US Losing the Huawei Battle in Europe
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 is losing its battle against Huawei providing 5G to Europe, reports The New York Times. Washington, with no alternative to offer, needs to contain Beijing’s power in the larger war of telecommunications networks or risk losing its economic and military edge. 5G will ultimately control communications, critical infrastructure, and what is most worrying to the US, the “internet of things” devices that are already controlling factories, autonomous vehicles, and the day-to-day operations of military bases.
Homeland Security waives open competition, justification, and bonding to get contracts moving on building 177 miles of the border wall in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas, reports Military.com. Altogether, 10 acquisition laws have been waived.
West Point cadets are researching bio-printed bandages and organs for field care, reports Army Times, aiming to create stem-cell laden bandages for burns in the field, bio-printed menisci and livers, and one day even build bio-engineered blood vessels to make organs viable.
Boeing is inspecting all 737 MAXs after finding debris in the fuel tanks of multiple aircraft, reports Aviation Week. Factory-floor precautions are being added. The debris was found during routine maintenance linked with keeping its stored aircraft as close to flight-ready as possible.
StateSec Michael Pompeo warns Iran must be held accountable for Baghdad attacks, reports Bloomberg, referring to several rockets landing inside the US Embassy in Bagdad on Feb. 16.
After President Donald Trump’s impeachment, lawmakers stress unity on Ukraine military aid, reports Defense News. Key US lawmakers are gung-ho to send weapons and equipment to Ukraine to deter Russia.
The Air Force has what it needs to rebuild bases struck by natural disasters in the past two years, and didn’t need to ask for more in FY21, reports Air Force Magazine. Congress allocated $5.3 billion for disaster relief in fiscal 2019 and 2020.
US military did not properly store or account for nearly $715 million in weapons for Syrian partners fighting ISIS, reports Military Times.
The shift to digital census raises fear of an Iowa-like breakdown, reports Federal Times. The US Census Bureau plans to try out a lot of new technology — including encouraging most people to answer questions via the internet. There are concerns about whether the new systems are ready for prime time.
Acting NavSec Thomas Modly aims to carve $40B in savings out of the Navy’s budget, at $8B a year, reports USNI News. The savings found in a stem-to-stern review will be reinvested in growing the fleet, accelerating digital modernization, and “advancing our intellectual capacity and ethical excellence,” reads Modly’s memo announcing the review.
The godfather of Navy and Marine Corps Aviation gets a salute in Navy Times, in appreciation of the debt every US naval aviator owes to VADM Frederick M. Trapnell, memorialized by the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
Nine defendants in an international fraud ring that posed as a single Navy officer — the nonexistent Daniel Drunz — are slated to be sentenced for a $7.7 million scheme to rip off computers, Apple iPhones, tablets, and large-screen TVs from a trio of companies between 2015 and 2017. Federal prosecutors seek five years behind bars for Saul Eady, the first of the nine defendants slated for sentencing. There was no Daniel Drunz. He was an electronic ghost attached to a “navy-mil.us” domain name acquired from Yahoo in 2015, according to Eady’s criminal complaint.
How to eat to live to 100. CNN provides a video, from an area in Italy where diet, weather, and exercise are cited as reasons for healthy longevity.
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Feb. 18, 2020
Contracts:
Bristol Engineering Services Co. LLC, Anchorage, Alaska (N39430-20-D-2221); Dawson Enterprises LLC, Honolulu, Hawaii (N39430-20-D-2222); GSI-Pond JV LLC, Flemington, New Jersey (N39430-20-D-2223); Reliable Contracting Group LLC, Louisville, Kentucky (N39430-20-D-2224); Aptim Federal Services LLC, Alexandria, Virginia (N39430-20-D-2225); CAPE-Burns and McDonnell JV, Kansas City, Missouri (N39430-20-D-2226); Weston Solutions Inc., West Chester, Pennsylvania (N39430-20-D-2227); and Wood Environment and Infrastructure Solutions Inc., Blue Bell, Pennsylvania (N39430-20-D-2228), are each being awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award construction contract to provide sustainment, restoration and modernization services for petroleum, oil and lubricant (POL) systems at various locations worldwide. The work to be performed provides for design, engineering, inspection, testing, maintenance and repair and new construction of POL fuel systems such as pipelines, fuel storage tanks, and associated facilities at POL facilities worldwide. The maximum dollar value of the 60-month ordering period for all eight contracts combined is $880,000,000. Aptim Federal Services LLC is being awarded the seed task order in the amount of $623,600 for clean, inspect and repair services of POL fuel storage tanks located at Naval Base Point Loma. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by November 2020. All work on this contract will be performed worldwide. Based on current trends, work will be distributed to the continental U.S. (CONUS) (35%); Far East (35%); Hawaii (15%); Europe (10%); and Marianas (5%). For the CONUS locations, the 35% is estimated to be distributed to California (10.5%); Virginia (10.5%); Florida (5.25%); Washington (5.25%); Texas (1.75%); Georgia (0.35%); Louisiana (0.35%); Maryland (0.35%); Nevada (0.35%); and North Carolina (0.35%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of February 2025. Fiscal 2020 defense working capital funds (DWCF) in the amount of $693,600 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by DWCF. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with 18 proposals received. These eight contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering and Expeditionary Warfare Center, Port Hueneme, California, is the contracting activity.
Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $470,813,279 firm-fixed price modification (P00084) to a previously-awarded fixed-price incentive-firm contract (N00019-14-C-0050). This modification exercises options to procure six low rate initial production lot II VH-92A aircraft, interim contractor support and six cabin interior reconfiguration kits in support of the Presidential Helicopter Replacement Program. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (50%); Coatesville, Pennsylvania (36%); Owego, New York (10%); Patuxent River, Maryland (3%); and Quantico, Virginia (1%), and is expected to be completed in December 2022. Fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $470,813,279 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
JAB Innovative Solutions LLC, Bristow, Virginia, has been awarded an $8,849,120 firm-fixed-price and time and material contract for Defense Innovative Unit (DIU) scientific and technical consulting support services. DIU requires program management consulting services, with experience in scientific and technical industries, to assist with meeting the DIU core mission as the interface node between the Department of Defense (DoD), entrepreneurs, start-up firms, and commercial technology companies in Silicon Valley, California; Boston, Massachusetts; and Arlington, Virginia, to increase DoD access to leading edge commercial technologies and technical talent. Work performance will take place in Arlington, Virginia; Boston, Massachusetts; and Silicon Valley, California. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $8,849,120 are being awarded. The expected completion date is Sept. 18, 2021. Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (HQ0034-18-F-0434).
