australian Air Force cooperative funds in the amount of $780,402 will be obligated at the time of award, $6,128,638 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Huntington-Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, was awarded a $37,544,972 fixed-price incentive (firm-target) modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-15-C-2114) for the detail design and construction of Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services outfitting effort onboard CVN-79. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2025. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $24,395,466 (65%); and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,149,506 (35%), will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Newport News, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 8, 2024)

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, is receiving modification P00014 to a previously awarded contract (N0003922C0001) issued by the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command. This modification increases the value of the contract by $18,805,426; the new total value is $70,125,518. The modification is for the extension of Enterprise Authoritative Data Environment (eADE) development and sustainment services. eADE is an enterprise information management system that is migrating existing MyNavy HR legacy data warehouses into a central data repository. It provides the authoritative data sharing framework, leveraging business intelligence and data analytics capabilities to support other MyNavy HR transactional business systems. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds; and fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds are being used to fund this award. The modification includes up to an additional eight months of services. Work will be performed mainly in Falls Church, Virginia (38%); and New Orleans, Louisiana (21%). Approximately 41% of work will be performed in Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Tennessee, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, Alabama, and Arizona. Work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2024. This modification was not competitively procured, it is a sole source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(2)–Unusual and Compelling Urgency (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-2). The information provided in this announcement is Unclassified. Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N0003922C0001).