Navy Films Sunken WWI Submarine

Photogrammetric reconstruction of the submarine USS F-1 on the seafloor west of San Diego, CA. (Image by Zoe Daheron, ©Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Used with permission of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Cropped to fit. Full photo below.)

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.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Naval History and Heritage Command has captured the first images and video of the USS F-1, a sunken US Navy submarine from World War I, reports Task & Purpose. The F-1 was lost in 1917 in a collision off of California, killing most of its crew. The deep-sea expedition off San Diego was conducted in February and March aboard the USS Atlantis. Researchers also examined a Grumman TBM Avenger. Until this year only limited sonar readings showed the lost F-1‘s location. The interdisciplinary mission included team members from the Navy, Naval History and Heritage Command, and National Science Foundation.

Booz Allen to lay off roughly 7% of its workforce, primarily at civilian agencies, reports NextGov/FCW. About 2,500 positions of 35,800 will be eliminated with most cuts anticipated in civil business, which is expected to decline in FY26. Civil represented about 35% of Booz Allen’s FY25 revenue of $12 billion. The VA is Booz Allen’s single largest customer and accounted for 13% of FY25 revenue. The Trump administration and DOGE placed Booz Allen among the government’s 19 largest providers of consulting services.

Government contractors should brace for significant disruption as the General Services Administration moves to take on the buying of commercial IT products and services for all government. NextGov/FCW reports the consolidation efforts are initially focusing on civilian agencies and GSA is not looking at defense acquisitions yet.

Small and medium businesses are still skeptical of defense work despite years of effort and a raft of legislation aimed at accelerating acquisition and breaking down barriers for new entrants, reports Air & Space Forces Magazine. But that perception is slowly improving, according to a new industry survey.

The EurAsian Times reports experts are warning that the US defense industry, dominated by a handful of massive contractors, has become too bloated, stifling innovation and driving up costs for military platforms. The House’s historic $1 trillion defense budget represents more than a 40% increase over a five-year period that showed decreasing numbers of prime US defense contractors.

Connecticut-based machinists at jet-engine maker Pratt and Whitney voted Tuesday to approve a new contract, an endorsement that ended their three-week strike, reports Military.com. The new four-year agreement was endorsed by 74% of the 2,170 machinists who return to work today, Thursday.

The FAA expects that airspace constraints caused by air traffic control staffing and technical issues in the US Northeast will ease in June, but that fully staffing its troubled Philadelphia approach control facility will take at least a year and a half, reports Aviation Week.

The DoD spent more than $6 billion over the past three years to recruit and retain service members, reports Military.com. Although the smallest service, the Navy vastly outspent the other three, including doling out 70,000 retention bonuses, more than the largest service, the Army. The Navy struggles to fill some at-sea jobs and officer slots in specific jobs, including aviation.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement and US Customs and Border Protection agents will be integrated into installation security at three Marine Corps bases, reports Military.com. Pilot programs set up at bases in Pendleton, CA; Quantico, VA; and Hawaii will assist immigration authorities with preventing foreign nationals from unlawfully accessing installations across the country. According to a Pendleton news release, the pilot program “may inform future iterations across other Marine Corps installations, particularly those proximate to border regions, ports of entry, or critical infrastructure corridors.”

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Canada is “considering” his offer of joining the United States as the 51st state, in exchange for no-cost protection by his proposed “Golden Dome” missile defense system, reports The Hill. Although there are ongoing discussions about mutual defense programs, Canadian officials, as of Tuesday evening, had not addressed Trump’s latest remarks. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has repeatedly said that his country would not join the US under any circumstances, a position helping propel him to his recent election victory.

The Navy has been without a confirmed CNO since Feb. 21, when DefSec Pete Hegseth fired ADM Lisa Franchetti, the longest stretch in the service’s history it has been without a confirmed chief of naval operations, reports Breaking Defense. The Trump administration has not yet named a nominee.

Trump has nominated Kirsten Davies to serve as the next chief information officer of the Department of Defense, reports Defense Scoop. Davies has served in IT and cybersecurity roles at major firms in the private sector.

Virtually all of the top officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have departed the agency or will do so this month, according to Cybersecurity Dive. Five of CISA’s six operational divisions and six of its 10 regional offices will have lost top leaders by the end of the month, the agency’s new deputy director, Madhu Gottumukkala, informed employees in an email on Thursday.

The Pentagon had already closed the press briefing room to reporters and now Hegseth has forbidden reporters from entering the hallway where his office is located “without an official approval and escort from the Office of the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs,” reports Military.com. Reporters also now need an escort to visit public affairs offices of the services and must sign a pledge regarding “sensitive information.”

Hegseth ordered homeschooling included in any review of educational opportunities for military children, which the DoD is currently conducting. A Jan. 29 presidential executive order directed the department to consider using Pentagon funds to pay for private, religious, or public charter schools for military dependents, reports Military.com.

A report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency suggests that Russia has deployed air-to-air missiles with nuclear warheads, according to Flight Global.

Contracts:

Offshore Aviation Group LLC, Piney Point, Maryland, is awarded a $8,614,170 firm-fixed-price contract with reimbursable elements (N3220525C4027), for a time charter of one U.S. flag, Jones Act vessel used primarily for training purposes, more specifically, to launch and recover SEAL Delivery Vehicles, and their supporting surface safety boats, and Navy Divers. This contract includes a 180-day base period with one 180-day option period which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $16,117,139. The contract will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, with expectation of additional worldwide possibilities, and it is expected to be completed, if all options are exercised, by May 2026. Working capital funds (Navy) in the amount of $9,417,619 are obligated for fiscal 2025 and will expire at the end of the fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured as a total small business set-aside with proposals solicited via the System Award Management website and three offers were received. Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N3220525C4027).

National Industries for the Blind, Alexandria, Virginia, has been awarded a maximum $8,815,000 modification (P00014) exercising the fourth one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-21-D-B112) with four one-year option periods for physical fitness uniform pants. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Locations of performance are North Carolina and Tennessee, with a June 9, 2026, ordering period end date. Using military service is Army. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Blind Industries and Services of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, has been awarded a maximum $8,010,200 modification (P00005) exercising the first one-year option period of a one-year base contract (SPE1C1-24-D-B018) with four one-year option periods for physical training gear jackets. This is an indefinite-delivery contract. Location of performance is North Carolina, with a June 9, 2026, ordering period end date. Using military services are Air Force and Space Force. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2025 through 2026 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (SPE1C1-24-D-B018).

BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, is being awarded a $7,967,764 cost-plus-fixed-fee term contract modification under contract (N00030-22-C-6007), for technical engineering and integrated facilities acquisition and engineering services in support of the nuclear-armed, Sea-Launched Cruise Missile Program. Work will be performed from June 1, 2025, through Sept. 30, 2026. Work will be performed in Bangor, Washington (50%); Washington, DC (30%); Kings Bay, Georgia (19%); and Rockville, Maryland (1%). Fiscal 2025 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funding in the amount of $7,967,764 will be obligated on this award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract action is being awarded on a sole source basis under 10 U.S. Code 3204(a)(1) and was previously synopsized on the System for Award Management online portal. Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, DC. is the contracting activity.

Andromeda Systems Inc., Virginia Beach, Virginia, is awarded a $69,110,575 cost-plus-fixed-fee and cost, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide enterprise-level reliability centered maintenance (RCM) analysis support services. The RCM will include an analysis of aircraft engines, weapons, aircrew escape systems, avionics, and electrical systems, support equipment, and depot plant equipment. RCM includes condition-based maintenance plus and integrated maintenance concept and plan support. Work will be performed in Patuxent River, Maryland (82%); Lakehurst, New Jersey (2%); Orlando, Florida (2%); China Lake, California (2%); and Point Mugu, California (2%), and is expected to be completed in June 2030. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was competitively procured with one offer received. Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N6852025D0001).

Web Business Solutions Inc., Fredericksburg, Virginia, is being awarded a $49,730,618 firm-fixed-price and cost reimbursement (travel only), indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for training and education services in the areas of wargaming in support of the Marine Corps University. The contract ordering period is from May 27, 2025, to May 26, 2030. This contract requires multiple performance locations across the Marine Corps University Campuses. The majority of the work will be done at the Marine Corps University facilities in Quantico, Virginia. Fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $631,692 will be obligated at the time of award for task order one and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Subsequent task orders will utilize fiscal year operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds available at time of task order award. This contract was competitively procured via the SAM.gov website, with nine proposals received. The Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region-Regional Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M00264-25-D-0003).

BAE Systems and Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Maryland, was awarded a $79,588,804 modification (P00080) to contract W912DY-22-F-0105 for operations, maintenance, and management services for the Department of Defense Supercomputing Resource Center. 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. 17, 2027. US Army Corps of Engineers’ Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, Mississippi, is the contracting activity.

HydroGeologic Inc., Reston, Virginia, was awarded a $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation services. Bids were solicited via the internet with 14 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of May 27, 2030. US Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha, Nebraska is the contracting activity. (W9128F-25-D-0009).

Huntington Ingalls Inc., Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $49,706,208 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-21-C-2106) for supplemental work on the USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) Refueling Complex Overhaul. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2026. Fiscal 2025 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $5,000,000 will be obligated at time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC. is the contracting activity.

BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair, Norfolk, Virginia, is awarded an $8,641,351 cost-plus-award-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-21-C-2451) for LPDs 28, 29, and 30 fitting out availabilities and post shakedown availabilities. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by October 2026. Fiscal 2025 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,108,501 (88%); and fiscal 2025 operations and maintenance (Navy) in the amount of $796,160 (12%), 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.