First Loss of F-35B for Marine Corps

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.

An F-35B that erupted into flames caused by a faulty bracket nearly two years ago has been struck by the Marine Corps, making it the first loss of an F-35 for the corps, reports Marine Corps Times. The corps made the determination that the costs to repair the fighter would not be worth the return on investment.

Gen. Paul Selva of the Joint Chiefs tells Breaking Defense that China is besting the US in key military technologies such as missiles and electronic warfare. He says there is still time for the US to catch up.

The creation of a Space Force will only begin if Congress can be persuaded to amend Title 10 of the US Code, reports Defense News, and will likely take years as details such as the price and timeline of the new service are worked out. “[The Space Force], as you know, is going to require legislation and a lot of detail planning that we have not yet begun,” DefSec Jim Mattis told reporters. Russia is promising repercussions, citing a treaty banning nuclear weapons in outer space, reports Air Force Times. “Militarization of outer space is the path to disaster,” says a Russian official.

The US and South Korea are still working on what the future of their annual military exercises may look like, discussions that will continue as US officials visit China and South Korea this week, reports Army Times.

House lawmakers plan to form a new oversight panel to track Veteran Affairs officials’ work on modernizing their electronic health records system, reports Military Times, saying Congress needs to closely monitor the process.

Israel is preparing to buy a range of new weapons in preparation for a possible attack on Iran should that country appear to restart efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, reports Breaking Defense. Israel has reportedly already invested more than $2 billion preparing for a possible attack against Iran.

The Pentagon confirmed it may house up to 20,000 unaccompanied migrant children on military installations as part of the Trump administration’s plan to prosecute each person caught illegally crossing the border, reports Army Times.

Sikorsky’s S-97 Raider began ground testing in April. The experimental coaxial helicopter has met the required objectives to move forward into its full flight test program with its second prototype after the first aircraft was sidelined following a hard landing last year, reports Defense News.

The Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado started a new round of operational testing with MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter earlier this month, reports Rotor & Wing International. The new round of trials is focused on testing the Fire Scout’s ability to operate with other airborne assets.

Russia is deploying more submarines to the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and North Atlantic than at any time since the Cold War, reports Stars & Stripes. Russia is upgrading its submarine forces and improving their missile capabilities, all while relations between Moscow and NATO remain tense.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the bonds between Europe and North America are under strain and there’s no guarantee the trans-Atlantic partnership will survive, reports Military News.

Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer censured a retired admiral and two other officers for embarrassing ethical violations in connection with a criminal investigation involving defense contractor Glenn “Fat Leonard” Francis, reports The Washington Post. Secretary Spencer may have sent a letter of censure to retired Capt. Timothy Conroy, calling him to task for sleeping with prostitutes and accepting improper gifts as part of the scandal, but after Capt. Conroy’s retirement from the service, he landed a job as a technical specialist doing Joint Strike Fighter-related work, reports Navy Times.

Contracts:

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $175,308,058 for modification P00053 to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm, firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-15-C-0114). This modification provides for the development, testing, and activation of 13 different F-35 component repair capabilities in support of the F-35 Lightning depot implementation plan for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-Department of Defense (DoD) participants. Work will be performed in Nashua, New Hampshire (37 percent); Torrance, California (15 percent); Redondo Beach, California (12 percent); Fort Worth, Texas (11 percent); Inglewood, California (8 percent); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (6 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (5 percent); Niles, Illinois (3 percent); Williston, Vermont (1 percent); Orlando, Florida (1 percent); and Grand Rapids, Michigan (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in November 2021. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps); and non-DoD funds in the amount of $175,308,058 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($82,237,394; 46.9 percent); Navy ($41,118,693; 23.5 percent); the Marine Corps ($41,118,693; 23.5 percent); and non-DoD Participants ($10,833,276; 6.1 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Orocon-Carothers JV2, Oxford, Mississippi (N69450-16-D-1108); Whitesell-Green, Inc., Pensacola, Florida (N69450-16-D-1109); The ARTEC Group, Inc., Sarasota, Florida (N69450-16-D-1110); Desbuild, Inc., Hyattsville, Maryland (N69450-16-D-1111); Southeast Cherokee Construction, Inc., Montgomery, Alabama (N69450-16-D-1112); Leebcor Services, LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia (N69450-16-D-1113); and Howard W. Pence, Inc., Elizabethtown, Kentucky (N69450-16-D-1114), are awarded a $75,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract for design-build construction projects at various locations within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed provides for, but is not limited to, new construction, repair, alteration, and related demolition work. After award of this modification, the maximum dollar value for all seven contracts combined will be $174,000,000. Work will be performed in the NAVFAC Southeast AOR, including but not limited to, Florida (70 percent); Georgia (25 percent); and the remainder within the NAVFAC Southeast AOR (5 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of July 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issue. Future task orders will be primarily funded by operation and maintenance, (Navy) and military construction funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Garry Jacques JCMCS, Washington, District of Columbia (N40080-18-D-0025); RH Contracting, Inc., Atlantic, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0026); Signature Renovations, LLC, Capitol Heights, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0027); Honu’Apo I, LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii (N40080-18-D-0028); Battle Creek Construction, LLC, La Plata, Maryland (N40080-18-D-0029); and ACTS-Meltech JV1, LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (N40080-18-D-0030), are each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington area of responsibility (AOR). The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years for all six contracts combined is $99,000,000. Garry Jacques JCMCS is being awarded the initial task order at $343,777 for repair of the retaining wall at Joint Base Andrews, Camp Springs, Maryland. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by July 2019. All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC Washington AOR to include District of Columbia (40 percent); Virginia (40 percent); and Maryland (20 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 24 months, with an expected completion date of July 2022. Fiscal 2017 supervision, inspection, and overhead and fiscal 2018 Navy working capital funds (NWCF) in the amount of $393,777 are obligated on this award; of which $50,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operation and maintenance (Navy) and Defense Logistics Agency; and NWCF. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with 44 proposals received. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.