IG: Security Issues With Military 3D Printing

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.

A July 1 DoD Inspector General’s report finds the military is not doing enough to secure its 3D printing technology, reports Military.com. The report says that service members are incorrectly categorizing the military’s 3D printing programs, formally known as additive manufacturing, and leaving them vulnerable to cyberattacks.

Virgin Galactic’s test flight Sunday morning sent the company’s rocket-powered SpaceShipTwo Unity craft to the edge’s of space. The flight — the company’s first with a full crew — is a major boost for the billionaire Richard Branson’s company, which is aiming to start commercial flights in 2022, reports NBC News.

New Mexico hopes to get a tourism boost from Sunday’s takeoff, reports Reuters, and the other activities around Spaceport America, where the flight originated. “This is real pioneering stuff, opening up the heavens to the entire world,” said Truth or Consequences town manager Bruce Swingle.

Nonprofit NewSpace New Mexico, partnering with the Air Force Research Laboratory, has launched a new innovation hub in Albuquerque with $11 million in federal funding, reports Air Force Times. The initiative is expected to facilitate growth in the emerging space industry around Kirtland Air Force Base.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos has his own trip to space planned for July 20. His company Blue Origin is preparing to send the first crewed flight into space, reports CNN Business. Blue Origin’s six-seater capsule and 59-foot rocket will travel toward the edge of space on a 11-minute flight that should reach more than 60 miles above Earth.

Deputy DefSec Kathleen Hicks visited Bath Iron Works in Maine last week and was told that the company fears that a reduction in orders for US Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyers will lead to layoffs at shipyards, reports UPI.

The Air Force plans to take two F-16s from the boneyard, disassemble them, and use “digital engineering” to create an exact digital replica of the airframe and many of its major subsystems, reports Air Force Times.

Turkey has developed a supersonic, anti-radiation missile for the TF-X, the country’s fighter jet in the making, reports Defense News. The program is classified, and the company making the missile has not disclosed the technology. “We cannot provide any information on the Akbaba project due to secrecy for national security reasons,” Roketsan told Defense News last week.

President Joe Biden defended the US’ hasty military departure from Afghanistan, reports Military Times. Biden said the war couldn’t be resolved my military means and that the Afghan people must decide their future. “I will not send another generation of Americans to war in Afghanistan with no reasonable expectation of achieving a different outcome,” he said.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that most British troops have left Afghanistan, nearly 20 years after the UK followed the US and other NATO allies into that country, reports The Hill.

 

 

Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command has a leader, reports C4ISRNET. MAJ GEN Ryan Heritage took the helm of during a ceremony July 7. He replaces LT GEN Matthew Glavy who will become the deputy commandant for information, the corps’ top IT officer.

Norway has its first Boeing P-8 Poseidon, reports Naval News. The first flight is scheduled for later this month.

The government of Haiti has asked for US troops to help stabilize the country after the assassination of its President Jovenel Moise, reports Bloomberg.

Two veterans groups, the Black Veterans Project and the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress, are suing the Department of Veterans Affairs for failing to provide data on racial disparities in disability compensation benefits and health care services, reports Military Times.

National parks across the country are dealing with record visitors, reports NPR. The overcrowding crisis comes at a time when national parks are struggling to fill positions — from interpretive park rangers to law enforcement, right down to the workers to staff the entry gates and collect fees.

Record-setting temperatures and drought in the western US are creating a perfect storm for the electric grid, reports NBC News, exposing how future extreme weather events will likely push a thinly stretched power grid system to the brink.

Washington Football Team President Jason Wright said the team will continue with that name through the 2021 season, and then a new name and logo are coming in early 2022, reports The Daily Press.

A Marine Corps member is the first recipient of the Defense Department’s first jaw reconstruction using 3D-printed teeth, reports Defense News.

Joint Base Andrews clarified its policy for those wishing to gain access to the base, the JBA Public Affairs Office said. Despite the extension of the REAL-ID full enforcement DoD is requiring an individual’s identification meet specific security requirements when requesting installation access.

Contracts:

Black Sage Technologies Inc., Boise, Idaho (FA8612-21-D-0168); Clarity Innovations LLC, Columbia, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0139); Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0140); Frontier Technology Inc., Beavercreek, Ohio (FA8612-21-D-0142); Global Infotek Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0143); Greystones Consulting Group LLC, Washington, DC (FA8612-21-D-0144); Government Research Specialists, Bethesda, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0145); Hughes Network Systems LLC, Germantown, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0147); Hypergiant Galactic Systems Inc., Austin, Texas (FA8612-21-D-0148); Kymeta Corp., Redmond, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0149); Mission Solutions LLC, Moorestown, New Jersey (FA8612-21-D-0150); Net Vision Consultants Inc., Stevensville, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0151); NXM Labs Inc., Mountain View, California (FA8612-21-D-0152); Oracle America, Inc., Redwood City, California (FA8612-21-D-0127); PARASANTI Inc., Dallas, Texas (FA8612-21-D-0153); PLEXSYS Interface Products Inc., Camas, Washington (FA8612-21-D-0154); Polysentry Inc., Washington, DC (FA8612-21-D-0155); Rackner Inc., Silver Spring, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0156); Research Innovations Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0157); Rolls-Royce North American Technologies Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana (FA8612-21-D-0169); SAAB Sensis Corp.; East Syracuse, New York (FA8612-21-D-0158); Scientific Systems Co. Inc., Woburn, Massachusetts (FA8612-21-D-0159); SLICEUP Inc., San Ramon, California (FA8612-21-D-0160); Software AG Government Solutions Inc., Herndon, Virginia (FA8612-21-D-0161); Spectral Sensor Solutions LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA8612-21-D-0170); Systems & Technology Research LLC, Woburn, Massachusetts (FA8612-21-D-0163); UMBRA LAB Inc., Santa Barbara, California (FA8612-21-D-0164); XL Scientific LLC, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA8612-21-D-0167); and Yakabod Federal Solutions Inc., Frederick, Maryland (FA8612-21-D-0166), have been awarded a ceiling $950,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-multiple award contract to compete for future efforts associated with the maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control. These contracts provide for the development and operation of systems as a unified force across all domains (air, land, sea, space, cyber, and electromagnetic spectrum) in an open architecture family of systems that enables capabilities via multiple integrated platforms. The locations of performance are to be determined at the contract direct order level and are expected to be completed May 28, 2025. These awards are the result of fair and open competition. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Huntington-Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded an $89,967,799 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-2109 for planning yard, engineering, technical, trade, and program management support of industrial type work for submarine availabilities, facilities, and conversion. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (98.8%); and the government of the United Kingdom (0.2%) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia (90%); Kings Bay, Georgia (3%); Bremerton, Washington (2%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (2%); Kittery, Maine (2%); and Groton, Connecticut (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,859,827 (98.7%); fiscal 2021 research development test and evaluation funds in the amount of $30,756 (1.1%); and Foreign Military Sales (United Kingdom) funds in the amount of $8,158 (0.2%) 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, DC, is the contracting activity.

APC Construction, Harvey, Louisiana (W912HP-21-D-2001); TI-SDC JV, Baltimore, Maryland (W912HP-21-D-2007); Outside the Box, Richmond, Virginia (W912HP-21-D-2006); Lunacon Stellar 1 JV, Palmetto Bay, Florida (W912HP-21-D-2005); Lego Construction Co.,  Miami, Florida (W912HP-21-D-2004); Hightower Construction Co., North Charleston, South Carolina (W912HP-21-D-2003); Boyer Commercial Construction, Columbia, South Carolina (W912HP-21-D-2002); Veterans South Builders, Tuskegee, Alabama (W912HP-21-D-2008); and New Dominion Construction, Dumfries, Virginia (W912HP-21-D-2009), will compete for each order of the $49,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design-build or design-bid-build general construction projects. Bids were solicited via the internet with 19 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 8, 2026. US Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity.

Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $12,177,415 modification (P00126) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0011 for contractor logistics support for government-owned fixed-wing fleets. Work will be performed in Germantown, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2022. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds; and 2020 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $12,177,415 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News Shipbuilding Division, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $17,537,667 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support maintenance and modernization on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) with special incentives to include ship alterations and propulsion plant maintenance during fiscal 2021 planned incremental availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,500,000 (79%); and fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $675,000 (21%) will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $17,537,667. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10. US Code 2304 (c)(1), only one responsible source will satisfy the Navy’s requirement. Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N4215821C0002).

MZA Associates Corp., Albuquerque, New Mexico, is awarded an $11,150,425 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for technical and subject matter expert services for the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Virginia. Work will be performed in Dahlgren, Virginia (70%); and Albuquerque, New Mexico (30%), and is expected to be completed by July 2026. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $230,000 will be obligated at the time of award, of which funds in the amount of $230,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This is a sole-source award in accordance with 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-4413).

CORRECTION: The $33,919,670 contract (W9124P-21-F-0665) announced on July 1, 2021, to Agile Defense Inc., Reston, Virginia, for support services for Program Executive Office Missiles and Space Information Technology was awarded July 8, 2021.