JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Crowley Maritime Corporation and the University of North Florida (UNF) announced June 25 that Crowley has donated $2.5 million as an endowment gift for the creation and operation of a new center of excellence named the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics (CCTL).

The center will reside in UNF’s Coggin College of Business and utilize interdisciplinary faculty expertise from across the University.   

Headquartered in Jacksonville, where UNF is located, Crowley is a global leader in logistics, marine and energy solutions for the commercial and government sectors. As one of the U.S. maritime industry’s leading employers with nearly 130 years of experience and innovation development, the company has recently advanced into new energy supply chain solutions such as offshore wind, as well as digital innovation at its locations across America, the Caribbean, Central America and beyond. 

Crowley and the company’s charitable work have historically supported logistics careers in its industry. The company’s $2.5 million donation to UNF establishes a landmark commitment to the growth and development of skilled, talented students to be innovative leaders in transportation and logistics and faculty researchers leading data analytics through the establishment of the center. 

“This donation represents a strategic investment in our industry’s future — the talent and knowledge our leaders of tomorrow and the research needed to propel our industry forward successfully,” said Tom Crowley, the company’s chairman and CEO. “We are humbled to be able to play a role in supporting the advancement of researchers, students and their careers in transportation and logistics. The University of North Florida, a dynamic leader in education in one of the global hubs of logistics services, is the rightful home to our new center.” 

The center is designed to be a world-leader in transportation and logistics research, education and industry engagement. The endowment will help fund the CCTL operations and leadership, faculty support, visiting scholars, pertinent industry research, pursuit of federally funded grants and contracts, student recruitment in the areas of transportation, logistics and data analytics, and course development.  

“UNF is extremely appreciative of this generous gift by Crowley to establish a distinguished center of transportation and logistics research and education that will foster a collaborative environment of continued logistical growth, development and innovation,” said UNF President David Szymanski. “Our partnership and alliance with Crowley will allow UNF’s Coggin College of Business and the Crowley Center for Transportation and Logistics to be at the forefront of cutting-edge education and research and help prepare our students with skills for the workforce.”  

UNF’s Coggin College of Business’ transportation and logistics program is considered among the best in the nation due to an active and supportive regional professional community and a high-tech Logistics Information Technology Solutions Lab for students to learn about state-of-the-art supply chain tools and solutions.  

Jacksonville is often lauded as “America’s Logistics Center” and has many geographic advantages as an international transportation hub. Crowley’s shipping and logistics services serving Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Central America have operated in the city for decades, providing containerized, oversized, refrigerated and recently, liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply chain services. 

The combination provides a wealth of opportunities for UNF transportation and logistics graduates.   

“Crowley Maritime’s gift to establish this center is not only important for the Coggin College and UNF but is a major investment in Jacksonville,” said Richard Buttimer, dean of UNF’s Coggin College of Business. “This center will train future generations of transportation, logistics and supply chain leaders, and will ensure that Jacksonville and Northeast Florida has a world-class pool of talent and leadership for this vital industry.”  

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The U.S. Marine Corps’ newest Intrepid Tiger II (IT II) Electronic Warfare (EW) capability flew for the first time on an MV-22B Osprey June 15, the Naval Air Systems Command said in a June 24 release.   

“The significance of this developmental test flight was two-fold,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Michael Orr, Airborne Electronic Attack (AEA) Systems (PMA-234) program manager. “Not only was this the first time we’ve integrated the Intrepid Tiger II capability onto an Osprey but also the first time the capability has been incorporated internal to a platform.” 

PMA-234 Marine Air-Ground Task Force EW Team Lead Bill Mellen said the typical, externally mounted pod was not an option because the MV-22 tilt rotor aircraft does not have traditional wing stations from which to mount podded payloads. The AN/ALQ-231(V)4 IT II system’s upgraded design consists of a roll-on/roll-off rack-mounted payload, controlled from a laptop in the aircraft cabin. 

The IT II is a precision, on-demand, EW weapon system designed to provide Marine Corps fixed and rotary wing aircraft with an organic, distributed, and networked EW payload that can be controlled from the cockpit or by a ground operator. 

The (V)4 system design will include state-of-the art upgrades, utilizing government and commercial-off-the-shelf technologies and jammer techniques that will allow the Marine Corps to keep pace with the ever-evolving threats on the battlefield, and provide the needed adaptability to allow for future iterations of expanded frequency coverage and advanced capabilities, said Mellen.  

“As the 21st Century Battlespace becomes more complex and more contested, military assets must support themselves across the entire spectrum of threats,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Brian Taylor, V-22 Joint Program Office program manager. “The fielding of this upgrade provides a significant and incremental improvement in the V-22’s organic electronic warfare capability, providing commanders more options to support our Marine Corps ground forces. This improves both operational safety to our aircrews and operational success to the commander, our ultimate goals in everything we do.” 

Following successful integration on the MV-22B, the IT II team will further expand the V4 design to include a counter-radar capability on the KC-130J aircraft, hoping to leverage much of the MV-22B technology, including the in-cabin rack-mounted payload design, Mellen said. 

The IT II (V)4 is scheduled to begin fleet deliveries for the MV-22B in fiscal 2023 to achieve initial operating capability by the end of fiscal 2024 with an inventory objective of 42 total systems. 

The IT II (V)1 is flown on the AV-8B Harrier, F/A-18 A++/C/D Hornets, and KC-130J aircraft, while the IT II (V)3 is flown on the UH-1Y Huey helicopter. 

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — A contract to build nine CH-53K King Stallion helicopters with an additional contract option for nine more aircraft was awarded to Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, on June 25, Naval Air Systems Command said in a release. 

The low-rate initial production (LRIP) fiscal 2021 Lot 5 contract will deliver nine aircraft in 2024 as part of a 200-aircraft program of record for the U.S. Marine Corps. The Lot 5 contract contains an option for Lot 6, for an additional nine aircraft with a contract award in FY22. 

“This contract award is a testament to the hard work and dedication from the team to execute this critical program in support of the U.S. Marine Corps’ heavy lift requirement,” said Col. Jack Perrin, heavy lift helicopter program manager. 

The Lot 5 contract is for $878.7 million, bringing the Sikorsky element of the aircraft cost of those nine aircraft to $97.6 million each. The Lot 6 aircraft cost reduces to $94.7 million each, for a Lot 6 total contract cost of $852.5 million. These costs do not include engine and other government furnished equipment. 

The fiscal 2021 Lot 5 and 2022 Lot 6 contracts represent an average unit airframe cost reduction of $7.4 million from fiscal 2020 Lot 4 to FY22 Lot 6. 

The program will start initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) in July 2021 and is poised to support the Marine Corps’ declaration of initial operational capability. In preparation for commencement of IOT&E, three System Demonstration Test Article aircraft are currently being operated by the Marine Corps’ Operational Test and Evaluation Squadron One, VMX-1, at Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina. 

“As the long-range logistic support backbone for the U.S. Marine Corps, it is essential that we get this critical capability to the fleet as quickly and as affordably as possible,” said Perrin. 

The Lot 5 award brings the program total aircraft, either delivered or on contract, to 33. 

NASHUA, N.H. — BAE Systems Inc. is providing Lockheed Martin with additional electronic warfare (EW) systems, retrofit kits, and spares for the F-35 Lightning II aircraft, BAE said in a June 28 release. The contract builds on BAE Systems’ on-time delivery of more than 800 state-of-the-art AN/ASQ-239 electronic warfare/countermeasure systems to date, providing F-35 jets with critical situational awareness and survivability capabilities. 

“We’ve delivered cutting-edge electronic warfare systems for every F-35 fighter,” said Deb Norton, vice president of F-35 Solutions at BAE Systems. “Our team is focused on manufacturing excellence and execution, providing agile, adaptable systems to outpace the current and future threat.” 

This Lot 16 award comes as BAE Systems delivers Lot 14 systems and executes material orders for Lot 15. The company is currently producing 18 shipsets a month as it ramps production to more than 20 shipsets a month in 2022 to match F-35 aircraft Low-Rate Initial Production. 

The AN/ASQ-239 EW system provides advanced offensive and defensive capabilities that enable the F-35 to engage complex and highly capable threats. The innovative system is designed for performance, manufacturability, sustainability, and future upgradability. 

BAE Systems is a leader in system affordability, having reduced the cost of the F-35 EW system by 77% since it was first produced and achieving all affordability targets since the inception of the program. The company is also among Lockheed Martin’s highest-rated suppliers for both quality and on-time delivery. 

BAE Systems also is a leader in EW – designing, manufacturing, and sustaining some of the most advanced systems in the world. The company is focused on agile engineering, manufacturing, and sustainment solutions to accelerate the transition of laboratory innovations to the field. The company’s expertise in performance-based logistics has yielded a 60% improvement in F-35 EW system availability. 

The AN/ASQ-239 system is manufactured at the BAE Systems state-of-the-art EW production facility in Nashua, N.H.  

MIAMI — Coast Guard Cutter Raymond Evans’ crew transferred 18 Haitian migrants to the Bahamas, June 26, following an interdiction, Thursday, approximately one mile east of Lake Worth Inlet, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.  

Palm Beach Sheriff officers reported to Sector Miami watchstanders, June 24, a 27-foot vessel was located boating without lights at night. They were stopped for safety concerns and it was discovered the vessel was overloaded with 18 Haitians and one Bahamian.  

The Bahamian national was brought ashore for further questioning by Homeland Security Investigations. 

Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations law enforcement officers took custody of the vessel.  

“The ventures are dangerous and can often lead to casualties,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jacob McMillian, Coast Guard Liaison officer, Bahamas. “Seas are unpredictable and when you’re traveling on a vessel that isn’t sea worthy, you should expect the unexpected.” 

The Coast Guard interdicted approximately 262 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2021, which began Oct. 1, 2020, compared to 418 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2020, and 932 in fiscal year 2019. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. 

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention. Throughout the interdiction, Coast Guard crew members were equipped with personal protective equipment to minimize potential exposure to any possible case of COVID-19. 

GUILFORD, U.K. — The U.K. Royal Navy has awarded a 12-month contract extension to Airbus covering the continued provision of satellite-based maritime surveillance services for the Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC), the company said in a June 28 release. 
 
The contract follows the successful completion of a proof-of-concept phase and will ensure the continued monitoring of areas of interest in U.K. waters and ultimately protect U.K. sovereign borders from suspicious vessel activity. Using optical and radar imaging as well as Automatic Identification System data, Airbus will provide reports about vessels within the U.K. Exclusive Economic Zone, as well as information that will help in the prevention of potential illegal activities. 
 
JMSC, the U.K. government’s center of excellence for maritime security, required a series of services that would provide intelligence to augment their own surveillance activities. Under the agreement, JMSC will benefit from a large range of Airbus’ surveillance and analytics capabilities. 
 
The contract includes Vessel Detection Reports using SAR data analysis, either delivered in emergency mode for urgently required satellite tasking to monitor suspicious vessels of interest across the globe, or on a twice daily basis for general vessel identification as well as the classification of “dark” vessels in key areas of interest. In addition, the Defence Site Monitoring service, using automated algorithms applied to optical imagery for the detection, recognition and identification of vessels, will detail the evolution of port activity and raise alerts whenever abnormal activity occurs. 
 
The Airbus surveillance services will give JMSC a greater understanding of the various activities across U.K. waters, especially with a focus on potentially uncooperative vessels, helping to better address security challenges and allowing resources to be rapidly deployed to intercept.

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill. — Northrop Grumman Corp. will install more life-saving Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasure (LAIRCM) systems on U.S. and international fixed-wing and rotary wing aircraft under a $146 million order from the U.S. Air Force, the company said in a June 25 release. 

The award is part of an existing indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract to Northrop Grumman for LAIRCM upgrades, modifications and installations on a wide range of Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, including the C-17, C-5, C-130J, P-8, CH-53K, KC-46 and platforms operated by international customers. 

“Northrop Grumman has been protecting U.S. Air Force platforms from missile threats for more than 25 years,” said Bob Gough, vice president, navigation, targeting and survivability at Northrop Grumman. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering advanced aircraft survivability systems that help ensure aircrews make it home safely.” 

Northrop Grumman’s family of countermeasure systems such as LAIRCM and the new Common Infrared Countermeasure system are installed on more than 1,500 aircraft of 85 different types, providing spherical protection by detecting, tracking and jamming incoming infrared threats. The most advanced aircraft survivability equipment available, it defeats threats by directing a high-intensity laser beam into the eye of the fast-moving missile’s infrared seeker. 

INDIAN HEAD, Md. — Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head Division (NSWC IHD) announced the signing of a Title 10, United States Code, section 2474, Public-Private Partnership (P3) with MBDA Inc., May 25, the division announced in a June 25 release. 

Under this 20-year agreement, NSWC IHD and MBDA Incorporated will jointly develop, qualify and manufacture propulsion systems and warheads for current and future warfighter needs. This partnership will focus on opportunities to increase the range, lethality, and safety of tactical weapon systems. Manufacturing activities will be performed in existing industrial plant complexes at the command and will help sustain key NSWC IHD energetics manufacturing capabilities while providing safe and effective energetic solutions to the warfighter.

“As the U.S. arm of MBDA, MBDA Incorporated looks forward to collaborating with NSWC IHD to develop and produce new technologies and products at NSWC IHD to provide our warfighters with new capabilities and effectiveness in response to their requirements,” said John Pranzatelli, president and CEO of MBDA Inc.

MBDA provides missiles and missile systems for each branch of the armed forces and operates in the United States through MBDA Inc. under a special security agreement with the U.S. Department of Defense.

“These types of agreements leverage existing capability, and the transfer of federally developed technology can also have a positive effect on the greater scientific research community, the commercial sector, the economy, consumers and the public,” said NSWC IHD Technical Director Ashley Johnson.

NSWC IHD received Center for Industrial and Technical Excellence designation in May 2014 for depot maintenance and military arsenal activities. This designation provides the legal authority for NSWC IHD to enter into P3 agreements for the developing, manufacturing, testing, maintenance, and storage of energetic materials and ordnance systems. To date, NSWC IHD has entered into six P3 agreements with private industry and is in partnership discussions with several companies.

ARLINGTON, Va. — U.S. combatant commanders around the globe will be the first to get data handling assistance from the Pentagon’s new artificial intelligence (AI) initiative, because they work in the toughest decision-making environments, the head of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center says.

“The hard work of creating successful environments and implementing AI in the dirty, dangerous, challenged warfighting environments right at the edge is what really matters,” Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Michael Groen told reporters at a Pentagon press briefing June 24.

Transforming the Defense Department (DoD) from a platform-centric organization, where each military service has its own technology silo, into one integrating AI, machine learning and other technologies at scale to stay ahead of peer competitors “is truly the challenge of a generation,” said Groen, director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center (JAIC).

To accelerate progress on the Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) strategy DoD launched an AI and Data Acceleration (ADA) Initiative, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks announced June 21 at the DoD Artificial Intelligence Symposium and Tech Exchange.

JADC2 aims to connect sensors from all of the services into a single network, sharing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance data to enable faster decision making. The change is needed because in a digital-driven world, decisions in future conflicts with degraded environments will have to be made swiftly, perhaps within seconds, say Pentagon officials.

In a supporting memo, Hicks stated the ADA Initiative will support Combatant Commands in “integrating and scaling ongoing and proven capabilities used in real-world operations, simulations, experiments and demonstrations.” The goal is to rapidly advance data and AI-dependent concepts, like JADC2, to the ADA initiative and generate capabilities through a series of experiments and exercises — each one advancing l learning a step further.

“A key part of an AI-ready department is a strong data foundation,” Hicks told the symposium in a virtual appearance. “Data enables the creation of algorithmic models, and, with the right data, we are able to take concepts and ideas and turn them into reality,” she added.

The initiative is creating operational data teams that will be forward-deployed within 30 days to the data office at all 11 combatant commands. The teams will catalog, manage and automate data feeds to assist warfighters in making their data visible, accessible, understandable, linked, trustworthy, interoperable and secure.

DoD will build on that with additional “flyaway teams of technical experts” to help combatant commands streamline and automate workflows through the integration of AI. The expert teams, expected to be dispatched within 60 to 90 days, will support continuous experimentation to improve commanders’ ability to act with speed and precision.

The combatant commanders are getting the operational data teams “because they have their own exercise environments, but they [also] have real decision environments, really the toughest decision environments of anybody, and yet they don’t often have a lot of tools to deal with those kinds of things,” Groen said.

JOHNSTOWN, PENN., June 25, 2021 – In collaboration with the U.S. Army, Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace and the Javelin Joint Venture (JJV) conducted a four-shot, multi-platform Javelin demonstration at the U.S. Army Redstone Test Center in Alabama on May 25, 2021. Three different vehicles were each equipped with different configurations of the Kongsberg Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station-Javelin (CROWS-J) and Protector RS6 Remote Weapon Station (RWS).

“Kongsberg has solidified its position as the remote weapon station of choice for Javelin deployment across a broad range of platforms. Our remote weapon stations are powerful force multipliers, especially given that we’re delivering a Multi-User Multi-Station [MUMS] capability to facilitate advanced target sharing and cooperative engagement,” said Jason Toepfer, director for Army Business Development (U.S.) at Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace. “Our continued investments in the architecture and platforms overall maximize the U.S. military’s current inventory, training and provisioning while providing groundbreaking advancements in capability.”

During the demonstration, three different Kongsberg remote weapon station configurations on three unique ground platforms fired Javelin, successfully engaging targets each time. Using QinetiQ North America’s Robotic Combat Vehicle-Light (RCV-L), Kongsberg executed a fully remote firing of Javelin using CROWS Tech Refresh control components. This was a first for the Army’s official RCV-L platform and demonstrated Tech Refresh’s backwards compatibility with legacy CROWS systems.

Another firing demonstrated Kongsberg’s capability to fire Javelin on a 4×4 platform from a previously qualified and fielded system within the inventory on an 8×8 platform – the same Kongsberg RWS that is currently fielded with Stryker brigades in Germany.

Finally, Kongsberg continued to showcase its Protector RS6 (30x113mm) platform by successfully firing javelin from a lightweight, Ground Mobility Vehicle. The RS6 RWS is the system selected by the U.S. Marine Corps for the Marine Air Defense Integrated System program. This Javelin firing is one of several conducted from this station and further demonstrates the inherent flexibility of the RS6 design, allowing users to address a broad range of threats and operational needs – C-UAS, SHORAD, ATGM, Maneuver Support, Manned/Unmanned Teaming – from a single system.

With more than 20,000 systems delivered worldwide and 14 years of CROWS experience, Kongsberg will continue to support Soldiers with new systems, capabilities and features meeting tomorrow’s requirements while maintaining, supporting and keeping up to date a wide range of CROWS variants and support equipment. All CROWS and RWS systems are produced in the Kongsberg Johnstown, Pennsylvania, facility. Continuing the execution of this contract secures more than 3,000 jobs, both directly and through the Kongsberg U.S. supply chain. With systems sold to 26 nations, Kongsberg is the world-leading provider of remote weapon stations.