WASHINGTON — Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen H. Hicks named the Columbia-class submarine program office (PMS 397) winner of the 2021 David Packard Acquisition Excellence Award during the virtual 2021 Defense Acquisition Workforce Awards on Dec. 15.

The Columbia-class submarine program is developing the follow-on to the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) which currently serve as the cornerstone for the nation’s strategic deterrence force. The David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award recognizes Department of Defense acquisition programs and their teams that have demonstrated exemplary acquisition excellence, innovation and reform.

“Our winners this year are the best of the best among our nation’s public service professionals,” said Hicks, adding that the work of the department’s acquisition professionals “is vital to supporting our nation’s military.”

The Columbia-class submarine program stood out from other DoD acquisition efforts by developing and executing acquisition, contracting, supply chain, workforce development and sustainment improvements. The Columbia-class team negotiated and awarded the first modern-era, two-submarine purchase for the first and second-of-class submarines.

“Traditionally, we buy the first-of-class submarine under a single contract. With Columbia, though, we’re confident that we can project the total costs for both the first and second hulls and therefore put both PCU Columbia (SSBN 826) and the SSBN 827 on a single contract to maximize efficiencies and help ensure the on-time delivery of these national assets. In doing so, we avoided about $1.5 billion in costs,” said Rear Adm. Scott Pappano, Program Executive Officer, Strategic Submarines.

According to Columbia-class program manager, Capt. Jonathan Rucker, “As the Department of Defense’s highest-priority acquisition program, the Columbia team and its industry partners continue to design, build, test, and sustain the nation’s high quality, sea-based strategic deterrent on schedule within budget. The program continues to try to be a leader within the acquisition community executing program efforts and supporting other programs through the acquisition community.”

Pre-commissioning unit Columbia is scheduled to deliver in 2027 and conduct its first strategic deterrence patrol in 2030.

MANAMA, Bahrain — Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland (LPD 27) conducted a high-energy laser weapon system demonstration Dec. 14 while sailing in the Gulf of Aden, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs said Dec. 15. 

During the demonstration, the Solid-State Laser – Technology Maturation Laser Weapons System Demonstrator Mark 2 MOD 0 aboard Portland successfully engaged a static surface training target. Portland previously tested the LWSD in May 2020 when it successfully disabled a small unmanned aerial system while operating in the Pacific Ocean. 
 
The Office of Naval Research selected Portland to host the laser weapon technology in 2018. The LWSD is considered a next-generation follow-on to the Laser Weapon System that afloat forward staging base USS Ponce (AFSB(I)-15) tested for three years while operating in the Middle East. 
 
Portland is part of the Essex Amphibious Ready Group that includes amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) and embarked Marines from the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The units departed San Diego in August and began operating in the U.S. 5th Fleet region in September. 
 
The region’s geography, climate, and strategic importance offer a unique environment for technology innovation. U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of operations includes the world’s largest standing maritime partnership, Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Oman and parts of the Indian Ocean. 

PORT EVERGLADES, Fla. — The USCGC Vigilant crew (WMEC 617) offloaded illegal narcotics worth an estimated $236 million on Wednesday in Port Everglades before returning to homeport in Port Canaveral, the Coast Guard 7^th District said in a release. 

The crew of the 67-year-old Vigilant offloaded more than 17,000 pounds of cocaine and marijuana following a 45-day patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. An embarked U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment augmented the ship’s crew, leveraging the service’s unique capabilities and authorities to perform law enforcement operations in international waters. 

The drugs, which include nearly 12,000 pounds of cocaine and more than 5,000 pounds of marijuana, were seized during five interdictions conducted by crews of the Vigilant, USCGC Tampa (WMEC 902), and the Royal Canadian Navy’s HMCS Harry Dewolf (AOPV 430) in international waters off the coasts of Mexico, Central and South America. 

Numerous U.S. and partner nation agencies cooperate to combat transnational organized crime.  

“The successful interdiction of over 17,000 pounds of illegal narcotics and the apprehension of 17 suspected traffickers are the result of tremendous teamwork,” said Cmdr. Jay Guyer, commanding officer of the Vigilant. “We are thankful for coordinated efforts across the U.S. Coast Guard, the Department of Defense, Customs and Border Protection, as well as our international partners from Canada and throughout Central and South America.” 

Vigilant, a 210-foot Reliance-class medium endurance cutter, patrols the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean, performing counter-drug operations, migrant interdiction operations, search and rescue and fisheries enforcement. 

SAN DIEGO — Austal USA has finalized a deal to establish a repair facility in the Port of San Diego, the company said Dec. 15.  

The deal includes a long-term lease of a waterfront site in National City adjacent to Naval Base San Diego. Austal USA’s 15-acre site will focus on ship repair for U.S. Navy, Military Sealift Command and U.S. Coast Guard ships. The site will be centered on a newly built dry dock designed to efficiently dock small surface combatants and similar sized ships.    

“This agreement marks a major milestone in the continued growth of Austal USA’s services business. When the dry dock is delivered, we will be able to provide the Navy a highly capable full-service repair facility located in the homeport of San Diego,” Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh said. “We know how valuable this additional repair facility is to our customers, the Navy, Coast Guard, and Military Sealift Command, and we are ready to meet the growing demand. We are also looking forward to working closely with the National City community as we expand our presence in the area.” 

Austal USA will establish a full-service ship repair capability providing maintenance and modernization for small surface combatants, unmanned and autonomous vessels, and other ships. The site will include a dry dock optimized to execute availabilities on littoral combat ships and other small surface combatants. Services will include technical and material support, topside work, and drydocking availabilities. The new facility will enable more availabilities to be completed in their home port of San Diego reducing the strain on the fleet and Sailors.   

This lease agreement follows a string of maintenance contract awards for Austal USA. In August, the Navy awarded Austal SEC East and West contracts positioning the company to service all Littoral Combat Ships. In November, Austal received a contract to provide services and support for LCS deployed to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean. These contracts are the result of the company’s significant investment in and continued focus on growing its service business and centers in Mobile, San Diego and Singapore. 

BELOIT, Wis. — Fairbanks Morse Defense, a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management, has acquired Fluid Filtration Specialists LLC, a leader in flushing and filtration services for marine vessels and other facilities that operate large, highly sophisticated engines and systems. 

The acquisition of FFS further expands FMD’s capabilities and service solutions for shipyard, defense, and commercial marine customers, including the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard.  

“Fluid Filtration Specialists has a stellar reputation for doing quality work correctly and on time, which makes it a natural fit for our turnkey service offerings,” said George Whittier, CEO of FMD. “Our growing shipbuilding solutions are operating on the military’s most advanced naval vessels and adding services like those provided by FFS helps us serve as a single, proven partner who knows those ships from stem to stern. This allows us to respond faster with just the right parts, services, and maintenance solutions.”   

Founded by engineering experts, FFS focuses on proven fluid separation and cleaning systems that were specifically designed to address the maintenance and reliability concerns of heavy equipment used in critical operational systems, often under challenging conditions. 

“Quality care of high-performance mechanical systems creates opportunities to lower costs, reduce downtime, and prolong the reliability and lifespan of valuable assets,” said Shane Sims, owner of FFS. “Becoming part of Fairbanks Morse Defense enables us to leverage its robust service center network to expand our reach among defense customers that so many communities depend on.” 

Over the past year, FMD has expanded its capabilities, inventory, and geographic presence with several key acquisitions to become a single-source provider of equipment and services to the marine defense industry. In 2021, FMD acquired Welin Lambie, a military and commercial davit manufacturer; Hunt Valve, a specialty naval valve manufacturer; and in 2020, FMD acquired Ward Leonard, a motor and control solutions provider. FMD also acquired diesel engine repair and rebuilding service provider BRECO International in November 2020. 

MIAMI — Coast Guard, U.S Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations and U.S. Border Patrol officers stopped three human smuggling attempts and detained 100 people between Dec. 12 and Dec. 14, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

Coast Guard and CBP AMO officers detained 43 people at sea, and one suspected smuggler was transferred to Homeland Security Investigation officers for further investigation, Sunday, off the coast of Jupiter, Florida. Additionally, 26 people were apprehended by Border Patrol officers after a maritime smuggling event landed in the vicinity of Ocean Blvd.

Coast Guard and CBP AMO officers detained 28 people of various nationalities at sea, and the case is under investigation by Homeland Security Investigation officers, Dec. 14, off Pompano’s coast.

Additionally, two landings happened off Pompano Beach, Dec. 12 and Dec. 14, and approximately 26 people were not apprehended.

“Human smuggling is dangerous and illegal,” said Rear Adm. Brendan McPherson, commander of Coast Guard 7th District and director of Homeland Security Task Force-Southeast. “Smugglers exploit vulnerable people for profit with no regard for their safety. We work hard, along with our dedicated local law enforcement and fellow DHS partners, to protect all lives on and offshore.”

“Air and Marine Operations has the duty to patrol the waters around the Florida Straits, and along with our partners, we work every day to defeat the efforts of smugglers who have little regard for the human suffering they cause,” said Gerald Burgess, spokesman for Air and Marine Operations, Southeast Region. “Together with DHS partners, we work to keep the waters safe and secure.”

Those intercepted at sea are transferred or repatriated to their country of origin.

Homeland Security Task Force-Southeast is a standing task force that provides the organizational framework to detect a mass migration event or other contingency operation, facilitate the assignment of roles to participating agencies, and establishes processes for intra-departmental and inter-departmental collaboration. Partners within HSTF-SE routinely conduct a broad range of readiness activities, including periodic surge operations and exercises.

NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — The Navy conducted a joint ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremony Dec. 8 for the first purpose-built and co-located facilities for unmanned maritime vehicle testing, Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants Public Affairs said in a Dec. 14 release. 

Located on Naval Surface Warfare Center Port Hueneme Division, at Naval Base Ventura County, the facilities will accommodate testing, evaluation, and technology demonstration for Extra-Large Unmanned Undersea Vehicle and Unmanned Surface Vessel prototypes. 

“These facilities will be the focal point of Navy learning and experimentation on the capabilities, operations and sustainment of Unmanned Maritime Vehicle prototypes to inform future programs,” said Capt. Pete Small, Program Manager, Unmanned Maritime Systems (PMS 406). 

PMS 406, within the Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), oversees the XLUUV, Large USV, Medium USV programs and their advanced technology capabilities. 

The ribbon-cutting recognized completion of modifications to the existing Littoral Combat Ship Mission Package Support Facility (Building 1392) that will house the XLUUV prototypes, and personnel who will perform test and evaluation and training on the vehicles, which are in fabrication under a contract with Boeing. The ground-breaking recognized the start of construction of the modular administrative building for the newly established Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One and Unmanned Undersea Vehicles Squadron One personnel who will operate and maintain the unmanned vehicle prototypes. 

In addition to five Orca XLUUV prototypes, the NBVC Port Hueneme site will eventually accommodate one MUSV, two Sea Hunter USV and four Overlord USV prototypes. NBVC is ideally suited for these facilities with ready access to open-water instrumented ranges, multimodal expeditionary transportation capabilities, proximity to Navy and industry hubs, and synergies with other tenant commands. 

NASHUA, N.H. — BAE Systems has received a $493 million contract modification from Lockheed Martin to significantly upgrade and modernize the electronic warfare system for the F-35 Lightning II, enabling the fifth-generation fighter to quickly detect and address evolving electromagnetic threats in contested battlespaces, BAE Systems said Dec. 15. 

Under the contract, BAE Systems will deliver enhanced and highly capable core hardware for the F-35’s high-performance EW mission system, known as AN/ASQ-239, and will provide engineering support services and test infrastructure. The upgraded system will improve superior situational awareness and electromagnetic attack and countermeasure capabilities with new sensors and more powerful signal processing. 

“The capabilities we will deliver in this contract are foundational and will be leveraged to other platforms to ensure all warfighters have the most advanced EW capability at the ready,” said Lisa Aucoin, vice president of F-35 Solutions at BAE Systems. “The highly adaptable mission system will allow our warfighters to outpace evolving threats and defend democracy around the globe.” 

The enhanced electronic warfare system’s robust design will enable rapid future upgrades, aligning with the U.S. Department of Defense’s strategy for continuous capability development. The system’s modular architecture will also allow for efficient hardware upgrades that reduce lifecycle and retrofit costs, and support faster software updates across the global F-35 fleet. The system also includes the Non-Intrusive Electronic Warfare Test Solution fault isolation and diagnostics capability, which enables precise troubleshooting that further reduces maintenance costs. 

BAE Systems is a major global partner to Lockheed Martin on the F-35 program. In addition to delivering world-class EW systems, the company also manufactures the aft fuselage, active inceptor control system, and vehicle management computer for each F-35 at state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in the United Kingdom, Australia, and U.S. The company also provides sustainability, technical support, and training services to keep the F-35s mission-ready. 

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — MIND Technology Inc. has entered into a cooperative research and development agreement with the U.S. Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, the company said Dec 13. 

The CRADA, “Advanced Mine Finding,” will allow scientists and engineers from MIND and the U.S. Navy to collaborate on optimizing the next generation of mine-hunting sonar systems to ensure that they fit the needs of the warfighter. 

“Through our subsidiary, Klein Marine Systems, MIND has a long history of supporting the US Navy. I’m thrilled that this CRADA will allow us to leverage the expertise of the scientists and engineers at NSWC PCD to provide innovative solutions to the warfighter, now and into the future,” said Andy Meecham, MIND’s chief technology officer. “This agreement demonstrates our corporate focus on innovation and new technology, which has delivered game-changing capabilities such as our unique full-swath MA-X sonars, will continue to define the gold standard in underwater sensing.” 

MIND Technology Inc. provides technology to the oceanographic, hydrographic, defense, seismic and security industries. Headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, MIND has a global presence with key operating locations in the United States, Singapore, Malaysia and the United Kingdom. Its Seamap and Klein units design, manufacture and sell specialized, high performance, marine sonar and seismic equipment.   

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Erik K. Raven for undersecretary of the Navy, the White House said Dec. 13. 

Erik K. Raven is the majority clerk of the Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, where he oversees more than $700 billion of annual spending by the Department of Defense and the intelligence community. Prior to joining the Appropriations Committee in 2007, he served as national security adviser and legislative director to Senator Robert C. Byrd, fellow to Senator Ted Kennedy, in several positions for Senator Dianne Feinstein, and as an English teacher in China. 

Raven holds associate of arts degrees from the College of Marin, a bachelor of arts with honors and distinction in International Relations from Connecticut College and a master of science with merit in international history from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He resides with his family in Washington, D.C.