Navy Will Consolidate JSF Operations on West Coast

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 Navy has plans to deactivate the Grim Reapers of Strike Fighter Squadron 101 at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, reports Navy Times. The service will consolidate all of its Joint Strike Fighter operations at Naval Air Station Lemoore on the West Coast.

The Air Force said it wants to station three squadrons of F-35 fighters at Tyndall Air Force Base, reports Military Times. That means that F-22 Raptors from the 95th Fighter Squadron would not return to the Northern Florida base.

Last week’s earthquake in Alaska caused severe damage at Air Force Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, reports Air Force Times, including damage to steel frameworks, ceilings, and sprinkler and heating systems. The base is home to two F-22 Raptor squadrons. None of the more than 40 F-22s on base was damaged.

A new defense budget figure has been presented by President Donald Trump, reports Politico. DefSec Jim Mattis will submit a $750 billion budget proposal for fiscal 2020. This is a reversal from the president’s pledge to trim defense spending. Military leaders had been fighting to preserve a $733 billion budget.

Five Marines onboard a KC-130 that crashed Dec. 6 off the coast of Japan are still missing following a midair collision between the Hercules aircraft and an F/A-18 Hornet, reports Military Times. Two Marines have been found during a search and rescue operation — both from the downed Hornet. One is in fair condition and the other died. The deceased Hornet pilot was identified as Capt. Jahmar F. Resilard, 28, of Miramar, FL.

House Republicans said they have struck a tentative deal on a federal pay raise for civilian federal employees in 2019, reports Federal News Radio. The raise would mirror the Senate’s proposed 1.9 percent average raise — and matches what federal employees received in 2018.

Generals and lawmakers alike have warned that the US is being outmaneuvered by Russian and Chinese actions in a gray zone between peaceful cooperation and open war, where hacking and online propaganda often play a larger role than uniformed forces, reports Breaking Defense.

A Center for Data Innovation report says a national artificial intelligence strategy is necessary, reports Defense Systems. This would boost competitiveness, support defense capabilities, and overcome market failures that could slow adoption, such as the lack of skilled workers, insufficient research and development funding, and inadequate data sharing.

2018 was a busy year for the Marine Corps. Take a look at a photo gallery Business Insider created of Marines deployed all across the globe — from Afghanistan to Norway to Thailand and other places in between.

Wilfred Defour, a member of the Tuskegee Airmen, died in his home in Harlem, reports New York Daily News. He was 100. Defour was honored in November when a post office in Harlem was renamed the Tuskegee Airmen Post Office Building after the famed group of all-black pilots who fought in World War II.

The first African-American woman to serve in the US Coast Guard has been laid to rest with military honors, reports Newsday. Olivia Hooker enlisted in the Coast Guard Women’s Reserve in 1945 and rose to the rank of yeoman second class before her discharge in 1946. She was 103.

Contracts:

PAE Applied Technologies LLC, Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $72,000,552 for modification P00074 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-14-C-0038), to exercise an option for range engineering, operations and maintenance services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Atlantic Test Range, and the Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations Division.  Services to be provided include system operations; laboratory and field testing; marine operations and target support; engineering; range sustainability; maintenance, data reduction, and analysis.  Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in December 2019.  Fiscal 2019 working capital fund (Defense and Navy); and Major Range and Test Facility Base funds in the amount of $35,209,082 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman, Sykesville, Maryland, is awarded a $35,143,328 five-year, firm-fixed requirements, long-term contract for the repair of nine items of the aircraft launch and recovery equipment systems under the Advanced Recovery Control system. Work will be performed in Sykesville, Maryland, and work is expected to be completed by December 2023. Working capital funds (Navy) will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code. 2304(C)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1, with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00383-19-D-PY01).

Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Virginia, is awarded $15,000,000 firm-fixed-price modification under a previously awarded indefinite-quantity architect-engineering contract (N40080-17-D-0018), to exercise Option Two for engineering and design services for industrial and research facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command.  The total contract amount after exercise of this option will be $75,000,000.  No task orders are being issued at this time.  Work will be performed at various administrative facilities within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington area of responsibility, including but not limited to, Maryland (45 percent); Washington, District of Columbia (30 percent); Virginia (20 percent), and may also be performed in the remainder of the U.S. (5 percent).   Work for this options is expected to be completed December 2019.  No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued.  Task orders will be primarily funded by fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy and Marine Corps); and fiscal 2019 Navy working capital funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Pavement Technical Solutions Inc.,* Ashburn, Virginia (W9128F-19-D-0024); and RDM International Inc.,* Chantilly, Virginia (W9128F-19-D-0025); Applied Pavement Technology Inc.,* Urbana, Illinois (W9128F-19-D-0026), and All About Pavements Inc.,* Purcellville, Virginia (W9128F-19-D-0027), will share in a $20,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for management system implementation on roads, parking areas and airfields and updating, testing, and maintenance. Nine bids were solicited with four bids received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2023. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.