MV-22 Conducts Night Landings on HMS QE

US Marine Corps file photo by Cpl. Mackenzie Gibson

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 MV-22 Osprey conducted its first night landings on the HMS Queen Elizabeth, reports IHSJane’s 360. The tiltrotor aircraft was from HX-21 Squadron based at NAS Pax River.

One of the Pentagon’s top electronic warfare officials, William Conley, has left DoD, reports C4ISRNET, to be the new chief technology officer for Mercury Systems.

Kshemendra Paul has been named chief data officer and executive director for data governance and analytics for the Veterans Affairs Department, reports Nextgov.

An Afghan police officer fired on a NATO coalition convoy in Kandahar province earlier this week, reports UPI News, and although the Taliban said three US soldiers were killed, the United States says that only non-life-threatening injuries were sustained.

A report from an outside panel appointed by Congress contradicts the narrative President Donald Trump has been promoting about Syria, reports Politico, raising questions about President Trump’s strategy there.

Patch.com reports that a series of open houses will be held to gather input from Marylanders on three possible locations for a second Chesapeake Bay crossing. There will be an open house from 6-8 tonight, Sept. 26, at Calvert High School in Prince Frederick.

Starting school after Labor Day is good for Maryland’s economy, according to a new study conducted by Salisbury University, reports WTOP News.

The Coast Guard cutter Valiant tracked a 40-foot semi-submersible Sept. 5 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Crew members discovered 12,000 pounds of cocaine worth $165 million and four suspected drug traffickers, reports UPI News.

DefSec Mark Esper toured Camp Lejeune, NC, earlier this week to inspect the damage on the base from a hurricane that hit the East Coast last year, reports Military Times. According to the report about 90 percent of the repairs are finished.

An agreement between the US and Poland signed earlier this week paves the way for an increased US military presence in Poland, reports Defense News.

Military Times reports that air and missile defense units are at the top of the list for a deployment in support of Saudi Arabia. Troops deploying in the wake of attacks on Saudi oil facilities will likely spend their time at the newly reopened Prince Sultan Air Base in central Saudi Arabia, reports Military.com.

A congressional panel’s recommendation would have the US halt its withdrawal from Syria to prevent an ISIS resurgence, counter Iranian influence in the country and provide leverage for a negotiation to end to the Syrian civil war, reports The Hill.

Contracts:

Compunetix Inc., Monroeville, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $12,566,654 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures hardware and technical services to support the current release of the Mission Voice Platform (MVP) software suite as well as associated hardware components in support of the Atlantic Test Range at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, Maryland. The MVP software supports real-time voice processing, display, and recording capabilities. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in September 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 US Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0056).

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $50,383,950 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification (P00037) to a previously awarded and announced contract (N00030-17-C-0001) to provide services for the U.S. and United Kingdom Trident II D5 strategic weapon system programs, U.S. SSGN (guided missile submarine) attack weapon systems, nuclear weapon surety, and future concepts. Work will be performed at Rockville, Maryland (70.3%); Washington, District of Columbia (14.33%); Kings Bay, Georgia (5.1%); Silverdale, Washington (2.7%); Norfolk, Virginia (1.5%); San Diego, California (1.5%); Alexandria, Virginia (1.1%); Barrow, United Kingdom (1.1%); Ocala, Florida (0.20%); Ball Ground, Georgia (0.20%); Saint Mary’s, Georgia (0.20%); Pittsfield, Massachusetts (0.17%); Montgomery Village, Maryland (0.15%); Thurmont, Maryland (0.15%); Buffalo, New York  (0.15%); New Lebanon, New York (0.15%); New Paris, Ohio (0.15%); Downington, Pennsylvania (0.15%); Wexford, Pennsylvania (0.15%); Alton, Virginia (0.15%); Springfield, Virginia (0.15%); Vienna, Virginia (0.15%); and Baltimore, Maryland (0.10%), with an expected completion date of Sept. 30, 2020. Subject to the availability of funding, fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $39,721,974; and the United Kingdom funds in the amount of $10,661,976, will be obligated. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole source acquisition in accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) and (4). Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00030-17-C-0001).

US Marine Management Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $17,838,903 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N3220517C3503) to fund the third one-year option period. The option will continue to provide one US-flagged Jones Act tanker, M/T Maersk Peary (T-AOT 5246) for the transportation of petroleum product in support of Operation Deep Freeze. The vessel is capable of deployment to worldwide locations. The current contract includes a seven-month firm period of performance and four one-year option periods. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2020. The option will be funded by fiscal 2020 transportation working capital funds. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220517C3503).

Thales Defense and Security Inc., Clarksburg, Maryland, is awarded an undefinitized contract action delivery order (N00383-19-F-AQ05) with a maximum amount of $11,967,442 under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement N00383-17-G-AQ01 for repair of 73 dome sonars in support of the H-60 Airborne Low Frequency Sonar system. Work will be performed in Clarksburg, Maryland (50%); and Brest, France (50%). Work is expected to be completed by December 2020. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $6,091,285 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One firm was solicited for this non-competitive requirement under authority 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

The Buffalo Group, Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a base year plus four option year time and materials contract (HHM402-19-C-0091) with a ceiling of $301,029,226 to provide service support for intelligence analysis and support activities to US Central Command Intelligence Directorate (J2). Work will be performed at MacDill Air Force Base, with an expected completion date of Nov. 30, 2024. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $41,139,319 are being obligated at time of award. This contract has been awarded through competitive acquisition and 11 offers were received. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

VAE Inc., Springfield, Virginia, was awarded an $8,390,583 firm-fixed-price contract (HHM402-19-F-0240) to provide information technology products necessary for government operations. The required products will be delivered to the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Defense Logistics Operation Center by Dec. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the full amount of $8,390,583 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was awarded through a small business set-aside and nine offers were received. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
Northrop Grumman Technology Services, Herndon, Virginia, was awarded an $88,074,985 time and materials contract for research facilitation laboratory services. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work will be performed in Monterey, California, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2022. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $14,043,377 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-19-F-1334).

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $72,470,367 modification (P00037) to contract W911QX-16-C-0012 for support of continued operations, sustainment and integration of the Saturn Arch Program. Work will be performed in Bridgewater, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 16, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $30,657,603 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Echo Ridge LLC, Sterling, Virginia, was awarded a $12,960,856 hybrid (cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for purchase of hardware and software development of Low-Size, Weight, and Power handheld software-defined radio platform. One bid was solicited with one bid received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 24, 2024. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QX-19-D-0007).

Patriot, Dunkirk, Maryland, was awarded an $11,717,372 firm-fixed-price contract for renovation (Building 3072). Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of March 18, 2021. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $11,717,372 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-19-C-0039).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $33,119,511 firm-fixed-price task order to deliver Windows 10 migration of the Ground Minuteman Automated Test Stand. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be completed by July 31, 2023. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,523,781 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, ICBM Contracting Division, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8204-19-F-0062).

The Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola, Florida, has been awarded an $8,974,967 contract for the Peerless Operator Biologic Aptitude effort. This contract maps the complex and hierarchical networks of molecular expression circuits that drive physical, physiological, cognitive, behavioral, and team performance phenotypes considered key to operator success. The contract provides phenotypic assays and biological circuit feature sets predictive of operator and cadre performance as well as multilayered expression circuit analysis tools and platform. Work will be performed in Pensacola, Florida; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Princeton, New Jersey; Birmingham, Alabama; New York, New York; La Jolla, California; and Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 15 offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $250,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-7944).

General Electric Research, Niskayuna, New York, has been awarded a $7,202,223 contract for the Measuring Biological Aptitude effort. The contractor will develop a generalizable computational platform to assess warfighter aptitude and performance based on expression circuits that link macroscopic phenotypes to the underlying molecular biology of the individual. Work will be performed at Niskayuna, New York; Cambridge, Massachusetts; Storrs, Connecticut; and Bethesda, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2021. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and 15 offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $250,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8650-19-C-7945).

FCN Technology Solutions, Rockville, Maryland (HE125419F3015), has been awarded a delivery order for laptop computers, desktop computer, and computer carts in the amount of $11,659,268. The location of delivery will be US, European and the Pacific regions. The initial delivery is 90 days after receipt of award and covers 12 months. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds will be used to fund the initial order. This contract was competitively procured via a request for quote HE125419Q3018 under the NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, with four offers received. The contracting activity is the Department of Defense Education Activity, Alexandria, Virginia. (Awarded Sept. 23, 2019)