Tanks Emerge from Secret Norway Caves

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 Marine Corps temporarily moved some of its M1A1 Abrams tanks holed up in secret caves in Norway to Finland, reports Marine Corps Times, to participate in an annual training exercise with Finland. The secret caves began as a Cold War era storage program designed to rapidly equip Marines for a fight with Russia.

The Pentagon FY19 budget includes $20 billion in needed munitions, reports Defense News, but experts question if the erratic procurement practices of the past 20 years have left the necessary suppliers in place to fill the orders. As America uses its munitions at an increasing rate, suppliers are leaving the industry while other key suppliers are foreign-owned, setting up the risk that a conflict with China could rely on Chinese-made parts.

Military Times reports cellphones can continue to be brought into the Pentagon. DefSec Jim Mattis considered banning cellphones, smartphones and wearable technology, such as FitBits, after the GPS reporting company Strava published a global heat map based on user exercise routes. However, reports AP, stricter adherence will be required  in the Pentagon where classified information is present or discussed.

Troops are poised for their biggest pay raise in nine years, reports Military Times. The Senate Armed Services Committee’s personnel panel advanced a 2.6 percent pay raise in the annual defense authorization bill and a host of other military specialty pay renewals for 2019. The House already approved the same pay raise.

Israel seeks to purchase additional Boeing F-15s, in a package that would also include upgrading the Israeli air force’s existing I-model examples of the strike aircraft, reports Flight Global.

Another propulsion train problem forces the Gerald R. Ford back into port for “adjustments” before the Navy’s newest carrier can get back underway to complete an anticipated long testing period.

The destroyer Milius was supposed to meet up to 12 surface combatants in Asia, instead it replaces the Fitzgerald for the 7th Fleet, reports Defense News. The US Navy’s Japan-based surface fleet is back at its pre-accidents strength of 11 cruisers and destroyers. USNI reports the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius‘ move to US Fleet Activities Yokosuka had been planned for years.

Attorneys for the CO of the Fitzgerald accuse Navy leadership of using “public forums to assign guilt, foreclose legitimate defenses, and cast unwarranted aspersions” against Cmdr. Bryce Benson, reports Navy Times.

The GAO shot down a pre-award protest of the Air Force UH-1N Huey replacement program by Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky branch. The defense giant’s helicopter business pre-emptively filed the protest in February due to concerns about the level of intellectual property it would be forced to hand over to the US government if the company’s HH-60U won the competition.

Creator of the innovative concussion-reducing football helmet is taking its technology to the battlefield, reports ESPN. VICIS, maker of the Zero1 football helmet, is partnering with the Army to research ways to reduce head injuries in the military through a development grant.

Contracts:

GSINA – Gilbane JV LLC, Flemington, New Jersey (W9128F-18-D-0025); EA Engineering, Science and Technology Inc., Hunt Valley, Maryland (W9128F-18-D-0026); HydroGeoLogic Inc., Reston, Virginia (W9128F-18-D-0027); Cape Environmental Management Inc., Norcross, Georgia (W9128F-18-D-0028); and TLI – Bay West Joint Venture LLC, St. Paul, Minnesota (W9128F-18-D-0029), will compete for each order of the $200,000,000 hybrid (cost and firm-fixed-price) contract for Environmental Remediation Services and Military Munitions Response Program. Bids were solicited via the Internet with 18 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 22, 2023. US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska, is the contracting activity.

Aptim Federal Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, is awarded a $24,697,759 firm-fixed-price contract for the construction of hardened shelters over and around two Navy petroleum oil lubricant (POL) infrastructure elements at Main Base, Guam. The work to be performed provides for the construction (design-bid-build) of hardened shelters for two Navy POL infrastructure elements; a new hardened pump house at Tenjo Vista and a new hardened valve vault at Delta/Echo piers. Work will be performed in Guam, and is expected to be completed by February 2020. Fiscal 2017 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $24,697,759 are obligated on this award. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one proposal received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-18-C-1318).

Grunley Construction Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $16,283,000 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract will provide construction of a security complex for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency. The complex will house an indoor firing range, K9 unit elements, court liaison, and evidence areas. The requirement also includes the demolition of the North Basin on the Pentagon Reservation. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Aug. 19, 2020. Fiscal  2014 military construction funds in the amount of $16,283,000 are being obligated at time of award. This contract was competitively procured, with four proposals received. The Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-18-C-0042).

 Strategic Analysis Inc., Arlington, Virginia, was awarded a $14,499,589 firm-fixed price contract. This contract provides non-personal services to provide technical, analytical, financial, administrative, and specialized support to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering; and the Office of the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia; and Alexandria, Virginia, with an expected completion date of Oct. 16, 2022. For the base funding, fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $3,560,000 were obligated; for follow-on funding, fiscal 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $10,939,589 were obligated. This contract was competitively procured, with four proposals received. The Washington Headquarters Services, Acquisition Directorate, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-15-A-0041).  Awarded Feb. 15, 2018.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Azusa, California has been awarded a $7,138,693 firm-fixed-price and cost-reimbursement contract modification (P00008) to a previously awarded contract (FA8803-17-C-0001) for Defense Meteorological Satellite Program sensor sustainment. This contract modification provides for the exercise of an option for sensor sustainment of the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program on-orbit constellation being provided under the basic contract. Work will be performed in Azusa, California; Baltimore, Maryland; Boulder, Colorado; and Dallas, Texas, and is expected to be completed by May 31, 2019. Fiscal 2018 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated at the time of award. The total cumulative face value of the contract is $14,161,180. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles Air Force Base, California, is the contracting activity.