Navy’s Ospreys Are Back in the Air

A US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 262, Marine Aircraft Group 36, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, conducts a bilateral formation flight alongside Japan Ground Self-Defense Force service members during a training exercise off the coast of Japan on Oct. 18, 2023. (US Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Kyle Chan)

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 and Japan have resumed flights of Osprey aircraft in Japan after completing the necessary maintenance and training following a fatal crash that killed eight airmen in southern Japan last year, reports Navy Times. Both countries grounded their Osprey fleets in December.

Some questions still remain as the US Navy and Marine Corps returns the V-22s to the air, reports USNI News. After more than three months probing the crash, investigators say they know what failed aboard the Air Force tiltrotor, but they still don’t know why. Officials haven’t specified the component that failed aboard the aircraft on Nov. 29.

House lawmakers are demanding answers from the Department of Veterans Affairs regarding the consulting firm McKinsey’s role in the VA’s decisions to prescribe opioids to veterans while McKinsey also advised pharmaceutical companies such as Purdue Pharma and Endo on how to sell opioids to the department for veterans, reports Military.com.

Harrison Schmitt, the only living member of NASA’s last crewed mission to the Moon, co-founded Interlune with former Blue Origin President Rob Meyerson and former Chief Architect Gary Lai to harvest the isotope helium-3 from the lunar surface and bring it back to Earth, reports Aviation Week. Their startup company aims to collect small bottles of the rare gas and sell it to emerging technology industries that prize the stuff, including developers of quantum computers and nuclear fusion reactors. “Helium-3 is the only element in the universe that’s expensive enough to warrant going to the Moon and bringing it back to Earth,” said Meyerson, who is the company’s CEO.

Influential government and defense officials called upon Senate leaders to ratify an international treaty in a bid for the US to stake its claim over areas of international waters where minerals such as cobalt and nickel, considered critical for the energy transition and in defense applications, can be sourced, reports The Wall Street Journal. “We have already lost two of our four ‘USA’ designated deep seabed mine sites, each containing a trillion dollars in value of the strategic minerals of copper, nickel, cobalt, manganese and rare earths; minerals critical both for United States security dominance as well as the transition to a greener twenty-first Century,” reads the letter addressed to Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID).

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) last week again pressed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) to take up the Senate-passed national security spending package, which includes $60 billion for Ukraine, despite Johnson’s message to GOP senators this week that he’s moving in a different direction. The Hill reports McConnell didn’t express much interest in waiting weeks or maybe months for the House to come up with an alternative proposal to help Ukraine.

Ukrainian officials are receiving an increase in applications from robotics vendors who want their systems tested for utility in combat, a sign that unmanned ground capabilities are growing in importance amid the relative stalemate along the front line with Russia, reports Defense News.

French President Emmanuel Macron warned Western powers against showing any signs of weakness to Russia as he reiterated his position Thursday that sending Western troops into Ukraine shouldn’t be ruled out, though he said today’s situation doesn’t require it, reports AP News.

Veterans Affairs leaders last week promised a full review of their housing assistance staffing levels and outreach programs as they announced their target of aiding at least 41,000 veterans facing homelessness this year, an increase over last year’s goal, reports Military Times.

The Navy fired CAPT Kurt Balagna as commanding officer of the guided-missile submarine Ohio’s gold crew, last week. Military Times reports Balagna had served as the commanding officer of the vessel since at least 2021 and was fired due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command.”

GEN Gregory Guillot, the new head of US Northern Command and NORAD, is calling for more exercises near the Arctic amid Chinese activity, reports Breaking Defense. He said that China is conducting regional maritime activities “under the cloud of a technical or scientific research, but we think it’s certainly multi-mission to include military” operations. Guillot was speaking before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

US Navy Seabees are preparing for an upcoming Norway deployment, reports Navy Times. They recently completed a cold weather survival training course in Norway in February.

Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has asked for NATO protection for territory near Russia, reports Newsweek on MSN. Kristersson said that bolstering his country’s defense near Russia’s borders is one of Sweden’s core priorities to discuss with NATO after joining the military alliance earlier this month.

Sweden and Finland have joined Exercise Steadfast Defender, NATO’s biggest military exercise in decades, reports BBC. One of the key objectives of the drill is to deter Russia. Sweden’s LT GEN Carl-Johan Edstrom said it’s a question of time: “I’m sure Russia is a threat, yes, and we need to be stronger in the coming five to 10 years.” It’s the alliance’s largest since the end of the Cold War, involving 90,000 military personnel.

The Swedish Air Force conducted its first reconnaissance flights near Russia’s border since officially joining NATO, reports Business Insider on MSN. Flights were aimed at collecting intelligence on troop and weapons deployment in the region.

America’s newest nuclear warhead, the B61-13, will cost under $100 million to produce, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration, reports Breaking Defense. The B61-13, announced in October, seeks to create a higher-yield nuclear bomb that can be used to penetrate hardened enemy locations. Development of the warhead, a new variant of America’s nuclear gravity bomb, will cost an estimated $92 million over the next four years.

Nearly 200 cancer cases have surfaced among US Air Force missileers, reports Air Force Times. Early data in a study of potential cancers in the service’s nuclear missile community revealed fewer cases of most forms of the disease than expected. But it cautioned a deeper dive is necessary before drawing any conclusions.

CNN reports the US military has completed another review of the deadly bombing at the Kabal airport, which killed 13 service members and dozens more Afghan civilians during the 2021 American withdrawal from Afghanistan. The review was officially announced by CENTCOM in September, just days after a congressional roundtable where family members of the troops killed made clear their anger at the investigation.

Federal News Network reports the Biden administration is looking to invest more in a younger government workforce. The White House is eyeing more investments for federal early-career hiring in fiscal 2025. The Office of Personnel Management wants to create a mentoring program for younger talent in government.

SpaceX’s Starship rocket’s third test flight, designed to eventually send astronauts to the moon, completed nearly an entire test flight through space Thursday, getting farther than ever before, but disintegrated on its return to Earth, reports Reuters. Since the test flight qualifies as a mishap, the Federal Aviation Administration will oversee the investigation, reports Space.com on MSN.

NASA reports that hundreds of photographers have volunteered capture photos of the total solar eclipse April 8 to help scientists better understand the Sun and its relationship with Earth. The photogs will be participating in three NASA-funded citizen science projects to study the Sun’s ghostly outer atmosphere – the corona – during totality.

Contracts:

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Bethpage, New York, is awarded a $55,206,800 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-6311) to exercise options for Littoral Combat Ship Mission Module engineering and sustainment support. Work will be performed in Bethpage, New York (36%); Mayport, Florida (21%); Oxnard, California (21%); San Diego, California (21%); and Portsmouth, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed by March 2025. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,219,082 (22%); fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,100,968 (20%); fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,140,226 (20%); fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,148,786 (20%); fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $487,730 (9%); fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of 303,000 (5%); and fiscal 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $240,730 (4%) will be obligated at the time of award and $2,662,308 will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Sedna Digital Solutions LLC, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $13,508,936 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-23-C-6109) to exercise options for Navy engineering design, development, and supporting material. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2024. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $605,000 (52%); fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $386,321 (33%); and fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion funds in the amount of $171,658 (15%), will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

CACI Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded $7,627,744 for a bridge contract (N68836-24-C-0004) as a bridge action for a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00189-21-F-3015) for professional and management services for the Naval Aviation Production Process Sustainment in support of the Chief of Naval Air Training. This contract includes an eight-month base period with two two-month option periods. Work will be performed in various continental US locations that cannot be determined at this time (47%); Pensacola, Florida (24%); Fort Worth, Texas (16%); and Corpus Christi, Texas (13%). Base period is expected to be completed by October 2024 and if all options are exercised, completion will be February 2025. Subject to the availability of funds, fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds (Navy) in the full amount of $7,627,744 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a sole-source pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1) with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Jacksonville, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.

Elbit Systems of America-Night Vision LLC, Roanoke, Virginia, was awarded a $12,379,812 firm-fixed-price contract for AN/PVS-14 Monocular Night Vision Devices. 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 March 31, 2025. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-24-C-5022).

Tribalco LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, has been awarded a five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract in the amount of $25,000,000. This contract will provide recovery kits, training, maintenance service visits, system engineering and program management, and the modernization of kits through a technology refresh process. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and two offers were received in response to the solicitation. Fiscal 2024 funds in the amount of $470,751 will be awarded, and work is expected to be completed by March 14, 2029. The contracting activity is Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WISK, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio (FA8629-23-R-5000).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Manassas, Virginia, has been awarded a $12,303,565 contract modification (P00026) to previously awarded contract FA8307-21-F0012 to extend services for 12-months. The contract modification provides system administration support for each of the required developments, integration and test, as well as production environments for a readiness application and landing page. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia. Fiscal 2024 funds are being obligated at the time of award. Total cumulative face value of the contract is $49,342,550. The contracting activity is Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/HNCKJ, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

Beyond New Horizons LLC, Huntsville, Alabama, has been awarded a cost-plus-award-fee contract with an estimated value of $ 3,800,000,000. This is a 12-year contract that will provide test operations, technology development, equipment and facility sustainment, capital improvements and support services for the Arnold Engineering Development Complex. This contract is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2036. Work will be performed at Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee; National Full Scale Aerodynamics Complex, Mountain View, California; White Oak, Maryland; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with three offers received. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The contracting activity is Air Force Test Center, Arnold Air Force Base, Tennessee (FA910124CB002).

Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., doing business as ADS, Virginia Beach, Virginia (SPE8EH-24-D-0001); L.N. Curtis & Sons, Walnut Creek, California (SPE8EH-24-D-0002); Noble Supply & Logistics LLC, Boston, Massachusetts (SPE8EH-24-D-0003); Quantico Tactical Inc., Aberdeen, North Carolina (SPE8EH-24-D-0004); SupplyCore Inc., Rockford, Illinois (SPE8EH-24-D-0005); Tidewater Distributors LLC, Norfolk, Virginia (SPE8EH-24-D-0006) and W.S. Darley & Co., Itasca, Illinois (SPE8EH-24-D-0007), are sharing a maximum $7,000,000,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE8EH-21-R-0001 for the sixth generation fire and emergency services equipment tailored logistics support program. This was a competitive acquisition with 14 offers received. These are two-year base contracts with four two-year option periods. The ordering period end date is March 13, 2026. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2024 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.