Probe Finds Pilot Error in F-35C Crash
An F-35C Lightning II from Strike Fighter Squadron 147 lands on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson while underway in the Pacific Ocean conducting routine operations in the US Third Fleet in late January 2021. (US Navy photo)
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.
Naval Air Forces investigators found that pilot error caused an F-35C Lightning II fighter jet to crash onto the deck of the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson before sliding into the South China Sea last year, reports Navy Times. The error “was not conducted in a reckless manner nor with malicious intent,” according to the Naval Air Forces Command.
The Navy’s questionable anti-submarine warfare readiness has a group of Marine Corps and Navy officers calling for a return to an option that was used back in the early 1970s — tactical jets as submarine-hunters, reports The Drive.
Members of the Air Combat Electronics program office’s (PMA-209) Avionics Architecture Team recently represented NAVAIR on a panel discussion on the importance of Hardware Open Systems Technology (HOST) for the defense industry, reports The Southern Maryland Chronicle. The industry faces significant challenges related to the obsolescence of electronic components. Programs can run for years longer than expected, and this creates problems when electronic components become outdated, according to NAVAIR.
NAS Pax River invites public comment on the Proposed Remedial Action Plan for the Munitions Response Program Site UXO-001, Historical Munitions Disposal Area. Public comment closes March 2. MRS UXO-001 is located south of the base and consists of a private beach along the Chesapeake Bay, owned by the Cedar Cove Subdivision. A public meeting is scheduled for 6pm March 8 at the Frank Knox Employee Development Building 2189, Room 100, to present the plan for MRS UXO-001 and answer any additional comments or questions.
Boeing is expected to end its production of the F/A-18 Super Hornet in 2025, reports The Drive via MSN. As it stands now, the only orders for Super Hornets that Boeing has left to fulfill are for the US Navy.
Lockheed Martin and Juniper Networks are partnering on 5G routing technology for the Defense Department, reports Inside Defense. Since 5G is seen as a critical enabler of the Pentagon’s Joint All Domain Command and Control effort, there’s been a rise in industry collaborations and investment in 5G technologies.
Indonesia is taking delivery of its first C-130J-30 Super Hercules from Lockheed Martin, reports Airforce Technology. “Indonesian Air Force crews have long trusted the C-130 to support the most challenging of missions facing Indonesia and other nations in the Pacific,” said Roc McLean, Lockheed’s Air Mobility & Maritime Missions programs vice president and general manager, in a news release.
BAE Systems announced last week a record number of military orders for 2022, reports The Defense Post. Orders totaled $44.7 billion last year, and sales increased 4.4%, according to the Group’s full-year results for 2022.
The Navy has chosen Collins Aerospace to build as many as 2,390 avionics radios for combat aircraft communications, reports Military-Aerospace Electronics.
Collins Aerospace will partner with Saudi-based firm SRB Aerial Systems to co-produce a combat unmanned aerial system in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reports Breaking Defense. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed on the second day of the IDEX defense expo in Abu Dhabi. Collins will support the development, research, and execution of the UAS and robotics.
Forty-three rear admirals received new leadership assignments last week, reports Navy Times.
US ArmySec Christine Wormuth said last week that US tanks might not reach Ukraine this year, reports Defense News. There’s more to it than just delivering the Abrams, she said. Details on support equipment, ammunition, and training need to be worked out.
The US Marine Corps is planning big changes — improving living conditions, bolstering base resilience, and rethinking locations — for its 25 installations worldwide, reports Marine Corps Times.
Knowinsiders has compiled a list of the largest US military bases around the world. Some 750 to 800 American military bases (as of February 2023) are still operational in 80 different countries and territories.
NAWCAD’s Jonathan Ortega earned honors as the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Modern-Day Technology Leader, reports Southern Maryland News Net. “Jonathan has proven himself a highly effective team member who values hard work, innovative thinking, and giving back to the community,” said Kathleen Donnelly, NAWCAD Lakehurst executive director. “He is most deserving of this recognition.”
An Armed Forces Health Surveillance Division study found that female US Army soldiers are twice as likely to be diagnosed with mental health conditions in combat theater than their male counterparts, reports Military.com. From 2008 to 2013, female troops who were deployed “consistently had higher rates than their male counterparts” for mental health diagnoses that included stress and adjustment disorders, depression, anxiety, sleep issues, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to the report.
Service members will automatically receive an extra $100,000 of life insurance coverage as of March 1, reports Military Times. That increases the maximum Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance coverage amount to $500,000. The boost in coverage applies to all those eligible for SGLI, including active duty, Guard, and reserve members.
A New York man pleaded guilty last week to a scheme in which he defrauded the government by submitting fraudulent documents and false information about himself, his company’s business, and his company’s finances in order to obtain a $4.8 million contract to build a munitions load crew training facility at Joint Base Andrews, MD, reports the US Attorney’s Office of the Soutern District of New York. Raymond White defrauded the government, submitting fraudulent documents and false information to obtain a nearly $5 million construction contract and to obtain a bond guarantee from the SBA in connection with the contract.
Contracts:
BAE Systems Technology Solutions and Services, Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $7,631,454 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00059) to a previously awarded contract (N0042120C0003). This modification exercises an option to provide engineering and technical support, to include engineering analysis, technical documentation review and production, system assessment, and technical services to analyze, evaluate, and produce design change documentation and proposal for system upgrades in support of the integrated communications and information systems radio communications for Navy ships. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in February 2024. Fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,215,308 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded a not-to-exceed $170,000,000 undefinitized cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001923F0157) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001919G0008). This order provides non-recurring engineering for flight test instrumentation modifications to four production aircraft (BF-139, AF-413, CF-95, and CF-110) in support of the Joint Strike Fighter Program’s Tech Refresh 3 and Block 4 weapons testing objectives and ship suitability testing for the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and non-US Department of Defense (DOD) program participants. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (30%); El Segundo, California (25%); Warton, United Kingdom (20%); Orlando, Florida (10%); Nashua, New Hampshire (5%); Nagoya, Japan (5%); and Baltimore, Maryland (5%), and is expected to be completed in July 2026. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Air Force) funds in the amount of $6,864,218; fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,864,218; and non-U.S. DOD participant funds in the amount of $3,024,056 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Textron Systems Corp., Hunt Valley, Maryland, is awarded a $9,112,824 modification (P00005) to a firm-fixed-price order (N0001922F1175) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0008). This modification exercises options to provide continued unmanned aircraft systems intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance services for the US Department of Defense, other government agencies, and domestic and overseas contingency operations. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland (20%); and various locations outside the continental US (80%) and is expected to be completed in March 2024. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,112,824 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Amentum Services, Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $45,381,681 modification (P00199) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0011 for contractor logistics support. Work will be performed in Germantown, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 28, 2023. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $45,381,681 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Science Application International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $102,475,669 firm-fixed-price and cost-plus-fixed fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-22-C-6419 to exercise options for the production, spares, production support material, engineering support and hardware repair of components for MK 48 Heavyweight Torpedo All Up Round. This modification is in support of the MK 48 Mod 7 Heavyweight Torpedo program. This contract combines purchases to support the Navy, the Royal Australian Navy, and the government of Taiwan under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Bedford, Indiana (80%); and Middletown, Rhode Island (20%), and is expected to be completed by January 2026. Fiscal 2022 weapons procurement (Navy) in the amount of $29,904,600 (29%); and fiscal 2023 weapons procurement (Navy) in the amount of $26,295,524 (26%) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
ACE Maintenance & Service Inc., Austin, Texas, is awarded a $21,278,230 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity modification to previously awarded contract N40080-21-D-0004 to exercise Option Year Two for janitorial services at Naval Support Activity Bethesda. This award brings the total cumulative contract value to $60,995,161. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, and will be completed by February 2024. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2023 operation and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2023 Defense Health Program funds in the amount of $21,026,740 will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Nakupuna Solutions LLC, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $12,024,072 firm-fixed-price modification (P00006) to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract M67854-21-C-4905 for the modernization efforts at Marine Corps Logistics Base (MCLB) Albany. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $46,369,437. The contract modification provides for the exercise option for a Base Area Network Transport and Enterprise Unified Communications Voice solution for the modernization of the existing communication infrastructure at MCLB Albany. Work will be performed in Albany, Georgia, with an expected completion date of May 31, 2024. Fiscal 2023 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $12,024,072 are obligated at time of award. Contract funds $12,024,072 will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This procurement is a direct 8(a) sole-source award to a Native Hawaiian Organization in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5 — authorized or required by statute. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Optima Government Solutions LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $90,132,680 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to support Air Force Reserve Command information technology services. This contract provides for services to support the planning, operation, sustainment, and modernization of the information technology environment of the Air Force Reserve Command. Work will be performed at Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, and is expected to be completed by March 19, 2028. This contract was a competitive acquisition; one solicitation and eight offers were received. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $12,383,942 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Reserve Command, Warner Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity (FA6643-23-D-0001).
Deloitte Consulting LLP, Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a $13,167,914 bridge contract (HT0011-23-C-0065) to continue engineering management support services. Services that will be provided entail oversight and technical management of all Solutions Delivery Division (SDD) product activities across the entirety of the system development lifecycle (SDLC), execution of software quality assurance across SDD products, providing engineering management support to include the planning, execution and follow up for conduct of SDLC Milestones Review, and acquisition requirements and activities, and other information technology support services to the Defense Health Agency. Work will be primarily performed at Defense Health Headquarters, Falls Church, Virginia. Operation and maintenance funds for $9,576,665 are obligated for fiscal 2023 to fund the period of performance, which runs from Feb. 17, 2023, through Oct. 16, 2023, with a three-month option period from Oct. 17, 2023, to Jan. 16, 2024. The Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Feb. 21, 2023)
