FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Justice Department Announces Criminal Charge Against Toyota Motor Corporation and Deferred Prosecution Agreement with $1.2 Billion Financial Penalty
Toyota Motor Corporation Admits to Misleading Consumers and U.S. Regulator About Safety Issues Related to Unintended Acceleration in Its Cars Independent Monitor to Be Appointed to Oversee Toyota’s Public Statements and Reporting of Safety Issues
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara, Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) Calvin L. Scovel III, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Acting Administrator David Friedman and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Deputy Assistant Director Joe Campbell announced a criminal wire fraud charge against Toyota Motor Corporation (“TOYOTA” or “the company”), an automotive company headquartered in Toyota City, Japan, that designs, manufactures, assembles, and sells Toyota and Lexus brand vehicles. The charge is that TOYOTA defrauded consumers in the fall of 2009 and early 2010 by issuing misleading statements about safety issues in Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
Also today, the Department of Justice announced a deferred prosecution agreement with TOYOTA (“the agreement”) under which the company admits that it misled U.S. consumers by concealing and making deceptive statements about two safety issues affecting its vehicles, each of which caused a type of unintended acceleration. The admissions are contained in a detailed statement of facts attached to the agreement. The agreement, which is subject to judicial review, requires TOYOTA to pay a $1.2 billion financial penalty – the largest penalty of its kind ever imposed on an automotive company, and imposes on TOYOTA an independent monitor to review and assess policies, practices and procedures relating to TOYOTA’s safety-related public statements and reporting obligations. TOYOTA agrees to pay the penalty under a Final Order of Forfeiture in a parallel civil action also filed today in the Southern District of New York.
The criminal charge is contained in an Information (“the information”) alleging one count of wire fraud. If TOYOTA abides by all of the terms of the agreement, the Government will defer prosecution on the information for three years and then seek to dismiss the charge.
“Rather than promptly disclosing and correcting safety issues about which they were aware, Toyota made misleading public statements to consumers and gave inaccurate facts to Members of Congress,” said Attorney General Eric Holder. “When car owners get behind the wheel, they have a right to expect that their vehicle is safe. If any part of the automobile turns out to have safety issues, the car company has a duty to be upfront about them, to fix them quickly, and to immediately tell the truth about the problem and its scope. Toyota violated that basic compact. Other car companies should not repeat Toyota’s mistake: a recall may damage a company’s reputation, but deceiving your customers makes that damage far more lasting.”
“Safety is our top priority,” said Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “Throughout this recall process, NHTSA investigators worked tirelessly to make sure that Toyota recalled vehicles with defects causing unintended acceleration, and to determine when they learned of it, and as we learned today, they succeeded in this effort in spite of extraordinary challenges. Today’s penalties follow NHTSA’s own record civil penalties of more than $66 million – together, they send a powerful message to all manufacturers to follow our recall requirements or they will face serious consequences.”
“Toyota stands charged with a criminal offense because it cared more about savings than safety and more about its own brand and bottom line than the truth,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara for the Southern District of New York. “In its zeal to stanch bad publicity in 2009 and 2010, Toyota misled regulators, misled customers, and even misstated the facts to Congress. The tens of millions of drivers in America have an absolute right to expect that the companies manufacturing their cars are not lying about serious safety issues; are not slow-walking safety fixes; and are not playing games with their lives. Companies that make inherently dangerous products must be maximally transparent, not two-faced. That is why we have undertaken this landmark enforcement action. And the entire auto industry should take notice.”
“To the families and friends of those who died or were injured as a result of these incidents, I offer my deepest sympathies for your loss and my highest admiration for the strength you demonstrate every day,” said DOT Inspector General Calvin L. Scovel III. “As is true for Secretary Foxx and DOT, safety is and will remain the highest priority of my office. The OIG is committed to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners in pursuing those who commit criminal violations of the Department of Transportation’s or related laws. The efforts of this dedicated multi-agency team and the agreement reached with Toyota must serve as a clarion call to all auto manufacturers of the need to always be as vigilant and forthcoming as possible to keep the public safe.”
According to the allegations in the information, as well as other documents filed today in Manhattan federal court, including the Statement of Facts:
In the fall of 2009, TOYOTA deceived consumers and its U.S. regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (“NHTSA”), by claiming that it had “addressed” the “root cause” of unintended acceleration in its vehicles through a limited safety recall of eight models for floor-mat entrapment, a dangerous condition in which an improperly secured or incompatible all-weather floor mat can “trap” a depressed gas pedal causing the car to accelerate to a high speed. Such public assurances deceived customers and NHTSA in two ways: First, at the time the statements were made, TOYOTA knew that it had not recalled some cars with design features that made them just as susceptible to floor-mat entrapment as some of the recalled cars. Second, only weeks before these statements were made, TOYOTA had taken steps to hide from NHTSA another type of unintended acceleration in its vehicles, separate and apart from floor-mat entrapment: a problem with accelerators getting stuck at partially depressed levels, known as “sticky pedal.”
Floor-Mat Entrapment: A Fatal Problem
TOYOTA issued its misleading statements, and undertook its acts of concealment, against the backdrop of intense public concern and scrutiny over the safety of its vehicles following a widely publicized Aug. 28, 2009 accident in San Diego, Calif., that killed a family of four. A Lexus dealer had improperly installed an incompatible all-weather floor mat into the Lexus ES350 in which the family was traveling, and that mat entrapped the accelerator at full throttle. A 911 emergency call made from the out-of-control vehicle, which was speeding at over 100 miles per hour, reported, “We’re in a Lexus . . . and we’re going north on 125 and our accelerator is stuck . . . there’s no brakes . . . we’re approaching the intersection . . . Hold on . . . hold on and pray . . . pray.” The call ended with the sound of the crash that killed everyone in the vehicle.
The San Diego accident was not the first time that TOYOTA had faced a problem with floor-mat entrapment. In 2007, following a series of reports alleging unintended acceleration in Toyota and Lexus vehicles, NHTSA opened a defect investigation into the Lexus ES350 model (the vehicle involved in the 2009 San Diego accident), and identified several other Toyota and Lexus models it believed might likewise be defective. TOYOTA, while denying to NHTSA the need to recall any of its vehicles, conducted an internal investigation in 2007 which revealed that certain Toyota and Lexus models, including most of the ones that NHTSA had identified as potentially problematic, had design features rendering entrapment of the gas pedal by an all-weather floor mat more likely. TOYOTA did not share these results with NHTSA. In the end, the Company negotiated a limited recall of 55,000 mats (no vehicles) – a result that TOYOTA employees touted internally as a major victory: “had the agency . . . pushed for recall of the throttle pedal assembly (for instance), we would be looking at upwards of $100 million + in unnecessary costs.”
Shortly after TOYOTA announced its 2007 mat recall, company engineers revised internal design guidelines to provide for, among other things, a minimum clearance of 10 millimeters between a fully depressed gas pedal and the floor. But TOYOTA decided those revised guidelines would only apply where a model was receiving a “full model redesign” – something each Toyota and Lexus model underwent only about once every three to five years. As a result, even after the revised guidelines had been adopted internally, many new vehicles produced and sold by TOYOTA – including the Lexus ES350 involved in the 2009 San Diego accident – did not comply with TOYOTA’s 2007 guidelines.
After the fatal and highly publicized San Diego accident, TOYOTA agreed to recall eight of its models, including the ES350, for floor-mat entrapment susceptibility. Thereafter, as part of an effort to defend its brand image, TOYOTA began issuing public statements assuring customers that this limited recall had “addressed the root cause of unintended acceleration” in its U.S.-sold vehicles.
As TOYOTA knew from internal testing it had completed by the time these statements were made, the eight-model recall had not in fact “addressed the root cause” of even the floor-mat entrapment problem. Models not recalled – and therefore still on the road – bore design features rendering them just as susceptible to floor-mat entrapment as those within the recall population. One engineer working at a TOYOTA facility in California had concluded that the Corolla, a top-selling car that had not been recalled, was among the three “worse” vehicles for floor-mat entrapment. In October 2009, TOYOTA engineers in Japan circulated a chart showing that the Corolla had the lowest rating for floor-mat entrapment under their analysis. None of these findings or this data were shared with NHTSA at the time.
The Sticky Pedal Problem
What is more misleading, at the same time it was assuring the public that the “root cause” of unintended acceleration had been “addressed” by the 2009 eight-model floor-mat entrapment recall, TOYOTA was hiding from NHTSA a second cause of unintended acceleration in its vehicles: the sticky pedal. Sticky pedal, a phenomenon affecting pedals manufactured by a U.S. company (“A-Pedal Company”) and installed in many Toyota brand vehicles in North America as well as Europe, resulted from the use of a plastic material inside the pedals that could cause the accelerator pedal to become mechanically stuck in a partially depressed position. The pedals incorporating this plastic were installed in, among other models, the Camry, the Matrix, the Corolla, and the Avalon sold in the United States.
The sticky pedal problem surfaced in Europe in 2008. There, reports reflected instances of “uncontrolled acceleration” and unintended acceleration to “maximum RPM,” and customer concern that the condition was “extremely dangerous.”
In early 2009, TOYOTA circulated to European Toyota distributors information about the sticky pedal problem and instructions for addressing the problem if it presented itself in a customer’s vehicle. These instructions identified the issue as “Sudden RPM increase/vehicle acceleration due to accelerator pedal sticking,” and stated that should a customer complain of pedal sticking, the pedal should be replaced with pedals manufactured by a company other than A-Pedal Company. Contemporaneous internal TOYOTA documents described the sticky pedal problem as a “defect” that was “[i]mportant in terms of safety because of the possibility of accidents.”
TOYOTA did not then inform its U.S. regulators of the sticky pedal problem or conduct a recall. Instead, beginning in the spring of 2009, TOYOTA quietly directed A-Pedal Company to change the pedals in new productions of affected models in Europe, and to plan for the same design changes to be rolled out in the United States (where the same problematic pedals were being used) beginning in the fall of 2009. The design change was to substitute the plastic used in the affected pedal models with another material and to change the length of the friction lever in the pedal.
Meanwhile, the sticky pedal problem was manifesting itself in U.S. vehicles. On or about the same day the San Diego floor-mat entrapment accident occurred, staff at a U.S. TOYOTA subsidiary in California sent a memorandum to staff at TOYOTA in Japan identifying as “critical” an “unintended acceleration” issue separate and apart from floor-mat entrapment that had been identified in an accelerator pedal of a Toyota Matrix vehicle in Arizona. The problem identified, and then reproduced during testing of the pedal on Sept. 17, 2009, was the sticky pedal problem. Also in August, the sticky pedal problem cropped up in a U.S. Camry.
On Sept. 9, 2009, an employee of a U.S. TOYOTA subsidiary who was concerned about the sticky pedal problem in the United States and believed that TOYOTA should address the problem prepared a “Market Impact Summary” listing (in addition to the August 2009 Matrix and Camry) 39 warranty cases that he believed involved potential manifestations of the sticky pedal problem. This document, which was circulated to TOYOTA engineers and, later, to staff in charge of recall decisions in Japan, designated the sticky pedal problem as priority level “A,” the highest level.
By no later than September 2009, TOYOTA recognized internally that the sticky pedal problem posed a risk of a type of unintended acceleration – or “overrun,” as Toyota sometimes called it – in many of its U.S. vehicles. A September 2009 presentation made by a manager at a U.S. TOYOTA subsidiary to TOYOTA executives gave a “current summary of O/R [overrun] types in NA [North American] market” that listed the three confirmed types as: “mat interference” (i.e., floor-mat entrapment), “material issue” (described as “pedal stuck and . . . pedal slow return/deformed”) and “simultaneous pedal press” by the consumer. The presentation further listed the models affected by the “material issue” as including “Camry, Corolla, Matrix, Avalon.”
Hiding Sticky Pedal from NHTSA and the Public
As noted, TOYOTA had by this time developed internal plans to implement design changes for all A-Pedal-Company-manufactured pedals in U.S. Toyota models to address, on a going-forward basis, the still-undisclosed sticky pedal problem that had already been resolved for new vehicles in Europe. On Oct. 5, 2009, TOYOTA engineers issued to A-Pedal Company the first of the design change instructions intended to prevent sticky pedal in the U.S. market. This was described internally as an “urgent” measure to be implemented on an “express” basis, as a “major” change – meaning that the part number of the subject pedal was to change, and that all inventory units with the old pedal number should be scrapped.
On Oct. 21, 2009, however, in the wake of the San Diego floor-mat entrapment accident, and in the midst of TOYOTA’s discussions with NHTSA about its eight-model entrapment recall, engineers at TOYOTA and the leadership of TOYOTA’s recall decision group decided to cancel the design change instruction that had already been issued and to suspend all remaining design changes planned for A-Pedal Company pedals in U.S. models. U.S. TOYOTA subsidiary employees who had been preparing for implementation of the changes were instructed, orally, to alert the manufacturing plants of the cancellation. They were also instructed not to put anything about the cancellation in writing. A-Pedal Company itself would receive no written cancellation at this time; instead, contrary to TOYOTA’s own standard procedures, the cancellation was to be effected without a paper trail.
TOYOTA decided to suspend the pedal design changes in the United States, and to avoid memorializing that suspension, in order to prevent NHTSA from learning about the sticky pedal problem.
In early November 2009, TOYOTA and the leadership of a U.S. TOYOTA subsidiary became aware of three instances of sticky pedal in U.S. Corollas. Shortly thereafter, the leadership of the recall decision group within TOYOTA discussed a plan to finally disclose the sticky pedal problem to NHTSA. The recall decision group was aware at this time not only of the problems in the three Corollas in the United States but also of the problems that had surfaced in a Matrix and a Camry in August 2009 and been reproduced through testing in September 2009. The group was also familiar with the sticky pedal problem in Europe, the design changes that had been implemented there, and the cancellation and suspension of similar planned design changes in the United States. Knowing all of this, the group’s leadership decided that (a) it would not disclose the September 2009 Market Impact Summary to NHTSA; (b) if any disclosure were to be made to NHTSA, it would be limited to a disclosure that there were some reports of unintended acceleration apparently unrelated to floor-mat entrapment; and (c) NHTSA should be told that TOYOTA had made no findings with respect to the sticky pedal problem reflected in the reports concerning the three U.S. Corollas, and that the investigation of the problem had just begun.
On Nov. 17, 2009, before TOYOTA had negotiated with NHTSA a final set of remedies for the eight models encompassed by the floor-mat entrapment recall, TOYOTA informed NHTSA of the three Corolla reports and several other reports of unintended acceleration in Toyota model vehicles equipped with pedals manufactured by A‑Pedal Company. In TOYOTA’s disclosure to NHTSA, TOYOTA did not reveal its understanding of the sticky pedal problem as a type of unintended acceleration, nor did it reveal the problem’s manifestation and the subsequent design changes in Europe, the planned, cancelled, and suspended design changes in the United States, the August 2009 Camry and Matrix vehicles that had suffered sticky pedal, or the September 2009 Market Impact Summary.
TOYOTA’s Misleading Statements
After the August 2009 fatal floor-mat entrapment accident in San Diego, several articles critical of TOYOTA appeared in U.S. newspapers. The articles reported instances of TOYOTA customers allegedly experiencing unintended acceleration and the authors accused TOYOTA of, among other things, hiding defects related to unintended acceleration.
On Nov. 25, 2009, TOYOTA, through a U.S. subsidiary, announced its floor- mat entrapment resolution with NHTSA. In a press release that had been approved by TOYOTA, the U.S. subsidiary assured customers: “The safety of our owners and the public is our utmost concern and Toyota has and will continue to thoroughly investigate and take appropriate measures to address any defect trends that are identified.” A spokesperson for the subsidiary stated during a press conference the same day, “We’re very, very confident that we have addressed this issue.”
In truth, the issue of unintended acceleration had not been “addressed” by the remedies announced. A-Pedal Company pedals which could experience stickiness were still on the road and still, in fact, being installed in newly-produced vehicles. And the best-selling Corolla, the Highlander, and the Venza – which had design features similar to models that had been included in the earlier floor-mat entrapment recall – were not being “addressed” at all.
Again, on Dec. 23, 2009, TOYOTA responded to media accusations that it was continuing to hide defects in its vehicles by authorizing a U.S. TOYOTA subsidiary to publish the following misleading statements on the subsidiary’s website: “Toyota has absolutely not minimized public awareness of any defect or issue with respect to its vehicles. Any suggestion to the contrary is wrong and borders on irresponsibility. We are confident that the measures we are taking address the root cause and will reduce the risk of pedal entrapment.” In fact, TOYOTA had “minimized public awareness of” both sticky pedal and floor-mat entrapment. Further, the measures TOYOTA had taken did not “address the root cause” of unintended acceleration, because TOYOTA had not yet issued a sticky pedal recall and had not yet recalled the Corolla, the Venza, or the Highlander for floor-mat entrapment.
TOYOTA’s False Timeline
When, in early 2010, TOYOTA finally conducted safety recalls to address the unintended acceleration issues it had concealed throughout the fall of 2009, TOYOTA provided to the American public, NHTSA and the United States Congress an inaccurate timeline of events that made it appear as if TOYOTA had learned of the sticky pedal in the United States in “October 2009,” and then acted promptly to remedy the problem within 90 days of discovering it. In fact, TOYOTA had begun its investigation of sticky pedal in the United States no later than August 2009, had already reproduced the problem in a U.S. pedal by no later than September 2009, and had taken active steps in the months following that testing to hide the problem from NHTSA and the public.
* * *
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bonnie Jonas, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. McCallum are in charge of the prosecution, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Cohen Levin, Chief of the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit is responsible for the forfeiture aspects of the case.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
U.S. WISHES PEOPLE OF IRAN A HAPPY, HEALTHY, AND PROSPEROUS NOWRUZ
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Message to the Iranian People on Nowruz
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 20, 2014
I'm privileged to join President Obama in wishing the people of Iran and all those who celebrate around the world -- from East Asia to the Persian Gulf region -- a happy, healthy, and prosperous Nowruz.
All who celebrate Nowruz remember that it is not just an ancient tradition dating back over 3,000 years, but a time of renewal and hope. This season we reflect on the shared humanity that binds us together.
My own family is stronger today because of the presence and love of Iranian-Americans, and I am proud of the family ties that we Americans have to Iran and its people. Here in America, we value the significant contributions that Iranian-Americans continue to make, whether it's in science, medicine, engineering, business, art, or so many other ways.
On this Nowruz, we reaffirm our belief that strengthening cultural and academic ties between our two countries benefits our two peoples. Today, I am pleased to note that the Treasury Department will issue a new General License that will enhance educational ties between Iran and the United States through exchanges and the provision of new opportunities for Iranians to study in our country.
It's not lost on any of us that the United States and Iran have endured harsh winters in our past, but gathering to welcome Spring and the New Year with friends and family is an opportunity to look forward to what can lie ahead with hard work and commitment. And it is our hope that the people of Iran will be able to fulfill their aspirations in their own society in the coming year.
So as you gather with your loved ones around the Haft Seen Sofreh, the United States wishes you a joyous New Year filled with the hope for a better tomorrow.
Nowruzetan Pirooz!
All who celebrate Nowruz remember that it is not just an ancient tradition dating back over 3,000 years, but a time of renewal and hope. This season we reflect on the shared humanity that binds us together.
My own family is stronger today because of the presence and love of Iranian-Americans, and I am proud of the family ties that we Americans have to Iran and its people. Here in America, we value the significant contributions that Iranian-Americans continue to make, whether it's in science, medicine, engineering, business, art, or so many other ways.
On this Nowruz, we reaffirm our belief that strengthening cultural and academic ties between our two countries benefits our two peoples. Today, I am pleased to note that the Treasury Department will issue a new General License that will enhance educational ties between Iran and the United States through exchanges and the provision of new opportunities for Iranians to study in our country.
It's not lost on any of us that the United States and Iran have endured harsh winters in our past, but gathering to welcome Spring and the New Year with friends and family is an opportunity to look forward to what can lie ahead with hard work and commitment. And it is our hope that the people of Iran will be able to fulfill their aspirations in their own society in the coming year.
So as you gather with your loved ones around the Haft Seen Sofreh, the United States wishes you a joyous New Year filled with the hope for a better tomorrow.
Nowruzetan Pirooz!
REMARKS: SECRETARY OF STATE KERRY AND SLOVAK DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER LAJCAK
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Remarks With Slovak Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak After Their Meeting
John Kerry
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Treaty Room
Washington, DC
March 20, 2014
SECRETARY KERRY: Fabulous. Thank you. Good morning, everybody. It’s my pleasure to welcome Miroslav Lajcak, the foreign minister of Slovakia here, and to wish him happy birthday.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: He’s a ripe old – say his age. I’m not going to burn him. But he’s much younger than I am. So I’m very jealous.
Slovakia is a very trusted partner of the United States and a NATO member. And they have been strong on the subject of Ukraine, they have stood with us and the rest of the world in speaking out against the illegal annexation of Crimea, the unconstitutional – contrary to the constitution of Ukraine, contrary to international law, and Slovakia, obviously, feels this very powerfully for historical reasons. They have been an important partner in terms of evolution of democracy and their market and their engagement within Europe – a trusted EU partner as well. And we’re very, very happy to welcome them.
They’ve also been on the front lines with us in Afghanistan and elsewhere, so we’re grateful for the friendship. We’re grateful for their strength as a small but strong nation, and a proud nation that’s willing to stand up and be counted as we stand up for the international order that has been in place since World War II. We need to live by that order, and I think Slovakia understands full well, given its history, how important this moment is. Welcome.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: Thank you very much. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It’s really a pleasure and honor for me to be in Washington, DC today and to have the chance to meet with Secretary Kerry and to discuss a wide range of issues – Ukraine, obviously, being the focus of our attention. For Slovakia, Ukraine is extremely important. It’s our neighbor. We have many contacts with Ukraine – people to people, political, energy, and other contacts. Therefore we are very sensitive to everything that is happening there. International law has been violated. This is not acceptable, and we must (inaudible) and we are being very active in our national capacity, as part of the Visegrad 4, but also as members of the European Union and NATO, so this will be – very much the main subject of our discussions.
But there are other issues – EU, NATO, Afghanistan, Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, and also our bilateral relations which are excellent and we are very happy about.
Thank you very much.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thanks, Miroslav. Thank you.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what if Russia invades eastern Ukraine?
SECRETARY KERRY: We’re going to be – have a chance to talk about all of this in the next couple of days as we go to Europe for the meetings in The Hague, and we’ll have a lot of chance to share some thoughts with all of you about it. And I will be, I think, meeting on the side of that with the foreign minister of Russia. So hopefully – we’ll see where we are at that point in time. I think the White House will have an announcement later today.
Thanks.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: Thank you
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: Thank you.
SECRETARY KERRY: He’s a ripe old – say his age. I’m not going to burn him. But he’s much younger than I am. So I’m very jealous.
Slovakia is a very trusted partner of the United States and a NATO member. And they have been strong on the subject of Ukraine, they have stood with us and the rest of the world in speaking out against the illegal annexation of Crimea, the unconstitutional – contrary to the constitution of Ukraine, contrary to international law, and Slovakia, obviously, feels this very powerfully for historical reasons. They have been an important partner in terms of evolution of democracy and their market and their engagement within Europe – a trusted EU partner as well. And we’re very, very happy to welcome them.
They’ve also been on the front lines with us in Afghanistan and elsewhere, so we’re grateful for the friendship. We’re grateful for their strength as a small but strong nation, and a proud nation that’s willing to stand up and be counted as we stand up for the international order that has been in place since World War II. We need to live by that order, and I think Slovakia understands full well, given its history, how important this moment is. Welcome.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: Thank you very much. Good morning ladies and gentlemen. It’s really a pleasure and honor for me to be in Washington, DC today and to have the chance to meet with Secretary Kerry and to discuss a wide range of issues – Ukraine, obviously, being the focus of our attention. For Slovakia, Ukraine is extremely important. It’s our neighbor. We have many contacts with Ukraine – people to people, political, energy, and other contacts. Therefore we are very sensitive to everything that is happening there. International law has been violated. This is not acceptable, and we must (inaudible) and we are being very active in our national capacity, as part of the Visegrad 4, but also as members of the European Union and NATO, so this will be – very much the main subject of our discussions.
But there are other issues – EU, NATO, Afghanistan, Western Balkans, Eastern Partnership, and also our bilateral relations which are excellent and we are very happy about.
Thank you very much.
SECRETARY KERRY: Thanks, Miroslav. Thank you.
QUESTION: Mr. Secretary, what if Russia invades eastern Ukraine?
SECRETARY KERRY: We’re going to be – have a chance to talk about all of this in the next couple of days as we go to Europe for the meetings in The Hague, and we’ll have a lot of chance to share some thoughts with all of you about it. And I will be, I think, meeting on the side of that with the foreign minister of Russia. So hopefully – we’ll see where we are at that point in time. I think the White House will have an announcement later today.
Thanks.
FOREIGN MINISTER LAJCAK: Thank you
NASA'S MOSAIC OF THE LUNAR NORTH POLE
NASA Releases First Interactive Mosaic of Lunar North Pole
Scientists, using cameras aboard NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), have created the largest high resolution mosaic of our moon’s north polar region. The six-and-a-half feet (two-meters)-per-pixel images cover an area equal to more than one-quarter of the United States. The images making up the mosaic were taken by the two LRO Narrow Angle Cameras, which are part of the instrument suite known as the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter Camera (LROC). The cameras can record a tremendous dynamic range of lit and shadowed areas. Web viewers can zoom in and out, and pan around an area. Constructed from 10,581 pictures, the mosaic provides enough detail to see textures and subtle shading of the lunar terrain. Consistent lighting throughout the images makes it easy to compare different regions. Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/Arizona State University
Image Credit-NASA-GSFC-Arizona State University
MILCLOUD AND THE MAINTENANCE OF DOD APPLICATIONS
FROM: DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
DISA now offers milCloud, a cloud-service portfolio, featuring an integrated suite of capabilities designed to drive agility into the development, deployment and maintenance of DoD applications.
milCloud leverages a combination of mature commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and government-developed technology to deliver cloud services tailored to needs of the DoD. The benefits of milCloud include cost savings, more flexibility and control for the mission partner to manage resources and control their computing environment, and greater security in the processing and storage of classified and controlled unclassified information.
milCloud is a component of the DoD Enterprise Cloud Environment, and is a foundational Joint Information Environment, Core Data Center offering. milCloud’s infrastructure is maintained within DoD core data centers (CDCs) that incorporate strict security protocols.
The portfolio will aid the DoD to deliver the most innovative, efficient, and secure information and information technology (IT) services in support of the department’s mission; anywhere, anytime, on any authorized device.
All products in the milCloud portfolio feature the following cloud services characteristics:
On-Demand Self-Service: milCloud consumers can place orders on-demand through web-based self-service tools, configure infrastructure resources where appropriate, and manage their mission application lifecycle running on those resources without manual intervention from DISA support staff.
Broad Network Access: All milCloud products and services have network connectivity to the Department of Defense Information Networks (DoDIN) and are configured in accordance with relevant DoD security guidelines and approved protocols.
Resource Pooling: milCloud resources are pooled so that multiple mission partners consume units from pools provisioned by DISA, enabling efficient use of aggregate resources and greater consumption flexibility.
Rapid Elasticity: The milCloud portfolio has the ability to expand or contract resource use within virtual resource pools.
With milCloud, the mission partner maintains control and flexibility. milCloud features a shared, virtualized computing infrastructure environment known as a virtual data center (VDC). The VDC is “virtual floor space” and logically analogous to an enclave in a physical datacenter in which mission partners can manage compute, store, and network resources as required to support their systems. Consumption of computing resources within the VDC is enabled via a self-service, on-demand, web-based, management interface that enables mission partners to order, provision, and directly manage their VDC resources.
DISA requires that VDCs are under explicit responsibility and accountability of the mission partner’s Designated Approving Authority (DAA). Mission partner DAAs, or their designates, must endorse a Certificate of Risk Assessment (CORA) to formally accept information assurance accountability.
Resources can be configured within a VDC and managed by the mission partner with a high degree of flexibility and self-service control or resources can be configured automatically by milCloud’s Orchestrator.
milCloud’s Orchestrator can streamline and automate the management of functions related to building, testing, and migrating of configurations in a VDC. A mission partner can use available “recipes” or create a recipe of assets, such as virtual machines, software packages and configuration scripts. The milCloud Orchestrator executes the recipe on mission partner demand.
milCloud Orchestrator also automates numerous labor intensive and repetitive activities such as functional regression testing following changes to an application. Environment recipes can also be published as baselines and/or minimum system requirements. Mission partner administrators have control over how recipes are shared and made available to other users in milCloud.
milCloud includes Level II/Tier I thru III support 24/7 through a central service desk, ensuring mission partners receive support and information assurance when they need it.
DISA now offers milCloud, a cloud-service portfolio, featuring an integrated suite of capabilities designed to drive agility into the development, deployment and maintenance of DoD applications.
milCloud leverages a combination of mature commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) and government-developed technology to deliver cloud services tailored to needs of the DoD. The benefits of milCloud include cost savings, more flexibility and control for the mission partner to manage resources and control their computing environment, and greater security in the processing and storage of classified and controlled unclassified information.
milCloud is a component of the DoD Enterprise Cloud Environment, and is a foundational Joint Information Environment, Core Data Center offering. milCloud’s infrastructure is maintained within DoD core data centers (CDCs) that incorporate strict security protocols.
The portfolio will aid the DoD to deliver the most innovative, efficient, and secure information and information technology (IT) services in support of the department’s mission; anywhere, anytime, on any authorized device.
All products in the milCloud portfolio feature the following cloud services characteristics:
On-Demand Self-Service: milCloud consumers can place orders on-demand through web-based self-service tools, configure infrastructure resources where appropriate, and manage their mission application lifecycle running on those resources without manual intervention from DISA support staff.
Broad Network Access: All milCloud products and services have network connectivity to the Department of Defense Information Networks (DoDIN) and are configured in accordance with relevant DoD security guidelines and approved protocols.
Resource Pooling: milCloud resources are pooled so that multiple mission partners consume units from pools provisioned by DISA, enabling efficient use of aggregate resources and greater consumption flexibility.
Rapid Elasticity: The milCloud portfolio has the ability to expand or contract resource use within virtual resource pools.
With milCloud, the mission partner maintains control and flexibility. milCloud features a shared, virtualized computing infrastructure environment known as a virtual data center (VDC). The VDC is “virtual floor space” and logically analogous to an enclave in a physical datacenter in which mission partners can manage compute, store, and network resources as required to support their systems. Consumption of computing resources within the VDC is enabled via a self-service, on-demand, web-based, management interface that enables mission partners to order, provision, and directly manage their VDC resources.
DISA requires that VDCs are under explicit responsibility and accountability of the mission partner’s Designated Approving Authority (DAA). Mission partner DAAs, or their designates, must endorse a Certificate of Risk Assessment (CORA) to formally accept information assurance accountability.
Resources can be configured within a VDC and managed by the mission partner with a high degree of flexibility and self-service control or resources can be configured automatically by milCloud’s Orchestrator.
milCloud’s Orchestrator can streamline and automate the management of functions related to building, testing, and migrating of configurations in a VDC. A mission partner can use available “recipes” or create a recipe of assets, such as virtual machines, software packages and configuration scripts. The milCloud Orchestrator executes the recipe on mission partner demand.
milCloud Orchestrator also automates numerous labor intensive and repetitive activities such as functional regression testing following changes to an application. Environment recipes can also be published as baselines and/or minimum system requirements. Mission partner administrators have control over how recipes are shared and made available to other users in milCloud.
milCloud includes Level II/Tier I thru III support 24/7 through a central service desk, ensuring mission partners receive support and information assurance when they need it.
NSF TOUTS "PARTICLE FEVER"
Particle Fever discovers the human element to physics
March 14 is just a bit heady if you happen to like math or science. It's Einstein's birthday. It's Pi Day, and this year in Washington, D.C., it's just a week before the local premiere of Particle Fever.
This documentary film features the world's most powerful particle collider and follows seven scientists and engineers for five years. It focuses on the period from when they switched on the Large Hadron Collider to when they ultimately discovered the Higgs boson and presented those findings at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
So today we honor Albert Einstein, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, who interpreted Planck's quantum hypothesis realistically to explain the photoelectric effect in 1905, and who helped spawn debating, theorizing and testing that influenced the field of quantum physics. This advanced science and paved the way for the discovery detailed in Particle Fever.
By the end of March, Particle Fever will have opened in most major markets, and while the story delineates scientific processes, many too will take away messages about the excitement of discovery, the immense challenge to proving or disproving physics theory and the very human side of physics.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) partially funded Particle Fever producer and physicist David Kaplan of Johns Hopkins University as he began making this movie. Particle Fever director Mark Levinson has been noted as being a physicist-turned-director, but few realize the inverse of that equation in Kaplan, who started college as a film student before discovering his clear love for physics.
'Could be nothing or everything...'
Kaplan has said he had to ignore how irrational it was to think about making a documentary about science when he had no idea of how it ended. However, his hunch was that whatever the outcome, the impacts would be historic. His attitude was to plunge ahead and believe that at some point he'd have a compelling story. But between the significant personal financial and emotional investment, mechanical setbacks at CERN and the uncertainty of the experiment itself, pressure was inevitable.
His approach was to find scientists to follow with camera crews periodically and provide video cameras to others for "selfies," hoping for the good fortune of targeting people who would create the inevitable excitement of being involved in such a significant event in the field of physics.
Kaplan has said it wasn't so much about verifying and discovering the Higgs boson, it felt more like a story about the scientific journey to discovery. And ultimately, Particle Fever provides us with highs, lows, uncertainty and professional exhilaration. We laugh. We cry. And most of all, we move through the movie with all the compelling characters, sharing in their trepidation and thrill in this scientific adventure. Kaplan hoped this would convey an enthralling story.
Turns out he was right.
NSF: Why do you need such a big contraption as the five-story-tall Large Hadron Collider to see something as small as a boson?
DK: Quantum mechanics says that particles and waves are two aspects of the same thing. The fundamental particles, like the electron, somehow behave like a wave. The electron interferes; it doesn't just scatter. It interferes with other particles. It interferes with itself. It's weird. To see something very tiny, you need tiny waves. And a tiny wavelength is a high frequency, which is high energy, and so to see tiny, tiny, tiny things, you need a very high energy beam. So the Large Hadron Collider is that large, so you can accelerate protons to a high enough energy to create the waves--the proton waves--so tiny that you can start to see tiny things.
NSF: What is your favorite scene in Particle Fever?
DK: My favorite scene is with Savas (Dimopoulos) and an older physicist, Riccardo Barbieri who in a sort of, not-typical way was really ready to retire. [NOTE: In this scene, the two men discuss the challenge for theoretical physicists who often don't get to see their theories proven within their lifetime and how it can leave a feeling of wondering whether they made a difference.] Working very hard, Barbieri chose a time when he was going to retire and really not do physics any more. And physicists--including Riccardo--don't speak emotionally or personally about their experience being a physicist and hopes and disappointments. We don't think like that. We're sort of active all the time. You're supposed to fail most all the time, so it's okay. I didn't know [that scene] was going to be that poignant, but it summarized the unspoken feeling of all of us. That's my favorite scene for many, many reasons.
NSF: What were the worst and best parts of making Particle Fever?
DK: The worst part of making Particle Fever was the emotional and intellectual commitment that it required and took away from my family...and physics. And the best part was the support of the community. It was scary to go and do something that was not physics because the social capital in physics is "What are you working on?" It doesn't have to be a big breakthrough; it just has to be contribution to what we're all trying to figure out. And so, "You're going off and making a movie?" How are people going to respond to that? Almost universal approval and support for the project was very fulfilling. That, and "OK, David, when are you going to come back?" reminding me that there's a home to come back to when this is all done.
NSF: How have people responded to the movie?
DK: Non-physicists and scientists alike have responded positively. I think scientists respond positively because they think, "Yeah, that's how it is. Nobody ever shows how it really is." Science documentaries, which are to teach science, are not about the experience. [I found that] what's important is the experience of the physics for the physicist. And so all the graphics we put into the movie--the goal was that they look like what is in the head of the physicist and not perfectly all laid out gorgeous so you really see what this dimension looks like. That wasn't the goal. How do physicists think? And it's in very simple lines and very simple representations. So I think the scientists enjoyed that "yes, this is my world-people understand me." And the non-scientists felt something even if they didn't understand the physics: "Wow I can feel something about this, not just, "oh, that's cool." I think that's why it works.
NSF: What work will you do next as a physics researcher?
DK: There are a variety of things that I think are interesting...one is dark matter, which I have done work on. One is black hole information, which I've done no work on, but I'd love to learn about it. It's hot right now. I'm usually very late to these games, but maybe I find something that people miss. But whatever it is [I pursue], it's going to be something I find truly interesting. This is my rule: Always do something you think is really cool, not because you think someone else will like it or because you think it will get you a job. Because whatever you think is cool and you work hard at it, you'll get good at that. And eventually people will ask you to do more of that. And that's what you want to have happen.
=====================================================================
Some additional physics facts
One of the most interesting aspects to Particle Fever is that it starts a discussion about the science behind the Higgs boson. Physicist Greg Mack addresses two of these issues. He his also a NSF Science & Technology Policy Fellow sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
How do protons create a Higgs boson?
In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), protons, which are the positive particles in an atom's nucleus, smash together to create new particles. We can again thank Einstein for the idea behind how this is possible: energy and mass are intimately related. His famous equation E = mc2 says that mass m and energy E are two forms of the same thing and can be converted into each other, related by the speed of light c. This also says that it takes a lot of energy to make a little matter, since the speed of light is such a large number.
As Particle Fever documents, the experiments at the LHC found that the Higgs boson has 125 times more mass than a proton. How can two small protons colliding together make something bigger? One has to boost the protons, giving them a lot more energy to add into the mix. This goes along with David Kaplan's explanation of why the LHC has to be so big--the bigger the contraption, the more energy that can be added! The very strong magnets and huge circular structure of the LHC can accelerate the protons to extremely high speeds, giving each one an energy of about 7,000 times the mass of an ordinary proton.
When two protons collide at such high speeds and energies, they don't just bounce off each other. Protons actually are made up of particles called quarks, which are held together by gluons. In these collisions, it's the quarks and gluons that hit. This is where the extra energy is key--the whole process takes the quarks, gluons and energy, smashes them all together and spits out new particles. When that happens, some of that energy can be converted into mass, making particles such as the Higgs that are bigger than the original particles. The colliding proton beams make a bunch of new particles--bigger and smaller--and it is up to scientists to interpret what the detectors record.
What's a 'Gee-ee-Vee?'
In Particle Fever, the high energy physicists Kaplan, Dimopoulos and Barbieri don't talk about mass in kilograms. To them, it makes more sense to talk about mass in terms of energy. They are interchangeable after all, as Einstein said. It all hinges on what's most useful for discussion and calculations.
Instead, mass is talked about in units of the electronVolt: the energy an electron gains or loses when it's exposed to one volt of electricity. That unit is abbreviated as "eV" and pronounced as "ee-Vee." This is actually a small number for the measurement of mass, and in Particle Fever the scientists talk about "Gee-ee-Vee" or "GeV": a gigaelectronVolt. Adding the prefix "giga-" to the unit multiplies it by a billion, so this translates as a billion electronVolts.
Why is this useful? A proton has a mass of about 1.7 x 10-27 kilograms. That's a very small and messy number. In electronVolts, the proton has a mass of about 1 GeV. Yes, 1 GeV--a number much more easily managed. It's then easy to compare how big other particles are, such as when the LHC made the Higgs discovery at a mass of 125 GeV.
Watch the trailer and find out more about Particle Fever.
-- Ivy F. Kupec, (703) 292-8796 ikupec@nsf.gov
-- Gregory Mack, (703) 292-7373 GMACK@nsf.gov
Investigators
David Kaplan
Related Institutions/Organizations
CERN
Johns Hopkins University
March 14 is just a bit heady if you happen to like math or science. It's Einstein's birthday. It's Pi Day, and this year in Washington, D.C., it's just a week before the local premiere of Particle Fever.
This documentary film features the world's most powerful particle collider and follows seven scientists and engineers for five years. It focuses on the period from when they switched on the Large Hadron Collider to when they ultimately discovered the Higgs boson and presented those findings at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research.
So today we honor Albert Einstein, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921, who interpreted Planck's quantum hypothesis realistically to explain the photoelectric effect in 1905, and who helped spawn debating, theorizing and testing that influenced the field of quantum physics. This advanced science and paved the way for the discovery detailed in Particle Fever.
By the end of March, Particle Fever will have opened in most major markets, and while the story delineates scientific processes, many too will take away messages about the excitement of discovery, the immense challenge to proving or disproving physics theory and the very human side of physics.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) partially funded Particle Fever producer and physicist David Kaplan of Johns Hopkins University as he began making this movie. Particle Fever director Mark Levinson has been noted as being a physicist-turned-director, but few realize the inverse of that equation in Kaplan, who started college as a film student before discovering his clear love for physics.
'Could be nothing or everything...'
Kaplan has said he had to ignore how irrational it was to think about making a documentary about science when he had no idea of how it ended. However, his hunch was that whatever the outcome, the impacts would be historic. His attitude was to plunge ahead and believe that at some point he'd have a compelling story. But between the significant personal financial and emotional investment, mechanical setbacks at CERN and the uncertainty of the experiment itself, pressure was inevitable.
His approach was to find scientists to follow with camera crews periodically and provide video cameras to others for "selfies," hoping for the good fortune of targeting people who would create the inevitable excitement of being involved in such a significant event in the field of physics.
Kaplan has said it wasn't so much about verifying and discovering the Higgs boson, it felt more like a story about the scientific journey to discovery. And ultimately, Particle Fever provides us with highs, lows, uncertainty and professional exhilaration. We laugh. We cry. And most of all, we move through the movie with all the compelling characters, sharing in their trepidation and thrill in this scientific adventure. Kaplan hoped this would convey an enthralling story.
Turns out he was right.
NSF: Why do you need such a big contraption as the five-story-tall Large Hadron Collider to see something as small as a boson?
DK: Quantum mechanics says that particles and waves are two aspects of the same thing. The fundamental particles, like the electron, somehow behave like a wave. The electron interferes; it doesn't just scatter. It interferes with other particles. It interferes with itself. It's weird. To see something very tiny, you need tiny waves. And a tiny wavelength is a high frequency, which is high energy, and so to see tiny, tiny, tiny things, you need a very high energy beam. So the Large Hadron Collider is that large, so you can accelerate protons to a high enough energy to create the waves--the proton waves--so tiny that you can start to see tiny things.
NSF: What is your favorite scene in Particle Fever?
DK: My favorite scene is with Savas (Dimopoulos) and an older physicist, Riccardo Barbieri who in a sort of, not-typical way was really ready to retire. [NOTE: In this scene, the two men discuss the challenge for theoretical physicists who often don't get to see their theories proven within their lifetime and how it can leave a feeling of wondering whether they made a difference.] Working very hard, Barbieri chose a time when he was going to retire and really not do physics any more. And physicists--including Riccardo--don't speak emotionally or personally about their experience being a physicist and hopes and disappointments. We don't think like that. We're sort of active all the time. You're supposed to fail most all the time, so it's okay. I didn't know [that scene] was going to be that poignant, but it summarized the unspoken feeling of all of us. That's my favorite scene for many, many reasons.
NSF: What were the worst and best parts of making Particle Fever?
DK: The worst part of making Particle Fever was the emotional and intellectual commitment that it required and took away from my family...and physics. And the best part was the support of the community. It was scary to go and do something that was not physics because the social capital in physics is "What are you working on?" It doesn't have to be a big breakthrough; it just has to be contribution to what we're all trying to figure out. And so, "You're going off and making a movie?" How are people going to respond to that? Almost universal approval and support for the project was very fulfilling. That, and "OK, David, when are you going to come back?" reminding me that there's a home to come back to when this is all done.
NSF: How have people responded to the movie?
DK: Non-physicists and scientists alike have responded positively. I think scientists respond positively because they think, "Yeah, that's how it is. Nobody ever shows how it really is." Science documentaries, which are to teach science, are not about the experience. [I found that] what's important is the experience of the physics for the physicist. And so all the graphics we put into the movie--the goal was that they look like what is in the head of the physicist and not perfectly all laid out gorgeous so you really see what this dimension looks like. That wasn't the goal. How do physicists think? And it's in very simple lines and very simple representations. So I think the scientists enjoyed that "yes, this is my world-people understand me." And the non-scientists felt something even if they didn't understand the physics: "Wow I can feel something about this, not just, "oh, that's cool." I think that's why it works.
NSF: What work will you do next as a physics researcher?
DK: There are a variety of things that I think are interesting...one is dark matter, which I have done work on. One is black hole information, which I've done no work on, but I'd love to learn about it. It's hot right now. I'm usually very late to these games, but maybe I find something that people miss. But whatever it is [I pursue], it's going to be something I find truly interesting. This is my rule: Always do something you think is really cool, not because you think someone else will like it or because you think it will get you a job. Because whatever you think is cool and you work hard at it, you'll get good at that. And eventually people will ask you to do more of that. And that's what you want to have happen.
=====================================================================
Some additional physics facts
One of the most interesting aspects to Particle Fever is that it starts a discussion about the science behind the Higgs boson. Physicist Greg Mack addresses two of these issues. He his also a NSF Science & Technology Policy Fellow sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
How do protons create a Higgs boson?
In the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), protons, which are the positive particles in an atom's nucleus, smash together to create new particles. We can again thank Einstein for the idea behind how this is possible: energy and mass are intimately related. His famous equation E = mc2 says that mass m and energy E are two forms of the same thing and can be converted into each other, related by the speed of light c. This also says that it takes a lot of energy to make a little matter, since the speed of light is such a large number.
As Particle Fever documents, the experiments at the LHC found that the Higgs boson has 125 times more mass than a proton. How can two small protons colliding together make something bigger? One has to boost the protons, giving them a lot more energy to add into the mix. This goes along with David Kaplan's explanation of why the LHC has to be so big--the bigger the contraption, the more energy that can be added! The very strong magnets and huge circular structure of the LHC can accelerate the protons to extremely high speeds, giving each one an energy of about 7,000 times the mass of an ordinary proton.
When two protons collide at such high speeds and energies, they don't just bounce off each other. Protons actually are made up of particles called quarks, which are held together by gluons. In these collisions, it's the quarks and gluons that hit. This is where the extra energy is key--the whole process takes the quarks, gluons and energy, smashes them all together and spits out new particles. When that happens, some of that energy can be converted into mass, making particles such as the Higgs that are bigger than the original particles. The colliding proton beams make a bunch of new particles--bigger and smaller--and it is up to scientists to interpret what the detectors record.
What's a 'Gee-ee-Vee?'
In Particle Fever, the high energy physicists Kaplan, Dimopoulos and Barbieri don't talk about mass in kilograms. To them, it makes more sense to talk about mass in terms of energy. They are interchangeable after all, as Einstein said. It all hinges on what's most useful for discussion and calculations.
Instead, mass is talked about in units of the electronVolt: the energy an electron gains or loses when it's exposed to one volt of electricity. That unit is abbreviated as "eV" and pronounced as "ee-Vee." This is actually a small number for the measurement of mass, and in Particle Fever the scientists talk about "Gee-ee-Vee" or "GeV": a gigaelectronVolt. Adding the prefix "giga-" to the unit multiplies it by a billion, so this translates as a billion electronVolts.
Why is this useful? A proton has a mass of about 1.7 x 10-27 kilograms. That's a very small and messy number. In electronVolts, the proton has a mass of about 1 GeV. Yes, 1 GeV--a number much more easily managed. It's then easy to compare how big other particles are, such as when the LHC made the Higgs discovery at a mass of 125 GeV.
Watch the trailer and find out more about Particle Fever.
-- Ivy F. Kupec, (703) 292-8796 ikupec@nsf.gov
-- Gregory Mack, (703) 292-7373 GMACK@nsf.gov
Investigators
David Kaplan
Related Institutions/Organizations
CERN
Johns Hopkins University
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR MARCH 19, 2014
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
AIR FORCE
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., has been awarded a $57,528,900 delivery order (0061) to an existing contract (FA8620-10-G-3038) to accomplish the tasks necessary to fabricate, deliver and/or provide hardware, software, and documentation to support the tasks necessary to upgrade and modify the remote split operations (RSO) network to support internet protocols data standards. This acquisition is for the procurement of 234 Ground Control Station kits, seven containerized dual control segment kits, 25 Squadron Operations Center (SOC) low density kits, five Creech SOC low density kits, six Creech SOC high density kits, 24 relay kits, 71 relay circuit to packet kits, three Creech wide-area network kits, one Cannon WAN kit, 26 WAN LD kits, two Cannon SOC kits, 17 relay rack kits, ten network management kits, and related spares and support equipment. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Work will be performed at Poway, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 17, 2015. Fiscal 2012 and 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $57,528,900 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WIIK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
NAVY
Aviation Training Consulting LLC*, Altus, Okla., is being awarded a $24,988,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide instructional services in support of the KC-130J aircraft for the government of Kuwait under the Foreign Military Sales program. Services include instruction on operating the KC-130J simulators and aircraft. Work will be performed at Kuwait City, Kuwait (90 percent) and Cherry Point, N.C. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $7,595,492 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-4. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting office (N61340-14-C-0007).
National Institute of Building Sciences, Washington, D.C., is being awarded a maximum amount $12,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for architectural design and engineering services for The National Institute of Building Sciences. The work to be performed provides for ongoing criteria preparation and shall fall under the following two categories: preparation and dissemination of emerging innovative technology source information and/or criteria, commercially supported, embedded within the Whole Building Design Guide; and make findings and advise public/private sectors of the economy with respect to the use of building science and technology in achieving nationally acceptable standards and the irregularities and inconsistencies which arise from their application to particular localities or special local conditions. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., to support the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic area of responsibility, and is expected to be completed by March 2018. Fiscal 2013 military construction, Defense Agency contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a sole-source procurement under FAR 6.302-5, authorized or required by statute. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-14-D-3006).
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Hurst, Texas, is being awarded a $12,281,805 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N68936-12-D-0003) for the hardware and software upgrades in support of the H-1 Upgrade Program. Services to be provided include design, development, studies, and implementation of the upgrades to existing software and ancillary hardware and/or improved functionality and obsolescence management of the aircraft. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, Calif. (75percent) and Hurst, Texas (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2014. No funding will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.
NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp.*, Warminster, Pa., is being awarded a $10,168,177 ceiling-priced delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-10-G-0026; DO 0014) for engineering, integration, system maintenance/repair services, and training for the continued development of advanced sensors and systems in support of naval aviation missions of the Special Operations Command. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa. (25 percent); Warminster, Pa. (25 percent); Yuma, Ariz. (25 percent); Tampa, Fla. (20 percent); and Florham Park, N.J. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2016. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $6,137,073 will be obligated at time of award, $317,813 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
AIR FORCE
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc., Poway, Calif., has been awarded a $57,528,900 delivery order (0061) to an existing contract (FA8620-10-G-3038) to accomplish the tasks necessary to fabricate, deliver and/or provide hardware, software, and documentation to support the tasks necessary to upgrade and modify the remote split operations (RSO) network to support internet protocols data standards. This acquisition is for the procurement of 234 Ground Control Station kits, seven containerized dual control segment kits, 25 Squadron Operations Center (SOC) low density kits, five Creech SOC low density kits, six Creech SOC high density kits, 24 relay kits, 71 relay circuit to packet kits, three Creech wide-area network kits, one Cannon WAN kit, 26 WAN LD kits, two Cannon SOC kits, 17 relay rack kits, ten network management kits, and related spares and support equipment. This award is the result of a sole-source acquisition. Work will be performed at Poway, Calif., and is expected to be completed by Dec. 17, 2015. Fiscal 2012 and 2013 procurement funds in the amount of $57,528,900 are being obligated at time of award. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WIIK, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
NAVY
Aviation Training Consulting LLC*, Altus, Okla., is being awarded a $24,988,000 firm-fixed-price contract to provide instructional services in support of the KC-130J aircraft for the government of Kuwait under the Foreign Military Sales program. Services include instruction on operating the KC-130J simulators and aircraft. Work will be performed at Kuwait City, Kuwait (90 percent) and Cherry Point, N.C. (10 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2017. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $7,595,492 are being obligated on this award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-4. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla., is the contracting office (N61340-14-C-0007).
National Institute of Building Sciences, Washington, D.C., is being awarded a maximum amount $12,500,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for architectural design and engineering services for The National Institute of Building Sciences. The work to be performed provides for ongoing criteria preparation and shall fall under the following two categories: preparation and dissemination of emerging innovative technology source information and/or criteria, commercially supported, embedded within the Whole Building Design Guide; and make findings and advise public/private sectors of the economy with respect to the use of building science and technology in achieving nationally acceptable standards and the irregularities and inconsistencies which arise from their application to particular localities or special local conditions. No task orders are being issued at this time. Work will be performed in Washington, D.C., to support the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic area of responsibility, and is expected to be completed by March 2018. Fiscal 2013 military construction, Defense Agency contract funds in the amount of $5,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a sole-source procurement under FAR 6.302-5, authorized or required by statute. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-14-D-3006).
Bell Helicopter Textron Inc., Hurst, Texas, is being awarded a $12,281,805 modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N68936-12-D-0003) for the hardware and software upgrades in support of the H-1 Upgrade Program. Services to be provided include design, development, studies, and implementation of the upgrades to existing software and ancillary hardware and/or improved functionality and obsolescence management of the aircraft. Work will be performed in Woodland Hills, Calif. (75percent) and Hurst, Texas (25 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2014. No funding will be obligated at time of award; funds will be obligated on individual task orders as they are issued. The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif., is the contracting activity.
NAVMAR Applied Sciences Corp.*, Warminster, Pa., is being awarded a $10,168,177 ceiling-priced delivery order against a previously issued basic ordering agreement (N68335-10-G-0026; DO 0014) for engineering, integration, system maintenance/repair services, and training for the continued development of advanced sensors and systems in support of naval aviation missions of the Special Operations Command. Work will be performed in Johnstown, Pa. (25 percent); Warminster, Pa. (25 percent); Yuma, Ariz. (25 percent); Tampa, Fla. (20 percent); and Florham Park, N.J. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2016. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation, Army funds and fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $6,137,073 will be obligated at time of award, $317,813 of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
NSC STATEMENT ON U.S. CANDIDACY AS AN EXTRACTIVE INDUSTRIES TRANSPARENCY INITIATIVE CANDIDATE
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on U.S. Admittance as an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Candidate Country
We are pleased that today the International Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) accepted the U.S. Candidacy Application at their Board Meeting in Oslo, Norway.
Two years ago, at the launch of the Open Government Partnership, President Obama announced the U.S. commitment to implement EITI, an international standard aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in the payments that companies make and the revenues governments receive for their natural resources such as oil, gas, and mining.
The United States is first G-8 country to achieve candidate status and become an EITI implementing country, joining a group of 41 countries around the world that are working actively to improve the management of their oil, gas, and mining sectors.
As an EITI Candidate Country, the United States, through the Department of the Interior, will continue its work toward increasing revenue transparency and accountability in relevant industry sectors, ensuring that American taxpayers receive every dollar due for the extraction of the nation’s natural resources, and making the U.S. government more open and more accountable to the American people.
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on U.S. Admittance as an Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative Candidate Country
We are pleased that today the International Board of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) accepted the U.S. Candidacy Application at their Board Meeting in Oslo, Norway.
Two years ago, at the launch of the Open Government Partnership, President Obama announced the U.S. commitment to implement EITI, an international standard aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in the payments that companies make and the revenues governments receive for their natural resources such as oil, gas, and mining.
The United States is first G-8 country to achieve candidate status and become an EITI implementing country, joining a group of 41 countries around the world that are working actively to improve the management of their oil, gas, and mining sectors.
As an EITI Candidate Country, the United States, through the Department of the Interior, will continue its work toward increasing revenue transparency and accountability in relevant industry sectors, ensuring that American taxpayers receive every dollar due for the extraction of the nation’s natural resources, and making the U.S. government more open and more accountable to the American people.
WH PRESS SECRETARY STATEMENT ON TUNISIAN PRIME MINISTER'S VISIT
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of Prime Minister Jomaa of Tunisia
President Obama will host Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa of Tunisia at the White House on Friday, April 4. During the meeting, the President looks forward to discussing the commitment Tunisia’s leaders have made to advancing Tunisia’s democracy and how the United States can further support Tunisia’s historic transition. The leaders will discuss a broad range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, including U.S. economic, political, and security assistance to support the Prime Minister’s reform agenda and Tunisia’s stability. Prime Minister Jomaa’s visit is a demonstration of the strong bonds of friendship between the American and Tunisian people, and America’s enduring commitment to Tunisia’s democratic transition.
Statement by the Press Secretary on the Visit of Prime Minister Jomaa of Tunisia
President Obama will host Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa of Tunisia at the White House on Friday, April 4. During the meeting, the President looks forward to discussing the commitment Tunisia’s leaders have made to advancing Tunisia’s democracy and how the United States can further support Tunisia’s historic transition. The leaders will discuss a broad range of bilateral and regional issues of mutual interest, including U.S. economic, political, and security assistance to support the Prime Minister’s reform agenda and Tunisia’s stability. Prime Minister Jomaa’s visit is a demonstration of the strong bonds of friendship between the American and Tunisian people, and America’s enduring commitment to Tunisia’s democratic transition.
VP BIDEN REASSURES PRESIDENT GRYBAUSKAITE OF LITHUANIA
FROM: THE WHITE HOUSE
Remarks to the Press by Vice President Joe Biden, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, and President Andris Berzins of Latvia
Presidential Palace
Vilnius, Lithuania
1:20 P.M. (Local)
PRESIDENT GRYBAUSKAITE: (As interpreted.) Good afternoon. So today we had an important meeting with U.S. Vice President Biden and Latvian President Berzins. With our partners, we discussed the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the security of the Baltic States and Europe as a whole. I see it as a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the entire international community.
We witnessed the use of brutal force to redraw the map of Europe and to undermine the postwar political architecture established in Europe. We strongly condemn Russian actions on the territory of sovereign Ukraine. We consider Sunday’s referendum and its results illegal. The so-called referendum is a violation of the constitution of Ukraine, international law and the United Nations Charter.
De facto Russia is carrying out the annexation of Crimea and this is happening very close to the borders of Lithuania. The situation is a direct threat to our regional security. Therefore, we must take all the necessary measures to ensure the security of Europe and the Baltic region.
And this is what we discussed with Vice President Biden and Latvian President Berzins. And I would like to thank the United States, especially, which immediately responded to the threats and took all necessary actions to ensure regional security, including the reinforcement of NATO-Baltic air policing mission. The United States is a strategic partner of Lithuania and the Baltic countries. It has always firmly supported and continues to support our aspirations to ensure political, military, economic, and energy security in the region.
Thank you.
PRESIDENT BERZINS: Ladies and gentlemen. Dalia, thank you for hosting this event. I was happy in a different way to see your country (inaudible.)
Secondly, I would like to appreciate the visit of Vice President Joe Biden to the Baltic States. Thank you for fulfilling your promise to come to us on this very, very important current stage. But I would like to thank you for unwavering reassurance. It is a clear reference to Article 5 by our NATO ally, the United States, to the security of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, as expressed by the Vice President during our meeting earlier today.
The situation in Ukraine caused by annexation of Crimea is alarming. This dramatically re-forms the European security structure with global implications. Today we discussed the need for not only the immediate de-escalation of the situation, but also for long-term solutions for the security architecture. I am glad that we could offer some practical steps with regard during our discussions today. The same practical approach (inaudible) energy security -- there is the issue of supply need to be addressed. As a good example here, I would like to underline the need to accelerate the construction of gas interconnection linking Poland, Lithuania and further on, to Latvia, and using storage facilities in Latvia.
Madam President, dear Vice President, we exchanged views on the situation inside Ukraine. We share the opinion that Ukraine must be helped immediately, both politically and economically. And I can only praise the United States and the European Union alike for very decisive steps outlining their commitment in this regard.
Yesterday, immediately after meeting with President Komorowski, I got a call from him and we agreed to coordinate our activities over the short term and also in longer term. (Inaudible) this common view on September in NATO meeting in U.K. This coordination and support of U.S. is very, very crucial in current stage and we are fully convinced that working closely together we will come to peaceful solution immediately for Ukraine and for all future activities for whole world. This is most crucial for it.
Thank you.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you. Madam President, thank you for the hospitality. It’s great to see you again, to be with you again, particularly in such magnificent surroundings. Thank you for the hospitality. And, Mr. President, it’s good to see you again. It’s good to be back in Vilnius.
For 50 years, three embassies in exile in Washington, D.C. stood as a symbol of America’s commitment to freedom and independence and the people of the Baltics. Next week, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of your membership in NATO as fellow free nations and close friends. Nobody understands better than the people of the Baltics the value of freedom. And nobody understands better the promise of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.
Today, I spoke with my colleagues, the Presidents of Lithuania and Latvia, about the situation in Ukraine. Yesterday, I met with Estonian President Ilves and the President of Poland and the Prime Minister of Poland in Warsaw. Just as you did a generation ago, the Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians join hands in a human chain of freedom.
Ukrainians have shown tremendous courage to realize their aspirations for a better life and integration into the institutions of their choice -- not anyone else’s choice -- of their choice. Russia has chosen to respond with military aggression, a referendum rejected by virtually the entire world, illegal efforts to annex Crimea, and now reports of armed attacks against Ukrainian military personnel and installations in Crimea.
I want to make it clear: We stand resolutely with our Baltic allies in support of the Ukrainian people and against Russian aggression. As long as Russia continues on this dark path, they will face increasing political and economic isolation.
There are those who say that this action shows the old rules still apply, but Russia cannot escape the fact that the world is changing and rejecting outright their behavior. Global markets and the international community will and should bet in the long run on countries that reject aggression and corruption, embrace openness and live up to their obligations. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania understand this well. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t aggressors out there that require firm and resolute response. There always have been and there always will be. But it does mean that there are costs, and growing costs, that come with naked aggression.
Madam President, Mr. President, the reason I traveled to the Baltics was to reaffirm our mutual commitment to collective defense. President Obama wanted me to come personally to make it clear what you already know, that under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, we will respond. We will respond to any aggression against a NATO ally.
As someone who fought for your nation’s admission into NATO, rest assured we take our responsibilities very, very, very seriously -- the President does; I do; my nation does. That’s why we have in the recent past beefed up our U.S. rotation in NATO Baltic air policing program, which protects the skies above Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. And that will continue to be the case. We’ve also asked other members of NATO to make additional contributions to this and other efforts, and I’m confident they will step forward.
Looking ahead, we’re exploring a number of additional steps to increase the pace and scope of our military cooperation, including rotating U.S. forces of the Baltic region to conduct ground and naval exercises, and training missions. The question today is not what can America do for the Baltic nations; it is what can we do together -- what can we do together.
The Baltic nations have shown leadership at the OSCE, the European Union, the Eastern Partnership and the U.N. Security Council. Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian troops have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Americans in Afghanistan and have served in difficult regional and global security missions.
I know that President Obama will want to use the upcoming NATO summit in South Wales to generate concrete commitments to ensure that NATO is able to meet its Article 5 obligations to all members, which has been a priority from him and me since the beginning of our administration.
And, finally, we spoke of energy. We spoke about energy cooperation. We have learned the hard way that protecting the sovereignty of nations depends on having more than one supplier of energy. We support your efforts within the European Union to diversify your energy sources, to create more flexible energy markets, and to translate energy innovation into energy security so that no nation can use supplies of energy as a political weapon or a quasi-military weapon against you.
As Ukraine fights for its future, the success of the Baltic nations, your success, paints a picture of what is possible for nations that respect the rights and unleash the talents of their people as both your countries have done.
We are in this with you together. We are absolutely committed. May God bless you and your people, and my God bless our troops. Thank you very much.
END
2:07 P.M. (local)
Remarks to the Press by Vice President Joe Biden, President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, and President Andris Berzins of Latvia
Presidential Palace
Vilnius, Lithuania
1:20 P.M. (Local)
PRESIDENT GRYBAUSKAITE: (As interpreted.) Good afternoon. So today we had an important meeting with U.S. Vice President Biden and Latvian President Berzins. With our partners, we discussed the situation in Ukraine and its impact on the security of the Baltic States and Europe as a whole. I see it as a threat not only to Ukraine but also to the entire international community.
We witnessed the use of brutal force to redraw the map of Europe and to undermine the postwar political architecture established in Europe. We strongly condemn Russian actions on the territory of sovereign Ukraine. We consider Sunday’s referendum and its results illegal. The so-called referendum is a violation of the constitution of Ukraine, international law and the United Nations Charter.
De facto Russia is carrying out the annexation of Crimea and this is happening very close to the borders of Lithuania. The situation is a direct threat to our regional security. Therefore, we must take all the necessary measures to ensure the security of Europe and the Baltic region.
And this is what we discussed with Vice President Biden and Latvian President Berzins. And I would like to thank the United States, especially, which immediately responded to the threats and took all necessary actions to ensure regional security, including the reinforcement of NATO-Baltic air policing mission. The United States is a strategic partner of Lithuania and the Baltic countries. It has always firmly supported and continues to support our aspirations to ensure political, military, economic, and energy security in the region.
Thank you.
PRESIDENT BERZINS: Ladies and gentlemen. Dalia, thank you for hosting this event. I was happy in a different way to see your country (inaudible.)
Secondly, I would like to appreciate the visit of Vice President Joe Biden to the Baltic States. Thank you for fulfilling your promise to come to us on this very, very important current stage. But I would like to thank you for unwavering reassurance. It is a clear reference to Article 5 by our NATO ally, the United States, to the security of Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, as expressed by the Vice President during our meeting earlier today.
The situation in Ukraine caused by annexation of Crimea is alarming. This dramatically re-forms the European security structure with global implications. Today we discussed the need for not only the immediate de-escalation of the situation, but also for long-term solutions for the security architecture. I am glad that we could offer some practical steps with regard during our discussions today. The same practical approach (inaudible) energy security -- there is the issue of supply need to be addressed. As a good example here, I would like to underline the need to accelerate the construction of gas interconnection linking Poland, Lithuania and further on, to Latvia, and using storage facilities in Latvia.
Madam President, dear Vice President, we exchanged views on the situation inside Ukraine. We share the opinion that Ukraine must be helped immediately, both politically and economically. And I can only praise the United States and the European Union alike for very decisive steps outlining their commitment in this regard.
Yesterday, immediately after meeting with President Komorowski, I got a call from him and we agreed to coordinate our activities over the short term and also in longer term. (Inaudible) this common view on September in NATO meeting in U.K. This coordination and support of U.S. is very, very crucial in current stage and we are fully convinced that working closely together we will come to peaceful solution immediately for Ukraine and for all future activities for whole world. This is most crucial for it.
Thank you.
VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN: Thank you. Madam President, thank you for the hospitality. It’s great to see you again, to be with you again, particularly in such magnificent surroundings. Thank you for the hospitality. And, Mr. President, it’s good to see you again. It’s good to be back in Vilnius.
For 50 years, three embassies in exile in Washington, D.C. stood as a symbol of America’s commitment to freedom and independence and the people of the Baltics. Next week, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of your membership in NATO as fellow free nations and close friends. Nobody understands better than the people of the Baltics the value of freedom. And nobody understands better the promise of a Europe whole, free, and at peace.
Today, I spoke with my colleagues, the Presidents of Lithuania and Latvia, about the situation in Ukraine. Yesterday, I met with Estonian President Ilves and the President of Poland and the Prime Minister of Poland in Warsaw. Just as you did a generation ago, the Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians join hands in a human chain of freedom.
Ukrainians have shown tremendous courage to realize their aspirations for a better life and integration into the institutions of their choice -- not anyone else’s choice -- of their choice. Russia has chosen to respond with military aggression, a referendum rejected by virtually the entire world, illegal efforts to annex Crimea, and now reports of armed attacks against Ukrainian military personnel and installations in Crimea.
I want to make it clear: We stand resolutely with our Baltic allies in support of the Ukrainian people and against Russian aggression. As long as Russia continues on this dark path, they will face increasing political and economic isolation.
There are those who say that this action shows the old rules still apply, but Russia cannot escape the fact that the world is changing and rejecting outright their behavior. Global markets and the international community will and should bet in the long run on countries that reject aggression and corruption, embrace openness and live up to their obligations. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania understand this well. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t aggressors out there that require firm and resolute response. There always have been and there always will be. But it does mean that there are costs, and growing costs, that come with naked aggression.
Madam President, Mr. President, the reason I traveled to the Baltics was to reaffirm our mutual commitment to collective defense. President Obama wanted me to come personally to make it clear what you already know, that under Article 5 of the NATO treaty, we will respond. We will respond to any aggression against a NATO ally.
As someone who fought for your nation’s admission into NATO, rest assured we take our responsibilities very, very, very seriously -- the President does; I do; my nation does. That’s why we have in the recent past beefed up our U.S. rotation in NATO Baltic air policing program, which protects the skies above Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. And that will continue to be the case. We’ve also asked other members of NATO to make additional contributions to this and other efforts, and I’m confident they will step forward.
Looking ahead, we’re exploring a number of additional steps to increase the pace and scope of our military cooperation, including rotating U.S. forces of the Baltic region to conduct ground and naval exercises, and training missions. The question today is not what can America do for the Baltic nations; it is what can we do together -- what can we do together.
The Baltic nations have shown leadership at the OSCE, the European Union, the Eastern Partnership and the U.N. Security Council. Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian troops have stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Americans in Afghanistan and have served in difficult regional and global security missions.
I know that President Obama will want to use the upcoming NATO summit in South Wales to generate concrete commitments to ensure that NATO is able to meet its Article 5 obligations to all members, which has been a priority from him and me since the beginning of our administration.
And, finally, we spoke of energy. We spoke about energy cooperation. We have learned the hard way that protecting the sovereignty of nations depends on having more than one supplier of energy. We support your efforts within the European Union to diversify your energy sources, to create more flexible energy markets, and to translate energy innovation into energy security so that no nation can use supplies of energy as a political weapon or a quasi-military weapon against you.
As Ukraine fights for its future, the success of the Baltic nations, your success, paints a picture of what is possible for nations that respect the rights and unleash the talents of their people as both your countries have done.
We are in this with you together. We are absolutely committed. May God bless you and your people, and my God bless our troops. Thank you very much.
END
2:07 P.M. (local)
EX-IM BANK BACKED PROJECT WINS WIND DEAL OF THE YEAR AWARD
FROM: U.S. EXPORT-IMPORT BANK
Ex-Im Bank-backed Orosi Project Wins Latin American Wind Deal of the Year 2013
Washington, D.C. – The Inversiones Eolicas de Orosi Dos S.A. (Orosi) Wind Project, a 50-megawatt wind farm in Costa Rica backed by Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) credit, received the Latin American Wind Deal of the Year 2013 from Project Finance Magazine.
“We thank Project Finance Magazine for recognizing Ex-Im Bank’s commitment to the American renewable-energy industry and the jobs it supports here at home,” said Export-Import Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “By financing the export of wind blades manufactured by Gamesa in Pennsylvania, we not only bolstered American job growth, but we also contributed to energy production in Costa Rica. It should be no surprise that we approved $257 million in authorizations for exports in wind, solar, biomass and other renewable-energy industries in FY 2013 to support high-tech American jobs.”
In late 2013, Ex-Im Bank approved a $61.1 million direct loan to Orosi, a subsidiary of the leading Central American wind-generation company Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy, for the purchase of wind-turbine generators manufactured by Gamesa in Fairless Hills, Pa.
The authorization, which represents Ex-Im Bank's first wind transaction in Costa Rica and fourth utility-scale wind project overall, will support approximately 200 U.S. jobs, according to Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology.
Ex-Im Bank-backed Orosi Project Wins Latin American Wind Deal of the Year 2013
Washington, D.C. – The Inversiones Eolicas de Orosi Dos S.A. (Orosi) Wind Project, a 50-megawatt wind farm in Costa Rica backed by Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank) credit, received the Latin American Wind Deal of the Year 2013 from Project Finance Magazine.
“We thank Project Finance Magazine for recognizing Ex-Im Bank’s commitment to the American renewable-energy industry and the jobs it supports here at home,” said Export-Import Bank Chairman and President Fred P. Hochberg. “By financing the export of wind blades manufactured by Gamesa in Pennsylvania, we not only bolstered American job growth, but we also contributed to energy production in Costa Rica. It should be no surprise that we approved $257 million in authorizations for exports in wind, solar, biomass and other renewable-energy industries in FY 2013 to support high-tech American jobs.”
In late 2013, Ex-Im Bank approved a $61.1 million direct loan to Orosi, a subsidiary of the leading Central American wind-generation company Globeleq Mesoamerica Energy, for the purchase of wind-turbine generators manufactured by Gamesa in Fairless Hills, Pa.
The authorization, which represents Ex-Im Bank's first wind transaction in Costa Rica and fourth utility-scale wind project overall, will support approximately 200 U.S. jobs, according to Bank estimates derived from Departments of Commerce and Labor data and methodology.
DISA DELIVERS 2.0 OF DEPS ON SECRET INTERNET PROTOCOL NETWORK (SIPPRNeT)
DISA RELEASES DOD ENTERPRISE PORTAL SERVICE 2.0 FOR CLASSIFIED NETWORK
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) delivered version 2.0 of the DoD Enterprise Portal Service (DEPS) on the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet) Feb. 28.
DEPS 2.0 introduces both dedicated and shared service offerings. The environments allow mission partners the flexibility to select the offering that best supports their mission from a range of capacity and storage options. The 2.0 version for the Sensitive, but Unclassified Internet Protocol Network (NIPRNet) will be available in the third quarter of fiscal year 2014.
DEPS provides a scalable, cloud-based collaboration capability that facilitates information sharing through an independently managed community of mission-focused sites, including:
Shared document libraries, calendars, task lists, blogs, and workflows.
Global, anytime access to shared resources.
Increasing operational efficiency by leveraging highly secure Defense Enterprise Computing Centers (DECCs), which consolidate administrative, hardware, and software resources.
“DEPS 2.0 is another example of how DISA’s enterprise services are evolving to meet the needs of our mission partners. 2.0 will offer the ability to select shared or dedicated operating environments, while adhering to the principles of an enterprise service and delivering operational and budgetary efficiencies for the DoD,” said Alan Lewis, DISA’s program executive officer for enterprise services.
Both dedicated and shared DEPS environments offer the benefits of a DISA-managed common infrastructure, including security and data replication.
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AGENCY
The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) delivered version 2.0 of the DoD Enterprise Portal Service (DEPS) on the Secret Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNet) Feb. 28.
DEPS 2.0 introduces both dedicated and shared service offerings. The environments allow mission partners the flexibility to select the offering that best supports their mission from a range of capacity and storage options. The 2.0 version for the Sensitive, but Unclassified Internet Protocol Network (NIPRNet) will be available in the third quarter of fiscal year 2014.
DEPS provides a scalable, cloud-based collaboration capability that facilitates information sharing through an independently managed community of mission-focused sites, including:
Shared document libraries, calendars, task lists, blogs, and workflows.
Global, anytime access to shared resources.
Increasing operational efficiency by leveraging highly secure Defense Enterprise Computing Centers (DECCs), which consolidate administrative, hardware, and software resources.
“DEPS 2.0 is another example of how DISA’s enterprise services are evolving to meet the needs of our mission partners. 2.0 will offer the ability to select shared or dedicated operating environments, while adhering to the principles of an enterprise service and delivering operational and budgetary efficiencies for the DoD,” said Alan Lewis, DISA’s program executive officer for enterprise services.
Both dedicated and shared DEPS environments offer the benefits of a DISA-managed common infrastructure, including security and data replication.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE HAGEL DISCUSSES NAVY YARD SHOOTING
\
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
Hagel Details New Security Actions After Navy Yard Shooting
By Cheryl Pellerin
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, March 18, 2014 – Six months after a disturbed federal contractor shot 12 fellow workers to death at the Washington Navy Yard, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel today detailed steps the Defense Department is taking based on reviews of security standards in place at the time.
Hagel joined Navy Secretary Ray Mabus at a Pentagon news conference to discuss actions recommended by DOD reviews, including an internal review led by Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence Michael Vickers and an external review led by former Assistant Secretary of Defense Paul Stockton and retired Navy Adm. Eric Olson, and Navy reviews of its security standards.
“The reviews identified troubling gaps in DOD’s ability to detect, prevent and respond to instances where someone working for us -– a government employee, a member of our military or a contractor –- decides to inflict harm on this institution and its people,” Hagel said.
To close these gaps, he added, DOD will take four actions recommended by the reviewers:
-- DOD will implement a continuous evaluation program of personnel with access to DOD facilities or classified information, including DOD contractors and military and civilian personnel. “While individuals with security clearances undergo periodic reinvestigations,” the secretary said, “I am directing the department to establish automated reviews of cleared personnel that will continuously pull information from law enforcement and other relevant databases.” Hagel said this will help trigger an alert if derogatory information such as an arrest becomes available for someone holding a security clearance.
-- DOD will establish an Insider Threat Management and Analysis Center that quickly analyzes the results of the automated record checks, helps connect the dots, and determines whether follow-up action is needed. The center also will advise and support Department of Defense components to ensure appropriate action is taken on each case, Hagel noted.
-- DOD will centralize authority and accountability for physical and personal security under a single staff assistant located in the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence. Today, the secretary said, these responsibilities are fractured among multiple DOD components. “This action will identify one person within DOD who is responsible for leading efforts to counter insider threats,” he said.
-- DOD will accelerate development of the Defense Manpower Data Center’s Identity Management Enterprise Services Architecture, called IMESA, allowing DOD security officers to share access control information and continuously vet individuals against U.S. government databases.
Along with these actions, Hagel said, the department will review how best to move forward on three more recommendations made by the Independent Review Panel:
-- Consider reducing the number of personnel holding Secret security clearances by at least 10 percent, a recommendation in line with October 2013 guidance from the director of national intelligence.
-- Consider reducing DOD’s reliance on background investigations conducted by the Office of Personnel Management and analyze the cost, efficiency and effectiveness of returning the clearance review process to DOD.
-- Consider developing more effective ways to screen recruits, further destigmatize treatment and ensure the quality of mental health care within DOD.
Hagel said he has directed Vickers to develop an implementation plan based on the recommendations and report back on progress in June.
“Everything the Department of Defense is doing [supports] the broader, governmentwide review of the oversight of security and suitability standards of federal employees and contractors,” Hagel said. “That review was approved by President [Barack] Obama earlier this month.”
That review was led by the Office of Management and Budget and the National Security Council in coordination with the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Office of Personnel Management, he added.
“I think we all understand that open and free societies are always vulnerable, but together we’re going to do everything possible to provide our people as safe and secure a workplace as possible,” the secretary said, adding, “Our thoughts and our prayers go out to the victims and their families of that terrible day. We will continue to do everything we can to prevent such a tragedy from happening again. We owe them nothing less.”
Mabus said it is with the memory of the three women and nine men who lost their lives at the Washington Navy Yard that the Navy releases the results of its investigation into the shooting.
“In all this, our first concern has been for those lost and those wounded and their families,” the Navy secretary said. “Over the past few days, Navy liaisons who have been with the families all along reached out individually to provide them with this information.”
The Navy already has improved physical security and force protection based on rapid reviews and assessments of bases and policies after the attack, Navy units have completed self-assessments to ensure their own compliance, and departmental leadership has engaged with commanding officers worldwide to stress their role in protecting civilian and military personnel, he said.
“Where we identified issues with the security clearance processes that involve changes to broader governmental policy, we forwarded those recommendations through DOD to the appropriate agency and department,” Mabus said.
The Navy has worked closely with the reviews set up in DOD and with the broader governmentwide review, he added, “and we will implement as quickly as possible the recommendations laid out by Secretary Hagel, including the continuous evaluation program for security clearances.”
Mabus thanked Hagel for his unwavering support for the Navy and the entire Navy family and for ensuring that DOD's internal and external reviews built on the Navy’s efforts.
The Navy secretary appointed Adm. John M. Richardson, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, to conduct an official investigation in accordance with the Judge Advocate General Manual, called the JAGMAN report, into the circumstances surrounding the Navy Yard shooting.
Mabus said he has accepted the probe’s 11 major findings and 14 recommendations, and they are in the process of being implemented.
“I also directed that additional actions be taken to strengthen the Department of the Navy’s contractor requirements and to provide greater oversight on how a sailor or Marine’s performance is evaluated and reported,” Mabus said, and he thanked Richardson and his staff for their work.
Looking back to the Sept. 16, 2013, incident, the Navy secretary also thanked the first responders, the Navy and federal law enforcement agencies and agents, the Navy Yard employees and their families, as well as the local community and supporters across the nation.
“As Secretary Hagel said, we cannot completely eliminate the threat, but we can and will guard against these kinds of events by addressing these findings, even if doing so would not have prevented this attack, because it may prevent a future one,” Mabus said.
“That is one objective of these reviews and investigations,” he added. “A parallel and equally powerful reason is to provide answers to our Navy family. It is for them that we conducted a clear-eyed and thorough look at how their loved ones, colleagues [and] friends came to face such terrible danger that day. It is for them that, going forward, we will do everything within our power to safeguard their security.”
UPDATE: MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE
FROM: CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION
Meningococcal Disease Update
On Monday, March 10, a Drexel University student tragically died from serogroup B meningococcal disease. CDC’s laboratory analysis shows that the strain in Princeton University’s serogroup B meningococcal disease outbreak matches the strain in the Drexel University case by “genetic fingerprinting.” This information suggests that the outbreak strain may still be present in the Princeton University community and we need to be vigilant for additional cases.
As with all cases of meningococcal disease, the local health department quickly and thoroughly investigated who has been in close contact with the Drexel University student prior to illness onset. Antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent additional cases of meningococcal disease was recommended and administered to those who had or may have had close contact. To date, no related cases among Drexel University students have been reported.
The public health investigation of the Drexel University student revealed that the student had been in close contact with students from Princeton University about a week before becoming ill. Princeton University has been experiencing a serogroup B meningococcal disease outbreak.
A high percentage of Princeton University undergraduates and eligible graduate students received 2 doses of the investigational serogroup B vaccine as part of a recent vaccination effort at Princeton University. There are currently no serogroup B vaccines licensed (approved) in the United States. Those who have received the investigational vaccine have likely protected themselves from getting sick (there have been no new cases among Princeton University students since the vaccination campaign began on December 9, 2013). Available data show most adolescents that get 2 doses of this vaccine are protected from getting meningococcal disease. However, vaccinated individuals may still be able to carry the bacteria in their throats, which could infect others through close contact.
The local health department and Drexel University are taking all the recommended steps to prevent additional cases. Because Drexel University is not experiencing an outbreak of serogroup B meningococcal disease, members of that community are not considered to be at increased risk. The investigational serogroup B vaccine is not currently available to the Drexel University community.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and determine next steps while local health authorities remain vigilant to recognizing and promptly treating any new cases. At this time, CDC does not recommend limiting social interactions or canceling travel plans as a preventive measure for meningococcal disease.
We recognize that when cases of meningococcal disease occur, there is increased concern about the potential spread of disease and desire to take appropriate steps to prevent additional cases. There is no evidence that family members and the community are at increased risk of getting meningococcal disease from casual contact with Princeton University students, faculty, or staff. Although transmission is from person-to-person, this organism is not highly contagious and requires sharing respiratory and oral secretions to spread. Those at highest risk for disease are people who have had close, prolonged, or face-to-face contact with someone who has meningococcal disease.
Students at both Universities should be especially vigilant to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease and seek urgent treatment if suspected. Symptoms may include sudden onset of a high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, or a rash. Handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes are also good practices to follow.
Meningococcal Disease Update
On Monday, March 10, a Drexel University student tragically died from serogroup B meningococcal disease. CDC’s laboratory analysis shows that the strain in Princeton University’s serogroup B meningococcal disease outbreak matches the strain in the Drexel University case by “genetic fingerprinting.” This information suggests that the outbreak strain may still be present in the Princeton University community and we need to be vigilant for additional cases.
As with all cases of meningococcal disease, the local health department quickly and thoroughly investigated who has been in close contact with the Drexel University student prior to illness onset. Antibiotic prophylaxis to prevent additional cases of meningococcal disease was recommended and administered to those who had or may have had close contact. To date, no related cases among Drexel University students have been reported.
The public health investigation of the Drexel University student revealed that the student had been in close contact with students from Princeton University about a week before becoming ill. Princeton University has been experiencing a serogroup B meningococcal disease outbreak.
A high percentage of Princeton University undergraduates and eligible graduate students received 2 doses of the investigational serogroup B vaccine as part of a recent vaccination effort at Princeton University. There are currently no serogroup B vaccines licensed (approved) in the United States. Those who have received the investigational vaccine have likely protected themselves from getting sick (there have been no new cases among Princeton University students since the vaccination campaign began on December 9, 2013). Available data show most adolescents that get 2 doses of this vaccine are protected from getting meningococcal disease. However, vaccinated individuals may still be able to carry the bacteria in their throats, which could infect others through close contact.
The local health department and Drexel University are taking all the recommended steps to prevent additional cases. Because Drexel University is not experiencing an outbreak of serogroup B meningococcal disease, members of that community are not considered to be at increased risk. The investigational serogroup B vaccine is not currently available to the Drexel University community.
We will continue to closely monitor the situation and determine next steps while local health authorities remain vigilant to recognizing and promptly treating any new cases. At this time, CDC does not recommend limiting social interactions or canceling travel plans as a preventive measure for meningococcal disease.
We recognize that when cases of meningococcal disease occur, there is increased concern about the potential spread of disease and desire to take appropriate steps to prevent additional cases. There is no evidence that family members and the community are at increased risk of getting meningococcal disease from casual contact with Princeton University students, faculty, or staff. Although transmission is from person-to-person, this organism is not highly contagious and requires sharing respiratory and oral secretions to spread. Those at highest risk for disease are people who have had close, prolonged, or face-to-face contact with someone who has meningococcal disease.
Students at both Universities should be especially vigilant to the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease and seek urgent treatment if suspected. Symptoms may include sudden onset of a high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, rapid breathing, or a rash. Handwashing and covering coughs and sneezes are also good practices to follow.
FLORIDIAN FINED FOR MAKING FALSE AND MISLEADING STATEMENTS DURING CFTC INVESTIGATION
FROM: COMMODITY FUTURES TRADING COMMISSION
CFTC Orders Sean R. Stropp to Pay $250,000 Penalty to Settle Charges of Making False and Misleading Statements During a CFTC Investigation
Washington, DC — The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today issued an Order filing and settling charges against Sean R. Stropp (Stropp), formerly of Jupiter, Florida. Stropp is ordered to pay a $250,000 civil monetary penalty for making false and misleading statements of material fact, and omitting material facts, to CFTC staff during a CFTC Division of Enforcement (DOE) investigation. The Order enforces the false statements provision of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), which was added by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.
In addition to the $250,000 civil monetary penalty, the Order requires Stropp to cease and desist from violating the relevant provision of the CEA and permanently prohibits him from, directly or indirectly, engaging in trading on or subject to the rules of any registered entity.
According to the Order, Stropp provided DOE staff a signed and notarized financial disclosure statement in connection with the CFTC’s investigation into potentially unlawful sales of off-exchange leveraged metals contracts by Stropp and his company Barclay Metals, Inc. (Barclay). In his statement, Stropp falsely represented that the statement included all his known assets and that the statement was true, correct, and complete, per the Order. Further, the Order finds that Stropp omitted material facts from the statement, including both his control of, and his spouse’s ownership interest in, another entity selling leveraged metals contracts and his ownership and control of two of that other entity's bank accounts.
CFTC DOE Acting Director Gretchen Lowe commented, “Lying or failing to disclose material information during a CFTC investigation is unacceptable, and those who do so must bear the consequences.”
CFTC Previously Settled with Stropp
On January 28, 2013, the Commission issued an Order finding that Stropp, Barclay, and others engaged in illegal, off-exchange metals transactions in violation of the CEA (see CFTC press release 6503-13, January 28, 2013).
Related Criminal Action
On August 20, 2013, the Manhattan (New York) District Attorney’s office announced Stropp’s indictment for operating a fraudulent investment scheme through the undisclosed leveraged metals entity at issue in the Order. According to the indictment, the scheme allegedly resulted in millions of dollars of customer losses. Stropp pleaded guilty to the charges on February 4, 2014 and was sentenced to one to three years in prison in New York, where he is currently incarcerated.
CFTC DOE staff responsible for this action are Jenny Chapin, Jeff Le Riche, Steve Turley, Charles Marvine, Rick Glaser, and Richard Wagner. The CFTC thanks the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
CFTC Orders Sean R. Stropp to Pay $250,000 Penalty to Settle Charges of Making False and Misleading Statements During a CFTC Investigation
Washington, DC — The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) today issued an Order filing and settling charges against Sean R. Stropp (Stropp), formerly of Jupiter, Florida. Stropp is ordered to pay a $250,000 civil monetary penalty for making false and misleading statements of material fact, and omitting material facts, to CFTC staff during a CFTC Division of Enforcement (DOE) investigation. The Order enforces the false statements provision of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA), which was added by the 2010 Dodd-Frank Act.
In addition to the $250,000 civil monetary penalty, the Order requires Stropp to cease and desist from violating the relevant provision of the CEA and permanently prohibits him from, directly or indirectly, engaging in trading on or subject to the rules of any registered entity.
According to the Order, Stropp provided DOE staff a signed and notarized financial disclosure statement in connection with the CFTC’s investigation into potentially unlawful sales of off-exchange leveraged metals contracts by Stropp and his company Barclay Metals, Inc. (Barclay). In his statement, Stropp falsely represented that the statement included all his known assets and that the statement was true, correct, and complete, per the Order. Further, the Order finds that Stropp omitted material facts from the statement, including both his control of, and his spouse’s ownership interest in, another entity selling leveraged metals contracts and his ownership and control of two of that other entity's bank accounts.
CFTC DOE Acting Director Gretchen Lowe commented, “Lying or failing to disclose material information during a CFTC investigation is unacceptable, and those who do so must bear the consequences.”
CFTC Previously Settled with Stropp
On January 28, 2013, the Commission issued an Order finding that Stropp, Barclay, and others engaged in illegal, off-exchange metals transactions in violation of the CEA (see CFTC press release 6503-13, January 28, 2013).
Related Criminal Action
On August 20, 2013, the Manhattan (New York) District Attorney’s office announced Stropp’s indictment for operating a fraudulent investment scheme through the undisclosed leveraged metals entity at issue in the Order. According to the indictment, the scheme allegedly resulted in millions of dollars of customer losses. Stropp pleaded guilty to the charges on February 4, 2014 and was sentenced to one to three years in prison in New York, where he is currently incarcerated.
CFTC DOE staff responsible for this action are Jenny Chapin, Jeff Le Riche, Steve Turley, Charles Marvine, Rick Glaser, and Richard Wagner. The CFTC thanks the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
CELEBRATING THE 24TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LAUNCH OF HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE
In celebration of the 24th anniversary of the launch of NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, astronomers have captured infrared-light images of a churning region of star birth 6,400 light-years away. This colorful Hubble Space Telescope mosaic of a small portion of the Monkey Head Nebula unveils a collection of carved knots of gas and dust silhouetted against glowing gas. The cloud is sculpted by ultraviolet light eating into the cool hydrogen gas. Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA).
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT CONTRACTS FOR MARCH 18, 2014
FROM: U.S. DEFENSE DEPARTMENT
CONTRACTS
ARMY
Textron Marine Land Systems, New Orleans, La., was awarded a $22,466,146 modification (P00043) to foreign military sales contract W56HZV-11-C-0114 for an additional 10 months of field service representative services, which include deprocessing of the Mobile Strike Force vehicles and training for the Afghan Army. Fiscal 2013 other procurement funds in the amount of $22,466,146 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2014. Work will be performed in Afghanistan. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.
Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded a $15,800,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee for the design, development, build, and test of a CH-47F Block II Lightweight Fuel System as part of the Airframe Component Improvement Program. Fiscal 2014 other appropriation funds and work will be performed at Ridley Park, Pa. The estimated completion date is March 15, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Web with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-04-G-0023).
Advanced Design Corp.*, Lorton, Va., was awarded an $8,420,987 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for field service technician support to gather data from helmet sensors used to examine mild-traumatic brain injury (concussion). Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $8,420,987 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is May 17, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with ten received. Work will be performed in Afghanistan. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-14-C-0011).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Zimmer US, Inc., Warsaw, Ind., has been awarded a maximum $65,642,304 modification (P00010) exercising the third option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2DE-11-D-7232) with five one-year option periods for orthopedic hip, knee, spine, and extremity trauma implant procedural packages. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Indiana with a Mar. 24, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Lion Vallen Ltd., Partnership, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $45,727,402 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract providing warehousing, distribution, and logistics support to fulfill organizational clothing and individual equipment requirements. This is a two-year base contract with three one-year option periods. This is a competitive acquisition, and 12 offers were received. Locations of performance are Ohio and Georgia with a March 17, 2016 performance completion date. Using military services are federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-14-C-0010).
NAVY
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded an $118,875,655 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-12-C-0004) for the repair and replenishment of government-owned Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft assets. These JSF aircraft assets include spare parts on JSF jets, training devices, support equipment and Autonomic Logistics Information System equipment. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds from the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and international partner funds in the amount of $76,399,406 are being obligated on this award, of which $71,494,560 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($51,980,743; 43.7 percent), U.S. Marine Corps ($43,784,064; 36.8 percent), the U.S. Navy ($15,822,614; 13.3 percent); and the governments of the United Kingdom ($5,741,235; 4.9 percent); the Netherlands ($1,546,999; 1.3 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $65,280,712 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-02-C-3002) for non-recurring efforts for the development of a Common F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System comprised of the Air Vehicle and the Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment System for the governments of Japan and Israel. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (44 percent); San Diego, Calif. (26 percent); Baltimore, Md. (25 percent) and El Segundo, Calif. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $32,495,254 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the governments of Japan ($32,640,356; 50 percent) and Israel ($32,640,356; 50 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $62,574,394 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00024-08-C-4410) for the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) fiscal 2014 extended dry-dock phased maintenance availability. An extended dry-dock phased maintenance availability includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship's military and technical capabilities. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy and fiscal 2013 other procurement, Navy funding in the amount of $62,574,394 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $34,415,917 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $50,737,476 cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for non-recurring efforts and integration tasks in support of the development of Japan’s F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System, which is comprised of the Air Vehicle and the Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment System. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (61 percent); Orlando, Fla. (17 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (10 percent); San Diego, Calif. (8 percent); Baltimore, Md. (3 percent) and Melbourne, Fla. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $20,392,580 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-14-C-0040).
BAE Systems, Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a $27,370,048 modification to a previously awarded multi-ship, multi-option cost-plus incentive fee contract (N40024-10-C-4406) to provide ship repairs, hull, machinery, electrical, electronics, ship alterations and piping as required. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and is expected to be completed by October 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funding in the amount of $27,370,048 will be obligated at the time of the award, all of which, will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Alion Science and Technology Corp., Burr Ridge, Ill., was awarded a $24,000,000 ceiling-priced indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of Live Virtual Constructive Modeling and Simulation (LVCMS) Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) Virtual At Sea Training (VAST). The LVCMS and ASW VAST family of training systems are networked, personal computer-based deployable trainers designed to support integrated and coordinated ASW tactical training, Anti-Access Area Denial and Cyber Warfare using Joint Semi Automated Forces Navy Training Baseline simulation. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed in October 2019. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation, Navy funds in the amount of $10,000 was obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through an electronic request for proposals and one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla. is the contracting activity (N61340-14-D-0002).
Indus Technology Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a potential $21,797,616 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific’s (SSC Pacific) Radio Frequency and Network Systems Support Division to provide satellite communications, radio frequency and navigation systems support services. This is one of three contracts awarded: each awardee will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two, one-year options, which if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $36,825,493. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and onboard Navy ships, and work is expected to be completed March 17, 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy; shipbuilding and conversion, Navy; other procurement, Navy; and research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $25,000 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via small business set-aside solicitation through publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. Ten proposals were received and three were selected for award. SSC Pacific, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N66001-14-D-0034).
Client Solutions Architect*, Mechanicsburg, Pa., is being awarded a potential $21,670,069 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific’s (SSC Pacific) Radio Frequency and Network Systems Support Division to provide satellite communications, radio frequency and navigation systems support services. This is one of three contracts awarded: each awardee will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two, one-year options, which if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $36,555,425. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., onboard Navy ships, and at contractor’s facilities in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and work is expected to be completed March 17, 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy; shipbuilding and conversion, Navy; other procurement, Navy; and research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $25,000 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via small business set-aside solicitation through publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. Ten proposals were received and three were selected for award. SSC Pacific, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N66001-14-D-0032).
Watts-Healy Tibbitts a Joint Venture, Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded $18,608,004 for firm-fixed-price task order KB03 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62478-09-D-4019) for the construction of a drydock waterfront facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a new low rise waterfront facility, concrete slab-on-grade, and pile supported foundation. The project includes shop spaces, meeting/conference rooms, break rooms, and administrative, engineering, project management and project team spaces. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $20,289,031. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2010 and 2014 military construction, Navy contract funds in the amount of $18,608,004 are being obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 17, 2014)
Black and Veatch Special Projects Corp., Overland Park, Kan., is being awarded a maximum amount $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for professional services for management and maintenance of the Navy’s electrical and mechanical utility systems for various locations under the cognizance of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Atlantic area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed is to conduct research, analysis and provide recommendations to assist in the management and maintenance of the Navy’s electric and mechanical utility systems including electric and steam production; electric and steam distribution; natural gas; and energy. No task orders are being awarded at this time. Work will be performed in the NAVFAC Atlantic AOR. The term of the contract is not to exceed 36 months with an expected completion date of March 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-14-D-6011).
Huntington Ingalls Inc.-Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va., is being awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed value of $8,624,008 on a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed fee contract (N00024-14-G-2114) for fiscal 2014 propulsion plant engineering activity support for CVN 68 class. This effort will provide engineering services in support of life-cycle management of the systems identified for the CVN 68 class. The contract includes options which have not yet been priced. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to complete by March 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $ 8,624,008 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with CVN BOA Class J&A 20,883 (E). The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Newport News, Va., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded an $8,138,640 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-12-C-4309) to exercise fiscal 2014 options and fund the lifetime sustainment and support services for installed Aegis Weapon Systems (AWS). The contract will provide for support of the critical modernization programs currently in process for the AWS as well as logistics and sustainment support for the in-service Aegis ship fleet in order to prevent delays in the delivery of the AWS upgrades and schedule and operational impacts to the effected ship availabilities. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (81 percent) and Mt. Laurel, N.J. (19 percent) and is expected to be completed by June 2017. Fiscal 2014 other procurement, Navy; fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy and fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation, Missile Defense Agency contract funds in the amount of $8,138,640 will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funding in the amount of $694,829 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Computer Science Corp., Falls Church, Va., has been awarded a $7,387,413 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order (RL01) to an existing contract (HC1028-08-D-1027) for Global Decision Support Systems (GDSS) application support services. Contracted support includes GDSS system releases in a non-service-interrupted process that addresses system sustainment, support to fielding and operational maintenance and administrative support to meet financial and programmatic reporting needs. Work will be performed at O'Fallon, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2014. This is a sole-source bridge task order to bridge period from expiration of current contract (March 15, 2014) to full performance of the follow-on contract which will be competed via full and open competition. Fiscal 2014 transportation working capital and operating funds in the amount of $7,387,413 are being obligated at time of award. 763 Specialized Contracting Squadron/PKC, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $6,882,489 firm-fixed-price modification (P00026) to contract (FA8615-10-C-6051) to develop, deliver and install 20 advanced countermeasure electronics system-system integrity (ACES SI) retrofit kits, modify 24 radar warning receivers and procure three electronic warfare memory loader verifiers for F-16C/D (16 C’s and 4 D’s) Block 52 aircraft. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 19, 2015. This award is the result of a source-directed/sole-source acquisition and is 100 percent foreign military sales for Egypt. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WWMK, Wright-Patterson, Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
QUALX Corp., Vienna, Va., is being awarded an $8,878,297 modification to firm-fixed-price contract (HQ0034-12-F-0213) for records management support services, including development of governance strategy and document conversion from paper-based to electronic enterprise content management. Work will be performed in Vienna, Va., Arlington, Va., Alexandria, Va., and College Park, Md. This contract was competitively processed, among Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business through the General Services Administration, with one bid received. The estimated completion date is March 16, 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated on award. Washington Headquarters Services, Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
CONTRACTS
ARMY
Textron Marine Land Systems, New Orleans, La., was awarded a $22,466,146 modification (P00043) to foreign military sales contract W56HZV-11-C-0114 for an additional 10 months of field service representative services, which include deprocessing of the Mobile Strike Force vehicles and training for the Afghan Army. Fiscal 2013 other procurement funds in the amount of $22,466,146 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is Dec. 31, 2014. Work will be performed in Afghanistan. Army Contracting Command, Warren, Mich., is the contracting activity.
Boeing Co., Ridley Park, Pa., was awarded a $15,800,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee for the design, development, build, and test of a CH-47F Block II Lightweight Fuel System as part of the Airframe Component Improvement Program. Fiscal 2014 other appropriation funds and work will be performed at Ridley Park, Pa. The estimated completion date is March 15, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Web with one bid received. The U.S. Army Contracting Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala., is the contracting activity (W58RGZ-04-G-0023).
Advanced Design Corp.*, Lorton, Va., was awarded an $8,420,987 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for field service technician support to gather data from helmet sensors used to examine mild-traumatic brain injury (concussion). Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Army funds in the amount of $8,420,987 were obligated at the time of the award. Estimated completion date is May 17, 2017. Bids were solicited via the Internet with ten received. Work will be performed in Afghanistan. Army Contracting Command, Aberdeen, Md., is the contracting activity (W91CRB-14-C-0011).
DEFENSE LOGISTICS AGENCY
Zimmer US, Inc., Warsaw, Ind., has been awarded a maximum $65,642,304 modification (P00010) exercising the third option period on a one-year base contract (SPM2DE-11-D-7232) with five one-year option periods for orthopedic hip, knee, spine, and extremity trauma implant procedural packages. This is a fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract. Location of performance is Indiana with a Mar. 24, 2015 performance completion date. Using military services are Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. Type of appropriation is fiscal year 2014 through fiscal year 2015 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa.
Lion Vallen Ltd., Partnership, Dayton, Ohio, has been awarded a maximum $45,727,402 fixed-price with economic-price-adjustment contract providing warehousing, distribution, and logistics support to fulfill organizational clothing and individual equipment requirements. This is a two-year base contract with three one-year option periods. This is a competitive acquisition, and 12 offers were received. Locations of performance are Ohio and Georgia with a March 17, 2016 performance completion date. Using military services are federal civilian agencies. Type of appropriation is fiscal 2014 defense working capital funds. The contracting activity is the Defense Logistics Agency Troop Support, Philadelphia, Pa., (SPM1C1-14-C-0010).
NAVY
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded an $118,875,655 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contract (N00019-12-C-0004) for the repair and replenishment of government-owned Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft assets. These JSF aircraft assets include spare parts on JSF jets, training devices, support equipment and Autonomic Logistics Information System equipment. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (35 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (25 percent); Warton, United Kingdom (20 percent); Orlando, Fla. (10 percent); Nashua, N.H. (5 percent); and Baltimore, Md. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in October 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds from the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy, and international partner funds in the amount of $76,399,406 are being obligated on this award, of which $71,494,560 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract combines purchases for the U.S. Air Force ($51,980,743; 43.7 percent), U.S. Marine Corps ($43,784,064; 36.8 percent), the U.S. Navy ($15,822,614; 13.3 percent); and the governments of the United Kingdom ($5,741,235; 4.9 percent); the Netherlands ($1,546,999; 1.3 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $65,280,712 modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00019-02-C-3002) for non-recurring efforts for the development of a Common F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System comprised of the Air Vehicle and the Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment System for the governments of Japan and Israel. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (44 percent); San Diego, Calif. (26 percent); Baltimore, Md. (25 percent) and El Segundo, Calif. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $32,495,254 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This modification combines purchases for the governments of Japan ($32,640,356; 50 percent) and Israel ($32,640,356; 50 percent). The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity.
General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co., San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a $62,574,394 modification to previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract (N00024-08-C-4410) for the USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) fiscal 2014 extended dry-dock phased maintenance availability. An extended dry-dock phased maintenance availability includes the planning and execution of depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications that will update and improve the ship's military and technical capabilities. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and is expected to be completed by July 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy and fiscal 2013 other procurement, Navy funding in the amount of $62,574,394 will be obligated at time of award. Contract funds in the amount of $34,415,917 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Southwest Regional Maintenance Center, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, is being awarded a $50,737,476 cost-plus-incentive-fee, firm-fixed-price contract for non-recurring efforts and integration tasks in support of the development of Japan’s F-35A Conventional Take-Off and Landing Air System, which is comprised of the Air Vehicle and the Autonomic Logistics Global Sustainment System. Work will be performed in Fort Worth, Texas (61 percent); Orlando, Fla. (17 percent); El Segundo, Calif. (10 percent); San Diego, Calif. (8 percent); Baltimore, Md. (3 percent) and Melbourne, Fla. (1 percent), and is expected to be completed in December 2017. Foreign military sales funds in the amount of $20,392,580 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity (N00019-14-C-0040).
BAE Systems, Jacksonville, Fla., is being awarded a $27,370,048 modification to a previously awarded multi-ship, multi-option cost-plus incentive fee contract (N40024-10-C-4406) to provide ship repairs, hull, machinery, electrical, electronics, ship alterations and piping as required. Work will be performed in Jacksonville, Fla., and is expected to be completed by October 2014. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funding in the amount of $27,370,048 will be obligated at the time of the award, all of which, will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Southeast Regional Maintenance Center, Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity.
Alion Science and Technology Corp., Burr Ridge, Ill., was awarded a $24,000,000 ceiling-priced indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for the procurement of Live Virtual Constructive Modeling and Simulation (LVCMS) Anti-submarine Warfare (ASW) Virtual At Sea Training (VAST). The LVCMS and ASW VAST family of training systems are networked, personal computer-based deployable trainers designed to support integrated and coordinated ASW tactical training, Anti-Access Area Denial and Cyber Warfare using Joint Semi Automated Forces Navy Training Baseline simulation. Work will be performed in Orlando, Fla., and is expected to be completed in October 2019. Fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation, Navy funds in the amount of $10,000 was obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured through an electronic request for proposals and one offer was received. The Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division, Orlando, Fla. is the contracting activity (N61340-14-D-0002).
Indus Technology Inc.*, San Diego, Calif., is being awarded a potential $21,797,616 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific’s (SSC Pacific) Radio Frequency and Network Systems Support Division to provide satellite communications, radio frequency and navigation systems support services. This is one of three contracts awarded: each awardee will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two, one-year options, which if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $36,825,493. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., and onboard Navy ships, and work is expected to be completed March 17, 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy; shipbuilding and conversion, Navy; other procurement, Navy; and research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $25,000 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via small business set-aside solicitation through publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. Ten proposals were received and three were selected for award. SSC Pacific, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N66001-14-D-0034).
Client Solutions Architect*, Mechanicsburg, Pa., is being awarded a potential $21,670,069 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to support the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific’s (SSC Pacific) Radio Frequency and Network Systems Support Division to provide satellite communications, radio frequency and navigation systems support services. This is one of three contracts awarded: each awardee will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This three-year contract includes two, one-year options, which if exercised, would bring the potential value of this contract to an estimated $36,555,425. Work will be performed in San Diego, Calif., onboard Navy ships, and at contractor’s facilities in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and work is expected to be completed March 17, 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy; shipbuilding and conversion, Navy; other procurement, Navy; and research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $25,000 will be obligated at the time of award, and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via small business set-aside solicitation through publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the SPAWAR e-Commerce Central website. Ten proposals were received and three were selected for award. SSC Pacific, San Diego, Calif., is the contracting activity (N66001-14-D-0032).
Watts-Healy Tibbitts a Joint Venture, Honolulu, Hawaii, was awarded $18,608,004 for firm-fixed-price task order KB03 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62478-09-D-4019) for the construction of a drydock waterfront facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. The work to be performed provides for the construction of a new low rise waterfront facility, concrete slab-on-grade, and pile supported foundation. The project includes shop spaces, meeting/conference rooms, break rooms, and administrative, engineering, project management and project team spaces. The task order also contains one unexercised option, which if exercised would increase the cumulative task order value to $20,289,031. Work will be performed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and is expected to be completed by December 2015. Fiscal 2010 and 2014 military construction, Navy contract funds in the amount of $18,608,004 are being obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Four proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Pacific, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, is the contracting activity. (Awarded March 17, 2014)
Black and Veatch Special Projects Corp., Overland Park, Kan., is being awarded a maximum amount $9,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for professional services for management and maintenance of the Navy’s electrical and mechanical utility systems for various locations under the cognizance of the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), Atlantic area of responsibility (AOR). The work to be performed is to conduct research, analysis and provide recommendations to assist in the management and maintenance of the Navy’s electric and mechanical utility systems including electric and steam production; electric and steam distribution; natural gas; and energy. No task orders are being awarded at this time. Work will be performed in the NAVFAC Atlantic AOR. The term of the contract is not to exceed 36 months with an expected completion date of March 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy contract funds in the amount of $10,000 are being obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Navy Electronic Commerce Online website, with three proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command, Atlantic, Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity (N62470-14-D-6011).
Huntington Ingalls Inc.-Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Va., is being awarded an undefinitized contract action with a not-to-exceed value of $8,624,008 on a previously awarded cost-plus-fixed fee contract (N00024-14-G-2114) for fiscal 2014 propulsion plant engineering activity support for CVN 68 class. This effort will provide engineering services in support of life-cycle management of the systems identified for the CVN 68 class. The contract includes options which have not yet been priced. Work will be performed in Newport News, Va., and is expected to complete by March 2015. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funds in the amount of $ 8,624,008 will be obligated at the time of award. Contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with CVN BOA Class J&A 20,883 (E). The Supervisor of Shipbuilding Conversion and Repair, Newport News, Va., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin, Mission Systems and Training, Moorestown, N.J., is being awarded an $8,138,640 modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-12-C-4309) to exercise fiscal 2014 options and fund the lifetime sustainment and support services for installed Aegis Weapon Systems (AWS). The contract will provide for support of the critical modernization programs currently in process for the AWS as well as logistics and sustainment support for the in-service Aegis ship fleet in order to prevent delays in the delivery of the AWS upgrades and schedule and operational impacts to the effected ship availabilities. Work will be performed in Moorestown, N.J. (81 percent) and Mt. Laurel, N.J. (19 percent) and is expected to be completed by June 2017. Fiscal 2014 other procurement, Navy; fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy and fiscal 2014 research, development, test and evaluation, Missile Defense Agency contract funds in the amount of $8,138,640 will be obligated at time of award. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance, Navy funding in the amount of $694,829 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington D.C., is the contracting activity.
AIR FORCE
Computer Science Corp., Falls Church, Va., has been awarded a $7,387,413 cost-plus-fixed-fee task order (RL01) to an existing contract (HC1028-08-D-1027) for Global Decision Support Systems (GDSS) application support services. Contracted support includes GDSS system releases in a non-service-interrupted process that addresses system sustainment, support to fielding and operational maintenance and administrative support to meet financial and programmatic reporting needs. Work will be performed at O'Fallon, Ill., and is expected to be completed by Sept. 30, 2014. This is a sole-source bridge task order to bridge period from expiration of current contract (March 15, 2014) to full performance of the follow-on contract which will be competed via full and open competition. Fiscal 2014 transportation working capital and operating funds in the amount of $7,387,413 are being obligated at time of award. 763 Specialized Contracting Squadron/PKC, Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity.
Lockheed Martin Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, has been awarded a $6,882,489 firm-fixed-price modification (P00026) to contract (FA8615-10-C-6051) to develop, deliver and install 20 advanced countermeasure electronics system-system integrity (ACES SI) retrofit kits, modify 24 radar warning receivers and procure three electronic warfare memory loader verifiers for F-16C/D (16 C’s and 4 D’s) Block 52 aircraft. Work will be performed at Fort Worth, Texas, and is expected to be completed by Oct. 19, 2015. This award is the result of a source-directed/sole-source acquisition and is 100 percent foreign military sales for Egypt. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center/WWMK, Wright-Patterson, Air Force Base, Ohio, is the contracting activity.
WASHINGTON HEADQUARTERS SERVICES
QUALX Corp., Vienna, Va., is being awarded an $8,878,297 modification to firm-fixed-price contract (HQ0034-12-F-0213) for records management support services, including development of governance strategy and document conversion from paper-based to electronic enterprise content management. Work will be performed in Vienna, Va., Arlington, Va., Alexandria, Va., and College Park, Md. This contract was competitively processed, among Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business through the General Services Administration, with one bid received. The estimated completion date is March 16, 2017. Fiscal 2014 operations and maintenance funds are being obligated on award. Washington Headquarters Services, Washington, D.C. is the contracting activity.
*Small Business
FARC TERRORIST PLEADS GUILTY TO TAKING U.S. CITIZENS HOSTAGE IN 2003
FROM: U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Member of FARC Terrorist Organization Pleads Guilty to Hostage-Taking Charges in 2003 Capture of U.S. Citizens
Hostages Were Held in Colombia for More Than Five Years
Alexander Beltran Herrera, 37, a commander of the FARC terrorist organization, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to hostage-taking charges stemming from the 2003 kidnappings of three U.S. citizens in Colombia.
The guilty plea was announced by John P. Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Division.
Beltran Herrera pleaded guilty to three counts of hostage-taking. He is to be sentenced July 25, 2014, by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. The offense of hostage taking carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, although as part of the extradition process from Colombia, the United States agreed not to seek a sentence exceeding 60 years.
According to a statement of facts submitted as part of the plea hearing, t he FARC is an armed, violent organization in Colombia, which since its inception in 1964, has engaged in an armed conflict to overthrow the Republic of Colombia, South America’s longest-standing democracy. The FARC has consistently used hostage taking as a primary technique in extorting demands from the Republic of Colombia, and hostage taking has been endorsed and commanded by FARC senior leadership. The FARC has characterized American citizens as “military targets” and has engaged in violent acts against Americans in Colombia, including murders and hostage taking. The FARC was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 and remains so designated.
Beltran Herrera, a commander in the FARC, was involved in the hostage taking of three United States citizens: Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes, and Keith Stansell. These three, along with Thomas Janis, a United States citizen, and Sergeant Luis Alcides Cruz, a Colombian citizen, were seized on Feb. 13, 2003, by the FARC, after their single-engine aircraft made a crash landing in the Colombian jungle.
Members of the FARC murdered Mr. Janis and Sgt. Cruz at the crash site. Mr. Gonsalves, Mr. Howes, and Mr. Stansell were held by the FARC at gunpoint and were advised by FARC leadership that they would be used as hostages to increase pressure on the government of Colombia to agree to the FARC’s demands. At various times, the FARC marched the hostages from one site to another, placing them in the actual custody of various FARC fronts.
At the conclusion of one 40-day long march, in or about November 2004, the hostages were delivered to members of the FARC’s 27th Front, who imprisoned the hostages for nearly two years. During part of this period, Beltran Herrera was responsible for moving the hostages and keeping them imprisoned. Throughout the captivity of these three hostages, FARC jailors and guards used choke harnesses, chains, padlocks and wires to restrain the hostages, and used force and threats to continue their detention and prevent their escape. In July 2008, the Colombian military conducted a daring operation which resulted in the rescue of the hostages.
All told, members of the FARC held the Americans hostage for 1,967 days.
“This case underscores our resolve to hold accountable those who target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “With this guilty plea, Alexander Beltran Herrera has admitted his participation in the hostage taking and captivity of three Americans by the FARC, a Colombian terrorist organization. I want to thank all of the prosecutors, agents, and analysts who made this result possible.”
“Alexander Beltran Herrera was a terrorist and commander in the FARC organization who held three Americans hostage in the Colombian jungle,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “With today's guilty plea, he admitted to his role in terrorizing these Americans, who were held in captivity for more than five years. His extradition and prosecution reflect our determination to bring to justice anyone who sets out to harm our fellow citizens overseas.”
“Alexander Beltran Herrera was a commander within FARC, a foreign terrorist organization based in Colombia that considered U.S. citizens to be targets for murder and hostage taking,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro. “First captured, then extradited to the United States, Herrera has now admitted to his role in moving and keeping hostage three American citizens, Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes and Keith Stansell. Once again, the excellent, longstanding cooperation between the Colombian National Police and U.S. law enforcement has ended another terrorist’s career of violence and thuggery.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Asuncion and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez from the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Cora, from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The case was indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Kohl, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The FBI’s Miami Division partnered in the investigation with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department’s Judicial Attachés in Colombia, and the FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Bogota, Colombia. The Directorate of Intelligence (DIPOL) and the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (GAULA) of the Colombian National Police also provided valuable support during the investigation.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Member of FARC Terrorist Organization Pleads Guilty to Hostage-Taking Charges in 2003 Capture of U.S. Citizens
Hostages Were Held in Colombia for More Than Five Years
Alexander Beltran Herrera, 37, a commander of the FARC terrorist organization, pleaded guilty today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to hostage-taking charges stemming from the 2003 kidnappings of three U.S. citizens in Colombia.
The guilty plea was announced by John P. Carlin, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Ronald C. Machen Jr., U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia; and George L. Piro, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Division.
Beltran Herrera pleaded guilty to three counts of hostage-taking. He is to be sentenced July 25, 2014, by the Honorable Royce C. Lamberth. The offense of hostage taking carries a maximum sentence of life in prison, although as part of the extradition process from Colombia, the United States agreed not to seek a sentence exceeding 60 years.
According to a statement of facts submitted as part of the plea hearing, t he FARC is an armed, violent organization in Colombia, which since its inception in 1964, has engaged in an armed conflict to overthrow the Republic of Colombia, South America’s longest-standing democracy. The FARC has consistently used hostage taking as a primary technique in extorting demands from the Republic of Colombia, and hostage taking has been endorsed and commanded by FARC senior leadership. The FARC has characterized American citizens as “military targets” and has engaged in violent acts against Americans in Colombia, including murders and hostage taking. The FARC was designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. Secretary of State in 1997 and remains so designated.
Beltran Herrera, a commander in the FARC, was involved in the hostage taking of three United States citizens: Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes, and Keith Stansell. These three, along with Thomas Janis, a United States citizen, and Sergeant Luis Alcides Cruz, a Colombian citizen, were seized on Feb. 13, 2003, by the FARC, after their single-engine aircraft made a crash landing in the Colombian jungle.
Members of the FARC murdered Mr. Janis and Sgt. Cruz at the crash site. Mr. Gonsalves, Mr. Howes, and Mr. Stansell were held by the FARC at gunpoint and were advised by FARC leadership that they would be used as hostages to increase pressure on the government of Colombia to agree to the FARC’s demands. At various times, the FARC marched the hostages from one site to another, placing them in the actual custody of various FARC fronts.
At the conclusion of one 40-day long march, in or about November 2004, the hostages were delivered to members of the FARC’s 27th Front, who imprisoned the hostages for nearly two years. During part of this period, Beltran Herrera was responsible for moving the hostages and keeping them imprisoned. Throughout the captivity of these three hostages, FARC jailors and guards used choke harnesses, chains, padlocks and wires to restrain the hostages, and used force and threats to continue their detention and prevent their escape. In July 2008, the Colombian military conducted a daring operation which resulted in the rescue of the hostages.
All told, members of the FARC held the Americans hostage for 1,967 days.
“This case underscores our resolve to hold accountable those who target our citizens with violence anywhere in the world,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “With this guilty plea, Alexander Beltran Herrera has admitted his participation in the hostage taking and captivity of three Americans by the FARC, a Colombian terrorist organization. I want to thank all of the prosecutors, agents, and analysts who made this result possible.”
“Alexander Beltran Herrera was a terrorist and commander in the FARC organization who held three Americans hostage in the Colombian jungle,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “With today's guilty plea, he admitted to his role in terrorizing these Americans, who were held in captivity for more than five years. His extradition and prosecution reflect our determination to bring to justice anyone who sets out to harm our fellow citizens overseas.”
“Alexander Beltran Herrera was a commander within FARC, a foreign terrorist organization based in Colombia that considered U.S. citizens to be targets for murder and hostage taking,” said Special Agent in Charge Piro. “First captured, then extradited to the United States, Herrera has now admitted to his role in moving and keeping hostage three American citizens, Marc D. Gonsalves, Thomas R. Howes and Keith Stansell. Once again, the excellent, longstanding cooperation between the Colombian National Police and U.S. law enforcement has ended another terrorist’s career of violence and thuggery.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Miami Division. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Asuncion and Fernando Campoamor-Sanchez from the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney David Cora, from the Counterterrorism Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The case was indicted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Kohl, of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The FBI’s Miami Division partnered in the investigation with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the Department’s Judicial Attachés in Colombia, and the FBI’s Office of the Legal Attaché in Bogota, Colombia. The Directorate of Intelligence (DIPOL) and the Anti-Kidnapping Unit (GAULA) of the Colombian National Police also provided valuable support during the investigation.
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