HAC OKs $706B Military Budget

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 House Appropriations Committee approved a $706 billion military spending bill for fiscal 2022, reports Defense News. The 33-23 party line vote to approve the bill followed objections from Republicans that the budget is $10 billion, or 1.4%, increase was not enough to counter threats from China and around the globe.

President Joe Biden’s nominee to serve as the Navy’s top civilian, Carlos Del Toro, a former surface warfare officer and destroyer commander, had a congenial confirmation hearing Tuesday before the Senate Armed Services Committee, with the nominee echoing calls for a larger fleet to balance out a rising China, reports USNI. Del Toro emphasized his commitment to the National Defense Strategy’s focus on the Pacific, the Navy’s push to build unmanned vessels. and the US defense of Taiwan.

Two more “Ghost Fleet” unmanned test ships will join the fleet next year, reports USNI News. The autonomous ships are under construction on the Gulf Coast and set to join the service next year.

Marines who go maskless on military installations must be prepared to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination at any time ― while those found to have lied about their vaccination status for whatever reason may face discipline, reports Marine Corps Times.

USNI shows the approximate positions of the US Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of July 12, 2021.

President Biden has nominated former Republican Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona to be the US ambassador to Turkey, reports Business Insider. If confirmed by the Senate, Flake would face a historic low in Turkey relations. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s approach to leadership has strained the dynamic between Washington and Ankara in recent years.

Russia warns the US that “redeployment of the American permanent military presence to the countries neighboring Afghanistan is unacceptable,” according to Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov. Military Times reports Russian President Vladimir Putin delivered that message to Biden when the presidents met last month in Geneva. Biden has said the US military mission in Afghanistan will conclude on Aug. 31. Ryabkov said Russia issued the same the warning to Central Asian nations.

 

 

The United States sent personnel to protect the US embassy in Haiti amid turmoil following the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse, reports The Hill.

Turkey’s state-controlled missile-maker Roketsan has completed deliveries of its low-range air defense system to the military, and begun serial production of the medium-range variant, reports Defense News.

Top US and international security officials called Tuesday for new partnerships to oppose China’s burgeoning influence over emerging technologies and standards for their use, reports C4ISRNET. Senior leaders from NATO to the Pentagon to the Indo-Pacific warned of the threat posed to human rights and security by China’s technological rise and ambition to become the world’s leader in artificial intelligence and shape the way emerging technologies are used.

Four sailors were transferred to the hospital and later released last week after “a small fire” broke out in the machinery space aboard the guided-missile cruiser Gettysburg, reports Navy Times. The ship was undergoing maintenance and modernization at BAE Systems Ship Repair-Norfolk, VA, when the fire broke out.

Like a Russian nesting doll, recently released photos of a black-painted A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft contain layers of badassery that become all the more impressive the more you learn about them, says Task & Purpose. There are photos that show a black-and-grey painted A-10 from the Indiana Air National Guard’s 122nd Fighter Wing, based in Fort Wayne, IN. The paint scheme is named “Blacksnake,” moniker for members of the 122nd and a nickname for Fort Wayne’s namesake, Army MAJ GEN Anthony “Mad Anthony” Wayne.

Task & Purpose reports on the inside story behind the Pentagon’s ill-fated quest for a real-life “Iron Man” suit.

House appropriators want to require the Pentagon to create a program that would give military spouses more chances at landing apprenticeships and fellowships to jump-start or advance their careers, reports Military Times. The House Appropriations Committee’s defense subcommittee has set aside $5 million for a pilot program for military spouse internships and fellowships, according to a report released by the committee on Monday detailing the fiscal 2022 defense spending bill.

Contracts:

The Navy is awarding 600 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award contracts (MACs) to businesses in multiple locations across 29 of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia for future competition of support service requirements to be solicited by Department of the Navy activities under rolling admissions of the SeaPort Next Generation (SeaPort-NxG) multiple-award contract vehicle for engineering support services and program management support services in 23 functional areas. The government estimates approximately $5,000,000,000 in services will be procured per year via orders issued under the SeaPort-NxG multiple award contracts. These MACs have a 2.5-year base period of performance with an additional five year ordering period option. These contracts were competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities (FedBizOps), with 620 offers received. No contract funds will be obligated on the basic MAC awards. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-21-R-7000).

Huntington Ingalls Industries Fleet Support Group LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $21,912,553 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for logistics and engineer support services on shipboard material handling equipment and shipboard mobile support equipment to include unscheduled maintenance repair, preventative maintenance, 12/18-month service, 18-month weight test and/or forklift certification, and trouble shooting in the logistics arena in support of Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk. The contract will include a five-year base ordering period beginning in August with an additional six-month ordering period option pursuant of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 – option to extend services, which if exercised, will bring the total value to $24,274,600. The base ordering period is expected to be completed by August 2026; if the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by February 2027. All work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds (Navy) in the amount of $1,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted on beta.sam.gov, with three offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Norfolk Office, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-21-D-0018).

Lockheed Martin Aculight Corp., Bothell, Washington, is awarded a $12,291,610 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for technical services, integration, test, validation, and demonstration events support for the airborne high energy laser system for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division. Work will be performed in Dahlgren, Virginia (42%); Bothell, Washington (30%); and Orlando, Florida (28%), and is expected to be completed by July 2026. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense) funding in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated at the time of award and not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole-source award in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations 6.302-1(a) (2) (iii) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-21-D-4412).