Tanks, Jets & Trump Headline July 4th Celebration

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.

President Donald Trump touts “brand new” World War II-era tank display at the Washington, DC, Fourth of July celebration, reports Military Times, in addition to a Blue Angels flyover and other static displays. “I’m going to be here and I’m going to say a few words and we’re going to have planes going overhead ― the best fighter jets in the world, and other planes, too,” Trump said.

The Army is considering overturning Bowe Bergdahl’s sentence, reports Army Times, during an appeal by Mr. Berdahl arguing that President Trump’s comments about a conviction and prison time for the former soldier amounted to undue command influence and interfered with his right to a fair trial.

DoD considers a mandatory keto diet which bans beer, pizza, and other faves, reports Military Times, as it reviews the controversial ketogenic or “keto” diet as able to enhance military performance.

Iran announced it has broken stockpile limit set by nuclear deal, reports The Associated Press, marking Iran’s first major departure from the unraveling agreement a year after the US unilaterally withdrew from the accord.

Trump’s national security adviser John Bolton pushed back on North Korea negotiations report, according to The Hill. Referring to a New York Times report suggesting the US may accept a “nuclear freeze” from North Korea in a new round of negotiations, Bolton said, “Neither the [National Security Council] staff nor I have discussed or heard of any desire to ‘settle for a nuclear freeze by NK.’ This was a reprehensible attempt by someone to box in the president. There should be consequences.”

The Navy resumes oversees deployment of the littoral combat ship sending the Montgomery  to the Pacific, reports Defense News. After a hiatus of around 18 months, with the first of three such ships scheduled to deploy this year arriving in the Pacific.

Birds at the border prompted a false alarm leading South Korea to launch fighter jets and alert journalists that it had detected an unidentified object flying near the border with North Korea, reports Military.com.

How close is Iran to a nuclear bomb, really? Foreign Policy reports on an agreement that Iran has the expertise and capability to eventually build such a device, but it is not clear that Tehran has the intent or even sees the necessity of doing so. “This is not a dash to a nuclear bomb,” said Kelsey Davenport, the director of nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association. “It is a calculated move designed to gain leverage in negotiations with the Europeans, Russia, and China on sanctions relief.”

As a young officer in Desert Storm, Acting DefSec Mark Esper showed flair for leadership, reports Military.com. In 1991, Army 1st Lt. Mark Esper was hard-charging young officer who took time to listen to the troops in planning and carrying out a risky air assault into Iraq deep behind enemy lines.

Navy fires commanding officer after collision, reports Navy Times. Cmdr. Michael Johnson, commanding officer of the future littoral combat ship Billings, was fired last week after his vessel struck a moored bulk cargo ship in a Montreal port.

The Navy is vowing a “full court press,” reports Navy Times, to overcome delays and field all the Advanced Weapons Elevators needed by the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford.

Contracts:

Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is awarded $348,223,161 for modification P00019 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-17-C-0001). This modification is for production non-recurring, special tooling and special test equipment in support of low-rate initial production Lot 12 F-35 Lightning II aircraft for the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) partners and foreign military sales (FMS) customers. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (23.80%); El Segundo, California (23.86%); San Diego, California (17.03%); Samlesbury, United Kingdom (7.65%); Orlando, Florida (6.63%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (3.44%); Nashua, New Hampshire (2.71%); Clearfield, Utah (2.15%); Marietta, Georgia (1.77%); East Aurora, New York (1.59%); Palmdale, California (1.40%); Cheltenham, United Kingdom (0.96%); Turin, Italy (0.81%); Clearwater, Florida (0.79%); Melbourne, Florida (0.60%); Irvine, California (0.58%); Kongsberg, Norway (0.53%); Arlington, Texas (0.48%); Rolling Meadows, Illinois (0.46%); Tempe, Arizona (0.38%); Inglewood, California (0.33%); Papendrecht, Netherlands (0.28); Garden Grove, California (0.21%); Montmorency, Australia (0.20%); Marion, Virginia (0.17%); Independence, Ohio (0.14%); Amesbury, Massachusetts (0.13%); Rome, New York (0.13%); Los Angeles, California (0.10%); Hot Springs, Arkansas (0.10%); Lystrup, Denmark (0.09%); Grand Rapids, Michigan (0.09%); Owego, New York (0.07%); Sharon, Massachusetts (0.06%); Wichita, Kansas (0.06%); Boulder, Colorado (0.05%); Carlsbad, California (0.04%); Ontario, California (0.04%); Delta, British Columbia, Canada (0.03%); Long Beach, California (0.01%); Lindenhurst, New York (0.01%); Eskisehr, Turkey (0.01%); Saint Peters, Missouri (0.01%); Santa Fe Springs, California (0.01%); and Rancho Cucamonga, California (0.01%). Work is expected to be completed in August 2022. Fiscal 2017 aircraft procurement (Navy and Marine Corps); fiscal 2018 and 2019 aircraft procurement (Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps); non-US DoD partner and FMS funds in the amount of $348,223,161 are being obligated at time of award, $17,899,115 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the Air Force ($129,642,270; 38%); Navy ($69,738,685; 20%); Marine Corps ($61,001,500; 17%); non-US DoD partners ($60,840,706; 17%) and FMS customers ($27,000,000; 8%). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Anchor Innovation Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1901); Beach Marine Services Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1902); Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., Norfolk Virginia (N50054-19-D-1903); East Coast Repair & Fabrication LLC, Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1904); Fairlead Boatworks Inc., Newport News, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1905); Lyon Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1906); Q.E.D. Systems, Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1907); United States Marine Inc., Gulfport, Mississippi (N50054-19-D-1908); and Willard Marine Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1909) for Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center Marine Boatyard and Industrial Support for Lot I, and Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1910); East Coast Repair and Fabrication LLC, Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1911); Fairlead Boatworks Inc., Newport News, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1912); and Lyon Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (N50054-19-D-1913) for Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center Marine Boatyard and Industrial Support for Lot II, are each awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contracts to furnish the management, material support services, labor, supplies and equipment deemed necessary to provide marine boatyard and industrial support which includes modifications, upgrades, service life extension and repairs to non-commissioned boats, crafts, lighterage and service craft and/or their associated systems and periodic maintenance. These contracts include options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative ceiling value to $216,979,810. These nine small businesses will have the opportunity to provide offers for individual delivery orders. Work will be performed in the Hampton Roads, Virginia, area and is expected to be complete by July 2020, and work is expected to be completed by July 2024, if all options are exercised. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $32,500 ($2,500 minimum guarantee per contract) was obligated under each contract’s initial delivery order and expires at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with nine offers received. The Navy’s Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a maximum $99,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, single award task order contract for aerospace medical and environmental health research support services at the Naval Medical Research Unit-Dayton. Work will be performed in Dayton, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by July 7, 2024. Fiscal 2019 research, development, testing and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,000,000 will be obligated upon award under an initial incrementally funded task order and the funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with six offers received. The Naval Medical Logistics Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N62645-19-D-5005).

Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., Portsmouth, Virginia, is awarded a $14,589,487 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the repair, restoration, overhaul, assembly and test services of the Naval Submarine Universal Modular Mast (UMM). The UMM systems will be completely overhauled off-hull at the vendor’s facility to a ready-for-issue status to support the fleet during maintenance availabilities. Required services will be determined on an individual task order level. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by July 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $566,676 will be obligated at time of award via the first task order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N64498-19-D-4027).

Frequentis Defense Inc., Columbia, Maryland, is awarded an $8,454,481 firm-fixed-price contract for non-recurring engineering and logistics for the design, development, test, manufacture and repair of the MD-5A Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System, which will support the MQ-25 Stingray unmanned air vehicle. The integrated computer system will transport voice communications from carrier-based air vehicle operators to local audio switches, local radio terminals and remote radio terminals. Work will be performed in Columbia, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in March 2021. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,454,481 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity (N68335-19-C-0276).

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a $66,752,500 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for rapid technology development and demonstrations. This contract provides for the development of new/novel concepts for sensor and systems of sensor systems across the multiple domains and spectrums that aid in command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and battlespace awareness. Work will performed in Reston, Virginia, with base support at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, and is expected to be completed by June 12, 2024. This award is a result of a competitive acquisition and two offers were received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $546,050 are being obligated at the time of award. Contracting activity is the US Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, Air Force Research Laboratory, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio (FA8650-19-C-1941).

Engility Corp., Andover, Massachusetts, has been awarded a $40,000,000 firm-fixed-price/cost reimbursement/cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for services supporting the Space and Missile Systems Center, Advanced Systems and Development Directorate, Ground Systems and Space Operations Division at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. This contract provides engineering, development, integration and sustainment services supporting the current ground system enterprise throughout its evolution, including the transition to and buildout of enterprise ground services. Work will be performed at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico; Schriever AFB, Colorado; Buckley AFB, Colorado; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Space Based Infrared Radar Payload On-Orbit Test Station facility, Azusa, California; the Space Management Battle Lab, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Vandenberg AFB, California, as well as future sites at Naval Research Laboratory, Blossom Point, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 20, 2019. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Space and Missile Systems Center, Advanced Systems & Development Directorate, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA8818-19-D-0004).

General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., doing business as General Dynamics Mission Systems, Fairfax, Virginia, have been awarded a $35,683,952, cost-plus-incentive-fee modification (P00015) to previously awarded FA8307-17-F-0004 for next generation GEO overhead persistent infrared (NGG-OPIR). The contract modification provides for additional Medium/LargeSat Common Solutions (MLCS) variants for the NGG-OPIR program, additional MLCS engineering development modules, increased tempest testing and to fund an overrun. Work will be performed at General Dynamics Mission System, Scottsdale, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by March 31, 2022. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $12,726,494.04 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Cryptologic Systems Division, Contracting Division, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas, is the contracting activity.