THAAD Work. The Missile Defense Agency awards Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, Dallas, Texas, a $124.6-million fixed-price contract for manufacturing and delivering Terminal High
Photo: MDA
Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) ground components. This contract provides for the delivery of U.S. government THAAD launchers, peculiar support equipment, THAAD fire control and communication spares, and launcher spares. The work will be done in Dallas and Lufkin, Texas; Huntsville, Ala., Sunnyvale, Calif.; and Camden, Ark., and is expected to be completed by Aug. 7, 2017.
Interim CEO. Delta Tucker Holdings Inc., parent of DynCorp International Inc. say board member James Geisler is appointed as interim CEO, effective immediately. This appointment follows the departure of S. Gordon Walsh as the Company’s CEO. Walsh’s departure is not related in any way to the Company’s operational or financial performance. Geisler has been a member of Delta Tucker Holdings, Inc.’s Board of Directors since September 2012. In his career, Geisler spent 17 years in the aerospace and defense industry at United Technologies Corp.
NATO Backs Ukraine. NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen visits Kiev and meets with Ukrainian leaders, and says in a press briefing his message is clear: “NATO’s support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine is unwavering.” Ukraine is slated for one of the top spots in the NATO Summit to be held in Wales in September. “NATO stands ready to support Ukraine with advice and assistance,” he said. “We are advising Ukraine on defense planning and defense reform and we are ready to intensify this cooperation.”
Arctic Tech Eval. The Coast Guard’s Research and Development center this month is leading a team of 52 scientists to evaluate operational technologies in the Arctic region. The team is aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy, a medium icebreaker designed for research missions. The research will focus on improving boat operations, testing ice radar, testing communications performance and reliability, enhancing navigational safety information availability, and observing the movement of oil near the ice edge. Unmanned technologies, including Seabotix and VideoRay remotely operated underwater vehicles, a Wave Glider surface vessel, two Aerovironment Puma All Environment unmanned aircraft systems, an aerostat, and other systems, will be used to help with the projects.
Rad Detection Demand. Despite the cancellation several years ago of program to develop and produce the next-generation of radiation portal monitors to detect threat materials in vehicles and cargo, there is still demand for this technology, a Department of Homeland Security official tells Defense Daily. The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office “continues to find significant interest from the greater radiological and nuclear detection law enforcement and research communities to utilize the ASP systems for the advancement of detection capabilities,” the official says. Prior to the cancellation of the Advanced Spectroscopic Portal program, 66 fixed systems were delivered to DNDO and nine-truck mounted systems. The mobile systems are being used in operations by five states and 45 of the fixed systems have been transferred to national laboratories, universities, the Energy Department’s Second Line of Defense program, and several states for research purposes and operations.
Border Trends. The Department of Homeland Security says that fewer unaccompanied children are being apprehended along the Southwest border than in the spring and early summer months. In July 5,508 unaccompanied children were apprehended and the trend in the first few days of August are inline with July, says Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson. June and May saw the highest numbers of apprehensions of these children at 10,579 and 10,628 respectively. In April 7,702 children were caught and in March 7,176. In January and February combined more than 8,500 unaccompanied children were apprehended.
…Adults with Kids. The trend lines are generally similar for adults with children, according to DHS. In January nearly 2,300 of adults with children were caught along the Southwest border, with that number ticking up to more than 6,500 in April and then ratcheting up to 12,774 in May and 16,330 in June. In July, the number fell to 7,410. Johnson also says the trend through the first few days of August matches with the July numbers.
New CHINFO chief, kind of. Capt, Dawn Cutler has been running the Navy’s information office known as CHINFO since Rear Adm. John Kirby left the position to become the Pentagon’s spokesman earlier this year. But soon it will be official and the “acting” label will be removed from her title. She’s been approved to receive her first star and become a rear admiral and the head of CHINO. All of this will take effect Sept. 3, the Navy says.