Pentagon: No Evidence of Aliens in UFO Cases

Screenshot of DoD video of January 2015 incident

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.

Sean Kirkpatrick speaking before a Senate Armed Services Subcommittee about the Pentagon’s investigations of unidentified aerial phenomena, refuted the possibility that any UAP his office has investigated came from extraterrestrial origins, reports Military Times. Kirkpatrick is the director of the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office. He said last week that none of the more than 650 incidents under investigation since the AARO’s July 2022 inception were of an alien nature.

RADM Yvette Davids has been nominated to serve as the 64th superintendent of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, reports Navy Times. If confirmed by the US Senate, she will become the first woman to serve in that role. Davids is currently the director of the Navy’s Learning to Action Drive Team.

SecState Antony Blinken said Saturday that the US Embassy in Khartoum, Sudan, was being temporarily suspended, and the US military had evacuated embassy personnel and their families from Sudan, as fighting continues between the Sudanese army and a paramilitary group, reports The Hill.

China has banned senior executives of Raytheon Missiles & Defense and Lockheed Martin from entering, working, staying, and residing in the country, reports Reuters. Both of the firms have been involved in arms sales to Taiwan for a long time, China’s Ministry of Commerce said.

Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Li Shangfu vowed last week to take military cooperation with Russia to a new level, reports Military Times, a statement that reflects increasingly close Russia-China ties amid the fighting in Ukraine.

Legislation has been introduced in Congress that would require the Pentagon to “expand cybersecurity cooperation with Taiwan” to counter threats from China, reports Breaking Defense. Co-sponsors of the Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act said the US must push back on China’s “growing aggression, and its attempts to undermine democracy around the world,” according to a news release.

Autoevolution traces the heritage of the F/A18 platform. Long before the Hornet and the Super Hornet was the Northrop Aviation’s YF-17 Cobra.

The F-35 fighter jet is becoming the most popular fighter jet among NATO militaries — with one exception, reports Business Insider via yahoo!news. That exception is Turkey because it chose to buy a Russian-made air defense system. The US had objected in 2019 to Turkey’s acquisition of the Russian anti-aircraft system and suspended Turkey from its F-35 program, The Associated Press had reported.

An official with Turkey’s leading defense manufacturer was quoted in March as saying, “We are making air defense systems. We don’t need S-300s, S-400s.” Such a statement might suggest that Turkey may be signaling its intent to ditch the Russian S-440 system, reports Washington Examiner.

The US Air Force will station F-15EX Eagle II combat jets at bases in California and Louisiana, instead of in Oregon, as it had previously announced, reports The Drive. The service also said it had chosen Barnes Air National Guard Base in Massachusetts to host a future squadron of 18 F-35As.

The Air Force plans to reactivate its historic fighter squadron at Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida with F-35s, reports Air & Space Forces Magazine. The arrival of the F-35 is part of a larger transformation at Tyndall, which is being rebuilt as an Installation of the Future that can stand up to future storms.

Maryland Veterans Affairs Secretary Anthony Woods told the state’s Board of Public Works that a deal with a new operator of the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home is imminent, reports Maryland Matters. A spokesperson for Gov. Wes Moore (D) could not immediately provide details of the layoffs or what happens to workers after June 6 when the current operator, South Carolina-based HRM, leaves the nursing home.

Maryland lawmakers are leading an effort to provide long-term authorization for the biodefense laboratory at Fort Detrick in Frederick, according to a release from Sen. Chris Van Hollen’s office. Calling the National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center a one-of-a kind lab, legislation would designate the NBACC as the “lead Federal facility dedicated to defending the United States against biological threats.”

Cara Abercrombie is the White House’s choice to take over as assistant secretary of defense for acquisition, reports Defense News, a post without a permanent leader since early 2021. She has held numerous leadership positions within the Defense Department since 2003.

The Montana House advanced last week a TikTok ban, but rejected amendment to make it apply more broadly to other social media outlets, reports Daily Montanan. But despite the warnings of TikTok’s potential danger as a tool of China’s government, such a move lacks support from many in the US Congress, reports Maryland Matters.

Government, industry, and academia officials on the Purdue University panel last week noted the importance of the workforce to not only build the necessary manufacturing capabilities, but also to perform research and development, reports Washington Technology. The US needs to solve its workforce challenge in order to meet its semiconductor needs, the officials agreed.

A group of Connecticut divers discovered the wreckage of an experimental submarine that was built in 1907 and later scuttled in Long Island Sound, reports ABC News. Millionaire Simon Lake’s company built submarines. He designed subs and held more than 200 sub design patents. Simon adapted the Defender to do underwater rescues, Arctic expeditions, and salvaging gold from wrecked ships. But he still never found a buyer, reports Hartford Courant.

Maryland State Police made a daring rescue last week after a 68-year-old woman was injured when she fell on a Carnival cruise ship in Chesapeake Bay that was bound for the Bahamas, reports Daily Voice Howard County. The cruise was approximately seven miles east of Point Lookout when the Aviation Command got the emergency call.

India is moving ahead with its project to develop a fifth-generation stealth fighter, reports msn.com, in a step that also puts the stop to speculation that New Delhi may be interested in the F-35A.

Winners of the Navy’s Captain Edward F. Ney Memorial Awards for excellence in food service have been announced, reports Navy Times. The awards honor culinary crews who set the standard for serving up top-notch eats across the fleet.

Joint Base Andrews officials presented the installation’s State of the Base on April 12, reports Southern Maryland News. Military leaders addressed four major topics: JBA’s people, aircraft, infrastructure, and economic impact on the community.

The Maryland Innovation Lab, a partnership between the Maryland Department of Commerce, Baltimore’s World Trade Center Institute, and L Marks, specialists in corporate innovation — is expected to launch this summer, reports Baltimore Fishbowl. Gov. Wes Moore (D) announced the creation of the new initiative, which aims to help companies in the state thrive “by matching them with global technology companies to bring new innovations to life and spur global investment in the state.”

Kevin Odlum, a former operational test pilot at Naval Air Station Pax River, is taking over football coaching duties for Liberty High School in Virginia, reports Fauquier Times. The 53-year-old spent a decade at Pax. “With my military background, I really have this kind of get-it-done type of attitude, and I’m hoping the players kind of pick up on that,” Mr. Odlum said when asked about his coaching style.

The St. Mary’s County commissioners held a public hearing April 18 to receive input on the proposed county building excise tax ordinance. The public has until 5pm Tuesday, April 25, to offer input at [email protected]. County Commissioner Scott Ostrow (R) sat down with The BayNet and talked about the new excise tax and what it means for St. Mary’s.

Contracts:

General Dynamics – NASSCO, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $847,262,229 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-award-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to support emergent work, continuous maintenance availabilities, pre-refueling complex overhaul availabilities, ship terminal offload program availabilities, and Chief of Naval Operations scheduled availabilities for Navy aircraft carriers in the Mid-Atlantic region, and is expected to be completed by April 2030. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured and solicited via the System for Award Management (SAM) website. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-23-D-4100).

Lockheed Martin, Rotary and Mission Systems, Moorestown, New Jersey, was awarded a $100,672,908 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-only modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-20-C-5601 to exercise options for sustainment of the Littoral Combat Ship Component Based Total Ship System – 21st Century (COMBATSS-21) and associated Combat System elements. Work will be performed in Moorestown, New Jersey (84%); Camden, New Jersey (5%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (5%); Deer Creek, Colorado (2%); Manassas, Virginia (1%); Orlando, Florida (1%); and various other locations under 1% (2%), and is expected to be completed by April 2024. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,059,292 (78%); and fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $2,873,099 (22%) will be obligated at time of award and $2,873,099 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 18, 2023)

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Falls Church, Virginia (N00039-23-C-0002), was awarded a $95,471,866 cost and cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, including options, for continued operation and sustainment of the Navy Standard Integrated Personnel System (NSIPS) and NSIPS integration with the Navy Personnel and Pay (NP2) solution. This contract was not competitively procured because it is a sole source acquisition pursuant to the authority of 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) – Only One Responsible Source (Federal Acquisition Regulation subpart 6.302-1). Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by May 14, 2025, if all options are exercised. The contract base year will be funded with fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance, Navy funds. Throughout the life of the contract, $32,974,596 will be funded with research, development, test and evaluation funds; the remaining $62,497,270 will be funded with operations and maintenance, Navy funds. The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 20, 2023)

U.S. Marine Management Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $14,870,500 firm-fixed-price contract with reimbursable elements (N3220523C4225) for a time charter of one U.S. Flag tanker, Pohang Pioneer, with segregated ballast tanks that is capable of carrying a minimum of 40,000 barrels of clean product (intentions F76, JP5, JP8, or JA1) within the vessel’s natural segregation in designated cargo tanks with double valve isolation. This contract includes a 12-month base period with three 12-month option periods, and one 11-month option, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $73,397,914. Work will be performed in Hawaii and worldwide, and is expected to be completed if all options are exercised, by March 2028. Working capital funds (Transportation) in the amount of $14,870,500 are obligated for fiscal 2023, and will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the System Award Management website and two offers were received. The Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Schuyler Line Navigation Co. LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, was awarded a contract modification (P00014) on fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract HTC711-19-D-W001 in the amount of $10,000,000. This modification increases the ceiling amount for continued ocean liner service of containerized and breakbulk cargo between Jacksonville/Blount Island, Florida, and U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The location of performance includes Blount Island, Florida, and US Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The current period of performance began March 1, 2023, and continues through Feb. 29, 2024. Fiscal 2023 transportation working capital funds were obligated at award. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract from $36,348,054 to $46,348,054. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 20, 2023)

General Dynamics Applied Physical Sciences Corp., Groton, Connecticut, was awarded a $9,361,048 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract, excluding unexercised options, for the Advanced Propulsor, Experimental (APEX) program. Work will be performed in Groton, Connecticut (41%); Concord, Massachusetts (17%); San Diego, California (14%); Niskayuna, New York (9%); Arlington, Virginia (7%); Cheswick, Pennsylvania (6%); Imperial, Pennsylvania (4%); and Suffolk, Virginia (2%), with an expected completion date of April 2024. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test, and engineering funds in the amount of $7,024,853 were obligated at time of award. This contract stems from a competitive acquisition for which three proposals were received. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HR001123C0054).