Navy Undersecretary Geurts to Retire
James “Hondo” Geurts, then-assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, speaks to industry and government representatives about his priorities for aligning the Navy with the National Defense Strategy at a September 2018 program sponsored by The Patuxent Partnership.
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.
James “Hondo” Geurts, who has been acting as the undersecretary of the Navy since February, announced he will retire from government service later this month, reports USNI News. Geurts was among the only top leaders who served the duration of the Trump administration and into the Biden administration, reports Defense News.
Lexington Park-based AVIAN has purchased redUAS, a counter-unmanned aircraft systems tactics and training company, reports ExecutiveBiz. As a result of the transaction, AVIAN will integrate redUAS with its test and evaluation flight support sector, which backs the US Navy’s unmanned systems projects.
The US Navy conducted the first live fire test of an AGM-88G Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile – Extended Range (AARGM-ER), reports janes.com. The test was conducted over the sea test range at Naval Air Station Point Mugu in California late last month.
Lockheed Martin is teaming with Greek industrial partners to help Greece modernize its navy, reports Naval News. “With Greek industry as strategic partners, we are convinced that together we not only provide incredible capability to the Hellenic Navy but help to re-build a proud and historic shipbuilding industry here in Greece,” company VP Tom Rowden said.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan will require state employees who care for people in prisons, hospitals, veterans centers, and juvenile facilities to get COVID-19 vaccinations, or submit to regular testing and mask-wearing restrictions starting Sept. 1, reports The Baltimore Sun. Hogan cited the spreading of the Delta variant as the reason for the requirement.
Sens. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) have introduced legislation that would create a new position on the National Security Council to oversee the federal government’s investigation into “Havana Syndrome” incidents, reports Politico. Suspicious ailments are affecting American personnel around the world. Investigators believe these incidents are directed-energy attacks against US diplomats and spies.
The US, foreign ministers of G7 nations, and the European Union have joined in condemning Iran for carrying out an attack that killed two on an Israeli-owned shipping vessel, reports The Hill. The July 30 attack took place off the coast of Oman. US Central Command said an investigation by a team from the USS Ronald Reagan that was dispatched to examine evidence and interview surviving crew members of the Mercer Street tanker determined that Iran was behind the drone strike, reports UPI.
The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group made a stop in Gaum last week as part of its CSG21 deployment to the Indo-Pacific region, reports The Gaum Daily Post. The deployment is the UK’s first by a carrier strike group in that region for almost 25 years.
The US State Department has approved the sale to Taiwan of an estimated $750 million in howitzers and associated equipment, reports Breaking Defense. This is the first major foreign military sales case to Taiwan approved by the Biden administration.
Speaking at the Navy League’s Sea Air Space symposium last week, Space Command chief GEN Jim Dickinson said that space is as strategically important as the high seas, and SPACECOM has much to learn from naval operations over the years — including how to develop, and enforce, international norms of behavior, reports Breaking Defense.
The US Space Force will create a program to determine which candidates are the best fit to join the Space Force after graduating from the US Air Force Academy, reports Military Times. It will resemble the Marine Corps’ Leatherneck program.
The Air Force title “superintendent,” usually reserved for senior master sergeants and chief master sergeants, will switch to “senior enlisted leader,” reports Military.com. The change goes into effect Oct. 1.
Imagine a plane that can fly five times to speed of sound and can travel from New York to Paris in 90 minutes. The US Air Force and other venture capital firms are making a $60 million investment in Hermeus Corp., a Georgia-based aerospace company that wants to develop the world’s first reusable hypersonic aircraft, reports Military Times.
California-based aviation company Brek Manufacturing plans to expand into Kansas with new Wichita operations, reports The Wichita Eagle. The move would create 75 aerospace jobs in what the Kansas governor called the “Air Capital of the World.” Brek produces parts for programs such as Airbus A380; Boeing 737, 777 and 787; and the F-35.
The US Coast Guard made the largest drug bust in its history last week, reports Navy Times. The Cutter James brought in a record haul at Port Everglades, FL, offloading nearly 60,000 pounds of cocaine and more than 1,400 pounds of marijuana, valued at $1.4 billion.
The sailor charged with setting the fire that destroyed the USS Bohomme Richard last July has been identified. He is Ryan Sawyer Mays, 20, a seaman apprentice, reports Military Times.
Baltimore-based Opteev said it has made an airborne virus detector that alerts people if COVID-19 variants have been detected nearby, reports WTOP News.
Contracts:
Belt Built CFM JV LLC, Crofton, Maryland, is awarded an $8,260,843 firm-fixed-price task order N4008021F4813 under a multiple award construction contract for construction of the aircraft parking apron at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River. The task order also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative task order value to $14,154,870. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by February 2023. The work to be performed is the replacement of the existing aircraft parking apron at the Navy Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron Four (VQ-4) facility. The option, if exercised, provides a new, single-story alert facility at the NAS Patuxent River. The new building is an additional structure within the alert facility site that will serve as administrative, training and sleeping quarters for VQ-4 personnel. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance, (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $8,260,843 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Seven proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-19-D-0014).
Express Scripts Inc., St. Louis, Missouri (HT940221C0007), was awarded a firm-fixed-price, incentive/award fee contract with a total face value of $4,300,000,000 to provide pharmacy management services for the Department of Defense TRICARE Pharmacy Benefit Program. Pharmacy benefit services are available in all 50 states; Washington, DC; Guam; Puerto Rico; and the Virgin Islands. The program offers services at retail network pharmacies, authorized non-network retail pharmacies or delivery through the TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy. The contractor will perform pharmacy benefit management functions, including claims adjudication at military medical treatment facilities, clinical services for specialty pharmaceuticals, processing direct member reimbursements for claims, clinical reviews and providing beneficiary and pharmacy support services. The contract has a base period of 15 months and seven option periods of 12 months each. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $23,596,175 are obligated for the base period. The contract was competitively procured using full and open competition under request for proposal HT940220R0002 with two proposals received. The Defense Health Agency’s Managed Care Contracting Division, Aurora, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $59,900,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for automated tank gauging, independent alarm system and overfill protection equipment maintenance. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. This is a one-year base contract with four one-year option periods. Locations of performance are outside the continental US, with an Aug. 12, 2022, ordering period end date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2021 through 2022 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio (SP4702-21-D-0007).
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co., Baltimore, Maryland, was awarded a $58,517,575 firm-fixed-price task order modification (N4008520F6537), which exercised the negotiated option to begin construction on the Virginia-class waterfront support facility, Building 178, at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS). Work will be performed in Kittery, Maine, and is expected to be completed by May 2023. The work will construct an elevated three-story structure sited inside the south end of Building 178, to include renovation of a portion of the ground floor area in order to provide waterfront support field shop operations for naval submarine work at PNS. The construction will provide overhead clearance at the ground and second floors for field shops, and project team space on the third and fourth floors. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $58,517,575 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the government point of entry contract opportunities on beta.sam.gov with two proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-21-D-0036). (Awarded July 31, 2021)
Wärtsilä Defense Inc., Chesapeake, Virginia (N3220521D4126); and Coastal Seal Services LLC, Lincolnton, North Carolina (N3220521D4127), are awarded a $33,367,844 firm-fixed-price, multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. These contracts fulfill Military Sealift Command’s requirement for Wärtsilä-brand equipment, supply, maintenance and repair services. This requirement includes parts and services in support of these ship classes: T-AH (Hospital); T-AKE (Dry Cargo/Ammunition); T-AO (Fleet Replenishment Oiler); T-AOE (Fast Combat Support); T-ARC (Cable Repair); T-ARS (Rescue and Salvage); T-AS (Submarine Tender); T-EPF (Expeditionary Fast Transport); and T-ESB (Expeditionary Sea Base) of Military Sealift Command vessels. Each contract includes five one-year ordering periods that would bring with a potential cumulative value to $33,367,844, if required. Work will be performed worldwide and is expected to be completed by Aug. 29, 2026. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $3,500 for the minimum guarantee for each offer or will be obligated at time of award. Orders may be placed throughout the five-year ordering period. Funding for fiscal 2021 in which initial orders are placed will be utilized at that time. This contract was a limited-source requirement procured via the government-wide beta.sam.gov website and two offers were received. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Oceaneering International Inc., Hanover, Maryland, is awarded a $15,931,391 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the integration and testing of a Compensated Lift and Advanced Mooring System (CLAMS) developed under a previous initiative. The performer will integrate the prototype macro crane, micro crane, advanced motion controller and the advanced mooring system onto a government-provided barge suitable for testing in fiscal 2022. The results of this testing will inform future at-sea precision lift requirements for the Navy. Work will be performed in Hanover, Maryland (80.2%); Mooresville, North Carolina (15.5%); Beltsville, Maryland (3.5%); and Chesapeake, Virginia (0.8%). Work is expected to be completed by June 8, 2023. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,909,064 are obligated at time of award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was noncompetitively procured via a justification and approval. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-21-C-1029).
