NAWCAD Unveils Newest Nat’l. Cyber Range

(Pixabay.com photo)

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.

US Navy commanders, executives, and other local leaders celebrated the opening of the Department of Defense’s newest National Cyber Range last week at NAS Pax River, reports The BayNet. The new range, to be operated by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, is dedicated to bolstering the cyber security of defense aviation’s aircraft, subsystems, and supportive technologies. The range is one of four defense test facilities, with the others at Eglin in Florida, which serves the Air Force; Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina, dedicated to sea-based technologies on submarines and ships; and Orlando, which supports DoD’s operational mission force training.

Lockheed Martin announced last week that it was selected for event planning, operations, and support at the National Cyber Range Complex site at Joint Base Charleston. The Charleston site will support DoD and serve as the principle range support site for Naval/Special Operations afloat and ashore communities to include surface platforms, undersea platforms, and ground/expeditionary, and ashore platforms, according to the company’s website.

The US Department of Defense’s annual report on China’s military and security changes details that country’s growing nuclear arsenal and the possible development of a new armed missile system, reports Breaking Defense. The annual National Security Strategy to Congress spans activities from 2022 and into 2023.

The US has seen more instances of “coercive and risky” behavior from Chinese pilots against US aircraft in the past two years over the East and South China Seas than in the entire decade before that, reports CNN. DoD last week released declassified images and videos showing 15 recent cases of such behavior by the People’s Liberation Army against US aircraft operating lawfully in international airspace.

Amid ongoing tension in the South China Sea, the US and the Philippines wrapped up naval drills in the Pacific that focused on replenishment at sea, naval warfare, and human assistance and disaster response, reports Defense News. The resupply operations stoked diplomatic spats between the Philippines and China.

Is a US-China War inevitable? Strategic rivalry between the US and China is escalating, reports National Interest. John Austin, a nonresident senior fellow with the Brookings Institution and the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, in an op-ed for National Interest said it is possible but not for the reasons you might think.

The White House has sent an emergency funding request to Congress asking for additional money for border security, allies in the Indo-Pacific, and for Israel and Ukraine in their respective conflicts against Hamas and Russia, reports The Hill. The request includes roughly $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion to boost Israel’s defense, nearly $14 billion for personnel and operations at the US-Mexico border, $10 billion in humanitarian aid, and $2 billion for Indo-Pacific security assistance.

The Biden administration wants Israel to delay its invasion of Gaza to allow for the release of more hostages held by Hamas and for aid to reach Gaza, reports CNN. Trucks carrying medicine and food were moving through the border into Gaza from Egypt on Saturday, reports Reuters. Two American hostages were released Friday night, reports The Washington Post. Roughly 200 kidnapped people are still thought to be held by Hamas.

A CBS News/YouGov poll found 24% of Americans said that US President Joe Biden’s recent statements and actions have shown “too much support” for Israel, reports CBS News. By comparison, 44% said the president has shown “the right amount of support” for Israel, and 32% said he hasn’t “shown enough.” Americans overwhelmingly voiced sympathy for the Israeli people in the current conflict with Hamas, and there’s widespread support for sending humanitarian aid.

The White House has removed a photograph shared on social media that apparently showed President Biden shaking hands with US special operators in Israel during his visit there last week, reports Task & Purpose. The service members in the photo with the president were not wearing any badges or insignia that identified their units, but their appearance and tactical gear were consistent with US special operations forces. A White House spokesperson said the picture was posted by accident.

A military base in southern Syria where US troops have maintained a presence was attacked by drones last week, reports Military Times. The al-Tanf garrison is located at a sensitive juncture often used by Iranian-backed militants to ferry weapons to Hezbollah. The Defense Department said that the destroyer Carney shot down multiple missiles fired by Houthi insurgents in the Red Sea the same day, reports Military Times.

Some European militaries are expanding their fighter jet landing exercises to include landing on regular roadways, reports Breaking Defense. Analysts said the training renews an interest in “dispersed” operations in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The goal: Give air forces the ability to operate more independent of and far from military bases and airfields that would be magnets for attack.

The US Navy’s newest fast-attack submarine has joined the fleet, reports Navy Times. A ceremony was held earlier this month at Naval Submarine Base New London in Connecticut to commission the Hyman G. Rickover. Crewed by roughly 135 sailors, Rickover can dive deeper than 800 feet and speed nearly 29 mph.

Pvt. Travis King, the US soldier who crossed into North Korea in July, has been charged with desertion, reports The Hill. King was also charged with possessing sexual images of a child. He was held for two months in North Korea before being expelled from the country. In September, King was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center near San Antonio, TX, for medical exams and psychological debriefings.

Boeing plans to begin testing a 3D-printed main rotor system for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter next year, reports Army Times, as part of an effort to cut out long lead times and improve the overall supply chains for parts that are typically forged.

Christopher Toups, a former Navy chief petty officer, has been sentenced to 30 months in jail for his role in scamming $2 million from a life insurance program that assists seriously injured service members, reports Navy Times. He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in October 2022, admitted to conspiring with his then-spouse, former Navy nurse Kelene McGrath, and Navy doctor Michael Villarroel to submit fabricated claims for life insurance payments.

The Pentagon said it has investigated 291 UFO sightings over the past year — some of which they believe might be the creations of foreign governments trying to spy on the US, reports New York Post on MSN. The All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office also has been looking into 17 other sightings that occurred between 2019 and 2022.

A researcher team using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has spotted a jet stream on Jupiter that is stronger than a Category 5 hurricane on Earth, reports Space.com. According to the researchers, the newfound jet stream on Jupiter might shed some light on the planet’s turbulent atmosphere.

Thousands of people will take part the 48th annual Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 29, running through parts of Virginia and Washington, DC, reports WTOP News.

Personal-finance website WalletHub released its 2024’s Best College & University Rankings. Johns Hopkins University took the No. 1 spot for Maryland institutions and ranked ninth nationwide.

Contracts:

ManTech International Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $13,822,604 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00013) to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N0042117D0032). This modification increases the ceiling to provide engineering support to include reliability, maintainability, testability, quality assurance, diagnostic and system safety analyses in support of the design, development, production, and in-service cycles of all naval carrier based tactical aircraft, shipboard capable vertical/short takeoff and landing aircraft, maritime support aircraft, unmanned aircraft, tactical weapons systems, support systems, and equipment and aircraft launch and recovery equipment. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (91.5%); Yuma, Arizona (1.7%); Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (1.7%); Edwards AFB, California (1.7%); China Lake, California (1.7%); and Quantico, Virginia (1.7%), and is expected to be completed in November 2023. No funds will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

The Boeing Co., Tukwila, Washington, is awarded a $26,724,142 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001924F2574) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0006). This order provides for the design, development, and test of software and ancillary hardware required in support of the retrofit integration of the MK 54 Mod 2 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo on the P-8A aircraft for the Navy. Work will be performed in Seattle, Washington (96%); Patuxent River, Maryland (3%); and St. Louis, Missouri (1%), and is expected to be completed in October 2026. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,250,000 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Akiak NS LLC was awarded a $99,994,782 firm-fixed-price contract to obtain technology Lifecycle Support Service for the Defense Health Agency Solution Delivery Division Technology Support Branch. Technology Lifecycle Support encompasses various activities including assessment, planning, implementation, and ongoing support to ensure that technology remains efficient, secure, and aligned with the organization’s needs and objectives. Technology Lifecycle Support encompasses seven domains: Digital Transformation Center; System Lifecycle Management; Evolutionary Architecture and Design; Operations Support Center; Information Technology Lifecycle Management; Cloud Solutions Architecture; and Application Support; and permits the Solution Delivery Division to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, minimize risks, and better leverage technology investments to drive business success. This award is the result of an Alaska Native Corporation 8(a) direct award. The contract has a base period of five months, Option Period One of eight months, and Option Period Two of nine months. $21,669,012 of fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds were obligated for the base year. The place of performance is Falls Church, Virginia. The Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. The contract number is HT001123C0103. (Awarded Sept. 30, 2023)

United Concordia Companies Inc., Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, is awarded a $3,028,216,101 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with firm-fixed unit prices and cost-reimbursable line items (HT940224D0001) to support the delivery of the Department of Defense TRICARE dental program benefit, codified in 10 U.S. Code, Chapter 55 1076a. The contract serves to integrate affordable dental health services to Military Health System (MHS) beneficiaries, by private sector contractors, and driven by greater integration of dental business processes across the MHS. The Defense Health Agency supports the MHS in its mission to provide dental health services through TRICARE dental care coverage for all eligible family members of uniformed service active-duty personnel, members of the Selected Reserve and Individual Ready Reserve and their eligible family members. The period of performance is Dec. 1, 2023, to Nov. 30, 2029. The TRICARE dental program geographic area of coverage for the continental U.S. includes the 50 United States; Washington, DC; Puerto Rico; Guam; and the Virgin Islands. Outside the continental U.S., the service area includes all other countries, island masses, and territorial waters. Fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance funding will be obligated at the time of award. The Defense Health Agency, Managed Care Contracting Division, Aurora, Colorado, is the contracting activity.

Huntington Ingalls Industries Unmanned Systems, Pocasset, Massachusetts, is awarded a $16,311,757 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-23-C-6308 to exercise options for Lionfish Small Unmanned Undersea Vehicle testing. Work will be performed in Pocasset, Massachusetts (99%); and Hampton, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2024 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $16,311,757 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.