Navy Commissions Newest Warship

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 US Navy’s newest Independence-class littoral combat ship was commissioned Saturday, reports Navy Times. The LCS bears the name of Tulsa, Oklahoma’s second-largest city.

Vice President Mike Pence, speaking at the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, said that the US “will not stand idly by” if Turkey goes ahead with plans to purchase a Russian S-400 missile defense system, reports Military Times.

British DefSec Gavin Williamson said Britain will fund the development of “swarm squadrons of network enabled drones capable of confusing and overwhelming enemy air defenses,” noting that such vehicles would complement the British fleet of F-35s, reports The Washington Post.

British forces are stepping up their Arctic deployments to protect NATO’s northern flank from Russia, reports The Telegraph.

The Air Force Special Operations Command says it will upgrade all 52 of its CV-22B Osprey tiltrotor with the new Silent Knight Radar by December 2021, reports IHSJane’s 360.

Boeing is building four Orca extra-large unmanned undersea vehicles, or XLUUVs, reports The Drive. The Navy plans to use the Orcas to explore future concepts of operation for underwater drones, which could include gathering intelligence, or placing and clearing naval mines, and attacking other ships or submarines.

Lockheed Martin opened its new $50 million facility in central Florida, reports keysnews.com. Company officials said last week that the new 255,000-square-foot facility will be used for research and development.

Capt. Zoe Kotnik, the first female pilot to head the F-16 Viper demonstration team, was relieved of command last week. Air Force Times reports the 20th Fighter Wing lost confidence in her ability to lead the team.

Two members of the US Army Parachute Team, the Golden Knights, remain in critical condition after a training accident early last week that sent three to a Miami hospital, reports Army Times.

Hundreds of veterans are filing lawsuits against Minnesota-based 3M Company saying that it manufactured and sold defective combat earplugs to the military, reports Military Times. The earplugs didn’t maintain a tight seal and allowed dangerously loud sounds to slip through without the wearer knowing, the lawsuits alleges.

Earlier this month, the Naval Test Wing Atlantic honored the test and evaluation wing’s highest achievers during an awards ceremony at NAS Patuxent River, reports The Tester.

The Washington Post reports on a robot designed to do the work of 30 people picking strawberries. Meet Harv, a machine that can pick five strawberries a second and cover eight acres a day.

Maps recently released show details on 14 possible options for a new Chesapeake Bay crossing, reports WUSA9. The proposed sites are as far north as Harford County to a site in Lexington Park that would link Route 5 to Princess Anne in Somerset County on the lower Eastern Shore.

Contracts:

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Syracuse, New York, is awarded a $20,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-incentive-fee and firm-fixed-price contract for engineering and technical services for the design, development, testing, integration, technology insertion/refreshment and system support of the AN/BLQ-10 Electronic Warfare System (Technology Insertion (TI)-20, TI-22, and TI-24) on new-construction and in-service submarines. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $970,083,614. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York (95 percent); and Manassas, Virginia (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by February 2020. If options are exercised, work will continue through February 2029. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $8,500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-D-6200).

Abt Associates Rockville, Maryland (W912HQ-19-D-0002); AECOM Technical Services Inc., Los Angeles, California (W912HQ-19-D-0003); Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia (W912HQ-19-D-0004); and CDM Federal Programs Corp., Carbondale, Illinois (W912HQ-19-D-0005), will compete for each order of the $47,200,000 firm-fixed-price contract for navigation, data and systems analytical and professional support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 14, 2024. US Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Intelligent Waves LLC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a competitive firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with the Defense Information Systems Agency to provide global logistical service management and field service representatives in support of the Distributed Tactical Communication System and the Department of Defense Enhanced Mobile Satellite Services program. The cumulative face value of this action is $48,000,000 with the base year funded by fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The basic proposal was solicited via electronic means through FedBizOps with six proposals received. The period of performance is from Feb. 25, 2019, to Feb. 24, 2020, with four 12-month option periods. Performance will be at various locations within the US and deployed locations worldwide. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1013-19-D-0003).

IntelSat General Corp., McLean, Virginia, was awarded a firm-fixed-price contract modification to exercise Option Period Three on task order GS-35F-0478U/HC1013-16-F-0020 for commercial satellite communications service in direct support of the US Air Force’s Central Command network architecture, which includes fixed and mobile platforms, including remotely piloted aircraft and communications on-the-move assets. The face value of this action is $8,553,756 funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. Primary performance will be at the contractor’s facility. The period of performance is Feb. 16, 2019, through Feb. 15, 2020. The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1013-16-F-0020-P00007).

CDM Federal Programs Corp., doing business as CDM Smith, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $33,000,000 modification to increase the maximum dollar value of an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N62470-15-D-4002) for architect–engineering services for utilities engineering and management support projects located throughout the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) area of responsibility (AOR) worldwide. The primary tasks anticipated under this contract include producing utility system master plans, engineering studies, surveying, field testing, hydraulic modeling, recommended treatment and distribution improvements, electric load and demand modeling, arc-flash and safety hazard analysis, relay coordination, life cycle cost analysis, 1391 documentation and design, development and implementation of standard processes and tools to inventory and manage utility assets, collecting direct condition ratings; performing risk assessment on functional groups of assets, creating a risk based investment strategy, and capital improvement plans; development of standard operating procedures, preventive maintenance plans, and operator training; process and instrumentation drawings/electric system one-line drawings for utility systems; development of Geographic Information Systems for utilities using GPS and mobile field data development and integration of utility information systems to increase the reliable, safe and efficient delivery of utility services; development of best practices and documentation, development of staffing plans, and organizational analysis of public works departments with staffing recommendations, organizational improvements and other related services. After award of this modification, the total cumulative not-to-exceed contract value will be $55,000,000. Critical projects are planned to be performed in the NAVFAC AOR worldwide, including but not limited to, Japan (24 percent); Florida (22 percent); Italy (22 percent); Hawaii (19 percent); Texas (10 percent); and Washington, District of Columbia (2 percent). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of February 2020. Future task orders will be primarily funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds. NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $17,288,213 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6259 to exercise options for Navy equipment, engineering services and required material. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65 percent); Clearwater, Florida (32 percent); Syracuse, New York (2 percent); and Marion, Florida (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $16,823,290 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

PAE Government Systems Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $27,574,855 modification (P00010) to Foreign Military Sales (Afghanistan) contract W56HZV-17-C-0117 for contractor logistic support efforts to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces. Work will be performed in Hikia, Afghanistan, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $27,574,855 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.

Norfolk Dredging Co., Chesapeake, Virginia, was awarded a $9,136,250 firm-fixed-price contract for Canaveral Harbor maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Canaveral, Florida, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 30, 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $9,163,250 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity (W912EP-19-C-0010).

System High Corp., Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $24,200,840 modification (P00019) to previously awarded task order HR0011-17-F-0001 for program security services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the task order to $69,223,019 from $45,022,179. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of March 2020. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $21,769,143 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Vane Line Bunkering Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, has been awarded contract modification (P00030) on contract HTC71113CW015 in the amount of $16,952,486. This modification provides continued transportation of bulk jet fuel and marine diesel fuel by barge for the Defense Logistics Agency-Energy in the US Atlantic Region. Performance is from Mar. 1, 2019, to Aug. 31, 2019. Fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $139,538,998 from $122,586,512. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,763,000 cost-plus fixed-fee contract. The contract is to provide assessments and alternatives of offensive capabilities within the domains of air, land, sea, space and cyberspace, missions and warfare areas that asymmetrically mitigate threat effectiveness, impose cost, and/or create ambiguity in adversary decision-making. Work performance will take place in the National Capital Region, including Arlington and Alexandria, Virginia. Fiscal 2018 – fiscal 2019 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,460,000; fiscal 2019 – fiscal 2020 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,576,000; and fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $727,000 are being obligated on this award. The expected completion date is Dec. 29, 2019. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-13-D-0003).