The Surface Navy Association’s (SNA) ”Old Tar” designation, honoring the U.S. Navy Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialist (ESWS) serving on active duty with the earliest qualification date, has passed to Fleet Master Chief Bill Smalts. Smalts is currently assigned as the Fleet Master Chief, Commander, United States 2nd Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia.

Smalts is now the 14^th individual to receive the Old Tar honor having relieved Force Master Chief David B. Carter, who has recently retired.

“This award is a recognition of the leadership, experience and expertise possessed by a knowledgeable mariner. Master Chief Smalts is such a Sailor and has earned the title an ‘Old Tar,” said Vice Adm. Rick Hunt, U.S. Navy (retired), president of SNA. “This award acknowledges our lore, customs and traditions, and honors the most senior of all our active duty Enlisted Surface Warfare Specialists with the ‘Old Tar’ designation.”

Smalts completed his qualification as an E3 aboard the USS L.Y. SPEAR (AS 36) but was not allowed to be pinned until he was a Third Class Petty Officer on Oct. 18, 1990.

The term comes from the days of sail and wooden ships, when Sailors would board enemy ships in battle and engage in hand to hand combat. Since long hair was the fashion of the era, they would often wear it tied in a knot at the base of the neck. Before entering battle, they would dip this knot in tar that would soon harden and protect their necks from blows from behind. Sailors, therefore, became known as “tars,” and an “Old Tar” was clearly one honored and respected for his knowledge, wisdom, and long experience at sea.

The honor is accompanied by a replica of “The Chief” statue that stands at the Senior Enlisted Academy in Newport, Rhode Island, with all the names of the “Old Tars.” In a ceremony held at the awardees’ command, a miniature replica of the statue was presented to CMDCM Smalts to display at his command and will be permanently retained by him upon retirement.

SNA also recognizes the “Old Salt” award to honor the Surface Warfare Officer with the earliest date of receiving the coveted warfare qualification.

AN DIEGO — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) participated in U.S. Pacific Fleet’s (PACFLT) Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem ‘21 (UxS IBP 21), April 21-26, 2021, the company said in an April 28 release.

The UxS IBP 21 integrated manned and unmanned capabilities into the most challenging operational scenarios to generate war fighting advantages. The exercise aimed to directly inform warfighters, warfare centers, and developers to further incorporate unmanned capabilities in day-to-day Fleet operations and battle plans.

During UxS IBP 21, a GA-ASI MQ-9A Block 5 unmanned aircraft system (UAS) acted as a surrogate for the MQ-9B SeaGuardian and was able to demonstrate for the first time: successful Link connectivity with U.S. Navy surface ships and aircraft; cooperative anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations, to include the first successful high-altitude sonobuoy drop from a UAS; Automatic Identification System (AIS) correlation with a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon and MH-60R Seahawk; exchange of Link 16 data over Global Command and Control System – Maritime (GCCS-M) from a UAS; and long-range over-the-horizon targeting from a UAS to a U.S. Navy destroyer.  

 “Our partnership and collaboration with the U.S. Navy during this exercise has been extremely beneficial and helped set the stage for a revolutionary change in how the U.S. Navy and our foreign partners address the increasing challenges and complexities for accomplishing distributed maritime operations,” said J.R. Reid, GA-ASI’s vice president for Defense Department Strategic Development. “We successfully demonstrated several groundbreaking capabilities for the first time, and we look forward to leveraging this momentum to continue to develop and test more advanced capabilities that provide immense value to the warfighter, both domestically and abroad.” 

GA-ASI has expanded the traditional role of the MQ-9 for its U.S. government and foreign customers to support maritime intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions, including ASW, with the development of the expeditionary MQ-9B SeaGuardian that can safely operate in adverse weather and non-segregated airspace.  

FAIRFAX, Va. – Logos Technologies LLC has successfully flown its wide-area motion imagery (WAMI) sensor aboard an RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft at a test range in Boardman, Oregon, the company said in a release. 

The two-week-long test — which included preparatory groundwork in Bingen, Washington — comes on the heels of a $5.3 million contract the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command had recently awarded to Logos, to develop more WAMI sensors for Navy and Marine users. 

“We are very excited by our recent test aboard the RQ-21A Blackjack,” said Doug Rombough, vice president for Business Development at Logos Technologies. “Our ongoing effort to develop an ultra-light WAMI capability for the Blackjack and other small, tactical unmanned aircraft is clearly paying off.” 

Logos has created a U.S. military version of BlackKite, currently called Cardcounter, an ultra-light (26 pounds) infrared WAMI system developed by Logos. Despite its low SWaP, BlackKite can detect and track in real time every significant target moving within a city-sized area, giving tactical operators a powerful, hereto unheard of, capability. 

In addition, thanks to the WAMI system’s multi-modal edge processor — which can store six or more hours of mission data — users on the ground can also access recorded imagery for on-the-fly forensic analysis. 

“No military in the world has anything like the Logos WAMI sensor on their tactical unmanned aircraft,” said Rombough. “This WAMI system views and records the entire area and can stream multiple real-time and recorded video ‘chip-outs’ down to handheld devices.” 

Logos was first tasked with converting their BlackKite system to meet government requirements in September 2019, with two units being produced for the U.S. Naval Air Systems Command. The follow-on $5.3 million development contract and March test flight are part of the same effort.  

“In total, we will be producing four modular WAMI systems for the Navy,” Rombough said, “with the hope that this will open the door for a wider U.S. military adoption of WAMI, both for the Blackjack and other Group 3 unmanned aircraft.” 

MIAMI — The Coast Guard Cutter Charles Sexton’s crew repatriated 72 Haitian migrants to Haiti, April 27, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. 

In the first interdiction, Coast Guard Sector Miami watchstanders received a MAYDAY call April 17 and launched multiple surface asset crews and an Air Station Miami HC-144 Ocean Sentry airplane crew to the scene to assist. The Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered crew arrived on scene and interdicted migrants from an overloaded 42-foot pleasure craft approximately 15 miles west of the Bahamas. 

In the second interdiction, Sector Miami watchstanders received a report from U.S. Customs and Border Protection of an overloaded 25-foot pleasure craft, April 24, approximately 10 miles east of Lake Worth. The Coast Guard Cutter Manatee crew and CBP surface asset crews arrived on scene and interdicted the migrants. 

“It is extremely dangerous to take to the sea on an overloaded, homemade or makeshift vessel,” said Lt. Mark Tatara, commanding officer of the Cutter Charles Sexton. “Those who embark on these vessels are risking their lives and it is our duty to protect the safety of life at sea. People should not take to the sea in an attempt to migrate to the United States.” 

Since Oct. 1, 2020, Coast Guard crews have interdicted 262 Haitians compared to: 

445 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2016 

443 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2017 

792 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2018 

895 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2019 

418 Haitian migrants in Fiscal Year 2020.

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. There were no migrants in these cases reported to have any COVID-19 related symptoms. 

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) and Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) achieved 8,000 aircraft recoveries and launches aboard USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on April 19, during the final independent steaming event of her 18-month Post Delivery Test & Trials (PDT&T) period, the Naval Air Systems Command said in an April 26 release. 

Capt. Kenneth Sterbenz, Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) program manager (PMA-251) for EMALS and AAG, said ALRE finished PDT&T strong, and they are ready for the next step, as Ford prepares for Full Ship Shock Trials, which is scheduled to begin summer 2021. 

“ALRE’s support of EMALS and AAG was admirable throughout the rigorous testing of PDT&T operations,” said Sterbenz. “On the way to reaching 8,000 launches and recoveries, we saw many Ford crew trained, learned a great deal about the systems, and laid invaluable groundwork for future Ford-class ships.” 

As CVN 78 moved through PDT&T, ALRE had the opportunity to directly support the fleet, as 351 Naval aviators were qualified using EMALS and AAG throughout 2020 and 2021. Time and training also enabled a great increase in the efficiency of flight operations. More than 7,000 of Ford’s total launches and recoveries were completed in the last 18 months. 

Cmdr. Lindsey Buzzell, PMA-251 Deputy Program Manager for Ford CVNs, said ALRE’s accomplishments are the product of years of dedication, expertise, and professionalism. 

“PDT&T proved extremely valuable for ALRE, as it allowed for extensive test and evaluation, and the opportunity to expose useful learning opportunities,” said Buzzell. “As we move forward, we’ll continue building on our experience, increase confidence in EMALS and AAG, and do our part to support the warfighter by preparing the systems for whatever Ford’s future deployments bring to the table.” 

The Navy’s newest aircraft launch and recovery technology, the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System and Advanced Arresting Gear System, were designed for use aboard Ford-class aircraft carriers, beginning with USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). Land-based test sites, located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., enable test, troubleshooting and Sailor training. Developed by prime contractor General Atomics, EMALS and AAG provide significant advancements to the Navy’s Ford-class aircraft carriers. EMALS and AAG require a smaller footprint in the ship, less maintenance, and less manpower than comparable steam catapults and arresting gear aboard Nimitz-class carriers. 

MIDDLETOWN, R.I. — Rite-Solutions was recently awarded a $23.5-million, five-year IT services contract by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), the company said in an April 28 release. The company will support NUWC’s Activity Chief Information Officer Information Technology Division, which is responsible for managing and maintaining the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport’s (NUWCDIVNPT’s) voice and data computer networks, including network backbone architecture for services such as email, web-based applications, database applications, file storage, and printing.  

The NUWCDIVNPT data network, which includes 6,500 Research, Development, Test & Evaluation IT assets, provides the command with robust, secure, and fault-tolerant internal network services. It also supports external network connectivity to over 4,000 seats via multiple networks, including the Defense Research and Engineering Network (DREN) and Secure DREN.  

The NUWCDIVNPT telephone network provides desktop telephone services to over 5,000 locations through the division’s internal Public Branch Exchange. The Information Technology Division is also responsible for operating media center services, such as the Integrated Display Center and video teleconferencing facilities, which provides state-of-the-art video, data, and worldwide telecommunication services over unclassified and classified IP networks, and/or ISDN. 

“We are thrilled that NUWC chose to renew the contract with us,” says Dennis McLaughlin, CEO and President at Rite-Solutions. “While we are rapidly expanding into new technologies that give the Navy an information advantage, IT services and security remain a critical component of what we offer.”  

“Cybersecurity touches every part of this contract,” adds Rocky Reeves, Rite-Solutions senior vice president and director of IT Services. “Our network, telephone, and audio-visual engineers supporting this contract must meet strict DoD Cybersecurity Workforce requirements.” Security certifications include Security+ce, CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner, and Certified Information Systems Security Professional. Operating system certifications include Cisco Certified Network Architects, Cisco Certified Network Professionals, and Red Hat LINUX. 

In addition to NUWCDIVNPT’s Enterprise Infrastructure located in Newport, Rhode Island,  remote detachment support is also required for voice, video, and data networks located in West Palm Beach, Florida; Andros Island, Bahamas; Seneca Lake, New Tork; Fishers Island, New York; Dodge Pond, Connecticut; Kings Bay, Georgia; Fort Story, Virginia; and Norfolk, Virginia. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Unmanned aircraft, surface and under-sea vessels will help maximize the U.S. Navy’s future range across the Pacific Ocean, while ships and submarines armed with hypersonic or directed energy weapons could protect them in contested areas, the chief of naval operations says.

“Our biggest R&D effort is in hypersonics,” Adm. Mike Gilday told a live streamed question and answer session April 27 at the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, a Washington think tank. Hypersonic weaponry is planned for delivery in 2025. “First on surface ships and then on Block 5 submarines,” Gilday said. “We want to bring that kind of capability forward, using distributed maritime operations to come at an adversary in a variety of different vectors and make it very difficult for him to target us.”

Gilday said he sees unmanned systems as a path to affordability and lethality despite expected leaner defense budgets in coming years. “Probably by the  mid-to-late 2030s, we think up to a third of the fleet could be unmanned, if everything goes right,” Gilday explained. “And for the air wing of the future, we think about the same, initially about 40%, potentially going to 60% unmanned” teamed with fourth- and fifth-generation fighters in contested areas,” he added.

The MQ-25A Stingray carrier-based unmanned aircraft system should reach initial operational capability around 2025, Gilday said. Once it’s integrated into the carrier wing, the Boeing-built Stingray will enhance aircraft carrier reach as a sea-based, aerial refueling drone, that can also provide persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance around the carrier strike group.

On March 16, the Navy and Marine Corps released the Unmanned Campaign framework, (https://seapowermagazine.org/navy-marine-corps-release-unmanned-campaign-plan/) which presents their strategy for making unmanned systems a trusted and integral part of warfighting. The Navy is  conducting collaborative experimentation and rigorous testing of unmanned systems “to get to a point, in probably five to seven years, where we’re much more confident about two real big pieces: reliability and trust,” Gilday said.

He added that trust is all about command and control. Reliability, is key in terms of operations. “With respect to the surface fleet, we really want a platform that’s going to run, run, run, run and not break down on us,” Gilday said, noting the Freedom-class littoral combat ships have 7,000 sensors in their engineering plant. “We can’t have that kind of complexity on a platform that’s eventually going to be unmanned. It’s got to be very reliable.”

Unmanned platforms, both on and under the sea, are also going to play a major role in distributed maritime operations in the future, although they have not yet been classified as part of the battle force. “They’re separate and distinct from the 355” ship Navy mandated by Congress, Gilday said.   

While the Navy’s strategy calls for highly mobile and distributed maritime operations in the Pacific, in an age of ubiquitous satellite imagery, “it’s going to be difficult to hide,” Gilday said, adding “Directed energy, with respect to the future survivability of the fleet, is really important.”

Noting that Navy ships from Ford-class aircraft carriers to Zumwalt-class destroyers generate excess electrical power, Gilday said, “If we could get that same capability on an unmanned vessel,” armed with a directed energy weapon, it could provide a surface fleet with a “high degree of defense-in-depth coverage against an incoming threat.”

LONDON, U.K. — The Office of Naval Research (ONR) Global, in its sustained mission to become the partner of choice for the worldwide international Science and Technology (S&T) community, will launch the second round of Global-X, a nine-month international science challenge worth up to $500,000, to encourage groundbreaking research from all around the world, the office said in an April 26 release.

The decision comes after a successful 2020 inaugural Global-X Challenge that selected four winning teams with members from Australia, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. These teams are now preparing for innovative concept demonstrations later this year.

The purpose of the Global-X Challenge is to discover, disrupt, and ultimately provide a catalyst through basic and applied research for later development and delivery of revolutionary capabilities to the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, the commercial marketplace, and the public.

ONR Global is interested in receiving white papers and proposals on the following challenge topics:

• Alternate Navigation at High Latitude
• High Latitude High Bandwidth Communications
• Persistent Polar Perception

Researchers from academia and industry may participate. ONR Global expects, but does not require, that multi-national teams will consist of at least two research entities outside of the U.S., whether from academia, industry and/or the broad research community. Researchers from U.S. research entities may also participate, but are not required.

“We expect a new round of revolutionary ideas from the brightest international researchers. Alongside an evaluation panel of experts from participant nations of the International Cooperative Engagement Program for Polar Research (ICE-PPR), we are interested in finding promising concepts that achieve innovative capability advances with both military and commercial value, specifically focused in polar science,” said ONR Global Executive Officer Capt. Matt Farr.

Live Webinar launch

The Global-X Challenge will officially launch during a kick-off webinar set for April 29 at 7 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Interested applicants can register for and view the webinar at the following link: https://goto.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1456602&tp_key=b2ae9e815d

Applicants can also ask questions during the webinar, which will be recorded and posted to a public Global-X website for subsequent review. Furthermore, more information on the challenge statements, important dates, official guidelines and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) can be found on the Global-X website: https://www.onr.navy.mil/Global-X

“We want to build on our previous success and attract the best polar research-focused scientists worldwide. We live in an era where this specific scientific discipline is key for our fleet, and trying to find the best collaborative solutions will help solve present and future U.S. Navy and Marine Corps technology needs,” said ONR Global Technical Director Dr. Rhett Jefferies.

Significant Dates and Times

• White Paper Submission Date: May 28, 2021, by 11:59 p.m. EDT
• Notification of White Paper Valuation: June 11, 2021, by 5 p.m. EDT
• Full Proposal Submission: July 9, 2021, by 11:59 p.m. EDT
• Notification of Selection: Full Proposals: July 30, 2021, by 5 p.m. EDT
• Grant Awards: Sept. 24, 2021, by 5 p.m. EDT

LONDON — The U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD) has made public details of the first deployment for its new aircraft carrier, scheduled to begin next month, according to an April 27 MoD announcement. 

The carrier strike group, led by HMS Queen Elizabeth, will sail for the Indo-Pacific in May in the largest concentration of British air and maritime power in years, the ministry said on Monday. 

The strike group will include the Daring-class destroyers, Defender and Diamond; Norfolk-class frigates, Kent and Richmond; an Astute-class attack submarine; and the support ships Fort Victoria and Tidespring. 

In addition, the Dutch frigate Evertsen and U.S. destroyer The Sullivans will accompany the carrier group. 

For her maiden deployment, the Queen Elizabeth will carry eight Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning II fighters and a squadron of 10 U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs; four AW159 Wildcat maritime attack helicopters; seven Merlin Mk 2 anti-submarine; and three Merlin Mk 4 commando helicopters. 

A company of Royal Marine Commandos will also participate in the mission. 

The carrier strike group is scheduled to visit more than 40 countries and conduct more than 70 engagements, including dual carrier operations with French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in the Mediterranean, the defense ministry said. 

Engagements are scheduled with India, Japan, Singapore and South Korea. The strike group will also take part in Exercise Bersama Lima to mark the 50th anniversary of the five-powers agreement with Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Thales has signed a contract with Lockheed Martin as a tier-one supplier for the delivery of up to 55 airborne anti-submarine warfare sonars, Thales said in an April 27 release. The ALFS (Airborne Low-Frequency Sonar) dipping sonars will be installed on the MH-60R platform for the U.S. Navy and three additional navies. Delivery of the first 42 systems will occur over the next five years with the delivery of 13 optional systems to occur in year six.  

Thales has delivered more than 300 ALFS sonars to the U.S. Navy since the early 2000s and this new contract with Lockheed Martin will continue to support the Navy’s readiness strategy. The navies of India, Denmark and Greece will receive their first deliveries of the ALFS sonar system through direct U.S. Foreign Military Sales of the MH-60R platform. 

To maintain control over their maritime space and protect security interests around the world, naval forces need reliable, high-performing systems to operate with optimum effect on missions including anti-submarine warfare, maritime search and rescue, defense of maritime approaches and fleet protection for naval forces on deployment.  

Offering unparalleled protection to maritime convoys, the ALFS anti-submarine warfare system is capable of detecting, classifying, prosecuting, harassing or attacking submarines, making Thales the benchmark for the world’s major navies. In addition to the U.S. Navy, the other navies that have chosen Thales dipping sonar solutions include the navies of Australia, France, Norway, the Philippines, Poland, South Korea, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom.  

As a low-frequency active sonar, ALFS is designed for the initial detection and tracking of opposing submarines. It offers a long detection range with a wide coverage rate and low false alarm level, both in deep and coastal waters. It can be used autonomously to clear a particular area or as a complementary anti-submarine warfare asset to sonars on-board surface vessels for target location and attack.  

“Earning the trust of the U.S. Navy, its allies and partners around the globe is a source of pride for our team,” said Alexis Morel, vice president for Underwater systems, Thales. “This contract enhances our position as a strategic supplier to Lockheed Martin and further consolidates the Group’s world leadership position in anti-submarine warfare systems. We will continue to improve the performance and competitiveness of our airborne sonars to meet the new anti-submarine warfare operational challenges of our customers.”