ARLINGTON, Va. — Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business, was awarded a multi-year $70 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center to provide for test, inspection, evaluation and restoration of Submarine High-Data Rate mast components, the company said in a Dec. 1 release. In addition, RI&S will fabricate spare SubHDR Mast components under the contract.  

“The SubHDR system was created to support protected high-data rate communications for submarines,” said Denis Donohue, vice president, Communications and Airspace Modernization Systems for Raytheon Intelligence & Space. “SubHDR mast is a protected, secure and survivable system to support all communications needs, from day-to-day messaging to ensuring the commander-in-chief can stay connected with his commanders.” 

SubHDR links submariners to the Global Broadcast Service, the Milstar satellite constellation and the Defense Satellite Communication System, via a unique mast antenna that connects them to the above-sea world. The system vastly improves a submarine’s mission capability and the quality of life for submariners by affording them high-data rate communications with the world outside of the sub.  

The SubHDR System gives submarines high-data rate, multi-band satcom capability. Operating via military satellites, SubHDR enables underwater forces to be full participants in coordinated fleet battle group and joint task force network centric operations. The mast-mounted satcom system transmits secure wideband multimedia, secure and non-secure internet access, voice and data traffic, imagery and video teleconferencing.  

According to the U.S. Navy’s Submarine Communication Program Office, “SubHDR makes optimal use of high efficiency, small antenna, multi-band technology and state-of-the-art packaging to provide bandwidth without sacrificing submarine stealth.”  

The SubHDR contract will repair and deliver sustainment spares for active fleet submarines for the next five years. 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy has decided to decommission and scrap the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), which was severely damaged by a shipboard fire in San Diego in July. 

In a Nov. 30 teleconference with reporters, Rear Adm. Eric H. Ver Hage, commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Centers and director of Surface Ship Maintenance and Modernization at Naval Sea Systems Command, said that Navy Secretary Kenneth J. Braithwaite and Chief of Naval Operations Michael Gilday made the decision after the Navy completed a “comprehensive material assessment” and considered three possible outcomes. 

Rebuilding and repairing the Bonhomme Richard would have taken five to seven years and cost an estimated $2.5 billion to $3.2 billion, Ver Hage said.  

Alternatively, rebuilding the ship as another type of ship, such as a hospital ship, a tender, or a command-and-control ship, would have taken five to seven years and cost more than $1 billion, more than a new alternative ship would be estimated to cost. 

Decommissioning and scrapping the ship would take nine to 12 months and cost an estimated $30 million, he said. 

Replacing the Bonhomme Richard with a new America-class (LHA 6) amphibious assault ship would take five to six years and cost an estimated $4.1 billion. 

The Bonhomme Richard was built for $750 million in 1998 dollars, equivalent to $1.2 billion today. Ver Hage said the Navy had invested $250 million in the ship during its modernization that was in progress when the fire broke out. 

The admiral said usable parts and material would be harvested from the ship before it was scrapped. The crew would be involved in the inactivation process. Their eventual reassignment from the ship to other assignments would be governed by the type commander, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. 

The ship will be towed to a scrap yard, possibly to Brownsville, Texas, where some of the Navy’s retired aircraft carriers have been scrapped. 

Congress was notified of the Navy’s decision on Nov. 30, the day the crew also was notified. 

“We did not come to this decision lightly,” Braithwaite said in a Nov. 30 release. “Following an extensive material assessment in which various courses of action were considered and evaluated, we came to the conclusion that it is not fiscally responsible to restore her. 
 
“Although it saddens me that it is not cost effective to bring her back, I know this ship’s legacy will continue to live on through the brave men and women who fought so hard to save her, as well as the Sailors and Marines who served aboard her during her 22-year history,” Braithwaite said. 

All investigations associated with the fire onboard LHD 6 remain ongoing, the Navy said.  

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard Cutter Seneca returned to its homeport in Portsmouth, Virginia, after a 57-day patrol conducting counter-drug and humanitarian assistance operations in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean, Nov. 20, the Coast Guard 5th District said in a Nov. 30 release. 

The Seneca crew deployed with an embarked MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron in Jacksonville, Florida. The embarked helicopter provided the cutter with aerial use of force capabilities to supplement onboard law enforcement teams. 

Upon their arrival in the Pacific, Seneca crewmembers conducted joint maritime operations with the Colombian Naval vessel A.R.C. Punta Ardita. The joint operation focused on interoperability, communications, and counter-narcotics efforts.  

Surface and air crews seized more than 2,750 kilograms of cocaine and 1,235 pounds of marijuana, for an estimated street value of over $124 million. Three vessels were interdicted and a fourth disrupted through joint efforts with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Navy. These efforts resulted in the detainment of nine suspected narcotics traffickers. 

“I continue to be impressed with what the crew of Seneca can accomplish,” said Cmdr. Matthew Rooney, commanding officer of the Seneca. “Operating in a pandemic environment is a challenge and the crew rose to it. We accomplished a lot in a short time. Counter-narcotics interdictions, international cooperation, hurricane assistance, and refueling at sea. This patrol encompassed many of our core missions and improved our proficiency. The crew can return home with their head held high with pride.”  

Additionally, Seneca crewmembers completed three underway replenishments with the Chilean Navy Oiler Almirante Montt. The process brings two ships in close proximity to each other while at sea to transfer fuel and supplies. The Almirante Montt crew provided logistical services in a COVID-19 free and contactless environment, extending Seneca’s time on patrol. 

After transiting from the Eastern Pacific to the Caribbean, the Seneca crew was tasked to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster response in the wake of Hurricane Eta on the Mosquito Coast of Honduras. The embarked helicopter crew also assisted in conducting multiple missions, which included medical evacuation, critical infrastructure reconnaissance, and identifying stranded populations and individuals in need. 

The Seneca is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth and routinely deploys in support of counter-drug, migrant interdiction, fisheries, search and rescue, and homeland security missions.  

HONOLULU — The Coast Guard completed a 30-day demonstration and evaluation of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) off Oahu, early November, the Coast Guard 14th District said in a Nov. 25 release 
 
The focus of the test was to explore how current and emerging technologies might be used to enhance maritime domain awareness in remote regions. The test also showed ways USVs with assorted sensor capabilities might support the Coast Guard’s many missions around the globe ranging from search and rescue, to law enforcement.  
 
“It’s clear that autonomous technology is a growing industry, and has great potential to enhance Coast Guard operations,” said Cmdr. Blair Sweigart, the demonstration’s director from the Coast Guard Research and Development Center. “Combined with artificial intelligence algorithms, unmanned systems could be a game changer.” 
 
During the test the Coast Guard examined USVs from Saildrone and Spatial Integrated Systems to understand their capabilities and effectiveness. The USVs participated in a variety of operational simulations to detect and alert the Coast Guard to both legitimate and nefarious behavior. 
 
As outlined in the Coast Guard’s Strategic Plan 2018-2022, one of the service’s main goals is to “evaluate emerging technologies, such as unmanned platforms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, network protocols, information storage, and human-machine collaboration for possible use in mission execution.” 
 
These tests represent a commitment to those goals, allowing the Coast Guard to identify how USVs could be used to support search and rescue operations, improve Marine Environmental response, enhance Port Security, aid in the fight against illegal maritime smuggling, and identify vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. 
 
“The demonstration helped us understand what these technologies currently are, and are not, capable of,” said Sweigart. “These vessels proved to be very effective across a variety of mission areas. The results of this study will help shape how the Coast Guard, and our partners, incorporate USVs into our future operations.”  
 
With their long endurance, USVs can provide persistent domain awareness in remote regions of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. By conducting the demonstrations off Hawaii, the teams gained a firsthand understanding of how these assets could help protect the islands, and the critical resources and habitats throughout Oceania.  
 
Many of the Coast Guard’s missions require close coordination with federal, state, local, and international partners and during the tests the Coast Guard worked closely with NOAA, DHS partners, the Navy, and agencies from several partner nations who face similar issues to protect the global maritime and fishing industries. 

MONTREAL — CAE has been awarded a subcontract by Lockheed Martin to supply the CAE Magnetic Anomaly Detection-Extended Role (MAD-XR) system for United States Navy MH-60R Seahawk helicopters, CAE said in a Nov. 18 release. 

CAE MAD-XR is a highly sensitive magnetometer designed to sense changes in the earth’s magnetic field and is used as a sensor to detect submarines.  Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems is the lead systems integrator for the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R “Romeo” helicopter, the Navy’s primary anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare helicopter.  

Under terms of a Phase 1 contract from the U.S. Navy, Lockheed Martin has responsibility to integrate the CAE MAD-XR into the MH-60R helicopter. CAE will provide the MAD-XR system and support Lockheed Martin with non-recurring engineering and integration services.  Initially, a total of six MH-60R helicopters will be integrated with the CAE MAD-XR during Phase 1.  

“Over the past several years we have conducted several trials with the U.S. Navy to confirm the capabilities of the MAD-XR system on the MH-60R helicopter,” said Thomas M. Kane, director, Naval Helicopter Programs, Lockheed Martin.  “Adding this to the MH-60R’s sensor suite will further advance the capabilities of the world’s most advanced anti-submarine warfare helicopter.” 

The CAE MAD-XR is significantly more compact than previous MAD systems with reduced size, weight, and power requirements.  This allows the CAE MAD-XR to be extended to smaller platforms such as unmanned aerial systems, helicopters and small fixed-wing aircraft. 

“The integration of our MAD-XR system on the U.S. Navy’s MH-60R helicopter is testament to its powerful magnetic detection abilities,” said Daniel Gelston, group president, Defence & Security, CAE.  “The MAD-XR system can provide defense forces with enhanced capabilities for operational missions such as submarine detection and search and rescue.” 

ASHAWAY, R.I. — L3Harris Technologies, an aerospace and defense technology company, plans to expand in Ashaway, Rhode Island, by investing $1.5 million in its operations, the company said in a Nov. 24 release. The company will add more than 40 positions and increase its manufacturing space to 92,000 square feet. 

The L3Harris facility develops and manufactures technology the U.S. Navy uses in submarines for surveillance and detection. The expansion will support the Navy’s recent contract award of $31 million for L3Harris to build next-generation towed sonar systems for submarines. The facility expansion will be equipped with state-of-the-art sonar array manufacturing and environmental test equipment to enhance the product’s overall performance. 

“The Ashaway facility expansion represents a long-standing commitment to meeting the Navy’s current and future needs and creating job opportunities in Rhode Island,” said Scott Tilden, vice president and general manager, Maritime Sensors, L3Harris. “This facility has an exceptional record of designing, developing, and manufacturing undersea sensors, which is one of the exciting reasons we continue to invest and expand operations in the state.” 

L3Harris’ Ashaway location has provided undersea sensor systems since 1991, including the TB-29C and TB-34A towed array sonars. Other support to the Navy includes providing integrated solutions for ship monitoring, ship defense sensors, submarine electronics and acoustic sensors for unmanned vehicles. 

NORFOLK, Virginia — BAE Systems has received a $197.4 million contract from the U.S. Navy to drydock and perform maintenance and modernization work aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), the company said in a Nov. 24 release. This is the second time in four years the company has performed significant work onboard the Wasp to sustain its warfighting capability.  

Under the new contract, BAE Systems’ Norfolk shipyard will begin working aboard the 843-foot-long USS Wasp in February 2021, performing hull, tank and mechanical work. The contract includes options that, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value to $237.7 million. 

During the company’s last maintenance availability aboard the Wasp, from December 2016 to May 2017, BAE Systems added modifications to support Joint Strike Fighter operations onboard.  

“BAE Systems is very familiar with USS Wasp, performing substantial upgrade work onboard before its forward deployment to Japan three years ago,” said Mark Whitney, deputy general manager of BAE Systems Ship Repair and general manager of Norfolk Ship Repair. “Our team of skilled tradespeople and subcontractors look forward to executing another long sustainment period on Wasp, to ensure the ship retains its sharp warfighting capability.” 

The USS Wasp is the lead ship of a class of U.S. Navy amphibious assault ships. It is the 10th Navy vessel to bear the name since 1775. 

To prepare for drydocking the Wasp, BAE Systems sent its largest floating drydock in Norfolk to a Baltimore, Maryland, shipyard for five months of lifecycle maintenance. The drydock, called “Titan,” returned to Norfolk earlier this month. The lifecycle maintenance work performed on Titan drydock will enable the yard to service the largest Navy ships in the port of Norfolk for another 20 to 25 years. Titan is capable of lifting up to 52,500 long tons. The USS Wasp displaces about 40,500 long tons. 

PETER THE GREAT BAY – On Nov. 24 (local time) USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) asserted navigational rights and freedoms in the vicinity of Peter the Great Bay in the Sea of Japan, the U.S. Seventh Fleet said in a release. This freedom of navigation operation (“FONOP”) upheld the rights, freedoms, and lawful uses of the sea recognized in international law by challenging Russia’s excessive maritime claims. 

In 1984, the U.S.S.R declared a system of straight baselines along its coasts, including a straight baseline enclosing Peter the Great Bay as claimed internal waters. This 106-nautical mile (nm) closing line is inconsistent with the rules of international law as reflected in the Law of the Sea Convention to enclose the waters of a bay. By drawing this closing line, the U.S.S.R. attempted to claim more internal waters – and territorial sea farther from shore – than it is entitled to claim under international law. Russia has continued the U.S.S.R. claim. By conducting this operation, the United States demonstrated that these waters are not Russia’s territorial sea and that the United States does not acquiesce in Russia’s claim that Peter the Great is a “historic bay” under international law. 

U.S. forces operate in the Indo-Pacific region on a daily basis, as they have for more than a century. They routinely operate in close coordination with like-minded allies and partners who share our commitment to uphold a free and open international order that promotes security and prosperity. All of our operations are designed to be conducted in accordance with international law and demonstrate that the United States will fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows – regardless of the location of excessive maritime claims and regardless of current events. 

The international law of the sea as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention provides for certain rights and freedoms and other lawful uses of the sea to all nations. The United States upholds these rights and freedoms as a matter of principle to preserve the freedom of the seas that is critical to global security, stability, and prosperity. As long as some countries continue to assert maritime claims that are inconsistent with international law as reflected in the 1982 Law of the Sea Convention and that purport to restrict unlawfully the rights and freedoms enjoyed by all States, the United States will continue to defend the rights and freedoms of the sea guaranteed to all. 

The Russian Federation’s statement about this mission is false. USS John S. McCain was not “expelled” from any nation’s territory. McCain conducted this FONOP in accordance with international law and continued to conduct normal operations in international waters. The operation reflects our commitment to uphold freedom of navigation and lawful uses of the sea as a principle, and the United States will never bow in intimidation or be coerced into accepting illegitimate maritime claims, such as those made by the Russian Federation. 

SAN DIEGO — Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc. a provider of high-performance, jet-powered unmanned aerial systems, announced Nov. 19 that it has delivered the 100th production BQM-177A Subsonic Aerial Target (SSAT), nearing completion of its third and final Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) contract. 

“I am proud to accept delivery of this 100^th aircraft on behalf of the U.S. Navy, said Capt. Molly Boron, program manager, Aerial Targets Program (PMA-208). “The government-industry team of PMA-208 and Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems (KUAS) has worked hard to deliver this capable target on time and on budget. 2020 has been a successful year despite COVID-19 challenges. We are completing LRIP III deliveries, have awarded the $29.2M Full-Rate Production (FRP) Lot 1 contract on 29 September for 35 more BQM-177A SSATs, and are currently activating the operational site at Pacific Missile Range Facility (PMRF) in Kauai, Hawaii.  

“The combined PMA-208 and KUAS team is positioned to successfully achieve Full Operational Capability this fiscal year,” Brown said. “We are delivering targets and support equipment to Atlantic Target & Marine Operations at Dam Neck, Virginia, in anticipation of their transition to the BQM-177A this winter. We will complete the transition of this capability when the PMRF Detachment Far East site in Okinawa, Japan, is activated with a ship-launch capability. The delivery of the 100^th target signifies a well-performing production line but also represents an incredible amount of teamwork enabling relevant anti-ship cruise missile training and combat system testing for the Fleet.” 

Steve Fendley, President of Kratos Unmanned Systems Division, said, “The delivery of this 100th aircraft represents the very hard work of many dedicated Navy and KUAS engineering, production, program, logistics, financial, and supply chain professionals. We stand shoulder to shoulder with our Navy customers as we activate additional sites and operationalize this capability around the world. The KUAS team remains committed to the mission of providing the most capable systems and realistic training possible to the warfighters.” 

PLANO, Texas — Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) AIRWorks has selected Martin UAV to participate in the Mi2 Technology Demonstration live event at the Yuma Proving Grounds between Nov. 30 and Dec. 18, 2020, Martin UAV said in a Nov. 24 release. 

The Tech Demo is the second phase of the Mi2 Challenge intended to accelerate the identification and evaluation of next generation unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) capable of operating in austere deployed environments without ancillary support systems. 

Of 13 submissions sent, only two were selected to move forward to the technology demonstration phase. During the live event, Martin UAV will have an opportunity to showcase the V-BAT, a state-of-the art, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) UAS. 

“Martin UAV’s opportunity to participate in the challenge and demonstrate the technologically advanced V-BAT is a direct reflection of our vision to change mission requirements and capability offerings as the Navy currently knows them,” says Heath Niemi, vice president of Global Sales and a retired U.S. Army colonel. “If successful, the V-BAT will be the first tail sitting, fixed-wing UAS ever deployed by the U.S. Navy that supports vertical takeoff with a single engine ducted fan, which transitions to straight and level flight, hovers and stares, contains interchangeable payloads, and has an open architecture. It would not just be a new aircraft for the Navy – it would be an entirely new way of operating.” 

Martin UAV Owner and Chief Executive Ruben Martin said, “With an extensive military background, the Martin UAV team reacts instantly to the warfighter in order to get them the best VTOL UAS, the V-BAT, to better accomplish their mission.” 

The V-BAT is currently deployed in various areas of operation around the world in support of the U.S. Department of Defense, such as the U.S. Army’s Future Tactical UAS program, U.S. Southern Command/Joint Inter-Agency Task Force South, the U.S. Marine Corps with an expeditionary unit, and the U.S. Coast Guard.