What Will Navy’s New Force Structure Plan Look Like?

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.

Teams led by the US Navy’s chief of naval operations and the US Marine Corps’ commandant have been studying the services’ fleet size, in relation to “fast-emerging man-unmanned teaming integration,” reports Fox News. Would a high number of warships be enough or could fewer high-tech ships controlling unmanned systems have an equivalent or even superior impact, asks The National Interest.

Chief of Naval Operations ADM Michael Gilday said his staff is developing a comprehensive strategy to field unmanned systems in the air, on the water, and under the sea over the coming years, reports Defense News. ADM Gilday called it an “unmanned campaign plan” designed to tie together all the disparate programs into a coherent way forward.

Moving from large, big-deck amphibious ships to smaller, faster, and harder to track ships — light amphibious warships (LAWs) — could move service members around quickly, reports Breaking Defense. The new force structure plan remains on track for the fall.

In an attempt to “promote a healthy defense industrial base,” Lockheed Martin says its will accelerate up to $500 million in supplier payments, reports GovConWire, especially to small business and at-risk companies.

While the United Kingdom has agreed to buy 48 F-35Bs, it may only buy half its initial target of 138 of the fighter jets, reports The National Interest.

Russia wants to expand the role of its new Hunter drone to include long-range intercept missions, reports Business Insider. The drone will rely on artificial intelligence to achieve a certain degree of warfighting autonomy.

The US Air Force is sending B-52 Stratofortress strategic bombers to fly over each of NATO’s 30 members, reports Defense News. The gesture is meant to signal the alliance’s unity.

 

 

The US Army has more four-star generals serving on active duty than the Army and Air Force combined had during World War II, reports Military.com.

US Air Force Co. Jennifer Krolikowski talked with CNBC about how the new Space Force is utilizing its relationship with the private tech sector. The service, in partnership with VMware, fast-tracked the development of several tech applications for a software package.

Commercial crews and private astronauts will boost the International Space Station’s science, reports Space.com. More astronauts than ever will be flying to the ISS aboard commercial crew vehicles and through private companies. NASA and Boeing continue to make progress toward the company’s second uncrewed flight test of the CST-100 Starliner spacecraft prior to flying astronauts to the ISS as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, reports nasa.gov.

There was another history-making launch on Sunday. A SpaceX Falcon 9 was the first rocket to launch a satellite into a polar orbit from Cape Canaveral in 60 years, reports Florida Today.

The US armed forces will have no role in carrying out the election process or resolving a disputed vote, reports The Associated Press. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified before the House Armed Services Committee last month. “I believe deeply in the principle of an apolitical US military,” Gen. Milley said.

The latest Military Times poll shows a continued decline in active-duty service members’ views of President Donald Trump and a slight but significant preference for former Vice President Joe Biden in the upcoming November election among troops surveyed. The latest results are based on 1,018 active-duty troops surveyed in late July and early August.

A Morning Consult poll shows President Trump pulls closer to former VP Biden, USA Today reports. The poll was conducted on the day after the Republican National Convention ended. Mr. Biden’s favorability numbers weakened while the president’s remained steady, according to the survey. 270 to Win has compiled the most recent polls for the 2020 presidential election.

WTOP News offers this photo tour of the historic nuclear power plant at Fort Belvoir that will soon be dismantled.

Navy Cmdr. Erin Boronzy was relieved of her command at the Navy Operational Support Center Portland, OR, on Friday, reports Navy Times. A Navy statement said it was “due to a loss of confidence in her ability to command.” Cmdr. Christian Parilla is the replacement.

The US military’s top appeals court last week upheld a conviction against former Army Sgt. Robert “Bowe” Bergdahl on charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, Military.com reports.

A suspect accused of killing a Fort Hood, TX, soldier and two others in March was arrested Friday, reports Army Times.

Contracts:

Blazar Technology Solutions, Denver, Colorado (W52P1J-20-D-0039); Blue Tech Inc., San Diego, California (W52P1J-20-D-0041); Carahsoft Technology Corp., Reston, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0042); CDW Government, Vernon Hills, Illinois (W52P1J-20-D-0043); Countertrade Products, Arvada, Colorado (W52P1J-20-D-0044); Cypher Analytics/Crowne Point Systems, San Diego, California (W52P1J-20-D-0045); DH Technology, Leesburg, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0046); DLT Solutions, Herndon, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0047); Dynamic Systems Inc., El Segundo, California (W52P1J-20-D-0048); Enterprise Technologies Solutions, Bethesda, Maryland (W52P1J-20-D-0049); Epoch Concepts, Highlands Ranch, Colorado (W52P1J-20-D0050); FedBiz It Solutions, Leesburg, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0051); Force 3 LLC, Crofton, Maryland (W52P1J-20-D-0052); Four Inc., Herndon, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0053); GovConnection Inc., Rockville, Maryland (W52P1J-20-D-0054); GovPlace, Reston, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0055); ID Technologies, Ashburn, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0056); ImmixTechnologies, McLean, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0057); Iron Bow Technologies, Herndon, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0058); Integration Technologies Group, Falls Church, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0059); MicroTech, Tysons Corner, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0060); New Tech Solutions Inc., Fremont, California (W52P1J-20-D-0061); PCMG, Herndon, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0062); Red River Technology LLC, Claremont, New Hampshire (W52P1J-20-D-0063); SHI International Corp, Somerset, New Jersey (W52P1J-20-D-0064); Strategic Communication LLC, Louisville, Kentucky (W52P1J-20-D-0065); ThunderCat Technology LLC, Reston, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0066); Vertosoft, Leesburg, Virginia (W52P1J-20-D-0067); Walker and Associates, Welcome, North Carolina (W52P1J-20-D-0068); World Wide Technologies, St. Louis, Missouri (W52P1J-20-D-0069); and York Telcom, Eatontown, New Jersey (W52P1J-20-D-0070), will compete for each order of the $13,000,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract to support the Army, Department of Defense and all federal agencies in their enterprise infrastructure and infostructure goals by leveraging commercial-off-the-shelf software products and maintenance in specific product categories. Bids were solicited via the internet with 32 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2030. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity.

AAI Corp., doing business as Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, was awarded an $84,734,180 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to acquire technical, engineering, scientific and logistical services to support the S3I Directorate’s Joint Systems Integration Laboratory in the areas of research, development, integration, experimentation, test and evaluation, maintenance, sustainment and operation. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 30, 2022. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W31P4Q-20-D-0029).

SAIC, Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $36,290,371 hybrid (cost-no-fee, time-and-materials) contract for the procurement of information technology services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Huntsville, Alabama; and Corpus Christi, Texas, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 other procurement (Army) funds in the amount of $36,290,371 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity (W9124P-20-F-0397).

Leidos Inc., Gaithersburg, Maryland, was awarded a $35,778,346 modification (P00035) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0058 for continued contractor logistics support services for special mission wing Mi-17/PC-12 aircraft fleets in support of the government of Afghanistan. Work will be performed in Gaithersburg, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Nov. 30, 2020. Fiscal 2020 Afghanistan Security Forces Fund (Army) funds in the amount of $35,778,346 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

Northrop Grumman, McLean, Virginia, was awarded an $18,137,372 modification (P00088) to contract W58RGZ-17-C-0014 for contractor logistics support services for government-owned, fixed-wing fleet performing Special Electronic Mission Aircraft missions. Work will be performed in McLean, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $18,137,372 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, was awarded an $11,723,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide US Army Cyber Command with command, control, communications, computers and information management augmentation services. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Augusta, Georgia, with an estimated completion date of May 31, 2021. Fiscal 2020 and 2021 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $11,723,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois, is the contracting activity (W52P1J-20-C-0037).

General Dynamics Mission Systems, Marion, Virginia, has been awarded a $17,536,819 firm-fixed-price contract for wide band radomes. This contract provides for production of wide band radomes supporting Air Force F-16 aircraft outfitted with Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radars. Work will be performed in Marion, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 30, 2032. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Fiscal 2018 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $12,681,392; and fiscal 2020 aircraft procurement funds in the amount of $4,855,427 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity (FA8615-20-D-6067).

Sevenson-USA Environmental JV II, Niagara Falls, New York, is awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a maximum amount of $95,000,000 for environmental remediation services for projects at various location within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic area of operations (AO). No task orders are being issued at this time. All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC Atlantic AO which includes Virginia (30%); North Carolina (15%); Maine (10%); Maryland (10%); New York (10%); Rhode Island (5%); Washington, DC (5%); Pennsylvania (3%); West Virginia (3%); Connecticut (2%); Massachusetts (2%); New Hampshire (2%); New Jersey (2%); and Europe (1%). Although principle geographical areas are identified for the contract, the contractor may be required to perform at any Naval or Marine Corps activity in the NAVFAC Atlantic AO. The work to be performed is for remedial actions at environmentally contaminated sites predominately located at Navy and Marine Corps installations and other government agencies. The sites will consist of those ranked on the Superfund National Priority List (NPL) as well as non-NPL sites regulated under Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act; Resource Conservation and Recovery Act; underground storage tanks regulations; state specific regulations; and other sites which might require remedial action. Work may also be added and performed anywhere outside of NAVFAC Atlantic AO, as required by the government. The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of August 2025. Fiscal 2020 environmental restoration (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by environmental restoration (Navy). This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website with four proposals received. NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-20-D-0015).

ProSecure LLC, Fairfax, Virginia, is awarded a $10,083,876 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for regional security services at various installations in the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Northwest area of operations. The maximum dollar value including the base period and four option years is $55,075,836. The work to be performed provides for armed security guard services to meet region operational requirements. Such actions include access control, surveillance, screening, detaining and conducting preliminary investigations of real or potential violations of installations orders and/or applicable regulations. Work will be performed at various NAVFAC Northwest installations in Washington (96%); and Idaho (4%), and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2025. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2021 operations and maintenance (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $9,502,242 for recurring work will be obligated on an individual task order issued during the base period. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website with seven proposals received. NAVFAC Northwest, Silverdale, Washington, is the contracting activity (N44255-20-D-5018).

Lockheed Martin Corp., Littleton, Colorado, is awarded a $187,542,461 firm-fixed-price contract for the Space Development Agency Transport Layer Tranche O. The proposal was received and evaluated under request for proposal HQ0850-20-R-0001. The work to be performed under this contract will include on-time delivery of space vehicles and paths to optical intersatellite link interoperability success. Work will be performed in Littleton, Colorado (54.2%); Irvine, California (24.4%); Backnang, Germany (10.6%); Centennial, Colorado (5.9%); Camarillo, California (1.3%); San Diego, California (1.3%); Tempe, Arizona (0.7%); Quebec, Canada (0.5%); Madrid, Spain (0.4%); Cedar Rapids, Iowa (0.3%); Annapolis Junction, Maryland (0.2%); Bedford, New Hampshire. (0.2%); and Ottawa, Canada (0.1%). Fiscal 2020 defense wide research, development, test and evaluation funds will be obligated at the time of award. The Space Development Agency, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (HQ0850-20-C-0009).