N. Korea Missile Launches Raise New Alarms

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.

North Korea fired several ballistic missiles into the East Sea in an apparent protest against the ongoing joint military drills between South Korea and the US, Yonhap News Agency reports. These launchings Monday raise new alarms about the threat to North Korea’s neighbors, The New York Times reports.

The future of the South China Sea disputes will largely depend on Washington, a spokeswoman for the National People’s Congress of China says, and it is ready to deal with any challenges President Donald Trump might pose to the relations between the countries, the South China Morning Post reports. NBC News reports that experts suggest that President Trump’s combative stance toward Beijing could have an impact on relations between the two countries, which together have the world’s biggest economies and largest militaries.

A United Nations report reveals North Korea is using Africa to bypass sanctions on arms trading, The Associated Press reports.

Defense investors are ecstatic at the prospect of President Trump’s statements about adding hundreds of ships and planes to the US military arsenal, Stars and Stripes reports. But they fear these promises on defense could “hit the same Beltway traffic jam that Affordable Care Act repeal/replace and comprehensive tax reform seem to be stuck in.”

The Trump administration has not given a clear defense strategy, so it’s difficult to judge whether his proposed military budget will be enough, Todd Harrison, director of defense budget analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, tells The Hill. Others also believe the budget can’t pay for the buildup the president wants.

President Trump’s proposed budget is asking for $1.3 billion in funding cuts to the US Coast Guard, SFGate reports, at a time when the service is doing more than ever and is already under-resourced.

Pay attention to Afghanistan. That is the message from Sen. John McCain (AZ-R) to the White House, Military Times reports. Sen. McCain says presidential action is needed to keep the country from sliding into chaos. “President Trump and his administration must treat Afghanistan with the same urgency as the fight against [the Islamic State group], or else this stalemate risks sliding into strategic failure,” he said.

A panel of cyber experts told lawmakers at a hearing last week on “Cyber Warfare in the 21st Century: Threats, Challenges, and Opportunities” that improved protections are needed to secure weapons and supply chain processes from cyberattacks, Defense Systems reports.

Spain, Switzerland, and Belgium are interested is purchasing F-35 fighter jets, Reuters reports. Lockheed Martin says new customers could help reduce the cost of the military aircraft, according to the report. The US and 10 allies currently are clients of the F-35.

The USMC is investigating allegations that military personnel and veterans allegedly distributed nude photos of female colleagues and other women as part of a social media network, Marine Corps Times reports. Hundreds of Marines might be involved.

Contracts:

ECS Federal LLC., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded an $8,754,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee (including options) for advisory and assistance services for strategic planning and financial management support and financial system support and integration in support of technical, engineering, advisory and management support. This contract provides the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) with strategic budget planning and programming, financial analysis, liaison support to internal and external customers, business financial management support, and interface for integral budget functions, including cost estimating and earned value management. This contract will also support the MDA’s agency operations directorate in implementing, integrating, maintaining, and continually improving MDA financial systems and processes. Work will be performed at Huntsville, Alabama; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Dahlgren, Virginia; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and the National Capital Region, which includes Fort Belvoir, Virginia, with an expected completion date of July 2017. Fiscal year 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,344,749 are being obligated at time of award. This is a sole-source award for a base period of five months until competitive award of the follow-on effort. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ014717C0027).

Oceaneering International Inc., Hanover, Maryland, is being awarded a potential $19,331,128 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop and demonstrate novel technology options and designs to restore connectivity for tactical data networks using small diameter optical fiber and buoy relay nodes. This is an 18-month contract with no options. Work will be performed at the contractor’s facilities in Maryland (75 percent); and government test facilities in Southern California (25 percent). Work is expected to be completed Sept. 5, 2018. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount $4,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency broad agency announcement. Five proposals were received and one was selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-17-C-4003).

Blue Storm Associates Inc., doing business as PEMDAS Technologies and Innovation, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $49,500,000 order dependent contract for the Atmospheric Sensing and Prediction System. 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 March 5, 2022. US Army Contracting Command, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, is the contracting activity (W911NF-17-D-0001).