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 US military buildup of warships and fighter planes near Iran mirrors the assets that the US has in the Caribbean, reports The Hill, as President Donald Trump weighs strikes against the Islamic Republic. The region has seen the recent arrival of the USS Abraham Lincoln and its strike group in the US Central Command area.
The USS Delbert D. Black is now in the Red Sea, adding to the increased US presence in the Middle East, reports USNI News. With the arrival of Delbert D. Black, the US has at least 10 ships across the Central Command area of responsibility.
The US is warning Iran that it will not tolerate “any unsafe and unprofessional behavior” surrounding US forces in the Middle East as Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is gearing up for a two-day military exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, reports Fox News.
The BBC reports that Iran wants to make a deal rather than face US military action, despite Tehran’s insistence that its missile and defense systems will “never” be up for negotiation.
Satellite photos show activity at two Iranian nuclear sites as tensions rise over protests there, reports AP News. The activity might be a sign of Tehran trying to obscure efforts to salvage any materials remaining there. The sites were bombed last year by Israel and the US.
USNI fleet tracker weekly reports the approximate positions of the US Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world. Here is the Jan. 26, 2026, Fleet and Marine Tracker.
A new study mandate in the FY2026 defense budget calls for the secretary of defense to carry out a study focused on the mental health impacts of piloting unmanned aircraft systems in combat, reports Air Force Times. The report will be due to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees no later than this December.
The Congressional Budget Office finds that National Guard deployments to US cities cost $496 million in the last six months of 2025, reports Breaking Defense. And if those deployments were to continue at end-of-2025 sizes, it would cost approximately $93 million per month, according to a new estimate in the CBO report.
The National Transportation Safety Board has found that failures by multiple agencies, including the US Army, led to the collision last year between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines jet over the Potomac River in Washington, DC, reports Military Times. Following the investigation into the Jan. 29, 2025, crash, the NTSB said the main cause of was the longstanding use of a helicopter route in the path of a runway approach and failures by the Federal Aviation Administration to act on recommendations to mitigate risk at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport.
The USS John F. Kennedy, the newest Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, left Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia, for initial trials ahead of its much-anticipated arrival to the fleet in 2027, reports Navy Times.
Ukraine’s government-backed defense technology cluster Brave1 has partnered with the American firm Palantir to create a training platform, called Dataroom, where AI models can be tested using sensitive military data, reports C4ISRNET. The secure digital environment will allow Ukrainian defense companies to train and validate their algorithms by relying on real-world intelligence on Russian aerial threats collected by the country’s military.
The Navy has announced a $86.2 million Naval Air Systems Command contract for L3Harris Technologies to develop, test, and manufacture Red Wolf vehicles for the Marine Corps’ Precision Attack Strike Munition program, reports tcmnet.com.
The US Army plans to buy up to 11 customized Bombardier Global 6500 aircraft for its High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System, or HADES, reports Army Times. Contractors must be able to provide up to four planes per year, based on a contract award in October. Currently, the Sierra Nevada Corp. has bought three Bombardier Global 6500 jets for HADES prototypes, reports Breaking Defense.
Marines who choose to reenlist in fiscal year 2027 could be eligible for up to $50,000 in retention bonuses, reports Military Times. Those with a current contract expiration between Oct. 1, 2026, and Sept. 30, 2027, could be eligible for the Selective Retention Bonus Program and the Broken Service SRB Program.
US Air Force B-1 Lancer bombers and F-15C Eagle fighters will join two Navy F/A-18E Super Hornets and two F-35C Lightning II fighters in a flyover of Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, on Feb. 8, reports Air & Space Forces Magazine.
A US Army unit that trained Afghan forces will now operate the Combined Jungle Operations Training Course in Panama, reports Task & Purpose. The 1st Security Forces Assistance Brigade ceased to exist and was reborn as Army Security Cooperation Group – South.
NASA delayed an upcoming trip to the moon last week because of near-freezing temperatures expected at the launch site at Cape Canaveral in Florida, reports WTOP News. The first Artemis moonshot with a crew is now targeted for no earlier than Feb. 8. NASA is anxious to launch a fresh crew to the International Space Station because of the last crew’s early return for medical reasons.
The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, VA, has unveiled a new display honoring Marine Corps football, reports Fredericksburg Free Press. The exhibit explores the untold history of Marine Corps football and its lasting impact on both the Marine Corps and American sports.
The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to shift more of its health care workers to facilities facing a growing veteran population and decrease staffing levels in places where the veteran population is shrinking, reports Federal News Network. VA Sec Doug Collins told a Senate committee that the change will allow the department to “move people where they need to,” and shrink the workforce through attrition at facilities where hiring is outpacing demand for appointments.
Maryland State Police troopers have arrested a 50-year-old man who they say is the main source of the drugs being trafficked to veterans on the Perry Point VA Medical Center campus, reports Task & Purpose. Asante Anderson was charged with multiple crimes including possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute and possession of cocaine. The MSP and Department of Veterans Affairs’ investigation has been ongoing for several months.
Contracts awarded in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, 2026:
Atlantic Fabrication & Boiler Services Inc.,* Portsmouth, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A018); BAE Systems, San Diego Ship Repair Inc., San Diego, California (W912CH-26-D-A019); Bay Ship & Yacht Co.,* Alameda, California (W912CH-26-D-A020); Colonna’s Ship Yard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A021); Fincantieri Marine Repair LLC, Jacksonville, Florida (W912CH-26-D-A022); Fraser Industries,* Superior, Wisconsin (W912CH-26-D-A023); GMD Shipyard Corp.,* Brooklyn, New York (W912CH-26-D-A024); JT Marine Inc.,* Vancouver, Washington (W912CH-26-D-A025); Lyon Shipyard Inc.* Norfolk, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A026); Metal Trades LLC,* Yonges Island, South Carolina (W912CH-26-D-A027); Murtech Inc.* Glen Burnie, Maryland (W912CH-26-D-A028); Platypus Marine Inc.* Port Angeles, Washington (W912CH-26-D-A029); Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Oregon (W912CH-26-D-A030); and Yank Marine Services LLC,* Dorchester, New Jersey (W912CH-26-D-A031), will compete for each order of the $226,171,863 firm-fixed-price contract for the Army Watercraft Sustainment Maintenance Program, including on condition cyclic maintenance and service life extension program efforts for the Army watercraft fleet in the continental U.S. This total cumulative face value is $241,398,489. 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 July 30, 2031. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
Atlantic Fabrication & Boiler Services Inc.,* Portsmouth, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A032); Bay Ship & Yacht Co.,* Alameda, California (W912CH-26-D-A033); Fincantieri Marine Repair LLC, Jacksonville, Florida (W912CH-26-D-A034); Hanwha Ocean Co. Ltd., Gyeongsangnam-Do, South Korea (W912CH-26-D-A035); Heavy Engineering Industries and Shipbuilding Company K.S.C, Shuwaikh, Kuwait (W912CH-26-D-A036); Japan Marine United Corp., Yokohama-Shi, Japan (W912CH-26-D-A037); JK Industry Co. Ltd., Jeollanam-Do, South Korea (W912CH-26-D-A038); Marisco Ltd.,* Kapolei, Hawaii (W912CH-26-D-A039); Pacific Shipyards International LLC,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W912CH-26-D-A040); Subic Drydock Corp., Olongapo, Philippines (W912CH-26-D-A041); Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., Shinagawa-Ku, Japan (W912CH-26-D-A042); Sunjin Entech Co. Ltd., Busan, South Korea (W912CH-26-D-A043); Tropical Reef Shipyard Pty Ltd., Portsmith, Australia (W912CH-26-D-A044); and Yokohama Engineering Works Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan (W912CH-26-D-A045), will compete for each order of the $193,169,160 firm-fixed-price contract for the Army Watercraft Sustainment Maintenance Program, including on condition cyclic maintenance and service life extension program efforts for the Army watercraft fleet outside the continental U.S. This total cumulative face value is $211,054,557. 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 July 30, 2031. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
J&J Maintenance, doing business as CBRE, McLean, Virginia (W9127826-DA022); Eagle Eye,* Southport, North Carolina (W9127826-DA028); Royce Construction Services,* Reston, Virginia (W9127826-DA020); SES Electrical LLC,* Knoxville, Tennessee (W9127826-DA026); Global Engineering & Construction,* Renton, Washington (W9127826-DA027); Facility Services Management Inc., Clarksville, Tennessee (W9127826-DA024); Korte Construction Co., doing business as The Korte Co., St. Louis, Missouri (W9127826-DA025); StructSure Projects Inc., Kansas City, Missouri (W9127826-DA023); and Patriot Strategies LLC,* Alexandria, Virginia (W9127826-DA021), will compete for each order of the $99,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for design-build architect-engineer services in support of the Defense Health Agency Program, Northern Region. The total cumulative face value is $99,000,000. 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 Jan. 28, 2031. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mobile District, is the contracting activity.
Atlantic Fabrication & Boiler Services Inc.,* Portsmouth, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A046); BAE Systems, San Diego Ship Repair Inc., San Diego, California (W912CH-26-D-A047); Colonna’s Ship Yard Inc.,* Norfolk, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A048); Fincantieri Marine Repair LLC, Jacksonville, Florida (W912CH-26-D-A049); Heavy Engineering Industries and Shipbuilding Company K.S.C, Shuwaikh, Kuwait (W912CH-26-D-A050); HII Mission Technologies Corp., McLean, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A051); Japan Marine United Corp., Yokohama-Shi, Japan (W912CH-26-D-A052); JT Marine Inc.,* Vancouver, Washington (W912CH-26-D-A053); Lyon Shipyard Inc., Norfolk, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A054); Marisco Ltd.,* Kapolei, Hawaii (W912CH-26-D-A055); Metal Trades LLC,* Yonges Island, South Carolina (W912CH-26-D-A056); Mid Atlantic Engineering Technical Services Inc.,* Chesapeake, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A057); Pacific Shipyards International LLC,* Honolulu, Hawaii (W912CH-26-D-A058); QED Systems Inc.,* Virginia Beach, Virginia (W912CH-26-D-A059); Subic Drydock Corp., Olongapo, Philippines (W912CH-26-D-A060); Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd., Shinagawa-Ku, South Africa (W912CH-26-D-A061); Sunjin Entech Co. Ltd., Busan, South Korea (W912CH-26-D-A062); Tropical Reef Shipyard Pty Ltd., Portsmith, Australia (W912CH-26-D-A063); and Yokohama Engineering Works Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan (W912CH-26-D-A064), will compete for each order of the $63,426,042 firm-fixed-price for Army Watercraft Sustainment Maintenance Program, including pier side maintenance, emergency and un-programmed repairs, emergency drydocking, modernization, and modification efforts for the Army watercraft fleet. This total cumulative face value is $69,768,646. Bids were solicited via the internet with 19 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 30, 2031. Army Contracting Command, Detroit Arsenal, Warren, Michigan, is the contracting activity.
Jacobs/B&M JV, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $249,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for architect-engineer (A-E) services. This contract provides for multi-discipline A-E projects primarily in the Pacific and Indian Ocean areas under the cognizance of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), Pacific. Work will be performed at various locations within the NAVFAC Pacific area of responsibility including, but not limited to Guam (50%), Hawaii (15%), Tinian (10%), Philippines (10%), Australia (10%), and Diego Garcia (5%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months with an expected completion date of January 2031, or until all task orders have been completed. Fiscal 2025 planning and design (Navy) funds in the amount of $10,000 are obligated for the minimum guarantee of this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction and operation and maintenance funds. This contract was competitively procured via the sam.gov website with three proposals received. NAVFAC Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, is the contracting activity (N62742-26-D-1206).
AECOM-BAKER ATLANTIC PLANNING JV, Arlington, Virginia, is awarded a $95,000,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for multi-discipline architect-engineer services. This contract provides for planning and engineering services for Navy and Marine Corps projects throughout the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Atlantic area of operations, with an expected completion date of January 2031. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $10,000 will be obligated at time of award to satisfy the minimum guarantee and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via SAM.gov website, with two qualification packages received. NAVFAC Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia, is the contracting activity (N62470-26-D-0003).
L3Harris Technologies Inc., Colorado Springs, Colorado, has been awarded an $80,269,309 modification (P00354) to a previously awarded contract (FA8823-20-C-0004) for the National Space Defense Center, and Distributed Space Command and Control System Sustainment Option Year Seven, including depot-level maintenance, mission software support, hardware modification support, sustaining engineering analysis, cybersecurity support, and technical data management and limited supply support. The modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $1,586,276,940 from $1,506,007,631. Work will be performed in Colorado Springs, Colorado; Vandenberg Space Force Base, California; and Dahlgren, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Jan. 31, 2027. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $78,302,110; and fiscal 2026 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $1,200,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Space Systems Command Directorate of Contracting, Peterson SFB, Colorado, is the contracting activity.
Dark Wolf Solutions LLC, Herndon, Virgina, was awarded a ceiling of $67,200,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for cyber space innovation support services. This contract provides for assisting the Secretary of the Air Force Chief Information Office and the Department of the Air Force in their effort to rapidly accredit appropriately tested emerging technologies for the assessment and remediation of cyber vulnerabilities. Work will be performed at the Pentagon, Washinton D.C.; Department of Defense facilities; and other contractor and third-party facilities within the U.S. and is expected to be completed by Feb. 5, 2031. This contract was a sole source Small Business Innovation Research Program Phase III acquisition, and one offer was received. Fiscal 2026 operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $2,750,000 are being obligated at the time of award. The Air Force District of Washinton Contracting Directorate, Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, is the contracting activity (FA701426D0001).
Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., McLean, Virginia, was awarded a $50,000,000 time-and-materials, firm-fixed-price task order for commercial agile software development services. This contract provides for direct sustainment and modernization of software development in support of the Strategy Mission Planning and Execution, Data Fusion, and Visualization suite of software applications. Work will be performed at Bellevue, Nebraska; and Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 31, 2031. This contract was a competitive acquisition, and one offer was received. Operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $685,155 are being obligated at time of award. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, Command and Control Division, Offutt AFB, Nebraska, is the contracting activity (FA2217-26-F-B001).
Booz Allen Hamilton,* McLean, Virginia (HQ003426DE003); Deloitte Consulting LLP,* Arlington, Virginia (HQ003426DE004); Clarity Innovation LLC,* Ponte Verda, Florida (HQ003426DE005); Leidos Inc.,* Reston, Virginia (HQ003426DE006); Tyto Government Solutions Inc.,* Reston, Virginia (HQ003426DE007); Bridge Core LLC,* Reston, Virginia (HQ003426DE008); and KBR Wyle Services LLC, Chantilly, Virginia (HQ003426DE009), were awarded a multiple award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract with a shared ceiling of $561,000,000 for support to the Office of the Director of Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (ODCAPE) Joint Data Support Division (managed by the Office of the Secretary of War, ODCAPE) for identifying, collecting, analyzing, and managing data related to historical, current, and future U.S. and non-U. S. military forces. Work locations will be performed at the Pentagon, and the Mark Center. The estimated completion date is Jan. 8, 2031. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance, defense wide funding is in the amount of $21,000.00 is obligated. The contracting activity is Washington Headquarters Services, Arlington, Virginia.
Katmai North America LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, is being awarded a $37,600,000 firm-fixed-price and cost reimbursement (travel and other direct cost only) indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract with a five-year ordering period for business and operations services in support of the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory. The contract ordering period is from Feb.15, 2026 to Feb. 14, 2031. This contract requires performance primarily at the Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. Fiscal 2026 operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) funds in the amount of $1,565,091; and 2026 research and development (Navy) funds in the amount of $579,225, will be obligated at the time of award for task order one. Subsequent task orders will utilize fiscal year operations and maintenance (Marine Corps) and Research and Development (Navy) funds available at time of task order award. This contract was procured as a sole source to an Alaskan Native company under Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-5(b)(4), 6.303-1(b), 6.303-2(d), 19.808-1(a) and Class Deviation 2020-O0009.The Marine Corps Installations National Capital Region-Regional Contracting Office, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity (M00264-26-D-0003).
Raytheon Co., Tewksbury, Massachusetts, is awarded a $29,420,128 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-22-C-5501) to exercise the Option Year 3 line items for dual band radar (DBR) design agent and technical engineering follow-on requirements support of the DBR systems installed aboard Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers and Zumwalt-class destroyers. 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 January 2027. Fiscal 2026 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $6,115,607 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity.
Systems & Technology Research LLC, Woburn, Massachusetts (N6600123C4037) was awarded a $9,565,901 contract modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the development of innovative payloads to conduct acoustic warfare to counter active surface sonars, bringing the cumulative face value of the contract to $20,467,210. Work will be performed in Braintree, Massachusetts; Springfield, Massachusetts; Woburn, Massachusetts; South Kingstown, Rhode Island; and Arlington, Virginia. The expected completion date is Jan. 3, 2027. This modification exercises and incrementally funds the first option of the contract. At the time of the award, $3,000,000 in fiscal 2026-2027 research, development, test, and evaluation funds from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency were obligated. The contract funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. NIWC Pacific, San Diego, California, is the contracting activity.
ASRC Federal Administrative Services LLC, Beltsville, Maryland, has been awarded a $28,213,164 firm-fixed-price contract (HS002126CE004) for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA). This is a bridge contract which provides Case Processing Operations Center support services. Work will be performed at Boyers, Pennsylvania; and St. Louis, Missouri, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2026. Fiscal 2026 DCSA defense working capital funds in the amount of $9,451,192 were obligated at the time of award. This is not a multiyear contract. One solicitation was issued, and one proposal was received. DCSA Procurement Solutions, Quantico, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
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