KC-46A Delay. Boeing’s KC-46A aerial refueling tanker will make its first flight a month later than projected, company spokeswoman Caroline Hutcheson says. During tests, the aircraft was loaded with a fuel substitute that a supplier had labeled compliant for military use, when it was not. “While we began flushing affected parts quickly after discovering the fluid was mislabeled, some parts will need to be refurbished or replaced prior to first flight. We found the parts needing fixing (primarily tubes, couplers) and are doing that work now,” she says. “We’ll have more specifics on first flight when we finish ground testing.”
Frigate Combat System. The Navy intends to award Lockheed Martin a contract to provide its Common Combat Management System Component Based Total Ship System – 21st Century (COMBATSS-21) for the frigate versions of the littoral combat ship. The decision to forgo a competition was made after the Navy found that only Lockheed Martin was capable of meeting its current shipbuilding schedule, according to a presolicitation notice posted by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). “Following announcement of the future modified LCS, the FF, the Navy conducted a review of potential common combat management systems to procure for the FF,” says NAVSEA spokesman Chris Johnson. “The Navy determined that COMBATTS-21 was the only common combat management system which would not result in unacceptable delays to FF design and acquisition timelines.”
…Contract Details. The contract will cover fiscal years 2016 through 2021, and includes development, software and hardware integration, procurement, and delivery of two COMBATSS-21 systems for the Frigate-class modified LCS, the notice says. Options for the contract include hardware production for FF33 and FF34. COMBATSS-21 is in use on Freedom-class LCS manufactured by Lockheed Martin, while Austal’s Independence-class LCS are equipped with Northrop Grumman’s integrated common management system.
…More LCS. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus announces that LCS-24 will be named USS Oakland, the third ship to receive that moniker. LCS-24 is an Independence-class ship to be built by Austal in Mobile, Ala.
Machine Guns. Dillon Aero, manufacturer of the six-barreled mini gun capable of firing up to 6,000 rounds per minute, picks up a huge foreign military sales contract this week. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based company netted a $41.5 million deal to supply 16 countries with its M134D machine guns, spare parts and training. Those countries include Mexico, Chile, Peru, Philippines, Brazil, Japan, Australia, Macedonia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Tunisia, Kenya. Work will be performed in Scottsdale with a completion date of Aug. 17, 2018. One bid was solicited with one received. Fiscal 2015 other procurement funds in the amount of $23,883 were obligated at the time of the award.
Missile Tests. The Navy starts initial integration testing of the Long Rang Anti-Ship Missile on the F/A-18E/F, Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) says in a news release. The flight test team at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., conducts missile load and fit checks using a simulator. “These initial fit checks will familiarize the test team with the proper loading, unloading and handling of the LRASM on the F/A-18E/F,” says Greg Oliver, LRASM Deployment Office (LDO) assistant program manager for test and evaluation. “This testing will check clearances between the missile and the aircraft to ensure there are no negative impacts when carrying LRASM.” Airworthiness testing is scheduled to begin later this August. The Navy plans to field LRASM on the B-1B bomber in 2018 and the Super Hornet in 2019.
Renewable Energy. The Navy celebrates its deal with Western Area Power Administration and Sempra U.S. Gas & Power to construct a 210 megawatt direct current solar facility—the largest renewable energy purchase made by the federal government. The agreement, which was signed last month, will provide one-third of the energy necessary to power 14 Navy installations, according to a Navy news release. Construction of the solar plant begins in August and is projected to wrap up by the end of the year. The deal will save the Department of the Navy at least $90 million over the life of the project, Navy Secretary Ray Mabus says in the statement.
New Coast Guard Vice. Vice Adm. Charles Michel formally assumes the role of vice commandant of the Coast Guard following service as the deputy commandant for operations. Michel will oversee the Coast Guard’s operations, strategic development, organizational governance and management of its 58,000 employees and 30,000 volunteers.
Small Acquisition. Data Systems Analysts, Inc. (DSA) this month acquires the federal IT services business of Symbolic Systems, Inc., augmenting its Army knowledge management practice and increasing its scale. Terms of the deal are not disclosed. “The move enables both organizations to extend their enhanced federal IT service offerings to both current and new customers,” says Fran Pierce, chairman and CEO of DSA. DSA supports the Army’s Program Executive Office for Command, Control, Communications-Tactical.
Cyber Appointments. FBI Director James Comey names James Trainor assistant director of the Cyber Division at the bureau’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Trainor most recently served as deputy assistant director of the Cyber Operations Branch. Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman appoints Robert Fleming as vice president of Cyber, Unattended Systems and Division Strategy at its Land and Self Protection Systems Division.
Cooley Reassignment. Air Force Brig. Gen. Bill Cooley is selected for reassignment as program executive, programs and integration, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics (AT&L), Missile Defense Agency (MDA), according to an Air Force statement. Cooley currently serves as director of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) Director for the Air Force Space and Missile Systems Center (AFSMC) at Los Angeles AFB, Calif. The $32 billion GPS program, with a $1 billion annual budget, maintains the largest satellite constellation in DoD.
Nuclear Force Exchange. The first two hand-selected Navy Submarine Forces nuclear engineer-qualified submarine officers began serving multi-year tours with Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) ICBM units in March, according to a U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) statement. The tours are part of a Navy-Air Force nuclear officer exchange program. The recently-implemented program, called Striker Trident, is designed to promote an expanded view of USSTRATCOM’s strategic deterrence and global strike missions. Navy Lt. Randall Hangartner, of the USS Tennessee (SSBN-734) is on assignment with USSTRATCOM’s Task Force 214. Navy Lt. Mitchel Normand, who previously served on the USS Alaska (SSBN-732), is assigned to AFGSC headquarters at Barksdale AFB, La.
COMSATCOM Pathfinder #2. AFSMC’s Military Satellite Communications System (MILSATCOM) Directorate issues a request for information regarding a possible second COMSATCOM pathfinder, according to a notice posted on Federal Business Opportunities (FBO). The Air Force looks to pursue investment-based first article performance enhancements of shared value between commercial and military communities. It also plans to request an anti-burnout alternative to demonstrate product and constellation enhancement. An industry day is planned for Sept. 22 at the Aerospace Corp. in El Segundo, Calif.
Buck 14th Air Force. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Buck assumes command of 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic), Air Force Space Command (AFSPC) and Joint Functional Component Command for Space, USSTRATCOM, during a ceremony Aug. 14 at the Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) at Vandenberg AFB, Calif., according to an Air Force statement. Buck is promoted to lieutenant general during a ceremony before the change of command.
FBI Cyber Agent to Cryptzone. Leo Taddeo, former Special Agent in Charge of the Special Operations/Cyber Division of the FBI’s New York office, is appointed as Cryptzone’s Chief Security Officer. Taddeo will be responsible for analyzing the cybersecurity market to help shape the company’s vision for security solutions.
Data Privacy DARPA Contract. SRI International is awarded an $8.5 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to provide research and development services for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). SRI is to provide research proposals in data privacy and privacy science to provide tools to capture, test, and evaluate technologies. The contract is competitively procured with 89 proposals originally received. Work is to be performed in Menlo Park, Calif., with an expected completion data of Feb. 16, 2020. Fiscal 2015 funds of nearly $960,000 is obligated at the time of award. The contracting activity is the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, at San Diego, Calif.
Chaffetz Asks US-Cert OPM Info. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) requests U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) documents related to its investigation of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data breaches. This includes documents relating to malicious code or logic that causes the breach and whether such information is known to the National Cybersecurity Protection System, US-CERT reports or recommendations to OPM, names of all individuals involved in providing incident response services when US-CERT conducts such activities, incident response reports, findings from forensic analyses, and recommendations concerning the OPM data breaches. Chaffetz requests the information by Sept. 2.