More JSF Software Problems Found

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 necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.

It can fly, but the F-35 can’t shoot,  say reports throughout the holidays of yet another of the JSF software problems. This one, reports Business Insider, prevents the on-board cannon from firing and will not be fixed before 2019. The  fighter jets are scheduled to enter service next year.

Aviation Week gives a synopsis of domestic, ground-based, anti-missile defense systems winning Pentagon approval, including details of the two procurement options under consideration for the new Kill Vehicle, designed to shield the US against ICBM attack.

Navy officials say new radar and launch systems will meet the new technology of the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) due to launch mid-2016, but concede the advanced arresting gear (AAG) is not on schedule. A GAO report found the gear would not be ready for four and a half years, which Navy officials say is inaccurate, reports Defense News.

The Aviationist offers video from a petty officer’s bird’s eye view of the catapulting of Hornets and a Prowler from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower.

FCW cites statistics on the need for more women in STEM-related careers, the benefits of a more gender diverse workforce, and some on-the-ground strategies for building that more diverse workforce in your company.

The FAA has approved drones for mosquito control, reports the NBC affiliate in south Florida. The two drones’ mission will be to seek standing water in outlying areas between Sugarloaf and Key Largo in the Florida Keys, avoiding airspace associated with the Key West and Miami airports, but not yet addressing potential helicopter traffic.

NextGov reports the latest work-at-home versus show-up-at-the-office finding: There’s more gained by showing up. Although solitude enhances individual productivity, face-to-face collaborative work produces a greater output than when individuals work separately.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is being awarded a $19,082,605 modification under a previously awarded contract (N00024-06-C-6311) to provide integration services for mission packages that will deploy from and integrate with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS).  The Navy’s plan is to use continuous evaluation of system maturity through a disciplined system engineering framework to improve mission capability in identified mission areas.  LCSs mission packages will be optimized for flexibility in the littorals.  Mission package capabilities are currently focused on primary mission areas of mine warfare emphasizing mine countermeasures, littoral anti-submarine warfare, and littoral surface warfare operations, including prosecution of small boats.  Work will be performed in Bethpage, New York (47 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (13 percent); Oxnard, California (12 percent); Dahlgren, Virginia (9 percent); Panama City, Florida (8 percent); San Diego, California (7 percent); Middletown, Rhode Island (2 percent); Hollywood, Maryland (1 percent); and Andover, Massachusetts (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by June 2015.  Fiscal 2014 and 2015 research and development; fiscal 2015 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2014 and 2015 other procurement (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $2,400,000 will be obligated at time of award and funds in the amount of $7,119,720 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded a $19,710,309 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract to design, develop, demonstrate, document, and deliver a P-8A application based architecture system.  Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (45 percent); San Diego, California (16 percent); Hollywood, Maryland (15 percent); Beavercreek, Ohio (10 percent); Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (8 percent); and Austin, Texas (6 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2017.  Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,411,982 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals and five offers were received.  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-15-C-0021).