March 29, 2024

Russia’s Assault on Ukraine Continues

Ukraine
A paratrooper assigned to the Troop B, 5-73 Cavalry 82nd Airborne Division trains a Polish soldier assigned to the 21st Rifle Brigade on his squad designated marksman rifle during a training event February 22, 2022, in Poland. The training event allowed the allies to get to know each other’s equipment, capabilities, and tactics to enhance readiness and strengthen the NATO alliance. (DoD photo by Army Master Sgt. Alexander Burnett)

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.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has called on volunteers from around the world to join the fight for his country as the assault from Russia continues, reports NBC News. While fighting was intensifying as it entered its fourth day on Sunday, residents of the country’s capital Kyiv awoke to find that the capital was still in Ukrainian hands. Russia’s invasion into Ukraine is raising questions about what would trigger a military response from the US and NATO forces, reports The Hill.

Ukrainian resistance to invading forces is stiffer than Russia expected, a US Defense Department official said over the weekend, as the US and NATO continue to supply security assistance to Ukraine, according to a DoD statement. US President Joe Biden authorized an additional $350 million of military assistance from DoD inventories — including anti-armor, small arms, various munitions, body armor, and related equipment — to support Ukraine’s frontline defenders.

DefSec Lloyd Austin told lawmakers last week that the Pentagon was considering ways to train Ukrainian forces remotely if Russia should seize control of Ukraine, reports The Hill.

Chris Scolese, National Reconnaissance Office director, told attendees at last week’s National Security Space Association conference that it is likely Russia’s invasion of Ukraine will extend to space, reports C4ISRNET. Scolese predicts continued GPS jamming and spoofing and urges military and commercial space operators to be prepared for possible cyberattacks. “It’s hard to say how far [the Russian’s] reach is going to go in order to achieve their objectives, but it’s better to be prepared than surprised,” he said.

Ukrainian websites were paralyzed by denial of service cyberattacks ahead of Russia’s offensive last week, reports C4ISRNET, with analysts discovering data-corrupting malware coursing through Ukraine’s computers shortly after the invasion. The sites for Ukraine’s defense, foreign affairs, and interior ministries, among others, were knocked offline February 23.

Ukraine sought out tech help from South Korea, reports UPI. The Ukrainian ambassador to South Korea called for Seoul to use its technological expertise to help Ukraine defend against further cyberattacks from Russia.

US Space Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $341 million contract to deliver a prototype of its new ground-based radar system — Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability, or DARC — to help the service monitor objects in geosynchronous orbit, reports The Drive.

Claire Leon, a former Boeing executive who previously led the national security space launch program, is now in charge of the new Space Force Space Systems Integration Office that will coordinate military space programs across multiple organizations, reports SpaceNews.

LT GEN Michael Guetlein, commander of Space Systems Command, said “unity of effort” is needed to enable space procurement programs to go in the same direction and speed up the delivery of technological capabilities to warfighters, reports ExecutiveGov.

The Defense Department used Engineer Week, February 20-26, to highlight the role engineers play in both arming service members and keeping them safe. DoD is likely the largest employer of engineers in the US, and the department will need even more to continue to protect the nation, says Barbara McQuiston, deputy undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.

Two NAVAIR employees received 2022 Modern Day Technology Leaders awards, reports The Southern Maryland Chronicle. Lead systems engineer Eric Bagho and computer scientist Olivia Briscoe were honored at the Black Engineer of the Year Awards Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Global Competitiveness Conference earlier this month in Washington, DC.

 

 

A Government Accountability Office report finds the US Navy’s fleet of Littoral Combat Ships has “not yet demonstrated the operational capabilities it needs to perform its mission,” reports Bloomberg. “For example, operational testing found challenges in the ship’s defenses. Also, some key equipment has failed, and the Navy is behind schedule in developing capabilities such as mine countermeasures,” reads the GAO report released Thursday.

The nation’s first heavy icebreaker in more than 45 years will be named Sentinel, reports Military.com. Coast Guard commandant ADM Karl Schultz made the announcement during his final State of the Coast Guard address last week. Schultz said design work continues on the $745.9 million vessel, expected to be delivered in 2025.

Jim Inhofe, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the top Republican defense voice in the Senate, says he will retire from Congress at the end of the year, reports Navy Times.

The Defense Department’s In-Home Child Care Fee Assistance Pilot program that aims to give military families another option for obtaining child care is slowly getting off the ground, reports Military Times. The program was authorized by Congress as one option to help ease the critical shortage of child care for military families.

The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, wants the Biden administration to follow through on its pledge to expand collective bargaining for transportation security officers, reports Federal News Network.

Prices for consumer goods rose 0.6% in January and 6.1% in the preceding 12 months, according to the US Commerce Department, reports The Hill. Despite a surge in COVID-19 cases driven by the omicron variant in January, the US economy held up better than many economists had expected.

The Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association says the state’s crab industry is, once again, facing a labor shortage, reports Maryland Matters. Jack Brooks, president of the association, says that while other industries are facing tight labor markets due to the continuing fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, the issue facing the seafood industry is rooted in the US’ H-2B visa lottery system.

The Chesapeake Bay region has made significantly less progress in reducing nutrient pollution than earlier numbers indicated, reports Bay Journal. This puts the region further away from meeting its 2025 Bay cleanup goals than previously estimated.

Virginia lawmakers are pushing a measure intended to lure the Washington Commanders to the state by allowing the NFL team to forgo what could be $1 billion or more in future tax payments to help finance a potential new football stadium, reports The Associated Press. Washington, DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser is hoping to get the team back in the District, Commercial Observer reported earlier this month. And Prince George’s County, home of the team’s current stadium, would like to see the team stay in Landover, Fox5 reports.

Contracts:

Systems and Technology Research LLC, Woburn, Massachusetts, was awarded a $15,045,878 modification (P00005) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract HR0011-21-C-0011 to exercise the Phase 1 option and Phase 2 option of the Joint All-Domain Warfighting Software (JAWS) program. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $30,223,049 from $15,177,171. Work will be performed in Woburn, Massachusetts; Alexandria, Virginia; Dayton, Ohio; Menlo Park, California; California, Maryland; and Columbia, Maryland, with an expected completion date of June 2023. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $5,591,307 are being obligated at the time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Corp., Orlando, Florida, is awarded a $49,273,462 firm-fixed-price order (N0001922F2304) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001919G0011). This order provides Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile integration and test effort for the Royal Australian Air Force F/A-18 E/F aircraft for the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Orlando, Florida (92.5%); China Lake, California (5%); Ocala, Florida (1%); California, Maryland (1%); and various locations within the continental US (5%) and is expected to be completed in March 2026. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $49,273,462 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.

Zenetex LLC, Herndon, Virginia, is awarded an $8,113,959 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost reimbursement modification (P00009) to a previously awarded contract (N0042118C0018). This modification exercises an option to provide contractor support services for the MH-60R Multi Mission Helicopter for the government of Australia. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2023. Foreign Military Sales funds in the amount of $8,113,959 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

NCC PS Enterprises LLC, Leesburg, Virginia, was awarded an $80,730,460 firm-fixed-price contract for lodging, laundry, food service, and transportation. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Leesburg, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 23, 2022. Fiscal 2022 overseas humanitarian, disaster, and civic aid, Defense funds in the amount of $80,730,460 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity (W9124J-22-C-0001). (Awarded Feb. 24, 2022)

ALTUS LLC, Darlington, Maryland, was awarded a $17,859,258 firm-fixed-price contract for Army Oil Analysis Program laboratory management, operation, and training. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 24, 2025. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $17,859,258 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-22-C-0045).

APTIM Federal Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $7,874,854 modification (P00008) to contract W912DY-20-F-0164 for recurring maintenance and minor repair of petroleum systems. Work will be performed in Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama; Avon Park, Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton, Homestead, Hurlburt Field, Tampa, and Tyndall AFB, Florida; Biloxi, Columbus, Gulfport, Jackson, and Meridian, Mississippi; and Isla Verde, Puerto Rico; with an estimated completion date of March 7, 2023. Fiscal 2022 revolving funds in the amount of $7,874,854 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Stratascor LLC, Chesapeake, Virginia, is awarded a $40,315,311 commercial, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide information technology and cybersecurity support services, and other Navy information warfare training operations focused support services. The contract will include a 60-month base ordering period with an additional six-month ordering period option pursuant of Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 — option to extend services, which if exercised, will bring the total estimated value to $45,130,267, and a contract maximum of $49,000,000. The base ordering period is expected to be completed by March 2027; if the option is exercised, the ordering period will be completed by September 2027. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (70%); and Virginia Beach, Virginia (30%). Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation as a total small business set-aside requirement, with four offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Norfolk Office, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (N00189-22-D-0003)

Melwood Horticultural Training Center, Upper Marlboro, Maryland, is awarded a $26,933,657 fixed-price modification to indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N40080-18-D-0306. This modification provides for $16,216,629 for recurring services; and not-to-exceed $10,717,028 for non-recurring work, for the exercise of Option 4 for custodial services, recycling, and grounds maintenance support at federal installations within a 100-mile radius of the National Capitol Region. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $116,158,010. The work to be performed provides for all labor, management, supervision, tools, materials and equipment required to perform facility investment services for federal installations located within a 100-mile radius of the National Capital Region. This modification will increase the maximum dollar value of the contract under the AbilityOne program. Work will be performed in Washington, DC (77%); Virginia (16%); and Maryland (7%) and is expected to be completed by February 2023. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, (Navy); and fiscal 2022 Navy working capital contract funds in the amount not-to-exceed $16,216,629 will be obligated on various task orders and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Pennsylvania State University Applied Research Laboratory (ARL), State College, Pennsylvania, is awarded an $18,144,797 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the Undersea Systems Technologies Development. This contract provides for the development of critical undersea technologies in the areas of 1) Multi-Material Propulsor Prototype (M2P2) design concepts; 2) Virginia Class Improved Propulsor Bearing (VIPB) development; 3) Flow noise; 4) Station keeping; 5) Materials; and 6) Acoustic monitoring. ARL shall develop critical enabling technology to significantly improve existing systems beyond the current state-of-the-art and meet the needs of future undersea systems. Work will be performed in State College, Pennsylvania (74%); Washington, DC (20%); Newport, Rhode Island (4%); and Gorton, Connecticut (2%). Work is expected to be completed on Feb. 24, 2027. The maximum dollar value, including a 60-month base period, is $18,144,797. Fiscal 2021 and fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds will be incrementally funded with an initial obligation of $745,000 at time of award. Funds in the amount of $15,000 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under the N00014-20-S-B001 Office of Naval Research long range broad agency announcement (BAA) for Navy and Marine Corps Science and Technology. Since proposals are received throughout the year under the long-range BAA, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-22-C-1035).

Fincantieri Marine Systems North America, Chesapeake, Virginia, is awarded a $14,255,383 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the program management and technicians to continue to support of the preventive, planned corrective, and emergent maintenance requirements of the MCM-1 class vessels. The contract will include a one-year base period and four one-year option periods, and if all options are exercised, it will bring the total estimated value to $78,721,536. Work is expected to be completed by March 2023; if all options are exercised, work will be completed by March 2027. Work will be performed in Manama, Bahrain (50%); and Sasebo, Japan (50%). Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance (Navy) (O&M(N)) funds in the amount of $1,844,950 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year O&M(N) funds at the time of their issuance. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Puget Sound, Bremerton, Washington, is the contracting activity (N00406-22-D-0002).

Fairlead Boatworks Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $9,714,422 firm-fixed-price contract (N3220522C4008) for a 53-calendar day shipyard availability for the mid-term availability of Military Sealift Command’s fleet replenishment oiler USNS Kanawha (T-AO 196). This contract includes a base period and six options which, if exercised would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $10,138,454. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, beginning April 7, 2022, and is expected to be completed by May 29, 2022. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $9,714,422 are obligated for fiscal 2022 and will not expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was a small business set-aside with proposals solicited via the Government Point of Entry website and fours offers received. The Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

FITT-PDS JV, Colonial Heights, Virginia (W91QF5-22-D-0002); Advanced Technology Leaders Inc., Martinez, Georgia (W91QF5-22-D-0003); TopSarge Business Solutions LLC, Temple, Texas (W91QF5-22-D-0004); and Flatter Inc., Fredericksburg, Virginia (W91QF5-22-D-0005), will compete for each order of the $120,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for instructor, training, support, and development services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 23 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Feb. 23, 2027. US Army Field Directorate Office, Fort Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a $26,907,358 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the development of a mature prototype based on the first-generation technology demonstrator, high-power microwave (HPM) counter unmanned aerial system (cUAS) prototype. Work will be performed in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is expected to be completed by Feb. 28, 2024. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition, and five offers were received. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9451-22-C-0002).

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