JWCC Update. The Department of Defense has awarded around 80 task orders worth more than $640 million combined under the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability (JWCC) contracts previously awarded in December 2022 for commercial cloud services, DoD Chief Information Officer John Sherman said last week. Progress is being made to get JWCC services to the tactical edge and so far, two cloud nodes have been deployed in the Indo-Pacific Command area and a third will come on line soon “globally” working with the Defense Information Systems Agency to “made edge cloud capability a reality,” he said at the annual GEOINT Symposium.
…Fulcrum Ahead.
This summer the department will release its new digital modernization strategy, called Fulcrum. It will build off the 2019 strategy and will not just be by functional area but “cross-cutting,” Sherman said in his keynote address last Wednesday. Fulcrum will go beyond cybersecurity, cloud, and command, control, and communications “as we look at different lines of effort like providing capabilities, and expand the joint force, and combined force dominance, modernizing information networks, IT governance, and building the digital workforce,” he said. Sherman added that a “key enabler” of the strategy will be his customer experience officer.
A Day’s Work in a Day. The amount of imagery the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) is deluged with is beyond the capacity of its analysts to review and so the agency needs the analytic models and computer vision-based artificial intelligence so that nothing goes unseen, Trey Treadwell, NGA’s associate director for capabilities, said last week. “So, to me a day’s work in a day is putting computer vision and human eyeballs on everything that comes into our system from a geospatial set of data and collection, as well as doing the work to look backward across our archives with hindsight to say, ‘what were the indications and warning? What were the precursors to these other activities?’” he said at the GEOINT 2024 Symposium.
…Another Gear. When Hamas militants attacked Israeli citizens and military targets last October, NGA’s personnel “found a new gear” to continue providing analytical support to stakeholders despite already being stretched with work related to the Russo-Ukraine War, and challenges related to China and North Korea, NGA Director Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth told reporters at the symposium. That gear “defied the normal sense of fatigue” and showcased the agency’s “work ethic,” he said, adding, “I’m constantly evaluating if we need to take a knee, rest a little bit.”
AI Vessel Classification. Capella Space last week introduced an automated, artificial intelligence-based analytic that classifies maritime vessels using imagery from the company’s constellation of synthetic aperture radar satellites. Capella’s new offering leverages geospatial intelligence company’s EMSI’s AI and machine learning practices for vessel classification. “Capella’s all-in-one tasking platform is not only convenient, but also effectively minimizes the latency from tasking to intelligence extractions,” Dan Getman, vice president of product at Capella, said in a statement.
SAFETY Act Approval. Drone detection company AeroDefense last week said its AirWarden drone detection, identification, and tracking system has received SAFETY Act Designation by the Department of Homeland Security. The designation gives limited liability protections related to the use of the system. The passive radio frequency AirWarden airspace security system is used to protect public gatherings, critical infrastructure, and sensitive sites. Previously, the counter unmanned aircraft systems and airspace security company Dedrone received SAFETY Act Designation for its solutions.
SSN-811. Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro on May 7 announced the future Virginia-class nuclear-powered attack submarine SSN-811 will be named USS Miami during an event in the city. This will be the fourth Navy vessel named after the Florida city, with the most recent one a Los Angeles-class attack submarine retired in 2014.
LPD Engine Upgrades. Navy San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship (LPD) shipbuilder HII awarded Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) an undefined purchase order to deliver an FM PC2.5 STC common rail technology retrofit kit to upgrade existing PC2.5 STC engines on LPDs. In a May 7 announcement, FMD said this common rail fuel injection technology improves performance via enhanced fuel efficiency and reduced carbon emissions, specifically 5.5 percent in fuel savings with more efficient combustion. The company said it already integrated this common rail technology on engines delivered to HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding for construction on the future USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD-29), Harrisburg (LPD-30) and Pittsburgh (LPD-31). The future LPD-32 is also set to include common rail technology in it four engines.
USV Vanguard. The Navy christened the Vanguard, its newest Overlord Unmanned Surface Vessel, during a ceremony in Mobile, Ala. The Navy noted this is the first USV purpose-built for unmanned operations. Rear Adm. Kevin Smith, Program Executive Officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants, said the vessel “represents a significant leap forward in unmanned technology. The addition of Vanguard will enable the expansion of unmanned testing, experimentation and development, accelerating the transition to the hybrid fleet.” This is the fourth and final Overlord USV (OUSV3), built by Austal USA under prime contractor L3Harris Technologies. Vanguard is technically the third numbered OUSV, but is the last to finish being built, with the purpose-built changes. Vanguard will ultimately sail to San Diego to join its sister ships, Ranger and Mariner, in Unmanned Surface Vessel Division One (USVDIVONE).
T-AO 207. General Dynamics NASSCO delivered a new John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler, the USNS Earl Warren, to the Navy on May 7. Delivery came after the ship successfully finished integrated sea trials that tested ship readiness and capability as well as validating requirements. These oilers are based on a commercial design and aim to recapitalize the current T-AO 187-class replenishment oilers to provide underway replenishment of fuel to Navy ships at sea. NASSCO is also in production on other ships in the class including the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208), Lucy Stone (T-AO 209) and Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210). Three other ships are under contract: the future USNS Thurgood Marshall (T-AO 211), Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO 212), and Harriet Tubman (T-AO 213).
Malaysia FMS. The State Department on May 6 approved a potential $80 million Foreign Military Sale with Malaysia for 10 Lockheed Martin-built Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods. The deal also includes personnel training, software and training equipment. “The proposed sale will improve Malaysia’s capability to meet current and future threats by modernizing its current F/A-18D platform with a common targeting pod. This proposed sale will also mitigate future obsolescence concerns and allow the Royal Malaysian Air Force to meet future operational requirements,” the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a statement.
UAE FMS. The State Department on May 7 also announced the approval of a potential $144 million FMS case with the United Arab Emirates covering upgrades and modifications for HARM missile control sections. The deal with the UAE covers 149 Harm Control Section Modification (HCSM) upgrade kits for the RTX-built missiles, and also includes software and mission data support, test flight and live-fire range support, test equipment and spare parts. “The proposed sale will improve the UAE’s capability to meet current and future threats by enhancing its capability to defend its national borders, bolster air-to-surface defensive capabilities, deter regional threats, and protect vital international commercial trading routes and critical infrastructure. The UAE already has the HARM in its inventory and will have no difficulty absorbing these HCSM upgrade kits into its armed forces,” the DSCA said in a statement.
MQ-9A/Cyber. General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) will integrate Shift5’s onboard cyber anomaly detection and predictive maintenance capabilities into the MQ-9A Reaper drone for Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC), the companies said on May 8. “The next logical and immediate extension of our work in enabling the U.S. Air Force is empowering AFSOC and SOCOM with additional resiliency and survivability of the MQ-9A on the battlefield. Shift5 represents a new class of dual-use defense tech business that can successfully operate at speed and scale with us to make an immediate impact for the warfighter,” GA-ASI President David Alexander said in a statement. The companies said the Shift5 Platform to be integrated on MQ-9A provides “critical operational and cybersecurity insights that enable operators to move from data to decisions quickly and confidently.” “Our work with GA-ASI represents one of the most efficient and effective ways that AFSOC and SOCOM can gain access to critical operational and cybersecurity insights, democratize that data, and maintain decision dominance,” Josh Lospinoso, CEO and co-founder of Shift5, said in a statement.
HIMARS Award. The Army on May 8 awarded Lockheed Martin an $861.3 million contract for production of High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) launchers and supporting services. Work on the deal is expected to conclude by the end of May 2026, according to the Pentagon. HIMARS can fire GMLRS rockets, the ATACMS missile and the future Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), all built by Lockheed Martin.
GMLRS Award. The Army on May 10 also awarded Lockheed Martin a $332.1 million contract for GMLRS rockets, the Pentagon announced. Work on the latest production deal is expected to be completed in October 2027.
Commercial SATCOM. The U.S. Space Force’s commercial satellite communications office at Fort Meade, Md., may have a big contract year coming up. Next April, the service may award a senior leader airborne command and control communications contract worth up to $880 million to $890 million over six years. Other commercial SATCOM contracts planned include commercial SATCOM support follow-on contracts next February for U.S. Central Command, and a commercial SATCOM support contract this June to aid the U.S. Air Force’s Air Combat Command in using the RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drone by Northrop Grumman.
Astral Knight. U.S. Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) is participating in the Astral Knight 24 exercise from forward operating bases in Lithuania, Poland, and Romania. Astral Knight is U.S. European Command’s capstone integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise, featuring live and simulated combat scenarios concentrated in Poland and the Baltic states. Aircraft in the exercise include F-35s from Royal Air Force Lakenheath, F-16s from Spangdahlem Air Base Germany and Aviano Air Base Italy, KC-135 tankers from Royal Air Force Mildenhall and the Kansas Air National Guard, HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopters from Aviano, MQ-9A Reaper drones from Whiteman AFB, Mo., and RQ-4 Global Hawks from Grand Forks AFB, N.D., USAFE said. Six NATO countries are participating–the U.S., United Kingdom, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, and Denmark and Greece are sending observers. “Exercise participants will focus on testing the deployment and sustainment of IAMD assets and capabilities, while exercising defense plans for distributed air operations through the ACE [agile combat evolution] concept,” USAFE said.
Third Fleet. President Biden nominated Vice Adm. John Wade on May 9 to be assigned as commander of 3rd Fleet. Wade most recently was commander of the Task Force Red Hill. In that position, Wade oversee the defueling of the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility after a leak of jet fuel and maritime diesel that contaminated drinking water in November 2021. Wade will succeed Vice Adm. Michael Boyle at 3rd Fleet, who himself was nominated to be the next deputy chief of naval operations for operation, plans and strategy (OPNAV N3/N5). Boyle has been in the current role since June 2022.
…NAVIFOR. Biden also nominated Rear Adm. Michael Vernazza to become vice admiral and assigned as commander of Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR), based in Suffolk, Va. Vernazza currently serves as commander of Fleet Information Warfare Command Pacific/Information Warfare Task Force (TF-501) at Pacific Joint base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. Vernazza will succeed Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach, who has led Naval Information Forces since May 2021.