Lights, Camera, Action at NAS Pax

US Navy and Air Force aviators give a speech during a red-carpet event for the premiere of “Top Gun: Maverick” in Singapore. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Heath Zeigler)

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.

The US Navy might be trying to send the Super Hornet off into the sunset, reports Defense One, but the Boeing F/A 18 Super Hornet steals the show in the new “Top Gun: Maverick” movie that opened late last week. Here’s some interesting “Maverick” trivia: When the director and cinematographer needed some expert advice, they consulted engineers at NAVAIR. The command provided the filmmakers with two F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jets to modify for photography and a decommissioned Grumman F-14 Tomcat for on-the-ground scenes, reports American Cinematographer. To help prepare shooting the cockpit scenes, NAVAIR subjected the cameras to shock, vibration, and wind-tunnel testing at Naval Air Station Pax River. NAVAIR also built custom housings for cameras mounted to the exterior of the F/A-18.

Navy personnel and their families were treated to a sneak preview of the new movie at NAS Pax River last week. CAPT John Brabazon, base commanding officer, attended the opening where he was posed a question: Who would win in a dogfight between the captain and Maverick, played by the movie’s star, Tom Cruise? Dozens of base theaters were offered early screenings of the movie, reports Military.com.

WBAL-TV 11 Baltimore has video of the Blue Angels performing over Annapolis on Wednesday. The Navy’s elite flight squadron’s demonstration had been delayed one day due to weather. The Blue Angels “team looks forward to showcasing the cornerstone of airpower operating off US aircraft carriers, the F/A-18 Super Hornet, along with the Marine Corps’ premiere logistics support aircraft, the C-130J Super Hercules,” reads the squadron’s website. After a show in New York over the Memorial Day weekend, the Blue Angels are headed to the Chippewa Valley Air Show in Wisconsin.

President Joe Biden addressed the more than 1,000 US Naval Academy graduates Friday, reports Navy Times. He told the grads that Putin “NATO-ized Europe.” Biden said the Western response to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s “brutal” war in Ukraine shows the world is aligning not on geography, “but in terms of values.”

US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth said the service’s reputation for sexual harassment and suicide is keeping young people from enlisting, reports Task & Purpose. “So, I do think we have to both get the positive things out there for the Army, but also frankly … we need to show that we are doing something about sexual harassment and sexual assault in the Army. We need to show that we are doing something about suicide prevention in the Army,” she said.

The US military is throwing cash at its recruiting crisis, reports Military.com, as troops head for the exits. MAJ GEN Ed Thomas, the Air Force Recruiting Service commander, said the services are now competing against the private sector to hire people. Thomas said the battle for talent during this current labor shortage is “intense.”

A retired US Army lieutenant colonel offered a solution to the military’s recruitment dilemma in a Washington Post opinion piece. “Today’s US military is facing a personnel deficit that is affecting our nation’s readiness and threatening our national security,” Margaret Stock wrote. “But if our leaders are willing to act, there’s an obvious solution to this problem: immigrants.” Stock transferred to the Retired Reserve of the Army in 2010 after serving 28 years as a military police corps officer in the Army Reserve.

Dave Maloney, CEO of Orchestra Macrosystems, a Houston-based software and analytics company and also an Air Force contractor, suggested that the US military fund athletic scholarships for college athletes each year in exchange for their mandatory service, reports Sportico. It has been pitched as a solution to inefficient recruiting within the armed forces and financial unease in college sports. The Scholar-Athlete Intelligence and Leadership Program, or SAIL-P, suggests that DoD offer to replace school-funded athletic scholarships for every sport other than football and basketball at the collegiate level — NCAA, NAIA, and junior college.

Former US Naval Academy linebacker Diego Fagot received permission from the Department of Defense to pursue a professional sport and officially signed with the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent, reports Sports Illustrated. It is the third consecutive year a Navy football player was either signed as an undrafted free agent or was drafted and the 10th in the Ken Niumatalolo era (2008-present).

 

 

US Navy SEALs are itching for upgrades to their “cool toys,” reports Navy Times. Most of the equipment needs replacing or needs some serious upgrades to move them into the 21st century, panel members said at a Special Operations Forces Industry Conference held by the National Defense Industrial Association in Florida last week.

A new study finds that the federal government is taking too long to fill important security-related positions at the Defense Department, FEMA, and the Department of Homeland Security, reports Federal News Network. Data from the Partnership for Public Service’s Center for Presidential Transition reveals chronic delays at nearly every step of the nomination and Senate-confirmation process.

The Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, Defense Digital Service, and ADVANA teams will officially become part of the newly created Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer on June 1, reports Breaking Defense.

Veterans Affairs is launching a contest, Mission Daybreak, that will award $20 million in prizes to entrants with the best ideas for reducing the thousands of veteran suicides that occur each year in the US, reports Military.com.

Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany in Georgia is the first military installation within DoD to reach the net-zero energy milestone, reports Albany Herald. Net zero is defined as the production of as much electricity from renewable “green” energy sources as it consumes from its utility provider during a year.

While the Navy’s new climate plan focuses on increased vehicle fuel efficiency and setting up new energy systems to become less dependent on fossil fuels and harden the service against the growing effects of climate change, it is mostly silent on ships and planes, the service’s biggest polluters, reports Military.com.

A second military flight delivered baby formula from overseas to Dulles International Airport last week, reports The Hill. Experts are still questioning whether having the US military haul hundreds of thousands of pounds of formula from Europe can make a dent in the shortage.

Albania has offered NATO an ex-Soviet naval base in an effort to highlight the small country’s value in the alliance “in these difficult times,” reports The Associated Press.

SpaceX launched its 22nd rocket of the year May 25, the Transporter-5 rideshare mission, reports UPI. Among the cargo were the cremated remains of 47 people for a burial in space.

Contracts:

Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a $408,399,834 modification (P00018) to a previously awarded, cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price incentive (firm-target), cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable contract (N0001921C0011). This modification provides for F135 propulsion system annual sustainment including maintenance of support equipment and unique maintenance services for conventional take-off and landing/carrier variant (F-35A and F-35C) and short take-off and landing (F-35B). Additionally, this modification provides support for common program activities, unique and common base recurring sustainment, repair of repairables, field service representatives, as well as common replenishment of spares. These efforts are in support of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Air National Guard, Marine Corps, Navy, non-US Department of Defense (DOD) participants, and Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (47%); Oklahoma City, Oklahoma (15%); Indianapolis, Indiana (13%); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (6%); West Palm Beach, Florida (5%); Brekstad, Norway (2%); Leeuwarden, Netherlands (2%); Williamtown, New South Wales, Australia (2%); Beaufort, South Carolina (1%); Cameri, Italy (1%); Eglin, Florida (1%); Edwards, California (1%); Hill Air Force Base, Utah (1%); Iwakuni, Japan (1%); Luke AFB, Arizona (1%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (1%), and is expected to be completed in November 2022. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $232,550,128; fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $65,624,251; fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Air National Guard) funds in the amount of $15,278,335; fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,144,650; non-US DOD participant funds in the amount of $55,385,329; and FMS funds in the amount of $29,417,141 will be obligated at time of award, $323,597,364 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $23,956,429 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price and cost only contract for shipset hardware installation, integrated logistic support, fleet maintenance support, and lifecycle sustainment of the Navy’s AN/SQQ-89 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare combat systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $291,923,819. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (98%); and the governments of Australia (1%) and Japan (1%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (41%); San Diego, California (28%); Yokosuka, Japan (6%); Rota, Spain (6%); Mayport, Florida (3%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (3%); Everett, Washington (3%); Bath, Maine (2%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (2%); Manassas, Virginia (2%); Washington, DC (1%); Syracuse, New York (1%); Uniontown, Pennsylvania (1%); and Marinette, Wisconsin (1%), and is expected to be completed by May 2023. If all options are exercised, work will continue through May 2027. Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,943,462 (25%); fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,387,520 (18%); fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,379,938 (17%); fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,161,542 (15%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,049,416 (13%); fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $344,789 (4%); fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $250,000 (3%); fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $221,304 (3%); FMS (Japan) funds in the amount of $100,000 (1%); and FMS (Australia) funds in the amount of $75,000 (1%) will be obligated at the time of award, and $221,304 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website with one offer received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-22-C5231).

General Dynamics NASSCO-Norfolk, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $23,792,141 modification to a previously awarded, cost-plus-award-fee/cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00024-16-C-4306) for USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) fiscal 2022 planned incremental availability. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be completed September 2023. Fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $23,342,309 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $21,567,760 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2300 to exercise an option for industrial post-delivery availability support for the Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship USS Nantucket (LCS 27). Work will be performed in Marinette, Wisconsin, and is expected to be completed by August 2023. Fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,000,000 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.

Pond-Baker JV, Peachtree Corners, Georgia, is awarded a $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for multi-discipline architect and engineering services for industrial and research facilities in the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Washington area of operations (AO). The work to be performed provides for design and engineering services for new construction, major renovations, and alterations for projects. The contract also contains four unexercised options, which if exercised would increase cumulative contract value to $75,000,000. An initial task order for $25,000 will be awarded (minimum contract guarantee) at contract award. Work will be performed in the NAVFAC Washington AO to include Washington, DC; Maryland; and Virginia, but may also include work associated with other NAVFAC Atlantic and Pacific sites. The work is expected to be completed by May 2024. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $25,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website with six proposals received. NAVFAC Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-22-D-0001).

General Dynamics Mission Systems, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a contract in the amount of $324,516,613, including a base amount of $162,954,122 and $161,562,491 in options, to establish the ground Operations and Integration (O&I) segment for Tranche 1 of the National Defense Space Architecture. This effort designs, develops, integrates, verifies and delivers integrated mission operations and support activities, including operation center(s) sustainment. Funds obligated at the time of award are defense-wide fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Space Development Agency, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (HQ085022C0007).

National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $7,727,500 modification (P00002) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-21-D-B112) with four one-year option periods for physical fitness uniform pants. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Tennessee, with a June 9, 2023, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2022 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Tyto Government Solutions Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a fixed price-type $8,384,673 modification (P00013) to previously awarded task order number FA2550-20-F-0041 for Defensive Cyberspace Operations and Cyberspace Analysis, Coordination and Liaison services. The task order modification provides for an additional year of services under the basic task order. Work will be performed at Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado; Buckley SFB, Colorado; and Vandenberg SFB, California, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2023. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,384,673 are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the task order is $22,410,721. Space Operations Command, Peterson SFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Mission Systems Sector, Linthicum Heights, Maryland, is awarded a $254,415,555 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-5519 to exercise an option for production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 Hemisphere systems. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (55%); Tampa, Florida (6%); Andover, Massachusetts (5%); Chelmsford, Massachusetts (4%); Rochester, New York (3%); San Diego, California (3%); Los Angeles, California (2%); Winona, Minnesota (2%); Stafford Springs, Connecticut (2%); Glendale, Arizona (1%); Nashua, New Hampshire (1%); Elk Grove Village, Illinois (1%); White Marsh, Maryland (1%); Tucson, Arizona (1%); Chandler, Arizona (1%); Washington, North Carolina (1%); Woodridge, Illinois (1%); Richardson, Texas (1%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (1%); El Cajon, California (1%); Hiawatha, Iowa (1%); Littleton, Colorado (1%); Glendale, California (1%); and miscellaneous locations – each less than 1% (4%), and is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $152,649,333 (60%); and fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $101,766,222 (40%) 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 authority.

AV3 Inc., Mechanicsville, Maryland, is awarded a $21,118,350 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures various brand name audio visual (AV) video teleconference (VTC) equipment. There is a minimum ordering quantity of 10 AV VTC equipment parts and a maximum ordering quantity of 23,546 AV VTC equipment parts. This procurement will support the Integrated Command, Control and Intel Systems Division’s integration of specialized network AV systems supporting intelligence agencies and the command, control, communication, computers, cyber, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions of Joint Staff and combatant commanders; Department of Defense agencies and services; and Department of Homeland Security operational and support components. Work will be performed in Mechanicsville, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in May 2025. 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 via an electronic request for proposal; nine offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N6833522D0027).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $12,999,218 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001922F0975) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001920G0005). This order provides for the procurement for depot maintenance for the TE-6B in-flight trainer aircraft. Work will be performed in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed in August 2023. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $12,999,218 will be obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Atlas North America LLC, Yorktown, Virginia, is awarded an $8,619,126 firm-fixed-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements contract for depot level support and maintenance for the Seafox Mine Neutralization System. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $35,887,986. Work will be performed in Yorktown, Virginia (50%); and Panama City, Florida (50%), and is expected to be completed by May 2023. If all options are exercised, work will continue through May 2027. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. The contract was not competitively procured in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii) – circumstances permitting other than full and open competition when only one responsible source and no supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61331- 22-D-0002).

A.I. Solutions Inc., Lanham, Maryland, has been awarded a $217,000,000 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Space Systems Command Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power, Innovation & Prototype Operations Delta support services. This contract provides for research and development satellite operations and support services. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico; and Schriever Space Force Base, Colorado, and is expected to be completed by May 29, 2029. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and four proposals were received. Space Systems Command, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA8818-22-D-0002).

Black Cape, Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded an indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract with a maximum ceiling of $49,000,000 in support of the Platform Agnostic Data Storage Infrastructure (PADSI) program. The PADSI program provides a complete range of technologies for data management, data processing, data analytics, and visualization on common user interfaces supporting US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Fiscal 2022 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,027,692 were obligated at time of the award. The work will be performed in MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. This award is a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) III contract that is derived from, extends, and completes efforts made under prior SBIR funding agreements and is authorized pursuant to 15 US Code 638(r)(4). USSOCOM, MacDill AFB, Florida, is the contracting activity.

C2 Alaska LLC, San Antonio, Texas, was awarded a single award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HU000122D0004) in support of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences’ Facilities Department. This contract has a five-year ordering period from May 27, 2022, to May 26, 2027, with a minimum award amount of $10,000 and a maximum ceiling/face value of $13,500,000. Place of performance will be Bethesda, Maryland. This contract was a sole source acquisition awarded in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 19.804-6(c). Operations and maintenance funds will be obligated at the task order level. There are no known congressional interests in this requirement. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity.