Who’s on Trump’s List for DefSec?
Familiar names being floated for the next US Secretary of Defense: Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) and Rep. Michael Waltz (R-FL). Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was on the list and then off in a matter of days.
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economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.
What will President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet look like? Trump, with his team in Palm Beach, has begun strategizing about how to fill out his second administration, reports New York Post. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Republican Rep. Michael Waltz of Florida were among the names being mentioned for Secretary of Defense in the new administration late in the week, reports The Western Journal via MSN. However, Trump, posting on Truth Social on Saturday night, wrote that Pompeo would not be considered, reports New York Post. Politico has Tom Cotton, Republican senator from Arkansas, also on the DefSec list.
Though the turnover in the new administration will be total, Trump will be familiar with what he needs to accomplish, reports PBS News. He built an entirely new administration for his first term and has definite ideas on what to do differently this time.
The race for the majority in the House of Representatives is still on as some key races have yet to be called, reports Fox News via MSN. As of Saturday, Republicans held 212 seats and Democrats held 200. A party needs 218 seats for a majority.
With Republicans taking control of the Senate and potentially holding their House majority, many in Congress, at the Pentagon, and at think tanks are wondering what it means for the defense budget, reports Navy Times. An increase is likely, but not assured, as military aid to allies hangs in the balance.
Defense One spoke with Christopher Miller, the final acting defense secretary of Trump’s first term and architect of the defense chapter of the Project 2025 document. In an interview conducted in June, Miller discussed how the Defense Department might change in a second Trump term and shared his own priorities and thoughts on the future of US defense.
Israel and Boeing have agreed to a $5.2 billion deal to acquire 25 F-15 next-generation fighter jets, reports The Hill. The agreement was part of a broader package of US aid that Congress and the administration greenlighted. It also includes an option for another 25 jets.
Australia has canceled its $5.3 billion military space program JP 9102 with Lockheed Martin, reports Breaking Defense. The government began the project in 2021 and eventually chose Lockheed’s Australian arm to see it through, but due to the “acceleration in space technologies and evolving threats in space, Defense has assessed that a single orbit GEO-based satellite communications system would not meet strategic priorities,” according to an Australian government statement.
The US has approved the sale of four E-7 early-warning planes to South Korea, reports Defense News. South Korea is cleared to buy four Boeing-made E-7 airborne early warning and control aircraft, often referred to as the Wedgetail, for nearly $5 billion under a foreign military sale. The purchase would also include 10 CFM56 jet engines — eight installed on the Wedgetails and two more spares — countermeasures and missile warning systems to help defend the aircraft, GPS navigation systems, transponders, and radio systems.
Lockheed Martin has signed a new five-year master research agreement with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, reports eurekalert.org. The agreement helps UT take its research capabilities from the lab to the field. “This partnership allows UT researchers to conduct true translational research,” said James Andes, director of national security research initiatives for UT. “Our research concepts are matured by working with technical champions at Lockheed Martin, and as a result our technologies get scaled up and out into defense applications.”
The Office of Naval Research, in partnership with the American Society of Naval Engineers, will host the 2024 Naval Science and Technology/Combat Systems/Technology, Systems and Ships Symposium next month at George Mason University in Arlington, VA, reports dvidshub.net. Partners across the US Navy and Marine Corps, industry, and academia to meet, discuss and learn about “Naval S&T: From Idea to Maritime Dominance.” The event aligns with the Naval S&T Strategy released earlier this year by NavSec Carlos Del Toro.
Technology news website TechBullion.com explored the impact of Fort Meade on Maryland’s tech industry, from job creation to fostering innovation and boosting the local economy. “As home to some of the country’s most advanced cybersecurity and information technology operations, Fort Meade is like an invisible hand guiding Maryland’s booming tech sector,” according to the report.
United Nation leaders are discussing how the emergence of artificial intelligence, accessible drones, new reactor technologies, and others are impacting their job of controlling the proliferation of dangerous weapons and materials, reports C4ISRNET. New emerging technologies are reshaping the arms control landscape and pose a set of major challenges.
The US Navy will extend the service lives of three cruisers, the Gettysburg, Chosin, and Cape St. George, reports Military Times. The Navy said it will keep the cruisers in service for three additional years each. Last week, the Navy said it would extend the service life for 12 destroyers, reports Marine Log.
The Navy removed CAPT Lester Brown Jr., commanding officer of the Navy Leadership and Ethics Command San Diego, from his post last week, reports Navy Times. Brown was ousted due to a “loss of confidence in his ability to command,” the Navy said in a statement.
Leonardtown’s annual Veterans Day Parade steps off from St. Mary’s Ryken High School at 10am today, Monday, Nov. 11, proceeds through town, and is immediately followed by a memorial ceremony in Leonardtown Square.
With Veterans Day here and the veteran unemployment rate at just 2.8%, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on the Best & Worst Places for Veterans to Live in 2024, to help those who have served the country find the best places to settle down. The report compares the 100 largest US cities across 19 key metrics, ranging from the share of military skill-related jobs to housing affordability and the availability of VA health facilities.
Forbes has ranked America’s Best Employers for Veterans. The list, created in partnership with market research firm Statista, is based on survey responses from more than 24,000 veterans (those who have served in the US armed forces, the Reserves, or the National Guard) working for companies with more than 1,000 employees in the US.
The US Department of Labor recognized more than 800 employers for their commitment to employing and supporting the nation’s service members by presenting them with the 2024 Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Medallion Award. Several St. Mary’s County companies were listed including Eagle Systems, Technology Security Associates, Sierra Management and Technologies, Actualized Business Solutions, Naval Systems Inc., Air Combat Effectiveness Consulting Group LLC (ACE Group), Precise Systems, AVIAN, and Compendium Federal Technology LLC. Find the entire list here.
Maryland casinos generated $159.5 million in gaming revenue in September, reports Maryland Reporter. This marks a strong increase compared to the same period last year. The state’s casino industry has seen a steady rise in revenue over recent months. Several factors have contributed to the increase, reflecting broader trends in consumer behavior and the expanding appeal of gaming in the state, according to Maryland Lottery and Gaming.
Contracts:
Clark Construction Group LLC, Bethesda, Maryland, was awarded a $727,511,955 modification (P00004) to contract W912DR-23-C-0006 to construct a building. Work will be performed in at Fort Meade, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2028. Fiscal 2024 military construction, defense-wide funds in the amount of $30,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Textron Systems Corp., New Orleans, Louisiana, is awarded a $394,299,705 fixed-price incentive (firm-target), cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to definitize a previously awarded letter contract (N00024-23-C-2452) for the construction of nine Ship to Shore Connector Landing Craft Air Cushion 100-class craft. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana (96%); Hunt Valley, Maryland (3%); and other locations (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2030. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $249,051,155 (47%); fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $169,950,657 (32%); and fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $115,968,365 (21%), will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Textron Systems Corp., New Orleans, Louisiana, is awarded a $394,299,705 fixed-price incentive (firm-target), cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to definitize a previously awarded letter contract (N00024-23-C-2452) for the construction of nine Ship to Shore Connector Landing Craft Air Cushion 100-class craft. Work will be performed in New Orleans, Louisiana (96%); Hunt Valley, Maryland (3%); and other locations (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2030. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $249,051,155 (47%); fiscal 2023 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $169,950,657 (32%); and fiscal 2022 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $115,968,365 (21%), will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, was awarded a $93,934,273 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-only, and firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded contract N00024-22-C-5501 to exercise the fiscal 2025 option for Dual Band Radar (DBR) design agent and technical engineering follow-on requirements and spares to support the DBR systems installed aboard CVN78 and DDG1000 class ships. Work will be performed in Tewksbury, Massachusetts (40%); Marlborough, Massachusetts (20%); San Diego, California (15%); Norfolk, Virginia (10%); Andover, Massachusetts (5%); Portsmouth, Rhode Island (5%); and Chesapeake, Virginia (5%); and is expected to be completed by September 2026. Fiscal 2025 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,276,891 (90%); fiscal 2025 operation and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $777,918 (7%); fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $298,723 (2%); and fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $32,275 (1%), will be obligated at time of award, and funds in the amount of $810,193 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity. (Awarded Nov. 6, 2024.)
Sedna Digital Solutions LLC, Manassas, Virginia, is awarded a $23,866,466 cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, and cost contract modification to previously awarded contract N00024-23-C-6132 to exercise options for Navy equipment and supporting material. Work will be performed in Manassas, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 30, 2029. Fiscal 2025 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $13,827,089 (63%); fiscal 2025 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,982,000 (18%); fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,982,546 (18%); and fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) in the amount of $75,000 (1%) will be obligated at time of award, of which none will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
Peraton Technology Services Inc., Chantilly, Virginia, is awarded a $17,341,141 cost-plus-fixed-fee order (N0001925F0055) against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N0001921G0010). This contract provides for the continued development, delivery, sustainment, requirement analysis and design of the Theater Mission Planning Center in support of the Navy. Work will be performed in Chantilly, Virginia (98%); and Great Cacapon, West Virginia (2%), and is expected to be completed in November 2025. Fiscal 2025 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,382,000; and fiscal 2025 research development test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,8141,000, will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This order was not competed. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
A3 Consulting LLC, Baltimore, Maryland, has been awarded an $11,527,792 task order under contract 47QTCA18D00D3 for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). Five proposals were received for this task order. This labor-hour task order HS0021-25-F-0001 provides the Office of Personnel Management Personnel Investigations Processing System Imaging System development, operations, and maintenance support services with an estimated completion of Nov. 11, 2029. Fiscal 2025 DCSA defense working capital funds in the amount of $4,834,459 were obligated at the time of award. Individual task orders will be subsequently funded with appropriate fiscal year appropriations at the time of their issuance. The cumulative face value of the contract to date is $11,527,792. The DCSA Contracting and Procurement office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Structural Engineering Group Inc., Hamilton, Virginia, was awarded a $17,003,058 firm-fixed-price contract to construct a standard-design battalion headquarters building and a standard-design brigade headquarters building. Bids were solicited via the internet with eight received. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of May 4, 2026. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 military construction, Army funds in the amount of $17,003,058 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (W91236-25-C-2002).
