March 28, 2024

Most F-35s Return to Flight

F-35

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River  Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Defense News estimates about 60 F-35s may still need fuel tube replacements to join the the rest of the F-35s returned to flight operations. A fuel tube problem sidelined all operational F-35 aircraft last week, more than 80 percent of jets have been cleared to return to flight.

New or old military retirement system? Military Times reports on an advocacy organization asking the 1.6 million service members who are eligible to choose between the old or new retirement systems, why they made the choice they did. Take the survey.

C4irsnet reports on how the Office of Naval Research hopes to revolutionize manufacturing through contracting with Lockheed. The two-year, $5.8 million contract is to explore how machine learning and artificial intelligence can make complex 3-D printing more reliable and save hours of tedious post-production inspections. The Navy wants Lockheed Martin to develop multi-axis robots using lasers to deposit material and oversee the printing of parts.

Hurricane damage to Tyndall F-22s “less than we feared,” but unknown how many will fly again, reports Air Force Times. More inspections are needed to assess whether some or all can be repaired and returned to the sky. It also remains unclear when the 11,000 Tyndall personnel who were ordered to evacuate a week ago will be able to return.

New Marine correctional unit goes against stereotype with mindfulness and goal setting, reports Stars and Stripes. At Camp Hansen, Okinawa, planners scrapped flak jacket-clad Marines pulverizing rocks with sledge hammers, including instead mindfulness training, goal-setting, and classes on a variety of topics, such as financial literacy and learning the jobs of other Marines, deemed valuable to the service.

FLIR makes a hangar the size of a breadbox to transport four tiny robots into combat for vehicle launch, reports c4isrnet. The size and weight of a sparrow, the robotic scout helicopter has already been used by British special forces.

Reuters reports from Moscow that the crew aboard the International Space Station has enough fuel, oxygen, water, and food to last at least six months. Russia has temporarily suspended all manned space launches after two astronauts made a dramatic emergency landing in Kazakhstan due to the failure of the Soyuz rocket carrying them to the orbital ISS.

A mechanic in the Belgian Air Component accidentally fired the cannon of an F-16 fighter jet during servicing and destroyed another jet, reports American Military News. The blast additionally damaged a second F-16 nearby and injured two mechanics who suffered hearing loss as a result of the blast, reports Reuters.

To up fighter readiness levels, Pentagon looks to retire older planes and fix supply chains, reports Defense News. With DefSec Jim Mattis issuing new guidance demanding readiness for tactical air assets increase in just one year, the Pentagon is openly acknowledging that older planes will have to be retired and cannibalized for parts to make it happen.

Maryland nears record high voter registration, reports The Baltimore Sun. Independents make up the fastest-growing group.

Contracts:

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded $24,400,000 for cost plus-incentive-fee delivery order N0001918F2046 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order provides for Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) System enhancements to the ALQ-218 receiver system hardware and communication lines between assemblies to accommodate future planned functional growth and enhancements. Thirteen sets of WRA-7, WRA-8, WRA-9, and 18 AEA gun bay pallets will be modified and the associated technical directives will be written in support of the Navy and the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (31 percent); St. Louis, Missouri (23 percent); St. Augustine, Florida (15 percent); Bethpage, New York (11 percent); Patuxent River, Maryland (10 percent); and China Lake, California (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2020. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement (Navy); and foreign military sales funds in the amount of $24,400,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This delivery order combines purchases for the Navy ($23,157,457; 95 percent); and the government of Australia ($1,242,543; 5 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Absolute Business Solutions Inc., Herndon, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0001); Data Systems Analysts Inc., Feasterville Trevose, Pennsylvania (W911QY-19-D-0002); DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0003); HII Mission Driven Innovative Solutions Inc., Huntsville, Alabama (W911QY-19-D-0004); Integrity Consulting Engineering and Security Solutions, Purcellville, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0005); Interactive Process Technology LLC, Billerica, Massachusetts (W911QY-19-D-0006); Joint Research and Development Inc., Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0007); Kalman and Company Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0008); MLT Systems LLC, Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0009); Mustang Gray LLC, Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0010); Patricio Enterprises Inc., Stafford, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0011); and Whitney, Bradley & Brown Inc., Reston, Virginia (W911QY-19-D-0012), will share in a $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for providing resources in support of the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense. Bids were solicited via the internet with 21 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 14, 2023. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

WR Systems Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $49,999,996 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, performance-based contract with provisions for cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders. The contract is for the procurement of positioning, navigation and timing engineering and in-service engineering agency support services. The services required include design development, systems integration, acquisition and prototype engineering, technical documentation, and integrated logistic support in order to support the Integrated Product Team. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2020. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,200 are obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured because this is a sole-source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 US Code 2304(c)(1), one source or limited sources (Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii)(B)). Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina, is the contracting activity (N6523619D8001).

ViON Corp., Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a competitive, single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for SPARC processor capacity services with a total lifecycle contract amount of $329,586,627. The minimum guarantee for this effort, which is being met by the first delivery order under HC1084-19-D-0001, is $630,000, funded by fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Performance will be at current Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) data centers or future DISA centers in the continental US (CONUS); DISA outside CONUS data centers; and other DISA or DISA-approved locations worldwide in which DISA may acquire an operational responsibility. Proposals were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website (FEDBIZOPPS), and two proposals were received. The period of performance is for a base period of five years beginning Oct. 17, 2018, and five one-year option periods through Oct. 16, 2028. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott AFB, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1084-19-D-0001).

General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, California, is awarded a $136,753,425 undefinitized contract action on a not-to-exceed basis for the procurement of long lead time material, pre-production and engineering support for the Expeditionary Sea Base 6. This action allows the procurement of ship sets of the purchase specifications supporting integrated propulsion, main diesel generator engines, propeller and shafting, integrated bridge electronics, centrifugal pumps, fuel and lube oil purifiers and steering gear components. Work will be performed in San Diego, California (21 percent); Beloit, Wisconsin (19 percent); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (17 percent); various cities in Alabama and Iowa (9 percent); Chula Vista, California (5 percent); Chesapeake, Virginia (5 percent); Iron Mountain, Michigan (4 percent); Busan, Korea (3 percent); and various other locations totaling 17 percent, and is expected to be completed by May 2019. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $65,876,713 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with US Code 2304(c) (1) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

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