VX-1: Squadron That ‘Does It First’

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.

Because of Air Test and Evaluation Squadron’s unique position between development of new weapon systems and their  introduction into the Fleet, VX-1 is the squadron that “does it first,” The Tester reports. VX-1’s mission is to conduct tests, evaluations, and investigations of aircraft systems, weapons systems, airborne strategic weapons systems, support systems, equipment, and materials in an operational environment.

Despite pressure in Washington, the Obama administration is wary of publicly accusing Russia of meddling in the US presidential election,  for fear of fanning public concerns over the security of the election and igniting a cycle of tit-for-tat cyberattacks, US officials told BuzzFeed News.

Shortly after a Russian fighter passed within 10 feet of a US P-8A Poseidon aircraft over the Black Sea, the patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church is praying for peace between the old Cold War adversaries, Christian Examiner reports.

A new normal? US planes above the Black Sea should come as no surprise to Moscow, say DoD officials, the latest incidents should be regarded as a “norm,” reports Pravdareport.com. It’s no exception that the US and Russia clash from time to time in various parts of the world, where their interests intersect, Vincent Stewart, head of the US Defense Intelligence Agency, said.

Sputnik International reports that the US has been increasingly active in the Black Sea, sending surveillance planes close to Russia’s borders, attempting to spy on Crimea’s newest military equipment and defense capabilities in action.

Betty Sapp, director of the National Reconnaissance Office, spy satellite maker and operator, says  one of NRO’s major satellite programs is at risk of not meeting its cost and schedule requirements, Breaking Defense reports from the Intelligence and National Security Summit. This particular program is rated “yellow,” Sapp said, which generally means it is at moderate risk of breaching cost and schedule baselines.

Center for a New American Security CEO Michele Flournoy believes the next president of the US should act quickly to undo sequestration and create a defense budget that allows for smart long-term planning and investment, USNI reports. Flournoy is a former under secretary of defense for policy, who is rumored to be a top choice for defense secretary if Hillary Clinton wins the presidential election in November.

The number of military and overseas voters who have downloaded voting forms from DoD’s voting assistance website has decreased by 18 percent compared to the 2012 presidential election, Military Times reports. DoD officials are not sure what to make of it.

The Navy gave a first look inside the Zumwalt destroyer last week during the ship’s first port stop in Rhode Island naval station. Click here to see the video. The 610-foot-long warship cost more than $4.4 billion. It’s the most expensive destroyer built for the Navy, MSN reports.

A variety of efforts are under way to improve the US foreign military sales program and speed the often cumbersome process, IHS Jane’s 360 reports, and US officials say the system is improving and demand remains high.

Keep on truckin’. United Launch Alliance is planning to convert second-stage launch rockets into reusable space trucks that can maneuver around the solar system under their own power, Motley Fool reports.

The issue of technology transfer is likely to be the sticking point, Defense News reports, on whether the US government sanctions the potential move of Lockheed Martin’s F-16 production line to India, the US Air Force’s top civilian said Wednesday.

Contracts:

Wyle Laboratories Inc., Huntsville, Alabama, is being awarded a $16,324,071 modification to a previously awarded, cost-plus-fixed-fee, performance-based services contract (N00421-13-C-0032) to exercise an option for certified and qualified operational contractor support services aircrew to augment naval test wing squadrons. Fiscal 2017 working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $9,575,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the fiscal year. Work will be performed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland (94 percent); NAS Point Mugu, California (5 percent); and NAS China Lake, California (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in September 2018. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.