March 28, 2024

Triton UAS Demonstrates Key Capabilities

East Coast Drone Hub Lands in Mayport

Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the Internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River Morning Coffee logoeconomic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.

The US Navy’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system demonstrates two key capabilities during flight tests, naval-technology.com reports. For the first time in-flight, MQ-4C Triton exchanged full motion video feedback with the P-8A Poseidon using a common data link. It also proved its capability to create situational awareness for P-8 aircrew by tracking a target with its electro-optical/infrared digital camera.

Who’s to blame? The US and Russia are pointing fingers, each saying the other is responsible for unsafe maneuvers in the Mediterranean Sea, Reuters reports. Russia claims a US destroyer approached its warship June 17 . The US says the Russian ship had carried out operations that were “unsafe and unprofessional.”

Marine Attack Squadron-211 is redesignated as the Marine Corps’ second JSF operational squadron, Inside Defense reports. Up until now, VMA-211 had been an AV-8B Harrier squadron. The short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing F-35B is slated to replace the Marine Corps’ aging Harrier fleet.

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved the nomination of Gen. David Goldfein, for the new Air Force chief of staff. Breaking Defense reports that Gen. Goldfein is almost certain to get full Senate approval soon. This will round out the turnover of the entire slate of Joint Chiefs over the past year.

Britain’s decision to leave the European Union could overshadow this year’s Farnborough International Airshow, as uncertainty surrounds the prospective implications of the referendum vote, IHS Jane’s 360 reports.

A Boeing 737 Max 8 test aircraft will appear at the Farnborough airshow and perform in the flying display, Flight Global reports. In addition to the re-engined model, Boeing also will display the P-8A Poseidon, a submarine bomber.

Aviation Week Network reports, the importance of combat aircraft within the European air arms has increased in light of Russia’s aggressive stance in Ukraine and elsewhere. New weapons are being integrated onto fighters already in use, and some nations have initiated a search for an altogether new fighter force.

Among the reasons for a reported overall decline since mid-2014 in network compromises by Chinese groups against US and other targets are ongoing military reforms and a pause as China re-calibrates its use of cyber espionage, Defense Systems reports. An industry report says the reforms seek to centralize cyber activities.

An artificial intelligence system beat a human expert during a high-fidelity air combat simulation, Gadgets 360 reports. The system developed at the Univ. of Cincinnati was assessed by retired US Air Force Col. Gene Lee, who holds extensive aerial combat experience as an instructor and air battle manager with fighter aircraft expertise. “I was surprised at how aware and reactive it was. It seemed to be aware of my intentions and reacting instantly to my changes in flight and my missile deployment,” Col. Lee said. “It knew how to defeat the shot I was taking. It moved instantly between defensive and offensive actions as needed.”

Lockheed Martin has upgraded its AN/TPQ-53 counter-fire radar’s software giving it the ability to identify and track unmanned aerial systems and relay that data to a command and control node, IHS Jane’s 360 reports. The Q-53’s active electronically scanned array hardware architecture enables Lockheed Martin to exploit the radar’s energy for different tasks, at company program director tells IHS Jane’s this week.

The New York Times offers a selection of summarized findings and fact checks in the House Select Committee on Benghazi report. Click here.

Contracts:

J.F. Taylor Inc., Lexington Park, MD, is being awarded a $33,681,937 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide management, operation, and development services for the manned flight simulator facility in support of various platforms for the Navy, Army, and Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, MD (95 percent); and Lexington Park, MD (5 percent), and is expected to be complete by November 2017. Fiscal 2015 and 2016 aircraft procurement (Army, Navy); fiscal 2016 research, development, test and evaluation; fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy); working capital funds (Navy); and foreign military sales funds are being obligated in the amount of $8,785,946, of which $221,963 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This contract combines purchase for the Navy ($32,752,792; 97.24 percent); Army ($546,843; 1.62 percent), and foreign military sales ($382,302; 1.14 percent). The Naval Air Warfare Center, Training Systems Division, Orlando, FL, is the contracting activity (N61340-16-C-0020).

CACI-ISS Inc., Lexington Park, MD, is being awarded $25,652,565 for modification P00022 under a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00421-15-C-0021), to exercise an option for the procurement of approximately 299,730 hours of technical services for command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance electronic projects in support of the Naval Air Warfare Systems, Aircraft Division Special Communications Mission Solutions Division. Work will be performed in Lexington Park, MD (92 percent); Fayetteville, NC (4 percent); San Diego, CA (2 percent); Alexandria, VA (1 percent); and Orlando, FL (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in April 2017. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Defense-wide) funds in the amount of $180,194 will be obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Systems, Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, MD, is the contracting activity.

IAP World Services Inc., Cape Canaveral, FL, is being awarded a $15,625,567 modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N40080-14-D-0302) to exercise option two for base operations support services at the Naval Air Station, Patuxent River, MD. The work to be performed provides for all management supervision, labor hours, training, equipment and supplies necessary to perform base operating support services to include but not limited to facility investment, integrated solid waste, swimming pools, utilities, waste water, water, and environmental services. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $45,056,928.  Work will be performed in Patuxent River, MD, and work for this option period is expected to be completed June 2017. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy); and fiscal 2016 Navy working capital funds in the amount $10,643,102 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Public Works Department, Patuxent River, MD, is the contracting activity.

Systems Planning and Analysis Inc., Alexandria, VA, is being awarded a $9,737,545 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-16-C-5376) for engineering, technical, and professional support services. The professional and engineering support services being procured will provide expertise in the areas of engineering, test and evaluation, and program management for above water sensor systems development. Work will be performed in Washington, DC (92.8 percent); Lexington, MA (3.7 percent); Crane, IN (1.6 percent); Dahlgren, VA (1.0 percent); and Cooks, MI (0.9 percent), and work is expected to be completed by December 2016. Fiscal 2014 and 2016 other procurement (Navy); fiscal 2015 and 2016 other customer funds; fiscal 2015 and 2016 research development test and evaluation; and fiscal 2016 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $6,631,009 will be obligated at time of award and funds in the amount of $1,683,933 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.

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