Mattis Orders Greater Flexibility for Ready and Lethal Forces
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DefSec James Mattis orders review of administrative and training requirements that obstruct warfighting capabilities, reports Military Times. The directive to the services, the National Guard Bureau, and combatant commanders seeks changes needed to give each branch increased flexibility to organize, train, and equip more ready and lethal forces.
Kayakers, paddleboarders, and other active groups can continue to use the Potomac River near a Virginia golf course owned by President Donald Trump, reports The Seattle Times. The commandant of the Coast Guard, after listening to complaints, said that as long as river enthusiasts stay on the Maryland side of the river, they can continue to use canoes, kayaks, and other watercraft, ADM Paul Zukunft told lawmakers at a House hearing.
More than one in five veterans receiving federal disability payouts suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, reports Military Times. Veterans Affairs officials told lawmakers that the number of disability cases related to PTSD has nearly tripled in the last decade from around 345,000 cases in fiscal 2008 to more than 940,000 cases today.
The Naval Air System Command’s Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System finished testing and data review at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, validating a software fix that will ensure safe launches, reports Military Embedded Systems.
The blue crew executive officer of the ballistic missile submarine Alaska was relieved of command, reports Navy Times. Submarine Force Atlantic officials said Lt. Cmdr. Bryan P. Watson was relieved after preliminary findings of a Naval Criminal Investigative Service investigation into the officer’s personal misconduct came to light
North Korea will be able to field a reliable, nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile as early as next year, reports The Washington Post. US officials have concluded in a confidential assessment that dramatically shrinks the timeline for when Pyongyang could strike North American cities with atomic weapons.
More provocation in the northern Persian Gulf as Iranian vessel speeds toward the USS Thunderbolt, reports Military Times. The vessel got as close as 150 yards to the Thunderbolt before shots were fired to turn it away. This is the latest in a string of encounters between the two navies within the last year. The US Navy released a video of the latest incident, reports Defense News.
Dentists of Mission of Mercy find a way to facilitate doing good for more patients in an Appalachian county, reports The Washington Post.
Contracts:
BAE Systems, Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a $72,633,686 modification (P00207) to exercise an option on the previously awarded contract for integration support. Contractor will provide systems engineering, technical assistance support, training and development in performing integration, sustaining engineering and program management support functions for the Minuteman III weapon system. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2018. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,650,000, and 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $21,996,225 are being obligated at the time of contract modification. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8214-13-C-0001).
Broadleaf Inc., Haymarket Virginia, has been awarded a not-to-exceed $22,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for base level software support services. This contract provides for services to purchase software and manage software licenses. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be complete by July 31, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2017 research and development funds in the amount of $53,534 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Test Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA2487-17-D-0001).
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, is being awarded $51,097,318 for cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00027 to a previously awarded contract (N00030-15-C-0100) for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed system support. The work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (43.25 percent); Cape Canaveral, Florida (31.96 percent); Kings Bay, Georgia (8.81 percent); Silverdale, Washington (7.40 percent); Magna, Utah (3.51 percent); Clearwater, Florida (1.05 percent); Palo Alto, California (0.90 percent); Poulsbo, Washington (0.76 percent); Gainsville, Virginia (0.42 percent); Elkton, Maryland (0.24 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (0.15 percent); Atlanta, Georgia (0.13 percent); and other locations (less than 0.10 percent each, 1.42 percent total), with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2017. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) in the amount of $50,797,500; and 2017 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $299,818 are being obligated on this award. Funds in the amount of $50,797,500 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Moorestown, New Jersey, is being awarded a $20,849,758 cost-plus-fixed fee contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-16-C-5103) to exercise options for AEGIS foreign military sales lifetime support services consisting of in-country support and staging in support of the Royal Australian Navy. Work will be performed in Adelaide, Australia (94.4 percent); Moorestown, New Jersey (3.9 percent); Sydney, Australia (0.7 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (0.5 percent); and Port Hueneme, California (0.5 percent), and is expected to be completed by November 2019. Foreign military sales (Commonwealth of Australia) funding in the amount of $569,810 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, was awarded $8,790,600 for cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification P00013 under a previously awarded contract (N00030-16-C-0005), for sustainment of the US and UK SSBN fire control system and the US SSGN attack weapon control system (AWCS) to include training and support equipment. Also included is missile fire control for the US Columbia-class and UK Dreadnought-class common missile compartment program development, through first unit UK production, and strategic weapon interface simulator. Work will be performed in Pittsfield, Massachusetts (90.5 percent); Bremerton, Washington, (3.6 percent); Kings Bay, Georgia (2.7 percent); Dahlgren, Virginia (1.0 percent); Cape Canaveral, Florida (0.9 percent); Portsmouth, Virginia (0.9 percent); and the United Kingdom (0.4 percent), with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2023. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,400,593 and 2017 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,390,007 are being obligated on this award. Funds in the amount of $5,400,593 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded July 17, 2017)
