GAO: F-35 Supply Chain Challenges Remain
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DoD has been trying for several years to improve the way it and F-35 contractor Lockheed Martin order, stockpile, and repair spare parts. However, findings from a Government Accountability Office report imply that the situation may have gotten worse, reports Defense News.
The US Navy says a test conducted in March using an Aegis virtual twin system could herald a big change in the way the service modernizes its ships, reports C4IRSNET. This would make the once prohibitive cost of maintaining older ships something the Navy can achieve.
Acting DefSec Patrick Shanahan was cleared of ethics violations late last week, reports USA Today. This could hasten his nomination to the position permanently. Former DefSec Jim Mattis said he did not believe that Mr. Shanahan pulled any strings for Boeing, reports Business Insider.
Politico says that with a quarter of the Pentagon’s most senior civilian posts filled by temporary personnel, many decisions have been slowed and it has handicapped the department in policy disputes and shifted more power to the White House.
Brett Goldstein, who advises the US Navy on issues related to cybersecurity and previously served as chief data officer for the city of Chicago, will take over the Defense Digital Service at the Pentagon, reports Government Executive. He is replacing Chris Lynch, who is leaving the department.
Lt. Col. James Compton, commander of a fighter squadron involved in the fatal collision of a KC-130J and F/A-18D Hornet in December, has been relieved of his duties, reports Marine Corps Times.
Maryland’s Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford (R), in Indian Head last week, said the state government is working to ensure that investors have a level playing field for investors who are considering Southern Maryland’s economic booster zones, but the state faces regional competition in attracting business investment, reports somdnews.com.
NASA’s InSight lander picked up a gentle rumble on Mars, believed to be the first “Marsquake” ever detected, reports The Washington Post. The seismic energy it produced was similar to that of the moonquakes that Apollo astronauts measured in the late 1960s and early ’70s, reports Scientific American.
The China National Space Administration said that sometime in the next decade it will send a manned mission to the moon, reports International Business Times. The goal for the Chinese is to build a research station in the south polar region of the moon.
The University of Virginia beat pout nine other finalist teams to win the 2019 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, reports Yahoo Finance. The championship was held April 23-25 in Orlando.
Contracts:
British Aerospace Engineering Systems Technology Solutions and Services, Inc., Rockville, Maryland (N00421-19-D-0045); Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc., McLean, Virginia (N00421-19-D-0048); Coherent Technical Services, Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-19-D-0049); Engility Corp., Andover, Maine (N00421-19-D-0050); Gryphon Technologies, LC., Washington, District of Columbia (N00421-19-D-0051); J.F. Taylor, Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland (N00421-19-D-0052) and Valkyrie Enterprises, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00421-19-D-0053) are each awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, multi-award indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts to provide engineering support services for Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems as well as developmental programs such as the Joint Precision Approach and Landing Systems (JPALS) and unmanned programs for the US Navy, US Marine Corps, US Air Force and other Department of Defense activities. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $98,625,565 with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland, and various awardee and customer sites to be determined on individual orders and is expected to be completed in April 2024. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, seven offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Yorktown Systems Group Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, was awarded a $23,650,768 modification (P00025) to contract W911S0-17-C-0007 for Asymmetric Warfare Group operations support services. Work will be performed in Fort Meade, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 14, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance Army funds in the amount of $18,800,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded an $89,011,500 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order contract for the technical and engineering services to integrate various external stores and alternative mission equipment onto the F/A-18E/F and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Louis, Missouri (40 percent), Patuxent River, Maryland (40 percent); Tullahoma, Tennessee (8 percent); Mountain View, California (8 percent); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2 percent); and Buffalo, New York (2 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $482,841 will be obligated at time of award; none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001919D0021).
Harris Corp., Roanoke, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $50,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the production of Image Intensifying tubes in support of the AN/AVS-6 and AN/AVS-9 Aviator’s Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS). This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a five-year base contract with one five-year option period. Location of performance is Virginia, with an April 24, 2024, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 Army working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Land and Maritime, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland (SPRBL1-19-D-0029).
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $26,890,125 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the procurement of Navy engineering services. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $201,706,155. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (68 percent); Waterford, Connecticut (10 percent); Groton, Connecticut (10 percent); Middletown, Rhode Island (7 percent); and Newport, Rhode Island (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2025. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement (Navy) and fiscal 2019 research development test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $5,155,627 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) – 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 (N00024-19-C-6400).
Didlake, Inc., Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $12,076,573 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity modification for the exercise of option four for annual custodial services at Naval Air Station Oceana, Naval Weapons Station Yorktown, and Norfolk Naval Shipyard. The work to be performed provides for annual custodial services, including, but not limited to, all management, supervision, tools, materials, supplies, labor, and transportation services necessary to perform custodial services for office space, restrooms, and other types of rooms. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $53,345,575. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed at various installations in Portsmouth, Virginia (43 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (44 percent); and Yorktown, Virginia (13 percent). This option period is from May 2019 to April 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Task orders will be primarily funded by Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $11,705,043 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-15-D-0063).
Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $9,142,030 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-5151 for AEGIS Ashore Support and Ship Integration and Engineering of the AEGIS Weapon System (AWS) for AWS Baselines through Advanced Capability Build (ACB) 16. The contract modification provides for AEGIS ashore on-site support in Romania and Poland, AEGIS Ashore Planning Yard support and Ship Integration Engineering support including technical data package and test package/procedure development; technical documentation; feasibility studies; configuration management support; lifecycle and system engineering; environmental qualification testing; topside analysis; Ballistic Missile Defense engineering; combat system alignment and integration of Advanced Naval Weapon Systems on DDG 51 Class ships. Work will be performed in Camden, New Jersey (29 percent), Deveselu, Romania (15 percent), Redzikowo, Poland (15 percent), Moorestown, New Jersey (13 percent), Norfolk, Virginia (9 percent), San Diego, California (9 percent), Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (5 percent), and various places below one percent (5 percent) and is expected to be complete by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $3,268,951 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC, a not-for-profit University Affiliated Research Center, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a ceiling $100,000,000 modification (P00003) to previously awarded indefinite delivery indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract HR0011-17-D-0001 for engineering, development and research capabilities. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $198,000,000 from $98,000,000. Work will primarily be performed in Laurel, Maryland, with an expected completion date of November 2021. IDIQ task orders can extend an additional six months until May 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
