Grosklags: Hypoxia Incidents on the Decline

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.

VADM Paul Grosklags told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that the rate of hypoxia incidents in the Navy’s T-45 training jets has decreased in the past six months. The frequency of these episodes has dropped from its peak of more than three per month to about one per month, reports Defense News.

America’s smaller communities are far more diverse — and have far greater potential — than is commonly believed, reports Forbes. Several smaller area have achieved growth in STEM jobs that are far above the national average. Much of this has to do with the location of federal labs or universities. The leader, California-Lexington Park has a strong presence in the aerospace and defense industries, and has seen its STEM employment, already 3.5 times the national average, grow 22.3 percent since 2007.

The F-35 Joint Program Office’s latest plan for modernization of the jet — the new Continuous Capability Development and Delivery strategy, or C2D2 — could add up to $16 billion, reports Defense News. VADM Mat Winter said the US and international partners could pay up to $10.8B for development and $5.4B for procurement of upgrades to the F-35. Some lawmakers are apprehensive about the strategy, reports Military.com.

The Pentagon is looking to invest more in both offensive hypersonics capabilities and ways to defend against the threat, reports Defense News. Budget items are likely to appear in the fiscal 2020 budget, says Michael Griffin, the new undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.

As the White House prepares for what could be the first meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader, the US and South Korean militaries will carry out exercises that North Korea has long seen as preparation for an attack on Pyongyang, while the South Koreans and Americans characterize them as defensive in nature, reports The Washington Post. The meeting would be unprecedented during seven decades of animosity between the US and North Korea, reports The Associated Press. The countries do not even have formal diplomatic relations. They remain in a state of war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice and not a peace treaty.

A naval aviator is in the running to become the Navy’s first female commanding officer of an aircraft carrier, reports Navy Times. Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt is the executive officer of the Abraham Lincoln. She reported to the Lincoln in September 2016 and is the first woman in naval history to hold the title of executive officer aboard a nuclear warship.

The Navy is canceling a program to install fuel-efficient hybrid electric drives in 34 destroyers, leaving only one destroyer — the Truxtun — with the technology, reports Defense News.

DoD says service members deployed to Niger, Mali and northern Cameroon qualify to receive imminent danger /hostile fire pay, reports Military Times.

The Tester takes a look back to when the naval flight test and evaluation activities at NAS Pax River were in their infancy. Pax is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.

Army officials are considering restricting burial eligibility at Arlington National Cemetery because of dwindling space there, reports Army Times.

Contracts:

URS Federal Technical Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, has been awarded a $961,000,000 estimated ceiling indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the remotely piloted aircraft operations and maintenance support. This contract provides a high level of MQ-1, MQ-9, and RQ-4 organizational-level maintenance and qualified launch and recovery element pilot and sensor operator aircrew support for MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft weapons systems to sustain the combat and training capability at tasked locations worldwide. Work will be performed at locations worldwide, and the base period is expected to be complete by June 30, 2019. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,755,966 are being obligated at the time of award. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with three offers received. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-18-D-0002).

URS Federal Technical Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, has been awarded a $15,843,950 modification (P00021) to previously awarded contract FA4890-16-C-0007 to exercise option year two. This modification provides program support for Air Combat Command’s Unmanned Aircraft System Operations Center support, providing the warfighter long endurance, real time reconnaissance and surveillance, and precision attack against fixed and time critical targets. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $115,961,944. Work will be performed at multiple locations worldwide and is expected to be complete by March 31, 2019. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Applied Technology Inc., King George, Virginia, is being awarded a combined cumulative $48,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the scientific, engineering, and programmatic research and development services for the Signature Technology Office. The work will be performed at the Naval Research Laboratory Washington, District of Columbia (90 percent); and King George, Virginia (10 percent), and work is expected to be completed March 4, 2023. Fiscal 2018 working capital funds (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,500 will be obligated as the initial task order and will satisfy the minimum guarantee requirement. No funds will expire at end of current fiscal year. It is anticipated that cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, or firm-fixed price orders will be issued against this contract. This contract was competitively procured under a request for proposal number N00173-15-R-JHO2 for which four proposals were received. The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00173-18-D-2003).

August Schell Enterprises, Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $41,210,000 five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the establishment of a strategic sourcing vehicle for the procurement of Axway software licenses and associated maintenance under the Department of the Navy (DON) Enterprise Software Licensing program. Ordering will be available to all DON agencies. Work will be performed in Rockville, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by March 24, 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award and will be obligated on future delivery orders. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-18-D-4011).

Sotera Defense Solutions Inc., Herndon, Virginia, is being awarded a $29,297,922 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Global Readiness and Force Management Enterprise (GRFME) to include systems engineering, software design/development, integration, testing, installation, training, life cycle maintenance, procurement, help desk services, management, and system documentation for GRFME which encompasses the Defense Readiness Reporting System-Strategic (DRRS-S) and all systems reporting readiness data into the DRRS enterprise. This is one of three contracts awarded; all awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes one three-year option period which, if exercised, would bring the overall, potential value of this contract to an estimated $101,725,793. Work will be performed at the contractor’s facilities in Herndon, Virginia (60 percent); and at government facilities in Norfolk, Virginia (40 percent), and is expected to be completed March 8, 2020. If the option is exercised, the period of performance would extend through March 8, 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy); and research, development, test and evaluation (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website, with five proposals received and three selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-D-0168).

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $25,822,072 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Global Readiness and Force Management Enterprise (GRFME) to include systems engineering, software design/development, integration, testing, installation, training, life cycle maintenance, procurement, help desk services, management, and system documentation for GRFME which encompasses the Defense Readiness Reporting System-Strategic (DRRS-S) and all systems reporting readiness data into the DRRS enterprise. This is one of three contracts awarded; all awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes one three-year option period which, if exercised, would bring the overall, potential value of this contract to an estimated $91,484,561. Work will be performed at the contractor’s facilities in McLean, Virginia (60 percent); and at government facilities in Norfolk, Virginia (40 percent), and is expected to be completed March 8, 2020. If the option is exercised, the period of performance would extend through March 8, 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy); and research, development, test and evaluation (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Command e-Commerce Central website, with five proposals received and three selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-D-0169).

InnovaSystems International LLC, San Diego, California, is being awarded a $25,376,341 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Global Readiness and Force Management Enterprise (GRFME) to include systems engineering, software design/development, integration, testing, installation, training, life cycle maintenance, procurement, help desk services, management, and system documentation for GRFME which encompasses the Defense Readiness Reporting System-Strategic (DRRS-S) and all systems reporting readiness data into the DRRS enterprise. This is one of three contracts awarded; all awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes one three-year option period which, if exercised, would bring the overall, potential value of this contract to an estimated $88,538,950. Work will be performed at the contractor’s facilities in San Diego, California (60 percent); and at government facilities in Norfolk, Virginia (40 percent), and work is expected to be completed March 8, 2020. If the option is exercised, the period of performance would extend through March 8, 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using operations and maintenance (Navy); and research, development, test and evaluation (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities web site and the Space and Naval Warfare Command e-Commerce Central web site, with five proposals received and three selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-D-0170).

The Boeing Co., Defense, Space and Security, St. Louis, Missouri, has been awarded a $22,032,269 firm-fixed-price modification (P00017) to previously awarded contract FA8621-16-C-6397 for mission training center services on contractor-furnished, high-fidelity simulation equipment. This modification provides the simulation capability to train pilots and weapons system operators for F-15C and F-15E aircraft platforms. Work will be performed at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina; Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Kadena Air Base, Japan; and Royal Air Force, Lakenheath, England, and is expected to be complete by June 30, 2019. This award is a result of a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contract activity. Awarded March 7, 2018.

Homeland Security Solutions Inc., Hampton, Virginia, is being awarded a $16,278,611 fixed-priced modification under a previously awarded contract (M00264-17-C-0014) for program management support, training, human resources services and non-guard security support services to the Marine Corps. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the contract value to $27,032,448. Work will be performed at the following locations Camp Lejeune/New River, North Carolina (11 percent); Camp Pendleton, California (10 percent); District of Columbia (9 percent); Cherry Point, North Carolina (8 percent); Miramar, California (8 percent); Quantico, Virginia (8 percent); Camp Smith and Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii (7 percent); Beaufort/Parris Island, South Carolina (6 percent); Yuma, Arizona (5 percent); Barstow, California (5 percent); San Diego, California (5 percent); Albany, Georgia (5 percent); Okinawa, Japan (5 percent); Bridgeport, California (2 percent); Blount Island, Florida (2 percent); New Orleans, Louisiana (2 percent) and Iwakuni, Japan (2 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 10, 2018. If options are exercised work will continue through March 9, 2019. Fiscal 2018 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $5,233,032 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The contract was sole-sourced under Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B), as being the only responsible source. The Marine Corps Installations National Capitol Region – Regional Contracting Office, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Alliance Consulting Group, Alexandria, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum amount $15,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for cost engineering and related services for projects located throughout the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic area of responsibility (AOR), but may also be worldwide. The work to be performed is for development and preparation of detailed cost estimates for complex facilities encompassing horizontal and vertical construction, development and preparation of concept and budget estimates, preparation of comprehensive DD Form 1391 documentation, development of general and specific economic analyses, life cycle cost analyses, total ownership costs and other non-present value cost analyses, cost and schedule risk analyses, construction schedule development including contract modifications and impact analysis, value engineering studies and value engineering charrette facilitation, other cost engineering support services associated with facility construction and environmental remediation such as regional construction market analysis or economic evaluation, quality reviews and constructability reviews consisting of a study by a multi-disciplined team of professionals, and reports and/or detailed regional cost studies to provide guidance on enhancing the accuracy of construction cost estimates for future projects at various locations under the cognizance of NAVFAC. Work will be performed throughout the NAVFAC AOR, but may also be worldwide. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of March 2023. Fiscal 2018 supervision, inspection, and overhead contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction funds. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with seven proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-18-D-4011).

Panamerica Computers Inc., Luray, Virginia, has been awarded an $8,757,321 firm-fixed-price contract, HT0015-18-F-0024. This contract provides information technology hardware for the Defense Health Agency (DHA). This is a one-time purchase of 9,321 computer notebooks which will support the DHA’s Windows 10 upgrade effort. The requirement was competed as a 100 percent HUBZone set-aside and seven contractors responded with quotes. The requirement is funded with fiscal 2018 procurement funds. The Contracting Office-Health Information Technology, located in San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity (HT0015).