ST. LOUIS — Boeing and the U.S. Navy will demonstrate advanced missile technologies that will make carrier air wing strike fighters more lethal against threats into the next decade, the company said in an Oct. 20 release. 

Boeing has been awarded a $30 million contract from the Navy to co-develop the Supersonic Propulsion Enabled Advanced Ramjet (SPEAR) flight demonstrator with the Navy’s Air Warfare Center Weapons Division. The contract award comes after the Department of Defense requested information from the defense industry to help the Navy determine technical requirements of future carrier-based land and sea strike weapons systems. 

“The SPEAR flight demonstrator will provide the F/A-18 Super Hornet and carrier strike group with significant improvements in range and survivability against advanced threat defensive systems,” said Steve Mercer, Boeing’s SPEAR program manager. “We have a talented team of engineers to meet the challenging technical demands and schedule timeline that the SPEAR program requires. We look forward to working with Navy experts to advance technologies for the Navy’s future capabilities.” 

Boeing and the Navy Air Warfare Center Weapons Division plan to fly the SPEAR demonstrator in late 2022. Prior successes by Boeing in developing supersonic and hypersonic technologies include the X-51 Waverider test vehicle in 2010 and the Variable Flow Ducted Rocket propulsion system under the Triple Target Terminator program in 2014. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Vice Chief of Naval Operations (VCNO) Adm. William Lescher welcomed top Navy leaders Oct. 19 to kick off the Naval Sustainment System (NSS) – Supply steering group. NSS-Supply seeks to streamline the Navy’s supply chains to decrease maintenance turnaround times, increase end-to-end velocity of spares, and reduce costs. 

Commander, Naval Supply Systems Command (NAVSUP) Rear Adm. Peter Stamatapoulos will lead NSS-Supply going forward. The steering group will meet periodically to define wins, evaluate metrics, and seek areas of improvement.  

“NSS-Supply is a new approach– a cross-domain ‘mission partner’ approach to coordinate and integrate our supply chains end to end,” Stamatopoulos said.  “We will take control of our supply chains and, as a leadership team, set the strategic conditions required for mission performance.” 

“To create the supply chain performance we need, it’s imperative that we align and manage supply chains differently, no longer accepting uncoordinated and fragmented decision-making,” said Lescher. 

Stamatopoulos briefed his NSS-Supply vision to develop a strategic scale framework to create the supply chain performance the Navy needs not only to fight tonight, but also for the future fight.  

“Leveraging lessons learned from other Navy performance initiatives, particularly NSS-Aviation, we benchmarked the Navy against best-in-class industrial companies, which also sustain globally deployed equipment and operate complex supply chains,” Stamatopoulos said.  “The commercial benchmarks have revealed gaps in Navy business functions and opportunities for improvement.  We can close these gaps through better orchestration, integration and synchronization across the supply chains.”  

Supply chains in the 21st century are increasingly global, interconnected, and intensely competitive.  NSS-Supply aims to incorporate expert leadership, engagement, and alignment from a whole-of-Navy approach to initiate a multi-year journey, which focuses on pursuing an increase in organic repair; achieving better-than-industry time to move parts; managing cash in new ways to maximize readiness; expanding competition with suppliers while deepening supplier partnerships; increasing predictability; and integrating existing supply chain resources toward a common goal. 

“NSS-Supply is fundamentally about driving substantially improved performance across the entire Navy using the lever of high performing supply chains.  This work requires strong leadership and broad, aggressive, engagement and support across the Navy,” said Lescher.  

WASHINGTON — The USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) successfully executed the first live fire test of the Mk57 Vertical Launching System with a Standard Missile-2 (SM-2) on the Naval Air Weapons Center Weapons Division Sea Test Range, Point Mugu, Oct. 13, the Navy said in an Oct. 19 release. 

As the first-in-class ship, USS Zumwalt successfully demonstrated its capability to detect, track and engage an anti-ship cruise missile threat with a SM-2. The structural test fire assessed the material readiness of the ship against shock and vibration of the weapon firing, as well as measure any hazards or degradations as a result of firing live ordnance. 

“Today’s successful test not only demonstrates the ship’s capability to fire missiles and conduct self-defense, it is also a significant step toward more advanced combat system testing and operations for our Navy’s most technically innovative warship,” said Capt. Matt Schroeder, DDG 1000 program manager. “The USS Zumwalt crew and Surface Development Squadron One are working hand-in-hand with the acquisition community to advance this ship’s operational capability.”   

The ships’ stealth and ability to operate in both the open-ocean and near-shore environments creates a new level of battlespace complexity for potential adversaries. The Zumwalt class will also operate as a key enabler in the acceleration of new warfighting capabilities and rapid development and validation of operational tactics, techniques, and procedures. 

DDG 1000 achieved sufficient combat system installation and activation earlier this year for the Navy to take final delivery and transition to the next phase of developmental and integrated at-sea testing.  

At 610 feet long and 80 feet wide, Zumwalt is 100 feet longer and 13 feet wider than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, providing the space required to execute a wide array of surface, undersea, and aviation missions. 

“Today’s successful firing event is a critical milestone in the maturation of this incredible ship class and represents the culmination of a tremendous amount of hard work and partnership of Zumwalt’s talented crew and the engineers, designers, and programmers helping us to bring her capabilities to the Fleet,” said Capt. Gary Cave, Zumwalt’s commanding officer. “It is a day we’ve been looking forward to and demonstrates the strides we are taking to add combat capability to our surface force.” 

The ship, homeported in San Diego, will continue tactical training and operational scenario engagement in support of attaining Initial Operational Capability in 2021. 

BOSTON – The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba (WMEC 907) returned home to Boston on Tuesday, following a 65-day counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard 1st District said in an Oct. 20 release. 

The crew supported Operation Martillo, a presidential initiative designed to disrupt transnational criminal organizations in Central and South America. 

Escanaba’s crew deployed with an embarked Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron crew (HITRON) based out of Jacksonville, Florida, who augmented the cutter’s organic law enforcement teams, with aerial use-of-force capabilities. 

Following their arrival in the Pacific, Escanaba’s crew coordinated with a U.S. Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft crew and a U.S. Navy MH-60 helicopter crew embarked on the USS Pinckney, to interdict a vessel smuggling more than 3,000 pounds of suspected narcotics. 

The 270-foot Escanaba’s 100-person crew remained busy throughout their patrol, interdicting five vessels and detaining 15 suspected narcotics traffickers attempting to smuggle more than 1,700 pounds of cocaine, almost 500 gallons of liquid cocaine and approximately 6,500 pounds of marijuana with a total estimated street value of more than $58 million. 

“I am extremely proud of our results on this patrol,” said Cmdr. Mike Nalli, Escanaba’s commanding officer. “We capitalized on the extraordinary teamwork between JIATF-S and our partner nations to make five high-quality interdictions and apply pressure to the transnational criminal organizations in the region.” 

In addition to law enforcement operations, Escanaba’s crew participated in a training event with the Costa Rican Coast Guard.  The exercise focused on tactics, communications, and best practices for combatting transnational criminal organizations in Central and South America and strengthened a vital partnership in the region. Partner nations, such as Costa Rica, are involved in almost 70% of drug disruptions, a capability built through years of security cooperation. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — A U.S. Navy F/A-18 strike fighter crashed Oct. 20 west of Ridgecrest, California, according to a source and a local news bulletin.  

A source said the pilot of the Super Hornet — assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron 14 (VFA-14) — ejected. VFA-14 is based at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California.   

The ABC station in Bakersfield, California, reported at 11:07 Pacific Time that the California Highway Patrol confirmed the crashed aircraft was a Navy fighter and that the Kern County Fire Department was on the scene. A small brush fire was caused by the crash.  

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard returned 28 migrants to the Dominican Republic between Friday and Sunday, while 20 other migrants were repatriated Oct. 12, following the interdiction of three illegal voyages in the Mona Passage near Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard 7th District said in an Oct. 19 release.

One of the interdicted migrants remains in Puerto Rico to face possible federal prosecution on charges of attempted illegal reentry into the United States. Seven of the interdicted migrants claimed to be Brazilian nationals, while the remaining claimed Dominican Republic nationality. 

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

“We value the strong collaboration and professionalism which exists between the Coast Guard, our sister federal law enforcement agencies, and our long-standing partners of the Puerto Rico Police,” said Capt. Gregory H. Magee, Sector San Juan commander.  “Our collective response in these three cases helped save the lives of 49 migrants, who were endangered by the unsafe conditions of traveling aboard grossly overloaded and unseaworthy makeshift boats, which most often have no lifesaving equipment and are continuously taking on water.” 

The first interdiction occurred the night of Oct. 11 and early morning of Oct. 12, when the crew of a Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit stopped a 28-foot makeshift boat, approximately three nautical miles west of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant (WMEC-617) and the Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser (WPC-1116) to the scene. 

Once on scene with the migrant vessel, the crew of the cutter Vigilant safely embarked 21 migrants, 20 men and a woman.  After embarking all migrants, the crew learned that one migrant, who is now facing federal prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, had a criminal and immigration history.  U.S. Border Patrol agents received custody of the migrant in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. 

The second interdiction occurred Oct. 14, when the crew of a Puerto Rico Police Joint Forces of Rapid Action marine unit stopped a 20-foot makeshift boat, approximately half a mile west of Aguada, Puerto Rico. Coast Guard watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. (WPC-1107) that arrived on scene and, with the help of the cutter’s crew, embarked 10 migrants, nine men and a woman. 

The third interdiction occurred Oct. 15 morning, after the crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection maritime patrol aircraft detected an illegal voyage, approximately 60 nautical miles northwest of Aguadilla, Puerto Rico. The cutter Charles David Jr. responded to the sighting and interdicted a 26-foot makeshift boat.  The cutter’s crew safely embarked 18 migrants from the migrant vessel, 12 men and six women, seven of whom claimed Brazilian nationality. 

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

The 48 migrants were transferred to a Dominican Republic navy vessel for their return to the Dominican Republic. 

Cutter Charles David Jr. and cutter Winslow Griesser are fast response cutters respectively homeported in Key West, Florida, and San Juan, Puerto Rico. Cutter Vigilant is a medium endurance cutter homeported in Port Canaveral, Florida.

CAMDEN, N.J. — L3Harris Technologies has received a contract from Eastern Shipbuilding Group to provide the integrated communications system for the U.S. Coast Guard’s (USCG) Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), L3Harris announced in an Oct. 19 release. The Coast Guard has said that the OPC program is the highest acquisition priority in the Coast Guard, providing the capability bridge between the National Security Cutter and Fast Response Cutter. 

The initial award to L3Harris includes the design, development and production of the first two ship systems with options for up to as many as four OPC systems. L3Harris integrates its MarCom voice communications system, K2 tactical terminal and Symphony communications manager products. The L3Harris integrated system is also designed to support the Department of Defense’s cyber risk management framework requirements, providing Eastern Shipbuilding and the Coast Guard with a lower-risk solution. 

“The OPC award reinforces our investments in C5ISR technology and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to bring integrated mission-critical capabilities to the Coast Guard,” said Dave Zack, president, Maritime, L3Harris. “L3Harris is continuing to develop a full range of highly reliable and affordable capabilities to enable secure interoperability across all military and interagency partners.” 

Offshore patrol cutters will conduct missions, including law enforcement, drug and migrant interdiction, search and rescue, and other homeland security and defense operations. Each cutter, equipped with L3Harris technology, will be capable of deploying independently or as part of task groups and serving as a mobile command and control platform for surge operations such as hurricane response, mass migration incidents and other events. The cutters will also support Arctic objectives by regulating and protecting emerging commerce and energy exploration in Alaska. 

ARLINGTON, VA. — An Oct. 15 ceremony marked the deactivation of Marine Attack Squadron 311 (VMA-311), an AV-8B Harrier II squadron at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, as the squadron shifted some assets to merge with sister squadron VMA-214.

VMA-311 will be re-activated in early 2022 as Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 311 (VMFA-311) at MCAS Miramar, California, to fly the F-35C Lightning II strike fighter, the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing said in an Oct. 16 release. 

VMA-311 “became the first Marine squadron to employ the AV-8B Harrier in combat during Operation Desert Shield,” the release said. “VMA-311’s Harriers were the first to fly combat missions in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom and participated in the first combat sortie of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003.” 

“The reputable Tomcats have an exceptional level of esprit de corps representing 78 years of superior performance,” said Sgt. Maj. Colin Barry, VMA-311 sergeant major, in the release. “The Tomcats imbued a level of morale within each other that was unmatched, but I have no doubt the newly adopted VMA-214 Black Sheep identity will be embraced, and they will continue performing remarkably.” 

The deactivation leaves VMA-214 as the only Harrier squadron left in Yuma-based Marine Aircraft Group 13. Three other Harrier attack squadrons ― VMA-223, VMA-231 and VMA-542 — are based at MCAS Cherry Point, North Carolina, along with a replacement training squadron, VMAT-203. 

VMA-214 also will make the transition to the Lightning II, in this case the F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing version. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Romania of Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Coastal Defense Systems (CDS) and related equipment for an estimated cost of $300 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in an Oct. 19 release.   

The Government of Romania has requested to buy two Coastal Defense Systems (CDS) consisting of: up to ten Link-16 Multifunctional Information Distribution System – Joint Tactical Radio Systems (MIDS-JTRS).  Also included are two Coastal Defense System Fire Distribution Centers; four Mobile Launch Vehicles; Transport Loading Vehicles; Naval Strike Missiles; non-operational Inert Handling/Loading Missile to support missile handling and loading/unloading; training missile and equipment spares; associated containers; training and training equipment; publications and technical documentation; spares parts; loading and mobile maintenance support; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistical and program support.  The estimated total cost is $300 million. 

The proposed sale will improve Romania’s capability to meet current and future threats by improving Romania’s maritime defense capabilities in the Black Sea and increasing interoperability with the United States.  Romania will use this long-range, precision strike weapon to enhance mission effectiveness, survivability, and NATO interoperability in current and future missions and operations.  Romania will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into its armed forces. 

The principal U.S. contractor will be Raytheon Missile and Defense, Tucson, Arizona.   

HACHINOHE, AOMORI PREFECTURE, Japan — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) kicked off a series of validation flights on Oct. 15 for Japan Coast Guard (JCG) in Hachinohe, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. GA-ASI is working with Asia Air Survey (AAS) in Japan to conduct the flights. 

“We appreciate Asia Air Survey’s support in demonstrating how the MQ-9B SeaGuardian RPAS [remotely piloted aerial system] can provide affordable, long-endurance airborne surveillance of Japan’s maritime domain,” said Linden Blue, chief executive officer, GA-ASI. “The system’s ability to correlate multiple sensor feeds and identify vessel anomalies provides effective, persistent maritime situational awareness.” 

The SeaGuardian flights will validate the wide-area maritime surveillance capabilities of RPAS for carrying out JCG’s missions, from search and rescue to maritime law enforcement. These flights follow successful “legacy” MQ-9 maritime patrol demonstrations in the Korea Strait in 2018 and the Aegean Sea in 2019. The Hachinohe operation features the MQ-9B configuration, capable of all-weather operations in civil national and international airspace.  

The SeaGuardian RPAS features a multi-mode maritime surface-search radar with Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) imaging mode, an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver, a High-Definition – Full-Motion Video sensor equipped with optical and infrared cameras. This sensor suite, augmented by automatic track correlation and anomaly-detection algorithms, enables real-time detection and identification of surface vessels over thousands of square nautical miles.  

GA-ASI’s MQ-9B is revolutionizing the long-endurance RPAS market by providing all-weather capability and compliance with STANAG-4671 (NATO airworthiness standard for UAVs). These features, along with an operationally proven collision-avoidance radar, enables flexible operations in civil airspace.