You’re Invited to Hack the Air Force
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.
The Air Force’s Chief Information Office will open its Hack the Air Force exercise to hackers outside of the US, Defense Systems reports. The “bug bounty” program will invite participation from talent from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. “This outside approach — drawing on the talent and expertise of our citizens and partner-nation citizens — in identifying our security vulnerabilities will help bolster our cybersecurity,” said AF Gen. David Goldfein.
The US Navy and Raytheon are refining an emerging high-tech, ship-board computer system called Total Ship Computing Environment, Defense Systems reports. This video update describes the testing that has begun on the USS Zumwalt.
Congressional leaders reached a deal to fund the government through September, avoiding a government shutdown, The Washington Post reports.
The Associated Press reports a North Korean ballistic missile apparently failed shortly after launch Saturday. US officials said this was the third test-fire flop in April, but it’s a clear message of protest as the USS Carl Vinson supercarrier conducts drills in waters near the Korean peninsula. The USS Ronald Reagan has just finished maintenance and will be carrying out landing practices on Iwo Jima until May 13, Navy Times reports. The Navy has not said yet whether the carrier will join the Vinson.
Israel has ordered 50 F-35s, with delivery set to be completed in 2021. But five of those planes have been delivered and are expected to participate in Israel’s annual Independence Day air show today, Tuesday, May 2, The Algemeiner reports. But the F-35 will be missing from the Paris Air Show in June, Defense News reports. The F-35 Joint Program Office said the US Air Force and Marine Corps were not invited this year.
Thirty-one members of Congress are urging the Senate Armed Services Committee to vote against President Trump’s Army secretary nominee, Tennessee state Sen. Mark Green, Army Times reports. LGBT advocacy groups have spoken out against Sen. Green’s record and public comments, including referring to being transgender as a “disease.”
Rising violence in Afghanistan is prompting the Trump administration to consider plans to send as many as 5,000 additional US troops to Afghanistan, Military Times reports.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is leaving thousands of positions unfilled, Military Times Reports, citing the need for a leaner department as it develops a longer-term plan to allow more veterans to seek medical care in the private sector.
CareerCast’s annual worst jobs report ranks enlisted service member as the fourth-worst occupation in the US, Military Times reports.
Contracts:
ManTech Advanced Systems International Inc., Fairfax, Virginia, is being awarded a $39,641,197 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for engineering and technical support for reliability, maintainability, testability, quality assurance and diagnostic and system safety analyses during the design, development, production and in-service life cycles of all Naval aircraft platforms and their systems. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (86.5 percent); China Lake, California (5 percent); West Palm Beach, Florida (5 percent); Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona (1.5 percent); Luke Air Force Base, Arizona (1 percent); and Edwards Air Force Base, California (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in May 2022. No funds are being obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual delivery orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured via an electronic request for proposals, one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N00421-17-D-0032).
Culmen International LLC, (W15QKN-17-D-0002); Defense Technology Inc., Alexandria, Virginia (W15QKN-17-D-0003); Multinational Defense Services LLC, Clearwater, Florida (W15QKN-17-D-0004); UDC USA Inc., Tampa, Florida (W15QKN-17-D-0005); Tankride.com, Hawthorne, Florida (W15QKN-17-D-0006); Blane International Group Inc., Cumming, Georgia (W15QKN-17-D-0042), will share in a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for procurement of previously produced nonstandard weapons, parts and accessories. Bids were solicited via the Internet with seven received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of April 28, 2022. US Army Contracting Command, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
Bowhead Total Enterprise Solutions LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $10,482,222 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for technical support for research at experimental facilities and laboratories at Army Research Laboratory locations. Bids were solicited via the Internet with three received. Work will be performed in Aberdeen Proving Ground; and Adelphi, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of April 27, 2020. Fiscal 2016 and 2017 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $2,685,000 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Adelphi, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W911QX-17-C-0021).
AMSEC LLC, Virginia Beach, Virginia (N00189-17-D-0009); and Gryphon Technologies LLC, Washington, District of Columbia (N00189-17-D-0011), are being awarded an estimated $90,064,867 multiple award indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts that will include terms and conditions for the placement of both cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price task orders for engineering maintenance support services of aircraft carrier maintenance and modernization, advanced planning, work package development, integration, and execution in support of Commander Naval Air Forces in Norfolk, Virginia; and San Diego, California. Each contract will run concurrently, and each will include a five-year base ordering period and an optional six-month ordering period. If all options are exercised, the total estimated value of the contracts combined will be $99,071,354. The ordering period of the contract is expected to be completed by May 2022. If all options are exercised, work will be completed by November 2022. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia (40 percent); San Diego, California (40 percent); and Bremerton, Washington (20 percent). Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $500,000 will be obligated ($250,000 on each of the two contracts to fund the contracts’ minimum amounts), and will 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.
DDL OMNI Engineering LLC, McLean, Virginia, is being awarded $9,900,000 for cost-plus-fixed-fee delivery order N6833517F0071 against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-14-G-0057). This order provides for engineering and technical services in support of a Phase III effort under Small Business Innovation Research Topic N00-123, titled “Ship Mission Readiness Measurement System.” Work will be performed in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and is expected to be completed in May 2020. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $50,000 will be obligated at the time of award, all of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, New Jersey, is the contracting activity.
Tape LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $14,060,501 time and materials contract for all technical and analytical support for the family of Army training models. Bids were solicited via the Internet with one received. Work will be performed in Crystal City, Virginia, with an estimated completion date of May 6, 2020. Fiscal 2017 operations and maintenance (Army) funds in the amount of $14,060,501 were obligated at the time of the award. US Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W91CRB-17-F-0006).
