Military Pay Hike Is Safe, Some Lawmakers Say
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A 3.1% military pay raise is set to take effect Jan. 1, reports Military Times, regardless of what lawmakers say about the ongoing budget fights. Senate Democratic leaders say the annual salary boost is safe. A top House GOP leader says the hike could be at risk in the ongoing impasse over the defense budget and the turmoil surrounding the impeachment inquiry, reports Military.com.
Raytheon has released photographs of the first Next Generation Jammer Mid-Band pod, The Aviationist reports. The pod was mounted on an EA-18G Growler from the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX-23) at NAS Pax River.
Breaking Defense reports that all six East Coast-based aircraft carriers are currently docked in Norfolk.
The US Air Force has found a way to give its student helicopter pilots a leg up on training, reports Federal News Radio. The service’s helicopter simulation will use virtual reality, artificial intelligence and other new technologies, much like it already does with its fixed-wing pilot trainees.
When the first operational F-35A landed at the Royal Netherlands Air Force’s Leeuwarden Air Base, a water cannon salute was planned. What instead the fighter jet got a firefighting foam bath, reports The Drive. Base firefighters had reportedly responded to an actual emergency involving an F-16 Viper jet earlier and forgot to switch back to shooting regular water for the ceremony.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force took delivery of the first of nine P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft at a ceremony in Seattle last week, Defense Post reports.
Military analysts are clashing over claims by China that it can now track US stealth aircraft with meter wave radar technology, reports Asia Times.
Russia is conducting an underwater exercise in the waters of the North Atlantic, reports Maritime Herald. Norwegian intelligence reports say no less than 10 submarines from the Russian Navy are involved, eight of which are nuclear-powered.
Amazon must decide soon if it will protest the Pentagon’s awarding of a $10 billion cloud computing contract to Microsoft, reports WTOP News.
The US Army has chosen the company that will build its Multi-Utility Tactical Transport, or MUTT, for its Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport unmanned ground system program, reports Defense News. The contract with General Dynamics calls for these robotic vehicles to be delivered by October 2024.
North Korea fired two projectiles off its eastern coast last week, reports The Associated Press, apparently resuming its weapons testing. The launch was followed by demands that the US ease sanctions. Reuters reports that North Korea has said in recent days that it is losing patience with the US.
Google gets into the fitness-tracker business with its purchase of Fitbit for about $2.1 billion, reports Houston Chronicle. The deal could put Google in direct competition with Apple and Samsung in the smartwatch and other wearable electronics market.
Researchers say they have found the British submarine HMS Urge off the coast of Malta in the Mediterranean Sea, reports CNN. The vessel went missing during World War II in April 1942.
Contracts:
Dyncorp International LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a $56,496,749 modification (P00033) to a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-reimbursable contract (N68936-17-C-0052). This modification exercises an option that provides aircraft maintenance, modification and aircrew support. This modification includes organizational-level aircraft maintenance and logistics support on aircraft, systems/subsystems, aircrew systems, search-and-rescue equipment and support equipment for P-3 Orion, C-130 Hercules, F/A-18 Hornet, E/A-18 Growler, AV-8B Harrier II and H-60 Seahawk for the Naval Test Wing Pacific. Work will be performed in China Lake, California (50%); Point Mugu, California (40%); Hickman Air Force Base, Hawaii (2%); Lemoore, California (2%); Patrick Air Force Base, Florida (1%); Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico (1%); Patuxent River, Maryland (1%); Yuma, Arizona (1%); Miramar, California (1%) and North Island, California (1%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. Fiscal 2020 working capital (Navy) funds for $42,121,234 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center, Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $46,103,818 modification (P00024) to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (W15QKN-15-D-0001) to execute Award Term 4 for integrated logistics support for multiple Foreign Military Sales customers. Work will be performed at Patuxent River, Maryland (52%); Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania (5.5%); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (5.5%); Jacksonville, Florida (2.5%); Pensacola, Florida (2.5%); various other locations within the continental US (4%); Kuwait City, Kuwait (24%); Atsugi, Japan (1%) Iwakuni, Japan (1%); Koahsiung, Taiwan (1%); and Cairo, Egypt (1%), and is expected to be completed in October 2020. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Boston Consulting Group, Bethesda, Maryland, is awarded a $16,054,435 modification (P00007) to a previously issued firm-fixed-price order (N00421-19-F-0106) against a General Services Administration, Federal Supply Schedule contract (GS-10-F-0253V). This modification exercises the option to continue the implementation of a new Naval Sustainment System (NSS) to include the development of governance, coordination and accountability mechanisms across the Naval Aviation Enterprise. The Commander for the Fleet Readiness Center’s contribution to the NSS will deploy commercial maintenance best practices, tailored to the Navy’s operational requirements and starting position; in order to reduce component repair and heavy maintenance periodic maintenance inspection turnaround times and better enable aviation readiness recovery. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in April 2020. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds for $16,054,435 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Management Services Group Inc., doing business as Global Technical Systems, Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded an $83,726,453 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price, and cost-only contract modification to previously awarded contract N63394-19-C-0008 to exercise options for the sustainment of the Common Processing System. This option exercise is for production and installation of ordnance alteration (ORDALT) kits and associated engineering services, logistics and incidental materials in support of the Common Processing System. ORDALT kits are anticipated to be installed on Aegis destroyers, Aegis cruisers, Landing Helicopter Deck, Landing Ship Dock, aircraft carriers and Japanese destroyers. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (21%); San Diego, California (16%); Yokosuka, Japan (11%); Honolulu, Hawaii (8%); Dahlgren, Virginia (6.5%); Wallops Island (6.5%); Aegis Ashore (5%); Everett, Washington (5%); Mayport, Florida (5%); Moorestown, New Jersey (5%); Port Hueneme, California (5%); Washington, District of Columbia (3%); Rota, Spain (3%); Deveselu, Romania (2.5%); and Redzikowo, Poland (2.5%), and is expected to be complete by October 2020. This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $116,436,973 and be complete by July 2024. Fiscal 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $1,483,823 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity.
Rightstar Inc., Vienna, Virginia, is being awarded a multiple-award, firm-fixed-price Department of Defense (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) blanket purchase agreement (BPA) in accordance with the firms’ General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule contracts. The potential estimated value of this category of BPA is $820,450,000. This agreement is being awarded as part of a multi-reseller/multi-software publisher software category management award for commercial off-the-shelf information technology asset management software; software maintenance support; information technology professional services; and related services in support of DoD ESI and under the direction of Office of Management and Budget, Enterprise Software Category. The software publisher under this agreement is Nlyte. The BPA provides for the purchase of Nlyte products and services by the DoD, US intelligence community, and the Coast Guard worldwide. The ordering period will be for a maximum of 10 years from Nov. 1, 2019, through July 11, 2029. This BPA is issued under DoD ESI in accordance with the policy and guidelines in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, Section 208.74. This BPA will not obligate funds at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders using operations and maintenance (DoD) funds. Requirements will be competed among the awardees in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.403-3(c)(2), and the successful contractor will receive firm fixed-price orders. This BPA was competitively procured via the GSA E-Buy web site among 679 vendors. Two offers were received and two were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-20-A-0006).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. – Marine Systems, Sunnyvale, California, is awarded a cost-plus incentive-fee $77,377,019 contract modification (P00002) to a previously awarded contract (N00030-19-C-0015) for technical engineering services, design and development engineering, component and full scale test and evaluation engineering, and tactical underwater launcher hardware production to support the development and production of the Common Missile Compartment (CMC). Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (55%); Ridgecrest, California (20%); Cape Canaveral, Florida (10%); Bangor, Washington (5%); Kings Bay, Georgia (5%); Barrow-In-Furness, England (2%); New London, Connecticut (1%); Quonset Point, Rhode Island (1%); and Arlington, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2024. Fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion Navy funding in the amount of $34,868,308 will be obligated on this award. Fiscal 2020 United Kingdom common funding in the amount of $42,508,711 will be obligated on this award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Ultra Electronic Ocean Systems, Braintree, Massachusetts, is awarded a $45,161,439 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for engineering and technical service for the design, development, testing, integration, technology insertion/refreshment and system support of the AN/BPS radar software management system on new construction and in-service submarines. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia (50%); and Wake Forest, North Carolina (50%), and is expected to be completed by October 2020. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $100,861,439, and be complete by May 2026. Fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy-SCN); 2015 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy-SCN); 2019 other procurement (Navy-OPN); and 2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy-SCN) funding in the amount of $1,700,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of current fiscal year — funding: fiscal 2019 SCN (58%); fiscal 2015 SCN (18%); fiscal 2019 OPN (18%); and fiscal 2014 SCN (6%). In accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(5), authorized or required by statute 15 U.S. Code 638(r)(4) states: “To the greatest extent practical, Federal agencies and Federal prime contractors shall issue Phase III awards relating to technology, including sole source awards, to the SBIR and STTR award recipients that developed the technology.” The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-20-D-6202).
Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $12,019,951 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously-awarded contract N00024-11-C-2300 to exercise an option for the accomplishment of post-delivery support for USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS 21) of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. This option exercise is for post-delivery support for the LCS program. Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, will provide expert design, planning and material support for LCS 21’s post-delivery period. Lockheed Martin will perform the planning and implementation of deferred design changes that have been identified during the construction period. The corrections and upgrades are necessary to support USS Minneapolis-St. Paul sail-away and follow-on post-delivery test and trials period. Work will be performed in Marinette, Wisconsin (57%); Hampton, Virginia (14%); Moorestown, New Jersey (11%); San Diego, California (11%); and Washington, District of Columbia (7%), and is expected to be completed by October 2021. Fiscal 2015 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding for $7,000,000 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Booz Allen Hamilton, Alexandria, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0002); Deloitte Consulting LLP, Arlington, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0003); Logistics Management Institute, Tysons, Virginia (HHM402-20-D-0004); and Solutions Through Innovative Technologies, Fairborn, Ohio (HHM402-20-D-0005); were awarded a one-year base plus four one-year options indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (ID/IQ), multiple-award contract for strategic workforce analysis planning and management (SWAPM) with a maximum obligation amount of $88,714,746. This contract will provide support services to strategic workforce planning and analysis initiatives to support career field managers and organizational talent and position management requirements. Work will be performed in the National Capital Region with an estimated completion date of Oct. 17, 2024. No funds were obligated at time of award. The SWAPM contract was awarded through a full and open solicitation and five offers were received. Each company will receive a $2,500 minimum guarantee. Task Orders (TO) will be issued competitively under this ID/IQ, which will allow for the following TO contract types: firm-fixed-price, labor hour and time-and-material. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Oct. 18, 2019)
