PITTSBURGH — RE2 Robotics, developer of human-like
robotic manipulator arms, has received $3 million from the Office of Naval Research
to develop a dexterous, underwater robotic hand with tactile feedback, the
company said in a release.

The program, called Strong Tactile mARitime hand for
Feeling, Inspecting, Sensing and Handing (STARFISH), will create an advanced
end-effector for mine countermeasures and explosive ordnance disposal for expeditionary
forces.

Using next-generation tactile sensing technology and a
multifinger, electromechanical design, STARFISH will allow operators to locate,
identify and neutralize hidden and visible explosive threats on land and
underwater. STARFISH-enabled manipulators will be deployed on both ground-base
and underwater robotic system to defeat explosive threats.

“The development of STARFISH takes underwater robotic
technology to the next level by providing operators with the ability to ‘feel’
and sense the environment around them while remaining at a safe distance,” said
Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2. “The use of advanced tactile sensing
and intelligent grasping will improve operational performance by removing
operators from dangerous areas and allowing them to quickly and accurately
respond to explosive threats.”

RE2 will work with researchers at UCLA and the University
of Washington to develop the hand, which will use state-of-the-art tactile skin
and sensorized fingertips that are capable of sensing normal and shear forces.
Operators will command the hand using information provided by external sensing,
such as cameras, sonar or LIDAR, which will then be processed with
machine-learning algorithms to assist the operator in manipulating the object.

“Tactile sensing at the end effector can provide a wealth
of information about the environment to a robotic system and its operator,”
said Dr. Andrew Mor, RE2’s principal investigator. “Using a rich network of
sensing, machine learning and assisted manipulation, STARFISH will be able to
perceive and then share its interpretation of the environment with the
operator, allowing naval expeditionary forces to manipulate and control the
robot at human speed.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The crew of
Coast Guard Cutter Resolute (WMEC-620) returned home on May 19 following a
60-day patrol in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard 7th District said
in a release.

Upon getting underway, Resolute
patrolled south to the Panama Canal, transiting the 51-mile canal and passing
through three separate locks over the course of 10 hours to reach the Gulf of
Panama and the Pacific Ocean. After reaching the Pacific, Resolute transitioned
to conducting law-enforcement operations in support of the Joint Interagency
Task Force South counter-drug mission under the tactical command of the 11th
Coast Guard District.

Resolute embarked an aviation detachment
from the Coast Guard helicopter interdiction tactical squadron to assist with
counter-drug missions. With the aid of the aviation detachment, Resolute
interdicted seven suspected drug-smuggling vessels, seizing or disrupting over
4,000 kilograms of cocaine, worth an estimated $129 million in street value.
Additionally, Resolute detained 23 suspected narcotics traffickers and ensured
they received proper care and proper disposition to various agencies.

Resolute’s cases ranged from high-speed
interdictions of go-fast vessels to fishing vessels concealing contraband in
hidden compartments. Many of these cases lasted more than 20 consecutive hours
and some required detailed operational planning and partnership with additional
assets, including Canadian navy and Central American coast guard assets.

This patrol was one of Resolute’s most
successful counterdrug patrols in recent years. Resolute disrupted transnational
criminal organizations through the interdiction and apprehension of seven
separate vessels, ensuring more than $130 million of illegal narcotics were
seized prior to making it to the United States.

Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance class
cutter and has a crew of 78. The cutter was commissioned in 1966 and has been
homeported in San Francisco, California, Astoria, Oregon, and now St.
Petersburg. Resolute has a decorated past, including patrols in both the
Atlantic and Pacific oceans, participating in the cleanup of the Exxon Valdez
disaster in Alaska, the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the
search-and-rescue efforts for the El Faro. The ship’s recent patrols have
focused on law-enforcement missions of drug-and-migrant interdiction.

ST. LOUIS —
Boeing has received a one-year contract to continue modernizing the U.S. Navy’s
F/A-18 fleet under the Service Life Modification (SLM) program, the company
said in a May 17 release.

The $164
million contract for fiscal 2019, which also includes a one-year option for
2020, funds the standup of a second SLM line in San Antonio, Texas, complementary
to the line established last year in St. Louis.

“The Service
Life Modification program is making great strides as we’ve already inducted
seven Super Hornets into the program and will deliver the first jet back to the
Navy later this year,” said Dave Sallenbach, the program’s director. “This
program is crucial in helping the Navy with its readiness challenges and will
continue to grow each year with the number of jets we induct.”

The San
Antonio SLM line is scheduled to receive its first Super Hornet in June and a
total of 23 Super Hornets over the course of this contract. The U.S. Navy fleet
consists of more than 550 Super Hornets.

The SLM
program extends the life of existing Super Hornets from 6,000 to 10,000 flight
hours.

In the early
2020s, Boeing is scheduled to begin installing initial updates to the aircraft
that will convert existing Block II Super Hornets to a new Block III
configuration.

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

WASHINGTON — Naval
Air Systems Command has awarded a $1.3 billion contract to Sikorsky for 12 U.S.
Marine Corps CH-53K King Stallion helicopters, the command said in a release.

“The
Marine Corps is very appreciative of the efforts by the Navy and our industry
partners to be able to award the LRIP 2/3 contract,” said Lt. Gen. Steven
Rudder, deputy commandant for aviation. “This is a win for the Marine Corps and
will secure the heavy-lift capability we need to meet future operational
requirements and support the National Defense Strategy. I’m very confident in
the success of the CH-53K program and look forward to fielding this critical
capability.”

The Pentagon’s
most powerful helicopter, the King Stallion is a new-build helicopter that will
expand the fleet’s ability to move more material more rapidly throughout the
area of responsibility using proven and mature technologies. The CH-53K is the
only aircraft able to provide the Marines with the heavy-lift capability it needs
to meet future operational requirements for the vertical-lift mission.

“This
contract award reflects close cooperation and risk sharing between the government
and industry teams to deliver critical capabilities to the Marine Corps,”
said James Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development
and acquisition. “Working with our industry partners, the team ensured
that solutions for technical challenges are incorporated into these production
aircraft.”

The CH-53K carries
triple the baseline CH-53E capability, having demonstrated the ability to lift nearly
14 tons at a mission radius of 110 nautical miles. The CH-53K has proven the
ability to lift up to 36,000 pounds via an external cargo hook.

Sikorsky is a Lockheed
Martin company based in Stratford, Connecticut.

WASHINGTON
— The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) and the Navy’s premier science and
technology research squadron, Scientific Development Squadron ONE (VXS-1),
unveiled on May 11 the UV-18 “Twin Otter” as the newest addition to the
squadron’s fleet of aircraft research platforms.

The
UV-18 is the military equivalent of the DeHavilland DHC-6 — a high-wing, unpressurized
twin engine turbine powered aircraft with fixed tricycle landing gear.

“The
Twin Otter is a safe, highly maneuverable and extremely versatile aircraft,”
said Cmdr. Erik Thomas, commanding officer of VXS-1. “The fact that it is
unpressurized simplifies modifications and will accelerate our ability to get
projects airborne for the Naval Research Enterprise.”

The
aircraft compliments the VXS-1 “Warlocks” fleet by providing an affordable and
stable research platform with slow flight capabilities and an operational
payload of up to 3,000 pounds.

The
performance capabilities of the UV-18 aircraft offer customers a slow flight
speed of 85 mph, a maximum cruise speed of 190 mph, a nominal service ceiling
of 13,000 feet (higher with supplemental oxygen) and a six-hour flight duration,
depending on payload and flight configuration.

In
addition to the UV-18, VXS-1 operates a varying range of aircraft that include
three NP-3C and P-3C Orions, an RC-12 King Air and 12 TigerShark unmanned aircraft
systems.

The
fleet of squadron aircraft are operated and maintained by the men and women of
VXS-1 and contain an S&T framework to provide power, Ethernet and GPS feeds
as required for temporary project installations and to quickly conduct airborne
research. The squadron has a self-contained configuration and project shop to
assist prospective customers with rack designs, gear installations and flight
clearances.

“Using
our squadron’s aircraft, scientists and engineers can install and test the
latest technology they are developing in an operational environment anywhere in
the world. We truly turn their ideas into reality,” Thomas said.

Providing
proof of concept for the latest technology, VXS-1 enables operational fleet
commands to receive time pertinent technological advances to better execute
their missions and fill critical capability gaps in their theater.

Historically,
the squadron has supported a broad spectrum of research projects, which include
magnetic variation mapping, hydro-acoustic research, bathymetry, electronic
countermeasures, gravity mapping, electro-optical and radar research and remote
measuring of water contained in snow for NASA.

MCLEAN,
Va. — Alion Science and Technology has opened a system sustainment center
supporting the Crane Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), the
company announced in a release.

By
combining its current facilities footprint in Odon, Indiana, Alion has created
a 57,000-square-foot campus that provides research, development, production and
sustainment of advanced weapons systems, soldier-carried systems, electronic warfare
(EW) and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems.

Alion’s
WestGate facilities recently obtained ISO:9001 and AS9100 certifications and
house a series of laboratories for design and integration of hardware, firmware
and software for secure radar, EW, communications and processing systems.

Alion
recently added a complete prototyping/fabrication capability and an on-site
light electronics and cable assembly laboratory to reduce schedule dependencies.
The company also is adapting new technology — like artificial intelligence — to
solve challenging problems including cyber-resilient mission processors and
autonomous system payloads.

“We are
proud to offer this innovative one-stop system sustainment center to support
NSWC-Crane,” said Dino Cencetti, vice president of ISR systems and sensors operations
for Alion.

“This
provides our fighting forces with a competitive edge by bringing all these
capabilities together to create a center that can rapidly respond to today’s
needs and invest in the future of NSWC-Crane. Alion has been supporting NSWC
for over 10 years providing new equipment design, redesign for obsolescence and
technology insertion bringing new technology to the warfighter.”

WASHINGTON
— Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer named a future Arleigh Burke-class
guided-missile destroyer, DDG 133, in honor of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn, who
represented Georgia from 1972 to 1997, the secretary’s public affairs office
said in a release.

“Senator
Nunn’s impact on the Navy and Marine Corps team cannot be overstated,” Spencer
said. “His leadership in the Senate, specifically as the long-serving chairman
of the Senate Armed Services Committee, helped streamline the military chain of
command and strengthen our Navy and Marine Corps team. I am pleased that
Senator Nunn’s legacy of service to our nation will continue in the future USS
Sam Nunn.”

Nunn
served in the U.S. Coast Guard 1959 to 1960 and remained in the Coast Guard
Reserve until 1968. A Democrat, he was elected to the Georgia House of
Representatives in 1968 and in 1972 was first elected to the U.S. Senate.
During his tenure as a senator, Nunn served as chairman of the Senate Committee
on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. He helped
draft the Department of Defense Reorganization Act and the Nunn-Lugar
Cooperative Threat Reduction Program, which helped Russia and the former Soviet
republics to secure and destroy their excess nuclear, biological and chemical
weapons.

Arleigh
Burke-class destroyers conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence
and crisis response to sea control and power projection. USS Sam Nunn will be
capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously, with
offensive and defensive weapons systems designed to support maritime warfare,
including integrated air and missile defense and vertical launch capabilities.

USS Sam
Nunn will be constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula,
Mississippi. The ship will be 509 feet long, have a beam of 59 feet and be
capable of traveling in excess of 30 knots.

MANILA,
Philippines — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) and vessels from
the Philippine coast guard conducted joint search-and-rescue exercises May 14 in
the South China Sea west of Manila, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a
release.

The Bertholf,
a 418-foot national security cutter based in Alameda, California, worked
together with the Philippine coast guard vessels Batangas and Kalanggaman on
small-boat search-and-rescue tactics to conduct the mock rescue of a person in
the water. The Bertholf is in the midst of a Western Pacific deployment under
the tactical control of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet.

In training
with and learning alongside partners in the Philippines on search and rescue,
maritime law enforcement and small-boat tactics, Bertholf’s crew enjoys the
benefits of the strong, often personal ties between the countries, the release
said.

The work also
strengthens one of the most enduring partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region,
between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines and supports both
countries’ commitment to a free and open Pacific, governed by international
maritime law that promotes peace, security and prosperity of all nations.

“Bertholf
completed an at-sea search-and-rescue exercise today with our counterparts from
the Philippine coast guard. This engagement proved an excellent opportunity to
compare techniques, maintain proficiency and build a friendly relationship
amongst professional mariners and coast guards,” said Capt. John J. Driscoll,
Bertholf’s commanding officer.

The crew of
Bertholf also will participate in other joint events with members of the
Philippine coast guard during the ship’s Manila port call. The events include a
series of engagements on operational subjects such as damage control and search
and rescue as well as sporting and social events. The activities are designed
to improve interoperability and strengthen the ties between the two countries.

“The U.S.
Coast Guard is proud to operate with our Pacific counterparts, and together we
are dedicated to enhancing our capabilities and strengthening maritime
governance and security while promoting individual sovereignty,” said Vice Adm.
Linda Fagan, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Area. “Today’s exercise
is a great opportunity to share our experiences and learn from our partners in
the Philippine coast guard.”

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The keel for the
future USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the Navy’s first John Lewis-class fleet
replenishment oiler, was ceremonially laid at General Dynamics-National Steel
and Shipbuilding Co. on May 13, Naval Sea Systems Command said in a release.

A keel laying is the ceremonial
recognition of the start of a ship’s construction. It is the joining together
of a ship’s modular components and the authentication or etching of an
honoree’s initials into a ceremonial keel plate. The ship’s namesake, Rep. John
Lewis (D-Ga.), and the ship’s sponsor, actress Alfre Woodard, etched their
initials into the keel plate.

“We’re honored to have
Representative Lewis and Ms. Woodard with us today as we lay the foundation for
recapitalizing our nation’s critical fuel-replenishment-at-sea
capabilities,” said Mike Kosar, Support Ships, Boats and Craft program manager,
Program Executive Office-Ships. “These ships are steadfast, reliable and
allow our warships to defend our freedoms for which Representative Lewis has
dedicated his life to protecting.”

The John Lewis-class ships are based
on commercial design standards and will recapitalize the current T-AO 187-class
fleet replenishment oilers to provide underway replenishment of fuel to U.S.
Navy ships at sea. These ships are part of the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force.

John Lewis will be operated by the
Navy’s Military Sealift Command and is the first ship named after the civil
rights leader and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient. Construction of John
Lewis began in September 2018, with delivery planned in late 2020.

ANDOVER,
Mass. — Mercury Systems Inc. received a $2.1 million order from a leading
defense prime contractor for custom-engineered radio frequency (RF) amplifiers required
for an advanced naval electronic support program, the company said in a release.

The order
was booked in the company’s fiscal 2019 third quarter and is expected to be
shipped over the next several quarters.

Mercury
Systems offers a broad range of RF and microwave product offerings designed and
manufactured in its scalable Advanced Microelectronics Centers (AMC) located
throughout the United States.

“With
co-located engineering and manufacturing resources, our AMC facilities are the
ideal solution to deliver highly differentiated custom RF microelectronics with
affordable, long-term supply continuity,” said Kevin Beals, vice president and
general manager of Mercury’s RF and Microwave group.

“Receiving this order from
our valued defense prime contractor customer further validates the power of
Mercury’s next-generation business model to support our military forces with
sophisticated microelectronics that are second to none.”