MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard, along with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (CBP AMO), halted a migrant smuggling operation on Aug. 13 about 14 miles east of Haulover Inlet, Florida, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. 

A CBP AMO aircraft crew spotted a 25-foot pleasure craft traveling about 14 miles east of Haulover Inlet and vectored two CBP surface asset crews to the scene. The CBP crews embarked the 11 Haitian males, four Haitian females, one Bahamian male, one Bahamian female and transferred them to the Coast Guard Cutter Manatee crew. 

The smuggler was transferred ashore to CBP custody and the interdicted migrants were repatriated to Freeport, Bahamas. 

“People should never trust these criminal organizations with their lives,” said Lt. Cmdr. Juan Carlos Avila, Coast Guard Sector Miami chief of enforcement. “Attempting to smuggle yourself into the country via the maritime environment is both extremely dangerous and illegal. With the consistent danger these smuggling ventures present, our crews and partner agencies remain persistently vigilant to protect lives and enforce federal laws.” 

The Coast Guard has interdicted about 400 Haitian migrants who have attempted to illegally enter the U.S via the maritime environment in fiscal year 2020, which began Oct. 1, 2019, compared to 885 Haitian migrants in fiscal year 2019. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean 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.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has been selected to lead the Defense Department’s new Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force (UAPTF), the Pentagon said in an Aug. 14 release.   

“On Aug. 4, 2020, Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist approved the establishment of an Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force,” the release said. “The Department of the Navy, under the cognizance of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security, will lead the UAPTF.”  

DoD “established the UAPTF to improve its understanding of, and gain insight into, the nature and origins of UAPs,” the release said. “The mission of the task force is to detect, analyze and catalog UAPs that could potentially pose a threat to U.S. national security. 

“As DoD has stated previously, the safety of our personnel and the security of our operations are of paramount concern,” the release said. “The Department of Defense and the military departments take any incursions by unauthorized aircraft into our training ranges or designated airspace very seriously and examine each report. This includes examinations of incursions that are initially reported as UAP when the observer cannot immediately identify what he or she is observing.” 

Earlier this year DoD released infrared imagery of a UAP taken by Navy F/A-18 strike fighters over the western United States.

ST. LOUIS — Boeing has inducted its 20th F/A-18 Super Hornet into service life modification (SLM), supporting U.S. Navy readiness needs for mission-capable aircraft, the company said in an Aug. 17 release. Two SLM jets already have been returned to the Navy. 

Initially, SLM will extend the life of Super Hornets from 6,000 to 7,500 flight hours. Future modification plans in 2022 will enable the jets to fly 10,000 hours and incorporate Block III capabilities. 

“The Super Hornet is the workhorse fighter for the U.S. Navy,” said Steve Wade, vice president of F/A-18 and EA-18G programs. “SLM is critical because it gives the Super Hornet a new life and next-generation Block III capabilities. The combination of Block III Super Hornets coming out of SLM and new builds off the production line will enable the Navy to maintain the force structure necessary to meet its mission needs.” 

The Block III conversion will include enhanced network capability, conformal fuel tanks, an advanced cockpit system, signature improvements and an enhanced communication system. The updates are expected to keep the F/A-18 in active service for decades to come. 

Boeing is on contract for the modernization of 24 aircraft. An additional contract award covering inductions through 2022 is expected later this year. SLM consists of two production lines in St. Louis and San Antonio, Texas.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has awarded $430 million contract to a Maryland-based company to operate and maintain one of the service’s most sophisticated test ranges. 

The Naval Undersea Warfare Center Newport Division awarded the contract to Amentum Services Inc. of Germantown, Maryland, to operate and maintain the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center (AUTEC), the Defense Department announced in an Aug. 12 release. 

“AUTEC is the Navy’s large-area, deep-water, undersea test and evaluation range.  Underwater research, testing and evaluation of anti-submarine weapons, sonar tracking and communications are the predominant activities conducted at AUTEC,” the release said. “The contractor performs AUTEC range operations support services and maintenance of facilities and range systems. In addition, the contractor is responsible for operating a self-sufficient one-square-mile Navy outpost.” 

The AUTEC range is located at Andros Island in the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. It is frequented by Navy maritime patrol aircraft, anti-submarine helicopters, and attack submarines for events such as tracking exercises, exercise torpedo launches and recoveries, and other uses. 

Under the contract, Amentum is expected to run AUTEC through August 2025. With all options exercised, work would continue through August 2030.

MAYPORT, Fla. — The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG 91) with embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) team seized over 120 kilograms of suspected cocaine July 24, U.S. 4th Fleet/U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command Public Affairs said in an Aug. 11 release. 

While on routine patrol approximately 200 nautical miles southwest of Jamaica, a helicopter assigned to the “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 located the vessel and Pinckney soon arrived on scene. After coordination with the government of Colombia and the Colombian navy, the vessel was searched and six suspected drug smugglers were detained. The mariners are now in Colombia’s custody. 

Upon examination, Pinckney personnel determined one detainee required medical assistance, and a medical evacuation was necessary for the patient to survive. That individual was transported further medical treatment.   

Pinckney and the embarked LEDET recovered an estimated 120 kilograms of suspected cocaine worth an estimated wholesale value worth over $4.5 million. 

USS Pinckney is deployed to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations conducting U.S Southern Command and Joint Interagency Task Force South’s enhanced counter drug operations missions in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has ordered 24 Harpoon Block II+ Harpoon cruise missiles from Boeing Defense, Space & Security, the Defense Department said in an August 12 announcement. 

The Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Boeing a $15.6 million firm-fixed-price order for the 24 missiles plus 25 captive air training missiles (CATMs). 

The Harpoon Block II+ includes a new GPS guidance kit, improved weapon reliability and survivability, and a new data-link interface that enables in-flight updates and improved target selectivity. Fleet introduction of the Block II+ was achieved in 2017 on the F/A-18E/F followed by the P-8A in 2019.  

A CATM is installed on the weapon pylon of an aircraft and gives the electronic signals of a live missile without an actual launch.  

The order is expected to be completed in August 2023. 

MCLEAN, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps has awarded BAE Systems a contract worth about $19 million to develop a prototype design for a new state-of-the-art wargaming center to be built at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, the company said in an Aug. 13 release. 

BAE will integrate advanced technologies into the prototype, including artificial intelligence, machine learning, game theory, multidomain modeling and simulation, and predictive data analytics, which will provide greater metrics and training on many wargaming processes. 

“We will build on our experience supporting the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory Wargaming Division and partner with a diverse team of digital technology experts to produce an advanced prototype to help train an efficient, precise, and consistent force capable of fighting future wars in multiple domains,” said Peder Jungck, vice president and general manager of BAE Systems’ Intelligence Solutions business. “This prototype will integrate big data and advanced analytics in a secure cloud environment for future wargaming design and assessments.” 

Since 2010, BAE Systems has supported the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory Wargaming Division with wargame planning, preparation, execution, and assessment. Deep understanding of the Marine Corps’ mission has positioned BAE Systems well for supporting further wargaming processes and identifying ways for the Marines to benefit from new technologies to enhance capabilities. 

BAE Systems is one of three primes selected for the 18-month cloud modeling and simulation phase. As a lead systems integrator, BAE Systems formed a team of industry experts with breakthrough technology offerings and predictive analytics-based wargaming solutions that automate planning, execution, and post-game analytics.

WASHINGTON — Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island, will be home to future offshore patrol cutters, U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters announced Aug. 12. 

“I am excited to announce the homeporting of two offshore patrol cutters at Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island,” Commandant of the Coast Guard Adm. Karl L. Schultz said. “NAVSTA Newport provides strategic operational reach and significant logistics support to our service, helping secure our national interests in the Atlantic. I am grateful to the community and its leadership for their continued support of the U.S. Coast Guard and our families assigned to the region.” 

OPCs are the Coast Guard’s top acquisition priority and will provide the majority of the Coast Guard’s offshore presence, bridging the capabilities of the 418-foot national security cutters and the 154-foot fast-response cutters. 

OPCs will conduct missions such as law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, homeland security, and defense operations. Each OPC will be capable of deploying independently or as part of a task group and be capable of serving as a mobile command and control (C2) platform for surge operations such as hurricane, mass migration, or other contingency response operations.  

The Coast Guard earlier told Seapower that the first homeport of the OPC would be San Pedro, California. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s top acquisition official said the Columbia ballistic-missile submarine is on track and ready for a fiscal 2021 official construction start. 

Speaking Aug. 12 in a teleconference with reporters, James F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said the Columbia SSBN program went through a review Aug. 11 with program and shipyard teams. 

“The design maturity of Columbia is exceeding 86% right now,” Geurts said. “We’re focusing on converting that design into manufacturing plans, instructions, [and] material parts. Advance construction is continuing on all of the super-modules.”  

The Navy announced on June 22 a contract modification with Electric Boat that featured an option — that already has been fully priced by the Navy — that would start construction of the first Columbia, SSBN 826, in October (the first quarter of fiscal 2021) and fund advance procurement, advance construction and 2024 construction start of the second Columbia sub, SSBN 827.  

Geurts said at the time that the work of the Navy to price out the two SSBN contract options will help the service keep on schedule and achieve economies on materials and advance procurement for the Columbia class.   

“We’ve got the Build 1 contract in place,” he said in the latest teleconference. “We’re ready to exercise that upon appropriation and authorization in fiscal year 2021. … We’re continuing to ensure that Columbia stays on track as our highest priority program.” 

He said that the COVID-19 pandemic “has not impacted Columbia in terms of readiness to proceed.”

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard repatriated 18 migrants to the Dominican Republic between Aug. 8 and Aug. 11, following the interdiction of an illegal migrant voyage off the coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard 7th District said in an Aug. 11 release. 

The interdiction is the result of ongoing multiagency efforts in support of Operation Caribbean Guard and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group CBIG. 

“Those who take part in an illegal migrant voyage to cross the Mona Passage risk losing their lives, and it’s truly saddening and unfortunate when we find minors taking part in these voyages,” said Cmdr. Beau Powers, Sector San Juan chief of response. “To the parents, friends and loved ones of anyone looking to take part in an illegal voyage, implore that they not take to the sea, the dangers are just too great. These unseaworthy and often grossly overloaded makeshift vessels could easily capsize or sink without notice giving the migrants a very slim to almost no chance of survival.” 

While on a routine patrol of the Mona Passage early on Aug. 7, the crew of a Customs and Border Protection marine enforcement aircraft detected an illegal migrant voyage, just off the coast of Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. The Coast Guard Cutter Richard Dixon and a Puerto Rico Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit responded to interdict the suspect vessel. 

Shortly thereafter, the crew of the Puerto Rico Police stopped the 25-foot makeshift boat that was transporting 13 adult men, four women and a 17-year-old male minor. The crew of cutter Richard Dixon safely embarked the migrants from the makeshift vessel. 

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants received food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.  Throughout the interdiction, Coast Guard crewmembers were equipped with personal protective equipment to minimize potential exposure to any possible case of COVID-19. There were no migrants reported to have any COVID-19 related symptoms. 

Cutter Richard Dixon and the Coast Guard Cutter Heriberto Hernandez carried out the repatriation. The 154-foot fast response cutters are homeported in San Juan.