Shanahan’s DefSec Nomination Pulled

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.

Acting DefSec Patrick Shanahan’s bid to become defense secretary has been withdrawn, The Associated Press reports. Mark Esper, secretary of the Army, is now the new acting secretary. USA Today reports Shanahan is resigning after scrutiny over a domestic fight with his wife in 2010.

Lockheed Martin is launching its 25 by 25 initiative geared toward reducing operating and sustainment costs of the F-35 Lightning II, reports IHS Jane’s 260. “Over the last three years we have already seen a 15 percent reduction in the cost per flight hour of the F-35, and through discrete actions – management of the supply chain and logistical footprint, for example – we aim to get the current USD35,000 per flight hour down to USD25,000 by 2025,” company official Greg Ulmer said Monday at the Paris Air Show.

Turkey showed off its new TF-X fighter concept Monday at the Paris show, reports Military.com, amid discord with the US over Turkey’s removal from the F-35 JSF program. Raytheon is showcasing its air dominance, air and missile defense, counter-unmanned air system, and cyber portfolios at this week’s air show, reports Flight Global. This comes after the recent announcement of a merger with United Technologies.

Lockheed Martin said the company has “no concern” that the merger of Raytheon and United Technologies would affect the F-35 program or pressure its margins, Yahoo! Finance reports.

The US Navy expects more orders for the Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft in coming months, reports Reuters, which should extend production by two years to late 2025.

Breaking Defense reports that the US Army will buy thousands of Black Hornet mini-drones, while it rethinks its ground robots.

House Homeland Security Committee Republican members plan to introduce several bills aimed at enhancing the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity capabilities, reports The Hill.

President Donald Trump said US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents plan to make mass arrests to round up migrant parents and children in a blitz operation across major US cities, reports The Hill. “Next week ICE will begin the process of removing the millions of illegal aliens who have illicitly found their way into the United States,” Trump wrote. “They will be removed as fast as they come in.”

The Naval War College has a new president, reports Navy Times. RADM Shoshana Chatfield was appointed as the 58th superintendent of the historic institution. RADM Jeffrey Harley was removed from the position following accusations of mismanagement and inappropriate behavior, reports The Associated Press.

Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) wants to name a ship in honor of a Navy cryptologist, reports Stars and Stripes. Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent was killed in Syria in January during her fifth combat tour.

A man who was shot dead after authorities say he opened fire on a federal government building in Dallas, Texas, on Monday had served in the US Army, reports Army Times.

Kiplinger created a list of the best places in the country for early retirement. Take a look at the list to see which area in Maryland made the cut.

Contracts:

Inmarsat Government Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a competitive single-award blanket purchase agreement (BPA), GS-35F-0016X/HC1013-19-A-0005, for commercial satellite communication services. The total cumulative face value of this BPA is $246,000,000 (ceiling amount). The place of performance will be at Inmarsat Government Inc. Quotations were solicited via the General Services Administration’s Federal Supply Schedule, Information Technology Schedule 70, and two quotations were received from 28 offerors solicited. The period of performance is five years, consisting of a one year base period of June 19, 2019, through June 18, 2020, and four 12-month option periods. The Defense Information Technology Organization, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity (GS-35F-0016X/HC1013-19-A-0005).

Management Services Group Inc., doing business as Global Technical Systems, Virginia Beach, Virginia, has been awarded a $20,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Mid-Size Munitions (MSM) technology effort. This contract provides for the prototyping and demonstration program which focuses on an intermediate weight capable of defeating challenging targets. This program leads to flight test demonstrations, effectiveness assessments, and manufacturing readiness assessments adequate to support weapon system transitions. Work will be performed at Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 17, 2024. This award is the result of a broad agency announcement and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $4,526,000 are being obligated on the first task order which will be awarded immediately with the basic contract. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity (FA8651-19-D-0073).

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum Heights, Maryland, has been awarded a $9,919,398 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification (P00007) to previously awarded contract HR0011-18-C-0026 for a research project for undersea systems. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $19,208,634 from $9,289,236. Work will be performed in Linthicum Heights, Maryland (71%); Reston, Virginia (27%); and Cambridge, Massachusetts (2%), with an estimated completion date of May 2020. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $9,919,398 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.