Nations Reconsider F-35 Purchases
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Canada and Portugal are both considering backing out of deals to buy Lockheed Martin F-35 fighters, citing geopolitical factors, reports AVWeb.com. Portuguese officials cite America’s sudden shift in international relations in its decision to take a second look at its presumed adoption of the F-35 to replace its current fleet of F-16s. Canada’s new Prime Minister Mark Carney ordered a review of the country’s contract for F-35s, a new front in the dispute between the two sides in response to tariffs and expansionist rhetoric from President Donald Trump, according to Financial Post.
Germany’s order for 35 F-35s is also under review, says DefenseMirror.com, following reports that the US could deactivate foreign-operated jets if certain conditions aren’t met. “If Germany risks facing restrictions similar to those imposed on Ukraine, it may cancel the F-35 deal,” said Wolfgang Ischinger, former head of the Munich Security Conference.
Instead of the usual Coast Guard cutters, a Navy destroyer, the USS Gravely, has departed for deployment off the waters of the US as part of its broader crackdown on security and migration along the Mexico border. Military.com reports the destroyer will have a Coast Guard law enforcement detachment aboard that will better enable it to conduct missions such as ship seizures and drug interdictions.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers want to give the Energy Department component charged with managing the country’s nuclear stockpile more power to protect against unmanned aerial systems flying nearby. Fed Scoop reports the legislation would allow protection of facilities that store the components of nuclear weapons, the vehicles used for their transport, permit purchase of drone technology, and develop systems to defend against drone threats.
The Navy signed a $267 million deal to acquire two more Triton drones as it moves toward purchasing dozens of the long-range surveillance aircraft. The project awarded to Northrop Grumman last week includes an operating base and logistics package for the drones, reports Stars and Stripes.
DefSec Pete Hegseth has ordered a sweeping, military-wide review of “existing standards set by the Military Departments pertaining to physical fitness, body composition, and grooming, which includes but is not limited to beards,” reports Military.com.
A new Marine Corps policy says troops with a genetic skin condition that can cause pain and scarring from shaving and mainly affects Black men can be separated from the military if the health issue persists, reports Military.com.
The Pentagon has approved nearly 21,000 employee resignations amid efforts to cut 5-8% of the military’s civilian workforce, reports Military Times. The resignations are one of three methods the Pentagon is using reach that goal, which could ultimately cut between 50,000 to 70,000 employees.
The Air Force will send small teams to “validate” compliance with executive orders aimed at eliminating initiatives related to diversity, equity, inclusion, “gender ideology,” and Critical Race Theory. The groups will visit nine bases before the end of March following direction from a Pentagon task force, reports Air and Space Forces Magazine.
Information sharing on cybersecurity and election threats may become a whole lot harder with the end of federal funding of two partnerships used by thousands of state and local governments, reports Route Fifty. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency terminated the $10 million information sharing partnerships saying that offering the services for free or at a reduced cost “no longer effectuates department priorities.”
President Trump on Monday explicitly linked the actions of Yemen’s Houthi rebels to Iran, warning Tehran would “suffer the consequences” for further attacks by the group, reports Military.com. Trump’s comments escalate his administration’s new campaign of airstrikes targeting the rebels, which killed at least 53 people over the weekend and appear poised to continue. Meanwhile, Iran weighs how to respond to a letter Trump sent them last week trying to jump-start negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program.
Russia attacked Ukraine with kamikaze drones and S-300 surface-to-air missiles, reports The Guardian, hours after Russian President Vladimir Putin told Trump he would sign up to a partial and temporary ceasefire. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he would contact Trump on Wednesday to discuss the call with Putin, adding that the “next steps cannot be done without us.”
Russia’s sovereign wealth fund is eyeing the development of rare earth deposits in the country and wants to partner with US companies, said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, according to Reuters. Dmitriev was part of Russia’s negotiating team at talks with US officials in Saudi Arabia in February, where he focused on economic issues.
Drugmakers are urging the Trump administration and European Union officials to exclude medical goods from expanding tariff wars, reports Reuters. Price spikes would increase drug costs and create access barriers for patients, according to industry officials, endangering priorities outlined in Trump’s health-related executive orders on drug pricing and increasing life expectancy of Americans.
Toronto is no longer providing financial incentives for Tesla vehicles purchased as taxis or ride shares due to trade tensions with the United States, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said on Monday. Reuters reports Toronto is promoting the adoption of electric vehicles purchased as vehicles for hire by giving drivers and owners a reduction in licensing fees and renewal fees until the end of 2029, to help it lower emissions.
The Trump administration has reinstated US satellite imagery support for Ukraine, reversing a suspension imposed less than two weeks ago amid growing diplomatic tensions between Washington and Kyiv over a potential ceasefire in Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia, reports Space News.
Google owner Alphabet has struck a deal to buy cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion in what would be the tech giant’s biggest-ever acquisition at the same time it’s facing a potential breakup of its internet empire, reports APNews.
Federal authorities are warning users of Gmail, Outlook, and other popular email services about dangerous ransomware linked to a group of developers who have breached hundreds of victims’ data, including people in the medical, education, legal, insurance, tech, and manufacturing fields, reports USA Today.
Fifteen Black Maryland senators urge the state to honor a consent decree in a civil rights case dropped by the federal government, reports Maryland Matters. The case that found Maryland State Police discriminated against Black women applicants was one of many dropped by the Trump administration.
Contracts:
Huntington Ingalls Industries Fleet Support Group LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia, was awarded a $9,774,058 delivery order off of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00024-21-D-4114) in support of the Carrier Engineering Maintenance Assist Team, Task Number 25-P117, to provide services for sanitary space repairs and to renovate the habitability material of the crew sanitary spaces and offices onboard USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76). Work will be performed in Bremerton, Washington, and is expected to be completed by April 2026. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,588,457 were obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The overall total contract value ceiling remains unchanged on the basic contract at $272,977,437. Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N55236-25-F-9975). (Awarded March 14, 2025)
Applied Technology Inc., King George, Virginia (N0017325D2419-N0017325F2415); Cutlass Systems Engineering LLC, Laurel, Maryland (N0017325D2420-N0017325F2416); Envisioneering Inc. Alexandria, Virginia (N0017325D2421-N0017325F2417); Future Technologies Inc., King George, Virginia (N0017325D2422-N0017325F2418); Intecon LLC, Fredericksburg, Virginia (N0017325D2423- N0017325F2419); ISYS Inc., Littleton, Colorado (N0017325D2424-N0017325F2420); Remcom Inc., State College, Pennsylvania (N0017325D2425-N0017325F2421); and Technology Service Corp., Arlington, Virginia (N0017325D2426-N0017325F2422), are being awarded a $243,909,635 maximum ceiling across all vendors, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple-award contract for tactical combat and electronic warfare systems research and development. These contracts do not include options and have a shared maximum ceiling of $243,909,635. Eight firm-fixed-price $2,500 task orders were issued concurrently. The task orders do not have options and have individual cumulative values of $2,500. Work will be performed at the US Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, DC (NRL), and is expected to be completed by March 2032. Fiscal 2025 working capital funds (defense) in the amount of $20,000 ($2,500 per awardee) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with nine offers received via Contract Opportunities on SAM.gov. US NRL, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, was awarded a $35,382,479 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-23-C-5117 to exercise option items supporting Systems Engineering and Software Integration (SE/SI) for the Integrated Combat System across the surface force portfolio of the Navy and Coast Guard. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (41%); Columbia, Maryland (30%); Norfolk, Virginia (7%); Middletown, Rhode Island (6%); College Park, Maryland (5%); Mount Laurel, New Jersey (4%), Huntsville, Alabama (3%), Wallops Island, Virginia (1%); Arlington, Virginia (1%); San Diego, California (1%); and Herndon, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2025. Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,840,507 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC. is the contracting activity (N00024-23-C-5117). (Awarded March 14, 2025)
InDyne Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland, has been awarded an $89,902,563 modification (P00059) to a previously awarded contract (FA2518-22-C-0001) for Solid State Phased Array Radar Systems and Long-Range Discrimination Radar support, exercising Option Year 7. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $384,723,485 from $294,820,922. Work will be performed at Beale Air Force Base, California; Cape Cod Space Force Station, Massachusetts; Clear SFS, Anderson, Alaska; Pituffik Space Base, Greenland; Cheyenne Mountain SFS, Colorado; and Royal Air Force Fylingdales, United Kingdom, and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2026. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $89,634,609; and fiscal 2025 and 2026 research and development funds in the amount of $340,038, are being obligated at the time of award. The Space Operations Command, Space Acquisition and Integration Office, Peterson SFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
LinQuest Corp., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $36,085,193 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00108) to a previously awarded contract (FA8808-19-C-0006) for additional systems engineering, integration, and test support. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $799,951,039. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 26, 2026. Fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,712,725; and fiscal 2025 procurement funds in the amount of $883,352, are being obligated at the time of award. The Space Systems Command, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 14, 2025)
DCS Corp., Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a $22,107,341 modification (P00019) to previously awarded (FA8650-22-F-2611) for teaming of humans and unmanned networked drone research. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $30,344,598 from $8,237,257. Work will be performed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by May 12, 2028. Fiscal 2025 research and development funds in the amount of $375,000 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory Aerospace Systems Directorate, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, Eden Prairie, Minnesota, is awarded a $24,587,905 option modification to extend services on the Military Health System Global Nurse Advice Line bridge contract (HT001124C0011). The GNAL is a service to Military Health System eligible beneficiaries and provides access to telehealth registered nurses for triage services, self-care advice, and general health inquiries 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This modification is being issued subject to the availability of fiscal year 2025 operation and maintenance appropriations through Sept. 17, 2025. The place of performance is Falls Church, Virginia. The Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 14, 2025)
Symmetry Energy Solutions LLC, Houston, Texas (SPE604-25-D-7507, $36,173,223); NRG Business Marketing LLC, Princeton, New Jersey (SPE604-23-D-7507, $28,569,813); Tiger Natural Gas Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma (SPE604-25-D-7511, $20,523,130); Gas South LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (SPE604-25-D-7510, $18,638,280); and Enspire Energy LLC, Norfolk, Virginia (SPE604-25-D-7506, $9,296,834), have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, requirements contract under solicitation SPE604-24-R-0403 for pipeline quality direct supply natural gas. This was a competitive acquisition with sixteen responses received. These are two-year base contracts with one six-month option period. Locations of performance are Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas, with a May 31, 2027, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and federal civilian agencies. The using customers are solely responsible for funding this contract and funds vary in appropriation type and fiscal year. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
