New MOU for Military/Civilian Space Agencies
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 Space Force has signed a new memorandum of understanding with NASA, laying out areas for collaboration between the main military and civilian space organizations within the US government, reports C4ISRNET.
Over the past few months, current and former officials say Robert O’Brien, President Donald Trump’s national security adviser, has waged a public and private crusade to get a long-resistant Pentagon on board with quickly spending more money on the president’s campaign pledge of expanding the Navy as a means to counter China, details Politico.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet out of NAS Oceana suffers an in-flight engine fire, prompting an emergency landing, reports Navy Times. The Hornet was conducting routine training near the Virginia Capes at the time of the Sept. 10 mishap. The jet landed safely back at Oceana without incident. and no one was reported injured. It was the fifth so-called “Class A” aviation mishap involving a Super Hornet this fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30.
House overwhelmingly passes bipartisan spending deal to avert government shutdown, reports The Washington Post. The 359-to-57 vote sends the legislation to extend government funding through Dec. 11 to the Senate, which must act next to send bill to Trump.
The Air Force is taking the first steps toward canceling contracts for training on white privilege, reports Air Force Times, moving toward canceling any contracts for diversity and unconscious bias and other controversial subjects. The move follows a memo from the Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought, which alleged executive branch agencies have spent millions of taxpayer dollars “’training’ government workers to believe divisive, anti-American propaganda.”
Pentagon has started “prudent planning” for full Afghanistan withdrawal by May, reports The Hill. DoD officials have said they expect to be at about 4,500 troops in Afghanistan by November.
Fort Bliss officials are no longer sure Pvt. Richard Halliday, who disappeared in July, left the El Paso, TX, base intentionally, reports Army Times. The soldier’s parents say it took over a month to learn their son was missing, after they called his unit when they hadn’t heard from him. The Army is looking into the issue of how it categorizes missing soldiers after Fort Hood soldier Pvt. Gregory Morales went missing in September 2019, was listed as a deserter, and then was found dead miles from post June 2020.
The July drowning of the Fort Hood soldier Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, has been ruled an accident, reports Army Times. Pvt. Morta is one of 28 soldiers who have died at Fort Hood this year, which include five homicides, accidents, suicides, deaths from illness, cases still under investigation, and one combat-related death. Fort Hood has one of the highest rates of murder, sexual assault, and harassment in the service, Army Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy said in August.
After nearly a dozen munition worker deaths and injuries the Army floats a $16 billion plan to modernize production, reports Defense News, replacing workers who handle dangerous materials with robotics and computers.
The Government Accountability Office found insufficient leadership responsibilities in the administration’s 2018 national cyber strategy and 2019 implementation plan, reports FCW. GAO recommends Congress restore the White House Cybersecurity Coordinator position or designate another leadership post with policy and budget authority to respond to cybersecurity threats.
Army grounds Boeing’s 12 upgraded Apache AH-64 helicopters on inspection doubts, reports Bloomberg. A technician who has since been dismissed “failed to perform required process control checks that ensure testing equipment functions properly and provides reliable results.” Boeing is re-inspecting all suspect components at the plant in Mesa, AZ, and so far one failed a re-test.
US Forces Korea will release asymptomatic coronavirus patients after three weeks in isolation even if they continue to test positive, reports Stars and Stripes, citing research showing people are no longer contagious after 20 days.
The pandemic proves we all should know “psychological first aid,” reports The Washington Post.
The US eyes a December agreement on a sale of F-35 jets to the United Arab Emirates, reports Reuters, as the Trump administration studies how to also satisfy agreements that guarantees US weapons furnished to Israel are “superior in capability” to those sold to its neighbors.
Marine turned Illinois state trooper Rafael Montalvo, 31, has been indicted on charges alleging he and others stole avionics and other electronics from Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, NC and sold them to buyers in other states, as well as related conspiracy charges. The alleged conspiracy took place from March 2018 to the present.
Contracts:
Amazon Web Services Inc., Seattle, Washington (FA8612-20-D-0065); Anduril Industries Inc., Irvine, California (FA8612-20-D-0066); Colorado Engineering Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado (FA8612-20-D-0067); Edgy Bees Inc., Palo Alto, California (FA8612-20-D-0068); Environmental Systems Research Institute Inc., Redlands, California (FA8612-20-D-0069); Global C2 Integration Technologies LLC, Las Vegas, Nevada (FA8612-20-D-0070); General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, California (FA8612-20-D-0054); Grey Wolf Aerospace LLC, Delaware, Ohio (FA8612-20-D-0071); Kratos Technology and Training Solutions Inc., San Diego, California(FA8612-20-D-0055); LinQuest Corp., Los Angeles, California (FA8612-20-D-0056); Oddball Inc., Washington, DC (FA8612-20-D-0058); Red River Technology LLC, Claremont, New Hampshire (FA8612-20-D-0073); SES Government Solutions Inc., Reston, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0074); Venator Solutions LLC, San Diego, California (FA8612-20-D-0063); and VivSoft Technologies LLC, Brambleton, Virginia (FA8612-20-D-0075), have been awarded a $950,000,000 ceiling in indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts to compete for future efforts associated with the maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains, leveraging open systems design, modern software and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control. These contracts provide for the development and operation of systems as a unified force across all domains (air, land, sea, space, cyber and electromagnetic spectrum) in an open architecture family of systems that enables capabilities via multiple integrated platforms. Work will be performed at locations determined at the contract direct order level and is expected to be complete by May 28, 2025. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
Alion Science and Technology Corp., McLean, Virginia, has been awarded a $40,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price contract for information technology services. This contract provides for support with the enterprise protection risk management, utilizing the information technology application/software, countermeasures risk analysis software. The support will assess risk and implement countermeasures to mitigate the compromise, loss, unauthorized access/disclosure, destruction, distortion or non-accessibility of mission-related assets. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by Sept. 24, 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $352,000 are being obligated on the first task order at the time of award. Air Force District of Washington, Air Force Enterprise Support Division, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA7014-20-D-0002).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Herndon, Virginia, will be awarded a $22,990,520 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order for the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Operational Software Sustainment program. This contract provides a capability to correct existing software deficiencies, implements changes in Minuteman operational software domains and maintains the ICBM operational software update capability. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Huntington Beach, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Space Park, California, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2022. This award is a sole-source task order. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $22,990,520 for a base and one option year. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds will be used with no funds being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Hill AFB, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8204-20-F-0079).
BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,947,644 delivery order against contract FA2521-16-D-0010 for serviceable components and subsystems for instrumentation tracking systems, world-wide for both foreign and domestic government agencies to include radars, telemetry and optical instrumentation tracking systems. The contract delivery order is for Eglin Radar Transmitter Replacement Project – First Article, for the Space and Missile System Center Space Superiority Systems Directorate. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, and is expected to be completed by Dec. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds will be used with none being obligated at the time of award. The 45th Contracting Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.
HGL-APTIM JV LLC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $43,138,765 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation activities at Hill Air Force Base. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 22, 2030. Fiscal 2020 revolving funds in the amount of $43,138,765 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento, California, is the contracting activity (W91238-20-C-0014).
Kinsley Construction Inc., York, Pennsylvania, was awarded a $9,992,147 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of an administrative facility for Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron located at Joint Base Andrews. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of April 5, 2022. Fiscal 2020 military construction (Air Force Reserve) funds in the amount of $9,992,147 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville, Kentucky, is the contracting activity (W912QR-20-C-0049).
General Dynamics Information Technology, Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $7,913,730 modification (P00010) to contract W52P1J-19-F-0727 for logistical staff augmentation support throughout the Central Command area of responsibility. Work will be performed in Bagram, Afghanistan; and Kuwait City, Kuwait, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 25, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $4,716,991 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
Clark Construction Group LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, is awarded an $18,372,142 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of a taxiway at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. The work to be performed will construct a new taxiway utilizing economical construction methods to satisfy operational and mission requirements at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. Construction includes demolition of existing pavement, construction of storm water management facilities, taxiway lighting, site preparation, full depth concrete pavement with asphalt shoulders and all other supports necessary to make a complete and usable taxiway. Work will be performed in Camp Springs, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by January 2022. Fiscal 2018 other procurement (Air Force) contract funds in the amount of $18,372,142 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Pursuant to Federal Acquisitions Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(iii), which authorizes the use of other than full and open competition when there is only one available source, this contract was sole-sourced to Clark Construction Group LLC, because of their uniquely qualified and position to perform the required work. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-20-C-0024).
Diversified Service Contracting Inc., Dunn, North Carolina, is awarded a $15,871,115 firm-fixed-price modification for the exercise of an option for the base operating support services contract at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. The work to be performed provides for recurring and non-recurring facility maintenance, janitorial services, pest control services, grounds maintenance, sweeping and snow removal, base support vehicles and equipment. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $117,616,402. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by September 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $6,582,754 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This award is issued under Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 6.302-2 Unusually and Compelling Urgency. The purpose of this modification is to ensure critical services continue as the agency responds to a post-award protest on the re-procurement of this contract. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-11-D-3020).
