March 29, 2024

Pentagon Task Force to Study UFO Reports

UFO
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 Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

The Pentagon will create a task force to investigate reports of unidentified flying objects from service members, reports CNN. The Department of Defense had authorized the release of three videos of UFOs, The Hill reported in April. View footage released by DoD to CBS News of a video recorded in January 2015.

A US all-male military draft has been ruled constitutional,  reports The Associated Press, by a federal appeals court in New Orleans. The decision Thursday came about following a lawsuit by the National Coalition for Men and a pair of men who sought to challenge the 1981 decision, which they said was based on the overwhelming lack of women in combat at that time, reports The New York Daily News.

The FBI is investigating the shooting of an Air Force UH-1N helicopter over Virginia last week, reports WAMU 88.5.  The helicopter, assigned to Joint Base Andrews, was flying near Shenandoah National Park on a routine training mission, reports The Washington Post. One member of the crew was injured.

The Iranian navy seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the Strait of Hormuz last week amid heightened tensions between Iran and the US, reports Military Times.

The agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel was met with mixed reactions around the Middle East, reports US News & World Report. President Donald Trump called the deal that will normalize diplomatic relations between the two countries a major breakthrough that will “advance peace in the Middle East,” reports POLITICO.

The 123rd Fighter Squadron, the “Redhawks,” of the 142nd Fighter Wing, based in Portland, OR, will become the first operational unit to transition to the new F-15EX Eagles, reports The Drive. The services plans for at least 144 of the advanced Eagles to replace many of the aging F-15C/Ds.

 

 

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s HTV-9 will depart the International Space Station 1:15 pm (EDT) Tuesday, Aug. 18, NASA reports. Live coverage will be provided by NASA Television and on the agency’s website.

NASA and SpaceX say they plan to launch the company’s first full mission with astronauts no earlier than Oct. 23, reports CNBC.

Breaking Defense reports the Defense Department’s M-Code secure channel for GPS signals is making progress toward becoming a reality. A fourth GPS III satellite is set to launch next month.

ADM Phil Davidson, head of the US Indo-Pacific Command, said that service members and their families represent about 7% of the coronavirus cases in Hawaii, reports Military Times.

Nearly one third of the 159 brick-and-mortar DoD schools will be opening with remote learning over the next couple of weeks, reports Military Times, because of the health protection condition at their installations.

Two top officials at the Centers for Disease Control resigned from their positions Friday, reports The Hill. CDC Chief of Staff Kyle McGowan and the Deputy Chief of Staff Amanda Campbell had been appointed by President Trump.

The US Air Force and Lockheed Martin have tested the second AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon on the service’s B-52 Stratofortress at Edwards Air Force Base in California, reports Intelligent Aerospace.

The General Services Administration made no changes to the standard per diem travel rates for fiscal 2021, reports Federal News Network. The daily travel allowance authorized by GSA remains unchanged at $151 in fiscal 2021.

SOUTH CHINA SEA (August 14, 2020) An MH-60R Seahawk assigned to the “Saberhawks” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 77 lands on the flight deck of the USS Ronald Reagan while conducting operations in the South China Sea. Ronald Reagan is the flagship of Carrier Strike Group 5. (US Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jason Tarleton)

Col. Erich Spragg will relinquish his command this week at Fort Meade, reports Capital Gazette. His next duty assignment will be at Quantico. Col. Spragg will serve as the Army Chair of the US Marine Corps War College.

Chief Master Sgt. JoAnne Bass, the first woman to serve as the highest-ranking noncommissioned officer in any of the military services, became the 19th chief master sergeant of the Air Force at a ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, reports Air Force Times.

Col. Joshua SeGraves assumed command of US Army Garrison Fort Belvoir, reports insidenova.com. He takes over from Col. Michael Greenberg, who was praised for his leadership role on Fort Belvoir, and Army-wide, as a housing crisis emerged.

US Naval Academy midshipman Nixon Keago, 25, was sentenced to 25 years after a military panel found him guilty of sexual assault and other charges, reports The Associated Press.

Contracts:

J.F. Taylor Inc., Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $23,155,111 firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides for the production and delivery of a maximum quantity of six first article test external quick-disconnect umbilical cable assemblies and a maximum quantity of 2,500 external quick-disconnect umbilical cable assemblies in support of advanced anti-radiation guided missile production. Additionally, this contract procures a maximum quantity of six first article test external quick-disconnect umbilical cable assemblies and a maximum quantity of 5,000 production representative external quick-disconnect umbilical cable assemblies for various military standard 1760 compliant weapons for the F/A-18 series and EA-18G aircraft. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in July 2025. 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 via an electronic request for proposal and three offers were received. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-20-D-0110).

Consortium Management Group Inc., Washington, DC, has been awarded a $98,567,402 other transaction agreement for resilient embedded Global Positioning System/Inertial Navigation System prototype development. This agreement provides for rapid prototyping activity that includes development of detailed design prototypes, production representative prototypes, non-recurring engineering, contractor travel and the development of a technical data package. Work will be performed in Washington, DC; and Huntsville, Alabama, and is expected to be completed March 30, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and three offers were received. Fiscal 2020 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $30,000,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA8576-20-9-0001).

Bowhead Professional and Technical Solutions LLC, Springfield, Virginia, has been awarded a $16,362,847, firm-fixed-price contract for flying training operations support. This contract provides air education and training command fighter training and special operations forces, as well as personnel recovery training units, aircrew training support and standardization and evaluation support. Work will be performed at Fairchild Air Force Base, Washington; Eglin AFB, Florida; Holloman AFB, New Mexico; Luke AFB, Arizona; Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; and Kingsley Field Air National Guard Base, Oregon, and is expected to be completed August 2025. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,270,680 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Installation Contracting Center, Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, is the contracting activity (FA3002-20-C-0019).

Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee, and cost only $84,823,556 modification to previously awarded contract N00024-16-C-6425 to Option Year Four of the MK 48 Mod 7 Heavyweight torpedo production program to supply All Up Round torpedo equipment and support. This modification combines purchases for the Navy (93 %); and the governments of Australia (6%) and Taiwan (1%), under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Bedford, Indiana (50%); Marion, Massachusetts (29%); Middletown, Rhode Island (16%); and Indianapolis, Indiana (5%), and is expected to be completed by April 2023. Fiscal 2020 weapons procurement (Navy, 82%); fiscal 2019 weapons procurement (WPN) (Navy, 7%); fiscal 2018 weapons procurement (Navy); and FMS in the amount of $84,823,556, will be obligated at time of award and funding in the amount of $3,493,621 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year (FMS/Armaments Cooperative Program (7%); and fiscal 2018 WPN (4%)). The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-16-C-6425).

Serco-IPS Corp., Herndon, Virginia, is awarded a $22,617,450 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N00174-18-C-0015 to exercise options for professional support services for the Naval Sea System Command’s Deputy Commander for Surface Ship Maintenance and Modernization. Services to be provided are in the areas of program management, administrative support, surface ship modernization, inactive ships, surface ships readiness, surface training systems, business and financial management, records management and information technology. This contract will ensure that the fleet undergoes a multitude of upgrades that will provide for the continuation of system capabilities and readiness. The contract will ensure the Chief of Naval Operations surface training master plan and the Navy training system plan requirements are fulfilled for validating all surface training systems procured and managed by participating acquisition resource managers. This contract also ensures that budgeting, financial management and business processes are executed to provide support and respond to fleet life cycle requirements for in-service mine warfare, surface combatant, amphibious, auxiliary and command ship classes of ships. Work will be performed in Washington, DC (56%); Norfolk, Virginia (19%); San Diego, California (17%); Mayport, Florida (2%); Yokosuka, Japan (2%); Pascagoula, Mississippi (1%); Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (1%); Manama, Bahrain (1%); and Sasebo, Japan (1%), and is expected to be complete by January 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Navy, 43%); 2020 other procurement (Navy, 21%); 2019 other procurement (Navy, 21%); and 2018 other procurement (Navy, 15%), funding in the amount of $12,172,964 will be obligated at time of award, of which funding in the amount of $6,975,964 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

HII Mission Driven Innovative Solutions Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded a $15,933,605 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to exercise Option Period Three under previously awarded contract M95494-17-F-0021. The work to be performed provides Headquarters Marine Corps, Plans, Policies and Operations, Marine Corps Installations Command (MCICOM) and Commander Navy Installations Command with technical and engineering support for the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosive Consequence Management program. Work will be performed in Washington, DC (52%); Lejeune, North Carolina (10%); San Diego, California (10%); Quantico, Virginia (10%); Okinawa Prefecture, Japan (5%); Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan (5%); Seoul, Republic of Korea (4%); and Sicily, Italy (4%). Work is expected to be completed in August 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps and Navy) funds in the amount of $3,004,247 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. MCICOM Headquarters, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Gryphon Technologies LC, Washington, DC, is awarded a $14,620,466 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level of effort contract for technical and engineering services to perform ship checks to collect data and develop ship installation drawings for landing helicopter dock platforms. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (88%); and San Diego, California (12%), and is expected to be complete by April 2021. Fiscal 2020 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $162,615 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via beta.SAM.gov website, with four offers received. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N42158-20-C-N001).

ITC Defense Corp of Arlington, Virginia, is being awarded a competitive cost-plus-fixed-fee contract. The total value of this contract is $28,567,455. Under this new contract, the Contractor will provide the Missile Defense Agency with system support to include Maintenance and Supply Support; Packaging, Handling, Storage, and Transportation; Forward Stationing for Theater Support; Training and Training Support; and limited Missile Support to the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Weapon system. Additionally, the Contractor will also be responsible for providing supply support, maintenance, material and personnel necessary to support THAAD peculiar equipment. The work will be performed in Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Hood, Texas; Fort Sill, Oklahoma; and locations in the US Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) with a performance period from August 2020 – August 2025. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website with eight proposals received. Fiscal Year 2020 Operations and Maintenance funds in the amount of $1.395M are being obligated on this award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0853-20-C-0002).

KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a $23,727,971 modification (000274) to contract W52P1J-12-G-0061 for maintenance, supply, transportation and other logistics functions for the Army Prepositioned Stock-3 Charleston Afloat Program. Work will be performed in Goose Lake, South Carolina, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 14, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $4,462,109 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

Katmai Integrated Solutions LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, is awarded an $8,004,940 hybrid firm-fixed-price, time and materials, and cost reimbursement contract for a wide range of experimentation, business, and operational support services in support of the US Marine Corps Combat Development Command Warfighting Laboratory. This contract includes a 12-month base period, four 12-month option periods, and one six-month option period which, if exercised, could bring the cumulative value of this contract to $59,492,149. Work will be performed in Quantico, Virginia (92%); and with the Marine Corps Expeditionary Forces (8%). Work is expected to be completed Aug. 14, 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through Feb. 14, 2026. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps); and research and development (Navy) funds will be utilized to award this contract. The contract will be incrementally funded at award with $670,000 in fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds; and $2,291,661 in fiscal 2020 research and development (Navy) funds, for a total of $2,925,825. This amount will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively solicited via beta.SAM.gov, with 10 proposals received. The Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region-Regional Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M00264-20-C-0006).

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