Navy’s F-35C Passes Major Milestone

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 F-35 variant used by the US Navy passed a major milestone last week, reports the Dallas Business Journal, when it achieved Initial Operational Capability, becoming the final variant of the jet to pass the requirements. The two other variants of the F-35 Lightning II fighter jet — the Air Force’s F-35A and the Marine Corps’ F-35B — have already achieved IOC.

The Naval Air Systems Command said last week that the Navy’s new BQM-177A Subsonic Aerial Target achieved IOC, reports IHS Jane’s 360. Testing was done at Point Mugu in California.

The Air Force needs more jets, reports Breaking Defense, so will it be more F-35s or the newly constructed legacy fighter, the F-15X?

Reduction of the physical caliphate is a monumental military accomplishment, but the fight against ISIS and violent extremism is far from over,” US Central Command chief Gen. Joseph Votel told lawmakers, reports Defense News. “We will need to maintain a vigilant offensive against this now widely dispersed and disaggregated organization that includes leaders, fighters, facilitators and, of course, their toxic ideology,” Votel said.

The Washington Post reports that as the “caliphate crumbles,” the Islamic State is seeding a new insurgency.

The commander of US forces in Africa has cast doubt on whether the Pentagon will complete plans to cut forces in Africa by 10 percent as the DoD announced in November, reports Voice of America. Officials had said they would cut roughly 700 of the 7,200 US troops on the African continent by June 2020.

Illinois Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin says the Pentagon is planning to tap $1 billion in leftover funds from military pay and pensions accounts to help pay for the US-Mexico border wall, reports The Associated Press. President Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly said the idea of a full border wall is “a waste of money,” reports Washington Examiner. Mr. Kelly was speaking to a group at Duke University.

Martin-Baker has developed new technologies, including an advanced sequencer and a new parachute, for its US16E ejection seat found on the F-35 Lightning II and its new Mk18 seat, reports IHS Jane’s 360.

Airbus, Leonardo SpA, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin are among the companies expressing interest in providing Australia with high-altitude, solar-powered drones, reports Reuters.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, reports the Los Angeles Times. This after the spaceship launched March 2 and had carried cargo to the International Space Station, and completed its first successful uncrewed trip to and from orbit, reports The New York Times.

Lockheed Martin’s design for a deep space astronaut habitat has been finalized, reports Military & Aerospace Electronics. It is one of five in production under NASA’s NextSTEP contract.

Chief of Naval Operations ADM John Richardson visited NAS Patuxent River last week, reports dcmilitary.com. “We’re most effective if a small team is firing on all cylinders,” he told about 300 military members and civilian employees. “Building trust and confidence leads to warfighting effectiveness. Let’s be the most effective partner to our friends and allies, and the worst nightmare to our enemies.”

A new high-level task force on preventing veterans suicide is being created, reports Military Times. The plan includes new community outreach grants aimed at former service members and expanded projects across several government agencies to coordinate research and prevention efforts.

Contracts:

Web Business Solutions Inc., Fredericksburg, Virginia, is awarded a $9,595,573 task order (M67854-19-F-7822) under previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (M67854-18-D-7821) for support services to the Command and Control Training and Education Center of Excellence (C2TECOE). The C2TECOE main effort is to provide a continuum of standards-based C2 systems instruction and home station training. Work will be performed at Camp Pendleton, California (27 percent); Quantico, Virginia (23 percent); Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (17 percent); Okinawa, Japan (16 percent); Twentynine Palms, California (10 percent); and Marine Corps Base Hawaii (7 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 10, 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $9,595,573 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will expire the end of the current fiscal year. The base contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with four offers received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contract activity.

Guidehouse LLP, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a maximum $12,473,349 labor hour contract modification to previously awarded contract HQ042318F0055 to exercise an option for audit finding remediation support services. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, with an expected completion date of March 31, 2020. Fiscal 2019 Defense-wide operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,473,349 are being obligated at the time of this option award. This award brings the total cumulative value of the contract to $24,537,771. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio, is the contracting activity (HQ0423-18-F-0055).

Tactical & Survival Specialties, Harrisonburg, Virginia (SPE8EJ-19-D-0001); W.S. Darley & Co., Itasca, Illinois (SPE8EJ-19-D-0002); Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., doing business as ADS, Virginia Beach, Virginia (SPE8EJ-19-D-0003); Federal Resources Supply Co., Stevensville, Maryland (SPE8EJ-19-D-0004); Unifire Inc., Spokane, Washington (SPE8EJ-19-D-0005); and Quantico Tactical, Aberdeen, North Carolina (SPE8EJ-19-D-0006), are sharing a maximum $4,000,000,000 bridge contract under solicitation SPM8EJ-13-R-0001 for special operations equipment. These are firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, 365-day bridge contracts. These were sole-source acquisitions using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. Locations of performance are Virginia, Illinois, Maryland, Washington and North Carolina, with a March 6, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, was awarded a $20,889,135 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-only modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-18-C-5218 to exercise an option and provide incremental funding in support of the continued development, integration and production of the Navy’s AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare System. The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the Surface Ship Undersea Warfare combat system, with the capability to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts, and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. The contract is for development, integration and production of future advanced capability build and technical insertion baselines. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (83 percent); Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (10 percent); Syracuse, New York (6 percent); and Hauppauge, New York (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by March 2020. Fiscal 2014, 2016, 2018 and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); and foreign military sales (Australia) funding in the amount of $20,889,135 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. (Awarded March 6, 2019)

G-W Management Services LLC, Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $19,754,000 firm-fixed-price contract for the improvement of Fuller Road at Marine Corps Base Quantico. The work includes the reconstruction, widening and minor realignment of existing Fuller Road from each of US Route 1 to Mason Drive, and new entry control facility/access control point with entrance security building(s). The security facilities include new gate house, two sentry houses, inspection shelters, a canopy structure, and personnel weather shelters. The work includes: forest clearing, demolition and removals, grading, retaining walls, utility relocations, site utilities (storm drain, sanitary sewer, telecom, and power), buildings structures, vehicle inspection canopy, active vehicle barrier, and incidental related work. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by November 2020. Fiscal 2018 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $19,754,000 are obligated on this award and will expire on March 8, 2019. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-19-C-0010).

Tribalco LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $12,043,813 modification (P00010) to contract W912DY-16-D-0021 for radio systems and services. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of March 12, 2020. US Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Angayut LLC, Arlington, Virginia, has been awarded a firm-fixed-price, indefinite-quantity/indefinite-delivery contract (HU000119D0001) with a minimum award amount of $100,000 and a maximum ceiling/face value of $20,000,000 for professional, scientific, and administrative support services. Performance will occur in Bethesda, Maryland; and San Antonio, Texas, from March 5, 2019, to March 4, 2024. The contract does not include options. Angayut is an 8(a) Alaskan Native Corporation in the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. Operations and maintenance funds will be applied at the task order level. In accordance with Section 8(a) of the Small Business Act (15 US Code 637(a)(1)) and the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Part 19.8, and the executed partnership agreement between the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Department of Defense. Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 5, 2019)

QBase LLC, Reston, Virginia (HT0015-19-F-0036), was awarded a firm-fixed-price $7,546,347 contract for non-personal information technology (IT) services in support of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Health Information Technology (HIT), Infrastructure and Operations Division (I&O), Enterprise Systems Branch. These support services include virtual and physical server administration; database administration; IT system patching and mitigation of system vulnerabilities; application deployment, data at rest; technical writing; security scanning; Tiers 2 and 3 system administration services; operating system deployments; backup and storage services; and network and application vulnerability scanning. The award was made as a small business competitive solicitation in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405, using General Services Administration eBuy Schedule 70, Special Item Number 132-56. Seventeen quotes were received in response to the solicitation. The contractor place of performance is Falls Church, Virginia. The contract provides for four option periods, if exercised. This contract is funded with fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance appropriations in the amount of $7,546,347. The Defense Health Agency, Contracting Office – Health Information Technology, San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Feb. 28, 2019)