Release from BAE Systems 

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MCLEAN, Va. – Dec. 20, 2023 – BAE Systems has received a follow-on contract to continue supporting Air Traffic Control & Landing Systems Operations Onboard Navy Ship and Shore Based Sites (AOOSS). The five-year indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, valued at $92 million, was awarded by the U.S. Navy Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD).  

“Since 1993, we have been providing technical and engineering services for AOOSS worldwide,” said Lisa Hand, vice president and general manager, BAE Systems Integrated Defense Solutions. “For those 30 years, we have worked closely with our customers to bolster their readiness—a legacy we’re very proud of. We’re equally proud to continue to support this mission moving forward.”  

Under the new contract, BAE Systems will continue to provide fleet services, technical support, and operational software development and maintenance to support various air traffic control and landing systems for the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, Military Sealift Command, and international customers. 

BAE Systems will complete the work in Great Mills, St. Inigoes, and Patuxent River, Maryland; Chesapeake, Virginia; and San Diego, California.  

Release from RTX 

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ADVEW will replace legacy systems with a one-box solution 

GOLETA, Calif., Dec. 19, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The United States Navy awarded Raytheon, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) Business, an $80 million contract in a down select to prototype Advanced Electronic Warfare, or ADVEW, for the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. This prototype will be considered as a replacement for the existing AN/ALQ-214 integrated defensive electronic countermeasure and AN/ALR-67(V)3 radar warning receiver with a consolidated solution that will deliver superior electronic warfare capabilities to the backbone of the Navy’s carrier air wing. 

“These advancements are paving the way for the next generation of electronic warfare,” said Bryan Rosselli, president of Advanced Products & Solutions at Raytheon. “We are completely replacing and consolidating the legacy systems into a one-box solution that will deliver a generational refresh to the electronic warfare capability for the lifetime of the Super Hornet.” 

Raytheon’s Advanced Electronic Warfare offering will provide significant performance upgrades by modernizing existing electronic warfare systems into fewer components and incorporating government-defined open architecture. Development of this new solution will closely align and integrate with other combat-proven, radio frequency sensors and effectors employed by the Super Hornet. ADVEW will ensure F/A-18E/Fs maintain their operational electronic warfare advantage, while significantly improving survivability against advanced, complex threats.   

Development and testing of ADVEW will mainly take place in Goleta, California. During the prototype phase, the system will undergo preliminary design review, critical design review, and flight testing over a 36-month period. 

Release from the U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area  

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Dec. 20, 2023 

PORT ANGELES, Wash. – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Active and crew returned to its home port, Tuesday, after a 57-day patrol in support of Joint Interagency Task Force-South’s (JIATF-S) counternarcotics campaign in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. 

Active and crew routinely deploys to this region in an effort to disrupt transnational criminal organizations specifically in pursuit of illegal trafficking of narcotics. Equipped with two boats and an MH-65E helicopter from Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON), Active and crew met a variety of mission demands. 

Active’s crewmembers aided in the rescue of five Ecuadorian fishermen, November 19, who were adrift on their disabled vessel for an estimated 19 days. The survivors faced harsh elements and prolonged exposure which created life threatening conditions.  Active’s crew provided medical care and rehydration to the fishermen as they began to recover from their critical condition before transferring them to authorities in El Salvador. 

The crew successfully interdicted over 3,400 pounds of cocaine and detained three suspected narcotics traffickers. Less than 24 hours after the holiday interdiction, Active successfully apprehended three more suspected smugglers transporting more than 2,400 pounds of cocaine. 

“I am extremely proud of the crew and their relentless pursuit of our mission objectives,” said Cmdr. Adam Disque, commanding officer of the Active. “Interdictions at sea are always challenging, and no two are the same. These back-to-back operations were exceptionally well coordinated, which included the tactical employment of an interdiction helicopter, multiple surface boat deployments, and our highly trained boarding teams. The whole crew is always grateful to contribute to the fight against the transnational crime that triggers violence and instability at home.” 

The Active is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in Port Angeles, Washington. This multi-mission platform falls under the operational command of the Coast Guard Pacific Area. As a Coast Guard resource, Active deploys in support of the Coast Guard’s Eleventh and Thirteenth Districts as well as JIATF-S. Patrolling from northern most part of the contiguous United States, all the way to the equator, Active is a critical asset conducting search and rescue, counter-narcotics law enforcement, living marine resource protection, and homeland defense operations. 

Release from Naval Sea Systems Command 

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Dec. 20, 2023 

By Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Navy successfully completed a milestone “no touch” 720-hour continuous power demonstration of a diesel generator for Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) operations. Demonstrating the capability and durability of engine plants to operate for extended periods without human intervention at sea is a critical enabler for the continued expansion of unmanned operations and development of the future manned-unmanned Hybrid Fleet concept. 

The generator test was mandated by a congressional requirement inserted in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, directing the Navy to achieve the 720-hour test milestone before the Large USV could proceed into formal development. The congressionally directed testing included 100 hours of pre-testing before the 720-hour demonstration phase commenced. During the demonstration phase, no human intervention and no preventative or corrective maintenance on the equipment was allowed. 

This land-based test was conducted by Bollinger and Carter Machinery on behalf of Caterpillar in Chesapeake, Virginia. The Navy’s Program Executive Office for Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) and the Unmanned Maritime Systems Program Office (PMS 406) oversaw the successful test completion. The rigorous testing validated that the 1550 kw Caterpillar 3512C model engine demonstrated sufficient mechanical reliability to support the requirements of an unmanned ship to operate for 30 days. 

“This testing achievement is a key milestone for the Navy’s unmanned surface vessel programs and allows the Navy to move forward with developing and acquiring the Large Unmanned Surface Vessel (LUSV), specifically,” said Capt. Kevin Smith, Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants. 

The LUSV will deliver adjunct missile magazine capacity to the Fleet as part of the Navy’s Distributed Maritime Operations concept. The LUSV is envisioned to be greater than 200 ft. in length with a full load displacement of approximately 1,500 tons. LUSVs are intended to be low-cost, high endurance, modular USVs that can employ a variety of payloads. 

In 2020, six LUSV conceptual design contracts were awarded to refine program requirements and to work with industry to provide feedback on the LUSV requirements.  The Bollinger team is the first to successfully complete the 720-hour no-touch electrical generation and distribution system demonstration. It is now eligible for use on the LUSV program. Five other LUSV teams are currently in test with their engine systems to meet the 720-hour performance requirement. 

PEO USC and PMS 406 lead the Navy’s efforts to develop, deliver and sustain capable and affordable unmanned maritime systems to meet Fleet requirements. 

Release from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet 

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USS John L. Canley to Be Commissioned in San Diego 

By Julie Ann Ripley 

15 December 2023 

SAN DIEGO — The future USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) will join the active fleet Feb. 17, with a commissioning ceremony at Naval Base Coronado’s Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego. 
 
The first of its name, the ship honors United States Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. John L. Canley, Ret., who was awarded the Medal of Honor 50 years after his actions during the Battle of Hue City. Canley served as Company Gunnery Sergeant, Company A, First Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, 1968. Sgt. Maj. Canley passed away in Bend, Oregon May 11, 2022. 
 
On Nov. 10, 2020, then Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced that ESB 6 would be named USS John L. Canley to honor a man who exemplified all that has made our service strong and our Nation thrive. 
 
The ship’s sponsor is Patricia Sargent, Canley’s daughter. 
 
ESB 6 will be the newest commissioned Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) and the sixth ship in the expeditionary mobile base platform. 
 
ESB 6 is a highly flexible platform used across various military operations. When commissioned, the ship will be employed as a mobile sea-based asset. It will be a part of the critical access infrastructure supporting the deployment of forces, equipment, supplies, and warfighting capability. 
 
The mission of CNSP is to man, train, and equip the Surface Force to provide fleet commanders with credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore. 
 
The future USS John L. Canley will be part of the Forward Deployed Naval Force operating from Saipan. 
 
For more news from Naval Surface Forces, visit DVIDS – Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. 

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MSC Reservists Support Operation Deep Freeze 2024 Loadout 

From Sarah Cannon, Military Sealift Command Pacific 

UNITED STATES — Navy reservists from Military Sealift Command Pacific’s Expeditionary Port Unit (EPU) 114 are conducting cargo operations in Port Hueneme, Calif., overseeing the loadout of supplies and equipment are being loaded onto the Military Sealift Command charter ship MV Ocean Gladiator in preparation for delivery to the remote Antarctica outpost of McMurdo Station, in support of the annual resupply mission; Operation Deep Freeze 2024. 

Serving as liaisons between the Navy and the crew of the ship and the stevedores on the pier, the EPU 114 reservists are coordinating the loadout of 407 pieces of cargo, consisting of containers filled with mechanical parts, vehicles, construction materials, office supplies and electronics equipment, and mobile office unites; supplies needed for the year’s survival at McMurdo Station, Antarctica. 
 
According to Cmdr. Timothy Cushanick, EPU 114’s commanding officer, the moral among the six-member reserve team is high, something he attributes to the mission itself, and to the fact that this year’s mission will be completed before Christmas, unlike past years when it was conducted during the holiday. 
 
“Everybody is excited to support the mission, because it is so different than anything we normally do, but also because we will be home for the holidays!” he explained. “You can feel the excitement talking to the ship’s master and crew. They really want to be on this mission and to go to Antarctica. ODF is truly one a one of a kind thing for all of us, and we all feel privileged to be a part of it.” 
 
Loading cargo into the 545-foot Ocean Gladiator requires advanced planning. Weight differences in cargo, as well as the types of cargo loaded and the storage issues require a specific load order, which is followed to the letter to ensure an on time departure. Because of this, the reservists have worked with members of the MSCPAC Operations team as well as Ocean Gladiator’s crew, port workers, stevedores and members of the National Science Foundation and Ports of America. 
 
“This mission is supporting real-world operations, and not a table-top scenario type exercise like we as reservists normally do,” said Cushanick. “This is a fantastic opportunity for all of us, because we are working as a new team, with organizations we don’t normally work with. This mission is special, because of the length of it. Because it is nearly two weeks long, we are able to really get to know all the players, especially the ship’s crew, their capabilities and their needs. These are things we can take with us into other missions.” 
 
Navy reservists are used to working in new environments with a team they have not met before, but that does not mean it is easy. Working as a new team can have its own set of challenges. To make the transition into the ODF mission easier, the EPU-114 team began communication through electronic means weeks ago, getting to know each other, and identifying strength of each member. While they had not worked as a team before reaching Port Hueneme, they did have a familiarization with each other. 
 
“Working electronically before the mission set the stage for working together,” said Cushanick. “We might not know each other physically, but we did know each other’s names and a little bit of their personalities, which definitely makes the first couple of days easier.” 
Ocean Gladiator will depart Port Hueneme later in the week. Following a stop in Christchurch, New Zealand, where the ship will load additional cargo, it will travel to the ice-pier at McMurdo Station, where members of Navy Cargo Handling Battalion ONE will conduct the offload. Before departing McMurdo station, Ocean Gladiator will be loaded with ice core samples that will be stored on the ship in sub-zero freezer containers. The ice core samples will be delivered to the United States for scientific study. In addition, retrograde cargo will be loaded onto the ship for transportation off the continent. These include trash and recyclable materials for disposal and equipment no longer required on the station. 
 
Operation Deep Freeze is a joint service, on-going Defense Support to Civilian Authorities activity in support of the National Science Foundation (NSF), lead agency for the United States Antarctic Program. Mission support consists of active duty, Guard and Reserve personnel from the U.S. Air Force, Navy, Army, and Coast Guard as well as Department of Defense civilians and attached non-DOD civilians. ODF operates from two primary locations situated at Christchurch, New Zealand and McMurdo Station, Antarctica. An MSC-chartered cargo ship and tanker have made the challenging voyage to Antarctica every year since the station and its resupply mission were established in 1955. 

Release from Leidos 

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Leidos demonstrated the Marine Expeditionary Long-Range Persistent Surveillance (MELPS) prototype at last year’s Project Convergence 2022 in the San Diego area. Photo: Leidos 

Huntsville, Ala. (Nov. 27, 2023) – Leidos, a Fortune 500 science and technology company, announced it was recently awarded a new $32 million contract by the Marine Corps System Command (MARCORSYSCOM) through the Consortium Management Group (CMG). The defense radar systems development contract calls for four Medium Range Air Defense Radar (MRADR) prototype systems within a two-year span. The company’s Dynetics team will be leading the development of the required sensors. 

“This win represents a significant transition for the Leidos team,” said Larry Barisciano, the weapons technology operations manager for Leidos’ Dynetics Group. “Our successful R&D process has created a path for this opportunity to become a true program of record. We’re excited to begin developing, producing and deploying these sensors for our nation’s Marines.” 

Leidos’ Dynetics Group previously developed the Marine Expeditionary Long Range Persistent Sensor (MELPS) assets through the Office of Naval Research Multi-domain Radar in Contested Environments (MuDRaCE) program, which was managed by Leidos’ Innovation Center (LInC). Those sensors provide a 360-degree field of view that combines digitized antennas and receivers with sophisticated signal processing techniques to provide a persistent, high-quality air picture with no detectable electromagnetic footprint. 

Work on the new systems will be based off expertise from previous sensor development programs as well as feedback from live demonstrations. 

Work will primarily be performed in Huntsville, Alabama, with some labor conducted in Arlington, Virginia. The current delivery date is scheduled for 2025. 

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The U.S. Senate has confirmed the Department of the Navy’s acquisition boss. 

Nickolas H. Guertin, the Defense Department’s director of Operational Trest and Evaluation, has cleared the hurdles to become the new assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition (ASNDRA). 

Guertin, confirmed on Dec. 13, will take over from Jay Stefany, who has been performing the ASNRDA duties since November 2021.  

Below is Guertin’s official biography: 

The Honorable Nickolas H. Guertin was sworn in as Director, Operational Test and Evaluation on December 20, 2021. A Presidential appointee confirmed by the United States Senate, he serves as the senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense on operational and live fire test and evaluation of Department of Defense weapon systems. 

Mr. Guertin has an extensive four-decade combined military and civilian career in submarine operations, ship construction and maintenance, development and testing of weapons, sensors, combat management products including the improvement of systems engineering, and defense acquisition. Most recently, he has performed applied research for government and academia in software-reliant and cyber-physical systems at Carnegie Mellon University’s Software Engineering Institute. 

Over his career, he has been in leadership of organizational transformation, improving competition, application of modular open system approaches, as well as prototyping and experimentation. He has also researched and published extensively on software-reliant system design, testing and acquisition. He received a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Washington and an MBA from Bryant University. He is a retired Navy Reserve Engineering Duty Officer, was Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certified in Program Management and Engineering and is also a registered Professional Engineer (Mechanical). 

Mr. Guertin is involved with his community as an Assistant Scoutmaster and Merit Badge Counselor for two local Scouts BSA troops as well as being an avid amateur musician. He is a native of Connecticut and now resides in Virginia with his wife and twin children. 

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ARLINGTON, Va. — The secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations announced on Dec. 18, 2023, the following assignments: 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Amy N. Bauernschmidt is assigned as deputy commander, Seventh Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Walter D. Brafford is assigned as commander, Naval Medical Forces Support Command, with additional duties as Chief of the Dental Corps, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Thomas J. Dickinson is assigned as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center/Commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Thomas A. Donovan is assigned as deputy director, Global Operations, J39, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Frederic C. Goldhammer is assigned as deputy director for Political-Military Affairs (Asia), J5, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Robert J. Hawkins is assigned as deputy assistant director, Operations, Strategy, and Education and Training, Defense Health Agency, with additional duties as Chief of the Navy Nurse Corps, Falls Church, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Joshua Himes is assigned as vice director for Intelligence, J-2, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Ian L. Johnson is assigned as commander, Navy Region Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Neil A. Koprowski is assigned as commander, Navy Region Korea; commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea; and commander, Naval Component, U.S. Forces Korea, United Nations Command, Korea, Pusan, Korea. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Paul J. Lanzilotta is assigned as director, Fleet Integrated Readiness and Analysis, N02R, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Joshua Lasky is assigned as deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command; and deputy commander Fifth Fleet, Manama, Bahrain. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Donald W. Marks is assigned as commander, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, San Diego, California. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Craig T. Mattingly is assigned as commander, Naval Service Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Andrew T. Miller is assigned as commander, Undersea Warfighting Development Center, Groton, Connecticut. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kurtis A. Mole is assigned as deputy commander, Tenth Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Lincoln M. Reifsteck is assigned as program manager, AUKUS, Integration and Acquisition, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Frank G. Schlereth III is assigned as senior defense official/Defense Attaché – Israel, Tel Aviv, Israel. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Thomas E. Shultz is assigned as deputy director, Policy, Plans, Strategy, Capabilities and Resources (J-5/8), U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kevin R. Smith is assigned as program executive officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael T. Spencer is assigned as commander, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, Fallon, Nevada. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Julie M. Treanor is assigned as deputy chief of staff for Fleet Ordnance and Supply/Fleet Supply Officer, N41, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Todd S. Weeks is assigned as program executive officer, Undersea Warfare Systems, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Todd E. Whalen is assigned as president, Board of Inspection and Survey, Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Dianna Wolfson is assigned as fleet maintenance officer, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Forrest O. Young is assigned as director, Operations and Plans, N3, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) John E. Byington is assigned as deputy commander, Navy Space Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Jeffrey A. Jurgemeyer is assigned as reserve vice commander, U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command, Fifth Fleet, Manama, Bahrain. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard S. Lofgren is assigned as reserve vice commander, U.S. Fourth Fleet, Mayport, Florida. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) David E. Ludwa is assigned as reserve deputy for Fleet Readiness and Logistics, N4R, U.S. Naval Forces Europe/U.S. Naval Forces Africa, Naples, Italy. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael S. Mattis is assigned as commander, Task Force 66 (TF 66); and director, Strategic Effects, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe/U.S. Naval Forces, Africa Naples, Italy. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard W. Meyer is assigned as deputy commander, Third Fleet, San Diego, California. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Peter K. Muschinske is assigned as deputy chief of chaplains for Total Force; and deputy director of Religious Ministries, N097C, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) John A. Robinson III is assigned as vice chief of information, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Bryon T. Smith is assigned as reserve vice commander, Second Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael R. Vanpoots is assigned as deputy/reserve deputy commander, Submarine Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Marc F. Williams is assigned as deputy commander, Navy Closure Task Force – Red Hill, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Release from Bollinger Shipyards 

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PASCAGOULA, Miss., — (December 18, 2023) – Last week, Bollinger Shipyards (“Bollinger”) delivered the first Bollinger-built Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small (APL(S)) Class berthing and messing barge (APL 71) to the U.S. Navy. APL 71 is the 5th vessel of its class to be delivered to the Navy and the 3rd to be homeported in Norfolk, Virginia.  

“We are honored to be entrusted to build the APL berthing and messing barge for the U.S. Navy,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards. “I’m proud of the hard work and dedication of our team at Bollinger and our continued commitment to delivering high-quality, reliable vessels that meet the Navy’s rigorous standards and improve the quality of life for our sailors. We look forward to continuing to grow our partnership with the Navy and delivering this critical asset to support our national defense.” 

The previous four APLs were built and delivered by VT Halter Marine, which Bollinger acquired in late 2022. Halter received the initial contract in 2018. APLs are used by the Navy to house crewmembers when ships are in port for availabilities and Inter-Deployment Training Cycles. The barges are mobile and can be towed to new bases or shipyards to support changing fleet requirements and also offer potential use for humanitarian missions and other temporary assignments. 

APLs are 269 feet long, 69 feet wide and have a draft of 7 feet. Each vessel is equipped with offices, classrooms, washrooms, laundry facilities, medical treatment areas, a barber shop and fitness center. With mess seating for 224 enlisted personnel and 28 officers, each meal is served via five 20-minute shifts to allow food service for 1,130 personnel (three meals per day). The vessels are fitted with mixed gender berthing spaces for 74 officers and 537 enlisted personnel, for a total of 611 people.