Lockheed Cuts F-35 Delivery Forecast
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Lockheed cut its full-year delivery forecast for F-35s, blaming delays at supplier L3Harris Technologies for holding up development of an upgraded version, slated to be delivered by the end of this year, Reuters reports. Announcement of the delays on Wednesday pushed Lockheed shares down 4.5% in afternoon trade, while L3Harris slipped about 1%. Lockheed now expects to deliver 97 aircraft that run on existing technology this year, it said in an SEC filing, down from between 100 and 120 jets previously forecast. The company, however, maintained its annual financial outlook.
Breaking Defense said delivery of the F-35s upgraded with Tech Refresh 3 will be between April and June 2024. The company said, “L3Harris Integrated Core Processor has driven most of the delays due to unexpected challenges associated with hardware and software development, component, and system integration testing and system qualification testing.”
The White House “strongly opposes” Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) seeking to revive the Pentagon’s short-lived chief management officer, which Congress abolished three years ago. Federal Times reports the Biden administration argues it would “structurally result in the same outcomes” as before, which were considered inconsequential.
Aljazeera reports Cuba has uncovered a human trafficking ring that has coerced Cuban citizens to fight for Russia in the war in Ukraine. Cuba’s foreign ministry said authorities were working to “neutralize and dismantle” the network.
The veterans unemployment rate in August jumped to its highest mark in 20 months, but outside analysts said the trend for veterans seeking jobs remains predominantly positive and should not be a point of panic yet, reports Military Times.
The Washington Post reports famed hacker and Twitter whistleblower Peiter “Mudge” Zatko is joining the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency with an emphasis on helping its campaign to push software manufacturers to bake security into their products while they’re being developed.
Japan’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed Okinawa’s rejection of a central government plan to build US Marine Corps runways on the island and ordered the prefecture to approve it despite protests by locals who oppose the American troops’ presence, reports AP.
US nuclear bombs positioned in European countries such as Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands should be relocated to Poland, which wants in on NATO’s nuclear burden-sharing mission, according to a study issued last week by the conservative Heritage Foundation and reported by Stars and Stripes. Stationing such weapons in Western Europe made sense during the Cold War, the study says, adding Poland to the mix would adapt the alliance’s nuclear strategy to current threats.
The Space Development Agency launched its second batch of data transport and missile tracking satellites September 2, laying the foundation for a constellation that will serve as the backbone of the Pentagon’s vision for all-domain operations, reports C4ISRNET. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried the 13 satellites to low Earth orbit, about 1,200 miles above the planet’s surface. The mission lifted off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and featured 10 transport spacecraft built by Lockheed Martin, one from Colorado-based York Space Systems and two tracking satellites from SpaceX.
Enrique Tarrio, the national leader of the Proud Boys on January 6, 2021, was sentenced Tuesday to 22 years in prison for masterminding a seditious conspiracy aimed at derailing the transfer of power from Donald Trump to Joe Biden reports Politico.
More than 2,000 troops from a Russia-led security alliance opened military exercises Friday in parts of Belarus near the borders of NATO countries, reports Military Times.
North Korea launched several cruise missiles into the sea Saturday, South Korea’s military said, extending its weapons testing activities in response to the United States-South Korea summer military drills, reports Military Times. South Korea’s military detected the launches early Saturday morning off the North’s west coast, the South’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement.
Hundreds of active-duty US troops will continue their deployment to the southern border through the next month, the Defense Department told NBC News on Thursday. “On August 24, 2023, the Secretary of Defense approved an extension of up to 400 personnel providing support to Customs and Border Protection on the Southwest border through September 30, 2023,” said Pentagon spokesman LT COL Devin T. Robinson.
Contracts:
Oasis Systems LLC, Burlington, Massachusetts, was awarded a $19,144,708 cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order (N00024-23-F-6311) under an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00024-20-D-6337) for Sea Hunter and Seahawk operations and sustainment. This award includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this delivery order to $37,435,818. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (90%); Ventura, California (5%); Rockville, Maryland (2%); Burlington, Massachusetts (1%); and various locations across the US, each less than 1% (2%). Work is expected to be completed by August 2024. If all options are exercised, work will continue through August 2026. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $635,875 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This delivery order was competitively procured via the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Family of Systems multiple award contract, with four offers received in response to this solicitation. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Sept. 1, 2023)
Murtech Inc., Glen Burnie, Maryland, was awarded a $35,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for lateral flow immunoassay strips. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 4, 2028. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911SR-23-D-0057).
W. M. Schlosser Co. Inc., Hyattsville, Maryland, was awarded a $20,777,000 firm-fixed-price contract for flocculation and sedimentation improvements at Washington Aqueduct. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Washington, DC, with an estimated completion date of July 21, 2026. Fiscal 2023 Washington Aqueduct Capital Improvements funds in the amount of $20,777,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-23-C-0030).
Fairbanks Morse LLC, Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded $9,020,007 for a firm-fixed-price, spares delivery order contract for the purchase of the non-air engine turbo supercharger in support of the landing, platform dock main propulsion diesel engine. All work will be performed in Beloit, Wisconsin, and work is expected to be completed by March 2024 with no option periods. Working capital funds (Navy) in the full amount of $9,020,007 will be obligated at the time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 US Code 3204 (a)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-23-F-YA06).
AECOM-SmithGroup NAVFAC Atlantic Medical JV, Roanoke, Virginia (N62470-23-D-0021); Rogers, Lovelock & Fritz Inc., Orlando, Florida (N62470-23-D-0022); and Sherlock, Smith & Adams Inc., Montgomery, Alabama (N62470-23-D-0023), are awarded a combined-maximum-value $249,000,000 multiple-award, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, architect-engineering contract for design and engineering services for medical treatment facilities design projects. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by September 2028. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $30,000 ($10,000 per awardee) will be obligated at time of award in order to satisfy the minimum guarantee and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the sam.gov website, with 13 offers received. Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Skookum Educational Programs, Bremerton, Washington, was awarded a $16,923,318 firm-fixed-price contract for material management services to be performed on Fort Eustis, Virginia. This contract provides for military supply warehouse operations to include operating a Central Issue Facility. Work will be performed Fort Eustis, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 1, 2028. This contract was a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $506,870 are being obligated at time of award. The 633d Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Hampton, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4800-23-C-0023).
