March 29, 2024

New Ford Carrier Declared Navy’s Top Priority

Ford carrier

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

It’s ‘all hands on deck’ to fix the Ford, reports Defense News. Acting NavSec Thomas Modly ranks deployment of the troubled carrier as the Navy’s top priority. The world’s most expensive warship, has faced months of bipartisan criticism in Congress, reports USNI News. The $13 billion warship has been called an exemplar of what’s wrong with shipbuilding and defense spending. “The Navy entered into this contract in 2008, which, combined with other contracts, ballooned the cost of the ship to more than $13 billion without understanding the technical risk, the cost, or the schedules,” Senate Armed Service Committee Chair Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) said during July’s CNO confirmation hearing.

President Donald Trump will attend his third Army-Navy football contest Saturday, reports Military Times. He attended  in 2018 as president and 2016 as president-elect. The commander-in-chief traditionally spends time with both teams during the rivalry game, along with senior officers from both of the services.

China bans US-made technology from all government departments, reports Engadget, citing a Financial Times report that China plans to transition off American hardware and software in favor of local alternatives by 2022.

A Chilean Air Force plane went missing Monday evening en route to Antarctica with 38 on board, reports UPI. A search and rescue team is at the site where officials first lost radio contact with the C-130 Hercules aircraft at 6:13 pm. The Chilean Air Force said the plane took off from Chabunco Air Base and was heading to President Eduardo Frei Montalva Antarctica Air Base with 17 crew and 21 passengers on board.

More retirees and family members to be booted from military hospitals under Pentagon reform plans, reports Military Times. Even some active-duty family members could be impacted, according to the Defense Health Agency director.

US suspects Iran is behind increasingly sophisticated rocket attacks on US bases in Iraq, reports CNN.  There have been nine rocket attacks in the past five weeks on or in the vicinity of Iraqi facilities that host US troops.

NORTHCOM increases base force protection measures in wake of two deadly base shootings, reports Military Times.

The Navy released its newest uniform regulation reforms, reports Navy Times, as part of an effort to add “flexibility” to the clothes sailors wear. The uniform reforms are designed to address everything from blizzard weather conditions to your next swim test.

 

 

NASA officials are calling it a “Christmas present to America” and the “ninth wonder of the world” as they unveil the first core stage of the megarocket with the goal of landing people on the moon, reports Space.com. The 1st Core Stage of New Space Launch System Megarocket is 212 feet tall and includes four engines and two liquid-propellant tanks. It is the first step toward NASA’s goal of landing humans on the moon in 2024 and will carry an un-crewed Orion capsules around the moon in 2021.

DefSec Mark Esper points to $5 billion in Pentagon savings accomplished “by decreasing overhead, divesting legacy activities, and reducing lower-priority programs,” reports Defense News. The $5 billion worth of cuts made in the past four months came in 27 agencies known as the “fourth estate,” which include the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Defense Information Systems Agency, and the Missile Defense Agency.

After a three-year legal battle, The Washington Post published documents that reveal US officials misled the public on the ongoing war in Afghanistan. In addition to the story being further covered by The New York Times, Military Times reported that war metrics used to push positive public sentiment to stay the course were manipulated to tout successes in a war US officials have acknowledged as unwinnable.

MDOT Secretary Peter K. Rahn is leaving the Hogan administration, reports Maryland Matters, to return to his native New Mexico, where his family resides. Mr. Rahn has been commuting to Maryland since taking the top job at the Maryland Department of Transportation in 2015. Gregory Slater, currently the head of the State Highway Administration, will take over as transportation secretary.

Contracts:

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a competitive single award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a ceiling of $6,520,000,000 that includes a mix of fixed price and cost contract type pricing arrangements for Global Solutions Management – Operations (GSM-O) II, which provides support services for the operation, defense, and sustainment of the Department of Defense Information Network/Defense Information System Network. The place of performance is predominantly within the continental US (CONUS); however, support services are also required at multiple locations outside CONUS. Proposals were solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website (www.fbo.gov), now known as beta.SAM.gov website. The solicitation (HC1028-18-R-0024) was issued as a full and open competitive action. Three proposals were received. The period of performance includes a base period of five years (Jan. 1, 2020 – Dec. 31, 2025), with two two-year option periods, and one one-year option period, for a total period of 10 years (Jan. 1, 2020 – Dec. 31, 2030). The Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (HC1028-20-D-0001).  

Accenture Federal Services, Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $75,820,763 hybrid (cost-no-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price) contract for unified enterprise resource planning capability support services. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 9, 2025. Fiscal 2020 Army working capital funds in the amount of $4,858,861 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-C-0005).

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $19,483,754 cost-plus-fixed-fee, bridge contract for automated tank gauging, independent alarm system and overfill protection equipment maintenance. This was a sole-source acquisition using justification 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), as stated in Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. This is a 19-month base contract with one three-month option period. Locations of performance are the 48 contiguous states, with a July 12, 2021, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, National Guard, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2021 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio (SP4702-20-C-0004).

National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $12,063,451 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for multiple sizes of innerspring mattresses. This is a mandatory procurement contract. This is a one-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Virginia, with a Nov. 4, 2021, performance completion date. Using military service is Navy. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-20-D-B074).

Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., doing business as ADS Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $7,426,101 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for medical/surgical supplies. This was a competitive acquisition with 16 responses received. This is a five-year contract with no option periods. Location of performance is Virginia, with a Dec. 9, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2020 through 2025 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE2DE-20-D-0009).

The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Missouri, is awarded a $9,475,825 firm-fixed-price delivery order (N00019-20-F-0283) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001). This order provides Harpoon/SLAM-ER missile system and Harpoon launch systems follow-on integrated logistics and engineering services support for the Navy and various Foreign Military Sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in St. Charles, Missouri (91.89%); St. Louis, Missouri (5.47%); and Yorktown, Virginia (2.64%), and is expected to be completed in February 2022. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy); and FMS funds in the amount of $9,475,825 will be obligated at time of award, $2,464,306 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order combines purchases for the Navy ($2,464,306; 26%); and FMS customers ($7,011,519; 74%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

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