Leaked Video Shows F35 Dropping Off Carrier Ramp
Photo taken from video initially posted by the Twitter account @sebh198.
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economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.
Defense News shows video of the crash on November 17 showing the short-take-off-and-vertical-landing version of the F-35 failing to generate sufficient lift or thrust and the pilot ejecting as the aircraft falls over the front of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth in the eastern Mediterranean. The video was initially posted by the Twitter account @sebh1981 with the comment, “Well thank God he is still with us. That’s all I can say.” A parachute floating down can be seen in the video.
US Space Force second in command GEN David Thompson revealed last week that Russia and China are daily launching cyber and other types of attacks on US satellites, reports The Drive. He also disclosed that a Russian anti-satellite attack in 2019 provoked US concerns that an actual attack was imminent.
It’s looking more and more likely that the annual defense policy bill will not become law in 2021. Defense One gives the blow-by-blow reasons Congress may not make the deadline. Experts say there’s lots of precedent for the legislation passing in the new year and few consequences for the delay.
The University of Maryland School of Public Health won a $100,000 EPA award to expand its environmental justice map, which by screening for an array of impacts in communities will soon be able to assign an environmental justice score to each legislative district, reports Maryland Matters.
The White House has nominated former Air Force acquisition chief William LaPlante to be the Pentagon’s top buyer, reports FCW. The previous nominee, Mike Brown, the director of the Defense Innovation Unit, withdrew amid an ongoing inspector general investigation.
The US and China are engaged in an arms race to develop the most lethal hypersonic weapons, reports Reuters from an interview with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “There is an arms race, not necessarily for increased numbers, but for increased quality,” he said. “It’s an arms race that has been going on for quite some time. The Chinese have been at it very aggressively.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday sternly warned NATO against deploying its troops and weapons to Ukraine, saying it represents a red line for Russia and would trigger a strong response, reports Military Times. Commenting on Western concerns about Russia’s alleged intention to invade Ukraine, he said that Moscow is equally worried about NATO drills near its borders.
The Navy says the water is safe to drink aboard Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, despite reports of headaches, stomach aches, skin rashes, and pet illnesses from water that smells like gasoline, reports Military Times. However, the Hawaii Department of Health is still advising that “all Navy water system users avoid using the water for drinking, cooking, or oral hygiene,” according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser.
The Navy is sending a 20-member medical team to New Mexico to help the San Juan Regional Medical Center cope with a staff shortage for treating large numbers of COVID-19 patients, reports Navy Times. The military team is being deployed at the request of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is scheduled to arrive at the Farmington hospital on December 5.
Of 2,531 requests, the Navy did not approve any religious exemptions for the COVID-19 vaccination, reports USNI. Those denied a religious exemption have five days to start the vaccination process or face separation. The Navy issued seven permanent medical exemptions, 400 temporary medical exemptions, and 134 administrative exemptions, for such things as those leaving the service, as an example.
Sailors unvaccinated against COVID-19 must be tested at least once a week “when entering a DoD facility that includes the service member’s normal place of work,” reports Navy Times. On-site testing and self-tests are OK.
National Guardsmen who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19 won’t be eligible for any federal training or pay, which includes monthly drill weekends, per a memo signed Tuesday by DefSec Lloyd Austin, reports Military Times.
The ruling by the federal judge in Kentucky temporarily blocked the government from enforcing its vaccine mandate for federal contractors in Kentucky, Ohio, and Tennessee last week, saying President Joe Biden exceeded his authority when he ordered agencies to insert the requirement into their contracts for vendors and subcontractors.
Contracts:
Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Marlborough, Massachusetts, was awarded a $273,353,649 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed fee, and cost only modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-19-C-5501) to exercise options and add advanced radars detection laboratory generator support for Air and Missile Defense Radar; and Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, integration and production support efforts. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts (54%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (11%); Moorestown, New Jersey (9%); Newport News, Virginia (6%); Kauai, Hawaii (5%); Wallops Island, Virginia (4%); Fair Lakes, Virginia (4%); Bath, Maine (2%); Chesapeake, Virginia (2%); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (1%); San Diego, California (1%); and Silver Spring, Maryland (1%), and is expected to be completed by November 2022. Fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion funds (Navy) in the amount of $14,060,000 (28%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,987,933 (23%); fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,466,143 (17%); fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,872,198 (13%); fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,465,420 (7%); fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,978,555 (6%); fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,195,424 (4%) and; fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $902,513 (2%) will be obligated at time of award, of which $2,978,555 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 30, 2021)
Machine Tools USA Inc., Mathews, Virginia (N6893622D0008); Machine Tools Marketing Inc., Bixby, Oklahoma (N6893622D0009); and Pacific IC Source, Yucaipa, California (N6893622D0010), are each awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. The estimated aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $49,000,000, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders. These contracts procure various machining and manufacturing equipment, machine tools, work holding devices and peripheral equipment for conventional, computer numerically controlled equipment and provide support, to include maintenance, repair, relocation, delivery, installation, and training associated with acquired machinery in support of earthquake recovery efforts for the Navy. Work will be performed at China Lake, California, and is expected to be completed in November 2026. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside; four offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Missiles & Defense, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is awarded a $15,801,708 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-5315 for provisioned item spares for the Air and Missile Defense Radar program. Work will be performed in Marlborough, Massachusetts (59%); Cerritos, California (18%); Sykesville, Maryland (7%); Scottsdale, Arizona (5%); Saginaw, Michigan (5%); Bergenfield, New Jersey (3%); and Stafford, Connecticut (3%), and is expected to be completed by July 2023. Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,430,086 (85%); and fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) in the amount of $2,371,622 (15%) 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.
Advanced Strategic Insight Inc., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,794,814 firm-fixed-price contract to provide multi-domain subject matter expertise support to the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office. Work will be performed in Washington, DC, and other locations as required per mission requirements, and is expected to be completed by Nov. 30, 2022. This award is the result of fair and open competition. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $320,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8612‐22‐C‐5015).
AT&T Corp., Oakton, Virginia, was awarded a competitive, firm-fixed-price, single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Commercial Ethernet Gateway Region 7 to provide mission partner access via ethernet connections to the Department of Defense Information Network, and to enable the replacement of legacy, time division multiplexing-based circuits. The total amount of all orders placed against the contract shall not exceed $46,914,000. The guaranteed minimum amount is $500 and will be funded by fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds. Primary performance will be at the contractor’s facility. Proposals were solicited via beta.sam.gov and four proposals were received. The period of performance, which consists of a six-year base period and two two-year option periods, is Dec. 8, 2021 – Dec. 7, 2031. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1013-21-D-0007).
Advanced Technology Systems Company Inc., McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $12,524,884 firm-fixed-price contract for tactical surveillance systems, mobile border surveillance vehicles, command and control operations rooms, relay towers, spare parts and various support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2023. Fiscal 2022 Foreign Military Sales Credit (Georgia) funds in the amount of $12,524,884 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-22-C-5009). (Awarded on Nov. 19, 2021)
