March 28, 2024

Hypersonic Weapons Worry Congress

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Concerned with a gap in the military’s ability to detect low-flying hypersonic weapons, lawmakers want the Pentagon to deliver a progress report by the end of November on its efforts to use radar to detect the weapons, reports Defense News. Hypersonic weapons travel in excess of five times the speed of sound — Mach 5 — covering vast distances in minutes, according to Raytheon’s website. They are hard to stop, they fly and nimbly maneuver to avoid detection, and dodge defensive countermeasures.

The Pentagon halted all flights of Afghan evacuees into the US for another seven days due to measles cases diagnosed among Afghans arriving at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, reports Military Times.

Apple issued a series of security updates for its iPhone, iWatch, and other computer devices on Monday, the same day independent researchers uncovered a vulnerability in its messaging service that allowed for spyware developed by an Israeli company to infect Apple’s devices, reports UPI.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX successfully launched 51 Starlink satellites into space Monday night, the first such launch since May, reports UPI. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 8:55 pm PDT from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, and deployed the satellites about 30 minutes later.

The first all-private orbital space mission is scheduled to launch today, Wednesday, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, reports UPI. It will be powered by philanthropist and ambitious businessman Jared Isaacman’s vision of making the world a better place, reports UPI. The SpaceX’s Inspiration4 civilian crew hopes mission will inspire the world.

Two veterans have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Air Force, claiming the service branch discriminated against service members with mental health conditions by kicking them out with other-than-honorable discharges, reports Stars and Stripes.

Making him the United States’ oldest living World War II veteran, Lawrence Brooks celebrated his 112th birthday Sunday with a drive-by party at his New Orleans home hosted by the National World War II Museum, reports AP.

 

 

Russian President Vladimir Putin is going into self-isolation because of coronavirus cases in his inner circle, the Kremlin said Tuesday, adding that he tested negative for COVID-19, reports AP.

The Pentagon will begin regular mandatory COVID-19 testing of unvaccinated civilian workers this fall, its next step in fighting the disease after requiring troops to get the shots, reports Military.com.

Charlie Baker, governor of Massachusetts, activated up to 250 National Guard troops to help with school transportation at the start of the academic year, reports CNN. Districts across the nation have seen higher than normal shortages of bus drivers.

Delta Air Lines’ recently announced $200 per month health care penalty for unvaccinated workers has already encouraged about one-fifth of them to get the COVID-19 vaccine, reports Business Insider. The carrier said last month that it would soon start charging unvaccinated staff $200 more per month for its health insurance plan, to take effect November 1.

Terror threats emanating from Somalia, Yemen, Syria, and Iraq — in particular ISIS — pose a greater danger than those that might emerge from Afghanistan, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit, reports CNN

While legislators craft the details back in Washington, President Joe Biden is pitching his massive domestic spending package with a visit to a renewable energy lab in Colorado to highlight how the investments in clean energy in his plan would help combat climate change, reports AP.

The number of extremely hot days every year when the temperature reaches 112 degrees F has doubled since the 1980s, a global BBC analysis has found. They also now happen in more areas of the world than before. On average, between 1980 and 2009, temperatures passed 50 degrees C (112F)  about 14 days a year.

Defense and service leaders have racheted down the number of military medical billets they plan to cut at military treatment facilities, and spread the cuts over a longer period of time, according to Military Times.

Military members and families affected by surging housing costs in 56 areas around the country may soon get relief through a temporary hike in their Basic Allowance for Housing, reports Military Times.

Biden last week asked 18 members of service academy boards, many appointed during the last days of the Trump administration, to resign their positions, reports Military.com.

Contracts:

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $17,058,653 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00028) to a previously awarded and announced contract (N00030-19-C-0007) to provide logistics, engineering, and integration support of the US Ohio-class and UK Vanguard-class Strategic Weapon System platforms, including support of future concepts. Work will be performed in Saint Mary’s, Georgia (39%); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (26%); Rockville, Maryland (21%); Silverdale, Washington (3%); Portsmouth, Virginia (1%); Cleveland, South Carolina (1%); New Market, Maryland (1%); Carlisle, Pennsylvania (1%); Mooresboro, North Carolina (1%); Forsyth, Georgia (1%); Mesa, Arizona (1%); Saint Simons Island, Georgia (1%); Perkins, Georgia (1%); Savannah, Georgia (1%); and St. Peters, Missouri (1%), with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2022. Subject to the availability of funding, fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $17,058,653 will be obligated. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole source acquisition pursuant to 10 US Code 2304(c)(1). Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00030-19-C-0007).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum, Maryland, is awarded a $12,850,000 firm-fixed-price modification (P00007) to a previously awarded contract (N0001920C0007). This modification provides for the retrofit of Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons Replacement Assembly with 100 production kits required for the modification of ALQ-218 avionics in support of EA-18G upgrades, to include 64 kits for the Navy, and 36 kits for the government of Australia. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (92%); and Bethpage, New York (8%), and is expected to be completed in November 2023. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,161,881; and Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $4,688,119 will be obligated at the 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.

Mount Rogers Community Services, Atkins, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $15,131,686 modification (P00009) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-20-D-N120) with two one-year option periods for unisex and female advanced combat shirts. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Virginia and North Carolina, with a Sept. 15, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $15,131,686 modification (P00011) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-20-D-B090) with two one-year option periods for unisex and female advanced combat shirts. This is a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, Texas, North Carolina and New York, with a Sept. 15, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military services are Army and Air Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting agency is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

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