Sky Watchers Await Rare Celestial Event

The total solar eclipse will be visible along a narrow track stretching from Texas to Maine today, April 8, 2024. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout all 48 contiguous US states. (NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio illustration)

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.

A total solar eclipse will sweep across North America today, Monday, April 8, blocking out the sun momentarily for millions of viewers along a path stretching from northern Mexico to Maine, reports The Washington Post. 2017 was the last time the US experienced a total solar eclipse, and there will not be another until 2044.

NASA shows how to watch the eclipse anywhere. Live coverage on NASA TV starts at 1pm.

In Maryland, viewers could start to see a partial eclipse around 2:05pm, with the mid-eclipse around 3:21pm at 89.7% magnitude (the amount of the sun that will be covered). It’s set to conclude in the region around 4:33pm, reports WBAL.com in Baltimore. Just remember, it’s never safe to look directly at the sun during a solar eclipse without eclipse glasses or through a solar lens filter. Space.com offers tips on how to view the solar eclipse with items around your home if you don’t have special filtration devices. Click here to find out when to view it wherever you are.

Scientists at the NASA Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will launch three Black Brant IX sounding rockets during the eclipse to take observations and measurements, reports WBOC. A total solar eclipse is an opportunity to observe how the Moon’s shadow causes ionic perturbations, or changes in the atmosphere that can affect electronic systems on Earth. The rockets are scheduled to launch approximately 45 minutes apart from 2:40 to 4:05pm today.

National Guard units and military installations from states in the path of totality are arranging plans ahead of a predicted tourism surge, reports Military.com.

Business Insider reports that a rare “Devil Comet” will appear during today’s total solar eclipse. Some eclipse watchers might be in for a two-for-one special.

Some members of the Southern Maryland delegation to Maryland’s General Assembly received updates from The Patuxent Partnership, Southern Maryland Navy Alliance, Military Alliance Council, and University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland last week, reports Southern Maryland News. Topics included workforce development (“always a priority,” said Bonnie Green, TPP executive director) and continued investment in infrastructure in and around the region’s military bases (“We are technology driven. It’s amazing what’s going on inside the base,” said Dale Moore of the Navy Alliance).

Sea-Air-Space 2024, a maritime exposition featuring defense industry leaders and major military decision makers from around the globe, is set April 8-10 at National Harbor, MD. The latest updates surrounding the maritime domain will be shared at the Navy League event. Several NAVAIR leaders will present and several programs will be highlighted at the conference.

The Department of the Navy’s Naval STEM program’s Naval Horizons student essay contest for high school and college students has opened, reports the Office of Naval Research. Essays will be accepted until June 10 at 11:59pm ET.

The US Air Force Reserve’s 301st at Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Fort Worth, TX, expects to receive its first two F-35s in August, reports Air Force Times, making it the first Air Force Reserve unit to own, operate, and maintain its own Joint Strike Fighters.

US Navy and Air Force fighter pilots will unite for training at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at NAS Patuxent River, reports The Southern Maryland Chronicle. The move brings together four US Air Force F-22 Raptor simulators and eight F-35 Lightning simulators at NAWCAD’s Joint Simulation Environment.

The final two Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II pilots finished training earlier this month, receiving the last 7509 military occupational specialty designation reserved for qualified pilots of the aircraft, reports Marine Corps Times. CAPT Joshua Corbett and CAPT Sven Jorgensen completed the training at Cherry Point in North Carolina.

The appearance of two Lockheed Martin F-35s at an air show in India last year has raised questions about a partnership between the US and India, reports The National Interest. The fighter jets’ appearance came as India is intent on upgrading its fleet to defend against bordering rivals such as China and Pakistan.

The US Navy and Lockheed Martin conducted a historic Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile flight test with four missiles simultaneously in flight, reports Naval News.

Four F-35 Lightning II aircraft from the US Air Force’s 48th Fighter Wing, stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the UK, have begun operations at an air base in Poland, reports Defence Blog. This deployment signifies the US’ ongoing commitment to bolstering NATO’s Eastern Flank defense, according to a news release from US Air Forces In Europe – US Air Forces Africa. The newly arrived F-35s take over duties previously performed by F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 52nd Fighter Wing at an air base in Germany.

The US military said it won’t alter plans for humanitarian assistance in Gaza following the killing of seven international aid workers by Israeli forces last week, reports, reports Military Times.

The US Army Corps of Engineers has a tentative timeline for reopening Fort McHenry Channel following the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse, the Army reports. Engineers have determined a tentative timeline for the restoration for safe navigation in and out of the Port of Baltimore. The Corps expects to open a limited access channel 280 feet wide and 35 feet deep, to the Port of Baltimore within the next four weeks — by the end of April. The tugboat Crystal Coast pushed a fuel barge (see video here) through a temporary alternate channel early last week. The barge, supplying jet fuel to DoD, was transiting to Dover Air Force Base. It was the first vessel to use the channel since the bridge collapsed March 26.

The first MQ-4C Triton surveillance drone has arrived at Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy, reports Military.com. This marks the second deployment of the long-range drone for Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19. The drone is designed to support the manned P-8 Poseidon for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, and the Navy has previously tested the Triton’s capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

US Air Force officials have submitted a legislative proposal to Congress that would sidestep governors in seven states and move Air National Guard units with space missions into the Space Force, reports Military.com. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis is opposing the proposal, reports KDVR-TV Denver via msn.com.

Mike Linnington, outgoing CEO of the Wounded Warrior Project, said he sees continued strain on veterans, but more support from volunteers, reports Military Times. Linnington is awed by what he sees as a still-growing number of volunteers reaching out to help troops and veterans as they shift from military life into civilian society. “We have a list of people a mile long who want to get involved,” the former Army lieutenant general said.

Contracts:

KBR Wyle Services LLC, Lexington Park, Maryland, was awarded a cost plus-fixed-fee and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with the ceiling of $99,000,000. This contract will be supporting the transition and integration of mission-critical Space Domain Awareness, Battle Management Command and Control, and space enterprise capabilities to support the Air Force Space Vehicles Directorate. Work is expected to be completed by April 2029. Fiscal 2024 research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $750,000 are being obligated on the first task order. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado. This was a competitive acquisition with one offer received. The contracting activity responsible for this action is with Air Force Research Laboratory/RVKE, Kirtland Air Force Base, Albuquerque, New Mexico (FA9453-24-D-X002).

AECOM-ASO JV, Los Angeles, California (N62742-24-D-3501); Amentum Services Inc., Chantilly, Virginia (N62742-24-D-3502); Fluor Intercontinental Inc., Greenville, South Carolina (N62742-24-D-3503); IAP-ECC LLC, Cape Canaveral, Florida (N62742-24-D-3504); KBR Services LLC, Houston, Texas (N62742-24-D-3505); and Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colorado (N62742-24-D-3506), are awarded a combined $2,000,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with the capability to issue cost-plus-award-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders for the Global Contingency Services Multiple Award Contract III. This contract provides for the ability to quickly provide short-term facility support services in support of natural disasters, humanitarian efforts, the full range of military actions, incumbent contractor’s nonperformance or potential breaks in service. Work will be performed at various locations (including remote locations) throughout the world. The term of the contract is not to exceed 102 months and is expected to be completed by September 2032. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and seven option years with one six-month extension period, for all six contracts combined, is $2,000,000,000. Each awardee will be awarded $25,000 (minimum contract guarantee per awardee) at contract award. Fiscal 2024 supervision, inspection, and overhead funds in the amount of $150,000 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 sam.gov website, with six offers received. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Pacific, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Land & Armaments LP, Sterling Heights, Michigan, is awarded a $79,213,757 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (M67854-16-C-0006) for Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV). The total cumulative face value of the contract is $2,838,414,624. This contract modification provides for the additional subcontract line-item numbers for the procurement of three production representative test vehicles for the ACV recovery variant and test support. Work will be performed in York, Pennsylvania (60%); Aiken, South Carolina (15%); San Jose, California (15%); Sterling Heights, Michigan (5%); and Stafford, Virginia (5%), with an expected completion date of July 2026. Fiscal 2024 research and development funds in the amount of $79,213,757 will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M67854-16-C-0006).