PLANO, Texas — Boeing will continue its nearly 20-year legacy of F/A-18 modification work under a new $204 million contract award from Naval Air Systems Command, the company said in an Oct. 26 release.

The sole-source contract, which covers inspections, modifications and repair work on U.S. Navy F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and EA-18G Growlers, has a base option of $62 million.

“Our team, many of whom are Navy and Marine Corps veterans, understand the critical need for aircraft readiness and mission availability,” said retired Adm. Pat Walsh, vice president of U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Services for Boeing Global Services. “We look forward to partnering with the Navy, as we have since 1999, on extending the service life of F/A-18s for continued reliable operation.”

Boeing will perform the work at the company’s Cecil Field facility in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to periodic maintenance inspections and repairs, Boeing performs structural and electrical modifications. About 28 aircraft are expected to be inducted for maintenance and modifications during the first year of the contract.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Vise returned Oct. 29 to St. Petersburg after responding to Hurricane Michael and conducting a 16-day port reconstitution and aids-to-navigation (ATON) patrol, the 7th Coast Guard District said in an Oct. 30 release.

During the patrol, the crew of the Vise assisted with the devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Michael. The crew transited over 650 miles and serviced more than 70 ATON in an effort to facilitate safe navigation along the Intracoastal Waterway from St. Marks to Panama City.

“Due to the Coast Guard’s preparation and responsiveness, the crew of the Vise, along with other Coast Guard operational and support elements, were able to reopen the entire ICW [Intracoastal Waterway] and Port of Panama City within days of the devastating storm,” said Chief Warrant Officer Paul Curtis, commanding officer of Vise.

The Vise is a 75-foot inland construction tender that pushes a 68-foot crane barge. The crew of 16 maintains the west coast of Florida’s fixed aid-to-navigation systems that includes approximately 1,600 aids.

“Maritime commerce is the lifeblood of the global economy and the crew of the Vise played a major part during this deployment by ensuring the ports and waterways in the hurricane affected areas were properly marked to ensure all maritime traffic can operate in a safe manner,” said Curtis. “By quickly and efficiently reopening ports, and ensuring safe transit along the waterways, our crew played a key role in the Coast Guard’s Maritime Commerce Strategy.”

MIAMI — The Coast Guard Cutter Thetis crew repatriated 84 Haitian migrants Tuesday to Port-au-Prince, Haiti, the 7th Coast Guard District said in an Oct. 30 release.

While on routine patrol the cutter Thetis crew located an overloaded 42-foot migrant vessel dead in the water Oct. 28 approximately 30 miles southwest of Turks and Caicos Islands, arrived on scene and safely embarked 84 migrants for safety of life at sea concerns.

A Coast Guard Air Station Clearwater MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew forward deployed to Great Inagua, Bahamas, provided overhead support.

“The overloaded vessel we interdicted was dead in the water and lacked basic safety equipment such as life jackets and flotation devices, which could have led to a fatal accident at sea,” said Cmdr. Randall Chong, commanding officer of the cutter Thetis. “I am very proud of my crew on the cutter Thetis for finding, aiding, and ultimately rescuing all persons on board and, we will continue to patrol the Caribbean and Florida Straits to ensure safety of life at sea.”

Once aboard Coast Guard cutters, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and medical attention.

Approximately 132 Haitian migrants have attempted to illegally migrate to the U.S. via the maritime environment since Oct. 1 compared to 2,488 Haitian migrants in fiscal 2018. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic.

Thetis is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Key West, Florida.

ARLINGTON, Va. — KMS Solutions. LLC was awarded a cyber security services contract by the U.S. Navy to support the Naval Undersea Warfare Command Code 25 projects including: assessment and authorization; research, development, test and evaluation; environment maintenance; systems security engineering; posture transition support; in-service engineer agent support; and meeting support.

These services are for the development, evaluation, modernization and sustainment of the U.S. Navy tactical and tactical support systems, the company said in an Oct. 29 release. KMS Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Subsystem Technologies.

“KMS Solutions is pleased to provide Code 25 with these services and will bring a wide range of domain knowledge, mission experience, best practices, and next-generation capabilities to the Navy,” said Michael Martino, KMS Solutions vice president. “Through this contract, we will provide Code 25 with proven, successful cybersecurity services.”

Subsystem Technologies CEO Sam Malhotra said, “We are proud to support Code 25 cybersecurity program and look forward to working closely with our government partners to ensure mission success.”

SAN PEDRO, Calif. — The Coast Guard received the second California-based 154-foot fast response cutter (FRC) in San Pedro, Oct. 31.

Robert Ward, a Sentinel-class fast FRC, arrived at its new homeport at Coast Guard Base Los Angeles-Long Beach, where the crew will begin training to become certified in law enforcement and rescue operations.

Robert Ward is the second of four FRCs to be homeported at Base Los Angeles-Long Beach and is scheduled to be officially commissioned in February.

Two additional FRCs are scheduled to arrive and be commissioned by summer. While these ships will be based in San Pedro, they will operate throughout the 11th Coast Guard District, which includes all of California and international waters off Mexico and Central America.

FRC’s are 154-foot multimission ships designed to conduct: drug and migrant interdictions; ports, waterways and coastal security operations; fisheries and environmental protection patrols; national defense missions; and search and rescue.

Each cutter is designed for a crew of 24, has a range of 2,500 miles and is equipped for patrols up to five days. The FRCs are part of the Coast Guard’s overall fleet modernization initiative.

FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment as well as over-the-horizon response boat deployment capability and improved habitability for the crew. The ships can reach speeds of 28 knots and are equipped to coordinate operations with partner agencies and long-range Coast Guard assets such as the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutters.

FRCs are named in honor of Coast Guard enlisted leaders, trailblazers and heroes. The four California-based FRCs are scheduled to be:
■ Forrest Rednour (WPC 1129) — Rednour aided in the rescue of 133 people during the sinking of the U.S.A.T. Dorchester, Feb. 3, 1943. He was awarded the Purple Heart and Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his actions. Rednour lost his life in the sinking of the Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba in June 1943.
■ Robert Ward (WPC 1130) — Ward operated beach-landing boats during the Normandy invasion. He landed his craft on the Cotentin Peninsula and rescued two stranded boat crews in the face of a heavily fortified enemy assault.
■ Terrell Horne III (WPC 1131) — Horne was murdered by suspected drug smugglers who intentionally rammed the boat he and fellow Coast Guardsmen were aboard during law enforcement operations near Santa Cruz Island off the Southern California coast in December 2012. Horne pushed one of his shipmates out of the way of the oncoming vessel attack and sustained fatal injuries.
■ Benjamin Bottoms (WPC 1132) — Bottoms was part the Coast Guard aircrew that rescued an Army aircrew from a downed B-17 off the west coast of Greenland in 1942. Bottoms and the pilot conducted the first landing of a cutter plane on an icecap and commenced a two-day rescue over a rugged Arctic terrain that required multiple flights. During the second day of rescue operations, radio contact with Bottoms’ plane was lost and he was declared missing in action.

ARLINGTON, Va. — In a keynote speech to attendees of the 2018 Oceans Conference — held Oct. 22-25 in Charleston, South Carolina — Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. David Hahn discussed the goals of the U.S. Navy’s Task Force Ocean (TFO), a signature program of Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson. TFO is designed to reinvigorate the Navy’s commitment to ocean sciences, advancing its tactical advantage through a better knowledge of the ocean environment and its impact on sensors, weapons and operations.

Hahn, who leads the Office of Naval Research (ONR) and serves as the director of TFO, began his comments by highlighting the critical role of ocean commerce to global prosperity, and the need to provide order and security to that commerce for the good of the nation and the world, according to an Oct. 29 release from ONR.

“Fundamentally, that is the role of your Navy — it’s what we do every day,” Hahn said.

He pointed out, however, that in this era of increasing “great power competition,” the Navy needs to maintain an advantage, and the time to prepare for that is now. Hahn quoted James Forrestal, appointed the first secretary of defense in 1947, who said in a Congressional testimony, “The tempo of modern war has reached the point where this nation will probably never again have the opportunity to arm itself successfully after the start of hostilities.”

That message bolstered the one given at a Tactical Oceanography Symposium held a week earlier at the Undersea Warfighting Development Center in San Diego. Hahn highlighted the importance of furthering ties between the Navy, academia and industry.

“The Navy needs your help,” he told attendees at the three-day symposium, the first in a series designed to highlight Navy ocean science issues. “We need a committed partnership between government, academia and industry to ensure the U.S. remains the world leader in ocean science, especially Navy-relevant science. Our competitors are gaining on us.”

“Our decades-long competitive advantage in the undersea domain is eroding. This is not a Navy problem — it is our nation’s problem,” said Oceanographer of the Navy Rear Adm. John Okon during a presentation at the symposium. “As Task Force Ocean continues to evolve, we must remain focused on advancing ocean science and uniting our nation’s intellectual capital to increase our competitive advantage.”

A recent report prepared by the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, an umbrella organization that includes over 100 public and private ocean research organizations, highlights the mounting pressure on the Navy’s advantage over global competitors.

To accelerate the recovery of that advantage in these critical areas, Hahn announced that ONR will increase research and sponsor an additional 50 graduate students and 50 post-doctorates under TFO, primarily in the areas of physical oceanography and acoustics, in addition to ONR’s ongoing support for academia.

According to Dr. Tom Drake, director of ONR’s Ocean Battlespace Sensing Department, “ONR will revitalize the ‘Scientist-to-Sea’ program, which provides opportunities for selected scientists and engineers to visit submarines and submarine training facilities, undersea warfighting training centers, Navy laboratories and engineering centers to better understand the needs and priorities of the Navy.”

The Navy’s commitment to revitalize its ocean science efforts will have very positive benefits to the national ocean science program, as well as the Navy. “This is a most welcome turn of events for Navy oceanographic research,” said Prof. Arthur Baggeroer, the secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations Chair for ocean science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

ABOARD USS JOHN FINN — The latest evolution of the Aegis Combat System, Baseline 9.C2 (BMD5.1), successfully supported a Missile Defense Agency-led at-sea Ballistic Missile Defense System test event, Lockheed Martin said in an Oct. 26 release. During the test, the Lockheed Martin-built Aegis system detected, tracked, engaged and launched a missile to intercept a medium-range ballistic missile target.

The test, called Flight Test Standard Missile-45, demonstrated the integrated capabilities of the system and how it has continually evolved to counter advanced threats. This test demonstrated the new engagement assessment functionality, bi-directional missile communications and sensor improvement algorithms.

“This test authenticates the strengthening global security of the United States and its allies as we deepen the defense capabilities with the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System,” said Paul Klammer, director, Aegis BMD. “This exercise showed that Aegis is the most advanced combat system and the proven choice for a layered defense.”

This test builds upon joint research investments by the United States and Japan and comes on the heels of a successful test with the JS Atago in September. Lockheed Martin is developing a Baseline 9/BMD 5.1 variant computer program, for deployment on Japan’s Aegis destroyers.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — StandardAero has been selected as the U.S. Navy’s primary engine depot for support of the CFM56-7 engines used on the P-8A aircraft, the company announced in an Oct. 24 release.

This is the second straight year StandardAero has been selected to perform this work, which is carried out under a U.S. federal government indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity-type contract that is competed and awarded each year among the U.S. Navy’s approved sources. The contract supports the U.S. Navy, the government of Australia and other foreign military sales customers.

The P-8A is the replacement for the P-3 maritime patrol aircraft, which was introduced into service in the early 1960s. The CFM56 engines, used on the P-8A aircraft, are a commercially developed platform, capable of generating more than 27,000 pounds thrust.

StandardAero has been supporting the U.S. Navy for more than 20 years, providing maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) support across a number of engine and aircraft platforms. Under the P-8A award, StandardAero will provide depot-level repair and overhaul for the propulsion systems used to power this critical U.S. Navy mission.

“StandardAero appreciates the Navy’s continued confidence in our ability to carry out this work,” said Scott Starrett, president of StandardAero Military & Energy division.

PORT HUENEME, Calif. — Work has commenced on the refurbishment and modification of the NATO SeaSparrow Missile System (NSSMS) platform and Mk132 Guided Missile Launching System (GMLS) located at the Surface Warfare Engineering Facility aboard Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD).

The surface-to-air ship defense system is being upgraded to support the deployment of the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile (ESSM) Block 2, which employs an active and semi-active guidance system to meet current and expected future threats.

“The effort is in support of ESSM Block 2 integration efforts for the CVN, LHD and LHA ship classes,” according to Son Nguyen, electronics engineer. “NSWC PHD is the In-Service Engineering Agent [ISEA] leading the testing of a new servo motor, launcher cell extensions and qualification of ESSM Block 2 loading and operations.”

The project is one of many current and future endeavors launched by NSWC PHD in support of the ISEA of the Future, which builds upon key innovation milestones and actions to support the next-generation Navy.

“The modification, known as MIN-MOD, will include an overhauled launcher that will bring together all of the program elements to prove and verify required changes as well as demonstrate that the change is fleet ready,” said Robert Barrett, NSSMS customer advocate and program manager. “This also provides the ISEA with the latest launcher that is in the fleet, allowing us to better execute our jobs in both fleet support as well as obsolescence management.”

The NATO SeaSparrow Project is now in its 50th year and is the longest running, most successful cooperative weapons program in NATO.

“Over the years I worked various details through the NSSMS program, learning all aspects of what it takes to be an ISEA and supporting the fleet both technically and logistically,” said Barrett.

“The MIN-MOD program came about when the program office and NAVSEA could not come to a contractual agreement with the design agent for a replacement launcher for the NSSMS Mk57 system,” he said. “The replacement launcher had to have the ability to be able to fire the ESSM Block 2. This situation also drove a new requirement to make the contractual process competitive, which meant a minimum of at least two to three years were needed before a first article replacement would be seen by the fleet.

“This effort also delivers ESSM Block 2 capabilities to large flat decks three years in advance of their original fleet issuance. The added bonus with this program is that it is reverse compatible, so current ESSM shooters will get the advantages of improved readiness and affordability of the LRUs [Lowest Repairable Units] long before they get the mechanical modifications to shoot the ESSM Block 2,” he said.

The NATO SeaSparrow Project is an international consortium of 12 nations consisting of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the United States. The 12 member nations are partners in engineering, development, production and sustainment of the missiles and supporting equipment. NSWC PHD provides advanced technical training to partner allies in support of NSSMS.

SAN DIEGO — The Coast Guard medevaced an injured person via helicopter and rescued 17 passengers after a vessel collision near the maritime boundary line, the 11th Coast Guard District said in an Oct. 27 release.

The crew of the 332-foot yacht Attessa IV contacted Coast Guard Sector San Diego’s Joint Harbor Operations Center watchstanders at approximately 7:50 p.m. reporting a collision with the 65-foot sportfisher Prowler approximately nine miles offshore of Imperial Beach that resulted in extensive damage to the starboard quarter of the vessel and multiple injuries.

A Coast Guard Sector San Diego MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew and a Coast Guard Station San Diego 45-foot response boat-medium crew were dispatched to respond. The Coast Guard Cutter Sea Otter was also diverted to assist.

Crews arrived on scene at approximately 8:45 p.m. The Jayhawk crew hoisted a critically injured passenger and returned to Sector San Diego where awaiting EMS took the man to UC San Diego Medical Center–Hillcrest in critical condition.

The RB-M crew transferred 17 passengers, two reporting injuries, from the Prowler and took them to Sector San Diego.

The remaining 10 passengers were transferred to the Attessa IV and are scheduled to return to San Diego, while the captain remained aboard the Prowler.

The Sea Otter remained on-scene with the Prowler awaiting commercial salvage. The cause of the collision is under investigation.