MOBILE, Ala. — The U.S. Navy has awarded Austal an undefinitized contract action (UCA), valued at $57.8 million, to fund the acquisition of long lead-time material (LLTM) and production engineering associated with the construction of a 103-meter expeditionary fast transport (EPF) to be designated EPF 13, the company said in an Oct. 18 release.

Austal was awarded the initial contract to design and build the first 103-meter EPF in November 2008. Since then, nine Spearhead-class EPFs have been delivered and are serving as an affordable solution to fulfilling the Military Sealift Command’s requirements worldwide. Three more EPFs are under construction.

Long lead-time material for the additional vessel will include diesel engines, water jets and reduction gears.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy completed their second mission of their Arctic West Summer 2018 deployment Oct. 18. Mission 1802 was a scientific mission to study stratified ocean dynamics in the Arctic (SODA) for the Office of Naval Research.

The project, led by Dr. Craig Lee of the Applied Physics Laboratory at the University of Washington, Seattle, aims to better understand how the Arctic environment affects the different water layers of the Arctic Ocean. Understanding these environmental factors may help better predict ice coverage in the region.

Approximately 100 Healy crew members and 30 scientists and engineers departed Dutch Harbor, Alaska, Sept. 14 for SODA. Once in the Arctic Circle, the team deployed an array of scientific equipment, which will monitor the region for the next year and transmit data back to scientists at the Applied Physics Laboratory.

As one of only two icebreakers in U.S. service, Healy is uniquely suited to support these types of scientific missions in the Arctic. Healy, a 420-foot icebreaker homeported in Seattle, hosts a full suite of sensors and equipment specifically designed to gather scientific data. Operating from the ship-based Science Technical Support in the Arctic laboratory (STARC), ship personnel provide technical assistance to visiting science teams to collect and gather data such as water conductivity, temperature, depth and sea floor mapping. In 2017, STARC personnel were instrumental in using side-scan sonar to locate the sunken shipwreck of the 110-foot crab fishing boat Destination, which capsized and sank in the Bering Sea, claiming the lives of all six crewmen aboard.

The unique capabilities of the icebreaker, coupled with the expertise of the ship’s crew members, make Healy an ideal choice for missions such as SODA.

“The Healy is the only vessel we operate as a country that can get us this far into the ice,” Lee said. “If we wanted to come this far up north, we need to have an icebreaker. For the Arctic, the Healy is the only choice other than chartering a vessel from another country.”

The Healy crew is also responsible for the deployment of scientific equipment and for overseeing the safety of the visiting science team — from ensuring no one falls overboard to standing polar bear watch while scientists are on the ice. During the SODA mission, the crew deployed navigation moorings, weather buoys, ice-tethered profilers and autonomous underwater vehicles known as Seagliders, and the crew’s hard work has not gone unnoticed by Lee or his team.

“Our experience on this cruise has been exceptional,” said Lee. “We’ve received fantastic support — not just from a technical standpoint, but people were enthusiastic to get this done. You can tell the crew is focused on helping, rather than just doing their job. They make things efficient, get things done.”

With less ice in the Arctic each year, the human footprint in the region is increasing. Whether it’s tourism, commercial fishing, global shipping or a hunt for natural resources, knowing how Arctic ice forms and recedes gives an edge up to anyone planning to work in the region, which is why the Office of Naval Research has taken notice.

SODA is one of several multiyear studies to determine how to best proceed in the region. Knowing how and when conditions in the Arctic are favorable for transit allows the Department of Defense to plan and prepare for this increased human activity. Knowledge of the changing Arctic environment will ultimately improve our ability to better forecast weather and sea conditions, making it safer for future operations.

This knowledge also allows the U.S. Coast Guard, which leads the Joint Force in the Arctic, to support their full suite of missions in the Polar Regions, including responding to threats, facilitating emerging commercial activities and protecting sovereign rights in the Exclusive Economic Zone and on the Extended Continental Shelf.

Missions such as SODA underscore how important icebreakers are to the national Arctic strategy; that value, however, is threatened by an aging icebreaker fleet.

Presently, the U.S. Coast Guard maintains two icebreakers — Healy, which is a medium icebreaker, and Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, which is a heavy icebreaker. Protecting national interests in the polar regions is essential to ensure the Coast Guard’s national defense strategy and search and rescue capabilities are ready for action, but in order to do so, the icebreaker fleet needs to be modernized.

The 42-year-old Polar Star is showing its age. Reserved for Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) each year, Polar Star spends the winter breaking ice near Antarctica in order to refuel and resupply McMurdo Station. When the mission is complete, Polar Star returns to dry dock in order to complete critical maintenance and prepare it for the next ODF mission. Once out of dry dock, it’s back to Antarctica, and the cycle repeats itself.

If something were to happen to Healy in the Arctic or to Polar Star near Antarctica, such as getting stuck in the ice, the U.S. Coast Guard is left without a self-rescue capability, which is why recapitalization of the Polar Security Cutter fleet is so imperative. It’s an initiative that has the attention of the service’s top brass.

“As we move out on recapitalizing our polar icebreaker fleet, I am focused on a 6-3-1 approach,” said Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. “We plan to build six icebreakers for the high-latitudes, at least three of which will be heavy, but we can’t be in the Arctic the way America needs us unless we build one now.”

By contrast, Russia currently operates 41 icebreakers — several of which are nuclear powered. In order to remain ready, responsive and relevant, recapitalization of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet is essential if the nation is to be a global leader in the Arctic. Without assets such as the Healy, research projects such as SODA would not be possible, and since SODA may guide the future of the U.S. armed forces and prepare the Coast Guard and DoD to better serve American interests in the region, investment in the icebreaker fleet is imperative. The 6-3-1 approach underscores the importance of protecting U.S. interests in the Arctic, but the U.S. Coast Guard will continue to lag behind countries such as Russia until that first one is built.

The Healy crew returned to Dutch Harbor Oct. 18 and will depart for mission 1803 Oct. 25. The crew is scheduled to return to their homeport in Seattle Nov. 30.

PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Navy League and Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) announced the requirements and solicited applications for the Alaska Sea Services Scholarship for academic year 2019-2020, Oct. 17, according to the Navy News Service.

The program awards up to four $1,000 scholarships annually for undergraduate education to dependent children and spouses of Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard personnel who legally claim Alaska as their state of residence.

“NETC is proud to once again team with the Navy League to support dependents of Alaskan members of our sea services through this scholarship,” said Dr. Cheral Cook, NETC advanced education coordinator. “This is an outstanding opportunity for eligible dependents to attain a scholarship that will help them begin or continue their educational goals.”

The scholarships are made possible by funds raised by Alaskan citizens for a war bond as a gift to USS Juneau (CL 52) during World War II. After the sinking of Juneau, the governor of the territory of Alaska and the secretary of the Navy agreed to keep the bond monies on deposit until an appropriate application could be found. In 1986, the Navy established the Alaska Sea Services fund.

“Alaskan citizens originally gathered these funds for the light cruiser USS Juneau; however, the ship was sunk at the Battle of Guadalcanal before the gift could be presented,” said Ryan Donaldson, Navy League senior vice president for business operations. “What better way to honor the memory of Juneau Sailors than by helping educate Alaska’s future?”

Applicants must be the dependent (child or spouse) of a legal resident of the state of Alaska who is, or was at the time of death/designation as missing-in-action, a Regular or Reserve U.S. Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard member on active duty, inactive duty or retired with or without pay.

“The Navy League will screen all applications and submit their recommendations to NETC to select the winners,” said Cook. “Selection will be based on academic proficiency, character, leadership ability, community involvement and financial need.”

Students must provide proof of acceptance at an accredited college or university for full-time undergraduate study toward a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science degree. No more than two scholarship awards may be received by an individual during the pursuit of a four-year degree.

Applications are now being accepted and will close on March 1.

For additional information and a link to apply for the Alaska Sea Services Scholarship, visit www.navyleague.org/scholarship or contact either Navy League’s Ryan Donaldson at (703) 528-1775/(800) 356-5760/[email protected], or Dr. Cheral Cook at (850) 452-3671/DSN 459/[email protected].

STOCKHOLM — Saab’s Lightweight Torpedo (SLWT) will be displayed during the Euronaval exhibition, Paris, on Oct. 23-26, the company said in an Oct. 17 release. The company also will unveil the surface-launch version of RBS15 Gungnir, the next generation antiship missile system, at Euronaval,

The SLWT is one of the most advanced and sophisticated torpedoes on the market and has been ordered by Sweden and Finland. Saab is now pursuing additional customers on the export market, with Euronaval being an ideal opportunity to do so. The development of SLWT is with the Baltic Sea in mind, which is a marine environment with the most challenging factors for littoral antisubmarine warfare. The SLWT is a highly effective weapon for both blue water and shallow water environments around the world.

“The SLWT project is going very well. We are in the process of finalizing the second demonstration torpedo with all the features as in the final product. We are bringing key advances in torpedo technology to SLWT, which translates into endurance, accuracy and complete control,” said Stefan Sjögren, program director, Lightweight Torpedoes, at Saab.

SLWT with its state-of-the-art design incorporates a fully digital homing system, offers fire-and-forget and wire-guided operation, and adapts to difficult hydroacoustic conditions. It can be launched from multiple platforms, including surface ships, helicopters, aircrafts or submarines, ensuring your success in any environment.

The surface-launch version of RBS15 Gungnir uses the all new RBS15 Mk4 surface missile. This provides greater range, enhanced defense penetration and electronic protection, as well as a more advanced target seeker, allowing it to engage any target, in all conditions.

The RBS15 Mk4 surface missile is used in both the sea system and the land system of RBS15 Gungnir. It is designed to provide commonality through easy integration on both land- and sea-based platforms of almost any size. The system is fully backwards compatible, so an investment in Mk3 today opens a smooth path to transition into Gungnir tomorrow.

“With the RBS15 Gungnir we continue to build on the success and knowledge we have gained from the previous generations of RBS15,” said Görgen Johansson, senior vice president and head of Saab business area Dynamics. “The surface-launch version is a highly flexible missile system that can be integrated with existing command networks and on a wide range of the ships available on the market today.”

The development and production program was contracted in March 2017 with the Swedish Defence Material Administration. The RBS15 missile family is jointly produced by Saab and Diehl Defence GmbH & Co. KG and serves with various navies, coastal batteries and air forces from Sweden, Finland, Germany, Poland, Croatia, Thailand and an undisclosed country.

McLEAN, Va. — The Department of Navy, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Newport, Rhode Island, has awarded Alion Science and Technology a multiple award contract to develop, build and support the U.S. Navy unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) family of systems (FoS), the company said in an Oct. 17 release.

The scope of the contract covers systems and subsystems required to support the advancement of UUV FoS, including current UUV systems and subsystems, as well as, any future UUV systems and subsystems. The value of the contract, with all option years, is $794 million.

Alion will design, develop, fabricate, test, install, document and deliver rapid prototype material solutions associated with the products, systems, subsystems, ancillary and peculiar support equipment, and the development of Navy UUVs. UUVs encompass those unmanned undersea systems, both tethered and non-tethered, which can operate independently from, or in concert with, submarines and surface ships.

Mission roles for UUVs are very broad, varied, and include: search, detection and classification, weapon targeting and placement, undersea warfare training, and countermeasures, communications, mapping, intelligence collection, component integration, servicing and recovery, special warfare support, surveillance and other related activities.

“The ability to deploy unmanned vehicles with sensors that can covertly survey a contested environment and detect threats sooner, will provide the host platform an advanced situational awareness that increases the effectiveness of their tactical decision making with less risk to fleet personnel,” said Vince Stammetti, senior vice president of Alion. “In addition, the relatively low cost of a UUV as compared to the cost of building a ship, provides the Navy a low-cost, force-multiplier alternative. Under the FoS contract, the Navy has tasked industry to use their imagination to find even more ways to use them to increase capabilities.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy issued the Next Generation Enterprise Network Re-Complete (NGEN-R) Service Management, Integration and Transport (SMIT) request for proposals (RfP) on Oct. 18, the Navy’s Program Executive Office-Enterprise Information Systems said in a release. Responses are due to the Navy on Jan. 10.

“Today’s successful release of the NGEN-R SMIT RFP is a major achievement in implementing the Navy’s IT [information technology] acquisition strategy to segment network services for the Navy Marine Corps Intranet and the Marine Corps Enterprise Network into multiple contracts,” said Capt. Ben McNeal, Naval Enterprise Networks program manager. “Separating IT services into multiple contract segments makes management, financial and competitive sense for the Navy.”

NGEN-R is the follow-on procurement to the current NGEN and the Outside of the Continental United States (OCONUS) Navy Enterprise Network (ONE-Net) contracts. These contracts provide IT and support services to the Navy Marine Corps Intranet (NMCI), the Marine Corps Enterprise Network (MCEN) and the ONE-Net. The networks support CONUS and OCONUS Navy and Marine Corps users.

NGEN-R will provide IT and support services to NMCI, MCEN, and ONE-Net.

SMIT is one of two NGEN-R contracts. The SMIT contract will provide network services, including print services, service integration, software core build services, service desk and computer network defense.

The RFP for the End User Hardware (EUHW) contract, which provides end user hardware-as-a-service and hardware for purchase, was issued on Sept. 17, 2018. Proposals for the EUHW RFP are due Nov. 19.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy will christen two new attack submarines during ceremonies Oct. 20, the Department of Defense announced. The future USS Vermont (SSN 792) will be christened at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton, Connecticut. The future USS Delaware (SSN 791) will be christened at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Virginia.

The principal speaker for the Vermont christening will be Vermont Gov. Phil Scott. Gloria Valdez, former deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (Ships), will serve as the ship’s sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow and state, “In the name of the United States, I christen thee.”

For the Delaware ceremony, the principal speaker will be U.S. Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del. Dr. Jill Biden, former second lady of the United States, will serve as the ship’s sponsor.

“The future USS Vermont honors the contributions and support that the state of Vermont has given to our Navy and Marine Corps team throughout the years,” said Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer. “For decades to come, this boat and the Sailors who will serve on it will stand as a tribute to the patriotic people of Vermont and a testament to the value of the partnership between the Department of the Navy and our industry teammates.”

The future USS Vermont is the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name of the “Green Mountain State.” The future USS Vermont is the 19th Virginia-class attack submarine and the first of 10 Virginia-class Block IV submarines. The ship’s construction began in May 2014 and it will deliver in the fall of 2019. Vermont will provide the Navy with the capabilities required to maintain the nation’s undersea superiority well into the 21st century.

The future USS Delaware is the seventh ship to bear the name of “The First State.” The future USS Delaware is the 18th Virginia-class attack submarine and the eighth and final Virginia-class Block III submarine. The ship’s construction began in September 2013 and will deliver in 2019.

“Today’s christening marks an important milestone in the life of the future USS Delaware, moving the submarine from a mere hull number to a boat with a name and spirit,” said Spencer. “This submarine honors the contributions and support the state of Delaware has given to our military and will stand as a testament to the increased capabilities made possible through a true partnership between the Department of the Navy and our industry teammates.”

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard cutter Polar Star arrived home Oct. 17 following a six-month maintenance period at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a release.

The 42-year-old icebreaker received extensive repairs and upgrades to engineering and electronic systems while completing the dry dock availability at Mare Island for the second time in as many years.

“We successfully accomplished an annual dry dock availability valued at over $7.6 million,” stated Lt. Cmdr. Chris Pelar, Polar Star’s engineering officer. “More than 50 work items were completed while in dry dock. We will complete remaining maintenance requirements in Seattle before departing for our upcoming Antarctic deployment.”

Polar Star received extensive overhauls to equipment, most notably in auxiliary systems, generator upgrades and replacing propellers in preparation of supporting Operation Deep Freeze (ODF) 2019, the U.S. military’s contribution to the National Science Foundation managed U.S. Antarctic Program.

Polar Star, the nation’s only operational heavy icebreaker, deploys annually to Antarctica in support of ODF. The 399-foot, 13,000-ton cutter and crew transit through the Ross Sea and forcibly break through ice up to 21-feet thick clearing a path through frozen waters for supply ships to reach Antarctica’s logistics hub, McMurdo Station, Scott-Amundsen South Pole Station and other international bases. The critical supply deliveries allow the stations to stay operational year-round, including during the dark and tumultuous winter.

The Coast Guard has been the sole provider of the nation’s polar icebreaking capability since 1965 and is essential to ensuring national presence and access to the Polar regions.

MIAMI — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Bernard C. Webber offloaded approximately 3,516 pounds of cocaine and 50 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated wholesale value of over $47 million seized in international waters off the Caribbean Basin from late September to early October, Oct. 16 at Coast Guard Base Miami Beach.

The drugs were seized during the interdictions of three suspected smuggling vessels off the coasts of the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Aruba by the Coast Guard Cutters Donald Horsley, Vigilant and Charles Sexton.

■ Sexton was responsible for one case Oct. 10, seizing an estimated 2700 pounds of cocaine.

■ Donald Horsley was responsible for one case Oct. 4, seizing an estimated 816 pounds of cocaine.

■ Vigilant was responsible for one case Sept. 30, seizing an estimated 50 pounds of marijuana.

“The contraband landed by the Bernard C. Webber crew is a testament to the professional expertise and dedication of U.S. law enforcement agencies and international partners working together to combat the flow of illicit drugs through the Caribbean Region and into the United States,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jeremy Montes, duty enforcement officer at 7th Coast Guard District. “These partnerships are imperative in the identification, intercept, and seizure vessels engaged in illicit trafficking and without the hard work from U.S. and international agencies, these illicit drugs would negatively impact the prosperity and security of the Caribbean Region.”

Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with allied and international partner agencies play a role in counterdrug operations. The fight against transnational organized crime networks in the Caribbean Basin requires unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring, and interdictions, to criminal prosecutions by U.S. Attorneys in districts across the nation.

The Coast Guard increased U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off of Central and South America, as part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy. During at-sea interdictions in international waters, a suspect vessel is initially detected and monitored by allied, military or law enforcement personnel coordinated by Joint Interagency Task Force-South based in Key West, Florida. The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Caribbean Basin is conducted under the authority of the Coast Guard 7th District, headquartered in Miami, Florida. The interdictions, including the actual boarding, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Charles Sexton is a 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in Key West, Florida. Bernard C. Webber is a 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in Miami. Donald Horsley is a 154-foot fast-response cutter homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Vigilant is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida.

WASHINGTON — The Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office within Program Executive Office for Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) received two 2018 Department of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Awards during a ceremony Oct. 16 at the Pentagon, Naval Sea Systems Command said in a release.

The Acquisition Excellence Awards recognize individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in the acquisition of products and services for the Navy and Marine Corps. This year, 14 awards were given. Award winners represent the very best of professionalism, ingenuity and accomplishment among their peers — the more than 63,000 members of the acquisition workforce.

“These awards reflect a great team effort across the PEO, system command and industry to accelerate, innovate, and deliver new capabilities to the fleet,” said Rear Adm. John Neagley, PEO USC commander.

The Dr. Al Somoroff Acquisition Award was given to the program office for outstanding acquisition achievement in the accomplishment of its mission to include creative/effective acquisition management practices, outstanding resource management and personnel growth and retention.

The Competition Excellence Acquisition Team of the Year award recognizes the Orca Extra-Large Unmanned Underwater Vehicle acquisition and contracting team. The team included not only program office members, but also Naval Sea Systems Command’s leadership, cost engineering and industrial analysis division, contracts directorate, legal, and submarine/submersible design and systems engineering; Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Carderock Division; and Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command’s Systems Center Pacific. The award recognizes an acquisition team whose outstanding achievement brings increased competition in contracting resulting in cost savings or avoidance, a better product and a lasting positive impact on the organization and Department of Navy mission.

“These awards reflect the dedicated efforts of a great team of professionals focused on delivering unmanned capability and discovering acquisition best practices,” said Capt. Peter Small, Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office program manager. “Continuous dialogue among stakeholders, early and frequent coordination with industry, and effective and ongoing planning were essential to our success.”

PEO USC, part of Naval Sea Systems Command, provides the fleet with a package of warfighting capabilities within two variants of the littoral combat ship (LCS). With LCSs based on the East and West coasts, each ship is dedicated to one of three missions — antisubmarine warfare, surface warfare and mine countermeasures.