AHI 10th anniversary at NTPS

Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI) hosted a ceremony with leaders of the Naval Test Pilot School (NTPS) to commemorate the UH-72A Lakota’s 10th anniversary at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Md. AHI established the Lakota program in Maryland in July 2009. Over the past 10 years, the UH-72A Lakota fleet there has consistently exceeded operational availability targets and continues to provide high levels of mission readiness with availability rates averaging nearly 94 percent. "Experimental test pilots need a reliable and versatile aircraft … at the edge of its performance envelope, and we’re confident that we have provided the best value over the last 10 years for this requirement," said Scott Tumpak, AHI Vice President of Military Programs. The Lakota is a version of the highly successful EC-145 twin-engine rotorcraft used by Navy, Army and many other military units worldwide. AHI has delivered more than 430 Lakota aircraft to the Army. AHI has a vested interest in delivering the effective training systems for the Pentagon’s rotary-wing aviators. Recently, the company offered its H135 as its proposal for the Navy’s Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) - to be known as the TH-73A. The UH-72A Lakota is built in Columbus, Miss., the same location where AHI has manufactured 555+ helicopters for the U.S. government. (Source: Verticalmag.com 07/30/19)

$9M Vertex FMS contract for Kuwait

Vertex Aerospace LLC of Madison, Miss., is awarded $9,556,334 for modification P00003 to a previously issued firm-fixed-price contract (N00019-17-C-0080). This modification is for Automatic Dependence Surveillance-Broadcast Out installs and also exercises an option for organizational and intermediate depot maintenance and logistics and supply support for three KC-130J aircraft for the government of Kuwait under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Work will be performed at the Abdullah Al-Mubarak Air Base in Kuwait, and is expected to be completed in August 2020. FMS funds will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Systems Command of Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/31/19)

Senate confirms deputy DoD

The U.S. Senate confirmed President Trump's pick, David Norquist, to become Deputy Defense Secretary by voice vote on July 30. Norquist had been acting as the deputy since January, but stepped aside for the confirmation process. He has been DoD’s comptroller since 2017. He was the latest Pentagon official to be confirmed as senators tarried to wrap up work before the August recess. They’ll be out of D.C. until early September. (Source: The Hill 07/30/19)

SEAP summer internships

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Six NW Florida high school students completed summer internships through the Navy’s Science and Engineering Apprenticeship Program (SEAP) on July 26 after spending eight weeks at the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla. SEAP provides opportunity for high school students to participate in STEM-related research at a Navy laboratory during the summer. This is the first time the SEAP internship has been available to high school students in NW Florida for more than a decade. Capt. Aaron Peters, commanding officer at NSWCPC, said it was crucial to grasp the attention of the future generations and “pique their interest” in STEM related fields. Internships allow students to see the immense impact their work can have for the Navy, said Peters. Internships allow students a hands-on collaboration with Navy scientists to develop potential innovative tools and to see the “immense impact their work can have,” he continued. Students participating in the 2019 internship were North Bay Haven High School, Bay High School, Mosley High School, and Rutherford High School. SEAP provided competitive research internships to 250 high school students across the county this year. There are 28 participating Navy labs offering internships, including the Naval Research Laboratory at Stennis Space Center, Miss. For more information about SEAP internships, or to apply for summer 2020, please visit: https://seap.asee.org/. The 2020 application window opens Aug. 1. (Source: NSWCPC 07/28/19)

NASM has new CNATRA boss

Rear Adm. Gregory “Hyfi” Harris relinquished command of the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) to Rear Adm. Daniel “Dozer” Dwyer during a July 26 “aerial change of command ceremony” over Naval Air Station (NAS) Corpus Christi, Texas – both flag officers were flying in T-45C Goshawk jets from Training Air Wing 2 in Kingsville. Both read their orders, and Dwyer’s aircraft moved to thelead of the formation - signifying assumption of command. Dwyer, a native of Alameda, Calif., takes the CNATRA helm following his command of Carrier Strike Group 9, which consists of more than 7,000 sailors aboard nine ships, including USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and the 80 aircraft of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11. Harris will move on to his next assignment in Washington, D.C. as director of Air Warfare at the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. (Source: CNATRA 07/26/19) Gulf Coast Note: CNATRA leads the Naval Air Training Command (NATRACOM) composed of five Training Air Wings located on Naval Air Stations Meridian, Miss.; NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field, Fla.; and NAS Corpus Christi and Kingsville, Texas. The wings are home to 17 Training Squadrons; and the Blue Angels.

Stark: In midst of US-Iaraeli issues

Americans and Israelis celebrated the successful tests of the Israeli Arrow-3 missile in Kodiak, Alaska, but one factor is casting a shadow over those festivities: The U.S.’ refusal to let the Israelis export the weapon. For all Israeli weapon developed with U.S. funds, Washington has veto power over sales outside of Israel due to American industry competition. The U.S. has declined to buy Arrow for its military, and has blocked Israel from other defense systems to interested countries. Israel has been pushing America to allow Arrow exports in the past, and the issue was raised again during the 10-day testing in Alaska, when the Arrow performed three intercepts of simulated ballistic missiles. Arrow manufacturer IAI’s (Israeli Aerospace Industries) has pushed to build some of its key components at its U.S. subsidiary – Stark Aerospace of Columbus, Miss. But Americans have stood firm on the ban, which fits the administration’s strategy of promoting U.S. exports. Arrow is just the latest example of a long standing irritant in the U.S.-Israel defense relationship. The U.S. pressured Rafael from officering its David’s Sling interceptor missile to Switzerland; and blocked the sale of AIA’s Iron Dome to South Korea although Congress forced the U.S. Army to buy two of the battery system. The U.S. has also kept IAI out of the U.K. and South Korean competition for early warning radar aircraft to improve Boeing’s Wedgetail chances. Israeli sources point to the U.S. for interfering in a domestic Israeli sale, pushing their government to buy Boeing KC-46 tankers instead of a 767 that IAI offered to convert for the mission. Israeli firms may be able to get around American resistance is by bringing in U.S. partners and subsidiaries, such as Stark Aerospace that is building Arrow missile canisters for IAI. Another major reason to bring in U.S. partners is the U.S. is requiring an ever-increasing percentage of its massive military aid be spent on American products. Over the latest 10-year agreement with Israel (2019-28), Israel will receive $38B in U.S. military aid ($33B in Foreign Military Sales (FMS), $5B in US appropriations for Israeli missile defense). After years of being allowed to convert 26 percent of that aid from dollars to shekels to spend domestically, Israel will now have to reduce that annual percentage steadily to zero. (Source: Breaking Defense 07/29/19) Stark Aerospace has composite build to print and design and build manufacturing capability from component level through fully integrated assemblies and structures. Stark’s Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Division produces the ArrowLite™ small UAS system, and supports the U.S. Army Hunter MQ-5B Unmanned Aerial Systems. The Sensors Division assembles and repairs Plug-In Optronic Payloads (POP), including variants of the POP300 (D, HD, I, LR) used on the Army RQ-7 Shadow UAS. Its engineering team specializes in systems development, aerodynamics, loads, structures, stability and control, concept development, preliminary design, systems integration, flight tests, and software development. The operational unit provides field services, training and demonstrations worldwide, including sUAS and loitering munitions. It is an experienced team with Special Forces background, all licensed and certified FAA sUAS pilots with over 10,000 hours of flight time. FSRs provide on-site formal training and intermediate maintenance.

Army-Navy unhappy with housing

The satisfaction rates for privatized military housing have declined for both the Army and Navy, according to surveys released July 25 by the services. Army families living in private base housing can view the survey results of each installation, but the Navy results don't specify bases by name only a general look at the state of Navy housing. After an early-year scandal that came to light the presence of vermin, mold and lead contamination in military housing managed by private companies, the services launched a series of inspections and fixes, including resident surveys, to determine the extent of the issues, and how to address them. The Navy saw its average satisfaction rates drop nearly 12 points. No Navy housing scored either "very good" or "outstanding"; and none saw an increase of satisfaction rates. For the Army, “outstanding” bases were Fort Greely, Alaska; Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; and Picatinny Arsenal, N.J. Housing management was by Lendlease, Michaels, and Balfour Beatty Communities, respectively. Fort Bragg, N.C., was at the bottom ("very poor”). Bragg is managed by Corvias. Fort Carson, Colo., managed by Balfour Beatty, was one of two to receive "poor" ratings. A spokeswoman for Corvias told Military.com that the survey was taken before the company made improvements to its property management operations. She added, however, that Corvias is "using the survey … to continue to make improvements." The remainder of the Army's bases ranged from very good to below average. Navy survey results did not contain the names of the installations or the contractors. (Source: Military.com 07/28/19) Gulf Coast Note: Corvais manages Army and Air Force base housing at Gulf Coast regional commands at Fort Rucker, Ala., and Fort Polk, La.; and Air Force bases in Florida at Eglin AFB and Hurlburt Field. Balfour Beatty manages regional base housing at NAS Meridian (Miss.), NAS Pensacola (Fla.), NAS Whiting Field (Fla.), NCBC Gulfport (Miss.), NSA Panama City (Fla.).

Tricare for reserves likely going up

Reservists, young adults or transitioning military service members enrolled in Tricare or a transition health insurance plan will likely be paying more for health insurance; and an enrollment change may also impact how much some users must have to pay up front. Tricare released its 2020 rates for the Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) and Tricare Retired Reserve (TRR) programs, as well as for Tricare Young Adult and Continued Health Care Benefit Programs. Like almost everything else, prices are going up. (Source: Military com. 07/25/19)

Area mil.hospitals' contract

Draeger Inc. of Teleford, Pa., was awarded a $9.9M contract for anesthesia recording and monitoring devices sustainment services in support of Navy, Army, Air Force, and National Capital Region military treatment facilities inside and outside the continental U.S. Among the work locations are Eglin Air Force Base hospital, Fla. (2%); Keesler Air Force Base hospital, Miss. (2%); and Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla. (2%). This contract has a five-year period of performance and all work is expected to be completed by July 26, 2024. Naval Medical Logistics Command of Fort Detrick, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/26/19)

O&G assessment on GoM

A 2018 federal lawsuit against the U.S. National Marine Fisheries Service ended last week in a July 19 settlement that requires the agency to prepare a years-over-due assessment of the impacts of oil and gas development on federally protected species and critical habitats in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Under the agreement, NMFS is to complete a legally-required (under the Endangered Species Act) biological (assessment) opinion by Nov 5. Under the Act, the fisheries service is required to gauge the impacts of federally authorized oil and gas operations on species listed as threatened and endangered, as well as habitat designated as critical. It’s been 12 years (2007) since the fisheries service did such an analysis of energy development in the GoM. The assessment was intended to cover a five-year period from 2007-12. Since that last assessment, there was the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster, which poured an estimated 4.9M barrels of crude oil into the GoM. “We hope this long-overdue assessment will inject some accurate facts and science into the government’s offshore drilling decisions,” said Earthjustice attorney Chris Eaton. The suit was filed in federal court in Florida by Earthjustice, Sierra Club, Center for Biological Diversity and Healthy Gulf. (Source: Kallandish News 07/25/19) Kallanish Energy is a daily energy news publication offering coverage of North America, South American, and European Oil and Gas markets, with focuses on Natural Gas, Unconventionals, and Crude Oil.

NOLA airport parking max'd out

All parking lots at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport are closed because they’re totally max’d out, officials posted in a Twitter message Saturday (July 27) morning. The message said all short-term and long-term garages, credit card lot(s) and the overflow parking lots are full. Air passengers are advised to seek alternate transportation such as taxis and ride-hailing services, officials said, and they suggested arriving two hours ahead of scheduled departures to ensure finding a rare parking spot and clearing security. There are some private parking lots nearby, but those are expected to be filled up, too. The airport hasn't announced an opening for its new terminal, which will also add parking (2,190-space short-term garage, a 2,750-space long-term garage and a surface parking lot), which officials already have been saying could support another garage in the future. (Source: NOLA.com 07/27/19)

AETC has new boss

Lt. Gen. Brad Webb took the reins of Air Education and Training Command from Lt. Gen. Steve Kwast during a change of command ceremony at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, on July 26. Prior to becoming the 34th commander in AETC history, Webb - a native of Austin, Texas - spent the last two years leading Air Force Special Operations Command at Hurlburt Field, Fla., where he oversaw some 19,500 active-duty, Reserve, Air National Guard and civilian professionals that make up the Air Force component of U.S. Special Operations Command. He is a command pilot with more than 3,700 flying hours in the CV-22 Osprey, UH-1N Huey, MH-53 Pave Low, MC-130H Combat Talon II and MC-130P Combat Shadow, and including 117 combat hours in Afghanistan, Iraq and Bosnia. Among Webb’s career achievements is being named winner of the 1996 Cheney Award for most valorous flight of the year in a humanitarian effort when he was involved in the search and recovery efforts for then-Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown in Croatia in April of that year. Webb also showed leadership during "Operation Assured Response,” a non-combatant evacuation operation in which his MH-53 team helped evacuate 2,126 people from 76 countries from the fighting that was taking place in Monrovia, Liberia. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein presided over the ceremony and emphasized the importance of the AETC mission, including the Pilot Training Next, force development - a campaign of learning, squadron commander school - and the overhaul of the officer and enlisted promotion systems as “future game changers for our Air Force and joint teams. “This command has fundamentally changed how we develop Airmen to deliver joint war-fighting excellence,” Goldfein said. (Source: AETC 07/26/19) AETC operates more than 1,400 trainer, fighter and mobility aircraft at 23 wings, 10 bases and five geographically separated groups. It trains more than 293,000 students per year with about 61,000 active-duty, Reserve, Guard, civilian and contractor personnel. AETC units within Gulf Coast states are Columbus and Keesler AFBs, Miss.; Eglin AFB, Fla.; and Maxwell AFB, Ala.

Gen. Hyten's VCJCS hearing July 30

The stalled nomination of Gen. John Hyten to become the U.S. military’s No. 2 officer – Vice Chariman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff - will begin to move again July 30 when the Senate Armed Services Committee holds a confirmation hearing, the committee staff said in a statement July 25. The president’s nomination of the current commander of the U.S. Strategic Command was thrown into quandary by an allegation of sexual assault by a senior military officer who was working for Hyten at the time. Hyten was cleared by an Air Force investigation, according to the Defense Department, but some lawmakers have continued to raise questions about the alleged incident, which took place sometime in late 2017 and early 2018. The hearing is set for 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The nomination hearing for Vice Admiral Michael M. Gilday, to be admiral and Chief of Naval Operations, has been pushed back to 9: 30 a.m. on July 31. Lawmakers heard from both the accuser - a female colonel - and Hyten on July 25. “She is very believable. He is also very impressive,” said Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a combat veteran, who has raised questions about the handling of the Hyten investigation by suggesting he received preferential treatment from the DoD because of his pending nomination. If confirmed, Hyten would replace Gen. Paul Selva, who must step down from his four-year appointment on July 31. The VCJCS oversees weapons development, and acquisition and budget. The chairman focuses on military operations around diplomatic engagements with foreign militaries. (Source: Defense One 07/25/19)

https://www.defenseone.com/politics/2019/07/gen-hyten-get-his-senate-confirmation-hearing/158717/

2Q US GDP rises 2.1%

The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) released the second quarter gross domestic product numbers, finding that the real GDP increased at an annual rate of 2.1 percent in the second quarter. “The Trump economy is growing strong and, on the heels of 3.1 percent growth in the first quarter, is poised to continue expanding,” said Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross. The Trump Administration’s policies have delivered repeated positives for American workers. In July, the current economic expansion became the largest in U.S. history. In the 2Q, consumer spending surged at a 4.3 percent annual rate, and spending on goods rose at the fastest rate since the 1Q of 2006. The economy beat expectations in June by adding 224,000 jobs, the last month of the 2Q, and averaging 129,000 jobs added per month over the past year. Since the President’s election, the country has added nearly 5 million jobs, while the manufacturing industry alone has added more than 500,000. The tight labor market benefitted American workers in another way in June as nominal average hourly earnings rose by 3.1 percent over the previous 12 months, meeting or surpassing 3.0 percent growth for the 11th month in a row. Before 2018, nominal average hourly wage gains had not reached 3.0 percent since 2009. (Source: Department of Commerce media release 07/26/19) In Louisiana, the New Orleans metro area added 12,900 jobs, a nearly 4 percent increase and a total of 588,300 over the past year. It’s the biggest percentage gain and largest number of new jobs for any metro area in the state. NOLA was among three of Louisiana's nine metro areas that added non-farm jobs over the year, according to preliminary U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics data that is not seasonally adjusted. The state gained 3,700 jobs, a .02 percent increase, since June 2018 for a total of 1.9M jobs. The Crescent City metro area’s leisure and hospitality was the leading sector which 6,200 jobs. The metro’s unemployment rate was 5 percent, down from 5.8 percent in June 2018. The Acadiana region added 2,400 jobs over the year, an increase of less than 1 percent to 205,900 jobs. Unemployment in Lafayette was 5.2 percent, down from 6.1 percent last June. The Baton Rouge capital region area lost 500 jobs over the last 12 months for 411,000. Hammond showed no change, and had 84,300 jobs. Lake Charles added 300 jobs (to 118,800); Houma-Thibodaux lost 2,700 jobs to 84,300; Shreveport-Bossier City lost 2,100 jobs to 179,800; Monroe lost 100 jobs down to 78,300 and Alexandria lost 100 jobs to 61,700. (Source: NOLA.com 07/26/19)

Milley confirmed for CJCS

WASHINGTON - Army Gen. Mark Milley will be the 20th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) following an 89-1 vote in the Senate on July 25. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) was the lone no vote. Milley, the former Army chief of staff, is expected to replace Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford as the nation’s top uniformed officer in September. He will work again beside newly installed Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. The two worked side by side for two years, when Esper was Secretary of the Army. (Source: Defense News 07/25/19)

Navy PPV housing survey results

WASHINGTON - The Navy’s recently conducted “out of cycle” resident satisfaction survey confirmed that most of the actions recently taken by the Navy and its public private venture (PPV) partners are aligned to the areas of most concern to service members and their families. The Navy and its PPV partners are employing a multi-layered approach to improve the quality of life for housing residents. Recent efforts have focused on the maintenance process, with an emphasis on quality of workmanship as well as timeliness. Highlighting the Navy Housing Service Center’s role as an advocate for the resident and their family has been a longstanding communication goal. Additionally, Navy leaders have reinforced the military bases’ chain of command is responsible for to ensuring service members and their families have safe living quarters. “The Out of Cycle Survey was another method … to validate what we have already been hearing regarding quality and timeliness of our housing programs” said Vice Adm. Mary Jackson, head of the Navy Installation Command. “Collectively and individually, the Navy housing staff, the military chain of command, and our PPV Partners are driving hard towards a culture of excellence, service, and accountability at all levels,” she said. “Our goal is to proactively provide the quality expected rather than responding to issues that never should have been present in the first place. … and our commitment remains to provide quality, safe housing to our service members and their families.” The average Overall Satisfaction Index score for family housing was 11.6 points less than the 2018 satisfaction survey. The 2019 Navy PPV Housing “Out of Cycle” Summary for Commander Navy Installations Command survey results are available here. In the summary, project names are redacted because the Navy’s business agreements with its PPV housing partners limit the type of information that can be released publicly. Housing projects are identified as “A” through “K.” A housing project includes neighborhoods at one or more installation within a specific geographical area managed by a single PPV partner company. In accordance with the agreements, PPV property managers of neighborhoods that received an Overall Satisfaction Index score less than 75 points (“Average” or below) are required to submit an action plan to address issues noted in the “out of cycle” survey. The action plans will be reviewed and approved by the Navy. Concurrently, the Navy Housing Service Center will develop action plans to ensure all concerns are addressed regardless of score. (Source: Commander Naval Installation Command 07/26/19)

USM veep testifies at Sen. hearing

The Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather of the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation held a hearing Tuesday on America’s waterfronts. The “America’s Waterfronts: Addressing Economic, Recreational, and Environmental Challenges” hearing focused on the state of American waterfronts, balancing stakeholder needs, and maximizing benefits from the nation’s water and coastal resources. “The economic and environmental (and) well being of all our nation’s waterfronts benefit us all and the shared stewardship is a responsibility we should accept,” Mike J. Friis of the National Working Waterfront Network, testified. Local, state, tribal and federal collaboration and cooperation is “necessary to be able to revitalize and enhance our working waterfronts and build local capacity. Coordination allows for sharing of expertise and resources to realize the most successful impact, he said. Dr. Monty Graham of the University of Southern Mississippi said the timing of the hearing was “fortuitous” for Mississippi in that it is currently working to strengthen its coastal communities and waterfronts to create a “resilience-based” economy. “Mississippi is at the critical point of making large decisions that will move the coastal working waterfront away from a disaster-based economy to a resilience-based economy through workforce and economic diversification,” Graham said. (Source: Work Boat 07/25/19) Graham is the Associate Vice President for Research, Coastal Operations at USM. His full testimony is linked to his name in the story above.

MMA to partner with NEMCC

The Mississippi Manufactures Association’s (MMA) Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEPS) announced a partnership with the Northeast Mississippi Community College’s Workforce Training Program. NEMCC joins the network of colleges that provide training, engineering solutions and support services for new, expanding and existing business and industry in Mississippi. “We are pleased to provide the technology and expertise to assist in workforce training and manufacturing excellence,” said NEMCC President Ricky G. Ford. NEMCC Workforce provides a wide range of training to develop industry-skilled employees. Workforce training programs available to businesses and industries are: customized and consortium training, pre-employment screening, safety and health and short term training, rapid response and personal development. Mississippi’s MEP program is one of 51 – NIST- MEP Centers nationwide and provides service to Mississippi’s manufacturers. (NIST: National Institute of Standards and Technology). (Source: Daily Journal 07/24/19)

Keesler’s robotic surgical milestone

KEESLER AFB, Miss. - The Institute for Defense Robotic Surgical Education (inDORSE) program celebrated a major milestone July 23 having trained its 100th team in robotic surgery at Keesler Air Force Base. The milestone shows how far the curriculum has come since the program first stood up in March 2017, with one robot. InDORSE has since acquired a second robot, allowing them to train Robotic Surgical Education to more military surgical teams across the Defense Department and the VA medical system. There are plans to double the size of the training program this month, and offer additional advanced courses to the curriculum. Lt. Col. Josh Tyler, 81st Surgical Operations Squadron InDORSE director, had the vision for robotic surgery training. “My idea was to … train our military surgeons in-house,” Tyler said. The site was built with collaboration from the Intuitive - the DaVinci Xi surgical robot manufacturer. Intuitive teaches the curriculum at mp cost the federal government. ” InDORSE training costs $3,500 less than industry sites and with the number of personnel trained, the educational savings is more than $1M. The in-house program also is training for nurses, technicians and surgeons. (Source: Keesler AFB 07/25/19)

F-35As Auto-GCAS early birds

F-35A Joint Strike Fighter(s) at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida and Hill AFB in Utah have begun using technology that can help prevent aircraft from flying into the ground, marking a milestone for the fifth-generation stealth fighter, officials announced July 25. Units at the bases are installing the Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance System (Auto-GCAS) seven years ahead of schedule on the Air Force variant of the F-35A variant, the Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin said in a joint statement. (Source: Military.com 07/24/19)