STAFFORD, Va. — BAE Systems has received a $113.5 million contract from the U.S. Marine Corps for an additional 26 Amphibious Combat Vehicles (ACV) under the low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase of the program, the company said in a release. This award brings the total vehicle orders for the ACV to 116 and moves the program closer to full-rate production. 

The ACV is a mobile, survivable and adaptable platform for conducting rapid ship-to-shore operations and brings enhanced combat power to the battlefield. BAE has been in low-rate production since 2018 on the personnel carrier variant in the ACV family, which is envisioned to consist of additional variants such as command and control, 30 mm medium caliber turret and recovery. 

“The ACV provides the most survivable and mobile amphibious vehicle to the U.S. Marines Corps for supporting the warfighters’ ability to successfully execute their unique expeditionary missions,” said John Swift, director of amphibious programs at BAE Systems. 

The BAE team and the Marines have made significant strides to reach full-rate production, including the completion of logistics demonstration as a critical enabler for the program to move into initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) with trained Marine maintainers. This and other major milestones such as operator training and additional testing will take place before full-rate production. 

The Marine Corps selected BAE along with teammate Iveco Defence Vehicles for the ACV program to replace its legacy fleet of Assault Amphibious Vehicles, which have been in service for decades and also were built by BAE Systems. 

ACV production and support is taking place at BAE locations in Stafford, Virginia; San Jose, California; Sterling Heights, Michigan; Aiken, South Carolina; and York, Pennsylvania.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Aerojet Rocketdyne has been awarded a $63.2 million “other transaction authority” by the U.S. Navy to develop an advanced propulsion system for the Mk54 Mod 2 Advanced Lightweight Torpedo (ALWT), the company said in a release. 

“We have developed mission-critical propulsion and power systems for the U.S. Navy for more than 60 years,” said Eileen Drake, Aerojet Rocketdyne’s president and CEO. “Aerojet Rocketdyne is a world-class developer of high-performance propulsion systems, and we look forward to applying our expertise to support the development of the Advanced Lightweight Torpedo.” 

For the authority, Aerojet Rocketdyne will develop a prototype Stored Chemical Energy Propulsion System (SCEPS) power plant and afterbody/tailcone that ultimately would be integrated into the ALWT. The SCEPS improves the capabilities of the Mk54 torpedo. 

The Mk54 Lightweight Torpedo, an anti-submarine warfare weapon, is used by U.S. surface ships, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. 

HONOLULU — The U.S. Coast Guard interdicted several foreign vessels whose crews were fishing inside the U.S. exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on two separate occasions in the first two months of 2020, according to the Coast Guard’s 14th District.  

“While we’ve seen incursions into the EEZs of partners and illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing on the high seas, these are the first interdictions we’ve had in the U.S EEZ since 2012,” said Lt. Jason Holstead of 14th District Response Enforcement. “The combination of partnerships, electronic methods and putting assets on the scene to catch violators in the act is essential to deterring IUU fishing in Oceania.” 

In both cases, the Coast Guard was conducting maritime domain awareness flights in the zones off Guam and Hawaii with Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules aircraft crews based at Air Station Barbers Point. 

Case packages were forwarded to the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement for further actions. The investigations are pending.  

The living marine resources (LMR) mission is one of two Coast Guard missions devoted to protecting fisheries inside and outside U.S. waters. While LMR focuses on domestic fisheries, other law enforcement focuses on illegal incursions by foreign fishing vessels into the U.S. EEZ. An EEZ is defined as the region extending 200 miles beyond a nation’s shores. The Coast Guard leverages partnerships and 13 bilateral agreements between the U.S. and other nations in the Pacific to enforce fisheries regulations and combat IUU fishing.  

Fishing within the United States generates more than $200 billion and employs 1.7 million people annually. IUU fishing represents an estimated monetary loss of $10 billion to $23 billion for legitimate fishers. Globally, commercially landed tuna and tuna products have a value of $10 billion to $12 billion per year to the fishermen who target these species and more than $42 billion per year at the final point of sale. These conservative totals do not account for noncommercial tuna activity including sport fishing and tourism. 

According to the Pew Charitable Trusts, the Pacific Ocean — also known as the “tuna belt” — represents 65% to 70% percent of globally harvested tuna. 

According to the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), the international body that manages tuna fishing in the same waters, state fishers caught nearly 2.85 million metric tons of the primary commercial tuna species in 2014. This catch’s worth was valued at more than $5 billion to fishers in the region and more than $22.68 billion at the final point of sale. Tuna caught in the WCPFC convention area accounts for more than half of the landings, dock value and end value of all commercial tuna fisheries.  

While the Coast Guard is not the only agency responsible for protecting fisheries, it plays a significant role. The Coast Guard has enforcement authority over 202 separate commercial fisheries. 

“While regulation compliance among U.S. fishers is near 97%, some of the lowest policed areas, such as the waters in the western and central Pacific, are responsible for the highest percentage of significant violations. This is where the efforts of the Coast Guard 14th District and partners are so important,” Holstead said. “In 2019, we conducted numerous routine and analysis-based patrols throughout the region in support of IUU fishing detection and deterrence.” 

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — The future guided-missile destroyer USS Delbert D. Black successfully completed builder’s trials on Feb. 22 after spending three days underway in the Gulf of Mexico, according to the Navy’s Program Executive Office (PEO)-Ships. The trials were conducted by the shipbuilder, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Ingalls Shipbuilding Division. 

The ship was previously underway for Alpha trials in December and will be underway again in March for acceptance trials, which will be conducted by the U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey. 

“The Navy and our dedicated shipbuilders have continued to make strides towards delivering this exceptional capability to the fleet and performed well during builder’s trials,” said Capt. Seth Miller, DDG 51 class program manager, PEO-Ships. “This ship continues the proud Aegis shipbuilding legacy and will provide the Navy with a 21st-century fighting edge.”  

Delbert D. Black is configured as a Flight IIA destroyer, which enables power projection, forward presence and escort operations at sea in support of low intensity conflict/coastal and littoral offshore sarfare as well as open ocean conflict. DDG 119 will be equipped with the Navy’s Aegis Combat System.  

HII’s Pascagoula shipyard also is producing the future destroyers Frank E. Petersen Jr (DDG 121), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) and Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), the first ship to be built in the Flight III configuration. 

MOBILE, Ala. — The U.S. Navy’s 12th expeditionary fast transport (EPF), the future USNS Newport (EPF 12), was launched at Austal USA’s shipyard on Feb. 20, according to the Navy’s Program Executive Office-Ships said.  

The launching of an EPF is a multistep process. The ship modules are constructed in Austal’s manufacturing facility, then transported to the assembly bay. When ready for launch, the ship is translated by heavy-lift machinery to a docking barge in the Mobile River and further translated onto a floating dry dock. From there, the dry dock is submerged and the ship is launched. The translation and launch takes place over the course of two days. 

“We are excited to get Newport in the water, so we can shift focus to final outfitting and trials,” said Tim Roberts, strategic and theater sealift program manager, PEO-Ships. “EPFs increase our reach, improving our ability to sustain our Navy and Marine Corps forces around the globe.” 

EPFs are versatile, noncombatant transport ships that are being used for high-speed transportation of troops, military vehicles and equipment. They support a variety of missions including overseas contingency operations, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, support of special operations forces, theater security cooperation activities and emerging joint sea-basing concepts.   

EPFs can transport 600 short tons 1,200 nautical miles at an average speed of 35 knots. Each vessel includes a flight deck to support day and night aircraft launch and recovery operations. The ships are capable of interfacing with roll-on/roll-off discharge facilities, as well as on/off-loading vehicles such as a fully combat-loaded Abrams tank. 

The Newport is on track to be delivered later this year. Austal USA has also started construction of the future USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) and is under contract to build the future USNS Cody (EPF 14). 

HOUSTON — KBR has been awarded a $276 million task order to provide state-of-the-art information technology services and equipment to Naval Air Systems Command’s (NAVAIR) Logistics and Maintenance Information Systems and Technology Division, the company said in a release. 

Under this contract, KBR will assist NAVAIR in supporting global information grid and net-centric operations and delivering logistics IT capability to the Navy and other Department of Defense organizations. 

KBR’s tasks will include authentication, data transport, fleet user interfaces, large-scale storage, analytics tools and hardware and software infrastructure. As part of this work, KBR will acquire and deliver essential in-service systems engineering, modernization, testing and sustainment capabilities. 

“KBR’s talented workforce is proud to partner with NAVAIR in implementing and deploying cutting-edge IT solutions across the globe,” said Byron Bright, KBR’s president of government solutions U.S. 

This work, which has an increased scope, is a continuation of services that KBR is currently performing for NAVAIR. The company will perform this work at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland and other DoD locations. The work is expected to be performed over a period of five years. 

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy recently installed the first Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy (ODIN), a laser weapon system that allows its ships to counter enemy unmanned aerial systems (UAS), Naval Sea Systems Command said. 

The first system was installed on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Dewey during the ship’s recently completed dry-docking. 

ODIN’s development, testing and production was done by Navy experts at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Dahlgren Division in Dahlgren, Virginia, in support of Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems. Their work on the laser weapon system known as LaWS positioned them to be the design and production agent for ODIN. 

During his recent visit to the Dewey, James F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research development and acquisition, said he was impressed by the rapid progress made by the team. 

Geurts said: “This is a great example of our organic talent at the warfare centers all working together with ship’s company to deliver a system which will provide game-changing capability. Bravo Zulu to the entire ODIN team on being mission-focused and delivering lethal capability to the warfighter.” 

Going from an approved idea to installation in two and a half years, ODIN’s installation on Dewey is the first operational employment of the stand-alone system that functions as a dazzler to combat threats from enemy UAS. 

Adversaries’ UAS production and employment has increased significantly, and ODIN was developed to counter these threats. 

“The Pacific Fleet commander identified this urgent counter-intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance need, and the chief of naval operations directed us to fill it as quickly as possible,” said Cmdr. David Wolfe, Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems Directed Energy office. 

“The NSWC Dahlgren Division team did an amazing job addressing challenges and keeping our accelerated schedule on track and moving forward to deliver this capability.” 

Within the next couple of years, the ODIN program will have all units operational within the fleet. Lessons learned from ODIN’s installation on Dewey will inform installation on other vessels and further development and implementation of surface Navy laser weapon systems.

MCMURDO STATION, Antarctica — The 159 crew members onboard U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star departed McMurdo Station on Feb. 19 after escorting three refuel and resupply vessels and assisting with a five-day inspection of foreign research stations, installations and equipment in Antarctica, according to the Coast Guard Pacific Area. 

The departure marks the Polar Star’s 23rd journey to Antarctica in support of Operation Deep Freeze, an annual joint military service mission to resupply U.S. stations in Antarctica, in support of the National Science Foundation, the lead agency for the U.S. Antarctic Program. 

The Seattle-based 399-foot, 13,000-ton Polar Star created a 23-mile channel through the ice to McMurdo Sound, which enabled the offload of over 19.5 million pounds of dry cargo and 7.6 million gallons of fuel from three logistics vessels. Together these three ships delivered enough fuel and critical supplies to sustain NSF operations throughout the year until Polar Star returns next year. 

The Polar Star also supported a team of U.S. government officials from the State Department, National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Coast Guard who conducted a five-day inspection of foreign research stations, installations and equipment. 

The U.S. continues to promote Antarctica’s status as a continent reserved for peace and science in accordance with the provisions of the Antarctic Treaty of 1959. The inspection serves to verify compliance with the Antarctic Treaty and its environmental protocol, including provisions prohibiting military measures and mining as well as provisions promoting safe station operation and sound environmental practices.  

The team inspected three stations: Mario Zucchelli (Italy), Jang Bogo (South Korea) and Inexpressible Island (China). This was the 15th inspection of foreign research stations by the U.S. in Antarctica and the first since 2012. The U.S. will present its report on the inspections at the next Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in Helsinki, Finland, in May. 

“I am immensely proud of all the hard work and dedication the men and women of the Polar Star demonstrate each and every day,” said Greg Stanclik, commanding officer of the heavy icebreaker.  

“Maintaining and operating a 44-year-old ship in the harshest of environments takes months of planning and preparation, long workdays and missed holidays, birthdays and anniversaries with loved ones. The Polar Star crew truly embodies the ethos of the Antarctic explorers who came before us — courage, sacrifice and devotion.” 

Commissioned in 1976, the Polar Star is the only operational U.S. heavy icebreaker, capable of breaking ice up to 21 feet thick. Reserved for Operation Deep Freeze each year, the ship spends the winter breaking ice near Antarctica, and when the mission is complete, returns to dry dock to conduct critical maintenance and repairs in preparation for the next Operation Deep Freeze mission.  

If a catastrophic event, such as getting stuck in the ice, were to happen to the Coast Guard Cutter Healy in the Arctic or to the Polar Star near Antarctica, the U.S. Coast Guard is left without a self-rescue capability. By contrast, Russia operates more than 50 icebreakers — several of which are nuclear-powered. 

The U.S. Coast Guard has been the sole provider of the nation’s polar icebreaking capability since 1965 and is seeking to increase its icebreaking fleet with six new polar security cutters to ensure continued national presence and access to the polar regions. 

In April, the Coast Guard awarded VT Halter Marine Inc. of Pascagoula, Mississippi, a contract for the design and construction of the Coast Guard’s lead polar security cutter, which will also be homeported in Seattle. The contract also includes options for the construction of two additional PSCs. 

“Replacing the Coast Guard’s icebreaker fleet is paramount,” said Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander of the Coast Guard’s Pacific Area. “Our ability to clear a channel and allow for the resupply of the United States’ Antarctic stations is essential for continued national presence and influence on the continent.”

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Cape Henry Associates (CHA) and KOVA Global (KOVA) have partnered in pursuit of upgrading the U.S. Navy’s training curriculum. CHA and KOVA came together to form Tanya Faye Kocha (TFK), a joint venture that leverages both CHA and KOVA.  

CHA and KOVA have worked together for more than a decade on defense contracts. KOVA is a woman-owned small business made up of more than 80% surface Navy veterans while CHA is a veteran-owned business whose employee base is 58% veterans and has a 99.5% on-time product delivery rate. 

TFK was formed specifically to compete for a Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division contract for development of training requirements analysis and curriculum modernization products and program management for the Navy. 

CHA and KOVA have worked together on similar contracts, such as the Carrier-Advanced Reconfigurable Training System (C-ARTS). Both parties are experienced in the systems and processes of this specific type of contract. 

TFK combines the high-speed agility and technical capabilities of KOVA and melds them with the sophisticated systems and processes of CHA to offer a focused, purpose-built joint venture with proven performance in high-volume production pipelines of diverse training analyses and content development.

OSHKOSH, Wis. — Oshkosh Defense said the U.S. Army Contracting Command-Detroit Arsenal has placed an order for 1,240 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) and associated kits. The U.S. Marine Corps also will use the JLTV. 

In addition to the Marines, this order includes JLTVs for Slovenia and Lithuania and kits for the Marines, the Army and the two foreign countries. 

“We work side-by-side with the Joint Program Office to give the military the necessary technological edge to compete with and defeat the most advanced adversaries,” said George Mansfield, vice president and general manager of joint programs for Oshkosh Defense. “Without sacrificing mobility or transportability, the JLTV can accommodate over 100 mission package configurations, a true testament to its agility and modularity.” 

The JLTV’s digital architecture allows incorporation of advances in weapons, lasers, sensors, networking and communications. Additionally, foreign interest in the highly capable JLTV platform continues to grow. The award includes orders for JLTVs to Slovenia and JLTVs to Lithuania through the Foreign Military Sales process. 

“We are proud of our vehicle and proud of this program,” Mansfield said. “The JLTV stands out as one of the few major programs delivering on its promises — it is on time, on budget, and delivering against all program requirements. Our mission is to enable the brave men and women of our Armed Forces and our allies to complete their missions and return home safely.”