Troubles for the F-35 Continue

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 F-35 fighter jet continues to be marred by flaws and glitches that, if left unfixed, could create risks to pilot safety and call into question the fighter jet’s ability to accomplish key parts of its mission, reports Defense News. In at least two cases, sudden spikes in cockpit pressure have left F-35 pilots with searing ear and sinus pain, Defense News reports.

Two F-35 partners issued an ultimatum to the US Defense Department: Find a way to restrict US access to foreign militaries’ sovereign data, or risk losing those countries as a customer, reports Military Times.

Sikorsky will deliver half a dozen VH-92A aircraft starting in 2021 as part of a new $542 million contract, reports Military.com. The six aircraft will be the first of 23 new presidential helicopters the company will deliver by 2023.

Acting DefSec Patrick Shanahan’s confirmation hearing is likely still a few weeks away, reports Military Times. The Senate Armed Services Committee officials say they are waiting on an FBI background check and other formal paperwork from the executive branch before they can move ahead with the process.

Defense News reports the No. 3 person at the Pentagon, acting chief management officer Lisa Hershman, must be nominated by the end of June or her tenure in the acting position will end.

The US Navy has a new vice chief of operations — ADM Bob Burke, reports Navy Times. ADM Burke relieves ADM Bill Moran, who will become the next chief of naval operations later this summer.

Civilian Defense Department employees and service members are being reminded not to engage in political activity while on the job, reports Military Times. The warning comes after the controversy over White House pressure to keep the USS John S. McCain out of sight during President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan. Earlier in June after the visit, the Pentagon asked the White House to stop politicizing the military.

The Navy announced cuts to Selective Reenlistment Bonuses, reports Navy Times. “Due to the high number of SRB takers in Fiscal Year 2019 to date, many skills are approaching or have already met their SRB quotas,” wrote personnel officer VADM John B. Nowell Jr.

Single soldiers will see longer tours at duty stations in Europe and Japan as Army officials look to decrease the costs of moving families around the world, reports Military.com.

Russian said one of its Su-27 fighters approached two jets over the Baltic Sea earlier this week “at a safe distance and identified them as a US Air Force RC-135 spy plane and a Swedish Air Force Gulfstream reconnaissance aircraft,” reports CNN. The planes were in neutral airspace, but Russia said they were too close to its border, reports The Daily Mail.

The remains of a Marine have been recovered, months after he died in a KC-130J crash off the coast of Japan, reports The Associated Press. Cpl. Daniel Baker of Illinois was one of six Marines who died in the Dec. 6 crash. The 21-year-old was aboard a refueling plane that collided with a fighter jet.

Contracts:

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a maximum-value $687,090,000 cost and cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for early service life period work on USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The purpose of this contract is to support ship repair and modernization during continuous incremental availabilities, planned incremental availabilities, full-ship shock trials and continuous maintenance and emergent maintenance during the ship’s early service life period. This contract includes five ordering periods totaling 60 months, with a maximum order value of $687,090,000. Work for the initial delivery order will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 2020. Work under all five delivery orders is expected to be completed by June 2024. Fiscal 2019 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $1,719,107 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1) – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N00024-19-D-4306).

KBRwyle Technology Solutions LLC, Columbia, Maryland (SP4702-19-D-0003); BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland (SP4702-19-D-0004); and ENGlobal Government Services Inc., Tulsa, Oklahoma (SP4702-19-D-0005), are sharing a maximum $124,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SP4702-18-R-0510 for Automated Fuel Systems Installation. This was a competitive acquisition with three responses received. These are five-year contracts with no option periods. Locations of performance are worldwide, with a June 11, 2024, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Defense Logistics Agency, National Guard, and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Columbus, Ohio.

ICF Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, was awarded a $32,216,823 modification (P00026) to contract W911QX-17-C-0018 for the ARL Cyber Security Service Provider (CSSP) program. Work will be performed in Adelphi, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of June 15, 2020. Fiscal 2017 research, development, test, and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $3,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

IBM Corp., Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for a containerized machine learning system. Four bids were solicited with three bids received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 2, 2024. Fiscal 2018 and 2019 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $9,500,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Huntsville, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912DY-19-F-0396).

CORRECTION: The contract announced on May 31, 2019, for CACI Inc.-Federal, Chantilly, Virginia (SP4701-19-C-0024), for $10,760,666 was announced with an incorrect award date.  The correct award date is June 3, 2019.