Parties Must Cooperate on DoD Budget
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 necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.
A Republican-controlled Congress and President Obama might be able to agree on defense issues but analysts caution against expecting quick results, reports DefenseNews. When the next session begins in January, Republicans will have at least 52 seats, short of the 60 votes required to end debate on legislation such as an annual DoD budget and then move to a final vote. Therefore, the two parties will have to agree on difficult issues, while avoiding Mr. Obama’s veto option.
The littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth sets sail later this month which will mark the first deployment of the MH-60R Seahawk helicopter with the MQ-8B Fire Scout vertical takeoff unmanned aerial system, according to SEAPOWER. The aircraft will carry out anti-submarine, anti-surface and mine countermeasures roles.
The Pentagon combined the stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel UAV and the 15 ton Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) in 2012 for a single test, reports Real Clear Defense. Although the DoD denies that it intends the MOP, which can punch deep into the ground to destroy underground bunkers, for use against any specific countries, the experimental pairing could have been a rehearsal for potential strikes in the Middle East.
Frank Kendall, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer, continues to work on “acquisition improvement,” focused on the refinement of how the DoD conceives, develops and purchases products and services, according to DefenseOne. The DoD spent at least $46 billion between 2001 and 2011 on a dozen weapons systems that never entered production. An October poll found more than 25 percent of defense personnel were not confident that the acquisition process provides the military with the weapons they need.
The federal cybersecurity workforce is critically short of cyber professionals and needs 30,000 to more than 10 times that in the broader labor force, according to Nextgov. Employing returning warfighters to work as cyberdefenders is a logical way to close that gap. Veterans typically have an IT background and often already have a security clearance, much sought-after in government IT contracting.
Daily Press spotlights military history books including “Naval Air Station Patuxent River: Images of Aviation series” by Mark A. Chambers. The picture book chronicles the vital role NAS: Pax River served during World War II and beyond, including flight testing, aircraft evaluation and pilot training.
HillVets, a group representing congressional staffers who served in the military, is urging lawmakers to hire more veterans, reports The Hill. The nonpartisan group says fewer than 3 percent of Congressional staffers are veterans. Co-founder Justin Brown, a Navy veteran and Capitol Hill staffer, said veterans “… bring a broad worldview. They have a solid understanding of conflict and foreign affairs, and the interchange between diplomacy and the armed services.”
Mr. Robert O’Neill, the former Navy SEAL who claims he killed Osama bin Laden, says he and other team members did not believe they would survive the raid on the terrorist’s compound, reports USA Today. Special operations leaders have criticized Mr. O’Neill for making public comments about the raid and believe they are an unseemly quest for attention that is damaging the special forces program.
Lockheed’s recent announcement that it has reached an agreement with the DoD for additional F-35 at a lower price is a positive trend that will help generate more orders from both the Pentagon and international partners, according to Forbes. The defense giant must secure its targeted 3,100 orders for the F-35 to cover its upfront investment and provide a healthy return.
ManTech Systems Engineering Corp., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $24,802,594 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N00421-13-D-0002) to exercise an option for the procurement of warfare analysis and assessments, modeling and simulation, advanced concept development and acquisition analysis support for the Naval Air Systems Command’s Warfare Analysis and Integration Department. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in November 2015. Funds are not being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
