Ukraine ‘Fantastic Case Study’ in Information Warfare, Says General
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US Marine Corps commandant GEN David Berger said the past four months of war in Ukraine has been a “fantastic case study” in information warfare, reports Breaking Defense. Berger said, “If you can manage information, you can actually gain an advantage.” Ukraine has been widely characterized as dominating the information warfare domain, an area in which Russia was previously believed to be far more capable.
In May, Berger asked the service’s leaders to analyze the use of drones and information warfare in the war in Ukraine to inform Force Design 2030 — the modernization strategy that was released in 2020, National Defense reported at the time.
During an at-sea replenishment Friday, a US Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet jet “blew overboard” and off the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier due to intense winds and heavy rain in the Mediterranean Sea, reports Military Times. One injury was reported, and the incident remains under investigation.
No foul play or indications of suicide are suspected in the death of a sailor on the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier while it was docked at Naval Air Station North Island, reports NBC7 San Diego. The Navy continues its investigation.
Teledyne FLIR Defense expanded its contract with the Defense Department to provide nearly 500 unmanned robots, reports Defense News. The Centaur robots are used to help with disarming landmines and unexploded ordnance. As an uncrewed ground system, Centaur is equipped with a single mechanical arm, sensors and cameras that can detect and transmit information, creating distance between the hazardous material and personnel.
US President Joe Biden praised the CIA as the “bedrock of our national security” during his visit to the agency Friday that marked the 75th anniversary since its founding after World War II, reports ABC News.
White House advisers are bracing for a renewed spotlight on the widely criticized effort to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan one year ago, reports NBC News. The Afghanistan withdrawal is seen as was one of the darkest chapters of Biden’s presidency.
Retired US Army LT GEN Gary Volesky has been suspended from his duties as an adviser to active-duty officers following reports that his social media account carried a comment critical of first lady Jill Biden, reports Military.com.
The US Army has paused its high school education waivers program after a week, reports Army Times. An Army official said the suspension had “more to do with ensuring that we set the recruits … up for success” rather than “perception of a lowered standard” to join.
Ukraine’s military has seen an increase in the number of women volunteering to join its ranks amid its war against Russia, reports Fox News. Roughly 1,000 women have joined the military since the war broke out in February.
Tennessee’s governor is pressing DoD to approve requests for exemptions from the COVID-19 vaccine mandate made by his state’s National Guard, reports The Hill. “Our force is medically ready, regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status, and has proven this even as the science on COVID-19 changed drastically,” Gov. Bill Lee (R) writes in a letter to DefSec Lloyd Austin.
Lockheed Martin said it has delivered a new airborne laser to the Air Force Research Laboratory, reports Inside Defense. Lockheed claimed the new laser is the smallest, lightest, high-energy laser of its power level built to date. “It is a critical benchmark in developing operational laser weapon systems in the airborne domain,” said Tyler Griffin, the company’s director of Advanced Product Solutions strategy. LANCE is the laser weapon system part of the Air Force’s SHiELD program, reports Breaking Defense.
A new commercial satellite imagery acquisition tool developed by the Air Force Research Lab could help the US Space Force make near-term shifts to a more resilient architecture, reports Defense News. The research lab has been working since 2019 to develop an interface that allows combatant commands to buy satellite imagery from commercial providers. The capability, called the Global Unified Environment, is expected to transition to the Space Force in fiscal 2024.
China has demanded that the United States cease military “collusion” with Taiwan during a virtual meeting between the joint chiefs of staff from the two countries whose relationship has grown increasingly fractious, reports The Associated Press.
Former Japanese prime minister Shinto Abe’s assassination could have ramifications for Japan’s defense posture, reports Breaking Defense. Abe’s death may lead to something he supported for years: amending the pacifist clauses in the Japanese constitution.
A 23-year-old who was killed during the World War II invasion of Normandy has been laid to rest nearly eight decades later, reports CBS News. US Air Force LT William J. McGowan was buried at Normandy American Cemetery “with full military honors” on Saturday.
The most widely known Air Force mascot is the Air Force Academy falcon, but there’s a lesser known one at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, reports Air Force Magazine. Meet “Shakey” the pig. The question of Shakey’s namesake, a title passed down from one generation of munitions pig to the next, as thousands of airmen on rotation care for and celebrate her, is still a thing of lore.
Maryland Matters reports that there could be a delay in some primary results due to the large volume of absentee ballots that were sent. Maryland is the only state this election year that prohibits processing mail-in ballots before the polls close on Election Day, July 19. Some local officials have expressed concern about the state’s reporting timeline this year, given the potential volume of mail ballots, which take longer to process.
Contracts:
L-3 Communications Vertex Aerospace, Madison, Mississippi, is awarded a $23,467,814 modification (P00021) to a previously awarded, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery requirements contract. This modification extends services and adds hours for continued depot level maintenance, logistics, and sustaining engineering services in support of the C-12 Navy aircraft and the C-12 Marine Corps Reserve aircraft. Work will be performed in Belle Chasse, Louisiana (13.79%); Okinawa, Japan (13.79%); Bahrain (10.34%); Atsugi, Japan (10.34%); Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (10.34%); Iwakuni, Japan (6.9%); New River, North Carolina (6.9%); Beaufort, South Carolina (6.9%); Yuma, Arizona (6.9%); Patuxent River, Maryland (6.9%); Camp Pendleton, California (3.45%); and Misawa, Japan (3.45%), and is expected to be completed in January 2023. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Cherokee Nation Strategic Programs, Tulsa, Oklahoma (HDTRA122D0001); Advanced Research Associates Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (HDTRA122D0002); Parsons Government Services International Inc., Centreville, Virginia (HDTRA122D0003); Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., Overland Park, Kansas (HDTRA122D0004); and Valiant Global Defense Services Inc., San Diego, California (HDTRA122D0005), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award contract for the Assessments, Exercises, and Modeling and Simulation Support (AEMSS). The maximum dollar ceiling including the base period and option period for all five contracts combined is $850,000,000. Work will be performed at various locations throughout the world. Task orders issued may be for a duration of one year past the last ordering date of the contracts. Funding will be obligated for each task order and no funds are obligated on the basic contracts. The contracts were competitively procured via solicitation. HDTRA120R0006 and the government received 12 offers. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Nuclear Enterprise Contracting Office, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Maersk Line Ltd., Norfolk, Virginia, has been awarded a $179,055,206 option period modification to a previously awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract (HTC71119DW026) for international ocean and intermodal, time definite, port-to-port and door-to-door transportation service using ocean common or contract carriers offering regularly scheduled commercial service. Service includes shipment of both containerized and breakbulk cargo. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $698,252,801. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 transportation working capital funds are being obligated at time of award. The location of performance is worldwide as specified on each individual order. The option period of performance is from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
American President Lines LLC, Washington, DC, has been awarded a $147,681,597 option period modification to a previously awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract (HTC71119DW014) for international ocean and intermodal, time definite, port-to-port and door-to-door transportation service using ocean common or contract carriers offering regularly scheduled commercial service. Service includes shipment of both containerized and breakbulk cargo. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $575,906,676. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 transportation working capital funds are being obligated at time of award. The location of performance is worldwide as specified on each individual order. The option period of performance is from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
Farrell Lines Inc., Dulles, Virginia, has been awarded a $65,212,459 option period modification to a previously awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract (HTC71119DW021) for international ocean and intermodal, time definite, port-to-port and door-to-door transportation service using ocean common or contract carriers offering regularly scheduled commercial service. Service includes shipment of both containerized and breakbulk cargo. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $254,305,826. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 transportation working capital funds are being obligated at time of award. The location of performance is worldwide as specified on each individual order. The option period of performance is from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
Schuyler Line Navigation Co. LLC, Annapolis, Maryland, has been awarded a $12,815,666 option period modification to a previously awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price with economic price adjustment contract (HTC71119DW031) for international ocean and intermodal, time definite, port-to-port and door-to-door transportation service using ocean common or contract carriers offering regularly scheduled commercial service. Service includes shipment of both containerized and breakbulk cargo. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $49,976,623. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 transportation working capital funds are being obligated at time of award. The location of performance is worldwide as specified on each individual order. The option period of performance is from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023. US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $9,454,756 modification (P00055) to contract W31P4Q-21-F-0033 for hardware-in-the-loop aviation systems engineering services. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2024. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $9,035,577 cost-plus-incentive-fee contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-17-C-6259 to exercise an option for engineering design development and kit procurements. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia (65%); Clearwater, Florida (32%); Syracuse, New York (2%); and Marion, Florida (1%), and is expected to be completed by May 2027. Fiscal 2022 other procurement (Navy) $9,035,577 funding will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Four Tribes Enterprises, Gaithersburg, Maryland, has been awarded a $25,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for minor construction services. This contract provides for the personnel, labor, tools, materials and equipment necessary to complete each construction task order. Projects will be in support of real property maintenance, repair, alteration, and new construction. Work will be performed at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona; Gila Bend Auxiliary Field, Arizona; the Barry M. Goldwater Range, Arizona; Fort Tuthill Recreation Area, Flagstaff, Arizona; the 161st Air National Guard at Sky Harbor Airport, Phoenix, Arizona; and Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona, and is expected to be completed by July 11, 2027. This award is the result of a sole source acquisition. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The contracting activity is the Luke AFB, 56th Contracting Squadron, Glendale, Arizona (FA488722D0005).
