ST. JOHN’S,
Newfoundland — Kraken Robotic Systems Inc. has been chosen by the Pentagon to test
and integrate its AquaPix MINSAS sensor into a U.S. Navy man-portable autonomous
underwater vehicle (AUV), the company said in a release.

Foreign
Comparative Testing (FCT) is designed to allow U.S. military operators to test foreign
technologies, with a view toward future procurement. The Kraken FCT will be managed
by Naval Sea Systems Command, EOD Program Office. The contract value is $900,000.

Man-portable AUVs make up the largest deployment of all AUV classes worldwide. The Navy and its allies continue to invest in man-portable AUVs, which utilize a range of sonar technologies.

Kraken’s AquaPix MINSAS synthetic aperture sonar sensor is offered in the MINSAS 60, 120, 180 and 240 configurations and has been traditionally integrated to medium- and large-size AUVs and towfish. As part of Kraken’s FCT contract, the company will optimize the MINSAS 60 sensor, making it better suited for small man-portable AUVs while offering a significant increase in capability and performance for the platforms.

“The competition for FCT awards is fierce and only a few projects each year that meet the strict criteria are selected,” said Karl Kenny, Kraken’s president and CEO. “An acceptable FCT project must have a high technology readiness level, which means that research and testing must have already been completed and the capability has already been proven in a setting similar to what will be encountered in real-world operations.”

NASHUA, N.H.
— BAE Systems has been awarded contracts by Boeing Co. to supply the Vehicle
Management Control System (VMCS) and Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) System
for the MQ-25 unmanned aerial vehicle, BAE said in a release.

“BAE
Systems leads the industry in high-integrity fly-by-wire and mission-critical
IFF technologies,” said Corin Beck, director of military aircraft systems at
BAE Systems. “Our relationship with Boeing started more than four decades ago and
has resulted in aircraft that have some of the most advanced avionics and
reduced size transponders in the world.”

The VMCS
will control all flight surfaces and perform overall vehicle management duties
for the MQ-25. The IFF product ensures operation in contested environments by
reliably identifying both coalition and enemy vehicles.

The MQ-25 will be the U.S. Navy’s first operational carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is designed to provide a much-needed refueling capability. The contract supports Boeing’s engineering and manufacturing development program to provide four MQ-25 aircraft to the Navy for Initial Operational Capability by 2024.

“The MQ-25 program is vital because it will help the U.S. Navy extend the range of the carrier air wing, and Boeing and our industry team is all-in on delivering this capability,” said Dave Bujold, Boeing’s MQ-25 program director. “The work we’re doing is also foundational for the future of Boeing — where we’re building autonomous systems from seabed to space.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Central Command has published a
timeline of the June 13 attacks on two commercial tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

The two motor tankers, the Norway-flagged M/TAltair and the Japan-flagged M/T Kokuka Courageous, were
apparently damaged by limpet mines placed on their hulls. Ships and P-8
aircraft of the U.S. 5th Fleet responded to the incidents to render assistance
and to investigate who launched the attacks.

Secretary of State Michael
Pompeo later blamed Iran for the attacks, according to a June 13 report in
Politico. “These attacks are a threat to international peace and security,
a blatant assault on the freedom of navigation and an unacceptable escalation
of tension by Iran,” he is quoted as saying by the Politico report.

Pompeo said his assessment
was based “on intelligence, the weapons used, the level of expertise needed to
execute the operation, recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping and the fact
that no proxy group operating in the area has the resources and proficiency to
act with such a high degree of sophistication,” Politico reported.

The incidents followed covert attacks on May
12 on four tankers in the waters of the United Arab Emirates, apparently also
with limpet mines.

The following is a timeline of the June 13 attacks
provided by Capt. Bill Urban of U.S. Central Command public affairs:

• U.S. Naval forces in the region received two separate distress
  calls at 6:12 a.m. local time from the Altair and a second one at 7 a.m. from Kokuka
  Courageous.
• Both vessels were in international waters in the Gulf of Oman about
  10 nautical miles apart at the time of the distress calls. USS Bainbridge was about
  40 nautical miles away from Altair at the time of the attack and immediately
  began closing the distance.
• At 8:09 a.m., a U.S. aircraft observed an Iranian Islamic
  Revolutionary Guard Corps Hendijan-class patrol boat and multiple IRGC fast attack
  craft/fast inshore attack craft (FAC/FIAC) in the vicinity of Altair.
• At 9:12 a.m., a U.S. aircraft observed the FAC/FIAC pull a raft
  from the Altair from the water.
• At 9:26 a.m., the Iranians requested that the motor vessel Hyundai
  Dubai, which had rescued the sailors from the Altair, turn the crew over to the
  Iranian FIACs. The Hyundai Dubai complied with the request and transferred the
  crew of the Altair to the Iranian FIACs.
• At 11:05 a.m. local time, USS Bainbridge approached the Dutch tug
  Coastal Ace, which had rescued the crew of 21 sailors from the Kokuka
  Courageous who had abandoned their ship after discovering a probable unexploded
  limpet mine on their hull following an initial explosion.
• While the Iranian Hendijan patrol boat appeared to attempt to get
  to the tug Coastal Ace before Bainbridge, the mariners were rescued by Bainbridge
  at the request of the master of the Kokuka Courageous. The rescued sailors are
  currently aboard Bainbridge.
• At 4:10 p.m., an IRGC Gashti-class patrol boat approached the Kokuka
  Courageous and was observed and recorded removing the unexploded limpet mine
  from the Kokuka Courageous.

“The U.S. and our partners in the region will
take all necessary measures to defend ourselves and our interests,” Urban said.
“Today’s attacks are a clear threat to international freedom of navigation and
freedom of commerce. The U.S. and the international community stand ready to
defend our interests, including the freedom of navigation. The United States
has no interest in engaging in a new conflict in the Middle East. However, we
will defend our interests.”

GULF OF OMAN (NNS) — The Arleigh Burke-class
guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) responded to a distress call
from the M/V Kokuka Courageous in the Gulf of Oman the morning of June 13.

The Bainbridge received a call from the
Kokuka Courageous crew advising that their ship was in distress approximately
30 nautical miles from Bainbridge’s location.

“This is what we’re out here for,” said Cmdr.
M. Kathryn Devine, commanding officer of Bainbridge. “Our mission is to ensure
maritime safety and to answer the call for aid when we can.”

All 21 crew members of the Kokuka Courageous
had evacuated to a tug boat and were transferred to the Bainbridge. One of the
Kokuka Courageous sailors suffered burns on his hands and was treated
immediately by the Bainbridge medical team.

Once safely aboard Bainbridge, the Kokuka
Courageous crew received medical check-ups, showers and clean clothes along
with food and any other attention they required.

“I’m very proud of my crew and their quick
response to the situation,” said Devine. “They’ve done an incredible job of
making sure the crew of the tanker was safely brought aboard and taken care
of.”

Bainbridge is underway as part of Abraham
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group’s (ABECSG) deployment in support of maritime
security cooperation efforts in U.S. 5th, 6th and 7th Fleet areas of
operations.

With Abraham Lincoln as the flagship,
deploying strike group assets include staffs, ships and aircraft of Carrier
Strike Group 12 (CSG 12), Destroyer Squadron 2 (DESRON 2), USS Leyte Gulf (CG
55) and Carrier Air Wing 7 (CVW 7).

SAN DIEGO — General
Dynamics NASSCO will hold an event on June 15 to christen and launch the
containership Lurline, the largest such ship ever built in San Diego, the
company announced.

Lurline, constructed
for Honolulu-based Matson Inc., is an 870-foot vessel that can hold 3,500 cargo
containers — 20-foot-equivalent units (TEUs).

She has
liquefied natural gas-capable engines and is designed for energy efficiency. Lurline
is the lead ship of a two-vessel contract being built for Matson.

Thousands
of people had roles in constructing the Lurline, which is designed to not only transport
containers but also automobiles and rolling stock, including trailers. The
construction and operation of the Lurline and its future sister ship are
aligned with the Jones Act, which requires that goods transported between U.S.
ports must go on ships that are built, owned and operated by U.S. citizens or
permanent residents.

NASSCO is
the only major shipyard on the West Coast of the U.S. that is designing,
constructing and repairing ships for the U.S. Navy and commercial customers.

Ceremony participants will include General Dynamics NASSCO President Kevin Graney and Matson CEO Matt Cox. Constance Lau, CEO and director of Hawaiian Electric Industries and a Matson board member, will christen the ship with the traditional breaking of a champagne bottle on the hull.

The christening will be streamed live on June 15 starting at 6:30 p.m.

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps recently began fielding a next-generation narrowband satellite communication system that assists warfighters in connecting to networks on the battlefield, Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) said in a June 12 release.

Fielded in
the first quarter of 2019, the Mobile User Objective System provides satellite
communication capabilities to mobile or stationary Marines. The system enables
the warfighter to leverage cellular technology to increase access to voice and
data communication while using the MUOS network.

“MUOS is
another way for warfighters to communicate in a tactical environment,” said
Eddie Young, project officer of Multiband Radio II Family of Systems at MCSC.
“The system brings [satellite communications] capabilities in various formats
to Marines.”

The MUOS
capability encompasses updated firmware to the AN/PRC-117G radio system and one
of three antenna kits. The antennas help Marines simultaneously access satellite
networks and gives them secure and nonsecure internet access. MUOS also
improves overall reliability in urban environments, challenging vegetation and
other arduous conditions.

“MUOS is
essentially software and an antenna capability augmenting existing hardware,”
said Noah Slemp, systems engineer at MCSC. “It’s similar to adding an
application to a cellphone.”

The first
service to widely employ MUOS, the Corps is deploying thousands of antenna kits
for the AN/PRC-117G radio system and hundreds of diplexers that enable
vehicular systems to access MUOS satellites.

“The Marine
Corps is leading all services in terms of getting MUOS to warfighters,” Young said.

Satellite
communication has become increasingly important for the Corps in the 21st
century. According to the Department of Defense, more than 50 percent of DoD
satellite communication involves narrowband communication. Yet, this form of
communication accounts for less than 2 percent of the DoD’s bandwidth, making
it an efficient way to transmit information.

MUOS is
particularly important because the satellite communications infrastructure of
the legacy system is nearing its expiration, Slemp said. As a result, the Corps
intends to incrementally replace the older capabilities with the MUOS waveform,
enabling more Marines to access ultra-high frequency tactical satellite
communications.

Prior to
fielding MUOS, MCSC had to demonstrate to the Milestone Decision Authority that
the system was safe, met technical performance and was ready for use by the
warfighter. Since MUOS’s Field User Evaluation in 2017, Marines have raved
about the benefits of the system.

“Our Marines
find MUOS useful in completing their missions,” Young said. “We’ve received a
lot of positive feedback thus far.”

The efforts
of Young’s team in getting the system out to the warfighter have not gone
unnoticed. In May 2018, at a Narrowband Working Group conference in Colorado
Springs, Colorado, the Joint Staff J6 and the DoD Chief Information Officer recognized
Young and Slemp for leading the services in employing MUOS.

The J6 and DoD
CIO also emphasized the joint effort between the Multiband Radio II team and
the Naval Information Warfare Center in using the Multiple Reconfigurable
Training Systems, an interactive training aid that will be used to assist in
the rapid fielding of MUOS.

“It was
motivating to see that we were recognized for our efforts, because the team had
put in a considerable amount of time and effort to make this happen,” Young said.
“We recognize the warfighter needs this capability, and we’ve done everything
we can to get it to them in a timely manner.”

WASHINGTON
– The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) posted a Notice of Funding
Opportunity (NOFO) to apply for $292.7 million in discretionary grant funding
through the new Port Infrastructure Development Program, the department said in
a June 12 release.

“This
major investment in the Port Infrastructure Development Program will help
strengthen, modernize, and improve our country’s maritime systems and gateway
ports,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao.

As the administration
continues to invest in America’s infrastructure, this new program aims to
support public coastal ports by improving the safety, efficiency, or
reliability of goods movement into, out of, or within a port, according to the
release. 

Investments
in port transportation infrastructure will be awarded on a competitive basis
for projects located either within the boundary of a coastal seaport, or
outside the boundary of a coastal seaport, and directly relate to port
operations or to an intermodal connection to a port. 

The department
will evaluate projects using criteria which include leveraging federal funds,
project costs and benefits, project outcomes, project readiness, and domestic
preference.  The department will also
consider geographic diversity when selecting grant recipients.

The
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019 made available $292.7 million for the
Port Infrastructure Development Program, including $92.7 million for the 15
coastal seaports that handled the greatest number of loaded foreign and
domestic twenty-foot equivalent units of containerized cargo in 2016, as
identified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 
The minimum award size is $10 million, with a federal cost share not to
exceed 80%.

Additionally,
the Department anticipates awarding funding to at least one project that
advances each of the following project outcomes:

•        Advance technology supported safety,
design efficiency improvements.

•        Improve state of good repair and
resiliency.

•        Promote efficient energy trade.

•        Promote manufacturing, agriculture or
other forms of exports.

•        For only the top 15 coastal ports, a
project that supports the safe flow of agricultural and food products, free of
pests and disease, domestically and internationally.

To provide
technical assistance, DOT will host a series of webinars during the Port
Infrastructure Development Program grant application process. Details and
registration information regarding these webinars will be made available at
www.transportation.gov/portgrants.

The
deadline to submit an application for the Port Infrastructure Development
Program is 8 p.m. EDT Sept. 22, 2019.

PENSACOLA,
Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless returned to their homeport in
Pensacola, Florida, June 12 after a 58-day patrol in the Gulf of Mexico, the
Coast Guard 8th District said in a release of the same date.

During its
two-month patrol, the cutter supported several 8th Coast Guard District mission
areas, including search and rescue, enforcement of domestic living marine
resource regulations and illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing activity
near the U.S. and Mexico maritime border.

The crew
deterred three Mexican vessels caught illegally fishing in U.S. waters and
recovered three miles of long line fishing gear, preventing the illegal
harvesting of red snapper and other regulated Gulf of Mexico fish species.

They also
conducted five safety boardings of U.S. flagged commercial fishing vessels to
ensure the proper safety equipment was onboard and crewmembers were properly
trained in safe seamanship practices.

The crew’s
employment in south Texas waters supported Operation Patriot Curtain, which
addressed threats to border security and U.S. sovereignty near the maritime
boundary line.

During the
patrol, the crew collaborated with the Mexican Naval Warship Arm Independencia
to share operational best practices. This beneficial exchange allowed the
Dauntless crew to demonstrate effective interoperability with a key
international maritime partner while conducting a shared mission of combating
transnational threats.

The crew
stopped in Galveston, Texas, the ship’s homeport from 1995 to 2018, and hosted
over 400 tours for the Galveston community. The ship was honored by the city
council with a proclamation declaring May 15th, “Sin Miedo” Day in
honor of Dauntless’s motto, “Sin Miedo,” meaning, “Without
Fear.”

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutter Winslow
Griesser (WPC-1116) repatriated 18 Dominican migrants to a Dominican Navy
patrol vessel June 11 near Samana, Dominican Republic, following the
interdiction of an illegal migrant voyage Monday just off the coast of
Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a June 12 release.

Six other Dominican migrants traveling in the group
remain in federal custody facing possible prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s
Office for the District of Puerto Rico on potential charges of attempted
illegal reentry into a U.S. territory.

The interdictions are the result of ongoing efforts in
support of Operation Unified Resolve, Operation Caribbean Guard and the
Caribbean Border Interagency Group (CBIG).

“I’m glad that our crew was able to safely recover all
the migrants and provide them with the humanitarian assistance they required,”
said Lt. Luke A. Walsh, USCGC Winslow Griesser commanding officer. “This group
is very fortunate. The dangers in the Mona Passage are quite real, as migrants
risk losing their lives at the hands of ruthless smugglers whose vessels are
ill equipped with little or no emergency and lifesaving equipment onboard.”

A team of Ramey Sector Border Patrol agents detected the
20-foot migrant vessel, transiting without navigational lights, approximately a
mile and a half off the coast of Aguadilla.

Coast Guard watchstanders in Sector San Juan diverted
cutter Winslow Griesser to interdict the suspect vessel. As the Winslow
Griesser arrived on scene, a responding Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of
Rapid Action marine unit stopped the migrant vessel. The Winslow Griesser crew
embarked from the makeshift vessel all 24 migrants, 23 men and a woman, who
claimed Dominican nationality.

Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive
food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.

The cutter Winslow Griesser transferred custody of the
six migrants facing federal prosecution to Ramey Sector Border Patrol agents in
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.

The Caribbean Border Interagency Group unifies efforts
between U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the United States Attorney’s Office for
the District of Puerto Rico, and Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid
Action. These agencies share a common goal of securing the maritime border of
Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands against illegal migrant and drug
smuggling threats.

The Winslow Griesser is a 154-foot fast-response cutter
homeported in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

ALAMEDA,
Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton is scheduled to depart June 12
from its homeport in Alameda, California, for a months-long deployment to the
Western Pacific in support of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees
military operations in the region, the Coast Guard Pacific Area announced.

The Stratton
will be the second cutter deployed to the Western Pacific this year. The crew
aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf left Alameda Jan. 20 and remain in the
region.

Operating
under the tactical control of the U.S. 7th Fleet commander, the cutter is
scheduled to engage in professional exchanges and capacity-building exercises
with partner nations and to patrol and operate as directed.

As both a
federal law enforcement agency and an armed force, the Coast Guard is positioned
to conduct defense operations in support of combatant commanders on all seven
continents. The service routinely provides forces in joint military operations
worldwide, including the deployment of cutters, boats, aircraft and deployable
specialized forces.

The Coast
Guard’s role in the Indo-Pacific goes back more than 150 years. The service’s
ongoing deployment of resources to the region supports U.S. foreign policy and
national security objectives as outlined in the National Security Strategy.

“The United
States is a Pacific nation,” said Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander, Coast Guard
Pacific Area, who oversees the cutter.

“We have deep
and long-standing ties with our partners in the region and, more importantly,
we share a strong commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, governed by a
rules-based international system that promotes peace, security, prosperity and
sovereignty of all nations.”

Commissioned
in 2012, Stratton is one of four Coast Guard Legend-class national security
cutters homeported in Alameda. NSCs are 418 feet long, 54 feet wide and have a
4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed in excess of 28 knots, a
range of 12,000 nautical miles, endurance of up to 90 days and can hold a crew
of up to 170.

The Coast
Guard is scheduled to commission its seventh and eighth national security
cutters, Kimball and Midgett, in August. Both will be homeported in Honolulu.

“Security
abroad equals security at home,” Fagan said. “Enhancing our partners’
capabilities is a force multiplier in combating transnational criminal and
terrorist organizations and deterring our adversaries.”