WILMINGTON, N.C. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Diligence returned to Wilmington, North Carolina, Nov. 28 following a 60-day patrol in the Caribbean, the Coast Guard 5th District said in a release of the same date.  

The Diligence performed counter-drug, search-and-rescue and alien migrant interdiction operations in support of Coast Guard District Seven and Joint Interagency Task Force (JIATF) South. 

While working with Coast Guard Sector San Juan, Puerto Rico, Diligence seized more than 300 kilograms of cocaine, worth more than $9 million, and was responsible for the disruption of more than 800 kilograms of cocaine worth more than $25 million. The operation also led to the apprehension of two drug smugglers, who were turned over to U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration authorities in St. Thomas, United States Virgin Islands for prosecution. Cutter Diligence also helped facilitate the transfer of 5,000 kilograms of cocaine and 11 drug smugglers interdicted by other Coast Guard cutters to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration for prosecution. 

Diligence also interdicted three illegal and unsafe migrant smuggling vessels in the Mona Pass between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, and repatriated 76 of the migrants to the Dominican Republic Navy and turned over four migrants suspected to be in violation of U.S. immigration laws to U.S. Customs authorities in Puerto Rico.  

In early November, Diligence found a Haitian vessel disabled and adrift off the north coast of Haiti. Diligence’s Rescue and Assistance team was deployed and determined the vessel to be inoperable. Diligence took the vessel in tow and delivered the vessel and 13 passengers to a safe harbor on the north coast of Haiti.  

Later that month, Diligence assisted the Royal Bahamian Police and Defense Forces in rescuing 86 Haitian migrants stranded on a desolate beach on Great Inagua island with no food or water after their vessel had run aground. Diligence brought all 86 persons aboard the cutter, and safely delivered them to Bahamian Customs authorities in Matthew Town, Great Inagua. 

“Diligence had a remarkably busy and productive patrol,” said Cmdr. Luke M. Slivinski, Diligence’s commanding officer. “Our success in carrying out numerous challenging operations in an unforgiving maritime environment across a range of Coast Guard missions was a testament to the professionalism, hard work, and determination of the crew.” 

During the patrol, Diligence embarked an aviation detachment from Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, Puerto Rico, which assisted in the detection and deterrence of illegal maritime activity and increasing the visibility of the U.S. Coast Guard in the Caribbean. Diligence constantly trained and worked with the aviation detachment to ensure seamless integration and operational proficiency. 

Fifty-four-year-old Coast Guard Cutter Diligence is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Wilmington, with a crew of approximately 80. Diligence’s primary missions consist of counter drug, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere. 

KEY WEST, Fla. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk returned to their homeport of Key West following a 75-day patrol throughout the Caribbean Sea in support of U.S. Southern Command Joint Interagency Task Force South and the Coast Guard 7th District, according to a release. 

During the patrol, the Mohawk crew interdicted three suspected drug vessels, detained 15 suspected drug smugglers and seized more than 5,500 pounds of cocaine. The cutter crew conducted a joint operation with the Royal Netherlands Navy for one of the interdictions to help strengthen international partnerships and interoperability in the Caribbean area of responsibility. 

The Mohawk crew safely interdicted and repatriated more than 150 migrants back to their countries of origin, extending the Department of Homeland Security’s Border Security mission into the maritime domain. 

Between operational tasking, the cutter crew completed damage control, seamanship and navigation drills, as well as aviation training with an embarked Coast Guard Air Station Miami MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew. The Mohawk’s crew worked with multiple interagency and international maritime patrol aircraft and surface assets to counter transnational criminal organizations hindering the illicit flow of drugs, people and other dangerous cargo into the United States. 

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Mitcham Industries Inc.’s Klein Marine Systems unit recently received a contract from a leading autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) manufacturer to install its MA-X technology on a next-generation system for evaluation by the U.S. Navy, the company said in a release. 

MA-X represents a cost-effective gap-filler solution that has long been sought by the industry. Traditional side scan sonar imaging creates a nadir gap in the center of the image. 

By removing this gap, MA-X eliminates the need for overlapping survey lines time to achieve 100% coverage. For the operators of AUVs, this translates into extended mission duration, or shorter time to cover the same area. 

One of the key discriminators of MA-X, particularly for the defense sector, is the ability to produce high-quality imagery of the nadir area that is comparable to the traditional side scan. This allows for the data acquired from MA-X to be fed directly into existing automatic target recognition software allowing for automated detection and recognition of targets of interest. 

“We are very excited to be a part of this important U.S. Navy program,” said Guy Malden, co-CEO of Mitcham. “We expect the continued acceptance of this technology to rapidly expand our product offerings for the underwater vehicle market.  MA-X is another example of the innovation that Mitcham is committed to bring to the industry.” 

CANBERRA — The deployment of a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P-8A Poseidon aircraft to the Middle East has concluded with the aircraft returning to Australia, the Australian Department of Defence said in a release. 

“Over the last month, the P-8A Poseidon aircraft has provided valuable maritime surveillance and reconnaissance to support the coalition partners in the [International Maritime Security Construct],” Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said. 

“It is now time for the Poseidon to return home, having played a key role in supporting freedom of navigation and the free flow of shipping, which is crucial to regional security and stability,” she said.  

The deployment was the first time the RAAF P-8A had operated in the Middle East. 

On return to Australia, the P-8A Poseidon and its crew will contribute to maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance duties there.  

A small number of Australian Defence Force personnel will continue to provide liaison, planning and coordination support to the IMSC headquarters. 

A Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate will deploy to the Middle East in January 2020 for about six months, in support of Australia’s contribution to the IMSC and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). 

The CMF is the U.S.-led maritime coalition against terrorism, piracy and drug smuggling in the Middle East. 

SEATTLE — The crew aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star departed Nov. 26 for their annual deployment to Antarctica, where the cutter and crew will support Operation Deep Freeze 2020, a joint military service mission to resupply U.S. interests in Antarctica, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a release. 

“We set out today on an important mission, saying goodbye to the friends and families who have supported us and our ship for the past seven-months since we returned from Operation Deep Freeze 2019,” said Capt. Gregory Stanclik, commanding officer of the Polar Star. 

“We are looking forward to this year’s mission to McMurdo Station with a ship that is running the best it has since reactivation. This mission is critical to the United States and our continued strategic presence on the Antarctic Continent and I have the best crew possible to ensure we safely accomplish our goal.”  

Homeported in Seattle, the 43-year-old Coast Guard cutter is the United States’ last remaining operational heavy icebreaker. This is the cutter’s seventh deployment in as many years to directly support the resupply of McMurdo Station — the only U.S. main logistics hub in Antarctica.  

Each year, the crew aboard the 399-foot, 13,000-ton Polar Star create a navigable path through seasonal and multiyear ice, sometimes as much as 21 feet thick, to allow a resupply vessel to reach McMurdo Station. The supply delivery allows Antarctic stations to stay operational year-round, including during the dark and tumultuous winter.  

Commissioned in 1976, the Polar Star is showing its age. Reserved for Operation Deep Freeze each year, the Polar Star spends the winter breaking ice near Antarctica, and when the mission is complete, the cutter returns to dry dock in order to complete critical maintenance and repairs in preparation for the next Operation Deep Freeze mission. 

The 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 in order to ensure continued national presence and access to the polar regions.  

In the fiscal year 2019 budget, Congress appropriated $655 million to begin construction of a new polar security cutter this year, with another $20 million appropriated for long-lead-time materials to build a second. 

The Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, working through an integrated program office, awarded VT Halter Marine Inc. a fixed price incentive contract in April for the detail design and construction of the lead polar security cutter, including options for the construction of two additional PSCs. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Defense Secretary Mark Esper recommended that retired Rear Adm. Kenneth J. Braithwaite II, who serves as U.S. ambassador to Norway, become the next Navy secretary and successor to Richard V. Spencer, who resigned Nov. 24. President Trump signaled in a tweet he intends to nominate Braithwaite. 

Braithwaite is a former P-3 naval aviator who became a Navy public affairs officer.   

In his final assignment as the Navy’s vice chief of information, Braithwaite served as the principal Navy Reserve liaison and adviser to the chief of information, having responsibility for formulating strategic communications counsel to Department of the Navy leadership, according to his official biography. He also served as the head of the Navy Reserve public affairs program and as an adjunct adviser to commander, Navy Reserve Force. 

A 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Braithwaite was designated a naval aviator in April 1986. His first operational assignment was to Patrol Squadron 17, NAS Barbers Point, Hawaii. He flew anti-submarine missions, tracking adversary submarines throughout the western Pacific and Indian oceans, according to his official biography. 

In April 1988, he was redesignated as a public affairs officer with a first tour aboard the aircraft carrier USS America. He had additional duty as the PAO to commander, Carrier Group 2, and the commander of Striking Force 6th Fleet. He made both a NATO force deployment to the North Atlantic operating above the Arctic Circle and a Mediterranean/Indian Ocean cruise, where the battle group responded to tensions in the Persian Gulf. In 1990, he was assigned to the staff of commander, Naval Base Philadelphia, as chief of public affairs. 

Braithwaite left active duty in 1993 and resumed service in the Navy Reserve, where he served with numerous commands from Boston to Norfolk, Virginia. Also during this time, he earned a master’s degree in government administration with honors from the University of Pennsylvania. 

In October 2001, Braithwaite assumed command of NR Fleet Combat Camera Atlantic at Naval Air Station Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, according to his bio. During this tour the command was tasked with providing support to the Joint Task Force Commander, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. In March 2003, he deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom with a portion of his command in support of naval operations to capture the port of Umm Qasr. Following this tour, he was commanding officer of Navy Office of Information New York 102.  

Braithwaite served as commander, Joint Public Affairs Support Element-Reserve, from October 2004 to October 2007. In this role, he commanded a 50-person joint public affairs expeditionary unit that was forward deployed to support joint combatant commanders in time of conflict. 

While in command and following the devastating earthquake in Pakistan in 2005, Braithwaite was deployed there as part of a joint task force for disaster assistance, serving as strategic communications director and working for the JTF commander and the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad, according to his official biography.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Stratton returned Nov. 22 to their homeport of Alameda following a 162-day deployment to the western Pacific Ocean, Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a release. 

The crew departed Alameda on June 13 and has operated under the tactical control of the commander of the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet. In the western Pacific, the crew patrolled and conducted operations as directed, including enforcing United Nations Security Council resolutions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea by monitoring and gathering intelligence on vessels conducting ship-to-ship transfers in the East China, South China and Yellow Seas. 

They also engaged in professional exchanges and visited ports in Fiji, Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Crew members combated illegal fishing and conducted community relations events and capacity-building exercises with navies and coast guards throughout the region. 

The U.S. Coast Guard has an enduring role in the Indo-Pacific, going back more than 150 years. The service’s ongoing deployment of resources directly supports U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives in the Indo-Pacific region. 

“The U.S. Coast Guard is proud to operate with our Pacific counterparts, and together we are dedicated to enhancing our capabilities and strengthening maritime governance and security while promoting individual sovereignty,” said Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Pacific Area. 

Commissioned in 2010, Stratton was the third of the Coast Guard’s Legend-class national security cutters. Eight national security cutters are currently in service, including four homeported in Alameda and two in Honolulu. 

These technologically advanced ships 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 accommodate a crew of up to 170. 

National security cutters feature advanced command-and-control capabilities, aviation support facilities, stern cutter boat launch and increased endurance for long-range patrols to disrupt threats to national security further offshore. 

“The U.S. Coast Guard’s unique authorities, capabilities, and missions make us the maritime safety and security partner of choice for sea-going countries around the world,” Fagan said. “Our increased presence throughout the Indo-Pacific will enhance regional stability and improve maritime governance and security.”

FORT WORTH, Texas — Elbit Systems of America is doubling its Semi-Active Laser seeker production rates to keep up with demand for the Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition (GBU-54/56), the company said in a release. The increase in production rates is under an existing five-year indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract with Boeing, supporting both domestic and foreign customers. 

The Laser JDAM can target static and fast-moving objects. The system does not rely on satellite signals, but instead seeks a laser target that is placed by ground forces or an aircraft. The precision-guided munition (PGM) locks on and tracks the target. 

“Elbit Systems of America invested in doubling its production capacity for the Laser Joint Direct Attack Munition seekers because we recognize how important this solution is to our warfighters,” said Raanan Horowitz, Elbit’s president and CEO. “We’re working closely with our Boeing customer to ensure this significant capability is supplied as quickly as possible.” 

The Laser JDAM program was recognized by the Aviation Week Network and won a Program Excellence Award in October 2018 for Supply Chain Production. The Laser JDAM is operational on nearly all U.S. air combat platforms as well as many of the aircraft of U.S. allies. 

Production of the Laser JDAM seeker is performed at Elbit’s manufacturing facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane returned to homeport in Portsmouth on Nov. 21 following a 78-day patrol in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard 5th District said. 

The crew of the Harriet Lane started their patrol by transiting to the northern Chesapeake Bay to evade Hurricane Dorian’s path. After the storm passed, the crew headed south to conduct a joint law enforcement patrol with the Belize coast guard within Belize’s territorial seas. The result of the joint effort provided for a greater maritime security in the region, in support of the Coast Guard’s Western Hemisphere Strategy. 

The crew of the Harriet Lane also worked with a Coast Guard tactical law enforcement team to conduct numerous boardings, including a go-fast vessel and a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel, resulting in the interdiction of more than 5,800 pounds of cocaine and 5,400 pounds of marijuana, which has a combined street value of over $109 million. 

“Our crew’s professionalism and adaptability were vital to the success of this patrol,” said Lt. Zachary Dietz, the operations officer aboard the Harriet Lane. “They proudly demonstrated the importance of remaining ready, relevant and responsive in order to address the maritime security challenges our country is facing today.” 

The crew of the Harriet Lane conducted the patrol in support of the Coast Guard’s 11th District and the U.S. Southern Command’s Joint Interagency Task Force South and routinely deploys in support of counter-drug, alien migrant interdiction, fisheries and search-and-rescue missions. 

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration Administrator Adm. Mark Buzby formally presented a check for $20 million to Jacksonville for the International Cargo Terminal modernization project, the Maritime Administration announced in a release.  

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao said Nov. 22 that the Trump administration will invest $900 million in American infrastructure through the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) transportation grants program.  

“The administration is targeting BUILD transportation grants to repair, rebuild and revitalize significant infrastructure projects across the country,” Chao said. 

Fiscal year 2019 BUILD grants are for investments in surface transportation infrastructure and have been awarded on a competitive basis to projects with a significant impact in their local or regional communities. BUILD funding supports roads, bridges, transit, rail, ports or intermodal transportation.   

“An investment in the Port of Jacksonville delivers benefits for the local economy and for American workers. It is a central part of President Trump and Secretary Chao’s belief of investing in infrastructure to grow our economy and create jobs. This grant will also indirectly help support the jobs of the American civilian mariners who crew military sealift vessels that help us carry the fight wherever we must go,” Buzby said. 

The International Cargo Terminal Modernization Project will reconstruct and modernize about 100 acres of the SSA Marine cargo terminal on Blount Island across six phases. In addition to repaving, the project will improve stormwater management, install new lighting, signage, and other utilities, and will be designed in a manner to enhance future operations. 

Repaving the container yard will restore the terminal to a state of good repair, with long-term maintenance supported by port-generated revenues. The project benefits from a strong public-private partnership, with a broad array of stakeholders collaborating to support and deliver the improvements. 

During construction, the terminal will continue to handle container, roll-on/roll-off, breakbulk, and general cargoes, with a significant increase in capacity once the project is completed. The project will also result in operating efficiencies which enhance economic competitiveness. 

The program selection criteria encompassed safety, economic competitiveness, quality of life, state of good repair, environmental sustainability, innovation, and partnerships with a broad range of stakeholders.  For this round of BUILD grants, the maximum grant award is $25 million, and no more than $90 million can be awarded to a single state.