The Afghanistan War Takes Its Toll

A US Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet releases flares over Afghanistan on Jan. 23, 2020. (US Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Matthew Lotz)

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 new report has put a price tag on the two-decades-long Afghanistan war at $2 trillion, reports Military Times, and notes that 240,000 lives have been lost in Operations Enduring Freedom and Resolute Support. Brown University has been conducting research since 2001 to give an overview of the true costs of US post-9/11 wars. “The costs of the Afghanistan war include its escalation into Pakistan, millions of refugees and displaced persons, the toll in lives of combatants and non-combatants, and the need to care for America’s veterans,” according to the university’s latest Costs of Wars Project.

Some members of the House Armed Services Committee warn that the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan might not mean the end of US commitment, particularly in supporting the Afghan special forces, reports Breaking Defense.

SecState Antony Blinken told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday that the threats posed by al Qaeda have been “significantly degraded,” reports Politico. He said the main objectives of disrupting the terrorist group that carried out the 9/11 attacks had been achieved.

During the virtual NATO Cyber Defense Pledge conference last week, NATO officials vowed to increase the alliance’s cyber defense capabilities, reports C4ISRNET. Leaders acknowledged the urgency in protecting key infrastructure against cyber attacks, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced a greater reliance on data connectivity.

The Biden administration says the evidence found during an intelligence committee review conducted in the wake of news reports last year that Russia allegedly offered bounties to the Taliban to target US and allied forces in Afghanistan is weak, reports Politico.

The US has announced sanctions against nearly three dozen Russian individuals and entities for attempts to interfere and influence the 2020 presidential election, reports UPI.

In retaliation on Friday, Russia said it will expel 10 US diplomats from Moscow, reports NPR. The US on Thursday had ordered 10 Russian diplomats to leave the US.

GEN Tod Wolters, chief of the US European Command, said that while Russia continues its troop buildup along its border with Ukraine, NATO is prepared to respond to aggression, reports Defense News. “We deter, and if deterrence fails, we’re prepared to respond to aggression with the full weight of the trans-Atlantic alliance,” he said. Wolters is also NATO’s supreme allied commander for Europe.

A World War II-era fighter plane experienced mechanical issues during a performance Saturday and made an emergency ocean landing at the Cocoa Beach Air Show in Florida, reports NBC News. The pilot was not injured. The Aviationist has video of the Grumman TBM Avenger as it crash lands.

 

 

Martin UAV and its V-Bat 128 vertical takeoff and landing tail-sitting fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle won the US Navy’s Mi2 Technology Demonstration contest, reports janes.com. Martin beat L3Harris and its FVR-90 VTOL hybrid quadcopter. Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division AIRWorks received a total of 13 responses for the competition. Martin and L3Harris ultimately were selected for participation in the Phase 2 Live Demonstration Event late last year at Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, reports impax.tech.

Sikorsky flew its Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft prototype in two demonstrations for service leaders and soldiers at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL, reports Military.com.

The US Army has ordered the return to CH-47 Chinook helicopter flight testing to gather more data, reports Defense News. Despite issues cropping up in previous testing, Boeing is confident it will win a first production contract in fiscal 2021.

New legislation has been proposed that would expand the presumption of exposure to Agent Orange for disability benefits to veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia during the Vietnam War, reports Military Times.

The previously all-female Papa Company, 4th Recruit Training Battalion has graduated four of its first-ever male platoons alongside two female platoons and included the first male drill instructors assigned within the battalion, reports Marine Corps Times.

A female airman will soon begin training to become an Air Force combat controller, reports Air Force Times, the first enlisted woman to do so.

NAVSEA reports that women lead in various capacities at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division. The number of women in leadership roles in department head positions there has increased from nearly 17% in 2016 to nearly 43% in 2021.

The US Commerce Department said March retail sales were up 9.8%, reports UPI.com. The rise was the best monthly gain since last May’s 18.3% increase.

Prince George’s County Executive Angela Alsobrooks has hinted that the county would like to keep the Washington Football Team in Prince George’s, reports WTOP News. She would also like to see the development of a year-round sports and entertainment venue. WTOP conducted a recent survey asking for new team name suggestions. What do you think of the Washington Pilots, the Washington Commanders, the Washington Renegades, or the Washington Brigade?

NASA has awarded a $2.9 billion contract to SpaceX to develop the company’s Starship rocket as a lunar lander to carry astronauts on Artemis moon missions, reports UPI.

Contracts:

Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, is awarded a $16,445,246 modification (P00076) to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price contract (N6833517C0272). This modification exercises an option to provide maintenance support services for 15 Fleet Readiness Centers, Aviation Support Equipment Divisions. Work will be performed in Solomons, Maryland (16%); North Island, California (12%); Cherry Point, North Carolina (10%); Portsmouth, Virginia (9%); El Centro, California (8%); Jacksonville, Florida (7%); Lemoore, California (7%); Beaufort, South Carolina (5%); Jacksonville, Florida (5%); Fort Worth, Texas (5%); New Orleans, Louisiana (5%); Comalapa, El Salvador (4%); Yorktown, Virginia (3%); North Island, California (2%); and Whidbey Island, Washington (2%), and is expected to be completed in April 2022. Fiscal 2021 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,900,000 will be obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.

Colonna’s Shipyard West LLC, San Diego, California (N55236-17-D-0013); East Coast Repair and Fabrication, Norfolk, Virginia (N55236-17-D-0018); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc., National City, California (N55236-17-D-0017); Marine Group Boat Works, Chula Vista, California (N55236-17-D-0015); Pacific Ship Repair and Fabrication Inc., San Diego, California (N55236-17-D-0014); Propulsion Controls Engineering, San Diego, California (N55236-17-D-0016); and South Coast Welding and Manufacturing Inc., Chula Vista, California (N55236-17-D-0012), are awarded a maximum value $114,681,204 firm-fixed-price modification to exercise Option Period Four to previously awarded firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contracts to provide non-complex emergent and continuous maintenance on surface combatant ships (DDG and CG) and amphibious (LSD, LPD, LHA, and LHD) ships homeported in or visiting San Diego, California. Work will be performed in San Diego, California, and is expected to be completed by May 2022. No funding is being obligated at this time. Funding will be obligated under each contract’s prospective delivery order(s). Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $31,477,523 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-6258 to exercise options for system production and associated components in support of all new-construction and in-service class submarines. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (76%); Chantilly, Virginia (13%); Marion, Massachusetts (7%); and Newport, Rhode Island (4%), and is expected to be completed by December 2023. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $23,121,349 (76.5%); and fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,356,174 (23.5%) will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

Charles River Analytics, Cambridge, Massachusetts, is awarded a potential $16,461,532 cost-reimbursement contract to develop an integrated system that simultaneously reduces the burden of personal protective equipment while increasing protection against current and future chemical and biological threats. This five-year contract includes no options. Work will be performed in Cambridge, Massachusetts (29%); Washington, DC (22%); St. Louis, Missouri (10%); Houston, Texas (7%); Irvine, California (3%); Queensland, Australia (15%); Leiden, Netherlands (11%); and Wellington, New Zealand (3%). The period of performance is from April 15, 2021, through April 14, 2026. Fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation (Department of Defense) funds in the amount of $3,383,699 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) broad agency announcement published on the beta.SAM.gov and DARPA websites. Seven proposals were received and three were selected for award. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity (N66001-21-C-4013).

AECOM Technical Services Inc., Los Angeles, California (W912DQ-21-D-3000); Arcadis US Inc., Highlands Ranch, Colorado (W912DQ-21-D-3001); Black & Veatch – Geosyntec JV, Overland Park, Kansas (W912DQ-21-D-3002); Burns & McDonnell – EA JV, Kansas City, Missouri (W912DQ-21-D-3003); CDM Federal Programs Corp., Kansas City, Missouri (W912DQ-21-D-3004); HDR-OBG A JV, Kansas City, Missouri (W912DQ-21-D-3005); Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Virginia (W912DQ-21-D-3006); Tetra Tech Inc., Kansas City, Missouri (W912DQ-21-D-3007); Weston Solutions Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania (W912DQ-21-D-3008); and WSP USA Solutions Inc., Washington, DC (W912DQ-21-D-3009), will compete for each order of the $225,000,000 order-dependent contract for architect-engineer services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 10 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 15, 2028. US Army Corps of Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri, is the contracting activity.

Marine Design Dynamics Inc., Washington, DC (N3220521D4139), is awarded a $29,831,879 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering drawings in support of Military Sealift Command’s fleet of ships. This award will provide new and revised engineering selected record drawings required to be maintained by regulatory bodies and to maintain the command’s readiness. Work will be performed worldwide, with an expected completion date of May 31, 2026. The maximum dollar value, including the base period and six-month option to extend is $29,831,879. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $3,500 are being obligated for the first order of fiscal 2021 at time of award. Additional orders may be placed throughout the five-year ordering period, and six-month option, if exercised. Funding for the fiscal year in which orders are place will be utilized at that time. This contract was competitively procured under solicitation number (N3220520R4139) via the government-wide point of entry beta.sam.gov contracting opportunities website and four timely offers were received. The Navy’s Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220521D4139).

Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded an $18,458,461 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-6117 to exercise an option for Foreign Military Sales (FMS) engineering services. This contract modification involves funding from the FMS program. Country name(s) are withheld due to international agreement. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Clearwater, Florida (32%); Syracuse, New York (2%); and Marion, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed by August 2030. FMS funds in the amount of $500,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.