NAVAIR Celebrates Excellence
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 annual NAVAIR Commander’s Awards ceremony celebrated technical, business, and leadership excellence in support of increasing speed to the fleet, delivering warfighting capabilities, and improving affordability. The ceremony was held June 8 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River. There were 50 nominations, representing a variety of programs that enable NAVAIR to accomplish its mission. Click here to see video of the event.
Members of the PMA-207 Commercial Derivative Fixed Wing Airlift/Operational Support Aircraft Team, winners of the NAVAIR Commander’s Award in the business operations category (U.S. Navy photo)
Crew launched from NAS Pax River were among those helping the Coast Guard on June 15 rescue a man after he fell overboard into the Chesapeake Bay, WAVY.com reports. Dispatchers in Lancaster County, VA, received a call that a man had fallen from a 33-foot recreational boat. Rescuers found the man, who was wearing a life jacket, about a half-hour later. Medics evaluated the man and returned him to his boat.
Norway is pouring billions of dollars into its national defense, Sputnik International reports. The Norwegian government presented a long-term plan, in which an additional $20 billion was earmarked for defense purposes over the next 20 years. The country is looking to purchase up to 52 fighter jets and four submarines. Qatar signed a contract Thursday worth $4.28 billion to buy seven naval vessels from Italy. Defense News reports this is that country’s largest ever naval export deal. The United Kingdom is interested in acquiring the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle and has been in talks with the Pentagon, Defense News reports. The JLTV could be in line to win its first export order even before the US Department of Defense makes a decision to order full rate production of the platform.
CIA Director John Brennan told the Senate Intelligence Committee on Thursday that the US battle against the Islamic State has not yet curbed the group’s global reach and as pressure mounts on the extremists in Iraq and Syria, they are expected to plot more attacks on the West, Stars and Stripes reports.
The RQ-7 Shadow drone can deliver medicine to the front lines of battle and Dominos is testing a remote-controlled deliver drone. These latest unmanned aerial vehicle tech advancements are seen almost everyday. Techstory.in asks is “Drone Delivery : A Game Changer for Logistics Space?”
At an American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics conference in Washington, DC, former National Security Council cyber security director Richard Clarke said the military has not done enough to secure its networked weapons systems against hacking, Breaking Defense reports. Mr. Clarke said the military likely will find out what it has missed the hard way once a conflict with a sophisticated adversary begins.
Out with the old. Top US Air Force officials want a new warplane, one that can be built cheaper than the A-10 Warthog. The leaders hope the new close air support, or CAS, plane will help them win the fight to retire the A-10.
Restrictions on sailors drinking alcohol on base and in their homes has been rescinded by the Navy, Stars and Stripes reports. Restrictions remain on drinking off-base in the wake of some high-profile arrests. “The temporary restriction on alcohol was not intended to be a punishment, nor was it ever intended to be permanent,” RADM. Matthew Carter, the commander of Naval Forces Japan, said. “We took this pause to train and reflect on the dangers of alcohol abuse. We must all be on the lookout to step in before alcohol-related incidents jeopardize our relationship with Japan.”
The USS Zumwalt passed its acceptance trials, UPI reported Friday. “We’re seeing the years of design, development and testing come to life,” Pat O’Kane, Raytheon’s DDG 1000 program ship integration and test director, said. The 600-foot Zumwalt is the first in a new class of three destroyers that are unlike anything previously built for the Navy.
Contracts:
ECS Federal LLC, Fairfax, VA, is being awarded an $8,685,758 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-14-F-0060) to exercise an option to deliver enterprise-wide information technology services to Naval Air Systems Command and its respective customers. This effort will provide help desk services, desk-side services, and organizational messaging and communications. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, MD (99.7 percent); and San Diego, CA (0.3 percent), and is expected to be completed in June 2017. Fiscal 2016 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $2,217,841 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD, is the contracting activity.
Advanced Acoustic Concepts, Hauppauge, NY, is being awarded $27,461,965 modification P00028 to previously awarded contract N00024-12-C-6311 to provide additional contract line item numbers to support the existing mission package software platforms for the Littoral Combat Ship Mission Modules Program. Advanced Acoustic Concepts will procure, install, fabricate, test, trouble shoot, and perform operational maintenance. Work will be performed in Columbia, MD (50 percent); Hauppauge, NY (30 percent); and Lamont Furnace, PA (20 percent). Work is expected to be completed by September 2017. Fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation; fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2016 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,111,360 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $1,678,255 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
SAIC Corp., McLean, VA, was awarded a $84,726,491 cost-plus-incentive-fee, incrementally funded contract with options for the management and technical support necessary to advance high performance computing services. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Work will be performed in Wright Patterson Air Force Base, OH; Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD; Stennis Space Center, MS; Vicksburg, MS; Lorton, VA; and McLean, VA, with an estimated completion date of June 26, 2017. Fiscal 2016 research, development, testing, and evaluation funds in the amount of $878,688 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, AL, is the contracting activity (W912DY-16-F-0093).
RMF Engineering Inc. P.C., Catonsville, MD, was awarded a $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architectural and engineering services for the Department of Defense and associated agencies within the intelligence community, with an estimated completion date of June 14, 2021. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Funding and work location will be determined with each order. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, MD, is the contracting activity (W912DR-16-D-0012).
Venturi Inc., Huntsville, AL, is being awarded a $51,478,645 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, including options, for advisory and assistance services for logistics support to the Missile Defense Agency’s technical, engineering, advisory and management support. This contract will support development, implementation, sustainment, and assessment of logistics processes, procedures, plans and policies to support and sustain the Ballistic Missile Defense System throughout the acquisition life cycle. This includes supporting logistics management performance based logistics and integrated product support elements in accordance with applicable MDA and Department of Defense guidelines. This support also enhances the development of enterprise and program (element-specific) policies, plans, processes, procedures, implementation of guidance, and the interpretation of internal and external agency regulations, policies, directives, and other related documents. Work will be performed at Huntsville, AL; Colorado Springs, CO; Dahlgren, VA; Hanscom Air Force Base, MA; Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA; and Fort Bliss, TX, with an expected completion date of July 2021. Fiscal 2016 research, development, testing, and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,908,100 are being obligated at time of award. A total of five offers were received and this contract was competitively awarded. The government selected for award the most advantageous proposal representing the best value to the government. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, AL, is the contracting activity (HQ0147-16-C-0041).
FCN Inc., Rockville, MD, was awarded a $10,387, 236 fixed-price contract to provide CISCO service and maintenance support to include maintaining deployed CISCO hardware throughout the Defense Health Agency and military treatment facilities worldwide. This is a nine-month base transition-in period with four 12-month option periods. Procurement of CISCO-branded equipment is a requirement not only for compatibility, but also to ensure compliance with existing CISCO warranty and maintenance service agreements. Existing CISCO infrastructure provides network protection at MTFs, which ensures personally identifiable information is safeguarded and also routes routine network traffic. The subscriptions are for Military Health System physicians, physician assistants, nurse case managers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dentists and other medical providers. The contract will also provide related account management service, subject matter training resources, non-standard report preparation and cybersecurity requirements. This contract was a “brand name” acquisition, and fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,387,236 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Health Agency, Contract Operations Division, San Antonio, TX, is the contracting activity (HT0015-16-F-0047).
