Trump Says He Can Strike Iran Without Congress OK

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 President Donald Trump said he does not need congressional approval to strike Iran, reports The Hill. “But we’ve been keeping Congress abreast of what we’re doing … and I think it’s something they appreciate,” he said. “I do like keeping them abreast, but I don’t have to do it legally.”

Iran threatens more attacks on US drones as StateSec Mike Pompeo met this week with the Saudi king and crown prince, reports The Associated Press. Iran’s naval commander, Rear Adm. Hossein Khanzadi warned Washington that Tehran is capable of shooting down other American spy drones that violate Iranian airspace.

Despite massive shows of air power, nearly 40 percent of Marine Ospreys are not mission capable, reports Marine Corps Times, due to maintenance issues and staffing shortages. The Osprey is vital to how the corps fights and moves Marines around the battlefield and instrumental in humanitarian disaster relief.

The Admiral Gorshkov one of the Russian navy’s most advanced warships entered Havana’s harbor this week and docked at the port used until this month by US cruise lines, reports The Associated Press. The Gorshkov entered service last year and is an warships armed with cruise missiles, air defense systems, and other weapons.

Trump levels sanctions against Iran’s most senior leader, military officials, and top diplomat, hoping to pressure Iran’s leaders to limit their nuclear program and to tamp down both its military activity and support for militants in the Mideast, reports Defense News.

Trump questions need for US to protect international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Military Times reports an early morning tweet by the president who said major oil importers like China and Japan should be protecting their own ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

The ongoing trial of a Navy SEAL charged with war crimes became even more spectacular this week when another SEAL confessed to the murder of a teenage Islamic State prisoner of war to prevent him from undergoing torture by Islamic security forces. Navy Times reports the SEAL’s prior immunity deals likely protect him from prosecution for the murder.

Acting DefSec Mark Esper lays out priorities in first message to the force, reports Navy Times. Lethality is at the top.

ProPublica reports the 2016 Iranian capture of 10 US sailors that Trump refers to as the last military standoff with Iran was a US Navy failure, according to a Navy investigation of the incident that was later criticized, and a second investigation determined pre-deployment training and manning of the captured unit were adequate.

Baseball’s Washington Nationals Sean Doolittle invited military children throughout the DC area to a book reading and a chance to meet and interview the National’s pitcher, reports Military Times.

The Navy is refining analytics to predict ship maintenance needs, reports USNI News, seeing this as the best strategy for achieving a 355-ship navy.

Video: An inside look at the negotiations for the cheapest F-35s ever, reports Defense News. Lockheed Martin’s head of the F-35 program, Greg Ulmer, provides Valerie Insinna with a look at how a deal was struck where the F-35A’s price drops below $80 million.

Will Roper, the Air Force’s acquisition chief, explains why and how the Air Force wants to re-engine B-52 bombers, reports Defense News.

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: June 24, 2019

Contracts:

MCR Federal LLC, McLean, Virginia, was awarded an $8,135,050 modification (0001 20) to contract W31P4Q-16-A-0016 for technical engineering support services. Work will be performed in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, with an estimated completion date of June 29, 2020. Fiscal 2019 foreign military sales admin and other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $8,135,050 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, is awarded a $62,975,474 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and technical services to meet fleet requirements for Synthetic Signature Generation based training systems. This contract will provide scientific, engineering, and technical services required for the design, development, fabrication, integration, test, fleet implementation and maintenance. Work will be performed in Bethesda, Maryland, and is expected to be complete by December 2022. Fiscal 2019 other procurement (Navy), fiscal 2017 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy), and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $10,762,779 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division, West Bethesda, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00167-19-D-0004).

Wyle Laboratories Inc. (aka, KBRwyle), Huntsville, Alabama, is awarded a $41,081,160 cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide engineering, technical, operational, test and logistics services in support of the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s (NAWCAD’s) Surface/Aviation Interoperability Laboratory. In addition, this contract provides for facilities testing and laboratory equipment, installed avionics and ship-combat systems maintenance. Work will be performed at NAWCAD, Patuxent River, Maryland, and is expected to be completed in July 2024. No funds will be 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; four offers were received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-19-D-0070).

Innovative Technologies International Inc., Lynchburg, Virginia, has been awarded a $7,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Katana Hardware Fabrication effort. The contract provides for concept design analysis and advanced fabrication capabilities to rapidly manufacture products meeting specific characteristics through a partnering arrangement by fulfilling research, development, test and evaluation requirements for Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, with organization-specific tasks. Work will be performed at Lynchburg, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by June 25, 2024. This contract is the result of a sole source award. Fiscal 2018 research and development funds in the amount of $24,897.00 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force Research Laboratory, Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity, Eglin AFB, Florida (FA8651-19).