More Russian-US Confrontations
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.
Smoldering tensions between the United States and Russian militaries flared around the world, reports The New York Times. Russian fighter jets repeatedly veered 100 feet in front of a US Air Force B-52 bomber over the Black Sea. Six Russian warplanes flew close enough to Alaska that Air Force F-22s scrambled to intercept them. And seven US soldiers were injured when a Russian armored vehicle deliberately rammed an American patrol in northeast Syria.
The Army directs a new general to take acting command of Fort Hood. GEN John Murray is to investigate the actions taken by the post’s chain of command following the disappearance of another Fort Hood soldier, reports Army Times. The central Texas Army base has experienced a series of violent deaths and disappearances among soldiers stationed there.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has completed the final version of a draft Binding Operational Directive instructing agencies to create vulnerability disclosure programs that allow third-party bug hunters to flag security vulnerabilities in federal systems, according to FCW. A CISA spokesperson said the agency does not have a timeline available for releasing the finalized directive. The draft version released in November 2019 would give agencies 15 business days to publicly list ways for security researchers to contact them about bugs.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease official, says that there is a legitimate way to end coronavirus vaccine trials early, reports CNN health. Although two ongoing clinical trials of 30,000 volunteers are expected to conclude by the end of the year, Dr. Fauci said an independent board has the authority to end the trials weeks early if interim results are overwhelmingly positive or negative.
Gov. Larry Hogan opens Phase 3 of Maryland’s coronavirus recovery Friday, tomorrow, Sept. 4 at 5 pm, reports The Washington Post. Citing improving infection rates, the declining use of intensive care beds, and expanded testing availability, Hogan said, it is safe to lift more of the social restrictions that have been in place since March, opening theaters and concert venues.
China plans to double its stockpile of nuclear warheads in the next decade, reports Defense News. Some are designed to be carried atop ballistic missiles that can reach the US. The Pentagon’s annual “China Military Power” report to Congress says the modernization and expansion of China’s nuclear forces is part of a broader effort by Beijing to develop a more assertive position on the world stage and to match or surpass America by 2049 as the dominant power in the Asia-Pacific region. Reuters says China rejects the report.
The Air Force initiates steps to prototype a supersonic aircraft to someday carry the president around the world in half the time, reports Military.com. The Presidential and Executive Airlift Directorate awarded last month a $1 million small business innovation research phase II contract to Exosonic, a start-up aerospace company, to begin the design and development of a low-boom executive airlift concept.
The Air Force is stepping up its efforts to fight the spread of diseases inside buildings, reports Military.com. It has authorized Theriax LLC, a research and development laboratory, to use a patented coating formula that greatly enhances protection against airborne microbes, including COVID-19, inside buildings and homes. The Air Force received a patent in 2013 for an invention that coats surfaces with a protective finish, killing toxins on contact.
Veterans Affairs officials reported more deaths from coronavirus patients in August than any previous month, reports Military Times. Department leaders dismiss concerns about the rising number of fatalities by questioning their own public records on the virus. There were 820 patient deaths reported in August. About 490 individuals died from virus-connected conditions in July, about 380 in June, about 720 in May and roughly 500 in April and March combined, according to VA’s daily public releases on virus response.
Marines lay out plans for gender integrating boot camp at the platoon level, reports Marine Corps Times. The Marine Corps is the only service without fully gender-integrated basic training, something that Congress required the Marine Corps to change in the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act. The corps will first provide the required facility upgrades for gender integrated training then will shift its focus on training a sufficient cadre of female drill instructors.
Outgoing director of the Navy Exchange Service Command, Rob Bianchi, says military commissaries are proving their worth during COVID, reports Military Times, charged with reversing six years of declining sales. Since November 2017, he has also faced destructive hurricanes; produce issues in the Pacific region, implementing a fundamental change in the commissary benefit, and expanding brand offerings; long-standing stocking issues; and preparing to welcome millions of new customers in January.
Studies are showing that the novel coronavirus can be detected in stool samples and anal swab samples for weeks, reports The Washington Post. In fact, scientists are testing wastewater as an early tracking system for outbreaks. A recent case on an airplane identified the airplane bathroom as the potential source. To skip to the solution: close the lid before flushing.
Contracts:
Compass Systems Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $7,690,800 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N68335-20-F-0698) against previously issued basic ordering agreement N68335-18-G-0035. This order procures command, control, communications, computers, combat systems, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (C5ISR) technology advancement to enhance communication techniques with Operational Mapping and Networked Intelligence technology (OMNI). This order provides support to the Aircraft Prototyping System division to include continued OMNI research for technology enhancement, prototype development, test, evaluation and labor for integrating these new techniques into C5ISR sensors, sensor systems and aerial platforms. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in August 2021. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $1,222,862; and fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $325,000 will be obligated at time of award, $325,000 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
AECOM Technical Services Inc., Omaha, Nebraska (W912DQ-20-D-3004); Aptim Federal Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia (W912DQ-20-D-3005); Black & Veatch ER JV, Overland Park, Kansas (W912DQ-20-D-3006); CAPE-Cabrera JV LLC, Norcross, Georgia (W912DQ-20-D-3007); CDM JV, Fairfax, Virginia (W912DQ-20-D-3008); ECC Environmental LLC, Burlingame, California (W912DQ-20-D-3009); Sevenson Environmental Services Inc., Niagara Falls, New York (W912DQ-2-0D-3010); Tetra Tech EC Inc., Langhorne, Pennsylvania (W912DQ-20-D-3011); and Weston Solutions Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania (W912DQ-20-D-3012), will compete for each order of the $185,000,000 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract to execute ongoing environmental remediation work at a number of sites for a variety of customers. Bids were solicited via the internet with ten received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 1, 2026. US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity.
Smiths Detection Inc., Edgewood, Maryland, was awarded a $90,863,728 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price) contract for full rate production of the Joint Chemical Agent Detector Solid Liquid Adapter. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 26, 2030. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911SR-20-D-0004).
Geospark Analytics Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $95,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five year ordering period for the Phase Three commercialization of their Small Business Innovation Research Phase One technology of Hyperion Artificial Intelligence. This enterprise-level contract provides near real time situational awareness capabilities to the entire US federal government, enabling users to make better decisions faster. This is accomplished by identifying and forecasting emerging events on a global scale to mitigate risk, recognize threats, greatly enhance indications and warnings and provide predictive analytics capabilities. Work will be performed in Herndon, Virginia, and is expected to be completed Sept. 1, 2025. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $200,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Headquarters US Space Force, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA2544-20-D-0001).
