Fitness Trackers Banned for Deployed Troops

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.

New Pentagon policy says deployed service members will no longer be allowed to use fitness tracking apps or other wearable technology that relies on geolocation, reports Military Times. The devices, which service members use to track the distance and time they have exercised, can expose locations of bases and important facilities based on where the geo-tracking stops.

One of the Army’s most urgent, ongoing cyber fights is for talent, and it’s hauling out some new weapons, reports Army Times, such as bringing in new officers in ranks up to colonel to be cyber ninjas and offering bonuses across the cyber force. Direct officer commissions at high ranks are now being considered in Congress for all the services to build up their cyber capabilities.

A National Cancer Institute study into the cancer risks of New Mexico residents living near the site of the world’s first atomic bomb test likely will be published next year, reports Military Times. An institute spokesman told The Associated Press that researchers are examining data on diet and radiation exposure on residents who lived near the Trinity Test Site.

Navy Times reports that a Florida man pleaded guilty to charges he took more than $2.5 million in kickbacks and bribes over a five-year period from subcontractors he was overseeing. Bhaskar Patel worked as a project manager for a company that has done more than $200 million in energy efficiency work for a Coast Guard project.

Two blazes that began burning through Northern California late last month have grown to form one massive fire that has now set a new mark for destruction, reports The Washington Post. The twin wildfires, now being called the Mendocino Complex Fire, have together more than doubled in size in the past four days and burned through 283,800 acres of parched land. 

The Navy says that the littoral combat ship Charleston has completed its last major in-water systems check and is headed toward active duty, reports Military.com. The Charleston was built by Austal USA under a 12-vessel contract valued at $3.5 billion.

Bell pushes V-280 Gunship and shipboard variants, reports Breaking Defense. One variant, in Army colors, has missile racks sticking out of what was originally the passenger cabin — a conversion that units could potentially install or remove as needed in the field. The other, with Marine Corps markings, is a sleeker gunship with internal weapons bays, stealth features, and folding wings to fit in shipboard hangars.

Primitive simplicity of drone assassination attempt unnerves security experts and raises copycat fears, reports The Washington Times. “This is a very worrisome development because it’s relatively easy to weaponize an off-the-shelf drone, but rather more complicated to defend against it,” said retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Charles J. Dunlap, executive director of Duke University Law School’s Center of Law, Ethics and National Security.

Space X puts a communications satellite in orbit for Indonesia, reports AP. Each rocket in this new and improved line is intended for dozens of repeat flights.

The Air Force is looking for lighter, stronger material for airmen to wear on the battlefield. And it may be a job for spiders, reports Military.com. Researchers are looking to arachnids to engineer new synthetic materials that are stronger than Kevlar.

The Trump administration has unveiled a list of roughly $16 billion worth of imports (on 279 products) from China that will be hit with 25 percent tariffs on Aug. 23 , reports CNN. In July, the administration imposed 25 percent tariffs on $34 billion in Chinese imports. Beijing has retaliated by imposing tariffs on American goods. Talks between Washington and Beijing are at an impasse, with both sides threatening new tariffs.

DoD says the US Marine Corps RQ-7B Shadow UAS has been officially retired from the service last week after its final flight during the Rim of the Pacific exercise, reports Shephard Media.

Contracts:

Amsec LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00039-11-D-0030); Serco Inc., Herndon, Virginia (N00039-11-D-0032); VT Milcom Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00039-11-D-0033); KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (N00039-15-D-0034); and M.C. Dean Inc., Tysons, Virginia (N00039-15-D-0035), are awarded a combined $374,000,000 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, hybrid, cost-plus-incentive fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, multiple award contract to increase ceiling and extend period of performance for installation and operational certification of shipboard and shore facility command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. This contract modification contains two options, which if exercised, would bring the contract modification value to $500,000,000. If Amsec LLC, exercised the options, its contract value could reach $1,813,148,958; if Serco Inc., exercised the options, its contract value could reach $1,905,347,348; if VT Milcom Inc., exercised the options, its contract value could reach $1,886,039,973; if KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, exercised the options, its contract value could reach $1,305,170,296; if M.C. Dean Inc., exercised the options, its contract value could reach $1,353,777,308. Work will be performed in various US and global locations based on the requirement for each delivery order placed, and work will be completed by August 2019. If both options are exercised, work would continue through February 2020. No funding will be placed on the contract or obligated at the time of this modification award. All funding will be placed as individual delivery orders are issued using fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

APTIM Federal Services, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded $9,499,292 for firm-fixed-price task order N6247318F4977 under a previously awarded environmental multiple award contract (N62473-17-D-0006) for Operable Unit B-2 Non-Time Critical Removal Action Remedial Action (NTCRA) Area -05, at Naval Air Facility Adak. The work to be performed provides for munitions response actions under a NTCRA to address the past use of munitions and explosives of concerns. Work will be performed in Adak, Alaska, and is expected to be completed by August 2020. Fiscal 2018 base realignment and closure environmental (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,499,292 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Southwest, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Five Stones Research Corp., Brownsboro, Alabama, is being awarded a $50,096,546 competitive cost-plus-fixed-fee contract with a base year value of $25,180,374 to support Information Technology Management and Analysis (ITMA). Under this contract, the contractor will provide: (1) enterprise information technology architecture and engineering team support; (2) executive, regional and information technology (IT) planning services; (3) IT networks and systems services; (4) information management services; (5) enterprise operations and engineering services; and (6) unified communications services. The work will be performed at Fort Belvoir, Virginia; Redstone Arsenal, Alabama; Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado; and Dahlgren, Virginia. The period of performance is Aug. 27, 2018 through Aug. 26, 2021. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,635,076.87 are being obligated at the time of award. The contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website with five proposals received. The Missile Defense Agency, Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (HQ0796-18-C-0002).

ECS Federal Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded an $18,699,380 hybrid (cost, cost-plus-fixed-fee) contract for program management office support services. Bids were solicited via the Internet with four received. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2022. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $18,699,380 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-18-F-0035).

PAE Government Services Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $10,885,608 modification (P00006) to contract W56HZV-17-C-0117 for the National Maintenance Strategy – Ground Vehicle Support effort. Work will be performed in Hkia, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2017 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $10,885,608 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.

Enterprise Services LLC, Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,713,666 modification (P00012) to previously awarded task order HQ0423-16-F-0044 for support of the Defense Civilian Payroll System. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $21,706,221. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Indiana, with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Defense) funds in the amount of $7,713,665.79 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity.