Navy Football Uniforms Pay Homage to Super Hornet

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.

Naval aviation is the inspiration for this year’s US Naval Academy’s uniforms for the December 11 Army/Navy football game. Navy went with a F/A 18 Super Hornet-themed uniform, reports USA Today’s For the Win, and “they rule.” But while those uniforms are snazzy and heavy on Independence Day-styled patriotism, the Army’s uniforms are just … so much more, reports Navy Times.

Two aircraft on the USS Carl Vinson suffered “Class A” mishaps last month, reports Navy Times. One incident involved an F/A 18E Super Hornet catching on fire, and in the second incident a dipping sonar system detached from a cable connecting it to a MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter. No injuries were reported. Vinson deployed in August to the West Pacific.

The USS Harry S. Truman and its carrier strike group kicked off a scheduled deployment last week, reports Navy Times. The Navy did not disclose where the strike group was headed.

Lockheed Martin has introduced a scaled-down F-35 training platform that uses the same software as the company’s full mission simulator offering for US and international pilots, reports ExecutiveBiz.

BAE Systems has installed its advanced electronic warfare system onto the under-development EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft in collaboration with the US Air Force, reports The Defense Post.

Boeing’s Super Hornet is out of the running to replace the Canadian military’s aging CF-18s, reports The Durango Herald. Canada has officially narrowed its hunt for a new fighter jet to two choices — Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and the Swedish Saab Gripen.

Israel wants to purchase a fleet of a dozen CH-53K helicopters, reports Breaking Defense. The Biden administration has OK’d the sale, which comes with an estimated $3.4 billion price tag for 18 of the Lockheed Martin rotorcraft.

Eleven US Embassy employees working abroad had their iPhones hacked in recent months by Pegasus spyware from NSO Group, an Israel-based company that licenses software to government clients, reports The Washington Post. The software allows the theft of files and the ability to eavesdrop on conversations and track the movements of its targets. The hacks were concentrated in Uganda.

Russian deployed coastal defense missile systems near the Kuril Islands, a Pacific chain also claimed by Japan, reports The Associated Press. The deployment followed a series of moves by Russia to beef up its military presence on the Kuril Islands.

The US Senate passed a stopgap spending bill Thursday that avoided a short-term shutdown and funds the federal government through February 18 after leaders defused a partisan standoff over federal vaccine mandates, reports Military.com.

 

 

The National Space Council met for the first time under Vice President Kamala Harris last week, reports space.com. The White House released the “United States Space Priorities Framework” which outlines space-related principles and goals that the US will work toward.

The US Space Force added North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University to its University Partnership Program, the military service reports. Establishing strategic partnerships with a select set of nationally renowned universities allows the Space Force to recruit and educate a diverse, high-caliber workforce, and develop a technology-savvy service.

SpaceX on Thursday launched 48 Starlink spacecraft from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida as part of its plans to develop a second generation of communications satellites, reports UPI.

It’s time to start scanning the predawn sky to see comet Leonard, also called the Christmas comet, which astronomers expect to show off its tail as it comes closer to Earth and the sun in its orbit, reports Patch.com. It will be closest to Earth on December 12, but you may be able to spot it in the days before and after.

Edward Shames, a World War II veteran who was the last surviving officer of “Easy Company,” which inspired the HBO miniseries and book “Band of Brothers,” has died, reports AP. He was 99.

The Patuxent River Naval Air Museum in Lexington Park officially opened its permanent Women in Aviation exhibit, reports The Tester. The installation includes a few of the women who served at, worked for, or passed through NAS Pax River, recognizing their impact onboard the installation and throughout naval aviation.

The US Labor Department jobs report says the US economy added 210,000 jobs in November, reports The Hill. That is far below expectations. The unemployment rate fell to 4.2%, down from October’s 4.6%.

The Maryland Department of the Environment issued an emergency order last week closing a portion of the Potomac River in the St. George Island area to shellfish harvesting following a report of a sewage overflow, according to news.maryland.gov. MDE acknowledged a two-week lag in acting on the sewage spill, reports Bay Journal. More than two dozen people became ill after eating raw oysters from an oyster farm in St. George Creek.

Contracts:

Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems, El Segundo, California, is awarded a $71,446,885 level-of-effort modification (P00011) to a previously awarded, cost-plus-fixed-fee indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N6893619D0001). This modification increases the ceiling to provide continued development of the F/A-18/EA-18G sensor system software and hardware, to include updates, improvements and enhancements of tactical capabilities, sensor instrumentation, and instrumentation interfaces in support of anti-surface warfare technical baseline and the Built-in Test Stability System Anomaly Report efforts that support current, fielded F/A-18 software blocks. Work will be performed in El Segundo, California (80%); China Lake, California (10%); Patuxent River, Maryland (5%); and St. Louis, Missouri (5%), and is expected to be completed in February 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity.

Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, has been awarded a $15,583,203 modification (P000018) to previously awarded contract FA2860-19-C-0005 for rotary wing maintenance. The modification provides for helicopter maintenance of aircraft assigned to the 316th Wing at Joint Base Andrews-Naval Air Facility Washington. This modification exercises Option Period Three and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $13,013,503 are being obligated at the time of award, and the total cumulative face value of the contract is $55,473,948. The 316th Contracting Squadron, Services Flight, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Mission Systems Inc., Pittsfield, Massachusetts, is awarded an $11,562,529 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-6262 to exercise options for engineering design development services, supporting travel, Navy equipment and spares. Work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia (53%); and Pittsfield, Massachusetts (47%), and is expected to be completed by March 2024. Fiscal 2022 ship building and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,656,540 (54.0%); fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,809,163 (36.8%); fiscal 2022 other procurement-spares (Navy) funds in the amount of $295,915 (6.0%); fiscal 2019 ship building and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $73,261 (1.5%); fiscal 2020 ship building and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $40,000 (0.8%); fiscal 2021 ship building and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $30,000 (0.6%); and fiscal 2017 ship building and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,000 (0.3%) will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2017 ship building and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $16,700,000 modification (P00050) to contract W58RGZ-20-C-0024 to support the continued system operations and sustainment services, and test and training services in support of the Saturn Arch Aerial Intelligence Systems Quick Reaction Capability Program. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, and Bridgewater, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of March 16, 2024. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $16,700,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a $12,551,681 modification (P00023) to contract W81K04-18-C-0001 for medical training, equipment/site maintenance and administration support services. Work will be performed in Dublin, California; Fort Gordon, Georgia; and Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 operation and maintenance, Army Reserve funds in the amount of $12,551,681 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Health Contracting Activity, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Grand Prairie, Texas, was awarded an $11,351,065 firm-fixed-price contract for Multiple Launch Rocket System Family of Munitions Missile Common Test Set Version 2.0 units. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Waynesboro, Virginia; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Neptune, New Jersey; Grand Prairie, Texas; Loveland, Colorado; and Greeneville, Tennessee, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2023. Fiscal 2021 and 2022 aircraft procurement, Army funds in the amount of $11,351,065 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-22-C-0009).

AT2 LLC, Severn, Maryland, has been awarded a $16,082,704 firm-fixed-price modification P00024 to previously awarded contract FA489018C0008 to exercise an option for continued operations, maintenance and support services of range threat, scoring and feedback systems at Air Combat Command and Air Force Global Strike Command Primary Training Ranges. Work will be performed at Dare County Range, North Carolina; Poinsett Range, South Carolina; Grand Bay Range, Georgia; Avon Park Range, Georgia; Snyder Range, Texas; Belle Fourche Range, South Dakota; Holloman Ranges, New Mexico; and Mountain Home Ranges, Idaho, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2022. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,872,380 are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $67,416,192. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley‐Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890‐18‐C‐0008). (Awarded Dec. 1, 2021)

BFS Solutions LLC, Hume, Virginia, has been awarded an $8,066,326 firm-fixed-price contract for the Mission Control Center Air Operations Squadron program. Work will be performed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2027. This award is a result of a 100% Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business Set-Aside competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,181,171 will be obligated at the time of award for the phase-in period and base year. Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley‐Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (FA4890-22-C-0003) (Awarded Dec. 1, 2021)

National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $15,585,000 modification (P00001) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-21-D-B102) with two one-year option periods for physical fitness uniform jackets. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Arkansas, with a Dec. 14, 2022, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2022 through 2023 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.