March 28, 2024

Pilots Take First-Ever Crewed Flight in Military-Worthy Electric Aircraft

Electric
MAJ Jonathan Appleby and BETA test pilot Camron Guthrie are pictured in the ALIA cockpit, mid-flight test, at BETA’s Plattsburgh, NY, hangar and testing facility, March 14, 2022. (BETA Technologies photo by Brian Jenkins via af.mil)

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.

US Air Force pilots conducted the first-ever crewed flight of an electric aircraft — an electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) — with military airworthiness, reports AirForce Technology. This milestone, which took place at BETA Technologies’ Plattsburgh, NY, facility earlier this month was the culmination of a two-year partnership between BETA and the Air Force’s Agility Prime program.

The Confederate renaming commission has narrowed down 27,000 recommendations into a list of about 100 potential namesakes for nine Army posts originally named in honor of Confederate troops, reports Navy Times.

The Defense Department has awarded a $966.5 million contract to Verizon to modernize its networks, reports Defense Systems. Verizon will deliver voice, transport, internet, and professional services to more than 370 locations within the DoD National Capital Region.

Navy divers from Joint Base Pearl Harbor have recovered torpedoes under approximately six feet of Arctic ice during Ice Exercise 2022, reports Navy Times. After navigating the frigid, treacherous under-ice waters to bring the ordnance up, divers then hook the torpedoes to cords for a helicopter crew to lift them from the water.

DoD announced that RADM John Lemmon has been appointed as the US Navy’s program executive officer for tactical aircraft programs, reports ExecutiveGov.com. Lemmon currently serves as commander of the Naval Air Warfare Center, Aircraft Division and assistant commander for research and engineering at Naval Air Systems Command. He previously served as vice commander of NAVAIR.

Booz Allen Hamilton will purchase Reston, VA-based government services company EverWatch, reports ExecutiveGov.com. The EverWatch team is expected to bolster Booz Allen’s artificial intelligence and cyber strategies.

Scott Koslow, a more than 25-year veteran of the defense and government contracting sectors, took the helm of Synectic Solutions Inc. after he purchased the Oxnard, CA-based professional services contractor, reports GovConWire. SSI boasts a 20-plus year history and relationship with NAVAIR and has employees at Naval Base Ventura County, Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division at Ridgecrest, CA, and NAVAIR headquarters at Patuxent River.

The US State Department said Spain has been cleared to purchase eight MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, reports Breaking Defense. The proposed sale has a price tag of $950 million. This represents the fifth request for a foreign military sale from Spain since April 2018.

The US Space Force is in the process of decommissioning it Space Defense Operations Center (SPADOC) to make way for the Space Command-and-Control (Space C2) system, reports C4ISRNET.

 

 

AFSec Frank Kendall said the Air Force hopes to mix its manned fighters and bombers with autonomous combat drones, reports Defense News, speaking at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium earlier this month. He sees teaming up the unmanned aircraft with F-35s and B-21s.

The US Navy carrier George Washington going through its mid-life refueling is now expected to be delayed by more than a year, reports Defense News.

South Korea said North Korea fired an unidentified projectile but the launch last week apparently failed, report The Associated Press.

Japanese and US Marines held their first airborne landing and combat training last week near Mt. Fuji as the two allies strengthen cooperation amid increasing maritime activity by China and Russia in the region, reports Marine Corps Times. The same day that training was held, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Momsen concluded training with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Royal Australian Navy in the South China Sea, according to a Navy news release.

The primary election in Maryland will be held Tuesday, July 19, reports Maryland Matters. The Maryland Court of Appeals pushed back the state’s primary election from June 28 to July 19.

The Social Security Administration says it will rehire retired workers temporarily to assist with the expected crowds as the SSA opens its offices and brings most of its employees back, reports Federal News Network.

Gov. Larry Hogan said last week that Maryland is moving toward eliminating four-year degree requirements for thousands of state government jobs, reports WTOP News. A workforce development initiative will market state employment opportunities to job seekers who formed their skills through alternative means, beyond a traditional college program.

The Navy is reviving its bachelor’s degree program, reports Navy Times, as the service aims to expand its pool of future officers. Budgetary reasons forced the Baccalaureate Degree Completion Program to be phased out in 2003. The program offers financial assistance to college students who agree to complete Officer Candidate School after graduation from college.

Contracts:

ARD Global LLC, Vienna, Virginia (FA8612-22-D-0172); Astranis Space Technologies Corp., San Francisco, California (FA8612-22-D-0173); Atomus, Los Angeles, California (FA8612-22-D-0174); Black Cape Inc., Arlington, Virginia (FA8612-22-D-0176); CFD Research Corp., Huntsville, Alabama (FA8612-22-D-0177); CodeMettle LLC, Atlanta, Georgia (FA8612-22-D-0178); Conceptual Research Corp., Playa Del Rey, California (FA8612-22-D-0179); Dispel LLC, Brooklyn, New York (FA8612-22-D-0180); Dittolive Inc., San Francisco, California (FA8612-22-D-0181); Expeditionary Engineering Inc., San Diego, California (FA8612-22-D-0182); Fairwinds Technologies LLC, Annapolis, Maryland (FA8612-22-D-0183); Fearless Solutions LLC, Baltimore, Maryland (FA8612-22-D-0184); Feddata Technology Solutions LLC, Annapolis Junction, Maryland (FA8612-22-D-0162); Fuse Integration, Inc. San Diego, California (FA8612-22-D-0185); HawkEye 360 Inc., Herndon, Virginia (FA8612-22-D-0187); Oakman Aerospace LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colorado (FA8612-22-D-0189); Primer Federal Inc., Arlington, Virginia (FA8612-22-D-0190); Robust Intelligence Inc., San Francisco, California (FA8612-22-D-0191); SciTec Inc., Princeton, New Jersey (FA8612-22-D-0192); Shift5 Inc., Rosslyn, Virginia (FA8612-22-D-0193); Tangram Flex Inc., Dayton, Ohio (FA8612-22-D-0194); Tribalco LLC, Bethesda, Maryland (FA8612-22-D-0196); and The Ulysses Group LLC, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina (FA8612-22-D-0197), have been awarded a $950,000,000 ceiling, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to compete for future efforts associated with the maturation, demonstration and proliferation of capability across platforms and domains. This contract will leverage open systems design, modern software and algorithm development in order to enable Joint All Domain Command and Control, providing for the development and operation of systems as a unified force across all domains. Work will be performed in locations to be determined at the contract direct order level and is expected to be completed by May 28, 2025. These awards are the result of fair and open competition. Air Force Life Cycle Management, Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.

Xerox Corp., Webster, New York, has been awarded a maximum $194,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SP7000-19-R-1001 for the acquisition of various models of A3, A4 and production multi-functional devices; single-function devices; print shop devices; specialty devices; technical, analyst and support services; and maintenance, parts, supplies, and device training. This award is replacing contract SP7000-21-D-0001, which had been awarded Aug. 20, 2021, to Trident E&P. This was a competitive acquisition with two responses received. This is a five-year base contract with two one-year option periods. Locations of performance are Maine, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Virginia, South Carolina, Washington, Texas, California, Mississippi, Hawaii, Diego Garcia, Guam, Japan, Philippines, Korea, Bahrain, Spain, Sicily, Italy, Croatia, and Romania, with a March 17, 2027, ordering period end date. Using customers are Navy, Military Sealift Command, Fleet Marine Forces, Coast Guard and other federal government agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2022 through 2027 working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania (SP7000-22-D-0003).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Annapolis, Maryland, is awarded a $17,246,905 firm-fixed-priced, cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements contract for depot level repair. This follow-on contract includes: maintenance, modifications, repairs, alteration, upgrades of systems and spares for the AN/AQS-24 Sonar Detecting Set (all variants), Common Post Mission Analysis and Intermediate Level Test Equipment to support the Navy for the currently deployed airborne mine countermeasures legacy systems. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $77,590,973. Work will be performed in Annapolis, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by October 2026. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. The contract was not competitively procured in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii) and (iii) – circumstances permitting other than full and open competition when only one responsible source and no supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61331-22-D-0001).

Venturi LLC, Huntsville, Alabama, is being awarded a competitive firm-fixed-price General Services Administration federal supply schedule contract order. The total value of this contract is $42,789,607. Under this follow-on contract, the contractor will provide operational support for the safe, efficient, and expeditious deployment and sustainment of Missile Defense System assets, primarily consisting of preparing, handling, loading, securing, transporting, unloading, and erecting live missile launch vehicles, and maintaining highly specialized missile launch hardware and support equipment. The work will be performed primarily in Huntsville, Alabama; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. The performance period is March 2022 through March 2027. This contract was competitively procured via publication on the Government wide Point of Entry website with two proposals received. Fiscal 2021-2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,069,480; and fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $29,287 are being obligated on this award. The Missile Defense Agency, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (HQ0867-22-F-0002).

BAE Systems Land & Armaments L.P., Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded a $34,912,966 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00143) to previously awarded contract (M67854-16-0006) for Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV). The total cumulative face value of the contract is $1,560,167,294. This contract modification procures labor and material for the design and development of the ACV maintenance/recovery Mission Role Variant. Work will be performed in San Jose, California (56%); Sterling Heights, Michigan (15%); York, Pennsylvania (8%); Bolzano, Italy (7%); Stafford, Virginia (6%); Inglewood, California (5%); Wilson, North Carolina (2%); and Aberdeen Providing Ground, Maryland (1%), with an expected completion date of October 2023. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $3,500,000 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0006).

Management Services Group Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $14,253,032 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-5608 to procure additional Network, Processing, and Storage (NPS) Technical Insertion 16, Modification 1 production equipment. Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by February 2025. Fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $14,253,032 (100%) 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, D.C., is the contracting activity.

RER Solutions Inc., Washington, DC, was awarded a $15,248,675 firm-fixed-price contract for financial and real estate advisory, analytical and consulting services in support of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative Act. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Washington, DC, with an estimated completion date of March 18, 2023. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $15,248,675 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-22-F-0039).

Centerra Group LLC, Herndon, Virginia, is awarded an $8,661,495 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification to previously awarded contract N62742-16-D-3600. This modification provides for the exercise of Option 6 for base operating support services at military and civilian installations in the Republic of Singapore. This award brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $68,575,430. Work will be performed in the Republic of Singapore. This option period is from April 2022 to March 2023. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy); fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Air Force); and fiscal 2022 non-appropriated funds in the amount of $7,964,813 for recurring work will be obligated at time of award on an individual task order, and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

McKinsey & Co. Inc., Washington, DC, was awarded a $16,397,621 firm-fixed-price contract to develop a model to evaluate the bottlenecks and capacities of the ammunition industrial base, assess outside the continental U.S. ammunition supply chain dependency and risk, and to develop financial assessments of government-owned, contractor-operated facilities. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Washington, DC, with an estimated completion date of March 15, 2024. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $16,397,621 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Newark, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (W15QKN-22-C-0038).

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