Kendall Wants DoD Tech to ‘Scare China’

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.

Less than three weeks into his term as Air Force secretary, Frank Kendall says the service should be fielding the kinds of leap-ahead technologies that “scare China,” reports Defense News. The former Pentagon acquisition chief is well-acquainted with military technology and has already adjusted the Air Force’s fiscal 2023 budget.

The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence is worried that the Department of Homeland Security is focusing its intelligence-gathering authorities on US persons and groups, according to an unclassified legislative report accompanying the 2022 Intelligence Authorization Act, reports DefenseSystems.com.

The Navy has given industry a first glimpse at how it plans to re-compete its estimated $2.5 billion contract for internet networks onboard surface ships, reports Washington Technology. A solicitation for the next Consolidated Afloat Networks and Enterprise Services contract is expected out by Sept. 30 or the fiscal quarter after that, according to the Navy’s contracting notice. The new contract will have a 10-year base period.

United Aircraft’s prototype flight-test Ilyushin Il-112V military transport crashed during a training flight near Moscow, apparently after suffering an in-flight engine fire, reports Flight Global. The twin-engine light transport, still in testing stage, was approaching the Kubinka district, west of Moscow, when the accident occurred. It has not disclosed how many occupants were on board.

To keep pace with rapid software development needs the Navy wants to fortify its cyber resilience, but changing workforce habits has to come first, reports DefenseSystems.com.

Within the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill, $1.9 billion is for cybersecurity, $1 billion of that earmarked for state, local, and tribal governments via grant programs that would run through the end of the 2025 fiscal year, reports CPO Magazine. The 2,700-page bipartisan infrastructure proposal includes a total of $500 billion in new spending mostly directed to states and localities.

The FDA is seeking “additional legislative authorities” to bolster medical device cybersecurity amid growing ransomware and other cyberattacks on health care organizations, reports MedTech Dive.

In spite of cries for stricter statewide COVID-19 protocols from lawmakers, Maryland Health Secretary Dennis Schrader says local government agencies should remain in control of mask and vaccine mandates, reports Maryland Matters. “We really believe that local authority knows best,” Schrader said to the Senate Vaccine Oversight Workgroup which urged tougher standards, including re-issuing a statewide mask mandate and requiring students aged 12 through 17 to be vaccinated before returning to school in the fall.

The military will deploy medical assistance teams to battle COVID-19 surges, reports Military Times. Five teams of roughly 20 doctors, nurses, and respiratory therapists are preparing to deploy to local hospitals to help overburdened health care staff, as parts of the country experience new highs in daily deaths and new cases. The first is headed to Lafayette, LA, the state with the highest infection rate in the country, according to AP, and one of the lowest vaccination rates, at fewer than 40%.

The US military is providing assistance to Haiti following an earthquake and tropical storm, reports Navy Times. Southern Command has established Joint Task Force-Haiti to support of the USAID-led foreign disaster assistance mission.

NAS Patuxent River’s new barracks and four military housing communities recently received awards for excellence in management performance and commitment to the highest level and quality of service. The awards were presented by CEL & Associates Inc., the nation’s largest surveyor of resident satisfaction within the multifamily industry, reports Tester.

 

 

Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a $97.7 million contract modification to develop a runtime server for the F-35 pilot training system, reports GovConWire. The company’s aeronautics segment will provide the hardware to the US Navy, Air Force, and non-DoD participants.

What is Sharia law? What does it mean for women in Afghanistan? BBC reports on the Taliban’s first press briefing after taking control in Kabul. A Taliban spokesman said issues such as the media and women’s rights will be respected “within the framework of Islamic law,” but the group has not yet provided any details of what that will mean in practice.

A final inspector general report details ways the US failed in Afghanistan, reports Military Times. While progress was made, there was little faith that they could sustain without a US presence, and on Sunday, the Taliban officially took over the government of Afghanistan. The next day, the Pentagon’s independent inspector general for Afghanistan reconstruction issued his final report.

The Taliban now has US military aircraft, reports Defense News. Photos show fighters posing with Black Hawk helicopters, A-29 attack planes, and other aircraft from the Afghan air force fleet. The Afghan air force operated a total of 211 aircraft, with about 167 planes and helicopters available for use as of June 30. DoD has not confirmed how many of those aircraft have been captured by the Taliban, how many are still operable, or how many aircraft have been safely flown by Afghan air force pilots to relative safety in neighboring countries.

The 82nd Airborne is heading to Kabul to direct airfield security for the Afghanistan evacuation, reports Military Times. The division regularly trains on seizing and securing airfields. Overall leadership of US forces in Afghanistan still rests with US Forces Afghanistan Forward commander RADM Peter Vasely. MG Chris Donahue, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, will take over airfield security operations.

The Washington Post reports the Taliban is moving toward forming a government as evacuations proceed calmly. The Taliban’s top political leader arrived Tuesday in Afghanistan, as the militants moved toward organizing a new government and insisted that all Afghans and foreigners inside the country would be safe. The US military said that it had established direct lines of communication with the Taliban on the ground, and that evacuations of American and other civilians were proceeding calmly and quickly after Monday’s chaotic airport scenes.

Defense One reports “there is no Afghan government”: NATO stops aid to Afghanistan as Taliban take over. NATO has frozen all financial aid to Afghanistan now that the country has fallen under Taliban control. NATO Secretary Jens Stoltenberg says aid could resume to an “inclusive government.” And at the White House: “We will have to take a hard look at how we proceed on any basis at all.”

Contracts:

KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,657,329 task order for refurbishment and upgrades to eight Eddy Current Inspection Systems (ECIS). This contract provides for enhancements to hardware and software for eight robotic ECIS, to include new bases, robotic arms, computers and station executive software. The location of performance is Dayton, Ohio, and work is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition; one solicitation was sent and one proposal was received. Fiscal 2021 4930 working capital funds in the amount of $9,657,329 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Maintenance Contracting Branch, Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA813221F0062).