Trump: Ditch EMALS Catapult System
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.
When asked about the future of Ford-class carrier technology, President Donald Trump said the Navy should abandon its plans for electromagnetic catapults — the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System, or EMALS — for carrier aviation and return to the steam-powered launch and recovery system, Navy Times reports. Popular Mechanics explains the problem the president has with the electromagnetic catapult.
The first-in-class aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford will head to sea this month for its last set of trials before the Navy accepts delivery of the ship and commissions it into the fleet, reports USNI News.
Like its neighbor South Korea, Japan is looking for a new missile defense system, International Business Times UK reports. But it’s not THAAD — Terminal High Altitude Area Defense. Japan is considering the Aegis Ashore system.
DefSec James Mattis said the US is considering the possibility of deploying additional US troops to Somalia should the African nation request more military aid to combat al-Qaida, Military Times reports.
A buildup of US, British and Jordanian armored vehicles in Jordan near the Syrian border is for the Eager Lion training exercise, Military Times reports, and not an invasion of southern Syria.
Twice during this past week, a Russian fighter jet flew up close to a US Navy reconnaissance planes in the Black Sea. Washington Examiner reports that a Russian Su-27 Flanker fighter jet flew within 20 feet of a Navy maritime patrol aircraft over the Black Sea on Tuesday. A US Navy spokesperson said the encounter between the fighter jet and the Navy P-8 Poseidon was deemed “safe and professional.” In the latest incident Friday morning, when another Russian Su-27 flew 40 feet from a US P-8 Poseidon recon plane flying in international airspace, Fox News reports.
In written testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee, US Cyber Command ADM Mike Rogers said “cyber war” is no longer an abstract concept and that all conflicts today have a cyber dimension, FCW reports.
FCW also reports that President Trump signed a cybersecurity executive order last week that directs federal agencies to adopt the National Institute of Standards and Technology cybersecurity framework. The document focuses on increasing cybersecurity of federal networks, securing critical infrastructure, deterring cyber threats, and building international alliances.
The Marines’ new commercial, “Battle Up,” makes clear that the USMC is looking for fighters, and that includes highly motivated women, reports Marine Corps Times. This USMC recruiting commercial shows the evolution of a female Marine, starting when she is a young girl stopping bullies at school, through her days as a young athlete, and ultimately as a convoy commander.
Sikorsky is expanding its operations into Asia with plans to beef up its workforce as it undertakes more maintenance work in the region, reports Helicopters magazine. The company sealed a contract to overhaul helicopters for the Thai military, a deal that it hopes will pave the way for more work in Asia.
Contracts:
Harris Co., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded an $18,981,105 modification (P00739) to previously awarded contract F19628-02-C-0010 for system sustainment of the Distributed Space Command and Control, Dahlgren system. Contractor will provide sustainment services which include core sustainment for the field service teams, requirements development modeling and analysis, engineering support, technical orders support and software development. Work will be performed at Dahlgren, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by April 30, 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,999,773 are being obligated at the time of award. The Space and Missile Systems Center, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
Thales Defense Security Inc., Clarksburg, Maryland, is being awarded a $9,900,000 (estimated contract value) single award, indefinite–delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio (MBITR) family of radios sustainment in support of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), Procurement Division. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $3,005 are being obligated at time of award via delivery order 0001. This contract is funded with operations and maintenance appropriation at the delivery order level, using current fiscal year funding and is not multiyear. The work will be performed primarily at Thales’ facility, in addition to USSOCOM mission units and is expected to be completed September 2021. This contract was awarded through other than full and open competition under 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) (H92222-17-D-0016).
RQ-DPR JV, doing business as RQ-DPR Construction JV, Carlsbad, California, is being awarded a $16,818,250 firm-fixed-price contract for repair and renovation of unaccompanied housing Building 282 at Naval Support Activity, Hampton Roads Portsmouth Annex. The work to be performed provides for the repair and renovation to help meet shared mobilization/2+0 standards and improve upon conditions from Q4 to Q1 in support of the elimination of Q4 bachelor quarters. Under this contract, the contractor will be required to renovate and make upgrades such that all major building systems meet current code requirements and anti-terrorism/force-protection standards including redesigning of parking, new fire lane, upgraded electrical systems, floor supports, and replacing heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2018. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $16,818,250 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with six proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N40085-17-C-0334).
General Dynamics Information Technology Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $13,600,000 ceiling-priced, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, resulting from solicitation N00189-16-R-0058, that will include terms and conditions for the placement of firm-fixed-price task orders to provide public affairs equipment and visual information systems support as required by the Navy Public Affairs Support Element Headquarters. The contract will include a five-year base ordering period and six-month option period with the option at Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-8 – option to extend services. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (91 percent); and San Diego, California (9 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2022; if the option is exercised, work will continue through January 2023. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,000 will be obligated to fund the contract’s minimum amount and funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk Contracting Department, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00189-17-D-0013).
CACI Enterprise Solutions Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded a $94,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering services. Contractor will provide integration, updates and consolidation of computer-based test stations, test fixtures, test program sets, database repositories, analytical software tools, and associated network communication functions to resolve system obsolescence and performance issues. Work will be performed at Hill Air Force Base, Utah; and Chantilly, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by May 10, 2023. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition with three offers received. Fiscal 2017 working capital funds in the amount of $5,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is the contracting activity (FA8224-17-D-0005).
