Water Shortages Threaten 102 Bases
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102 military bases are at risk for water shortages, Military Times reports, some facilities already approach or exceed water supplies. Even areas where water is considered abundant may face shortages. Leadership at Fort Bragg, NC, is concerned with pollution and population growth impacts upon their water quality and quantity. This adds to DoD findings earlier this year identifying current flooding, drought, and wildfire threats to more than two-thirds of 79 operationally critical installations.
The US announced Monday it may slap punitive duties of up to 100% on $2.4 billion in imports of French Champagne, handbags, cheese, and other products. CNBC reports the US concluded France’s new digital services tax would harm US tech companies. The US may open similar investigations into the digital services taxes of Austria, Italy, and Turkey.
President Donald Trump began this week’s NATO summit targeting the French president’s “brain death” comment, reports The New York Times. President Emmanuel Macron had said Europe could no longer assume support from the US whose disinterest resulted in the “brain death” of NATO. Mr. Trump said of the alliance, “I think nobody needs it more than France and that’s why I think when France makes a statement like they made about NATO, that’s a very dangerous statement for them to make.”
“I Don’t Trust Anyone at All.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky speaks out on Trump, Putin, and a divided Europe, reports Time.
General Dynamics is awarded the sole-source $732 million contract to sustain the ground system for the Navy’s narrowband satellite communication systems over the next decade, reports C4ISR.net.
Defense One reports on a Pentagon studying finding small companies are struggling to meet the DoD network security rules, and even larger contractors aren’t doing as well as they think they are.
Defense News opines NavSec Richard Spencer’s firing is the latest in a string of disasters for US Navy leadership, including a slew of admirals and senior captains reprimanded, fired, or had their careers cut short for everything from ethics violations to poor performance on their watch.
CNO ADM Mike Gilday releases an ethical guidance message to the fleet, reports USNI. It reads, in part, “To be clear, we must be men and women of integrity. We must be honorable. We must be standard-bearers. We must be above reproach. And we must not give anyone cause to question our fundamental values. That is what sets us apart as a fighting force. I’m counting on each of you to set a strong personal example of responsible behavior, both on and off duty.”
Alion Science and Technology has opened a facility in Maryland to offer technology platforms and support services to Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River, reports GovConWire.Com. Alion has just added a 20,000-square-foot integration facility at the Aviation Technology Park at St. Mary’s County Regional Airport.
Families at MacDill AFB file suit against their privatized housing landlords, reports Military Times. The five military families in the lawsuit allege negligence in failure to address moisture, mold, and other problems.
The Army, Air Force, and Navy may be only three years away from a 300-kilowatt laser weapon, one powerful enough to shoot down cruise missiles, reports Breaking Defense, that uses the same basic technology as the checkout counter at a supermarket.
The US and partners continue to work on urban combat robots to be controlled with hand gestures, reports Army Times, tackling the troop challenges in the multi-dimensional nightmare that is urban combat.
USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: Dec. 2, 2019
The Senate confirms Dan Brouillette as energy secretary in a 70-15 vote, reports UPI.
Daine Van de Wall is the only West Point cadet to be named a Rhodes Scholar this year, reports Military.com. The son of immigrants from the Netherlands and “First Captain” of the Corps of Cadets, Van de Wall was chosen for a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship to study at the University of Oxford.
Trump administration releases $105M for Lebanon military. Despite congressional, Pentagon, State Department, and NSC approval in September, the money had not yet been released, reports Marine Corp Times. The aid is intended to help counter Iran’s influence in Lebanon. Some pro-Israel members of Congress have sought to de-fund the Lebanese military, arguing it has been compromised by Hezbollah. The Pentagon and State Department reject that view, saying the Army is the only independent Lebanese institution capable of resisting Hezbollah.
The Navy signed its largest shipbuilding contract ever, awarding a $22.2 billion contract to General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding for nine Virginia-class Block V attack submarines. The contract covers nine boats with an option for a 10th. All would include the acoustic superiority upgrades, and all but the first boat – SSN-802, which is already under construction – would include the Virginia Payload Module that adds the 28 missile tubes. If the option for the 10th sub were exercised, the total contract value would come to more than $24 billion, reports USNI.
Contracts:
Oakland Consulting Group Inc., Lanham, Maryland, was awarded a $16,617,465 modification (BA02 31) to contract W91QUZ-11-D-0018 to develop and deliver critical auditability and compliance requirements for the Logistics Modernization Program. Work will be performed at Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2020. Fiscal 2020 other procurement, Army funds in the amount of $7,898,333 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded an $11,544,415 cost-plus-fixed-fee level of effort delivery order to previously awarded contract N00024-19-D-4306 to accomplish 12 months of execution planning for the repair and alteration requirements for USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78 – aircraft carrier/nuclear propulsion) planned incremental availability. The contracted requirements include the advance planning, design, documentation, engineering, procurement, ship checks, fabrication and preliminary shipyard or support facility work. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by September 2020. Fiscal 2020 operation and maintenance (Navy) funding for $1,000,000 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, US Navy, Newport News, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Chenega Infinity LLC, Chantilly, Virginia, has been awarded an $8,620,544 modification (P00005) to previously awarded contract HR0011-18-C-0151 for physical security support services. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $16,869,621 from $8,249,076. Work will be performed in Arlington, Virginia, with an expected completion date of December 2020. Fiscal 2019 research and development funds in the amount of $6,735,856 are being obligated at time of award. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Arlington, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
