March 29, 2024

Report: Presidential Helicopter ‘Unreliable’ in Emergencies

Presidential Helicopters

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.

A Pentagon report says the new presidential helicopter is unreliable in emergency situations and not “operationally suitable,” reports The Drive. The Biden administration is still working out whether the VH-92A is safe to be put into operation with Marine Helicopter Squadron One (HMX-1). The program, with a price tag of $5 billion, was found to be fine for “administrative” missions, but not so good for emergency flights, reports The National Interest.

Naval Air Systems Command has awarded a $585 million contract to Lockheed Martin to cover the development of a new ASQ-239 electronic warfare and countermeasure hardware for the F-35 fighter jet, reports The Defense Post.

Supply chain shortages and delays have upended the plans of many defense firms, reports Defense News. Those in the defense industry are making clear the challenges they’re facing — and Pentagon is taking notice and considering what this means for its logistics.

Government Executive reports that key positions at the Pentagon — including a defense undersecretary of acquisition and sustainment — remain vacant as the supply-chain crisis continues.

Saab wants its GlobalEye plane to be a contender if the US Air Force opens up a competition to replace the E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control system, reports Breaking Defense. So far, the United Arab Emirates is the only customer for GlobalEye, although Sweden has also indicated its plans to purchase the aircraft.

Ukrainian defense officials have asked US officials for more military help, reports Defense One. Ukraine forces want more training and military exercises with US forces.

Russia is denying claims by the US and Ukraine that it is building up troops near Ukraine, reports Military Times, saying it could be a ruse intended to cover up what it described as Ukrainian leadership’s aggressive intentions.

The US Navy’s warship Arleigh Burke sailed into the Black Sea late last week, again drawing scrutiny from the Kremlin amid continued concerns about a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine, reports Military.com. US 6th Fleet officials said this occurred during a routine patrol in support of NATO allies and partners.

The Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Milius passed through the Taiwan Strait last week. China protested the move, saying it was a deliberate move to undermine stability in the region, reports Navy Times.

Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, and the US are conducting naval drills in the Philippine Sea near Japan, reports USNI News. ANNUALEX 2021 will continue through November 30.

 

 

Five US House members met with the president of Taiwan last week, reports The Hill, to discuss the alliance between the island nation and the US. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met with House representatives Mark Takano (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Colin Allred (D-TX), Sara Jacobs (D-CA) and Nancy Mace (R-SC), despite the objections of Chinese officials.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has asked 20-person teams of US Air Force medics, including nurses, physicians, and respiratory therapists, to support civilian hospitals in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, reports globalbiodefense.com. About 3,000 Air Force medics have been deployed in support of the pandemic.

The Defense Innovation Unit has published its own new directives for how it plans to use the Pentagon’s recently adopted “Responsible AI Guidelines” in its commercial prototyping and acquisition efforts, reports C4ISRNET.

Goat-nabbing goes bad in Annapolis. Army cadets out to literally get the US Naval Academy’s goat nabbed the wrong mascot. Instead of taking the midshipmen’s current mascot, Bill No. 37, they made off with a retired one, Bill No. 34, reports Sports Illustrated. Kidnapping mascots is part of a longstanding tradition before the Army-Navy game where each side tries to nab the other’s mascot. This year’s rivalry showdown will begin at 3 pm Saturday, December 11. Navy can play the role of spoiler and salvage an otherwise disappointing season, reports CBS Sports with an upset win in college football’s most patriotic matchup.

NASA launched a spacecraft last week on a mission to smash into an asteroid and test whether it would be possible to knock a speeding space rock off course if one were to threaten Earth, reports Air Force Times.

A bald eagle rescued on Virginia’s Eastern Shore after being injured has been given a feather transplant, reports Chesapeake Bay Magazine. The female is being kept in an enclosure and not flying like she should. Doctors at the Wildlife Center of Virginia are hoping that changes. Follow Bald Eagle #21-3026’s progress here.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed lies in a major route for birds migrating south, reports Bay Journal. As the days grow shorter and cooler, the skies fill with eagles, hawks, falcons, and others heading for warmer climates for the winter. Assateague, MD, and Chincoteague, VA, are good spots to see these beautiful birds.

Contracts:

Kekolu Contracting LLC, La Plata, Maryland, is awarded a maximum-value $125,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for design-bid-build mechanical and HVAC construction, repairs, and replacement projects at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Naval Support Facility Indian Head, and Naval Support Facility Dahlgren. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland; Indian Head, Maryland; and Dahlgren, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by November 2026. An initial task order (N4008022F4058) is awarded at $2,000 to meet the minimum guarantee for the contract. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the beta.sam.gov website, with nine proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-22-D-0003).

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $31,158,091 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00008) to an order (N0001919F2972) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001919G0029). This modification exercises an option to provide non-recurring engineering to include, investigation, systems engineering support, risk analysis and integration development in support of the Data Transfer Unit and Defensive Electronic Countermeasure System replacement within the CH-53K production aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (38.1%); Patuxent River, Maryland (26.23%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (25.74%); Fort Worth, Texas (5.09%); West Palm Beach, Florida (2.10%); Vergennes, Vermont (1.99%); and various locations within the continental US (0.75%), and is expected to be completed in March 2025. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $31,158,091 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.

Southern-RC-JV-01 LLC, Newbern, Tennessee, was awarded a $32,399,160 firm-fixed-price contract to replace an existing taxiway at Joint Base Andrews. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of March 6, 2023. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $32,399,160 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-22-C-0004).

Carahsoft Technology Corp, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $32,585,216 firm-fixed-price contract to provide secure product support for current licenses subscription software maintenance for the Army Enterprise. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Reston, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds; Army working capital funds; aircraft procurement, Army funds; and research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $32,585,216 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-22-F-0026).

Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded an $18,064,449 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-2106 for the advance planning requirements to support the refueling complex overhaul of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75). Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to completed in November 2022. Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $12,808,399 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured. In accordance with 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), this contract was not competitively procured — only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N00024-18-C-2106).

SecuriGence LLC., Leesburg, Virginia, is awarded a $29,778,571 task order against a General Services Administration indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide network support services for the Space Development Agency and Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO). The awardee will provide the required support, labor, equipment and subscriptions to enable the expansion of classified network capabilities at SCO. Performance of these services will occur at the Meadows facility in Chantilly, Virginia. This award was made under a sole-source process. Funds obligated at the time of award are defense-wide fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds. Space Development Agency, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (HQ085022F0001).

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