Navy Shuts Washington Dry Docks for Seismic Activity

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 has suspended submarine repair work at four dry docks in Washington state, following new concerns about their ability to withstand seismic activity, reports Defense News. The Navy identified new concerns related to dry docks 4, 5, and 6 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard as well as the dry dock at Trident Refit Facility Bangor, two service officials told Defense News last week.

The top Air Force general in charge of the nation’s air- and ground-launched nuclear missiles has requested an official investigation into the number of airmen who are reporting blood cancer diagnoses after serving at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, reports Air Force Times. The illnesses became publicly known this week after The Associated Press obtained a military brief that at least nine missileers — those officers serving in underground bunkers near silo-based Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles and responsible for turning launch keys if ordered — were reporting diagnoses of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. One of the officers has died.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) is urging the Federal Trade Commission to oppose L3Harris Technologies’ $4.7 billion bid to buy Aerojet Rocketdyne, reports Defense News. “This deal between Aerojet and L3Harris would reduce competition in the shrinking defense industry to a new low, and I encourage the FTC to oppose this dangerous transaction,” she wrote in a letter to the FTC and further urged the agency unwind Northrop Grumman’s 2018 purchase of Orbital ATK, one of just two suppliers of solid rocket motors along with Aerojet Rocketdyne. Such a move would make the industry more competitive, Warren said.

A special House panel on military quality of life issues plans to spend the next year analyzing service member pay issues with an eye toward significant financial boosts for junior enlisted troops in 2025, reports Military Times. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE), a retired Air Force brigadier general, will head House Armed Services Committee’s new military quality of life panel.

Investigations into handling of sensitive documents by former presidents and vice presidents have brought problems with the classification system back into the spotlight, reports Defense One. “Over-classification undermines critical democratic objectives,” said Avril Haines, director of national intelligence, as well as “negatively impacts national security. … it does have to meet a national security standard.”

The Navy will conduct a pregame flyover at Super Bowl LVII on February 12, reports Military Times. Three tactical aircraft squadrons will commemorate 50 years of women flying in the US Navy, following the game’s national anthem. The formation will include two F/A-18F Super Hornets from the “Flying Eagles” of Strike Fighter Squadron 122 and an F-35C Lightning II from the “Argonauts” of VFA-147, all based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA. It will also include an EA-18G Growler from the “Vikings” of Electronic Attack Squadron 129, based at NAS Whidbey Island, WA. The squadrons will stage and depart from Luke Air Force Base in Arizona.

Japan officials were not told in advance of a US DoD decision that on January 1 forced tens of thousands of its civilian employees into Japan’s health care system, reports Stars and Stripes. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) wrote to the Defense Health Agency with questions weeks after an email and phone campaign organized by the Japan Civilian Medical Advocacy group sought congressional support to reverse the Pentagon’s decision to reduce access to medical care at base hospitals.

Five species of plants and animals were taken off the endangered species list following 40 years of conservation efforts between the DoD and US Fish and Wildlife Service on the Navy-owned San Clemente Island off the coast of California, reports Military Times. Four plants, the San Clemente Island paintbrush, lotus, larkspur and bush-mallow, and one bird, the San Clemente Bell’s sparrow, no longer require protection under the Endangered Species Act.

 

 

The White House has announced its choices to lead US naval forces in Asia and the Middle East, reports Navy Times. RADM Fred Kacher, currently the vice director of operations at the Joint Staff, has been tapped to lead the Japan-based 7th Fleet. He has commanded the guided-missile destroyer Stockdale, Destroyer Squadron 7 and Expeditionary Strike Group 7 in the West Pacific. And RADM George Wikoff has been nominated to lead the Bahrain-based 5th Fleet. Wikoff currently serves as the Joint Staff’s vice director.

Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) has been appointed to the House Armed Services Committee, giving Hawaii another powerful watchdog over the Navy’s plan to clean up Red Hill, reports Stars and Stripes.

The Marine Corps on Monday instituted the congressionally mandated policy giving new parents 12 weeks of parental leave whether or not they gave birth. reports Marine Corps Times. Previously the full 12 weeks was only awarded to birth mothers. The Army on Tuesday rolled out its parental leave policy, also a month past the deadline, saying the extra time allowed it to craft a policy much stronger than those drafted by the other branches, reports Military.com. The policy grants the 12 weeks of leave for new mothers and fathers, including adoptive and foster parents on active duty or full-time Reserve of National Guard duty, in addition to any related convalescent leave. Soldiers can use the leave up to a year after the child is born or fostered, and it can be taken in a single block or in chunks.

Training exercises this week in central Florida involving live bombing in the Ocala National Forest prompted wildlife warnings out of NAS Jacksonville, reports Stars and Stripes. “During bombing periods wildlife may be temporarily displaced. Use extra caution when driving through the Ocala National forest and surrounding areas,” reads a statement on the NAS Jacksonville website. “Secure any items around your residence that could attract wildlife. Always be mindful of larger animals including black bears and practice bearwise measures.”

The University of Florida is on its way to becoming the “nation’s first AI university,” making available and encouraging use of the technology in every curriculum and to help campus operations, according to Provost Joe Glover, reports GNC.  Glover said Chris Malachowsky, one of the original co-founders of technology company Nvidia and a graduate of the Gainesville-based university, gave the school an AI-powered supercomputer “out of the blue” and asked them what they were going to do with it.

Three more sailors stationed aboard Navy aircraft carriers undergoing refits have died by suicide in the past two months, reports Military.com. The USS Theodore Roosevelt, a carrier undergoing a maintenance period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state, lost Boatswain’s Mate 3rd Class Christopher Carroll on Jan. 18 and Electrician’s Mate (Nuclear) 3rd class Jacob Slocum on December 5. Daily Press confirmed Lucian Johan Woods, a boatswain’s mate seaman aboard USS George Washington, died January 23 at a private residence in Newport News, VA. A spokeswoman for the Newport News Police department told Military.com that they considered the death a suicide.

Contracts:

University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, is awarded an $80,000,000 modification (P00012) to increase the ceiling on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HQ003418D0005) to provide research and development support to the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence & Security. The University of Maryland will provide personnel trained in cultural and social systems, applied artificial intelligence, autonomy, augmentation, advanced computing, and emerging technologies. These personnel will support the cultivation of a government workforce proficient in the above areas; activities to support the integration and synthesis of varying perspectives on the above topics; and independent technical evaluation, verification, and guidance on practices or policies the above topics. The work will be performed at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. The modification will raise the contract’s ceiling amount from $177,000,000 to $257,000,000. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and evaluation; and operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $80,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The estimated contract completion date is June 30, 2023. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

InDyne Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland, was awarded a $62,968,088 hybrid firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract for the operations and maintenance support of the Perimeter Acquisition Radar Attack Characterization System (PARCS) mission system. This contract provides the services necessary to support Space Force operations and maintenance of the PARCS system. Work will be performed at Cavalier Space Force Station, North Dakota, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2029. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and five offers were received. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,717,550 are being obligated at the time of this award. US Space Force, Space Operations Command, Space Acquisition and Integration Office, Peterson Space Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity (FA2518-23-C-0002).

Intelligent Waves LLC, Reston Virginia, was awarded a $99,900,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for crowd sourced flight data support services. This contract provides the 59th Test and Evaluation Squadron with support services, including flight test mission instrumentation modifications, improvements, and operations for the 53rd Wing and other operational flight-testing locations. Work will be performed at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, and potentially other locations such as Yuma, Arizona; Patuxent River, Maryland; Norfolk, Virginia; Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio; and Hill AFB, Utah, and is expected to be complete by Jan. 31, 2025. This contract was a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The 99th Contracting Squadron, Nellis AFB, Nevada, is the contracting activity (FA486123D0002).

 Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Radford, Virginia (W519TC-23-F-0090); and Global Military Products Inc., Tampa, Florida (W52P1J-23-F-0091), will compete for each order of the $522,279,434 firm-fixed-price contract for the procurement and delivery of 155 mm rounds. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 30, 2027. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

SourceAmerica, Vienna, Virginia, was awarded a $26,489,074 firm-fixed-price contract for total facility maintenance at Fort Knox. 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 Jan. 31, 2024. US Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Knox, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W9124D-23-D-0008).

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services, Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a $651,593,380 fixed-price level of effort contract modification (P00655) to previously awarded contract FA8214-13-C-0001 for sustaining engineering services. This contract provides for services support for both the Minuteman III and Sentinel Systems Directorates to ensure the integration of current and future hardware, software, testing, and modifications with the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Weapon Systems. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2025. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance funds; research and development funds; and production funds will be obligated with the associated modification. The Air Force Nuclear Weapon Center, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity.

Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $22,004,729 modification (P00032) to contract W91QVN-20-F-0157 for cybersecurity, network operations and maintenance of information technology support. Work will be performed in South Korea, with an estimated completion date of Jan. 31, 2024. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 other procurement, Army funds; and 2023 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $12,068,179 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army 411th Contracting Support Brigade, Camp Humphreys, South Korea, is the contracting activity.

Parsons Government Services Inc., Centreville, Virginia, was awarded a $16,589,847 cost-no-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for the collection, processing, exploitation and dissemination of high-fidelity signature data. 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 Feb. 5, 2028. US Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Michigan, is the contracting activity (W50NH9-23-D-0001).

MBDA Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $118,673,894 not-to-exceed, firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, undefinitized contract action for the production of the Common Anti-Air Module Missile (CAMM) for Multi-Mission Surface Combatants (MMSC) ships. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative not-to-exceed value of this contract to $145,552,474. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Work will be performed in Stevenage, England (70%); Indian Head, Maryland (18%); Huntsville, Alabama (9%); Arlington, Virginia (2%); and Mayport, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed by January 2027. Foreign Military Sales funds for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the amount of $65,786,821 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(4) (the terms of an international agreement of treaty between the US and foreign government or international organization, or the written directions of a foreign government reimbursing the agency for the cost of the procurement of the property or services for such government, have the effect of requiring the use of procedures other than competitive procedures). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-23-C-2301).

PAE Aviation and Technical Services LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $99,986,778 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursable, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract procures organizational, selected intermediate, and limited depot level maintenance, as well as logistics support in support of the F-5 aircraft. Work will be performed in Yuma, Arizona (32%); Key West, Florida (31%); New Orleans, Louisiana (28%); Fallon, Nevada (6%); and Beaufort, South Carolina (3%), and is expected to be completed in March 2024. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0042123D0002).

Progeny Systems Corp., Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $16,439,703 cost-plus-fixed fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-19-C-6204 to exercise options for engineering and technical services for Navy submarines and aircraft carriers. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (30%); Groton, Connecticut (25%); Bremerton, Washington (15%); Las Vegas, Nevada (10%); Cleveland, Ohio (10%); Chesapeake, Virginia (4%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (2%); San Diego, California (2%); and Kings Bay, Georgia (2%), and is expected to be completed by January 2024.  Fiscal 2023 National Sea-Based Deterrence Fund (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,049,000 (62%); fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $500,000 (29%); and fiscal 2022 other procurement funds in the amount of $154,800 (9%) 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, DC, is the contracting activity.

The Treadwell Corp., Thomaston, Connecticut, is awarded an $8,052,851 cost-only, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for services in support of Model 6L16 Electrolytic Oxygen Generator, Automated Electrolytic Oxygen Generator, Low Pressure Electrolyzer, and their respective simulators used to support training installed aboard various classes of submarine and training facilities. Work will be performed in Bangor, Washington (25%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (17%); San Diego, California (10%); Portsmouth, New Hampshire (8%); Groton, Connecticut (8%); Norfolk, Virginia (8%); Kings Bay, Georgia (8%); Diego Garcia (8%); and Guam (8%). Work is expected to be completed for this requirement by January 2027. Fiscal 2023 working capital fund (Navy) in the amount of $500 will be obligated at time of and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured via SAM.gov. 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, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-23-D-4000).

AIMS-U.S. Got People JV LLC, Aldie, Virginia, will be awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HT940823D0001) with a total contract value not to exceed $45,000,000. The contract supports Advanced (clinical specialized and other specialized) Medical Administrative Technician support services. This contract was competed as a 100% Set Aside for 8(a) Small Businesses and has a total ordering period not to exceed five years. The period of performance is April 1, 2023, through March 31, 2028. The government will fund all efforts at the task order level. The place of performance is Joint Base San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas. The first task order will be issued and will be funded with fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,484,448. The Defense Health Agency, Southern Markets Contracting Division, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. 

Lockheed Martin Space, Titusville, Florida, is awarded a $29,745,730 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00004) to exercise options under a previously awarded contract (N0003022C0100) for Trident II (D5) missile production and deployed systems support. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C. (39.2%); San Francisco, California (15.4%); Valley Forge, Pennsylvania (11.9%); Cambridge, United Kingdom (5%); Santa Barbara, California (4.6%); Seattle, Washington (4%); Albuquerque, New Mexico (3.9%); Orlando, Florida (2.7%); Kings Bay, Georgia (2.6%); Sunnyvale, California (2.6%); Petaluma, California (2.6%); Myersville, Maryland (1.8%); Salt Lake City, Utah (1.8%); Grand Canyon, Arizona (1.2%); and locations less than 1% each (0.70% total). Work is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2027. This action is not fully funded. Fiscal 2022 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,672,091; fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,072,119; and fiscal 2023 research and development technology evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,440,000 will be obligated. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is being awarded on a sole source basis under 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) and was previously synopsized on the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one proposal received. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc., Sacramento, California, is awarded a $49,568,200 firm-fixed-price contract for the production and delivery of 55 full rate production Lot 4 BQM-177A Surface Launched Aerial Targets, to include associated 55 Rocket-Assisted Takeoff Attachment kits, 277 mission kits, as well as associated technical and administrative data for the Navy, and the governments of Canada and Australia. Work will be performed in Sacramento, California (50%); Dallas, Texas (20%); Fort Walton Beach, Florida (5%); Blacksburg, Virginia (4%); Santa Ana, California (2%); Newton, Kansas (2%); Concord, California (2%); Milwaukie, Oregon (2%); Chatsworth, California (2%); and various locations within the continental US (11%), and is expected to be completed in April 2024. Fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $48,753,523; and fiscal 2021 weapons procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $814,677 will be obligated at the time of award, $814,677 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001923C0021).