VADM: F-35 Program Could Be Hurt If Plan With Turkey Is Nixed

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.

F-35 program manager VADM Mathias Winter tells Capitol Hill lawmakers that if Turkey is ejected from the F-35 program, it would deal an immediate blow to the production rate for new planes and place fresh stress on an already strained supply chain, reports Breaking Defense.

NAWCAD Lakehurst has adapted weapons loaders for the F-35B, reports dcmilitary.com. The modified support equipment gives the Lightning II more capability that allows the plane to engage moving ground targets.

Acting DefSec Patrick Shanahan has appointed a four-star officer to take another look at the military’s investigation into the 2017 attack in Niger that killed four US soldiers, reports Army Times, and review whether additional punishments should be meted out.

The Pentagon estimates the number of US troops in Iraq who were killed by Iranian-backed militias to be 603, reports Military Times. That means roughly one in six American combat fatalities in Iraq were attributable to Iran.

India’s claim that one of its fighter pilots shot down a Pakistani F-16 fighter jet in an aerial battle in February appears to be wrong, reports Foreign Policy. US defense officials say a recent count of Islamabad’s F-16s found that none of the planes are missing.

Gen. Stephen Townsend, the next commander of the US military’s Africa Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Chinese military equipment being acquired by African countries is not of a high quality, reports IHS Jane’s 360.

The Philippine government has called the presence of Chinese vessels near islands occupied by the Philippines in the South China Sea illegal and vowed to take appropriate action, reports Navy Times. More than 200 Chinese vessels have been monitored in that area between January and March of this year. China and the Philippines, along with Vietnam, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Brunei, have been disputing ownership of the strategic waters for decades, according to Navy Times.

Rocket Lab, a startup that aims to put satellites into low Earth orbit inexpensively, has a new customer, reports Defense One. The US Air Force will launch three experimental satellites aboard one of Rocket Lab’s rockets in April in New Zealand.

Great Britain’s defense department saw a demonstration of a jet pack-equipped super suit, similar to exoskelton concepts like Russia’s Ratnik “soldier of the future” combat outfit, reports Military Times. A private tech company, Gravity, unveiled the suit capable of sending its occupant up to 10,000 feet into the air.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will leave the Trump administration, The Washington Post reports, marking the exit of a second top immigration official in a matter of days. Kevin McAleenan, the current commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, will replace her. USA Today reports President Trump withdrew the nomination of Ronald Vitiello to head Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Friday.

Michael E. Busch, the longest-serving House of Delegates speaker in Maryland history, died Sunday after a short bout with pneumonia, reports The Baltimore Sun. He was 72.

Contracts:

Creative IT Solutions LLC, Fort Cobb, Oklahoma, has been awarded a maximum $21,162,394 firm-fixed-price contract for information technology operations and maintenance support services. This is a one-year base contract with one one-year option period. Locations of performance are Oklahoma and Virginia, with an April 30, 2021, performance completion date. Using customer is Defense Contract Audit Agency. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Contracting Services Office, Richmond, Virginia (SP4703-19-C-0004).

Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, is issued a contract modification (HDTRA1-16-C-0012-P00025) to exercise Option Period Three line items with a ceiling value of $37,465,415, with an effective date of May 27, 2019. This does not include the value of the unexercised options. This contract is for advisory and assistance services in support of the Program Integration division of the Cooperative Threat Reduction Program. Performance of this contract will take place at Lorton, Virginia; Fort Belvoir, Virginia; and at various locations throughout the world. The anticipated completion date of this option period is May 26, 2020; this contract includes one additional remaining 12 month option period that will end on May 26, 2021 if exercised. The contract was a competitive acquisition; the government received one offer. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 29, 2019)

Science Applications International Corp., Reston, Virginia, is awarded an $18,999,989 cost-plus–fixed-fee contract for the Armed Reconnaissance Vehicle At the Edge. This contract contains options, which if exercised, will bring the total cumulative value of this contract to $20,499,989. Work will be performed at the contractor’s facility in Reston, Virginia, and is expected to be completed March 31, 2021. If all options are exercised, work will continue through April 2, 2023. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,083,000 will be obligated at time of award. Funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-18-S-B002 (specific broad agency agreement). The Office of Naval Research, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N00014-19-C-2047).

Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded an $18,940,106 cost-plus-fixed-fee level-of-effort modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-15-C-4301 for the execution of maintenance, repair, fleet-funded alterations, testing and routine work that includes growth work on USS Columbus (SSN 762) during its scheduled fiscal 2017 engineered overhaul. This modification is for the continuance of execution and growth work arising from the availability work package and additional required work discovered during the inspection of shipboard components. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by August 2019. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funding in the amount of $18,940,106 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Newport News, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded $9,652,918 for modification P00002 to a firm-fixed-price delivery order (N0001918F2234) previously issued against basic ordering agreement N00019-15-G-0026. This modification exercises an option for five aerial refueling retrofit kits for the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. Work will be performed in St. Augustine, Florida (34.70 percent); Ronkonkoma, New York (28.86 percent); Melbourne, Florida (5.50 percent); Dorset, England (3.11 percent); Irvine, California (2.99 percent); Columbia, Maryland (1.93 percent); North Hollywood, California (1.48 percent); East Aurora, New York (1.19 percent); and various locations within the continental US (20.24 percent). Work is expected to be completed in March 2020. Fiscal 2019 aircraft procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $9,652,918 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.

VSE Corp., Ladysmith, Virginia, is awarded an $8,147,908 modification for the firm-fixed price portion of a previously awarded contract (N00178-04-D-4149-MU62). This modification is to exercise Option Year Four to continue services assisting fleet units with operations and maintenance support and limited field modification installations for sustainment of the Assault Amphibious Vehicle Fleet. Work will be performed in Ladysmith, Virginia, and is expected to be complete by April 2020. Fiscal 2019 procurement (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $2,384,984; and fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $2,082,924 will be obligated at the time of award and funds will not expire the end of the current fiscal year. The base contract was previously competed under the Seaport Multiple Award Contract vehicle in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 15.101-2 – Lowest Price Technically Acceptable, and modification was prepared in accordance with Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement 252.232-7007 – Limitation of Government’s Obligation, with one offer received. The Marine Corps Systems Command, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

Ashford Leebcor Enterprises II LLC, Williamsburg, Virginia, was awarded a $16,354,763 firm-fixed-price contract for storm sewer rehabilitation, temporary facilities, site preparations, concrete sidewalk restoration, borrow placement, landscaping, plugging, and survey. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work will be performed in Richmond, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Oct. 4, 2021. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $16,354,763 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91236-19-C-0010).

Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia, has been awarded a $19,372,258 ceiling cost-reimbursement contract for system integration and field testing. This contract provides for the advancement of the state-of-the-art of laser weapon system technology through research and development of laser weapon systems and evaluate performance in relevant operational environments. Work will be performed at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is expected to be complete by April 2022. This award is the result of a competitive acquisition and one offer was received. Fiscal 2019 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $500,000 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Research Laboratory, Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, is the contracting activity (FA9451-19-C-0007).

Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., McLean, Virginia, is awarded $13,205,748 for firm-fixed-price indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity task order modification P00010 under previously awarded contract N00189-15-D-0043 to exercise the fourth option year of the contract pursuant to contract clause Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.217-9, option to extend the terms of the contract for enterprise management and technical support services to the Navy Information Force’s Shore Modernization and Integration Directorate in the areas of enterprise architecture and operational transition planning; shore network and communications modernization; information technology service management process standardization; cyber security; and information technology portfolio management support. The exercise of this option will bring the estimated cumulative value of the total contract value to $66,000,000. Work will be performed in Suffolk, Virginia (88 percent); San Diego, California (11 percent); and Charleston, South Carolina (1 percent). Work is expected to be completed by August 2020. Fiscal 2019 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds will be obligated as individual task orders are issued and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with the solicitation posted to the Federal Business Opportunities website, with two offers received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Norfolk, Contracting Department Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity.

CORRECTION: A $71,528,710 contract announced on March 28, 2019, for Hensel Phelps Construction Co., Tysons Corner, Virginia, incorrectly identified the amount of the award. The correct amount of the award is $650,518,000. All other information in the announcement is correct.