US Calls Out China Over Cyberattacks
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 US and its NATO allies have condemned China’s aggressive behavior in cyberspace, reports The Hill. This marks the first time NATO has formally rebuked China for cyberattacks. “We’ve crossed the line on what can be tolerated anymore. China is more aggressive when it comes to espionage,” James Lewis, a senior vice president at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told The Hill.
On Monday, the US Justice Department said a federal grand jury indicted four Chinese nationals for a cyberattack campaign that targeted government agencies and others in a hack of Microsoft Exchange email servers, reports UPI.com. China denied the claim on Tuesday that it is to blame for the hacks and said that Chinese entities are the ones that are victims of US cyberattacks, reports The Associated Press. Chinese officials also want the charges dropped against the Chinese nationals.
A recent Defense Department policy change lays out roles and responsibilities for additive manufacturing throughout the department, reports Federal News Network, and DoD wants to speed up its adoption. DoD will use the practice to “support joint force commanders and [combatant command] theater requirements, transform maintenance operations and supply chains, increase logistics resiliency, and improve self-sustainment and readiness for the military services.” This comes after a July 1 DoD Inspector General’s report that found the military was not doing enough to secure its 3D printing technology, reports Military.com. Read the report here.
Russia unveiled its new fighter jet, reports Military.com, expected to compete with the F-35.
An F/A-18F Super Hornet was forced to make an emergency landing last week after a suspected bird strike, reports Navy Times. The jet was from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 at Naval Station Oceana in Virginia. The incident was listed as a “Class A” mishap, meaning at least $2.5 million worth of damage.
A Navy MH-60 Knighthawk helicopter crashed near Mt. Hogue, CA, on Friday, while conducting search and rescue operations, reports The Associated Press. No injuries were reported, and the cause of the crash is under investigation.
The US State Department said that Afghanistan workers who helped the US military will be housed at Fort Lee, VA, reports ABC News. About 2,500 Afghans fleeing unrest in their home country have passed the State Department’s screening for special visas, reports The Washington Post. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that additional DoD supporting locations might be needed, and that the department is examining other options.
Air Force families stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Germany have been displaced from their homes after heavy flooding last week, reports Air Force Times. They have been placed in temporary base housing.
The British Royal Air Force is “very interested” in the US Space Force plan to position a system in Britain to monitor spacecraft up to 22,400 miles from Earth, reports UPI.
The Citadel Pacific 2021 military exercises began this week to assess emergency response and anti-terrorism programs in the Indo-Pacific region, reports UPI.
The Navy Blue Angels flight demo team has announced it 2022 officers, reports dvidshub.net.
Senate Democrats are eyeing changes to the Selective Service System, reports Politico. Among those changes: requiring women to register for the draft.
The Navy aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford completed its second in-water shock trial, reports Defense News. The July 16 in-water explosion registered as a 3.9 magnitude earthquake, similar to the first attempt in June.
Fort Rucker in Alabama is requiring proof of vaccination from service members on base who aren’t wearing masks while on duty, reports The Washington Post. “Due to the rising rates in the counties around us and some on Fort Rucker, we’re now implementing [General Order] number 12,” MAJ GEN David Francis said.
Army officials at Fort Knox, KY, said that dozens of soldiers unvaccinated against COVID-19 who were caught entering on-post facilities without wearing a face mask will be punished, reports Navy Times.
Marines on military installations also must be ready to show proof of a vaccination, reports Marine Corps Times. As of June 30, the Marine Corps was the least vaccinated branch in the military, with 58% of Marines vaccinated for the coronavirus.
On Tuesday, South Korea was airlifting 301 sailors from one of its ship off the coast of East Africa after an outbreak of COVID-19, reports US News & World Report. The service members are being taken back to South Korea for treatment.
Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ trip to the edge of space on Tuesday morning was a success, reports NBC News. The Blue Origin capsule reached the edge of space, at an altitude of more than 65 miles, where the passengers experienced roughly four minutes of weightlessness.
On board the Blue Origin flight was Wally Funk, 82, a pilot and former NASA astronaut. Funk has been trying to get to space since 1961 when she became part of a women in space program. The Washington Post reports she finally saw her “aspiration come to life.”
Contracts:
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $231,400,000 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-20-C-5310 to definitize the initial award, and procure an additional 70 MK41 Vertical Launching System modules and ancillary equipment for DDG 51-class destroyers and FFG 62-class frigates. This contract modification combines purchases for the US government (80%); the Commonwealth of Australia (13%); and Spain (7%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland (46%); Indianapolis, Indiana (27%) Fort Walton Beach, Florida (15%); Farmingdale, New York (5%); Saginaw, Michigan (3%); Waverly, Iowa (2%); Thomaston, Connecticut (1%); and St. Peters, Missouri (1%), and is expected to be completed by July 2025. Fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $91,645,715 (40%); fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $91,645,715 (40%); FMS Australia funds in the amount of $30,691,427 (13%); and FMS Spain funds in the amount of $17,417,143 (7%) 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.
Tetra Tech Inc., Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded a $90,000,000 cost-plus-award-fee modification to previously-awarded, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract N62470-16-D-9008 to increase the maximum dollar value and extend the period of performance for comprehensive long-term environmental architect-engineering services on Navy and Marine Corps installations at sites in the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic area of responsibility. This modification increases the total cumulative value of the contract to $368,000,000. Work will be performed in Maryland (13%), Pennsylvania (13%), Florida (11%), Rhode Island (8%), Washington (8%), California (7%), Massachusetts (6%), Texas (6%), Mississippi (5%), New York (4%), Maine (3%), Arizona (2%), Connecticut (2%), Indiana (2%), Louisiana (2%), New Jersey (2%), South Carolina (2%), Georgia (1%), Illinois (1%), North Carolina (1%), and Nevada (1%), and is expected to be completed by April 2022. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. Task orders will be primarily funded by environmental restoration (Navy) funds. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems, Manassas, Virginia, was awarded an $80,240,289 fixed-price-incentive, firm-fixed-price, and cost-only modification to previously awarded contract N0002418C5218 for the delivery of Technical Insertion-20 (TI-20) AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare Combat System and AN/SQS-53C transmitter infrastructure shipset hardware. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. government (94%) and the Commonwealth of Australia (6%) under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania (56%); Clearwater, Florida (22%); Syracuse, New York (17%); Owego, New York (3%); and Manassas, Virginia (2%), and is expected to be completed by June 2026. Fiscal 2021 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $45,582,203 (57%); fiscal 2021 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $26,196,362 (32%); FMS Australia funds in the amount of $4,504,123 (6%); and fiscal 2020 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,957,601 (5%) 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. (Awarded July 15, 2021)
ManTech SRS Technologies Inc., Herndon, Virginia, has been awarded a $38,482,043 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the systems engineering and integration (SE&I)-2 contract. This contract provides the launch enterprise with systems engineering, integration, launch systems support engineering, mission integration, security systems and other SE&I functions to support national security space launch, launch service providers integration, certification support and fleet surveillance support. Work will be performed at Los Angeles Air Force Base, California; Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida; and Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, and is expected to be completed July 21, 2022. This award was the result of a competitive acquisition with five offers received. Fiscal 2021 Space Force other procurement funds in the amount of $18,000,000; fiscal 2021 Space Force operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,188,732; and fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $879,509 are being obligated at the time of award. Space and Missile Systems Center, Los Angeles AFB, California, is the contracting activity (FA8811-21-C-0001).
Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, San Diego, California, has been awarded a $13,000,000 modification (P00005) to contract FA8539-21-F-0007 for repair services for the RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4C Triton. Work will be performed in San Diego, California; Salt Lake City, Utah; El Segundo, California; Sterling, Virginia; Las Cruces, New Mexico; Valencia, California; Joplin, Missouri; Vandalia, Ohio; Medford, New York; Cypress California; Wichita, Kansas; San Jose, California; and Linthicum, Maryland, and is expected to be completed Oct. 31, 2021. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2021 Direct Cite Funds Program funds in the amount of $9,750,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Sustainment Center, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia, is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Information Technology, Falls Church, Virginia, was awarded a $20,321,237 modification (P00034) to contract W81XWH-17-F-0078 for administrative support services utilized by the US Army Medical Materiel Development Activity. Work will be performed at Fort Detrick, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2022. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, defense-wide funds; and fiscal 2021 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds in the amount of $9,329,108 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Medical Research Acquisition Activity, Fort Detrick, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
