NavSec Floats Plan for New 1st Fleet in Pacific

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.

NavSec Kenneth Braithwaite is calling for the establishment of a US 1st Fleet, a new numbered command to address maritime security in the Indian and Pacific oceans, reports Navy Times. NavSec Braithwaite said a 1st Fleet would bolster the Navy’s Indo-Pacific footprint and take some of the burden off the Japan-based US 7th Fleet.

Maritime analysts in Asia say it is unlikely that the plan will garner support from the region’s leaders or President-elect Joe Biden, reports South China Morning Post.

The location race for the Space Command headquarters has some newcomers, reports Breaking Defense. They include Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, Offutt AFB in Nebraska, Patrick AFB in Florida and Port San Antonio in Texas. Remaining on the front-runner list: Peterson AFB in Colorado and Redstone Army Airfield in Alabama.

Marine Corps Space Force Command was activated last week at Offutt AFB, reports Marine Corps Times. The Marines in the command “will focus on providing space operational support to the Fleet Marine Force while building a convergence capability to increase warfighter lethality.”

The Senate Appropriations Committee has proposed a personnel cut for the Marine Corps; one going beyond any other current proposal, reports Marine Corps Times.

A military pay raise could be in jeopardy, reports Military Times. President Donald Trump opposes renaming military bases named for Confederate leaders and has threatened to veto the raise over the provision, which was added to both the House and Senate versions of the defense authorization bill.

The US Navy has turned over an F/A-18C Hornet that was part of the Blue Angels demo team to the Smithsonian so it can be displayed with other historical aircraft in the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA, reports The Washington Post.

A MQ-8C Fire Scout helicopter drone crashed last week at Naval Base Ventura County-Point Mugu in Southern California, the second unmanned helicopter operated by Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23 to crash there in recent months, reports Navy Times.

 

 

A US Air Force C-130H crew landed too quickly, causing the aircraft to oscillate and then overrun the runway before crashing into a concrete barrier in June at Camp Taji in Iraq, reports Air Force Magazine.

The US Army has named Raj Iyer to be its new chief information officer, reports C4ISRNET, making him the first civilian to serve as the Army’s CIO.

General Motors unveiled a plan for its electric cars, reports Market Watch, vowing to invest more in them than in gas-powered vehicles for the first time in its history.

The Defense Department reports that  about 25,000 service members have contracted COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, reports Federal News Network.

BRIG GEN Anthony Tata, the undersecretary of defense, tested positive for COVID late last week, reports The Associated Press. This came days after Mr. Tata had met with the Lithuanian defense minister, who had contracted the virus. Acting DefSec Christopher Miller, as well as Air Force Secretary Barbara Barrett, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy, and NavSec Braithwaite all met with the defense minister, too, and they have all tested negative, reports Defense News.

The US Food and Drug Administration has granted emergency authorization for the antibody treatment administered to President Trump for his past COVID diagnosis, reports The Hill.

Though USS Gerald R. Ford operations are being conducted as usual, reports Military.com, the coronavirus has upended many of the sailors’ routines onboard the carrier.

An outbreak on the USS Michael Murphy, docked in Hawaii, has delayed its training schedule, reports NBC News. Nearly a quarter of the roughly 300 sailors assigned to the ship have tested positive.

Roberts Oxygen Co. is preparing to help ship and store a Pfizer coronavirus vaccine, reports WTOP News. The company operates in six states, but its dry ice production occurs in Gaithersburg, MD. Hospitals will need help when it comes to storing the vaccine, and dry ice is a major player when it comes to keeping the vaccine at the necessary temperature of 109 degrees below zero.

First class midshipmen uphold US Naval Academy traditions and celebrate service assignments despite coronavirus restrictions, reports Capital Gazette.

Contracts:

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is awarded a $10,713,544 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6311 to procure two additional Surface-to-Surface Missile Modules (SSMM) for integration into the Littoral Combat Ship framework. The SSMM fires a Longbow Hellfire missile that will be added to the surface warfare mission module aboard the Littoral Combat Ship. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama (80%); Bethpage, New York (18%); and Hollywood, Maryland (2%), and is expected to be completed by November 2022. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) (82%); and fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) (18%) funding in the amount of $10,713,544 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., doing business as BAE Systems, Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $16,506,245 firm-fixed-price contract modification (P00012) under previously awarded contract N00604-19-C-4001 to exercise Option Year Two for the operation and maintenance of Navy communication, electronic and computer systems. The contract included a 12-month base period and four one-year option periods. The exercise of this option will bring the estimated value of the contract to $46,060,784 and if all options are exercised, it will bring the total value to $80,115,425. Work will be performed in Oahu, Hawaii (94%); and Geraldton, Australia (6%). Work will begin December 2020 and is expected to be completed by November 2021; if all options are exercised, work will be completed by November 2023. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $4,048,611 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was solicited on a full and open, unrestricted basis with two offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command, Fleet Logistics Center, Pearl Harbor Regional Contracting Department, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

Iridium Satellite LLC, Tempe, Arizona, is awarded a $9,667,301 cost-plus-fixed-fee option to support commercial satellite-based network services for the Department of Defense in the areas of satellite, ground node, user equipment/terminal software and hardware development, integration and testing. Work will be performed in in McLean, Virginia (50%); and Tempe, Arizona (50%), and is expected to be complete in November 2021. This contract includes a base year and options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $45,807,778. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated at time of the option exercise and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was solicited on a sole-source basis via a synopsis posted in Federal Business Opportunities website in accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(1); only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, Dahlgren, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00178-17-C-0001).

Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $7,819,920 modification (000280) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0028 for logistics support services for Army prepositioned stocks. Work will be performed in Mannheim, Germany, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 21, 2021. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $7,819,920 were obligated at the time of the award. The US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

American Systems Corp., Chantilly, Virginia (HQ0034-21-D-0003); Applied Research Associates Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (HQ0034-21-D-0004); and Modern Technology Solutions Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (HQ0034-21-D-0002), have been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinitely-quantify contract with a maximum amount of $496,000,000. This requirement will provide the range of research, development, test and evaluation technical and engineering services required to assist the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering in accomplishing its mission to create innovative warfighting technologies and advanced capabilities required to maintain US technological superiority. Work performance will take place in the Northern Capital Region, including Alexandria, Virginia; and Chantilly, Virginia. No funds will be obligated at time of the award. The expected completion date is Nov. 18, 2025. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a $12,342,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages support. This contract provides support for Air Force (AF) and non-AF users, supporting the AF, to proactively reduce mission capability impacts to improve logistics support and weapon system sustainability. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Robins AFB, Georgia; Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; and Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, with some work performed at Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The work is expected to be complete by June 20, 2025. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition resulting in receipt of one offer. Fiscal 2021 Consolidated Sustainment Activity Group engineering funds in the amount of $10,285,000 are being obligated in the first task order at the time of award. The Air Force Sustainment Center, Tinker AFB, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity (FA8109-21-D-0001).

FCN Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a $7,846,260 firm-fixed-price modification to exercise the first option period for the Endgame Endpoint Security program software subscription to maintain the weapon system components and weapon system baseline to meet Air Force Space Command authority to operate configurations. Work will be performed in Rockville, Maryland, and is expected to be completed Nov. 29, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and four offers were received. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance; and Air National Guard procurement funds in the full amount are being obligated at the time of modification to exercise the first option period. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Joint-Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA8307-20-F-0005).

Kings Bay Support Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $24,085,883 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification for a bridge contract to extend services for base operating support services at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Georgia. The work to be performed provides for all labor, facilities management, supervision, tools, materials, equipment, incidental engineering, environmental services and transportation to effectively execute base operations support services. All work will be performed in St. Mary’s, Georgia. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $392,424,567. This option period is from December 2020 to May 2021. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $16,213,566 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (N69450-11-D-7578).

Franconia Real Estate Services Inc., doing business as Franconia Allegiance Government Relocation, Woodbridge, Virginia, was awarded a $65,000,000 blanket purchase agreement (W912DR-21-A-0001) for the Defense National Relocation Program. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2025. The US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Reliance Relocation Services Inc., doing business as Relo Direct, Chicago, Illinois, was awarded a $65,000,000 blanket purchase agreement (W912DR-21-A-0002) for the Defense National Relocation Program. Bids were solicited via the internet with 11 received. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2025. The US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Attain LLC, McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $19,125,495 modification (BA0733) to contract W91QUZ-11-D-0016 for contractor resources to support the Army Shared Services Center. 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 April 30, 2022. The US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.