JSTARS Review. The Air Force continues to explore whether fusing data from various air-, ground-, sea- and space-based sensors would provide a better picture than a replacement for the aging E-8C JSTARS ground-surveillance aircraft, according to Lt. Gen. Chris Nowland, deputy chief of staff for operations. The Air Force indicated in September that it was conducting such a study. “JSTARS is a topic that the Air Force knows is important to the joint warfighter,” Nowland told reporters after speaking at an Air Force Association event Jan. 4. “That moving-target indicator capability is something that the Air Force is not walking away from.” Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein “are working this personally,” he said. There will be “more to follow on that.”
Orbital Launcher. Orbital ATK has signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center to facilitate data exchanges needed to certify the company’s Next Generation Launch (NGL) system to launch national security payloads. Orbital is offering NGL in an Air Force competition to fund the development of new launch system prototypes. The Air Force plans to award at least three launch service agreements in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2018.
Zuma Delay. SpaceX blames Mother Nature for a two-day delay in the liftoff of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Zuma spacecraft. “Extreme weather slowed operations but Falcon 9 and the Zuma spacecraft are healthy and go for launch — now targeting” Jan. 7 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the company tweeted. SpaceX is launching the mysterious low-Earth-orbit spacecraft for an undisclosed U.S. government agency.
NASA Nominee. Rep. Jim Bridenstine (R-Okla.), whose controversial nomination to be NASA administrator was recently returned to the White House, might get another shot at consideration. “We anticipate the nomination will be resubmitted and the process will continue,” says Sheryl Kaufman, a spokeswoman for the congressman. The nomination was sent back to the White House after failing to receive Senate confirmation by the end of 2017. Some senators objected to the conservative Republican, saying a politician should not run what has traditionally been a nonpartisan agency.
Boeing Starliner. United Launch Alliance (ULA) says that production in on track for the Atlas 5 rocket that will carry the Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner spacecraft on its first mission in August. The booster for the uncrewed flight is in final assembly in Decatur, Ala., and the upper stage has completed pressure testing. Boeing is developing the Starliner to transport people to the International Space Station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
New Peraton Exec. L. Roger Mason, most recently with the non-profit science and technology company Noblis, has joined Peraton as president of its newly formed Space, Intelligence and Cyber sector, effective Jan. 8. The new sector will provide capabilities across national security, civil space, and intelligence community customers. At Noblis, Mason was senior vice president, National Security and Intelligence, overseeing the company’s work in intelligence, defense, homeland security, and law enforcement. Before Noblis, Mason worked for the Office of the Director of National Intellige3nce as the first assistant director of National Intelligence for Systems and Resource Analyses.
Hiring Costs. The cost to hire each new Border Patrol agent, Customs officer, and Air and Marine Operations officer under a $297 million contract awarded to Accenture last November is nearly $40,000 apiece, and that doesn’t cover the related hiring costs of duties performed by Customs and Border Protection, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), writes in a Jan. 3 letter to acting CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan. McCaskill, the ranking member on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, wants to know why CBP needs a contractor to help with hiring, an explanation why the value of the award is reasonable, and if any programs will be cut to pay for it. The contract was awarded to help CBP meet a directive from President Donald Trump early last year to hire 5,000 additional Border Patrol agents, 2,000 new CBP officers, and 947 Air and Marine Interdiction agents. She says CBP hasn’t reached its target hiring goals and that the Border Patrol is losing agents to attrition faster than it can hire new ones.
Still Disconnected. A network program meant to connect the thousands of pieces of security equipment deployed by the Transportation Security Administration at U.S. airports 15 remains disconnected while the agency continues to look for solutions to cyber security threats with the technology, TSA says in an update its 2015 Strategic Technology Investment Plan. The Security Technology Integrated Program, also called STIP, had networked 2,300 pieces of equipment as of the summer of 2015 and was on track to network 7,000 systems by the end of that year and 12,000 by the end of 2016, the report says. But new federal cyber security requirements stemming from the 2015 data breach of federal personnel records forced TSA to disconnect STIP. The agency says it is testing solutions for backend and the endpoint security of the systems and plans to demonstrate a potential solution for endpoint security of legacy systems by the end of fiscal year 2018.
Missiles To Mexico. The State Department on Jan. 5 approved a possible $98.4 million foreign military sale to Mexico of RGM-84L Harpoon Block II surface launched missiles, Block II rolling airframe missile (RAM) tactical missiles and MK 54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedoes. Mexico will receive six RGM-84L Harpoon Block II surface launched missiles, 23 Block II RAM tactical missiles and six MK 54 Mod 0 lightweight torpedoes. Also included are eight MK 825 Mod 0 RAM Guided Missile Round Packs (GMRP) tri-pack shipping and storage containers; RAM Block 2 MK 44 Mod 4 Guided Missile Round Pack (GMRP); two MK 32 Surface Vessel Torpedo Tubes (SVTT) triple tube launchers; 250 rounds of AA98 25 mm high explosive and semi-armor piercing ammunition; 750 rounds A976 25 mm target practice and tracer ammunition; 480 rounds of BA22 57 mm high explosive programmable fuse ammunition; 960 rounds of BA23 57mm practice ammunition, spare parts and support. Mexico intends to use the weapon systems on its Mexican Navy Sigma 10514 Class ship.
Non-Lethal Weapons. General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) secures a contract from the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate (JNLWD) through the Department of Defense Ordnance Technology Consortium (DOTC) to develop and supply advanced, high energy density capacitors for integration into a non-lethal pre-emplaced vehicle stopper (PEVS) system for use in force protection and vehicle checkpoint operations. “We continue to shape capacitor technologies to address an expanding range of applications, including the advancement of directed energy weapon systems with non-lethal effects,” says Nick Bucci, vice president of Missile Defense and Space systems at GA-EMS. “The PEVS system has the potential to support multiple missions, and be mobile as operations change, making a compact footprint a critical requirement. We’re employing advanced capacitor technologies and manufacturing techniques to develop significantly higher energy density capacitors that will provide reliable, pulsed power output in a small, easy to transport package.” The PEVS system is a pre-emplaced, non-intrusive device designed to safely stop vehicles. When a vehicle rolls over a set of contacts, the PEVS system delivers a short, intense electrical pulse to disable the vehicle’s electrical components without harming the passengers inside.
Rogers Retirement. Adm. Mike Rogers plans to retire this spring from his role as director of the National Security Agency, according to reports by the Washington Post. Rogers made the announcement to his staff. The president is expected to name a successor in January, and a Senate confirmation is likely in late February or early March.
Audit of MSC. The Defense Department Office of Inspector General is auditing the Military Sealift Command (MSC) to ensure prepositioned ships are receiving required maintenance. The audit will occur at MSC headquarters at Naval Station Norfolk and an MSC Ship Support Unit. The office may identify further locations during the audit. This decision follows an August 2017 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report that found the readiness of the surge sealift and combat logistics fleets has been trending downwards since 2012. In the report the GAO recommended the Navy incorporate capital planning in a comprehensive sealift recapitalization plan and also evaluate the effects of distributed operations on the combat logistics force.
Poland Navy. The Polish Ministry of National Defense said the Polish Navy received five new W-3 Warm Anakonda rescue helicopters over the past year and expects three more delivered in 2018. The Ministry also said in late December a contract was signed for the delivery of two more modern minehunters with three logistics support packages and one rescue vessel. It includes the possibility to order a second rescue vessel. Overall mine hunter investment includes $26 million to modernize the ORP Lublin transportation-mine vessel by the GRYFIA Shipyard and the ORP Drużno and ORP Hańcza vessels by the NAUTA Shipyard.
Mesa Verde. The Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) awarded General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) in Norfolk, Va., an $83 million firm-fixed-price contract for the USS Mesa Verde (LPD-19) fiscal year 2018 docking phased maintenance availability. This long-term availability covers maintenance, modernization, and repair of the vessel expected to be finished by May 2019. The procurement is competed on an East Coast-wide basis so as to not limit the place of performance as the ship’s homeport of Norfolk. The contract includes options that if exercised would raise the total value to over $98 million. The contract was competitively procured with two offers received.
Houthis UUV. According to a video posted to local media, Houthis rebel forces in Yemen captured a U.S. Navy unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV). The vessel appears to be a REMUS 600 UUV, produced by Hydroid and parent company Kongsberg. This type of UUV ranges from 9-18 feet long and can travel at up to 4.5 knots. The company says its military applications include area search, mine countermeasures, hydrographic survey, and surveillance and reconnaissance. A typical mission for the REMUS 600 is up to 24 hours.