Hubble’s Latest Image of Saturn

The rings of Saturn and four of its moons take center stage in this portrait by the Hubble Space Telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3 taken June 20, 2019. Photo credit: NASA, ESA, A. Simon (GSFC), and the OPAL Team

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.

NASA and the European Space Agency released a new image of Saturn taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, reports Space.com. NASA says the planet is losing its iconic rings, reports CNN.

Lockheed Martin’s Pulsar Guardian space simulation laboratory now allows military commands and other customers to test drive how new software and hardware will operate in space, reports the Colorado Springs Gazette.

A Gallup poll says Americans are split over whether the Afghanistan war was a mistake, reports Military Times. The poll published Sept. 11 found that 52 percent of Americans believe the war in Afghanistan was a not mistake.

The US is preparing to deploy about 150 troops to Syria, The Hill reports. The troops will conduct ground patrols with Turkish forces.

Defense One reports the US is still considering levying sanctions on Turkey for buying Russian S-400 air-defense systems. R. Clarke Cooper, assistant secretary for political-military affairs, said the potential new measures would supplement the Trump administration’s decision to kick Turkey out of the F-35 program.

In a move that could impact the already-delayed tanker program, the US Air Force has indefinitely barred the KC-46 from carrying cargo and passengers, reports Defense News.

The US State Department has approved a sale to Poland of 32 F-35As, reports Defense News, setting up the country as the newest customer for the fifth-generation fighter jet. The Lightnings will replace Poland’s 28 MiG-29 short-range tactical fighters and 32 Su-22 attack jets, reports The National Interest.

The F-35 is one of the largest economic drivers in North Texas, reports the Dallas Business Journal. Lockheed Martin spent the past couple of years adding thousands of jobs to its Fort Worth plant in anticipation of the plan to build an increasing number of F-35s over the years.

The Orlando Business Journal reports that Central Florida has a bustling tech scene. There are more than 1,500 open positions at 15 of the region’s largest technology companies.

The Royal Navy’s largest warship and newest aircraft carrier arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia, last week, reports Atlantic CTV News. The HMS Queen Elizabeth‘s schedule will take it to the US East Coast, where the crew will test the ship’s F-35 Lightning IIs.

Lawrence Brooks, the oldest living veteran of World War II, was honored with a birthday party Sept. 12 at the National World War II Museum in New Orleans, reports Military Times. Mr. Brooks is 110.

The US Department of Agriculture is asking employees who had previously declined relocation  to Kansas to work longer in Washington, D.C., reports Federal News Radio.

Contracts:

Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, is awarded a $12,920,955 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N64267-18-C-0132 for Aegis design agent field engineering services.  Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (34%); San Diego, California (31%); Yokosuka, Japan (19%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (4%); Washington, District of Columbia (4%); Port Hueneme, California (4%); and Rota, Spain (4%), and is expected to be completed by September 2020.  Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,042,000; and fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding for $40,000 will be obligated at time of award, and funds for $1,042,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  In accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(1), this contract was non-competitively procured (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements).  The services include test and evaluation, engineering change development, ordnance/ship alterations, modernization engineering, logistics and technical support, ordnance alterations kit development, integration and test support, AN/SPY-1 series radar antenna refurbishment and Coast Guard deep-water program design agent field engineering support. These services are in support of Aegis-equipped CGs and DDGs, allied Aegis-equipped ships and Coast Guard Aegis-configured ships. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $63,992,064. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $10,948,268 cost-plus fixed-fee/award-fee order, N62786-19-F-0068, against the previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00024-15-G-2303, to provide advance planning, accomplishment and emergent availabilities for LCS-17 post shakedown availability. Lockheed Martin will provide advance planning and accomplishment of work for emergent availabilities and post-delivery test and trial support. Work will be performed in Mayport, Florida (44%); Hampton, Virginia (24%); District of Columbia (18%); and Moorestown, New Jersey (14%), and is expected to be completed by March 2021. Fiscal 2019 and 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $9,866,326 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Bath, Maine, is the contracting activity.

Ashford Leebcor Enterprises LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia, was awarded a $28,605,776 firm-fixed-price contract for repairs to exterior walls, windows, fire protection, interior walls, doors, insulation, interior finish, finish floors, ceilings, plumbing, HVAC, HVAC controls, electrical, building information systems, site utilities, structural improvements and asbestos abatement. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Fort Benning, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $28,605,776 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-19-C-3011).

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory LLC (JHU/APL), Laurel, Maryland, was awarded a non-competitive, single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for essential engineering, research, and/or development capabilities, in line with the core competencies established by the assistant secretary of defense for research and engineering, which designated JHU/APL as a University Affiliated Research Center (UARC). The place of performance will be at JHU/APL, Laurel, Maryland; and at the Defense Information Systems Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland. The contract ceiling value is $245,000,000, funded by multiple appropriation types. The minimum guarantee of $5,793,933 is satisfied through the issuance of the first task order in conjunction with the contract, which is funded by fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds. This is a sole source award, and as such, only one proposal was received. The ordering period is Sept. 30, 2019, through Sept. 29, 2024. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, National Capital Region, is the contracting activity (HC1047-19-D-0001).

ITility LLC, Herndon, Virginia (FA5641-19-DA-006); ValidaTek Inc., McLean, Virginia (FA5641-19-DA-007); and CAE USA Mission Solutions Inc., Tampa, Florida (FA5641-19-DA-008), have been awarded a $95,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for advisory and assistance services. This contract provides for technical and analytical services to support and improve policy development, decision making, management, administration, and systems operation. Work will be performed primarily at Headquarters US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE), USAFE bases, USAFE geographically separated units, US European Command, US Africa Command, and US Army in Europe, including Installation Management Command and is expected to be completed by Sept. 12, 2026. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition and eleven offers received. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,500 are being obligated for each awardee at the time of the award. The 764th Specialized Contracting Squadron, Ramstein Air Base, Germany, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $57,462,554 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6327 to exercise options for engineering support services for the Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare Increment One Block One (I1B1) Systems full-rate production in support of the Expeditionary Warfare program office. This option exercise is for Engineering Support Services for Joint Counter Radio-Controlled Improvised Explosive Device Electronic Warfare (JCREW) to introduce new technologies; address diminishing material and depot repairs to keep JCREW systems viable for future production; and maintain operational readiness for the field.  Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be complete by September 2020. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funding in the amount of $2,971,124; and 2019 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,406,871 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.