Mixed Crab Verdict for Summer ’21
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 annual Chesapeake Bay blue crab survey yields a mixed verdict on this summer’s stock, reports The Bay Journal. Numbers plummeted this winter to the fourth-lowest on record, driven largely by the worst-ever showing of juvenile crabs since an annual bay-wide survey began in 1990. Though the juvenile drop is concerning, fishery managers say the number of adult females remains robust. They hope the females will produce a better crop of juveniles when they breed later this year.
The Supreme Court says Guam can pursue a $160 million lawsuit against the federal government over the cost of cleaning up a Navy-built landfill, reports Navy Times. The unanimous decision this week overturned a lower court that said Guam had waited too long to pursue the claim. The Navy built Ordot Dump during the 1940s and then deposited toxic military waste there before turning over control to Guam in 1950.
The Navy is creating a “sandbox” to promote flexibility dealing with small, high-tech companies, USNI reports. Joan Johnson, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for research development, test and engineering, told Congress last week the goal was to prevent promising advances from falling into the “valley of death” during the years-long process toward acceptance as a DoD program.
Look up: Venus will be impressively bright in the night sky starting this week, reports CNN. In the Northern Hemisphere, look west or northwest 30 minutes after sunset, and it should be immediately visible. “It’s dazzlingly obvious. It doesn’t twinkle like a star but has a steady light that makes it easy to spot,” said Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society in the United Kingdom. Venus is the nearest planet to Earth.
A Democratic feud has erupted over the scope of a military sexual assault bill with bipartisan support being urged to a floor vote, reports The Hill. Supporters face a formidable opponent, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee which has oversight over the issue. Reed wants the bill incorporated into a sweeping annual defense policy bill and go through his committee.
President Joe Biden’s defense budget, coming Friday, is under pressure from both sides, reports Defense News. Details of Biden’s first defense budget won’t be out until Friday, but lawmakers on the left and right have already drawn out their lines for the battle ahead.
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: May 24, 2021.
Airlines shun Belarus airspace after its president sent a MiG-29 fighter jet to snatch a commercial plane out of the sky while it was flying over his country, reports The Washington Post. European Union leaders have barred its airlines from entering Belarusian airspace as a punitive measure after President Alexander Lukashenko forced down the commercial plane carrying
A single rocket struck close to a military base hosting US troops in western Iraq on Monday without causing any injuries, reports Military Times. The rocket struck near Ain al-Asad air base, a sprawling complex in Anbar province, at 1:35 pm, damages were being assessed and an investigation was launched, according to an official military Twitter account.
The National Guard’s post-Capitol riot mission cost $521M bill as the final troops head home, reports Washington Examiner. Defense.gov announced the end of mission this week in a release that included a statement from DefSec Lloyd Austin thanking the service members who protected a vast perimeter of the Capitol grounds through the winter and spring. President Biden and first lady Jill Biden also issued a statement thanking the troops.
The estimated cost of US nuclear modernization jumps 28%, reports Defense One, to $634 billion. According to a Congressional Budget Office report released this week, the $140 billion increase in nuclear delivery systems and weapons, such as ICBMs, is the largest contributor to the jump. “Projected costs for command, control, communications, and early-warning systems have also increased substantially,” it says, adding that if full costs of B-52 and B-21 bombers were included, “the total costs of nuclear forces, with cost growth, would be $711 billion.”
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) received a death threat package with white powder and a violent, profane message, reports Fox News. The FBI is investigating. The package arrived at Paul’s home in Kentucky.
Gov. Jay Inslee signed 12 bills into law that include bans on choke-holds and no-knock warrants, making Washington the latest state to pass sweeping police reforms. The New York Times reports that with little federal action, more than 30 states — and many local governments — have passed a series of reforms over the last year.
The Navy lifts quarantine restrictions for deploying sailors who have been vaccinated for COVID-19, reports USNI. In addition to ending the quarantine for immunized sailors, commanding officers may allow immunized sailors making port calls in overseas safe haven ports like Guam, Bahrain, Yokosuka, Rota, or Sasebo to use base services.
Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (D) and several other elected officials from Prince George’s County have endorsed Del. Brooke E. Lierman (D-Baltimore City) for Maryland comptroller this week, reports Maryland Matters. If elected Lierman would be Maryland’s first female comptroller.
Contracts:
Resource Management Concepts Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland, has been awarded an $8,193,615 modification (P00014) to contract FA4890-18-F-5008 to exercise an option for support services to Headquarters Air Combat Command. This contract provides advisory and assistance support services to efforts directly associated with the Directorate of Operations, Flight Operations Division, and Acquisition Management and Integration Center (AMIC). Work will be performed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE), Virginia, and is expected to be completed June 30, 2023. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,358,907 are being obligated at the time of award. AMIC, JBLE, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
EG Designbuild LLC, Germantown, Maryland, is awarded $11,248,000 firm-fixed-price task order N4008521F5390 under a multiple award construction contract for roof repair at Norfolk Naval Shipyard. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by November 2022. This project will remove the existing roof system above the fifth and sixth floors of Building 510 and replace with a concrete pavement roofing system, relocate rooftop heating, ventilation and air conditioning, and electrical equipment, and demolish the glass periscope tower on the top of the sixth floor concrete roof. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, (Navy) funds in the amount of $11,248,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Two proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-18-D-1126).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded a $9,529,494 modification (P00035) to a previously awarded fixed-price-incentive-fee contract (N0001915C0091). This modification adds scope to procure two additional E-2D Delta System/Software Configuration Build IV (DSSC4) developmental test aircraft, increasing the quantity from three to five. This modification also provides for the upgrade of the mission computer display memory from 32GB to 64GB. Work will be performed in Melbourne, Florida (64.3%); McLean, Virginia (9.3%); McKinney, Texas (7.8%); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (5.7%); Broomfield, Colorado (4.0%); Ronkonkoma, New York (2.6%); St, Augustine, Florida (1.6%); Gardena, California (1.1%); and various locations within the continental US (3.6%), and is expected to be completed in June 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $102,393 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $171,161,084 modification (P00120) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0011 for logistics support services for fixed-wing fleets performing transport aircraft missions. Work will be performed in Germantown, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $58,569,937 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $34,380,759 modification (P00020) to contract W911NF-18-F-0029 for research, development, test and evaluation support to intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) weapon systems. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of June 13, 2022. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $25,895,386 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
