Stallion Completes 1st Test Flight to Pax

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.

The CH-53K King Stallion completed its first long-range test flight, reports Shephard Media. The flight was from West Palm Beach, Florida, to NAS Pax River. This is the first of several flights the CH-53K is scheduled to take this year and next.

The Air Force Times reports the increase of wind farms in Oklahoma is hurting military flight training, an official of the Oklahoma Aeronautics Commission said. During the last legislative session, state lawmakers put a bill on hold that would have required wind farms to acquire a permit from the commission before construction could begin.

A new survey reveals confidence remains high in the contracting community, Washington Technology reports. After hitting its highest point last quarter, the Washington Technology Contractor Confidence Index has continued to maintain a sky-high level.

The US reached an agreement to sell Patriot missile defense systems to Poland, Reuters reports. The deal could be worth up to $7.6 billion with Raytheon to buy eight systems by the end of the year.

Australia’s Royal Air Force now has 12 EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft, reports UPI. “We are the only country outside the United States operating the EA-18G Growler and the full fleet arrival represents a significant leap forward in joint electronic warfare capability,” Australian minister for defense said.

Test flights of the P.1HH Hammerhead UAV have resumed by Piaggio Aerospace, Defense News reports, following a crash last year.

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) believes the Air Force is undermanned in the cyber field, C4IRSNET reports. “That is unacceptable and suggests a troubling lack of focus,” the senator said. “It should be obvious that the development of steady pipeline of talent and retention of the ones we’ve trained already is essential of the success of the cyber mission force.”

The US Army is expanding opportunities for soldiers to participate in its Career Intermission Pilot Program, Military Times reports. Soldiers will be selected for the program based on demonstrated performance, future potential, and the justification of need for the break. Congress authorized the program in 2009 as a retention incentive.

Marine Corps Times reports Marines are eligible for retention bonuses based on their rank, military occupational specialty, and how much active-duty service they have in the military. If they re-enlist before Sept. 30, they can get $10,000 on top of any Selective Retention Bonus.

The June 2017 jobs reports shows the unemployment rate for post-9/11 veterans was 5.1 percent, reports Military Times. That is up from 4.6 percent in May and the highest unemployment rate recorded for the group since January.

Russia and China have long been capable of targeting the US with a nuclear weapon, but North Korea is now seen as the bigger, more troubling threat, Military Times reports. North Korea’s newly demonstrated missiles put Alaska within range of a potential attack and it is stressing the Pentagon’s missile defenses like never before.

NBC News introduces readers to the first woman to enlist in the US Air Force.

Contracts:

AE Strategies LLC, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded a $20,699,433 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract that will include terms and conditions for the placement of both cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders to provide professional services formulating civilian human resources (HR) policy and guidance, providing program oversight for HR services, and developing and implementing Department of the Navy (DoN) HR information technology plans in support of the DoN Office of Civilian Human Resources. The contract will include a five-year ordering period. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, and the ordering period of the contract is expected to be completed by July 2022. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,300,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website as a 100 percent small business set-aside requirement, with 11 offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department, Philadelphia Office, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00189-17-D-Z033).