House Passes NDAA w/ Restrictions

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 narrowly passed its $886 billion defense policy bill mostly along party lines on Friday, breaking a longstanding tradition of passing the legislation on a broad bipartisan basis, reports Politico. Democrats largely opposed the National Defense Authorization Act after Republicans loaded it up with controversial amendments, including ones to restrict the Pentagon’s abortion travel policy, cut funding for medical care for transgender troops and diversity programs. The 219-210 vote on Friday saw all but four Democrats oppose the bill, and all but four Republicans support it.

President Joe Biden signed an executive order Thursday that makes as many as 3,000 American reservists available to go to Europe in support of NATO efforts amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, reports Stars & Stripes.

Facing a barrage of questioning, USCG Commandant ADM Linda Fagan acknowledged to a Senate committee a permissive attitude toward sexual assault in the Coast Guard. An internal review in 2020 found  62 incidents of rape, sexual assault, and sexual harassment between 1988 and 2006 were covered up and another 42 cases were not properly investigated, reports Stars and Stripes. The review was not revealed to Congress until CNN reported details of the inquiry.

Retired Army COL Kathryn Spletstoser, has reached a court settlement of nearly $975,000 in a sexual assault lawsuit against Air Force GEN John Hyten, who served as vice chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reports Military.com.  Spletstoser served as Hyten’s aide in 2017. The settlement ends more than four years of investigations that delayed but did not defeat Hyten’s nomination for vice chairman in 2019. He served two years and did not seek a second term.

The Pentagon agency known for its ability to quickly tap into Silicon Valley’s rapid technology development has joined the Navy in its renewed hunt for a commercially available large unmanned undersea vehicle, reports Breaking Defense. “The US Navy lacks the ability to have dispersed, long-range, persistent underwater sensing and payload delivery in contested environments without utilizing sailors aboard strategic submarine assets,” the Defense Innovation Unit wrote in a new online solicitation.

The Air Force and engine builder Pratt & Whitney have completed a $21 million, fleet-wide retrofit effort for the F-22 Raptor’s dual F119 engines, after identifying what the Air Force told Breaking Defense was a fatigue issue with turbine blades that led to seven class A mishaps, nearly $23 million in damages but no operational interruption.

British F-35B Joint Strike Fighters, as well as Typhoon FGR4 multi-role fighters, are set to operate from highways in the near future as part of an evolving distributed operations strategy, something that is a fast-growing trend in light of potential Russian aggression in Europe, reports The Drive.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that he offered the Wagner mercenaries the option of continuing to serve as a single unit under the same officer when he met with 35 Wagner commanders, including Prigozhin, five days after their abortive revolt, reports Military.com.

Ukraine spy boss Kyrylo Budanov, 37, has built up an unusually public profile, reports Reuters. He wears a pistol to interviews with foreign journalists and discusses wartime intelligence. Weapons and military gear are strewn on the floor of his Kyiv office. He says he has “sources” close to Putin.

GlobalData, citing Ukraine, forecasts the unmanned maritime vehicles market to exceed $3.1 billion by 2033, a projected increase of over $1.9 billion driven by a growing number of applications for littoral warfare.

The US and South Korean air forces conducted a bomber escort drill Thursday, the day after North Korea fired an intercontinental ballistic missile that achieved a new flight record, reports Stars & Stripes. Three South Korean F-15K Slam Eagles flew alongside U.S. F-16 Fighting Falcons and a B-52H Stratofortress bomber over the Korean Peninsula, according to a news release late Thursday from the South’s Ministry of National Defense.

The Justice Department is appealing, as too short,  the 18-year prison sentence handed down for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol, and also other far-right extremists’ punishments ruled shorter than what prosecutors sought. Military Times reports, the 18-year term was below federal recommended guidelines and less than the 25 years the Justice Department requested. It is unusual for prosecutors to challenge the length of a prison term imposed by judges. Rhodes’ was the longest sentence so far in more than 1,000 Capitol riot cases.

Navy veteran Taylor Taranto, charged in the Capitol riot and found with guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition in his van when he was arrested near former President Barack Obama’s Washington home, will remain in jail while he awaits trial. The  judge agreed last week with federal prosecutors that Taylor represents a danger to the community if released, reports Military.com. Taranto’s lawyer said the judge’s decision will be appealed.

Last year, 41 Maryland beaches were found to be potentially unsafe for swimming due to bacteria on at least one day of testing according to a report released Tuesday, “Safe for Swimming?” from the Environment Maryland Research & Policy Center. Maryland Matters reports, several popular Maryland public beaches made the list, including Elk Neck State Park, Flag Ponds and Mayo Beach Park.

Contracts:

Schuyler Line Navigation Co. LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, (HTC71119DW031) was awarded a contract modification of $13,035,973 to exercise the economic adjustment option to the International Ocean Transportation and Intermodal Distribution Services contract (HTC71119DW). This modification provides continuation of world-wide performance, as specified on individual orders.  The modification begins Sept. 1, 2023, with a completion date of Aug. 31, 2024.  Performance of work is worldwide, as specified on individual orders. Working capital funds (Transportation) fiscal 2023 and 2024 will be obligated at the individual task order level. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Farrell Lines Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, (HTC71119DW021) was awarded a contract modification of $66,333,490 to exercise the economic adjustment option to the International Ocean Transportation and Intermodal Distribution Services contract (HTC71119DW). This modification provides continuation of world-wide performance, as specified on individual orders.  The modification begins Sept. 1, 2023, with a completion date of Aug. 31, 2024.  Performance of work is worldwide, as specified on individual orders. Working capital funds (Transportation) fiscal 2023 and 2024 will be obligated at the individual task order level. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, (HTC71119DW026) was awarded a contract modification of $182,133,244 to exercise the economic adjustment option to the International Ocean Transportation and Intermodal Distribution Services contract (HTC71119DW). This modification provides continuation of world-wide performance, as specified on individual orders.  The modification begins Sept. 1, 2023, with a completion date of Aug. 31, 2024.  Performance of work is worldwide, as specified on individual orders. Working capital funds (Transportation) fiscal 2023 and 2024 will be obligated at the individual task order level. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

American President Lines LLC, Arlington, Virginia, (HTC71119DW014) was awarded a contract modification of $150,220,308 to exercise the economic adjustment option to the International Ocean Transportation and Intermodal Distribution Services contract (HTC71119DW). This modification provides continuation of world-wide performance, as specified on individual orders.  The modification begins Sept. 1, 2023, with a completion date of Aug. 31, 2024.  Performance of work is worldwide, as specified on individual orders. Working capital funds (Transportation) fiscal 2023 and 2024 will be obligated at the individual task order level. The U.S. Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $100,040,324 cost-plus-incentive fee, fixed-priced incentive, and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-5218 to exercise the option and provide funding for Hypervisor Technology Zero AN/SQQ-89A (V) 15 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare Combat Systems and spares in support of the continued AN/SQQ-89A (V) 15 development, integration, manufacture, production, and testing. Work will be performed in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (47%); Manassas, Virginia (18%); Clearwater, Florida (18%); Syracuse, New York (15%); and Owego, New York (2%), and is expected to be completed by November 2025. Fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $51,404,650 (51%); fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $42,954,870 (41%); fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,153,127 (3%); fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,686,920 (2%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $596,703 (1%); fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $119,384 (1%); fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $88,202 (1%); and fiscal 2022 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $36,468 (1%) will be obligated at the time of award and funds in the amount of $155,852 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $99,528,620 firm-priced-incentive-firm-target undefinitized modification (P00001) to a previously awarded advanced acquisition contract (N0001923C0003). This modification procures long lead time materials, parts, components, and efforts in support of maintaining on-time production and delivery of 147 Lot 18 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, and non-U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (59%); El Segundo, California (14%); Warton, United Kingdom (9%); Cameri, Italy (4%); Orlando, Florida (4%); Nashua, New Hampshire (3%); Baltimore, Maryland (3%); San Diego, California (2%); and various locations outside the U.S. (2%), and is expected to be completed in January 2027. Fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $24,912,660; fiscal 2023 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,415,960; and FMS customer funds in the amount of $68,200,000 will be 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, Maryland, is the contracting activity