CHANTILLY, Va. — VT Group, a middle-market technology
integrator and C4ISR solutions provider, has been named by Naval Information
Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) as one of six award winners for an indefinite
delivery, indefinite quantity contract.

VT Group will compete for work in the areas of afloat
installation and integrated command, control, communications, computers, intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance (C4ISR) systems aboard the U.S. Navy’s growing fleet
of surface ships and submarines. The contract vehicle has a ceiling value of
$2.45 billion over a five-year base period and one five-year option period.

VT Group has a 50-year history providing the Navy with C4ISR
solutions and full lifecycle engineering services — in the air, ashore and at
sea. Its maritime solutions business has integrated C4ISR technologies aboard
every existing class of warship and submarine, building differentiated
expertise in undersea warfare platforms and systems.

“VT Group is proud of its longstanding partnership with
the U.S. Navy,” said John Hassoun, VT Group president and CEO.

“This award showcases our
growing portfolio of fleet modernization capabilities and highlights the
exceptional performance of our shipboard leaders and technicians. We look
forward to continuing to provide NAVWAR with the deck-plate innovations and
engineering expertise they have come to expect from our team.”

HONOLULU —
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL-757) arrived Aug. 16 at its new
homeport in Honolulu, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a statement. 

The
Midgett is the eighth of the Coast Guard’s national security cutters and the
second to be homeported in Hawaii. Its sister ship, the Cutter Kimball (WMSL-756)
arrived on Dec. 22. Both cutters are scheduled to be commissioned Aug. 24 during
a ceremony presided over by Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz. 

“The
U.S. Coast Guard has an enduring role in the Indo-Pacific Region, going back
over 150 years, and our commitment today is as strong as ever,” Schultz said.
“The national security cutters are the flagships of the fleet, and the
homeporting of the Kimball and Midgett in Hawaii and their future deployments
throughout the Indo-Pacific demonstrate the U.S. Coast Guard’s dedication to
safeguarding the nation’s maritime safety, security and economic interests
throughout the region.”

Advanced
command-and-control capabilities and an unmatched combination of range, speed
and ability to operate in extreme weather enable national security cutters to
deploy globally to confront national security threats, to strengthen maritime
governance, to support economic prosperity and to promote individual
sovereignty.

Known as
the Legend class, national security cutters are capable of executing the most
challenging national security missions, including support to U.S. combatant
commanders. They are 418 feet in length, 54 feet in beam and 4,600 long tons in
displacement. They have a top speed of more than 28 knots, a range of 12,000
nautical miles, an endurance of up to 90 days and can hold a crew of up to 150.
These new cutters are replacing the high endurance Hamilton-class cutters (378
feet) that have been in service since the 1960s.

While
national security cutters possess advanced capabilities, more than 70% of the
Coast Guard’s offshore presence exists in the service’s aging fleet of medium-endurance
cutters. Many of these ships are more than 50 years old and are approaching the
end of their service life. Replacing the fleet with new offshore patrol cutters
is one of the Coast Guard’s top priorities.

Midgett is named to honor all members of the Midgett family who served in the Coast Guard and its predecessor services. At least 10 members of the family earned high honors for their heroic lifesaving efforts. Among them, the Coast Guard awarded various family members seven gold lifesaving medals — the service’s highest award for saving a life — and three silver lifesaving medals.

The Midgett’s transit to Hawaii was punctuated by two interdictions of suspected low-profile go-fast vessels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the first July 25 and a second July 31. The boardings resulted in a combined seizure of over 6,700 pounds of cocaine, estimated to be worth over $89 million.

HONOLULU —
The Coast Guard Cutter William Hart (WPC-1134) arrived in Honolulu Harbor on
Aug. 17, becoming the third 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in Hawaii,
the Coast Guard 14th District said in a release.

The FRCs
are some of the newest Coast Guard vessels to come online, replacing the aging
patrol boat fleet currently in use. The FRCs represent the Coast Guard’s
commitment to modernizing service assets to address the increasingly complex
global maritime transportation system.

FRCs boast
advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence,
surveillance and reconnaissance systems designed to assist the cutter’s crew
with their primary mission to patrol coastal regions.

Recently,
the FRCs already stationed in Honolulu participated in longer over-the-horizon
voyages to the Republic of the Marshall Islands and Samoa, displaying the
potential of these cutters and their importance to the Coast Guard’s overall
Pacific strategy and regional partnerships.

William
Hart, the cutter’s namesake, was a Gold Lifesaving Medal recipient who rescued
a crew member of the tug Thomas Tracy. In 1927, Hart dove into the water in a
70-mph gale off Absecon, New Jersey, to save the mariner, who went overboard in
the storm.

Throughout
the 1930s, Hart served in the Army Corps of Engineers before returning to the
Coast Guard in 1939, advancing to chief petty officer and serving as a
boatswain’s mate. Once the United States entered World War II, Hart was
commissioned as a lieutenant junior grade and served in both the Atlantic and
Pacific theaters. He retired from the Coast Guard in 1950.

William Hart is the last of the three FRCs to be stationed in Hawaii. The crew transited the vessel from Key West, Florida, following delivery and preparation for sailing. Three more are scheduled to be homeported in Guam, increasing the Coast Guard 14th District’s total number of FRCs to six.

The Coast Guard is acquiring a total of 56 FRCs to replace the 110-foot Island-class patrol boats. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu, to whom the cutter crew will report, plans to commission the William Hart in a ceremony Sept. 26.

SAN JUAN,
Puerto Rico — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Legare (WMEC-912) repatriated 22
Dominicans and returned one Venezuelan and two Haitians to a Dominican navy
patrol vessel Aug. 15 near Samaná, Dominican Republic, the Coast Guard 7th
District said in a release.

The
repatriation followed the interdiction of an illegal migrant voyage Aug. 13 off
the coast of Aguada, Puerto Rico.

Seven
other Dominican migrants traveling in the group remain in federal custody
facing possible prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of
Puerto Rico on potential charges of attempted illegal reentry into a U.S.
territory.

The
interdiction is the result of ongoing efforts in support of Operation Unified
Resolve, Operation Caribbean Guard and the Caribbean Border Interagency Group
(CBIG).

“The swift
response by Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine units and
efficient collaboration with the crew of the cutter Legare allowed for the safe
embarkation of the migrants, while the professionalism of our partners from the
Dominican Republic navy ensured their safe and expedited return,” said Capt.
Eric King, Sector San Juan commanding officer.

Coast
Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders were contacted Aug. 13 by
Puerto Rico Police. The watchstanders were told that two Police Joint Forces of
Rapid Action (FURA) marine units had interdicted a 25-foot migrant boat about 3
nautical miles off the coast of Aguada.

Coast
Guard watchstanders diverted the cutter Legare to the scene. Once there, Legare
crew members safely embarked 29 Dominicans, 25 men and four women; 2 Haitian women;
three Brazilian men; and a Venezuelan man.

Once
aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and
basic medical attention.

The seven migrants facing
prosecution are in custody of U.S. Border Patrol agents in Puerto Rico, while
the three Brazilian migrants were transferred to Immigrations and Customs
Enforcement–Homeland Security Investigations Special Agents for further
immigrations processing.

Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Sustainment Robert McMahon will discuss industry’s role
in projecting and sustaining U.S. forces during an emergency or a crisis at the
National Defense Transportation Association-U.S. Transportation Command fall meeting
Oct. 7-10 at Union Station in St. Louis.

As one of
five keynote speakers, McMahon will discuss the private sector’s role in providing
augmented transportation capacity to support Defense Department requirements.

“Clearly,
DoD cannot accomplish its mission without partnering with commercial partners
in the world of logistics and sustainment. They are absolutely essential to our
success by ground, sea and air,” said Michael P. Kleman, a spokesman for USTRANSCOM.
“Our success is reliant on that partnership.”

The
collaboration’s foundation rests on the Voluntary Intermodal Sealift Agreement
and Civil Reserve Air Fleet programs, which provide commercial ships and
aircraft, respectively, to meet mission needs.

For
example, VISA involves the participation of all major U.S.-flag companies and
offers access to more than 90 vessels, contributing more than 3 million square
feet of force-projection capacity and 143,000 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of
sustainment capability. On the other hand, CRAF includes 25 safety-certified
U.S. air carriers, providing long-range international airlift for about 40% of
DoD air cargo and more than 90% of passenger transport.

In
addition, the Maritime Security Program, managed by the U.S. Maritime Administration,
consists of 60 military-useful, internationally-trading, U.S.-flags ships that
employ more than 2,500 U.S.-trained and credentialed mariners. MSP vessels are
required to be enrolled in the VISA program. 

After
completing a 34-year Air Force career, retiring as a major general in 2012,
McMahon was CEO of the 21st Century Partnership and then served as the director
of field operations and site lead for the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Integrated
Sustainment Program. He later served as president of Fickling Management
Services of Macon, Georgia, from 2015 to 2017, leading a real estate company
that maintained properties in eight states.

“I have a
much greater appreciation of the private sector than I had when I wore the
uniform. They are great Americans, just as dedicated and patriotic as those in
uniform,” McMahon said.

In his
current position, McMahon works as the principal staff assistant and adviser to
the undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, deputy secretary
of defense, and secretary of defense for sustainment in the DoD. As the
principal logistics official within DoD senior management, he also provides
oversight of logistics policies, practices and efficiencies to enable readiness
throughout the Pentagon as well as manages more than $170 billion in logistics
operations.

McMahon also oversees the DoD’s real property portfolio made up of 28 million acres, over 500 installations, and more than 500,000 buildings and structures valued at $1 trillion.  Those interested in attending Mr. McMahon’s keynote address and other fall Meeting activities can register here.

ALAMEDA,
Calif. — Crews aboard the precommissioned U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Midgett (WMSL-757)
interdicted a suspected low-profile go-fast vessel July 31 and seized more than
4,600 pounds of cocaine during a boarding in international waters of the eastern
Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a release.

This was
the second at-sea cocaine seizure made by Midgett’s crew within five days.

Midgett’s
crew seized more than 2,100 pounds of cocaine July 25 from a low-profile
go-fast boat, the cutter’s first cocaine seizure ever since departing the
Pascagoula, Mississippi, shipyard in June following acceptance by the Coast
Guard.

The July 25
and July 31 boardings resulted in a combined seizure of more than 6,700 pounds
of cocaine with an estimated street value of over $89 million.

Low-profile
go-fast vessels are built by cartels for smuggling large quantities of
contraband by riding low in the water to avoid detection. They are designed to
be quickly sunk by using their integrated scuttling valves, a dangerous
practice that jeopardizes the safety of smugglers and the Coast Guard boarding
teams.

Nearly 80%
of all known illegal narcotics coming into North America are smuggled by
international cartels through the eastern Pacific corridor, an area greater in
size than the continental United States. The profits from cocaine manufacture allow
drug cartels to diversify and fund other illicit trafficking activities such as
the smuggling of opioids, synthetics, methamphetamines, people and weapons.

One metric
ton of cocaine (2,204.6 pounds or 1,000,000 milligrams) is equal to 20 million
individual doses upon arrival in the United States. The Coast Guard removed more
than 2 million pounds (923 metric tons) of cocaine with an uncut wholesale
value of more than $27 billion over the last five years.

“The
national security cutter gets you further, faster and delivers more capability
once on scene than any other cutter in the history of our service,” said Capt.
Alan McCabe, Midgett’s commanding officer. “I am incredibly proud of the crew’s
efforts who made these two seizures possible, and we are eager to conduct
future operations throughout the Pacific.”

Midgett, the Coast Guard’s
eighth national security cutter, is sailing toward its future homeport in
Honolulu, where it will be commissioned Aug. 24 along with its sister ship, the
Coast Guard Cutter Kimball (WMSL-756), in a ceremony presided over by Coast
Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Bell Textron Inc. announced that the Federal
Aviation Administration has issued an instrument flight rules supplemental type
certificate for the Bell 407GXi helicopter. The certification is a requirement for
the U.S. Navy Advanced Helicopter Training System competition, enabling the
Bell 407GXi to replace the Bell TH-57 Sea Ranger as the Navy’s training
helicopter.

Should the Bell 407GXi be selected for the Navy’s helicopter trainer
program, the company plans to conduct final assembly of the aircraft in Ozark,
Alabama.

“The team did a great job ensuring the Bell 407GXi achieved the FAA’s
IFR certification necessary to meet all of the Navy’s requirements,” said Mitch
Snyder, president and CEO of Bell Textron. “Bell is an instrumental part of the
Navy’s training program and has been for more than 50 years, and we look forward
to continuing the tradition for the next generation of naval aviators.” 

A Bell to Bell transition offers low risk to the Navy by streamlining
instructor pilot and maintainer transition training as well as using common
support equipment and infrastructure. The 407 airframe has proven capabilities
as the platform for the MQ-8C Fire Scout for the Navy.

Bell supports more than 1,600 Bell 407s globally. These aircraft have
nearly 6 million flight hours across the fleet and are actively performing
flight training as well as military and para-public missions helicopter
mission-set.

The
407GXi’s Garmin G1000H NXi Flight Deck enhances situational awareness and
reduces pilot workload by delivering easy-to-read information at a glance. The
Bell 407GXi’s new IFR capability will allow all-weather operations while
continuing to provide multimission capability safely, reliably and effectively.

SAN PEDRO,
Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies responded to a report of
multiple bales of narcotics in the water near Santa Catalina Island on Aug. 13,
the Coast Guard 11th District said in a release.

A
concerned citizen notified Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach
watchstanders, reporting multiple bales of what the caller believed to be
narcotics floating near Santa Catalina Island.

A Coast
Guard Station Los Angeles-Long Beach 45-foot response boat-medium crew and a Baywatch
Isthmus boat crew responded to investigate.

Coast
Guard and Baywatch crews recovered 43 bales from the water. The bales were
transferred to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, who confirmed the bales
consisted of marijuana weighing about 1,300 pounds with an estimated street value
of $1 million.

“We
appreciate the assistance provided by our partners and vigilant mariners in
keeping these drugs off of our streets,” said Lt. Andrew L. Fox, the Station
Los Angeles-Long Beach commanding officer. “We encourage anyone who sees
suspicious activity on the water, signs of distress, or hazards to navigation
to contact Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles Long Beach personnel on VHF channel
16 or at (310) 521-3801.”

The origin
of the bales is unknown. The case remains under investigation by agents of
Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Homeland Security Investigations and the
Coast Guard Investigative Service.

Response to the report was
coordinated through an interagency structure known as a regional coordinating mechanism
(ReCoM). Located in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco, the ReCoM
partnerships include the Coast Guard, CBP’s Office of Air and Marine Operations
and Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol and ICE’s Homeland Security
Investigations, in cooperation with state and local law enforcement partners
operating along the California coast.

MIAMI —
The Coast Guard interdicted 146 Haitian migrants Aug. 11 about 69 miles north
of Isla De Tortue, Haiti, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

The crew
of the Coast Guard Cutter William Trump (WPC-1111) interdicted a 40-foot
migrant sail freighter with 146 migrants aboard. The cutter crew safely
embarked 120 males, 22 females and four minors.

“These
illegal ventures attempting to immigrate to the United States in ill-equipped
and severely overloaded vessels are extremely dangerous, especially during the
hurricane season, when weather and sea conditions can rapidly change in minutes,
putting migrants in danger of being lost at sea,” said Capt. Jason Ryan, chief
of the enforcement branch of the Coast Guard 7th District.

“The Coast
Guard and our partner agencies coordinate efforts to interdict and stop these
unlawful migration attempts into the United States. Migrants caught attempting
to gain access into the U.S. through these dangerously illegal undertakings at sea
will be repatriated to their country in accordance with existing U.S.
immigration policy.”

The William Trump crew met the Coast Guard Cutter Resolute (WMEC-620) and safely transferred the migrants to the Resolute’s crew, who repatriated the migrants to their country of origin on Aug. 13.

A total of 3,414 Haitian migrants have tried to illegally enter the United States by sea in fiscal year 2019, compared to 2,727 in fiscal 2018. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean.

PATUXENT
RIVER, Md. — The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier Advanced Arresting Gear
(AAG) system received the green light to recover all props and jets, according
to an Aircraft Recovery Bulletin (ARB), the Program Executive Office (Tactical
Aircraft Programs) public affairs office said Aug. 13.

The ARBs
enable propeller aircraft — C-2A Greyhounds, E-2C Hawkeyes and E-2D Advanced
Hawkeyes — and jet aircraft — F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and E/A-18G Growlers — to
perform flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

“The
entire team did a tremendous job accelerating the schedule and working through
challenges,” said Capt. Ken Sterbenz, program manager for the Aircraft Launch
and Recovery Equipment program office (PMA-251). “This achievement is another
significant step toward ensuring the system can support the ship’s full air
wing.”

ARBs are
official Navy instructional documents identifying the weights and engaging
speeds authorized for shipboard arrestments of specific aircraft.

“Release
of the ARBs signifies Naval Air Systems Command’s ‘stamp of approval’ for the
AAG system to safely recover these type/model/series aircraft aboard the Navy’s
newest class of aircraft carriers,” said Jeff Mclean, deputy program manager
for AAG system design and development.

The team,
in collaboration with prime contractor General Atomics, continues to perform requisite
system development and demonstration testing at land-based test sites located
at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey. Comprehensive testing of new
systems like AAG is critical because it ensures the technology meets Navy
requirements and that it is safe for use in the fleet, Mclean added. The team
conducted more than 2,500 dead-load arrestments at the Jet Car Track Site and
1,420 manned aircraft arrestments at the Runway Arrested Landing Site.

“The pace of system testing was consistently demanding and required numerous team members to perform their duties in difficult conditions and in all types of weather in order to meet critical program milestones leading up to these ARB releases,” Mclean said. USS Gerald R. Ford is the lead ship in the Ford-class of aircraft carrier, the Navy’s first new class of aircraft carriers in more than 40 years.

The AAG system is designed to arrest a range of aircraft, reduce fatigue to the aircraft and provide higher safety margins while reducing manpower and maintenance. AAG is one of more than 20 new systems incorporated into the design of the Ford class.