Military ‘Not an Amazon Prime’ for Weapons

(Photo courtesy 256th Brigade Combat Team, Louisiana Army National Guard)

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.

USNI reports the US no longer has the capacity to quickly produce needed wartime assets, like 155mm artillery shells, or to repair vital sophisticated systems, like radar, rapidly in theater, according to a panel of expert logisticians at last week’s Navy League’s Sea Air Space 2023 symposium. “There’s not an Amazon Prime for these weapons systems,” said Justin Woulfe, Systecon’s chief technology officer.

According to Reuters, South Korea has reached an agreement to lend the United States 500,000 rounds of 155mm artillery shells that could give Washington greater flexibility to supply Ukraine with ammunition, a South Korean newspaper reported Wednesday.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA), discussing the FY24 budget, warned members of the Aircraft Carrier Industrial Base Coalition that DoD could face a flat budget or even sweeping defense budget cuts. Defense News reports House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) is deadlocked with the White House over raising the debt ceiling amid Republican demands to curb spending while simultaneously increasing the defense budget. McCarthy also faces division within his caucus regarding additional spending for Ukraine.

Military.com reports that entertainer Jon Stewart ripped military spending as out-of-control and unfocused during a wide-ranging interview with the Deputy DefSec Kathleen Hicks last week, saying that more needs to be done to get money to troops and families instead of defense contractors. “I can’t figure out how $850 billion to a department means that the rank and file still have to be on food stamps,” he said.

The US’s Thule Air Base in Greenland, where Space Force units conduct missile warning operations, has been renamed Pituffik Space Base, reports Space News. Pituffik (pronounced bee-doo-FEEK) is the traditional Greenlandic name of the region where the base is located.

The veterans unemployment rate in March matched its lowest rate in four years, continuing a more than year-long streak of positive jobs news for former military members, reports Military Times. According to data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday, the unemployment rate among all veterans last month was 2.4%. It’s the third time in the last 13 months the jobs estimate has hit that mark.

The Hill ranks the recent Ukraine War leak among the top five most damaging data leaks out of the Pentagon, which include: Edward Snowden’s NSA 2013 leaks about the US surveilling millions of Americans; The Pentagon Papers, documents from 1945 to 1967 validating many anti-war criticisms of involvement in Vietnam; Iraq War Logs from 2004 to 2009, detailing US and coalition forces in the Iraq war and revealing 60% deaths, 66,000, were civilians; and former FBI agent Robert Hanssen’s 25-year espionage career selling thousands of US military details and strategies to Soviet and Russian sources.

Engineers at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Pax River are testing the Navy’s current fleet of Aerial Refueling Store pods to support the service’s new air-to-air refueling tanker, the MQ-25 Stingray, potentially saving millions, reports Aerotech News.

This Earth Day will be an extra-special one for NAS Pax River. The Navy base’s Environment Division will be honored by St. Mary’s County with a Sustainability Award for a shoreline restoration project to stop soil erosion and rebuild natural habitat areas on the Patuxent River, reports TheBayNet.

A trial underway in federal court will decide whether the US government must pay up to $21 million to compensate Arlington County, VA, for land taken to expand Arlington National Cemetery. Stars and Stripes reports the expansion is expected to add 50,000 to 60,000 burial spaces to accommodate new burials by 19 years. Work has begun and will not be halted no matter the court’s decision. The county disputes the US government’s exchange of road improvements fully compensated the value of the full 9 acres.

The US Navy will expand its unmanned systems experimentation testbed to US 4th Fleet to counter both drug trafficking and China’s illegal fishing, reports USNI.

A US Navy warship on Monday cruised near a chain of islands claimed by China, Taiwan, and other countries, coinciding with the third day of Chinese exercises around Taiwan in the wake of meetings between Taiwan’s president and US officials. Stars and Stripes reports China typically protests such operations but had not made a statement as of Monday afternoon. Stars and Stripes also reported, on Monday, dozens of Chinese aircraft and numerous warships approached Taiwan as Beijing continued its third day of drills around the island following last week’s meeting between Taiwan’s president and the US House speaker.

A rocket attack Monday targeted a base in eastern Syria where US troops are based causing no injuries or damage, reports Military Times.

Ford Rucker is renamed Fort Novosel, thanks to a flight surgeon who gave Michael Novosel a pass when he came up an eighth of an inch short of a 5 feet, 4 inches military aviator height requirement. CNN reports the 18-year-old went on to serve in three conflicts, including two tours in Vietnam where he rescued 5,500 wounded soldiers, leading to Chief Warrant Officer 4 Novosel receiving the Medal of Honor. The Pentagon is re-commemorating installations and facilities named for Confederates leaders.

Two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters that crashed on March 29 and killed nine soldiers near Fort Campbell, KY, collided in mid-air before going down, Army Times reports on a preliminary report from the Army’s aviation investigation authority released April 6. It’s not yet clear whether the collision occurred due to pilot error, maintenance failures, or other potential causes and the center’s officials are continuing their inquiry.

Breaking Defense reports Romania will purchase F-35 Joint Strike Fighters in a bid to boost the country’s air security capabilities and deter “aggression,” according to a statement posted to the website of president Klaus Iohannis.

The United Kingdom has awarded $200 million for the maintenance and support of its F-35 Lightning stealth jet fleet, ensuring readiness for global combat operations, reports UK Defence Journal.

Contracts:

Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $10,959,072 modification (P00060) to contract W31P4Q-21-F-0095 for hardware-in-the-loop modeling and simulation, and development engineering services. Work will be performed at Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of April 11, 2027. Fiscal 2010 Foreign Military Sales (Australia); and fiscal 2023 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $10,959,072 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, is awarded an $18,675,412 fixed-price incentive (firm target) modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-6322 for retrofit of the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV). Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland (70%); and San Diego, California (30%), and is expected to be completed by June 2024. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $18,675,412 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.

U.S. Marine Management Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded a $17,650,840 firm-fixed-price contract with reimbursable elements (N3220523C4223) for time charter of one US Flag, double hull tanker Yosemite Trader with an Inert Gas System and Segregated Ballast Tanks that is capable of carrying a minimum of 300,000 barrels of clean petroleum products (intention JP8, JAA, or F76) within the vessel’s natural segregation in designated cargo tanks with double valve isolation. This contract includes a 12-month base period with two 12-month option periods, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $52,558,626. Work will be performed in Hawaii and worldwide, and is expected to be completed if all options are exercised by April 2026. Working capital funds (Transportation) in the amount of $17,650,840 are obligated for fiscal 2023, and will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the System Award Management website and four offers were received. The Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Cape Fox Facilities Services LLC, Manassas, Virginia, was awarded a $148,265,686 time and material, single-award blanket purchase agreement (BPA) for construction security and escort services. This contract provides for the full range of construction security and escort services, including program management, administrative support, and oversight. Work will be performed in the continental US at government work locations inside and outside the National Capital Region, with an expected completion date of April 30, 2028. The first call order against this BPA using fiscal 2023 operations and management funds in the amount of $2,037,974 for the base year is being awarded and obligated immediately following this BPA award. This contract was a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (HHM402-23-A-004). 

KPMG LLP, McLean, Virginia, has been awarded an estimated $82,421,953 firm-fixed-price blanket purchase agreement (SP4704-23-A-0506) against a multiple-award schedule contract (GS-00F-275CA) for strategic audit integrator and advisor services and audit response and sustainment services in support of financial improvement and the audit readiness program. This was a competitive acquisition with four responses received. This is a one‐year agreement with four one-year option periods. Location of performance is Washington, DC, with an April 30, 2024, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2023 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Richmond, Virginia.

The Survice Engineering Co. LLC, Belcamp, Maryland, is awarded an $8,359,234 firm-fixed-price contract for the production and delivery of 21 TRV-150C Tactical Resupply Unmanned Aircraft Systems and 12 months of Systems Engineering Program Management services in support of the Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems program office. Work will be performed in Churchville, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2024. Fiscal 2023 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $6,363,065; and fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $1,996,169 will be obligated at the time if award, $1,996,169 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 US Code 4022(f). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001923C0033).

Affigent LLC, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $15,842,569 modification (P00002) to contract W52P1J-22-F-0136 to provide an unlimited subscription agreement for Oracle Java Standard Edition software and support. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of April 22, 2024. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $15,842,569 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

York Brawley II JV LLC, Yorktown, Virginia (FA8501-23-D-0015); VET Con Souza JV, Farmersville, California (FA8501-23-D-0014); Semper Tek LLC, Valdosta, Georgia (FA8501-23-D-0012); OK2 Construction, Cleburne, Texas (FA8501-23-D-0010); Mule Engineering, Winter Garden, Florida (FA8501-23-D-0009); KMK, Jacksonville, Florida (FA8501-23-D-0008), J.A.M. Construction Services, Merritt, Florida (FA8501-23-D-0007); Charlton Enterprises, Folkston, Georgia (FA8501-23-D-0004); Carolina Group Contracting, Goldsboro, North Carolina (FA8501-23-D-0003); and A-Vet Roofing and Construction, Warner Robins, Georgia (FA8501-23-D-0002); have been awarded a multi‐award, indefinite‐delivery/indefinite‐quantity contract, with a maximum ceiling of $300,000,000 for maintenance, repair, alteration, mechanical, electrical, heating/air conditioning, demolition, painting, asbestos remediation, paving and earth work for industrial/office buildings and/or infrastructure. Work will be performed at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be completed April 10, 2028. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and 16 offers were received. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,000 will be paid to each contractor at the time of award. Air Force Material Command, Robins AFB, Georgia, is the contracting activity.

American Water Operations and Maintenance LLC, Camden, New Jersey, has been awarded a maximum $15,082,236 modification (P00185) to a 50-year contract (SP0600-09-C-8257) with no option periods for the ownership, operation and maintenance of water and wastewater utility systems at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. This is a fixed-price with economic-price adjustment contract. Location of performance is Virginia, with a March 5, 2060, performance completion date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2023 through 2060 Army operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.