Scrambling to Avoid Gov’t Shutdown

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.

Federal agencies are likely to remain on auto-pilot for two more weeks past the current funding deadline as Republicans in Congress push a plan for another short-term spending measure, reports Government Executive.
This buys lawmakers time past Dec. 8, when the current continuing resolution is set to expire. How long that temporary fix would last remains in doubt, reports USA Today.

DefSec James Mattis said the US will keep pressing North Korea through diplomatic means and refused to say the approach hasn’t worked, despite a dangerous new missile launch last week, reports Military Times. North Korea says the new missile reached an altitude of about 2,780 miles — more than 10 times the height of the International Space Station — and flew 590 miles during its 53-minute flight, reports Reuters.

US and Chinese generals engaged in an unusual set of security talks last week, just hours after North Korea’s most powerful missile test yet, focused on how the mighty American and Chinese militaries might communicate in a crisis, reports Military Times. China is more willing to discuss how the two world powers would manage an even worse emergency on the Korean peninsula.

Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, said North Korea’s latest launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile — which some observers believe could reach the Eastern US — “brings us closer” to a war the US isn’t seeking, reports The Associated Press.

The Pentagon is considering putting new requirements into infrastructure contracts at its military installations, in a bid to shore up increasingly vulnerable energy grids, reports Defense News. Lucian Niemeyer, assistant secretary of defense for energy, installations and environment, believes the energy grids that provide power to military bases is a particularly vulnerable point.

The Pentagon has put off a planned ban on using certain cluster bombs, which release explosive submunitions, Army Times reports. The US considers them a legitimate and important weapon, although critics say they kill indiscriminately and pose hazards to civilians.

The Army’s next robot designed to counter explosive hazards will make use of mesh networking to improve connectivity and give additional soldiers access to sensor data and control over the platform on the battlefield, reports Defense Systems.

The British military is to test the ability of constellations of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide tactical intelligence gathering, reports Defense News. The military has taken a share in a prototype space vehicle about to be launched. The satellite will give the military hands-on experience on a spacecraft able to offer customers high-resolution, full-motion video imagery in color for intelligence gathering and other duties.

The military must begin accepting transgender recruits Jan. 1 despite a ban ordered by President Donald Trump this year, reports Washington Examiner.

The Tester reports Diane Briscoe, deputy at the NAVAIR Program and Business Analysis Department, was awarded the 2017 Naval Air Systems Command Business Financial Manager of the Year Award for her business financial management in October.

Contracts:

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is being awarded a $101,998,222 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-6222 to exercise options for the procurement of technical insertion (TI)-16 Acoustic Rapid Commercial Off-the-Shelf Insertion (A-RCI) systems, pre-cable kits, and A-RCI sonar engineering services. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (95 percent); and Clearwater, Florida (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by December 2018. Fiscal 2018 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) in the amount of $39,436,051;, fiscal 2018 research and development test and evaluation funding in the amount of $15,970,217; and fiscal 2018 other procurement (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,664,560 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc., Arlington, Virginia, is being awarded a $17,225,952 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple award contract to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and information operations systems engineering, software development, test and evaluation support services to include ocean, airborne, land and space platforms. This is one of four multiple award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes one, three-year option which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $44,462,242. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and work is expected to be Nov. 29, 2019. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and other procurement (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via request for proposal N66001-17-R-0291 and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Five offers were received and four were selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-D-0291).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Falls Church, Virginia, is being awarded a $15,613,789 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple award contract to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and information operations systems engineering, software development, test and evaluation support services to include ocean, airborne, land and space platforms. This is one of four multiple award contracts.  All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes one, three-year option which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $40,415,838. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be Nov. 29, 2019. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and other procurement (Navy).  This contract was competitively procured via request for proposal N66001-17-R-0291 and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Five offers were received and four were selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-D-0292).

Science Application International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is being awarded a $13,672,005 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple award contract to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and information operations systems engineering, software development, test and evaluation support services to include ocean, airborne, land and space platforms. This is one of four multiple award contracts. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes one, three-year option which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $34,712,336. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed Nov. 29, 2019. No funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using research, development, test and evaluation (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and other procurement (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via request for proposal N66001-17-R-0291 and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Five offers were received and four were selected for award. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-18-D-0293).

Bay West LLC, St. Paul, Minnesota (W9124J-18-D-0001); Cape Environmental Management Inc., San Antonio, Texas (W9124J-18-D-0002); EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc. PBC, Hunt Valley, Maryland (W9124J-18-D-0003); Environmental Chemical Corp., Burlingame, California (W9124J-18-D-0004); Environmental Quality Management, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio (W9124J-18-D-0005); Navarro Research and Engineering Inc., Oak Ridge, Tennessee (W9124J-18-D-0006); and North Wind Services LLC, Idaho Falls, Idaho (W9124J-18-D-0007), will share in a $200,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation and cleanup at Army installations at various locations throughout the US, including the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 17 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2022. US Army Mission and Installation Contracting Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas, is the contracting activity.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, has been awarded a cost-plus fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (HMM402-18-D-0002) with a ceiling of $125,000,000 to provide essential engineering, research and development capabilities to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The contract will support multiple divisions of DIA’s Directorate of Science and Technology Office of Advanced Technologies. Through this award, DIA will procure engineering, integration, testing and employment services for specialized sensor systems. Work will be performed in the national capital region; and throughout the US, with an expected completion date of Nov. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,250,000 are being obligated for task order 0001 at time of award. This contract has been awarded on a sole-source basis under the authority of 10 US Code 2340(c)(3). The Virginia Contracting Activity, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Unity Technologies Corp., Myersville, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $8,994,990 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity with cost reimbursement contract for professional support services. This was a competitive acquisition with 16 responses received. This is a three-year contract with no option periods. Locations of performance are Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, with a Nov. 30, 2020, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Logistics Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2018 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Distribution, New Cumberland, Pennsylvania (SP3300-18-D-0001).

Raytheon Co., Integrated Defense Systems, Marlborough, Massachusetts, is being awarded a $48,665,057 undefinitized contract action modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-16-C-5144) for one AEGIS weapon system AN/SPY-1D (V) transmitter group in support of DDG 127. Work will be performed in Andover, Massachusetts (79 percent); Marlborough, Massachusetts (19 percent); Moorestown, New Jersey (one percent); and Chesapeake, Virginia (one percent), and is expected to be completed by January 2020. Fiscal 2016 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funding in the amount of $22,628,846 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is being awarded a $41,934,187 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the provision of Southeast Alaska Measurement Facility operations and maintenance support services. This contract will provide logistics, maintenance, operations, and program management assistance services in support of Navy and Marine signature silencing programs for naval ships and undersea systems at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Southeast Alaska Measurement Facility. Work will be performed in Ketchikan, Alaska (75 percent); and Poulsbo, Washington (25 percent). Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $100,000 will be obligated at time of contract award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with one offer received via Federal Business Opportunities. The Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock, West Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00167-18-D-0001).

Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, is receiving $18,240,445 for delivery order M67854-18-F-1316 to the previously awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract M67854-16-D-1100 for the purchase of 420 Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon Mod 2 systems. Work will be performed at Londonderry, New Hampshire (62.7 percent); and Lynchburg, Virginia (37.3 percent), and is expected to be completed by Dec. 1, 2019. Fiscal 2018 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $18,240,445 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The base contract was competitively awarded via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received.  The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-D-1100). 

Raytheon Co. Space and Airborne Systems, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, has been awarded a $30,377,500 firm-fixed-price contract to procure new and upgraded APX-119 identification friend or foe transponders in support of C-130H and C-130J programs. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; and Largo, Florida, with an expected completion date of Feb. 29, 2020. This contract involves 2.4 percent foreign military sales to Norway in the amount of $725,000.  Fiscal 2016 and 2017 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $29,027,500; fiscal 2018 Coast Guard aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $217,500; and Navy aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $362,500 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was a sole-source acquisition. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8625-18-C-2006).

Bering Sea Environmental LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded an $8,942,370 modification (P00017) to a previously awarded contract (FA4890-16-C-00017), for Air Combat Command’s air combat training system operations and maintenance. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida; Langley Air Force Base, Virginia; Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, North Carolina; Shaw Air Force Base, South Carolina; Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana; Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida; Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada; Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota; Dyess Air Force Base, Texas; Royal Singaporean Air Force Mountain Home and Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho; Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England; Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany; and Aviano Air Base, Italy, with an expected completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. This modification involves 2 percent foreign military sales to Singapore. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of award. ACC, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Hampton, Virginia, is the contracting activity.