US Top Ransomware Target Worldwide

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 the top target of ransomware attacks, reports FCW, making up 46% of the more than 5,000 incidents analyzed in NordLocker’s report published this week. The report found the majority of ransomware attacks target industries that play a “critical role” in domestic and international supply chains, from manufacturing and construction to information technology, healthcare, and the public sector.

The Pentagon releases its report detailing civilian casualties in 2021, reports Military Times. The report details 12 total deaths from US forces in “a declared theater of active armed conflict,” which the report defines as Afghanistan, Iraq, Somalia, and Syria. All of the deaths occurred in Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. The DoD’s first annual report on civilian casualties was completed after the department came under increased pressure to better mitigate the harm of US operations and assess their aftermath.

GI Bill updates for 2023 include new rates and new maximums, reports Military Times. The updates include up to 36 months of benefits including tuition and fees, housing, and books and supplies for the service member or to a qualified veterans’ family member.

Spiral galaxy captured in ‘unprecedented detail’ by Webb telescope, reports CNN. A dazzling spiral galaxy located 29 million light-years from Earth appears in “unprecedented detail” in a new image released by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The “bones” of the galaxy, shown on the telescope’s Twitter account, stretches about 66,000 light-years wide, about one-third the size of our home galaxy, the Milky Way.

Carrier USS Nimitz is still sidelined over fresh water contamination. USNI News reports the ship has been connected to the city of San Diego’s water supply since Sept. 17 and continues to provide fresh water to the crew. The Nimitz‘s scheduled departure from NAS North Island has been postponed for further testing and evaluation of its potable water system.

 

 

Despite a nearly two-week sit-in by veterans outside the Capitol building, Military.com reports, the Afghan Adjustment Act is not included in the continuing resolution (CR) the Senate has passed to keep government open.  The Afghan Adjustment Act would provide a streamlined way for Afghans who were evacuated after the fall of Kabul last year to become legal permanent residents.

The US Senate reached a deal to avoid a government shutdown on Tuesday and by a 72-23 margin took the first in a series of votes to advance the continuing resolution, reports GovExec,com. The deal was finalized by dropping a measure to speed up permitting for some major energy projects.

Ships and aircraft left Naval Station Mayport ahead of Hurricane Ian’s Florida landfall, reports USNI News. Littoral Combat Ship USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul (LCS-21) was the first ship to leave Mayport on Tuesday, followed by three other ships, helicopters, and fixed-wing aircraft sortied from Mayport ahead of the hurricane’s landfall. The six remaining ships will be “heavy weather” moored and aircraft not departing will remain hangered between NAS Jacksonville and Naval Station Mayport.

The Navy awarded a $38.8 million contract last week to repair storm damage to NAS Pensacola wreaked by Hurricane Sally on Sept. 16, 2020. The contract calls for replacing 13 damaged substations, repairing or replacing existing power poles supporting the overhead power distribution system, replacing manholes, replacing hand holes, replacing underground circuits, abandoning and replacing an existing 5kV direct-buried cable, replacing portions of overhead power with underground circuits, and providing a new reinforced concrete duct back between two substations.

BBC reports that the EU has determined sabotage caused the leaks in two major gas pipelines from Russia to Europe. The EU stopped short of accusing Russia, but Ukraine has accused Russia of damaging the two Nord Stream lines in a “terrorist attack.” Nord Stream 1 stretches 745 miles under the Baltic Sea from the Russian coast near St Petersburg to north-eastern Germany. Its twin pipeline, Nord Stream 2, was halted after Russian invaded Ukraine.

Russia’s ‘partial mobilization’ of civilians is not going well, reports Task and Purpose. The invasion of Ukraine has not gone nearly as quickly as Russian President Vladimir Putin believed it would when he launched it in February. The Russian military has been plagued with logistics issues and ran up against fierce opposition from everyday Ukrainians that Putin doesn’t appear to have anticipated. Morale among Russian troops dwindled just weeks into the invasion, as soldiers claimed they were lied to by their commanders about what they would face. And earlier this month, Ukrainian forces pushed into and recaptured northeast territory seized by Russia, forcing Russian forces to retreat.

Over 194,000 Russians flee call-up to neighboring countries, reports UPI. The mass exodus of men began Sept. 21, shortly after Putin announced the conscription in an address to his nation, and continues as airline tickets were snapped up and cars gassed up to join long lines snaking on roads toward the borders.

Iranian drones, a new threat to Ukraine, pose a “huge problem,” reports Military Times. The Ukrainian Air Force identified them as Shahed-136 kamikaze drones and Mohajer-6 drones that carry munitions and can also be used for reconnaissance. Russia has imported them from Iran deployed increasing numbers across Ukraine, hitting combat positions, smashing tanks and armored vehicles, and striking civilian infrastructure, including in the port city of Odesa. In his nightly address on Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his country’s anti-aircraft forces had shot down more than a dozen drones in the eastern Dnipropetrovsk region and Odesa.

The US Air Force green-lights waivers for THC-positive applicants, reports Air Force Times. The temporary policy change marks an attempt to rethink an aspect of the Air Force’s stringent ban on marijuana use as the service struggles to meet its recruiting goals. “Previously, a positive THC result on the initial test would have led to a permanent bar from entry into the [Air Force or Space Force],” Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said. “The pilot program offers some prospective applicants an opportunity to retest after 90 days if they are granted a waiver.”

The US Navy and Marine Corps test new naval integration concepts in 7th Fleet, reports Navy Times. Staff from the Navy’s Expeditionary Strike Group 7 and the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade will make up Task Force 76/3 which will experiment with new maritime concepts and technologies ahead of a campaign to understand what future naval operations in the Pacific ought to look like.

Contracts:

Progeny Systems Corp., Manassas, Virginia, is awarded an $8,720,791 cost-plus-fixed-fee, level of effort and cost contract (N65236-22-C-8019) for Submarine Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Combat, and Intelligence (C5I) Engineering, Testing and Engineering Tools Development. The contract is a Phase III Small Business Innovation Research award. The contract includes a base period of one year with four one-year option periods. The option periods, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $47,611,296. Fiscal 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2019 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,050,000 will be obligated at time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (76%), Groton, Connecticut (14%), and Washington, District of Columbia (10%). Work is expected to be completed by September 2023. If options are exercised, work could continue until September 2027. This contract was procured using other than full and open competition in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(5) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5 — authorized or required by statute. Naval Information Warfare Center, Atlantic, Charleston, South Carolina is the contracting activity.

The SURVICE Engineering Co.,* Belcamp, Maryland, is awarded an $11,006,520 cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract. This contract provides research, development, test and evaluation analysis in the areas of air weapons systems survivability, lethality, test and analysis support, Modeling and Simulation (M&S); and M&S verification, validation, and accreditation in support of the U.S Department of Defense. Work will be performed in Belcamp, Maryland and is expected to be completed in September 2027. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured as a small business set-aside; one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, California, is the contracting activity (N6893622D0030).

Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin Co., Stratford, Connecticut, is awarded a $17,252,050 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001922F2439) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001919G0029). This order provides non-recurring engineering in support of incorporating a one-second or less Engine Fuel Firewall Shutoff Valve into the CH-53K aircraft. Work will be performed in Stratford, Connecticut (60%); Hampshire, England (30%); and Patuxent River, Maryland (10%), and is expected to be completed in April 2027. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $17,252,050 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.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Linthicum, Maryland, is awarded a $30,700,027 firm-fixed-price contract. This contract provides for the production, delivery, and installation of Airborne Electronic Attack Weapons Replacement Assemblies (WRA) 7s and 8s to include: 24 WRA-7 B-Kits, 24 WRA-8 B-Kits, 24 WRA-7 B-Kit Spares and 24 WRA-8 B-Kit Spares, as well as associated engineering, technical, and data support in support of EA-18G aircraft upgrades. Work will be performed in Linthicum, Maryland (92%) and Bethpage, New York (8%), and is expected to be completed in October 2025. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,350,013 and fiscal 2021 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $15,350,013 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N0001922C0051).

Amentum Services Inc., Germantown, Maryland, was awarded a $13,416,136 hybrid (firm-fixed-price and labor-hours) contract to provide contractor support to management and the supporting workforce for Corpus Christi Army Depot Aircraft and Aircraft Component Production. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Corpus Christi, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 30, 2025. Fiscal 2022 Army working capital funds in the amount of $13,416,136 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W912NW-22-F-0087). 

Outside The Box LLC,* Richmond, Virginia, was awarded a $17,736,897 firm-fixed-price contract to convert a building into an information processing center. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with an estimated completion date of March 19, 2024. Fiscal 2022 operation and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $17,736,897 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Savannah, Georgia, is the contracting activity (W912HN-22-C-4008). 

Blue Ridge Envisioneering, Inc.,* Chantilly, Virginia, was awarded a $7,584,864 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Radio Frequency Algorithms For Future Insertion of Electronic Intelligence (RAFIEL). This contract provides for research on high value-added signal processing algorithms, frameworks, and systems as they apply to electronic intelligence and related signal processing of interest to Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and other affiliated Air Force entities, such as audio and multi-intelligence processing, to enable the detection and prosecution of new and emerging signals, and to explore revolutionary new approaches to solving today’s most challenging signal processing problems that are enabled by revolutionary computing capabilities. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Sep. 28, 2026. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $100,000 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Rome, New York, is the contracting activity (FA8750-22-C-1520). 

Raytheon Technologies Corp., Pratt and Whitney Military Engines, East Hartford, Connecticut, is awarded a not-to-exceed $277,919,144 modification (P00007) to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee, fixed-price-incentive-firm-target undefinitized contract (N0001920C0011). This modification adds scope for the production and delivery of F-35 spares, to include four Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing spare engines for the U.S. Marine Corps and 20 power modules for the U.S. Air Force. Work will be performed in East Hartford, Connecticut (17%); Indianapolis, Indiana (10%); Middletown, Connecticut (8%); Kent, Washington (7%); North Berwick, Maine (4%); El Cajon, California (3%); Cromwell, Connecticut (3%); Whitehall, Michigan (3%); Portland, Oregon (2%); San Diego, California (2%); South Bend, Indiana (2%); Columbus, Georgia (1%); Hampton, Virginia (1%); Manchester, Connecticut (1%); Cheshire, Connecticut (1%); Elmwood Park, New Jersey (1%); various locations within the Continental United States (27%), and various locations outside the Continental United States (7%), and is expected to be completed in October 2025. Fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Air Force) funds in the amount of $171,681,855 and fiscal 2022 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $106,237,289 will be obligated at 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.

Delphinus Engineering Inc.,* Eddy Stone, Pennsylvania, (N4215822D0001); Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc.,* Portsmouth, Virginia, (N4215822D0002); and QED Systems Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (N4215822D0003) are awarded a $70,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of services required to perform a broad range of repairs and alterations, preservation, troubleshooting, maintenance, installation, and removal of hull, mechanical, and electrical equipment and systems aboard U.S. Navy vessels, including submarines. Delphinus Engineering, Inc. is awarded $15,000,000, and if all options are exercised the total value will be $70,000,000. Epsilon Systems Solutions Inc. is awarded $15,000,000, and if all options are exercised the total value will be $70,000,000. QED Systems Inc. is awarded $15,000,000, and if all options are exercised the total value will be $70,000,000. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Virginia (60%); Norfolk, Virginia (20%); Virginia Beach, Virginia (10%); Charleston, South Carolina (5%), and Kings Bay, Georgia (5%). Work will be completed by September 2023, and if all options are exercised, work will continue until September 2027. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,000 will be obligated for the minimum guarantee and will be equally divided among the three contractors, and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the System for Award Management website, with eleven offers received. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Grunley Construction Co., Inc.,,* Rockville, Maryland, is awarded a $21,734,000 firm-fixed-price contract for construction of the Joint Air Defense Operation Center, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, District of Columbia. The work to be performed provides for construction services to complete the Joint Air Defense Operations Center permanent facility. The contract also contains two unexercised options, which if exercised, would increase the cumulative contract value to $22,874,309. Work will be performed in Washington, District of Columbia, and is expected to be completed by October 2023. Fiscal 2018 military construction (Air Force) and fiscal 2022 military construction (Air Force) funds in the amount of $21,734,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment with five proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity (N40080-22-C-0019).

Argon ST Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $21,002,706 undefinitized contract action, ceiling-priced delivery order (N00383-22-F-ST00) under a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00383-22-D-ST01) for the procurement of nine amplifier chassis for the support of operations of the MQ-4C Triton with the first deployment of IFC 4-configured unmanned aircraft system. All work will be performed in Fairfax, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by March 2025. Aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the full amount of $21,002,706 will be obligated at the time of award, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One company was solicited for this sole-source requirement under authority 10 U.S.C. 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity.

Tyto Government Solutions, LLC of Herndon, Virginia, was awarded a $12,782,205 modification to previously awarded standard, firm fixed price contract (N66001-17-C-0295) for continued delivery and sustainment of cloud based enterprise 911 Routing and Management Services (911-RMS). This modification increases the estimated value of the contract from $38,470,590 to $51,252,795. The enterprise system is currently deployed at most Navy bases within Command Navy Region Southeast, Command Navy Region Southwest, Command Navy Region Northwest, Command Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, Naval District Washington, Command Joint Region Marianas Guam, and Command Navy Region Hawaii. The current period of performance end date is August 2022. The period of performance for this modification is from September 2022 to February 2024. Funds will be obligated at the time of award. The effort will be funded using operations and maintenance (Navy) funding. The Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific is the contracting activity. Awarded on August 31, 2022.

American Rheinmetall Munitions, Inc., Stafford, Virginia, is awarded a $12,000,000 firm-fixed price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the MK 24 Mod 0 6-Bang Diversionary Hand Grenade. Work will be performed in Trittau, Germany (92%); Stafford, Virginia (8%), and is expected to be completed by September 2027. Fiscal 2021 defense procurement $11,428 funding will be obligated at the time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) — only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contract activity (N0016422DJR80).

The Boeing Co., Huntington Beach, California, is awarded an $11,595,326 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-6307) to exercise options for engineering support services in support of the Extra Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) program. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach, California (55%), East Greenwich, Rhode Island (15%), Herndon, Virginia (15%), Cockeysville, Maryland (10%), and Joplin, Missouri (5%), and is expected to be completed by September 2023. Fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) in the amount of $1,507,957 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, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity.

Apex-Petroleum, Corp.,* Largo, Maryland, (SPE605-22-D-4010, $164,648,923); Colonial Oil Industries, Inc., Savannah, Georgia, (SPE605-22-D-4009, $84,215,696); BRZ Investment & Consulting, LLC,* Boynton Beach, Florida, (SPE605-22-D-4008, $43,511,410); World Fuel Services, Inc., Miami, Florida, (SPE605-22-D-4007, $43,252,826); Petroleum Traders, Corp.,* Fort Wayne, Indiana, (SPE605-22-D-4006, $41,456,701); 21 Energy, Corp., Miami, Florida, (SPE605-22-D-4005, $18,491,258); Benchmark Biodiesel, Inc.,* Columbus, Ohio, (SPE605-22-D-4003, $15,308,117); Mansfield Oil Co. of Gainesville, Inc., Gainesville, Georgia, (SPE605-22-D-4002, $11,513,212); Fannon Petroleum Services, Inc.,* Gainesville, Virginia, (SPE605-22-D-4011, $9,068,586); Stonewin, LLC,* New York, New York, (SPE605-22-D-4012, $7,929,821) have each been awarded a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract under solicitation SPE605-22-R-0203 for various types of fuel. This was a competitive acquisition with 31 responses received. These are four-year 11-month base contracts with one six-month option period. Locations of performance are Washington, D.C., Delaware, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia, with an Aug. 31, 2027, performance completion date. Using customers are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force National Guard, Army National Guard, Defense Logistics Agency, Defense Department and federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2022 through 2027 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Energy, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

Forest Products Distributors, Inc.,* Rapid City, South Dakota, (SPE8E6-22-D-0041); S&S Forest Products, LLC,* Boerne, Texas, (SPE8E6-22-D-0042); Sylvan Forest Products, Inc.,* Portland, Oregon, (SPE8E6-22-D-0043) and Middle Atlantic Wholesale Lumber, Inc.,* Baltimore, Maryland, (SPE8E6-22-D-0044); are sharing a maximum $43,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract under solicitation SPE8E6-21-R-0002 for all items under the classification of lumber, millwork and plywood. This was a competitive acquisition with seven responses received. These are two-year base contracts with three one-year option periods. The performance completion date is Sept. 27, 2024. Using customers are Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force and Coast Guard. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2022 through 2024 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Niksoft Systems Corporation, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $12,533,388 six-month extension to modify contract HT001121C0022 IAW FAR 52.217-8 Option to Extend Services to continue required system/component technical debt analyses to be conducted in support of the Defense Health Agency SDD Systems Engineering Plan. The analyses shall continue to be specific to the assessment areas of data architecture/modeling, business process analysis, solutions architecture, total systems ownership costs analysis, OpenText engineering/architecture, e-signature engineering/architecture, application interface program engineering, Software Applications & Products in Data Processing (SAP) Business Objects universe design, database technology alignment, extract/transfer/load engineering, DevOps engineering, microservices engineering, internet cloud provider engineering/architecture, and cybersecurity architecture. The period of performance of the extension will be Sept. 30, 2022 to March 31, 2023. The place of performance is Falls Church, Virginia. This modification is funded with fiscal year 2022 operation and maintenance funds. The Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity.