With Walz Pick, Next VP Likely a Veteran
Morning Coffee is a robust blend of links to news around the internet concerning the Naval Air Station Patuxent River 
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Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate for the White House practically ensures a military veteran will become the next vice president. Walz is a 24-year veteran of the Nebraska and Minnesota Army National Guards, rose to a command sergeant major in the artillery before retiring in 2005 to enter politics, reports Stars and Stripes. He served six terms in Congress and was twice elected Minnesota’s governor. He has long credited his Army National Guard service with developing his leadership capabilities. Former President Donald Trump also selected a veteran as his running mate, JD Vance is a former Marine corporal, reports Task & Purpose. Vance served a four-year enlistment in the Marines from 2003 to 2007 as a combat correspondent, deploying to Iraq for six months in late 2005.
Five US service members and two contractors were injured when two rockets hit a military base in Iraq on Monday, reports Military Times. Officials said five of those injured were being treated at the al-Asad airbase and two were evacuated, but all seven are in stable condition. They did not provide details on who was evacuated.
New weather satellites will start feeding data to warfighters this fall, reports Air & Space Force Magazine. Two new programs launched this year are meant to replace the aging Defense Meteorological Support Program, which has been in orbit since the 1960s and is scheduled to reach the end of its service life in 2026.
Hiroshima officials urged world leaders on Tuesday to stop relying on nuclear weapons as deterrence and take immediate action toward abolishment — not as an ideal, but to remove the risk of atomic war amid conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and rising tensions in East Asia, reports AP News. They commented as Hiroshima remembered its atomic bombing 79 years ago at the end of World War II. The memorial comes days after Japan and the US reaffirmed Washington’s commitment to “extended deterrence,” which includes atomic weapons, to protect its Asian ally. That is a shift from Japan’s past reluctance to openly discuss the sensitive issue as the world’s only country to have suffered atomic attacks.
The sole Ukrainian defense business on Defense News’ 2024 Top 100 list takes the lead for the largest defense revenue change, growing by 72% from fiscal 2022 to fiscal 2023. The Ukrainian Defense Industry, formerly known as Ukroboronprom, saw defense revenue grow from about $755 million in FY21 to nearly $1.3 billion in FY22, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Most recently, for FY23, the firm is reporting $2.2 billion in defense revenue. With notable exclusions (no Russian or Japanese firms reported), the totals of Defense News Top 100 reached $603.9 billion in FY23.
Timothy Loranger, an aviation attorney representing families who lost family members in two of the recent CV-22 Osprey crashes, said the accident report on the latest crash last November, unfairly criticizes the crew for not responding properly to a catastrophic mechanical failure, highlighting the cultural issue of downplaying concerns as mechanical issues continue to plague the aircraft. Loranger also represents families of Marines killed in a 2022 V-22 Osprey training crash in California. They filed a wrongful death lawsuit in May against Bell Textron, and Boeing, which design and manufacture the aircraft, and Rolls-Royce, which designs and manufactures the engines. Loranger told Military.com that the Air Force families he’s representing are “interested in understanding what caused the ultimate failure of this aircraft” and they plan to further investigate the accident.
About a dozen F/A-18 fighter jets from the USS Theodore Roosevelt aircraft carrier have flown to a military base in the Middle East, as part of the Pentagon’s effort to help defend Israel from possible attacks by Iran and its proxies and to safeguard US troops, reports AP News. The F/A-18s and a E-2D Hawkeye surveillance aircraft took off from the carrier in the Gulf of Oman and arrived at the undisclosed base on Monday. DefSec Lloyd Austin ordered the increased military presence in the region as officials worry about escalating violence in the Middle East in the wake of the killings last week of a senior Hezbollah commander in Lebanon and Hamas’ top political leader in Iran, in suspected Israeli strikes. Both groups are backed by Iran.
The registry of people exposed to toxic fumes while serving in the US military now automatically includes those who deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, or any of the Middle Eastern, African, and Asian nations on a newly expanded list, Stars and Stripes reports. The revamped Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry contains the names of approximately 4.7 million current and former service members from campaigns as far back as 1990.
A bipartisan group of senators has introduced legislation to end the military draft, calling it an “outdated” government program that no longer serves a purpose. The Hill reports the bill, introduced Thursday by Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), would repeal the Military Selective Service Act, commonly known as the draft. First passed in 1917 to fill the ranks during World War I, the law requires all able-bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45 to register for possible military service, but it has not been used since the Vietnam War.
A Yemeni drone specialist who had traveled to Iraq to train other Iranian-backed fighters was among those killed in a US airstrike near Baghdad last week, American and Iraqi defense officials said, illustrating the extensive cooperation among militant groups supported by Tehran, reports The Washington Post. The July 30 airstrike in Musayib, a town south of Iraq’s capital, targeted militants preparing to launch an attack on US forces, officials have said. The strike killed Hussein Abdullah Mastoor al-Shabal, a Houthi commander, though the Pentagon was unaware of who he was until after an assessment of the operation’s results.
Germany’s Rheinmetall is boosting its plant-engineering business to meet growing demand for ammunition factories, with an agreement to buy a majority stake in the South African engineering firm Resonant Holdings for an undisclosed price, reports Defense News. Rheinmetall will own 51% of a new joint venture, with current Resonant shareholders holding the remainder. Resonant employs around 150 people and will add expertise in building chemical and explosives plants, with annual sales potential for the new company of more than $109 million, according to Rheinmetall.
The Spanish army has signed a “framework agreement” with Rheinmetall for an order of “around half a million modular propellant systems for 155mm extended-range artillery ammunition,” the company said. Breaking Defense reports the $224.6 million contract was booked in July and delivery is scheduled for the middle of this year and into 2025. In March, Madrid ordered 155mm ammo from Rheinmetall for approximately the same amount of money, the company said.
The USS Nimitz (CVN-68), the Navy’s oldest in-service aircraft carrier, is preparing for one of its final deployments before decommissioning in 2026. After more than 50 years of service, the nuclear-powered supercarrier will be deactivated at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding facility, reports The National Interest.
More than 700 veterans and 80 lawmakers are calling on the top official for the Food and Drug Administration to approve MDMA-assisted therapy as the first-ever psychedelic drug treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, reports Stars and Stripes. MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, is a Schedule 1 drug that is illegal.
Austal USA this week announced it had launched the final Littoral Combat Ship, Pierre (LCS-38), in the class, a milestone signaling the shipbuilding program is finally nearing its sundown as the service and industry grapple with the early problems of its follow-on class, reports Breaking Defense.
The Senate last week confirmed Michael Sulmeyer to be assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy at the Pentagon, the first individual to hold the position, reports NextGov. Sulmeyer has served as the principal cyber adviser to the secretary of the Army, where he supported cyber readiness and strategy matters. He previously served in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and Cyber Command.
State and environmental officials announced a partial settlement with St. Mary’s County Metropolitan Commission to upgrade facilities blamed for discharges of raw sewage into the Potomac River and its tributaries, reports Maryland Matters. The suit was filed in late 2022 by the Maryland Department of the Environment, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network, and Shore Thing Shellfish against the quasi-governmental nonprofit that provides water and sewer services to St. Mary’s County.
Contracts:
SOFIS-TRG LLC, Alexandria, Virginia, was awarded a $83,058,286 firm-fixed-price, single award contract for MQ-9 Aircrew Training Support. This contract provides for all personnel, equipment, tools, materials, supervision, and all other items and services required to perform and support MQ-9 Remotely Piloted Aircraft aircrew academic instruction; courseware development; and air and ground intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance test and training support. Work will be performed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico; White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico; the US Air Force Weapons School, and 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Creech AFB, Nevada; March Air Reserve Base, California; and Hancock Field Air National Guard Base, New York; and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2029. This contract was a competitive, small-business set-aside acquisition, and four offers were received. Fiscal 2024 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $4,215,673 are being obligated at the time of award. Air Combat Command, Acquisition Management and Integration Center, Hampton, Virginia, is the contracting activity (FA4890-24-C-0015).
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $8,871,225 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-18-C-4314 for the procurement of Ship’s force shore-based facilities through undocking for the USS Boise (SSN 764). Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2028. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $8,871,225 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Newport News, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
Sanford Federal Inc., Stafford, Virginia (HTC71124DW028); SeaCube, Textainer Equipment Management (U.S.) Limited, San Francisco, California (HTC71124DW029); and Triton Container International Limited, Hamilton, Bermuda (HTC71124DW030), have been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price contract, with an estimated combined value of $52,032,431. This contract is to obtain intermodal equipment leasing and transportation services, information technology management in support of leasing operations, and related container support functions to meet the government missions and exercises for peacetime, contingency, disaster, and humanitarian operations on a global basis, to include maintenance, repair, inspection, leasing, and acquisition of intermodal equipment. The period of performance is from Sept. 1, 2024, to Aug. 31, 2025. Operations and Maintenance Funds will be obligated for fiscal 2024 and 2025. The US Transportation Command, Directorate of Acquisition, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, is the contracting activity.
AyALL JV LLC, Denver, Colorado (W912BV-24-D-0002); Auxilio PE JV LLC, Denver, Colorado (W912BV-24-D-0003); FPM-AECOM JV1, Oneida, New York (W912BV-24-D-0004); Scout-Cardno JV LLC, Encinitas, California (W912BV-24-D-0005); CEG-Montrose 8A JV LLC, Pottstown, Pennsylvania (W912BV-24-D-0006); Versar-Arcadis A JV, Highlands Ranch, Colorado (W912BV-24-D-0007); Leidos Inc., Reston, Virginia (W912BV24-D-0008); Cardno-EA Partners JV, Hunt Valley, Maryland (W912BV-24-D-0010); Sundance-EA Alliance LLC, Main Street, Idaho (W912BV-24-D-0011) and GEO Consultants Corp., Kevil, Kentucky (W912BV-24-D-0012), will compete for each order of the $150,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 21 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 4, 2029. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Tulsa, Oklahoma, is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics Electric Boat Corp., Groton, Connecticut, is awarded a not-to-exceed $1,316,877,000 undefinitized contract action modification to previously awarded contract N00024-24-C-2110 for economic ordering quantity material in support of the planned Virginia Class Block VI submarines and in furtherance of the Navy’s commitment to the health and stability of the industrial base. Work will be performed in Sunnyvale, California (15%); Montville, New Jersey (7%); Spring Grove, Illinois (4%); Arvada, Colorado (4%); Annapolis, Maryland (3%); South El Monte, California (3%); Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (3%); York, Pennsylvania (3%); Manassas, Virginia (3%); Windsor Locks, Connecticut (2%); Chicago, Illinois (2%); Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin (2%); Detroit, Michigan (1%); Westfield, Massachusetts (1%); Dallas, Texas (1%); Salem, Ohio (1%); Pawcatuck, Connecticut (1%); and other locations less than 1% (44%), and is expected to be completed by September 2035. Fiscal 2024 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $1,316,877,000 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., Hunt Valley, Maryland, is awarded a $72,250,775 cost-plus-fixed fee, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle support services. This contract includes a base year and four 12-month options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $72,250,775. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland (80%); and Panama City, Florida (20%). If all options are exercised, work will continue through August 2029. This contract will be funded by fiscal 2024 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $880,486, which will be obligated at time of award of the first delivery order and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities sam.gov in accordance with 10 US Code 3204(a)(1) and Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 – only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity (N61331-24-D-0006).
Northrup Grumman Systems Corp., Aerospace Systems, Melbourne, Florida, is awarded a $24,655,366 modification (P00088) to a previously awarded fixed-priced-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost, contract (N0001918C1037). This modification adds scope to provide non-recurring engineering risk reduction efforts to support the delivery schedule of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft for the government of Japan. Work will be performed in Syracuse, New York (34.92%); Owego, New York (18.25%); Marlborough, Massachusetts (15.41%); Melbourne, Florida (11.04%); Baltimore, Maryland (8.11%); Orlando, Florida (6.49%); Apopka, Florida (4.06%); and other various locations within the continental US (1.72%) and is expected to be completed November 2024. Foreign Military Sales customer funds in the amount of $24,655,366 will be obligated at the time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity.
Atlas Scientific and Technical Services LLC, Bowling Green, Virginia, is awarded a $9,860,325 firm-fixed-priced requirements contract for procurement and the repair of items supporting the antenna subassembly associated with the electronic surveillance system. This contract will have no option periods, and work will be completed by November 2026. All work will be performed in Bowling Green, Virginia. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. Appropriate fiscal year working capital funds (Navy) will be used as delivery orders are issued, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. One firm was solicited for this non-competitive requirement pursuant to the authority set forth in 10 US Code 2304 (c)(1), with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Weapon Systems Support, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is the contracting activity (N00104-24-C-QA15).
