Icebreaker Homeport. Juneau, Alaska, will be the homeport of the Coast Guard’s commercially-procured icebreaker, the Aiviq, which is expected to reach initial operational capability in 2026. Congress provided $125 million in fiscal year 2024 to purchase the U.S. registered ship that was originally-built as an Arctic oil exploration support vessel. The 360-foot Aiviq has enough icebreaking capability to serve as medium polar icebreaker after modifications. “As we continue to build the Polar Security Cutters, acquiring a commercially available polar icebreaker will enable the Coast Guard to increase our national presence in the Arctic, and homeporting this cutter in Alaska demonstrates the service’s steadfast commitment to the region,” Vice Commandant Adm. Kevin Lunday said in a statement.
…Return to Port. The Coast Guard’s current medium polar icebreaker, the 420-foot Healy, last Friday returned to its homeport of Seattle following a fire on July 25 while underway near Banks Island, Northwest Territories, during the vessel’s annual mission to the Arctic. The electrical fire within a transformer was contained but impacted of one Healy’s two main propulsion motors. The Coast Guard said the fire was quickly extinguished and the affected motor returned to operations by use of a redundant transformer. The estimated repair time of Healy in Seattle is to be determined.
Soaring Interest. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency last week issued a special notice (DARPA-SN-24-82) expressing its interest in small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) that can use onboard sensors to exploit “dynamic flow conditions” in the atmosphere to increase lift and soar for perpetual flight. The agency also believes that lessons from soaring birds and pilots can lead to improvements in “technologies and techniques” from the sensor data to “’feel’ the type and intensity of dynamic flow conditions in real-time and make appropriate flight trajectory changes.” The notice is not a request for information but rather an expression of interest in sUAS soaring capabilities as it explores a program in this area.
New Satellite Bus. Apex last week introduced a new ESPA-class satellite bus, the GEO Aries, which is available for purchase and will begin delivering to customers in 2026. GEO Aries is the Los Angeles-based startup’s first satellite bus designed for geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) missions and the company said there have been initial purchases by U.S. government customers. Earlier this summer Apex closed a $95 million funding round to allow it to begin to scale production and expand its portfolio of standardized and configurable buses that it eventually expects to deliver within weeks of an order. Apex’s first bus, Aries, which is for low Earth orbit applications, was designed, built, and delivered to space in one year. Apex CEO Ian Cinnamon said the company has more product releases that will be announced later in 2024.
TSA EDS Competition. The Transportation Security Administration last week issued a Request for Proposals for the purchase, installation, and networking of up to 28 medium-speed explosive detection systems (EDS) that the agency uses to automatically scan checked bags at U.S. airports. The planned purchases are for seven airports and projects are expected to be completed in three to five years. The agency buys its MSEDS from Leidos and Smiths Detection.
People News. BlueHalo has hired Brian Morrison as president of the company’s intelligence portfolio. He most recently was vice president and general manager for the Space, Cyber and Intelligence business at General Dynamics Mission Systems division, and is a former lawyer at the CIA and deputy assistant secretary of defense. The Navy’s John Barrientos has assumed command of Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59, overseeing experimentation and operations of unmanned systems and related artificial intelligence and autonomy technologies. Autonomous surface vessel developer Seasats this month said Tom Reynolds has joined the company as chief strategy officer. He previously was with HII’s unmanned systems business and, before that, Hydroid, which was acquired by HII in 2020 and makes the Remus line of unmanned underwater vehicles.
Parsons Completes Deal. Parsons Corp. last Friday said it has completed its $200 million acquisition of BlackSignal Technologies, adding more customers across the Defense Department and intelligence community. Parsons also said the deal “significantly strengthens” its “positioning with full-spectrum cyber and electronic warfare, while adding new capabilities in the counterspace radio frequency domain,” all markets projected to grow more than 10 percent per year with double-digit margins.
AFWERX Base Defense. Massachusetts-based MatrixSpace said that the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s AFWERX innovation arm has awarded the company a nearly $2 million contract to use the company’s base defense radar over the next 22 months in a test with the Air Force’s 87th Security Forces Squadron at Joint Base McGuire, N.J. “The project involves scaling MatrixSpace Radar for use in tactical, expeditionary, installed base force protection scenarios by creating a scalable low-cost distributed radar sensor mesh for low-airspace surveillance,” the company said.
…What’s Unseen is Seen. The radar’s mesh network, which MatrixSpace suggests it will tailor for the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment concept of operating from dispersed locations, rather than a small number of fixed bases, “must detect, track, and identify low flying objects such as UAVs, loitering munitions, and one-way attack vehicles that are RF [radio frequency] silent,” MatrixSpace said. “The deployable system will provide the Air Force with a model for a network of rapidly deployable security sensors that is scalable and does not require additional infrastructure for power and communications.”
Army Software Award. Leidos was recently awarded a $191 million contract to provide integrated lifecycle software and management solutions for Army Communications Electronics Command’s Software Engineering Center, C3T Directorate, Fires Division, the company said on Aug. 13. Under the five-year deal, which includes a six-month extension option, Leidos said it will provide cyber-hardened software and systems engineering, technical services and software integration. The work specifically supports seven Army mission software systems, to include Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS), Joint Automated Deep Operations Coordination System (JADOCS) and AN/TPQ-53 Multi-Mission Radar. “For the U.S. Army to deliver precise, longer-range fires to counter continuous innovation from near-peer threats, they need software systems capable of incremental modernization,” Roy Stevens, Leidos’ national security sector president, said in a statement. “Applying our expertise in DevSecOps, we will sustain and upgrade fires systems and integrate third-party applications supporting the vision for the Army of 2030 and beyond.”
Radio Batteries. NanoGraf announced on Aug. 13 it has delivered silicon anode batteries to Thales Defense & Security Inc. (TDSI) that it will use in the handheld radios it’s producing for the U.S. Army. “We’re excited that Thales Defense & Security, Inc. selected our proprietary battery technology to equip soldiers with batteries that can last much longer, making their missions run smoother,” NanoGraf CEO Francis Wang said in a statement. “As a U.S. battery maker, getting our batteries in the hands of soldiers is an honor. We are proud to support Thales Defense & Security, Inc. and the U.S. military as we continue our efforts to onshore the entire battery supply chain.” The Chicago-based NanoGraf cited TDSI’s purchase of its battery cells as an example of its push to bolster the domestic battery supply chain and to help reduce reliance on battery manufacturing and cell production based in China.
Multi-Amphib Industry. The chairman of the Amphibious Warship Industrial Base Coalition (AWIBC) lauded the Navy’s announcement to lawmakers that it approved seeking a multi-ship buy of four amphibious warships from shipbuilding HII that is expected to save about $900 million. “Today is a historic day for the amphibious warship industrial base. Our suppliers have been advocating for a multi-ship buy for years. So, we are thrilled to see lawmakers, the Navy and Marine-Corps listen to our concerns and reach this deal, which will provide the predictable funding that our suppliers urgently need,” AWIBC Chairman Paul Roden said in a statement. He also noted this decision will give 650 companies spread across 39 states stability to invest in workforces and ensure on-time deliveries. The Navy estimated the efficiencies in the multi-ship buy will ultimately save about 7.25 percent on the cost of the ships compared to buying them separately.
Rota Shift. The Navy announced the USS Oscar Austin (DDG-79) will change its homeport to Rota Naval Base, Spain this upcoming fall. DDG-79 will be one of two Arleigh Burke-class destroyers that are being added to the current four-ship strong Forward Deployed Naval Force-Europe (FDNF-E). The second ship, which has not been named yet, is scheduled to arrive in 2026. FDNF-E was initially created to improve destroyer-based missile defense of U.S. forces and allies in Europe from a potential Iran missile threat as part of the Phased Adaptive Approach, announced in 2009. The Navy said adding DDG-79 will allow for more operational flexibility and mitigate the operational tempo for sailors assigned to the other FDNF-E ships.
Richardson To ThayerMahan. Former Chief of Naval Operations from 2015 to 2019 John Richardson joined the advisory board of ThayerMahan, the company said on Aug. 14. Since retiring from the Navy, Richardson joined the board of directors of Boeing, Constellation Energy, and BWX Technologies. He also serves on the boards of the Center for New American Security, the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and the Navy League of the United States. ThayerMahan develops autonomous maritime surveillance systems for commercial and government clients. “John Richardson brings tremendous value to ThayerMahan with his experience leading worldwide maritime operations for the U.S. and our allies. His advice and leadership will be vital to ThayerMahan as we continue our rapid growth and transition from innovative startup to a major supplier of equipment and services for government and industry,” Mike Connor, chairman and CEO of ThayerMahan, said in a statement.
NAVWAR. Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) had a change of command and retirement ceremony on Aug. 9 when Rear Adm. Seiko Okano relieved Rear Adm. Doug Small as commander of NAVWAR. Vice Adm. John Wade, commander of the Third Fleet, presided over the ceremony. Wade noted this was the fourth time Okano has followed Small in a position. “There is no better person to sustain and increase the momentum he’s made with NAVWAR.” Wade said during the event. Okano is leading NAVWAR after serving as program executive officer for Integrated Warfare Systems. Small officially retired from the military after serving for almost 40 years, capping his service with four years at NAVWAR.
USV EEZ Mapping. Saildrone began a mission to map the 29,300 square nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Cayman Islands, the company said Aug. 13. The company is using a 20-meter Saildrone Surveyor Uncrewed Surface Vehicle. Saildrone said this will be a “major milestone in ocean mapping” because it will survey 80 percent of the islands’ EEZ using autonomous technology. This encompasses an area about half the size of the state of Florida. The company said a high-resolution bathymetric map of the EEZ is needed to explore, identify, characterize, exploit, conserve, and manage natural resources in waters up to 200 nautical miles from the shore. Saildrone said the mission is expected to last about six months.
