Has F-35 JSF Turned a Corner?

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 US Air Force declared its first squadron of F-35As ready for battle last week. The Joint Strike Fighter was declared operational by the Marine Corps in July 2015; and the Navy hopes to do so by February 2019. Recent reports suggest the F-35 Lightning II might have finally turned a corner, overcoming the technical problems that have plagued its readiness to serve. Popular Mechanics looks at how the JSF “got to be such a mess.”

US Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, speaking last week before the New America think tank, said that if she could she would “rewrite history” so that the F-35A, which was declared combat ready Aug. 2, had not taken so long and cost so much, Breaking Defense reports. The AF has huge bills now and even bigger ones coming down the track, especially when nuclear modernization is included, she said.

A Heritage Foundation report surveyed 31 F-35 pilots about how the plane, built by Lockheed Martin, compares to previous fighter jets like the F-15E and F-16C. While the fifth-generation joint strike fighter lagged behind some aircraft in its ability to turn efficiently, it outperformed the other jets in categories like responsiveness at slow speeds and the ability to recover air speed, The Washington Examiner reports.

There are four female combat veterans in Congress — Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL.), a former Black Hawk helicopter pilot; Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI), military police officer in Kuwait; Rep. Martha McSally (R-AZ), Air Force A-10 pilot; and Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), served in the Iowa National Guard. They are a diverse group, The Washington Post reports, but they are speaking together about the changing face of the US armed forces.

The F-16 fighter jet has been rolling off an assembly line in Fort Worth, TX, since the mid-1970s, but that could change. WFAA ABC8 reports that in exchange for a large order from India’s Air Force, Lockheed Martin is offering to close the only assembly line for the aircraft in Fort Worth and relocate it to India after late 2017.

The Republic of Singapore Air Force is exploring the possibility of conducting fighter training in Guam, The Strait Times reports. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said his country also might set up a training facility on the US island territory. The Air Force is looking for opportunities to expand its training options because of airspace constraints in Singapore.

The Associated Press reports that Japan summoned Chinese diplomats Saturday to protest after six Chinese coast guard vessels approached disputed East China Sea islands accompanying a fleet of hundreds of Chinese fishing boats. Japan is demanding the ships leave the area.

Since the beginning of the month, AV-8B Harrier II attack jets have been launched from the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp to strike forces of the Islamic State in Libya. The recent air strikes launched from the Mediterranean Sea against Libyan targets are demonstrating the value of the Navy’s Harrier carriers, Seapower reports.

Nearly four dozen service members, including one who is pregnant, have contracted Zika, the Defense Department reports. The cases, which include active duty, National Guard and reserve personnel, all were acquired outside of the continental United States, but the Defense Department continues to monitor U.S. military installations at risk for mosquito-borne diseases, ABC13NewsNow.com reports.

Fort Hood Family Housing is now open to all renters, military or otherwise, The Army Times reports. The privately run housing community on the Texas installation has announced it has opened up its doors to interested and qualified civilians, in addition to military members. This move follows several other military housing communities that have been opened to non-military renters.

Naval Air Systems Command’s Air Combat Electronics Program Office recently awarded funding to 10 projects through the Avionics Component Improvement Program, NAVAIR News reports. AvCIP, which is funded by the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, provides money to address current naval avionics readiness problems, impending obsolescence issues, and systems that are no longer reliable or are high-cost drivers for the fleet.

Contracts:

The Boeing Co., Seattle, WA, is being awarded $60,843,705 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification 01 to a delivery order 2004 issued against basic ordering agreement N00019-16-G-0001. This modification is to mature the Increment 3 Block 2 capabilities through preliminary and critical design review for the P-8A Poseidon Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft. Capabilities include Minotaur, multi-static active coherent enhancements, wide-band satellite communications, new computing and security architecture, automated digital network system, common data link upgrades, anti-surface warfare signal intelligence, combat system architecture improvements, and communication capability upgrades. Work will be performed in Puget Sound, WA (87.75 percent); Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD (8.25 percent); Huntington Beach, CA (2 percent); Dallas, TX (1.5 percent); and St. Louis, MO (0.50 percent), and is expected to be completed February 2019. Fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,150,000 are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD, is the contracting activity.

Aviation Systems Engineering Co., Lexington Park, MD, is being awarded an $8,296,361 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursement contract for technical engineering services and fleet deliverable capabilities for maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft programs.  Work will be performed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD (80 percent); NAS Jacksonville, FL (10 percent); and Seattle, WA (10 percent), and is expected to be complete by August 2017. Fiscal 2016 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $323,367 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, NJ, is the contracting activity (N68335-16-C-0330).

AC First, Germantown, MD, was awarded an $82,293,853 modification (P0002) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0048 for maintenance, supply and transportation of the enhanced Army global logistics enterprise basic ordering agreement for logistical support services.  Work will be performed in Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 3, 2017. Fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $82,293,853 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island, IL, is the contracting activity.

Pioneering Decisive Solutions Inc., California, MD (P00004); Total Technology Inc., Cherry Hill, NJ (P00005); and McConnell Jones Lanier and Murphy, Huntsville, AL (P00006), will share in a $29,998,000 modification to contracts W15QKN-13-D-0015, 0016, and 0017, respectively, for programmatic ceiling increase on the automated testing system testing/diagnostics and net centric support multiple award contract. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 1, 2017. Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, is the contracting activity.

Bravura Information Technology Systems Inc., Aberdeen, MD, was awarded a $305,738,346 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Persistent Surveillance Systems-Tethered support. Bids were solicited via the Internet with four received, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2020. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen, MD, is the contracting activity (W56KGY-16-D-0035).

Gryphon: PHE: ECTS JV, Colorado Springs, CO (W912HP-16-D-0005); Mabbett & Associates Inc., Bedford, MA (W912HP-16-D-0006); HazAir Inc., Henderson, NV (W912HP-16-D-0007); LRS GEO JV, Pasadena, MD (W912HP-16-D-0008); Redhorse Corp., San Diego , CA (W912HP-16-D-0009); R.J. Rudy LLC, Ward, CO, (W912HP-16-D-0010); S&A Environmental Consultants Inc., Williamsburg, VA (W912HP-16-D-0011), were awarded a $18,000,000 firm-fixed-price multiple award task order contract with options for environmental consulting services for the Army Corps of Engineers, South Atlantic Division. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 21 received.  Funding and work location will be determined with each order.  Army Corps of Engineers, SC, is the contracting activity.

Z Systems Corp., Greenbelt, MD, was awarded a $13,338,948 modification (P000149) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0036 for enhanced army global logistics enterprise maintenance, supply, and transportation services. Work will be performed in Fort Hood, TX, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2017. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $243,000 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, IL, is the contracting activity.