March 19, 2024

Trump Overrides Congress on Arms Sales

arms sales

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.

Despite congressional objections, reports Defense News, the Trump administration cleared $8.1 billion in weapon sales for Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates by invoking an emergency exemption allowing the White House to leap over over congressional objections, in a move that could “ultimately jeopardize the ability of the US defense industry to export arms in a manner both expeditious and responsible,” said Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Iraq offers to mediate in the crisis between its two key allies, the United States and Iran, amid escalating Middle East tensions and as Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers steadily unravels, reports Military Times.

The Senate has confirmed the next two top officers of the Navy, reports Military Times. ADM Bill Moran will become the next CNO and VADM Bob Burke gains a fourth star to become his VCNO.

Acting SecDef Patrick Shanahan tells new Naval Academy graduates to change the status quo and “set the standard on preventing sexual harassment and assault” among ranks, reports Military Times.

Lockheed Martin and the US Air Force Research Lab unveiled its latest small unmanned aircraft system last week, reports IHS Jane’s 360. The Condor UAS is designed to support small unit teams with tactical intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and targeting support.

US Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Stephen Kellogg III has pleaded guilty to two counts of espionage and sentenced to three years after admitting he took classified information about the Navy’s nuclear-powered warships and planned to give it to a journalist and then defect to Russia, reports Navy Times.

President Donald Trump addressed 800 uniformed service members at the Yokosuka US naval base, saying the US military will “forever remain second to none,” reports AFP. “We have equipment, missiles, rockets, tanks, planes, ships — no one in the entire world can build them like we do. It’s not even close,” he said.

A federal judge has blocked President Trump from building key sections of his border wall, making clear he believes the president wrongly ignored Congress’ wishes by diverting DoD money, reports Military Times.

An Army launched social media tribute on Memorial Day weekend turned into a platform to share the darker consequences of military service, reports The New York Times. Tweet after tweet described lifelong health complications, grief over loved ones lost, sexual assaults gone unpunished, and struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

The US Navy has eased the mandate that requires all sailors in key warfare qualifying commands to earn a warfare qual within 30 months, reports Navy Times. The debate now is whether junior sailors should even have earn the specialist pins.

Raytheon will start production of a carrier landing system based on differential Global Positioning System satellite navigation technology, reports Military & Aerospace Electronics. The Joint Precision Approach and Landing System is an all-weather, all-mission system that provides landing guidance for fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters on aircraft carriers.

Gen. James McConville was confirmed as the next Army chief of staff on May 23, reports Army Times. Gen. McConville has commanded the 101st Airborne Division.

Contracts:

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., San Diego, California, is awarded $66,274,215 for modification P00007 to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract (N00019-18-C-1009) to exercise an option for operation and maintenance services in support of the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance -Demonstrator Program, including logistics and sustaining engineering support. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (70 percent); Rancho Bernardo, California (5 percent), and at forward operating locations (25 percent), is expected to be completed in June 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $66,274,215 are being obligated at time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

Compliance Corp., Lexington Park, Maryland, is awarded a $39,063,181 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Engineering, Prototyping, and Fabrication Department. Work will be performed in St. Inigoes, Maryland (95 percent); and Lexington Park, Maryland (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2024. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals as a 100 percent small business set-aside; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00019-19-D-0043).

Kihomac Inc., Reston, Virginia (N68335-19-D-0063); CACI Inc.-Federal, Chantilly, Virginia (N68335-19-D-0064); KDY Automation Solutions Inc., Morrisville, North Carolina (N68335-19-D-0065); Willerding Acquisition Corp., doing business as WB Industries, O’Fallon, Missouri (N68335-19-D-0066); Orbis Sibro Inc., Mount Pleasant, North Carolina (N68335-19-D-0067); Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia (N68335-19-D-0068); Engineering and Software Systems Solutions Inc., Midwest City, Oklahoma (N68335-19-D-0069); Atec Inc., Stafford, Texas (N68335-19-D-0070); Bauer Inc., Bristol, Connecticut (N68335-19-D-0071); Power Test Inc., Sussex, Wisconsin (N68335-19-D-0072); Artemis Electronics LLC, Prospect, Kentucky (N68335-19-D-0073); Lockheed Martin Corp. Rotary & Mission Systems Div., Orlando, Florida (N68335-19-D-0075); Atlantic Diving and Supply Inc., doing business as ADS Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia (N68335-19-D-0077); RG Industries Inc., York, Pennsylvania (N68335-19-D-0078); Hawk Enterprises LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (N68335-19-D-0080); Teradyne, Reading, Massachusetts (N68335-19-D-0081); and Testek, Wixom, Michigan (N68335-19-D-0082), are each being awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contracts. These contracts provide for sustainment equipment procured under 14 functional areas in support of Navy Fleet Readiness Centers (FRCs). The functional areas being awarded include ancillary equipment, balancing test equipment; test equipment, blasting and sanding equipment, coating equipment, fall protection equipment, measurement equipment, test equipment, welding equipment and wet processing equipment. The estimated cumulative aggregate ceiling for all contracts is $248,940,660, with the companies having an opportunity to compete for individual orders under the individual functional areas for which they competed. Work will be performed at various contractor facilities and FRC locations inside the continental US, and is expected to be completed in May 2024. Fiscal 2019 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $17,000 ($1,000 per company to satisfy the minimum guarantee amount) are being obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. These contracts were competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals with a total of 28 offers received for the functional areas discussed above. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.

Colonna’s Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $9,299,760 firm-fixed-price contract to provide demilitarization of the exterior hull, internal equipment, bulkheads, decking, piping, and other fixtures onboard USS San Francisco (SSN-711). Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,299,760 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with two offers received. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N42158-19-S082).

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