More Troops Head to Southern Border

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 Biden administration plans to send 1,500 more active-duty troops temporarily to the southern border to assist agents ahead of an expected influx of migrants seeking asylum, reports Politico. The upcoming expiration of a US public-health law permitting the US to deny asylum and migrations claims for public health reasons is anticipated to increase the numbers of people at the US-Mexico border seeking entry to America.

The Department of Veterans Affairs warns that a Republican proposal to cap government spending could slash medical services for veterans and slow benefits payments, reports Military.com. The VA released the statement Friday, ahead of an expected vote in the House this week on a GOP plan to raise the amount of money the nation can borrow to pay its bills in exchange for steep spending cuts.

House Republicans are floating potential reprisals for the warning including investigating the Department of Veterans Affairs or cutting its communications budget, reports Military.com. During a press call hosted by the No. 3 House Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Republicans insisted the debt limit and spending cut bill they recently passed would not result in reductions to veterans health care and benefits.

Protesters who challenged the General Services Administration’s Polaris small business contract in federal court won some of the claims and lost others. But the final result means GSA has to make adjustments to the government-wide IT solutions contract, reports Washington Technology.

The Coast Guard stood up its first all-remote, volunteer, cyber auxiliary flotilla team based out of Fort Meade, MD, to help the agency recruit and retain cybersecurity professionals. The Coast Guard, an armed service within the Department of Homeland Security, recruits a volunteer body of more than 20,000 members that acts as a force multiplier. In World War II, this force blossomed to respond to firefights, patrols, and rescue missions, in turn freeing up active duty personnel for service overseas. Today the call is for cybersecurity.

White men in high-tech Defense Department jobs earn more than their counterparts with similar skill sets, reports Stars and Stripes. The new Rand Corp. study found, even after accounting for differences in worker and organizational conditions, “a significant unexplained compensation difference among White men and all other demographic groups,” adding that the pay inequities are “especially prevalent when White men are compared with Black men and women.”

NBC reports the US military has been tracking since late last week a mysterious balloon that flew over portions of Hawaii but not over any sensitive areas. Although unclear what it is or whom it belongs to, US officials have determined it poses no threat to aerial traffic or national security, does not have maneuverability and is not communicating signals. It is moving slowly toward Mexico.

The DoD plans to install a 360-degree missile system on Guam to defend the strategic military waypoint in the Western Pacific against attacks, Guam’s acting governor said Tuesday. Stars and Stripes reports the system is expected to combine Army and Navy defensive missile systems with improved radar to respond to ballistic, cruise, and hypersonic missiles from potential adversaries such as China and North Korea.

Israeli air raids targeted the international airport in the northern Syrian city of Aleppo early Tuesday, killing one Syrian soldier and putting the airport out of commission, reports Aljazeera. Citing a military official, the state news agency SANA said two civilians and five other Syrian soldiers were wounded.

Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin was awarded a $7,8 billion contract modification for the production of additional F-35 fighter jets, the Department of Defense announced. Defence Blog reports the award exercises options for the production and delivery of 126 Lot 17 F-35 aircraft, including 81 F-35A aircraft for the US Air Force and its allies. Last year, Pentagon agreed with Lockheed Martin to build about 375 F-35 fighter jets over three years in a deal worth $30 billion.

By the end of the year, a new and unusual deal for the F-35 fighter′s spare parts could be in place — one that would flip the current supply model on its head, reports Defense News. If the proposed performance-based logistics contract works the way F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin has promised, it will save the government money, improve the availability of spare parts and give the company greater flexibility on how it assists repairs, such as making it easier to fix a broken part without fabricating a new one.

Tesla Inc. was the biggest loser among top companies by market capitalization in April, hit by disappointing quarterly earnings after it posted the lowest quarterly gross margin in two years, Reuter reports. Apple and Microsoft led the top 20 companies in the world for market capitalization. Telsa is No. 9.

Twitter’s attempt to implement a paid account verification service has attracted imposters spreading misinformation, which experts said could lead major brands to further pull back from the social media platform owned by billionaire Elon Musk. Reuter reports on April 20, Twitter moved to boost profits by removing the once-coveted blue check marks from accounts and charging $8 a month to users who wish to buy a Twitter Blue subscription to retain their verified status. “Twitter Blue is a mess. This is more chaos and confusion for brands who were already wary of impersonation. They don’t want to remain on a platform where they feel vulnerable,” said Jasmine Enberg, principal analyst at Insider Intelligence.

The US stands to lose about $7 trillion in tax revenue because of the tax gap—the difference between taxes owed and collected, reports GCN. A team of researchers at Johns Hopkins University is looking at using artificial intelligence to close tax loopholes before they ever open. The idea is to build a system that could read proposed changes to any tax law and return feedback on potentially negative and unintended consequences.

The aircraft carrier George Washington will head back to the Japan-based US 7th Fleet next year to serve as the Navy’s lone forward-deployed carrier, reports Navy Times. US Pacific Fleet announced the Washington will replace fellow carrier Ronald Reagan, which has been based out of Yokosuka, Japan, since 2015.

Hundreds of Americans fleeing deadly fighting in Sudan have reached the east African nation’s port  in the first US-run, land evacuation under escort of armed drones, reports Military Times. American drones had been watching overland evacuation routes for days then provided armed overwatch for a bus convoy carrying 200 to 300 Americans over 500 miles, to Port Sudan, a place of relative safety, US officials said.

Without a carrier strike group or amphibious readiness group currently operating in the Middle East, the US Navy has dispatched two little-known ship classes to help the State Department evacuate people from Sudan, reports USNI. Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Brunswick (T-EPF-6) moved about 300 people from Port Sudan to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Monday. Meanwhile, Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary sea base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3) is also operating in the Red Sea, standing by to aid in the evacuation mission.

The Washington Post reports the US National Security Council estimates Russia has suffered 100,000 casualties since December, including more than 20,000 killed in action; roughly half of those killed were working with the Wagner mercenary group, often ex-convicts who had been recruited from prison, NSC spokesman John Kirby said. The Hill reports Moscow, on Tuesday, rejected the US estimate of casualties and number of Russians who have died since December, claiming the numbers were “plucked from thin air.”

AP reports Russia claimed it foiled an attack by Ukrainian drones on the Kremlin early Wednesday, calling it an unsuccessful assassination attempt against President Vladimir Putin and promising retaliation for what it termed a “terrorist” act. The Ukrainian president denied it, saying, “We don’t attack Putin or Moscow.”

The official quarters of the Naval Academy’s superintendent are being renamed Farragut House to honor the Navy’s first flag officer, the military’s latest step in removing the names of Confederate troops from bases and facilities. ADM David Glasgow Farragut was a Civil War hero who became the first naval officer appointed rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the 1800s, reports Navy Times.

The Pentagon is expanding the use of wearable fitness trackers to help predict outbreaks of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 as use of the technology, such as watches and rings, spreads in the military despite early security concerns, reports Military.com.

Authorities believe debris washing up along Outer Banks beaches over the last few days came from a US Navy vessel nearby, reports The Virginian Pilot. The debris, including plastic, metal, paper, and textile fabric, started appearing Thursday and has been spotted from Nags Head south to the villages of Rodanthe, Waves, and Salvo on Hatteras Island, the National Park Service said in a news release.

Contracts:

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded a $16,555,982 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001923F0436) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001920G0005). This order provides for non-recurring engineering in support of the redesign of the MQ-4C Triton aircraft Broad Area Maritime Surveillance Airborne Recorder (BAR), the BAR ground station, and the test aircraft radar BAR due to diminishing manufacturing sources for the Navy. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (53%); San Francisco, California (40%); Patuxent River, Maryland (5%); and Chantilly, Virginia (2%), and is expected to be completed in April 2027. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,555,982 will be obligated at the 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.

The MITRE Corp., Bedford, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $16,089,360 cost-reimbursement contract modification (P00016) to contract FA8702-23-C-0001 for support to the Air Force from MITRE as the administrator of the National Security Engineering Center Federally-Funded Research and Development Center. Work will be performed in Bedford, Massachusetts; McLean, Virginia; and various locations throughout the continental US and outside the continental US, and is expected to be completed Sept. 30, 2023. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $390,000.00 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Massachusetts, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee not-to-exceed $1,439,135,764 undefinitized contract. This contract provides for the continued development of critical F-35 warfighting capabilities, to include Electronic Warfare Band 2/5 Radar Warning Receiver, Modernized Countermeasure Controller, Multi-ship Infrared Search and Track Increment 2, and Beyond Line of Sight communications, as well as supports required training and combat data systems development for Lots 16 and 17 production aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers, and non-Department of Defense (DOD) participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (60%); Nashua, New Hampshire (16%); Baltimore, Maryland (9%); Orlando, Florida (5.5%); Torrance, California (2%); San Diego, California (2%); El Segundo, California (2%); Northridge, California (1%); Clearwater, Florida (1%); Buffalo, New York (1%); and Tucson, Arizona (0.5%), and is expected to be completed in March 2028. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $57,335,825; fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation Air Force) funds in the amount of $54,900,755; FMS customer funds in the amount of $565,817; and non-DOD participants funds in the amount of $30,558,644 will be obligated at the time of award, none‬ of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001923C0009).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Liverpool, New York, is awarded a $35,646,196 fixed-price incentive (firm target) modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-6120 to exercise options for Navy equipment and engineering services. Work will be performed in Liverpool, New York (67%); and Millersville, Maryland (33%), and is expected to be completed by November 2025. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $24,995,803 (70%); fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $7,100,262 (20%); and fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,550,131 (10%) 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.

Military Produce Group LLC, Norfolk, Virginia, has been awarded a $33,275,705 firm-fixed-price requirements type contract to provide fresh fruits and vegetable products for 29 commissaries located in the Defense Commissary Agency’s East Area (Maryland, District of Columbia, Pennsylvania, Virginia, New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Maine).  The award is for a 24-month base performance period beginning July 3, 2023.  The award includes three one-year option periods. If all option periods are exercised, the contract will be completed July 9, 2028. Offerors were solicited on SAM.Gov and available to companies within the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Code 311991 holders. Four proposals were received. The Defense Commissary Agency, Resale Contracting Division, Fort Lee, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HDEC0222D0005).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Minneapolis, Minnesota, is awarded a $9,948,433 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only contract for engineering and waterfront support for the MK 45 gun mount. The contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $53,234,366. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (25%); San Diego, California (25%); Louisville, Kentucky (15%); Minneapolis, Minnesota (15%); Mayport, Florida (10%); Bremerton, Washington (5%); and Yokosuka, Japan (5%); and is expected to be completed by April 2024. If all options are exercised, work will continue through April 2028. Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $687,934 (78%); and fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $188,799 (22%) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 US Code 3204(a)(1) (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-23-C-5300).

Raytheon BBN Technologies Corp., Cambridge, Massachusetts, is awarded a $7,904,175 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the development of digital threads for naval platforms. This contract provides for the development of engineering tools, with a focus on digital threads. The contractor will perform fundamental research on data science and naval engineering processes, pursue a digital thread motivated pilot study for autonomous systems, and assist the Office of Naval Research in integrating research into a new digital thread architecture and software tool prototype. Work will be performed in Middletown, Rhode Island (70%); Cambridge, Massachusetts (20%); and Arlington, Virginia (10%). Work is expected to be completed by May 2, 2028. The maximum dollar value, including a 60-month period of performance with no options, is $7,904,175. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $50,000 are obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-22-S-B001, Long Range Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology. Since proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-23-C-1003).