First US & Russian Military Meet-up Since ’14
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 Hill reports the top US and Russian generals will meet today, Thursday, in Azerbaijan, the first meeting since military cooperation was suspended in 2014 amid Russian aggression in Ukraine.
If the F-35 price tag is to drop to the desired $85 million, Lockheed needs sign-off on its need of some combination of manufacturing cost reductions, a three-year block buy, and an economic ordering quantity purchase, reports Flight Global.
TASS, the Russian news agency, reports United Aircraft-Building Corp., the Moscow-based, state-owned aircraft construction company, contracted to deliver the first two advanced Mikoyan MiG-35 fighter jets to Russia’s Defense Ministry. Flight tests began last month. A purchase of 30 is anticipated.
The Navy Times has video of Russian jets harassing the destroyer Porter.
Defense News asks, Does it matter that 75 percent of DoD jobs are empty? DC Military reports that it isn’t easy for military spouses to find jobs, but those seeking a job in the Pax River community have Melanie Frontz to help.
India rockets to the top of the commercial market in the ongoing space race, reports The New York Times, launching 104 satellites in 18 minutes from a single rocket.
DARPA discovers a “GPS-like” for underwater drones, reports Defense Systems, by replacing the light and signals operating in the air with a low-frequency acoustic signal.
Leading up to his visit to Brussels, DefSec James Mattis emphasizes “fair burden-sharing” among NATO members, calmer rhetoric than President Donald Trump’s campaign criticisms of the international organization. Politico reports few NATO members meet each year’s target share.
Oracle Team USA plans to defend its American Cup title with a new wingtip design for the foil of a high-speed yacht underdevelopment by the team’s partner Airbus, reports Air Transport World.
Intel drops its sponsorship of the International Science and Engineering Fair after nearly 20 years, reports The New York Times, leaving the nonprofit Society for Science and the Public, scrambling for a new sponsor for the 2017 global competition.
Military Times says Michael Flynn’s resignation is likely to create more near-term turmoil at the White House, according to military officials and congressional leaders, prolonging the perception that the new president and his team are undisciplined.
Defense One runs “There’s No One At the Helm of White House Foreign Policy,” by conservative Eliot Cohen,
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe seeks a reversal of permits for pipeline construction, reports UPI. Noting millions of people “against this dangerous project,” David Archambault II, chairman of the tribe, said Trump claims not “a single phone call” in opposition.
Contracts:
Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co., Sunnyvale, California, is being awarded $95,355,755 for cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification P00020 to previously awarded contract N00030-15-C-0100 in support of the Trident II (D5) missile production and D5 Deployed Systems Support. The work will be performed in: Sunnyvale, California (41.56 percent); Cape Canaveral, Florida (33.15 percent); Kings Bay, Georgia (9.34 percent); Silverdale, Washington (8.14 percent); Magna, Utah (2.92 percent); Palo Alto, California (1.03 percent); Poulsbo, Washington (0.90 percent); Clearwater, Florida (0.48 percent); Gainesville, Virginia (0.31 percent); Baltimore, Maryland (0.18 percent); Atlanta, Georgia (0.16 percent); Elkton, Maryland (0.16 percent); and other various locations (less than 0.10 percent each, 1.67 percent total), with work expected to be completed by Feb. 4, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $90,137,599; and research, development, test, and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,218,156 are being obligated on this award. Contract funds in the amount of $90,137,599 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.
The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is being issued $68,693,695 for cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee task order 2001 against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00019-16-G-0001) for research, development, integration and testing efforts in support of the P-8A Poseidon aircraft. This task order includes Increment 3 Block 2 acoustics subsystem capability enhancements, software updates, acoustics system and subsystem software sustainment, technical support, management, defect correction, modernization, enhancements, improvements, and obsolescence mitigation. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (80 percent); and Patuxent River, Maryland (20 percent), and is expected to be completed in January 2022. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,008,980, will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
