Strategic Choices for DoD Are All Bad

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 necessarily reflect those of the Leader’s owners or staff.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Joint Staff, Navy Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr., the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff  released Wednesday the “painful” Strategic Choices Review of the Pentagon and told reporters the most damaging element of sequestration is the speed the reductions hit the Defense Department, reports Defense.gov. The Strategic Choices Review includes three budget scenarios, options involving force structure, efficiencies and compensation reforms, reported Defense Daily. Most of the slashing would be to the Army and Marines, reports DefCon Hill. Even so, all choices fail to reach savings targets, reports FCW.

The House would cut federal agency conferences and travel to 2010 levels, reports GovExec. Army and Air Force Exchange Service report lagging sales will pull adult magazines off their shelves and free up 33 percent more space for other magazines, reports GovExec.

More budget battles ahead and President Barrack Obama says no special treatment for defense, reports Defense News. Intercepts’ John T. Bennett expects Senator John McCain to remain a “thorn in the sides of top military officers.”   Nevertheless, the Senator  does want control of drones back in the hands of defense, reports The Hill.

NSA Director tells hackers convention “join in” if  you don’t agree with what’s happening and make some changes, reports CNN Money.  Director Keith Alexander will also be speaking Thursday, today, with the House Intelligence Committee, but this a member’s only venue, reports The Hill.  The Navy unveils its costs savings plan to virtualize its IT infrastructure, reports Defence Talk. A plan for full virtualization by the end of 2017 of the Navy and Marine Corps is due from both forces in 120 days, reports Next Gov.

Underwater drones are talking in the Mediterranean, says Defence Talk. The Government of Qatar is looking to buy a $1.1 billion Early Warning Radar package, reports Defence Talk.

Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training, Owego, N.Y., is being awarded a $39,427,558 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide flight test, technical, management, and process support services necessary to update and maintain operational software, vendor software, maintenance-related software, and laboratory support software in support of the MH-60R/S and SH-60B aircraft.  Work will be performed in Owego, N.Y. (85 percent); Patuxent River, Md. (12 percent); Pascagoula, Miss. (1.5 percent); and Bath, Maine (1.5 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2015.  Fiscal 2013 Operations & Maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $814,024 will be obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 USC 2304(c)(1).  The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-13-D-0011).

Andromeda Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Va., is being awarded a $7,700,000 ceiling-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the delivery of software tools in support of maintenance planning, scheduling, and execution (MPS&E); the integration of MPS&E software across the Naval Aviation Enterprise; and technical support and maintenance associated with MPS&E software.  These software tools originated with the E-6B aircraft and will now be developed for Naval Aviation Enterprise-wide usage.  Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Md. (56 percent) and Jacksonville, Fla. (44 percent), and is expected to be completed in February 2017.  Fiscal 2013 Operations & Maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $605,000 are being obligated on this award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1).  The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting activity (N61340-13-D-0006).

http://www.govexec.com/defense/2013/07/military-services-ditch-racy-magazines/67835/?oref=river