New Strategy for F-35 on Horizon
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.
VADM Mat Winter floats a new strategy to make updates to the F-35 more efficient and agile, reports Defense News. Changes to the F-35’s acquisition strategy would allow for agile software development where development and testing happen concurrently, and incremental updates are continuously pushed out. Winter also said another continuing resolution could slow down the development and testing of F-35 fighter beginning in April 2018. The JSF program needs to request additional funds in January to maintain the pace of activities.
A US Navy officer told a congressional oversight panel that the hectic pace of military operations and a constrained military budget don’t excuse two warship accidents in the Pacific region that killed 17 sailors, Associated Press reports. “No matter how tough our operating environment, or how strained our budget, we shouldn’t be and cannot be colliding with other ships and running aground,” ADM William Moran, vice chief of naval operations, said. “That is not about resourcing; it is about safety and it is about leadership at sea.” The Navy’s top officer in the Pacific, ADM Scott Swift, is reviewing a program that allowed ships from the 7th Fleet to operate with expired certifications amid a probe into the two collisions, reports Defense News.
VADM Jan Tighe, the Navy’s top intelligence officer, told the audience at the INSA National Security and Intelligence Summit that the Navy’s greatest need is “in the undersea [mission] and the modernization of acoustic intelligence,” reports C4ISRNET.
The US Army is eyeing a new set of retention bonuses to encourage seasoned pilots to stay in the service, Army Times reports.
Lt. Col. Eric Schultz of Annapolis died from injuries sustained in an accident in which his plane crashed Tuesday near Nellis Air Force Base, located near Las Vegas, Military.com reports. He was flying a training mission at the time of the mishap. The type of aircraft wasn’t specified; the Air Force said that information was classified. The deadly crash occurred a day before a pair of A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft crashed at the same training range. Those pilots ejected safely.
An Iraqi student pilot was killed when an F-16 jet crashed during a training mission in Arizona last week, Army Times reports.
Federal auditors say the only underground nuclear waste repository in the US doesn’t have enough space for radioactive tools, clothing, and other debris left over from decades of bomb-making and research, much less tons of weapons-grade plutonium that the nation has agreed to eliminate as part of a pact with Russia, Associated Press reports.
An EchoStar satellite that stopped obeying commands has been boosted into a graveyard orbit, reports ExecutiveBiz. EchoStar-3, a 20-year-old television broadcast satellite from Lockheed Martin, stopped responding to commands in late July during a relocation maneuver.
Retired Maj. Gen. Kelly McKeague has been named the new director of the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, Army Times reports. He is the first permanent director for the agency that searches for, recovers, and identifies missing American war dead since Michael Linnington left in June 2016.
It is illegal to photocopy military and government IDs or common access cards, dcmilitary.com reports. While a business might ask to see a government ID as a form of identification, they may not duplicate it. If copying a photo ID is a necessity, it is recommended that personnel provide their state-issued driver’s license or some other form of photo identification.
Contracts:
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded a $13,766,956 cost-only modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-09-C-6247) to exercise an option for material, travel and subsistence and support of the Integrated Submarine Imaging Systems program. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (50 percent); Syracuse, New York (25 percent); Virginia Beach, Virginia (15 percent); Northampton, Massachusetts (5 percent); Arlington, Virginia (2 percent); Fairfax, Virginia (2 percent); and Newport, Rhode Island (1 percent), and is expected to be completed by September 2018. Fiscal 2016 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $320,669 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.
Advantage SCI, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a labor hour contract with a maximum ceiling value of $17,774,257 to provide security specialist support services to Defense Intellignece Agency. The contract will support security programs, classification management services, security education and training, industrial security programs, personnel security and police and threat management services. Work is to be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, with an expected completion date of March 29, 2021. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,639,180 are being obligated at time of award. This was a competitive small business (8a) acquisition, and 12 offers were received. The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
CSRA LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $7,357,125 blanket purchase agreement (BPA) to provide cloud computing services for the Department of Navy (DON) Research and Development Enterprise (NR&DE). The BPA will support a DON Cloud Services pilot program conducted by Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) on behalf of 16 DON warfare centers to create a NR&DE Cloud Brokerage. This one-year BPA includes two one-year options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative potential value of this BPA to $34,698,390. Work will be performed Fairfax, Virginia, and work is expected to be completed Sept. 7, 2018. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Funding will be obligated via task orders as they are issued. This BPA was competitively procured via Request for Quotation N66001-17-Q-0193 in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 8.405-6 via the General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Supply Schedule 70. Five offers were received via the GSA E-Buy website and one was selected for award. SSC Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-17-A-0001).
ManTech Advanced Systems International Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $44,915,177 modification (P00092) to domestic and foreign military sales (Iraq and Egypt) contract W56HZV-12-C-0127 for logistics sustainment and support for the Mine Resistant Ambush family of vehicles. Work will be performed in Afghanistan, Egypt, Horn of Africa, Iraq, Kuwait, and various other locations inside and outside the continental US, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army); other procurement (Army); research, development, test and evaluation; and foreign military sales funds in the combined amount of $44,915,177 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Co., Oak Brook, Illinois, has been awarded a $14,475,395 firm-fixed-price contract for Baltimore Harbor maintenance dredging, Cape Henry Channel, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of April 7, 2018. Fiscal 2016 and 2017 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $14,475,395 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-17-C-0030).
Norfolk Banana Distributors, Norfolk, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $49,200,000 firm-fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for fresh fruits and vegetables. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. Location of performance is Virginia, with a Sept. 9, 2020, performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2017 through 2020 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE300-17-D-P309).
ADS Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a $44,547,819 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Fire Emergency Services Personal Protective Equipment (FES PPE). This contract provides for FES PPE structural garment ensembles to Air Force firefighters, both inside and outside the contiguous US. The location of performance is Ricochet Mfg. Co. Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The work is expected to be complete by March 30, 2023. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $1,056 are being obligated at the time of award. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8056-17-D-0001).
ADS Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a $23,140,329 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Fire Emergency Services Personal Protective Equipment (FES PPE). This contract provides for FES PPE proximity garment ensembles to Air Force firefighters, both inside and outside the contiguous US. The location of performance is Ricochet Mfg. Co. Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The work is expected to be complete by March 30, 2023. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $913 are being obligated at the time of award. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8056-17-D-0002).
Ernst & Young LLP, Washington, District of Columbia, has been awarded a maximum $44,205,875 labor-hour contract for financial statement audit services of the US Air Force General Fund and Working Capital Fund, and for an SSAE18 examination of the Defense Enterprise Accounting and Management System. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2018. The contract has a 16-month base period with three individual one-year option periods. This contract is the result of a competitive acquisition for which one offer was received. Fiscal 2017 operation and maintenance (Air Force) funds in the amount of $44,205,875 are being obligated at the time of the award. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, Contract Services Directorate, Columbus, Ohio is the contracting activity (HQ0423-17-F-0148).
BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is being awarded $13,496,933 for delivery order N0002417F138 under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price, multiple award contract (N00024-16-D-4411) for the execution of USS Bataan (LHD 5) fiscal 2017 phased maintenance availability. This availability will include a combination of maintenance, modernization, and repair of USS Bataan. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $45,784,320. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2018. Fiscal 2017 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $13,496,933 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
University Research Foundation Inc., Greenbelt, Maryland, is being awarded a maximum value $9,674,378 indefinite-delivery contract with cost-plus fixed-fee term only orders for optical science and optical material research and development. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, and work is expected to be completed September 2022. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued. This contract was non-competitively procured under the authority of 10 US Code 2304(c)(1). The Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00173-17-D-6013).
