$14.8M Austal contract for Tulsa PSA

Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., is awarded a $14,843,400 cost-plus-award-fee order (N6931618F4001) against a previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-15-G-2304) to provide engineering and management services in support of work specification development, prefabrication efforts and material procurement for the Littoral Combat Ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16) post-shakedown availability (PSA). The PSA is accomplished within a period from 16-to-20 weeks between the time of ship custody transfer to the Navy and the shipbuilding and conversion, Navy obligation work limiting date. Efforts will include program management, advance planning, engineering, design, prefabrication and material kitting. Work will be performed in Mobile (60%), and San Diego (40%) – homeport for Independence variant LCS built by Austal. The contract is expected to be completed by August 2019. FY 2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $7,275,355 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair-Gulf Coast of Pascagoula, Miss., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/31/18)

Midship delivers Ultramar II ferry

Midship Marine of Harvey, La., has delivered the Ultramar II, a second in a series of high capacity160-foot aluminum catamaran passenger ferries for the Mexican operator Ultramar. Designed by Incat Crowther, Ultramar II is specifically designed for the operator’s Playa de Carmen to Cozumel run, offering a world-class passenger experience for up to 844. Ultramar II’s fit-out is in keeping with Ultramar’s “Experience Innovation” motto, and includes aquarium-themed walls, multi-color underwater lighting, polished stainless-steel handrails, and a high-end entertainment system. (Source: Work Boat 07/31/18) The Louisiana-based shipyard specializes in the construction and design of lightweight aluminum water craft ranging from 25 feet to 225 feet.

Fabrication begun for LPD-29

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) started fabrication of the 13th LPD-17 San Antonio class ship (LPD-29) on July 30, at its shipyard in Pascagoula. The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut. "We are excited to commence fabrication on the 13th and final ship of the LPD-17 Flight I class," said Capt. Brian Metcalf, LPD 17 program manager. LPD-29 is named in honor of Navy veteran Capt. Richard M. McCool, Jr., who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945 for heroism, after his ship was attacked by kamikaze aircraft and he led efforts to save the ship and rescue injured sailors. The principal mission of LPD-17 San Antonio class amphibious transport dock ships is to transport and deploy the combat and support elements of Marine expeditionary units and special operation units; and will be able to debark air cushion or amphibious assault vehicles, and accommodate nearly all sizes of Marine helicopters, including the MV-22 Osprey. The Navy awarded the detail design and construction contract for LPD-29 to HII in February. Eleven San Antonio class ships have been delivered, the latest being USS Portland (LPD 27), which was commissioned in April. LPD-28 and 29 will serve as transition ships to LPD-30, the first ship of the LPD 17 Flight II class. LPD Flight II class ships will be the replacement for the Navy's LSD 41/49 class ships. (Source: Naval Sea Systems Command 07/30/18)

HII: $7.9M FFG(X) design mod

Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $7,997,406 firm-fixed-price modification under previously awarded contract (N00024-18-C-2327) to exercise options for Guided Missile Frigate (FFG(X)) Conceptual Design. This modification is for additional FFG(X) conceptual design efforts. HII-Pascagoula will be maturing their proposed ship design to meet the FFG(X) System Specification. The Conceptual Design effort will inform the final specifications to be used for the Detail Design and Construction Request for Proposal that will deliver the required capability for FFG(X). The conceptual design phase will reduce cost, schedule, and performance risk for the follow-on Detail Design & Construction contract. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (95%) and Ocean Springs, Miss. (5%). It is expected to be completed by June 2019. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) is exercising contract options for this same scope of work with each of the five companies awarded conceptual design contracts for the FFG(X) program. Two of those five contract options do not exceed the $7M threshold for a separate announcement. The list of five companies to be awarded contract options on their respective contracts for this work also includes Austal USA of Mobile, Ala. ($6,399,053); General Dynamics Bath (Maine) Iron Works $7,950,000; Lockheed Martin of Baltimore, Md., $6,972,741; and Marinette (Wis.) Marine Corp., doing business as Fincantieri Marinette Marine $7,982,991. FY 2018 Navy research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $2,600,000 will be obligated at time of option exercise award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/30/18)

NAVOCEANO’s UUV milestone

STENNIS SPACE CENTER, Miss. - The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) made history in April while simultaneously commanding and controlling 50 ocean gliders, more than any other governmental or academic entity. This summer the agency will continue to raise that bar to 100. NAVOCEANO is the Navy’s leader in the operation of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). Its oceanographic and engineering departments are on track to exceed their own milestone, achieved in April. Dozens of additional gliders have been launched from a range of platforms over the past months. "We are well on our way to having 100 simultaneously deployed gliders ... as we find new ways to implement automation and gain efficiency." says Bryan Mensi, NAVOCEANO glider operations branch head. The Littoral Battlespace Sensing (LBS) gliders are used to collect environmental data. Military and civilian pilots manning the Glider Operations Center use satellite communications to direct the UUVs while monitoring data collection and glider performance 24/7. These environmental forecasts are imperative to a wide range of naval operations and have numerous applications, from diver safety to detection of submarines to hurricane prediction. NAVOCEANO has been operating gliders for decades, and is now home of the world's largest fleet of these vehicles. (Source: NAVOCEANO 07/30/18) NAVOCEANO is the largest subordinate command within the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command HQ at Stennis. It is responsible for providing oceanographic products and services to all elements of the Defense Department. NAVOCEANO collects data through production and analysis, and provides war-fighters the best knowledge of the maritime battlespace, including tailored oceanographic, hydrographic, bathymetric, geophysical and acoustic products and services that aid in safe navigation and effective mission planning.

Gulf Craft ferry big hit in NY

Ferry captain Dave Clapp keeps a gentle thrust on the spring lines and an eye on deckhands while about 450 passengers hop aboard the 8 a.m. boat at Highlands, N.J. “It has a little more windage, and you’ve got to be careful because it’s so powerful,” Clapp said of the new 150-foot Seastreak Commodore. The 600-passenger ferry is the highest capacity Subchapter K fast passenger vessel ever built in the United States. “When you’re up on top (plane) at 35 knots you don’t throw much wake,” said Clapp. The four MTU Tier 3 12V4000M64 diesels collectively deliver up to 7,274 hp, with 1,740 rpm at the top end that achieved 39 knots in sea trials after the vessel was completed in spring 2018 at Gulf Craft of Franklin, La. On New York-New Jersey runs, Clapp favors 1,680 rpm. “Saves 200 gallons of fuel a day. Six days a week, it starts to add up,” he said. (Source: Work Boat 07/26/18) Since 1965, Gulf Craft has been a provider of custom built aluminum boats for commercial use and continues to be the preferred builder of new aluminum vessels hailing from ports throughout the world. It is one of the nation's leading family-owned and operated companies, and has partnered with Australia’s multi-hull design groups, Incat Crowther Pty Ltd, to be the only licensed Gulf of Mexico builder of Incat Crowther quality designed high-speed passenger catamaran vessels.

Endangered turtles to be released

Several endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles, the rarest species and critically endangered, that were caught accidentally by Gulf Coast fishermen will be released back into the Mississippi Sound this weekend. Anglers had enough forethought to call marine mammal authorities to help save the reptiles. Members from the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies (IMMS) in Gulfport were able to save and rehabilitate the turtles. Mississippi State University (MSU) veterinarian Dr. Debra Moore, who works out of IMMS, cared and treated the turtles. Dr. Mystera Samuelson, a behavioral ecologist at IMMS, said: "By releasing these turtles back into the Gulf, we are helping to preserve this critically endangered species.” The rehabilitation program is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, IMMS, MSU, Department of Marine Resources, NOAA, and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services. (Source: WLOX 07/27/18)

Human factors follow-up to BP spill

The National Academies Press (NAP) has released a book to follow up on the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The book is entitled “The Human Factors of Process Safety and Worker Empowerment in the Offshore Oil Industry: Proceedings of a Workshop.” Since the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout and oil spill, efforts have been made to improve safety in the offshore oil industry. They have resulted in the adoption of new technological controls, increased promotion of safety culture, and the adoption of new data collection systems to improve both safety and performance. As an element of a positive safety culture, operators and regulators are integrating strategies to empower workers to participate in safety decisions that reduce hazards. While the human factors have been widely studied and adopted, process safety is not as well understood from the offshore oil industry. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine organized a workshop in January 2018 to explore best practices and lessons learned to address safety. The NAP publication summarizes those workshop presentations and discussions. (Source: Work Boat 07/26/18)

Metal Stark mod pact: $18M

Gravois Aluminum Boats LLC, doing business as Metal Shark of Jeanerette, La., is awarded an $18,455,327 delivery order to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed price contract (N00024-17-D-2209) for the construction and delivery of 40 Patrol Boats. The delivery order will also provide basic boat equipment, shipping, long term preservation, boat familiarization, and crew original equipment manufacturer and water-jet training. Work will be performed in Jeanerette, La., and is expected to be completed by April 2021. FY 2018 and other Navy procurement funding in the amount of $18,455,327 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/27/18)

House OKs 3 LCS into ’19 budget

The U.S. House voted 359-54 on July 26 to approve its conference committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2019, which includes three Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) contracts. The committee was formed to reconcile the House and Senate versions produced earlier this week. The conference committee reported that it "continues to be concerned about the stress on the Navy … (being) unable to meet Combatant Commander requirements because it has too few ships.” The NDAA supports construction of a fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier, construction of two additional LCS, and options for two more Virginia-class subs for FY-2022/23. Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), a member of the House-Senate conference committee and whose district of Mobile is where Austal USA builds the Independence variant of LCS, said he was pleased by the congressional processes. But, the Navy “will never get to the 355-ship Navy fleet that we need … without supporting the LCS program this year," he told Alabama Media Group. The measure must still be approved by the Senate and signed by President Trump. ‘Stars and Stripes’ speculated that passage of the measure before Oct. 1 would be the “first on-time passage of the NDAA in about 20 years." The allocation for three LCS contracts is $1.56B. The overall NDAA spending allocation is $717B. Seven Austal-built ships have entered Navy service, and six more are in various stages of construction or testing. Contracts are with Austal for two more ending with LCS 30. The Independence-class ships all have even-numbered hulls. (Source: Alabama Media Group 07/26/18)

Newest FRC commissioned

The Coast Guard’s newest Fast Response Cutter (FRC) Nathan Bruckenthal was commissioned in Alexandria, Va., on July 25. The FRC brings a host of capabilities to the fleet, according to Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz, enabling the crew to operate further away from shore in extreme conditions. The FRC will complete inspections before going to sea for search-and-rescue, law enforcement, and other missions off the East Coast. The ship could also be called to the Caribbean for drug-interdiction missions. (Source: Naval Today 07/25/18) Gulf Coast Note: Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., delivered the FRC to the CG in May. It is the 28th Sentinel-class FRC.

Stone Oil of NOLA receives first COI

John W. Stone Oil Distributor of New Orleans, a marine fuel and lubricant distributor, received its first Certificate of Inspection (COI) in accordance with Subchapter M requirements. The certification is for the 57-foot vessel Fuel Leader. Built in 1976, the boat is used to service customers from the John W. Stone dock in Paulina, La. Stone Oil is using the Coast Guard option and completed the final COI inspection and issuance on the Fuel Leader on July 24. Stone Oil officials said they were satisfied with the process and appreciative of the local CG’s assistance in getting the vessel certificated. (Source: Work Boat 07/24/18) Paulina, La., is located on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the eastern part of St. James Parish, west of Lutcher.

DAV to host job fair in NOLA

The New Orleans Disabled Veterans Association (DAV) will be hosting a job fair at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 2. Among some of the exhibitors will be Archer Daniels Midland Company, DOT / FAA, Military Sealift Command, New Orleans Police Department, and Northrop Grumman. (Source: Recruit Military 07/2018)

Invasive plants dominating La. coast

Foreign-based invasive plants have been a long-time problem for Louisiana’s waterways and marshes for decades, owing to the state's mild climate and rainfall. They clog waterways, overrun marshes and make it more difficult for animals to find food. Government agencies and conservation groups have been combating these plants, but it hasn’t worked. The Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program is enlisting the public’s assistance through a new guide on identifying and controlling these foreign invaders. The hope is that people will be able spot these bad boys and take action to keep them from spreading. Available online, the program's Managing Invasive Plants guide provides how-to tips: Use of herbicides and mechanical and muscle-powered methods to push back against the tallow, hyacinth and other invasive plants. NOLA.com wanted to know the 10 worst invaders, and asked the program's Invasive Species Coordinator Michael Massimi to rank the most problematic ones along the Louisiana coast. (Source: NOLA.com 07/24/18)

Lowndes port gets MDOT grant

The Lowndes County Port Authority in Columbus, Miss., has received a $466,317 grant from Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to expand its West Bank Port. The project, which will cost more than $476,000, will add a 250-foot crane rail extension that allows operators to off-load two barges at the same time and increasing the capacity of raw materials to be off-loaded and taken to Indiana-based Steel Dynamics Inc.’s Columbus facility, according to the Port Authority. The remaining $10,000 will be funded by the LCPA. At the start, the port will increase current tonnage by about 20 percent, which could eventually lead to doubling the amount of tonnage coming through the port annually, according to Will Sanders, director for the Port Authority. The extension project stands to increase the port's profits since it is paid by tonnage, according to Sanders, but he would not disclose to The Dispatch the total annual tonnage numbers. Online, MDOT documents indicate just short of 1 million tons passed through the port in 2012. The new extension is tentatively scheduled to begin this fall. It will take about 12 months to complete. (Source: Columbus Dispatch 07/23/18)

Ala.-Miss. bays symposium abstracts

The 2018 Alabama-Mississippi Bays and Bayous Symposium Program Committee released a call for abstracts and sessions for its Nov. 28-29 event in Mobile, Ala. Track topics include: Water quality, habitat management, living resources, resilient communities, and oil spill research, recovery and restoration. The committee also encourages science, research and restoration practitioners to propose full thematic group sessions, focusing on different aspects of the same project or issue. Abstracts must be submitted by 5 p.m. (CT) on Aug. 31. The event website is at https://bbs.baysandbayous.com/en. (Source: Mobile Bay National Estuary Program 07/2018)

Marad grants to 5 small GC shipyards

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Maritime Administration (Marad) announced July 24 it had awarded more than $20M in grants to support capital improvements at 29 American small shipyards, including five along the Gulf Coast. The awards are part of Marad’s Small Shipyard Grant program, which supports improvements that foster increased efficiency and economic growth. U.S. shipyards support more than 400,000 jobs and contribute more than $37B in gross domestic product (GDP) to the nation’s economy. In order to receive a grant, small shipyards must have less than 1,200 production employees to be eligible. The yards also play a role in the maritime sector, supporting national security, maintaining critical infrastructure, and creating opportunities for working families in smaller communities, according to the DOT. Gulf Coast grant recipients included Master Boat Builders of Bayou La Batre, Ala., ($1.13M to support buying a 182-ton capacity crawler, 55-ton mobile crane, and 30-ton rough terrain crane); Patti Marine Enterprises of Pensacola, Fla., ($449,231 to support the purchase of a plasma cutting machine and iron worker); Metal Shark of Jeanerette, La., ($451,860 to support the purchase of an 80-ton rough terrain crane and welding equipment); Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., ($521,753 to support the purchase of a lathe mill multi-task machine and a PythonX robotics CNC plasma cutting structural fabrication system); and United States Marine of Gulfport, Miss., ($313,270 in support of the establishment of a lamination apprentice program and the purchase of a CNC core cutting machine and paint booth). (Source: Work Boat 07/24/18)

EOD Techs: Never comfortable

It's overcast and humid in the early morning hours on Day 2 of Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technician dive school at Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla. Students are still wet from a 500-meter swim portion of the physical screening test, and now covered in sand and sweat. They drop to complete another set of push-ups at Thor's Playground, a wooded workout area. Spit and vomit ooze from their mouths as they are pushed beyond limits. Words of “motivation” flow from an instructor’s voice. Those first days were a “wake-up call," said student, Seaman James Harris. "You know it's going to be bad and when you get there - it's way worse than you expected. … The challenges are bigger, and the pressure is a lot more than what you expected." EOD techs locate, identify, render safe and explosively dispose of foreign and domestic ordnance including conventional, chemical, biological, nuclear, underwater and terrorist-type devices. This enables access during military operations in support of carrier and expeditionary strike groups, mine countermeasures, and joint Special Forces. Students complete an EOD preparatory course after boot camp, then a nine week diver course; basic EOD training for 41 weeks; and a final phase of basic EOD training that includes basic airborne and EOD tactical training for a 55 more weeks. "You're never going to be comfortable in this pipeline," said Harris, “because the more uncomfortable you get, the more comfortable you become being uncomfortable." The EOD community is unique for its skill set and training, and known for their unbreakable bond to one another and commitment to sometime impossible tasks. EOD techs push past most all physical and mental barriers and knowingly commit themselves to a community unlike any other. (Source: All Hands 07/18/18)

Escambia to build living shoreline

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Escambia County, Fla., is seeking input from boaters, fishermen, and those who use the water around Naval Air Station Pensacola for a living shoreline project to improve water quality. The county’s Natural Resource Management Department has developed a 40-question survey asking residents about water quality, environment and issues related to waterways around NASP. Brent Wipf, a project manager for Escambia County, indicated that the survey is part of a larger plan to build oyster reefs, plant sea grasses, and additional changes to improve some 24,800 linear feet of shoreline along the eastern and southern perimeters of the base. The design is being funder to the tune of $217,000 from restitution funds paid out by BP in the aftermath of the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill. After the design is completed, the county will look for more grant money to build the shoreline. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 07/24/18)

DoD budget deal: 3 LCS, 1 T-ATS

U.S. House and Senate negotiators reached an agreement July 23 on a $716B defense authorization bill that includes a boost in military numbers, ships and aircraft – more than the White House asked for - and support a proposed 2.6 percent military pay raises. The agreement comes months ahead of Congress’ typical schedule for a FY measure, which begins Oct. 1. Congress has finalized the budget measure for 57 years, but has not passed one on time in the past 10 years. The House is scheduled to vote on it this week. The Senate is tentatively scheduled to vote in August. Among some of the proposed funding is for 77 more F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, but with pending limitations on software upgrades. For the Navy, the bill funds 13 ships including three Littoral Combat Ships, and a T-ATS towing, salvage and rescue ship. (Source: Defense News 07/24/18) Gulf Coast Note: Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builds one of the LCS variants. Gulf Island Shipyards of Dularge, La., won a potential $522.7M contract in March to design and construct up to eight T-ATS ships based on current commercial towing offshore models. The contract awarded has an initial value of $63.6M to fund the first T-ATS that is scheduled for delivery in November 2020. The contract also includes options for the construction of seven more T-ATS.

Gulfport Seabees deploy in SPS-18

MAYPORT, Fla. - The Navy has deployed USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1) in support of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2018 to the Caribbean, Central and South America to conduct subject matter expert exchanges and water well construction projects from July to October. SPS is an annual series of Navy deployments focused on exchanges with partner-nation militaries and security forces. This year's deployment will visit Panama, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador, and Trinidad and Tobago to work alongside those nations' military forces, security forces, civilian health professionals and other governmental agencies. The teams are made up of specialists from the fields of engineering, diving, explosive ordnance disposal, and medical. Among the deployed personnel are members of the Gulfport, Miss.-based Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133. (Source: Navy 4th Fleet 07/24/18) USS Spearhead was built by Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala.

DISL receives ESGR award

The Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) presented the Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab with the Above and Beyond Award on July 16. Retired Colonel and the chair of Alabama's ESGR Bill Kringel presented the award to Dr. John Valentine, executive director of the DISL. The award recognizes employers at the local level who go above and beyond the legal requirements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. This is the second highest award given to employers by the ESGR. (Source: DISL 07/16/18)

Maritime firm seeking surveyor(s)

Fernandes Maritime of Metairie, La., a marine surveying and consulting firm, seeks experienced and responsible surveyor(s) for Mobile (Ala.) and/or New Orleans office. Master/Ch. Officer/Ch. Engr. license/COC essential. Experience in H&M and P&I surveys a plus. Must be in U.S. and proficient in English. Competitive salary and benefits included, health and 401-K. (Source: Marine Jobs 07/18)

First LNG-powered combo Con/Ro

VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., delivered the world’s first combination container/roll on-roll off (Con/Ro) ships powered by liquefied natural gas (LNG) on July 20 to Crowley Marine Corp. of Jacksonville, Fla. The Jones Act-compliant El Coquí is the first of two Commitment Class, LNG-powered Con/Ro ships being built for Crowley’s shipping and logistics services between Jacksonville and Puerto Rico. El Coquí will make its maiden voyage to San Juan later in July. Construction of sister ship Taino is underway at VT Halter Marine’s Pascagoula shipyard, and is scheduled to enter service later in 2018. Fueling ships with LNG will reduce by 100 percent sulphur oxide and particulate matter, 92 percent of nitrogen oxide, and 35 percent of carbon dioxide per container compared against current fossil fuels. (Source: Crowley Marine 07/20/18) VT Halter Marine’s HQ in Pascagoula produces Panamax-sized vessels up to 50,000 DWT (dead weight tons) and features a newly expanded 600-foot tilt-beam launch system. Pascagoula Operations provides steel cutting and engineering services for all three of its facilities, including two in Moss Point, Miss. The Moss Point operation is utilized for commercial projects, and government programs.

Harper new boss at CG NOLA

Cmdr. Tina Peña transferred command of Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans to Cmdr. Harper Phillips in a mid-June change-of-command at Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base (NAS/JRB) New Orleans in Belle Chasse. Phillips became the 30th commander of the station. He is now responsible for operations, which include the area from Apalachicola, Fla., north to Memphis, west to the Louisiana/Texas border, and south into the Gulf of Mexico. Phillips, a Coast Guard Academy graduate, also holds master’s degrees in national security strategy and business administration. He earned his Wings of Gold from the Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fla., in 2000. (Currents 07/18) Access via pdf at the above website.

Less muddy Miss. River bad for La.?

A less ‘Muddy Mississippi’ River study, according to a U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist, indicates the concentrations of sediment in the lower Mississippi River have decreased more than 50 percent in recent decades. But that’s bad news for Louisiana, which depends on a constant supply of river silt, sand, and mud to rebuild its ever-eroding and sinking, southern coast. The findings seem to indicate that the state’s $1B river sediment diversions - components of the state's Coastal Master Plan - may not be able to rebuild land as quickly. However, state planners are familiar with the lower sediment load and have taken it into account as part of the project, according to the project manager. (Source: NOLA.com 07/19/18)

DDG 1001 already needs new engine

The Navy officially received its second Zumwalt-class destroyer, the future USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001), from General Dynamics’s Bath (Maine) Iron Works (BIW) shipyard on April 24. The only problem was the Navy already knew since February that the $4.6B ship already needed a new engine. News of the engine trouble broke when Rear Adm. William Galinis, program executive officer of ships at the Naval Sea Systems Command acknowledged the issue July 11 at a U.S. Navy League breakfast. One of the two $20M engines would need to be replaced before the ship could transition to its future homeport in San Diego, he said. The engine was damaged during sea trials early this year, and will be replaced at BIW. (Source: San Diego Union-Tribune 07/19/18)

Navy-themed games seek recruits

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Office of Naval Research (ONR) is sponsoring ‘Navy Life’, an online platform of Navy-themed games and simulations in hopes of matching potential recruits to enlisted jobs according to their skills, abilities, and interests that’s designed to increase recruitment and encouraging sailors to consider long-term naval careers. Navy Life also presents a realistic look at the service’s career development path. (Source: Seapower Magazine 07/19/18)

USDC seeks investment council noms

The U.S Department of Commerce announced July 19 it is accepting nominations for the Secretary’s Investment Advisory Council. The role of the Council is to consider ways to attract and retain foreign direct investment (FDI) in the U.S. The U.S. is home to more FDI than any country in the world, with a total stock of $3.7 trillion at the end of 2016. “The Investment Advisory Council plays a critical role advising the department on how we can best support (the president’s pro-business) mission by further increasing our FDI footprint while creating new American jobs,” said Secretary Wilbur Ross. The Council has made recommendations on issues including broadening infrastructure investment priorities, improving U.S. workforce initiatives, and refining digital tools. Membership consists of up to 20 members appointed by the Secretary, and serves a two-year term. Nominees should represent companies/organizations investing, seeking to invest, seeking foreign investors, or facilitating investment across many sectors. (Source: Commerce Department 07/19/18)

It's all mines

BARKSDALE AFB, La. – Airman 1st Class Elliot Broger, a conventional weapons maintainer assigned to the 2nd Munitions Squadron, moved munitions around the bay unstrapping and re-strapping them to trailers. He knew it was a fairly average job. But, that the mission was unique. Broger is an active-duty airman who works with the AF Reserve members of the 307th Maintenance Squadron munitions flight as part of the Total Force Enterprise initiative that helps civilian AF employees and Navy contractors certify the MK 164 Mine Flight Gear Kit. This kit is a new tail section for the Navy’s QuickStrike mine series. The mines are designed to be dropped from B-52 Stratofortress bombers. “By doing this, we’re making sure we can certify the new tail section of the mine so it can be flown internally on a B-52,” said Master Sgt. Shawn Thomason, 307th MXS material section superintendent. The contractors at the 307th MXS munitions storage facility were hired by Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla. They are responsible for test oversight and assembly of the weapon. (Source: 307th Bomb Wing 07/18/18)

More clues to CSA mystery sub

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Scientists studying the world's first submarine to sink an enemy ship, CSS H.L. Hunley - built at Mobile, Ala. - said July 17 that the doomed Confederate crew did not release an emergency mechanism that could have helped the vessel to surface quickly. The 1,000 pounds of “keel blocks” would typically keep the Hunley upright, but also could be released with three levers to allow the sub to surface fast in an emergency, according to archaeologist Michael Scafuri, who has worked on the submarine 18 years. Scientists who removed the century of corrosion, silt and shells from the Hunley found that the levers all locked into their regular position. "It's more evidence there wasn't much of a panic on board," Scafuri said. The Hunley and its eight crewmembers disappeared in February 1864 in Charleston Harbor shortly after signaling it had placed explosives on the hull of the USS Housatonic. Ever since the Hunley was raised in 2000, scientists have tried to determine why the sub never surfaced. The keel blocks don't give a definitive answer, but provide clues. Yet, there are other theories, and they can’t be ruled out. The next step is the removal of more materials that have collected on the hull. "We keep seeing parts that no one has seen in 150 years," Scafuri said. The keel blocks go on display at the Hunley's North Charleston museum July 21. (Source: The Associated Press 07/18/18)

CG search for overdue boaters

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is searching July 19 for three overdue boaters near Pensacola, Fla. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received a report that a man and his two sons had not returned by an anticipated time. They launched from Navy Point Boat Launch in Bayou Grande, near NAS Pensacola. Missing are: David Washington, 80; David Washington Jr., and Darryl Washington. While conducting a search pattern, a CG Aviation Training Center Mobile HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircrew located a capsized vessel matching the description of the boat the overdue mariners on. (Source: Coast Guard 07/19/18)

Austal USA opens SD operation

America’s fifth largest shipbuilder, Austal USA, has opened a new operations office in San Diego on July 18 in a move that aims to improve local support to the Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and Expeditionary Fast Transports (EPF) programs. The opening is a reflection of the firm’s commitment to provide the Navy, not only exceptional ships, but outstanding service and support for the life of the ship, according to Austal USA president Craig Perciavelle. Austal USA has delivered nine EPF and eight Independence-variant LCS to the Navy from its shipyard in Mobile, Ala. The San Diego opening comes on the heels of Austal USA’s recent acquisition of technology company ElectraWatch. (Source: Marine Link 07/18/18)

LCS AWS package tested

WASHINGTON - Program Executive Office of Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) announced successful completion of two Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) Mission Package testing milestones July 16. The first was a 10-day Dockside-1 test event on the Dual-mode ARray Transmitter (DART) Mission System Towed Body and associated launch-and-recovery assembly components in Fort Pierce, Fla. The second was a full-power in-water test of the active array at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Seneca Lake Detachment's test facility in Dresden, N.Y. "The Seneca Lake Test was a huge step forward for the DART System,” said Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Module Program Manager Capt. Ted Zobel. “This revolutionary technology is critical to countering the rising submarine threats worldwide.” DART development includes incremental testing of the individual system components followed by progressively more inclusive integration and testing until the full ASW Mission Package has been tested. (Source: PEO USC 07/17/18) Gulf Coast Note: LCS have three mission packages, the others are mine-countermeasures and anti-surface warfare. Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., is one of two shipyards building LCS for the Navy.

Kenner firm’s $28M contract

EFT Diversified Inc. of Kenner, La., was awarded a $28,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River, Southwest Pass stone foreshore dike and stone jetty repairs. Bids were solicited via the Internet with four received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of July 31, 2019. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/16/18)

Pensacola port dilemma

The Pensacola (Fla.) City Council will vote July 19 on whether to allow the mayor’s office to enter negotiations to lease a pair of Port of Pensacola warehouses to Incoa Performance Minerals LLC for use as material storage facilities. The Utah-based mineral processing and distribution company has expressed an interest in leasing two warehouses at the port, but, the inquiry comes at a time when Pensacola is reassessing whether to even remain in the port business. The port has been operating at a loss, but a prospective new tenant would put the port back into the black, according to local officials. (Source: Pensacola News Journal 07/14/18)

HII-Pascagoula launches DDG 121

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division successfully launched the Arleigh Burke-class (DDG 51) guided missile destroyer Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121) on July 13 in Pascagoula. DDG 121 was translated via Ingalls’ rail car system to a floating dry dock. Once on, the dry dock was moved away from the pier, and it was ballasted down to float the ship. To date, Ingalls has delivered 30 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the Navy, most recently delivering USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114). Three other destroyers are under construction at Ingalls: Paul Ignatius (DDG 117), Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG 123) and Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). DDG 121 honors Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr., who was the Marine Corps’ first African-American aviator and general officer who flew more than 350 combat missions during the Korean and Vietnam wars. (HII-Pascagoula 07/16/18)

CG rescues 7 near Horn Island

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard rescued seven people from a capsized vessel some four miles east of Horn Island, Miss., on July 15. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received notification around 2:45 p.m. from the vessel Sea Tow that had lost communications with another vessel they were en route to assist. CG Station Pascagoula, Miss., diverted a 45-foot response boat and crew to search for the vessel. The crew arrived on scene and located the vessel about 3:10 p.m. The vessel had capsized, and all seven passengers were in the water. The crew recovered the seven and transported them to CGS Pascagoula. (Source: Coast Guard 07/15/18)

CG rescues 11 near BA airshow

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard and Good Samaritan boaters rescued 11 people from the water after their boat capsized near Pensacola Beach, Fla., around the time of the Navy’s Blue Angels air show performance July 14. A 45-foot response boat and crew from CG Station Pensacola was enforcing a safety zone for the air show, and received a report about 2:40 p.m. of a vessel with 11 people aboard taking on water about a half-mile south of Pensacola Beach. The CG, along with other nearby boaters, recovered the 11, who were transported to the Holiday Harbor Marina in Pensacola without medical concerns. (Source: Coast Guard 07/14/18)

Porter takes helm of EOD/dive center

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving (CEODD) held a change of command ceremony July 13 onboard Naval Support Activity Panama City. Navy Capt. Robert Porter relieved Capt. James Turner, who is retiring after 38 years of service. Porter comes to Panama City from the National Defense University’s College of International Security Affairs. Before that, he most recently served as the chief staff officer for Mine Countermeasures Squadron 7 in Sasebo, Japan. He was prior enlisted serving as a nuclear power-trained electrician’s mate before attending the Broadened Opportunity for Officer Selection and Training Program. He graduated from Boston University on a Navy ROTC scholarship, and commissioned in 1996. After completion of naval diving and salvage training and Surface Warfare Officers School, Porter served aboard USS Camden (AOE 2). He graduated from EOD School and had tours with multiple units. Porter was also a liaison officer with the multi-national Coalition-Iraq. (Source: NETC 07/13/18) CEODD provides oversight and control of the career progression of Navy EOD technicians and divers. Its primary mission is to support innovative human performance solutions that meet the needs of the fleet - identifying and implementing efficient methods of training and delivery for sailors.

Bollinger answering CG RfP

LOCKPORT, La. – The Louisiana-based Bollinger Shipyards has selected its Tampa (Fla.) Shipyard for design and construction of up to three heavy polar icebreakers, and three additional medium sized breakers under consideration through the Coast Guard's Request for Proposal (RfP). Bollinger’s President/CEO Ben Bordelon anticipates production to start as early as 2020. Should Bollinger be awarded the CG contract, it would continue production through 2035. Bollinger is now producing the CG’s Fast Response Cutter fleet at its facility in Lockport, where more than 1,000 full-time equivalents have been engaged since 2008. Under the current program, 29 vessels have been delivered to the CG. Bollinger anticipates the FRC program to benefit the local community beyond 2023 with award and production of up to 58 vessels. (Source: Bollinger 07/09/18)

MS teams with autonomous tech firm

JEANERETTE, La. - Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has joined forces with autonomous vessel technology developer ASV Global to introduce “Sharktech” Autonomous Vessels. Metal Shark will now offer Sharktech autonomous technology on its entire portfolio of vessels, which range from 16- to more than 300-feet in aluminum, steel, and composite. Sharktech autonomous vessels may be custom configured for military, law enforcement, fire rescue, and the full spectrum of applicable commercial markets. “The industry has watched and waited as autonomous technology has matured from its fledgling stages,” said Metal Shark CEO Chris Allard, and today “we are demystifying and streamlining the process of autonomous technology integration by bringing this capability to market in turnkey form straight from” the manufacturer. ASV is the world’s largest and most experienced unmanned vessel technology company. (Source: Metal Shark 07/12/18)

Metal Shark ferry arrives in NYC

The Ocean Queen Rockstar, the first of six 350-passenger vessels to assist NYC Ferry meet ridership demands, arrived in New York City this past week. The 97-foot aluminum catamaran was delivered by Metal Shark, from its Franklin, La., shipyard. After the public ferry system launched in May 2017, its operator, Hornblower, and the New York Economic Development Corp. scrambled to meet a greater than anticipated demand. As of July 12, five million passengers have ridden on the 16-boat fleet, according to EDC. Those 86-foot vessels carry up to 150 passengers and were built by Metal Shark and Horizon Shipbuilding of Bayou La Batre, Ala., which has since been sold to the Louisiana shipbuilder (Source: Marine Link 076/13/18)

NOLA tug operator buys Petchem

E.N. Bisso & Son Inc. of New Orleans has acquired Port Canaveral, Fla.-based tug operator Petchem Inc. The sale was finalized on June 27. E.N. Bisso, with a fleet of 16 tugs, is a provider of ship-assist tug service at New Orleans, on the Lower Mississippi River, and Gulfport, Miss., as Gulfport Towing Petchem, with a fleet of three tugs, has been providing harbor tug services at Port Canaveral since 1984. The company will continue to operate as Petchem with all staffing, personnel, equipment and service commitments unchanged. (Source: Work Boat 97/13/18) The monetary purchase of the deal was not disclosed.

Eastern tug christened in NYC

NYC-based McAllister Towing and Transportation, one of the historic family-run companies serving the industry for more than 150 years, held a ceremony July 12 to christen two tugboats, the Rosemary McAllister and the Capt. Brian A. McAllister, both ABS classed FiFi 1. In early June 2018, McAllister Towing took delivery of Rosemary McAllister, the second in a series of four 100-foot bollard pull tugboats. The new vessel, the 32nd tractor tug in McAllister’s fleet, was started at Horizon Shipbuilding in Alabama, but completed at Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Fla. (Source: Marine Link 07/13/18)

CG sets safety zone for Blues’ shows

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is scheduled to establish two temporary safety zones in portions of the Gulf of Mexico and the Santa Rosa Sound during the annual Pensacola Beach (Fla.) Air Show on July 13-14 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. The GoM safety zone includes all waters 1.75 nautical miles east and 1.5 nautical miles west of position 30̊ 19’ 36” N, 087̊ 08’ 23” W in the vicinity of the Pensacola Beach Gulf Pier and extending 1,000 yards south of Pensacola Beach creating a box. This safety zone is for the protection of people and vessels on navigable waters during the air show. No person/vessel may enter the zone without authorization. Official vessels may be contacted on marine radio VHF-FM channel 16. The safety zone is for the protection of spectator vessels during and immediately following the air shows. Uncooperative boaters will be expelled from the zone, and cited for failure to comply or both. (Source: Coast Guard 07/12/18)

$9.9M Weeks Marine contract

Weeks Marine Inc. of Covington, La., was awarded a $9,960,000 firm-fixed-price contract for emergency maintenance dredging of Moriches Inlet, New York, a Federal Navigation Project. Bids were solicited via the Internet with two received. Work will be performed in Suffolk, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of Sept. 12, 2018. FY 2018 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,960,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New York City is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 07/11/18).

Future ships will have Flight III system

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Navy’s vision for its future large surface combatant designs still remain undecided, but it almost certainly will operate with the DDG-51 Flight III’s combat system, according to Rear Adm. William Galinis, Program Executive Officer for Ships. The PEO and surface warfare directorate are “still in the very early stages of concept development” on the large combatant piece of the Future Surface Combatant family of systems, but the “initial concepts start with the DDG-51 Flight III combat system,” he said, which will likely bring a new hull, mechanical and electrical infrastructure, and a new power architecture to support the combat system. The Future Surface Combatant program will include a large combatant – such as a cruiser or destroyer, though the Navy is careful not to use those specific labels – a small combatant to replace Littoral Combat Ships and frigates, an unmanned surface ship, and an optionally unmanned ship. PEOS will oversee the development and acquisition of the large combatant. PEO Unmanned and Small Combatants (formerly PEO LCS) will handle the other three. The Future Surface Combatant initial capabilities document is pending Joint Staff approval. (Source: USNI News 07/11/18) Gulf Coast Note: One of the LCS variants is built by Austal USA shipyard of Mobile, Ala.

Central Gulf contract: $19.4M

Central Gulf Lines Inc. of Mobile, Ala., has been awarded an estimated $19,466,320 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, fixed-price option year modification for international ocean transportation and intermodal distribution services (HTC711-16-D-W005). Work will be performed worldwide as specified on each individual order and is expected to be completed Aug. 31, 2019. Type of appropriation is FY 2018-19 transportation working capital funds to be obligated on individual task orders. U.S. Transportation Command of Scott Air Force Base, Ill., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 07/10/18)

Seabees help conduct ADR research

TYNDALL AFB, Fla. – The experiment brought together Gulfport, Miss.-based Seabees from Naval Construction Group 2 and Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1; Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 12, and Navy Expeditionary War-fighting Development Center (EXWDC) personnel to validate recently updated ADR safety training doctrine and experiment with new technologies to increase the training efficiently. Naval Postgraduate School and Georgia Tech Research Institute conducted experimentation with unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to conduct autonomous surveying, damage and unexploded ordnance detection, and mapping of the airfield. The goal of the research is to develop a total automated assessment tool utilizing swarming UAS technology to quickly collect and analyze data over a damaged runway without placing sailors in harm’s way. Exposing researchers to real-world scenarios increased their awareness of ADR. The experiment afforded EXWDC the opportunity to validate with Seabees and EOD the newly drafted Tactical Memorandum for Navy Expeditionary Rapid ADR safety training. Reducing the timeline and logistics to conduct ADR enables Distributed Maritime Operations, a central overarching operational concept, which allows fleet commanders the ability to distribute but still maneuver assets across an entire theater of operations that directly supports the National Defense Strategy. (Source: Seabee Magazine 09/10/18)

MQ-8C completes IOT&E with LCS 4

SAN DIEGO - USS Coronado (LCS 4) and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) completed the first comprehensive Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) for the MQ-8C Fire Scout on June 29 off the coast of southern California. The results will inform decision-makers how best to integrate the service’s newest unmanned helicopter with Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and other platforms. The Fire Scout performed multiple mission operations aboard Coronado. The operations are a major milestone for both the LCS and Fire Scout programs, and demonstrated cohesion between the surface and aviation platforms. Coronado and VX-1 conducted simulated engagements to evaluate Fire Scout's role in target identification, intelligence gathering and surface warfare operations. The testing also focused on developing practices for simultaneously operating and maintaining both the Fire Scout and MH-60S Seahawk helicopter. The crew is “excited to build upon their past experiences operating with Fire Scout and continue to improve our proficiency as a war-fighting team," said Cmdr. Lawrence Repass, LCS 4’s commanding officer. Pierside testing of the MQ-8C Fire Scout will continue onboard Coronado throughout mid-July with a focus on maintenance and cyber. (Source: LCS Squadron One 07/09/18) Gulf Coast Note: The first ship-based flight of the MQ-8C occurred with USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) in December 2014, and previous underway testing was also conducted with USS Montgomery (LCS 8) in April 2017. Both LCS's were built at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. Coronado is one of four LCS testing ships homeported in San Diego.

ESG conducts OPC design review

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Fla., successfully conducted its Final Critical Design Review (FCDR) with the Coast Guard on June 29 for the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) program. The accomplishment comes after a week of discussions, demonstrations, and design presentations by ESG’s design team to the CG and Department of Homeland Security. The purpose of the FCDR is to verify that the OPC detail design is integrated and internally consistent with CG requirements, and points towards the exercise of the contract option for construction of the first hull - USCGC Argus. Construction of the lead cutter is tentatively scheduled to begin after the contract option is exercised, with delivery anticipated in 2021. The milestone was “achieved on time and our design was found to be ready for the next milestone, Production Readiness Review on July 31,” said ESG’s President Joey D’Isernia. The OPC is designed for multiple missions in support the bridge between the National Security Cutter, which patrols the open oceans and the Fast Response Cutter, which serves closer to shore. The CG exercised the Detail Design contract option to ESG. The group is finalizing its design to construct the OPC to replace the Medium Endurance Cutters. The contract includes options for production of up to nine OPCs and with a potential value of $2.38B. On September 7, 2017, the U.S. Coast Guard exercised ESG’s contract option for Long Lead Time Material for USCGC Argus. The CG plans to acquire a total of 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters. (Source: Navy Recognition 07/06/18)

CG project office change of command

NEW ORLEANS - Captain Travis Carter is scheduled to assume command of the Project Resident Office-Gulf Coast during a change of command ceremony July 11 at the Singing River Yacht Club in Pascagoula, Miss. Capt. Carter is scheduled to relieve Capt. Christopher Webb. The Project Resident Office-Gulf Coast oversees the production and delivery of Coast Guard National Security Cutters. NSCs are 418-foot vessels capable of executing the most challenging operations, including supporting maritime homeland security and defense missions. (Source: Coast Guard 07/09/18)

2nd CG cutter set to arrive at NASP

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless (WMEC-624) will arrive to its new homeport July 10 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. The Reliance-class cutter will be the second of two CG vessels to change homports to Pensacola this year. Dauntless was previously homeported in Galveston, Texas. CGC Decisive (WMEC-629) arrived in June from Pascagoula, Miss. The Dauntless crew has been celebrating 50 years of service over the past six months, and returns to Florida (once homeported in Miami) after more than 25 years in Texas. The ship recently completed a two-month, $1.5M extensive overhaul in New York. “Dauntless is excited to be a part of the growing Navy and Coast Guard partnership here in Pensacola,” said Cmdr. Timothy C. Sommella, commanding officer. The two cutters’ crews will significantly increase the CG’s operational presence and maximize logistical support in Pensacola, and will aid in the CG’s Western Hemisphere Strategy to secure the border, disrupt illicit transnational networks and safeguard commerce. (Source: Coast Guard 07/09/18)

Agencies recover 35 kilos from GoM

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and local agencies recovered about 35 kilos of cocaine from the Gulf of Mexico, south of Pensacola, Fla., on July 8. Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., received notification around 6 p.m. Saturday (July 7) from a good Samaritan boater regarding a bale of cocaine floating in the water south of Pensacola. CG Station Pensacola launched a 45-foot Response Boat and crew to search for the drugs through Saturday evening. CG Sector Mobile Enforcement members aboard U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Air Marine Operations vessels and an Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Marine Patrol vessel searched Sunday morning and recovered the cocaine. Additional agencies involved in the search included Homeland Security Investigations, and the Orange Beach (Ala.) Police Department. (Source: Coast Guard 07/08/18)

$1.4B for hurricane protection projects

Louisiana will be getting $1.4B in federal money - approved by the White House’s Office of Management and Budget - for a variety of flood and hurricane protection projects, including the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain hurricane levee in St. John the Baptist Parish, Comite River Diversion Canal, and flood control projects in East Baton Rouge Parish, according to U.S. Rep. Garret Graves and U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy both of Louisiana. This latest funding raises to $3B the money for flood and hurricane-related projects from a supplemental appropriations bill Congress approved early this year. The lawmakers also won an agreement requiring the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to pay the full cost of the Pontchartrain levee up front; and give Louisiana 30 years to repay its 35 percent share. Under normal hurricane protection funding rules, the state would have had to pay 35 percent of levee construction costs as it was being built, in addition to providing the land. (Source: NOLA.com 07/05/18)

EPF 10 completes builder’s trials

MOBILE, Ala. - The Navy's 10th Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel, Burlington (EPF 10), successfully completed a week-long builder's trials June 29 dockside at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. The ship engaged in the trials with the Supervisor of Shipbuilding Gulf Coast – based in Pascagoula, Miss. - working with Austal to demonstrate the ship’s equipment and system operation. The EPF ship then spent two days underway in the Gulf of Mexico performing tests to demonstrate its readiness. Maneuverability trials tested the ship's four steerable water jets while a series of high-speed turns demonstrated the stability and agility of the EPF catamaran hull form. "Burlington performed very well and is well on the way towards her delivery as the next Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel to the Navy," said Capt. Scot Searles, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager with the Program Executive Office. Burlington will begin Acceptance Trials in late July, during which the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey will inspect and evaluate the ship to certify its readiness for delivery. (Source: Navy News Service 07/06/18)

Eglin, Norfolk climate danger

What if the Navy’s largest base in Norfolk, Va., sinks? It could happen, but it’s also not an isolated problem to the East Coast, as climate change alters coastlines around the globe. A report from the American Security Project identifies Naval Station Norfolk as America’s fifth most endangered military base. The report also lists Eglin AFB, Fla.; Diego Garcia, Bahrain and Guam as being particularly vulnerable to climate change. (Source: National Interest 07/05/18) Eglin is among the largest Air Force bases comprising more than 640 square miles.

Frustrated USS Cole judge retiring

MIAMI - The military judge who ordered a Marine general to serve 21 days confinement in a Guantanamo trailer park for contempt of court - a conviction that a federal court recently overturned - is retiring after 26 years of service, according to a July 5 e-mail response to a media query from McClatchy News Service. Air Force Col. Vance Spath “has an approved retirement date of Nov. 1, 2018,” AF spokesperson Brooke Brzozowske said in a one-sentence email response. She did not say when the colonel submitted his paperwork for retirement. Spath has been chief of the Air Force judiciary since April 2014. He has been serving as judge in the USS Cole case at “Gitmo” since the summer of 2014. Guantanamo detainee Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, held by the CIA from 2002-06, is accused of plotting al-Qaida’s suicide bombing of USS Cole that killed 17 American sailors off Aden, Yemen, on Oct. 12, 2000. He could face military execution, if convicted. In February, Spath declared his frustration over uncertainty of the mechanics of military commissions and halted all pretrial proceedings in the case, pending clarification of his authority from higher courts. “We’re done until a superior court tells me to keep going.” (Source: Miami Herald 07/05/18) Gulf Coast Note: At the time of the attack, three sailors aboard USS Cole had family members – one being a command master chief - living in Pensacola, Fla. Two of those three sailors aboard were among the injured. Following a 14-month restoration project, USS Cole departed from then-Northrop Grumman's shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., on April 19, 2002. The ship would return to its homeport in Norfolk, Va.

Austal-built EPF proving its worth

The Navy continues to expand its use of Expeditionary Fast Transport ships. In June, USNS Carson City (T-EPF-7) conducted the first high-latitude operations and first mine countermeasures mission (MCM) for this class of ships. Carson City took part in the multi-nation Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) training exercise - with Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, the United Kingdom - from June 1-15 in the Baltic Sea. The ship deployed Remus-100 and Remus-600 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) to conduct mine countermeasures work, and coordinating with other nations’ MCM boats through a command and control suite installed aboard Carson City. EPF ships are meant to provide high-speed personnel and equipment transport, with an eye towards humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions, evacuations and missions on the lower end of warfare. The Navy’s Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73 is considering using the platform as a command ship in the region. Its BALTOPS mission took that idea to a higher level, providing command and control of a task unit conducting mine countermeasures, and the deployment of MCM UUVs from the EPF. (Source: USNI News 07/05/18) Gulf Coast Note: USNS Carson City (formerly JHSV-7 Courageous) is the seventh Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport currently in service with the Military Sealift Command. Carson City was built by Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala., and was christened at Austal on Jan. 16, 2016.

Workers injured on Shell site

HOUSTON - Three contract workers were injured on July 4 while working on a hydrogen line on a sulfur unit at Royal Dutch Shell Plc's Convent, La., refinery, a company spokesman said. A flash fire broke out on the hydrogen pipe, according to two sources familiar with plant operations. At least two of the workers required medical treatment. The sulfur unit is shut as part of a planned overhaul of units. "Shell initiated its emergency response plan, which included immediately deploying personnel to respond to the incident," Shell spokesman Ray Fisher said on Thursday. "All appropriate agencies were notified. The cause of the incident is under investigation." (Source: Reuters 07/05/18)

Bisso upgrading ASD tractor tugs

New Orleans-based Bisso Towboat has reached an agreement with boat-builder Main Iron Works of Houma, La., to construct a new 100-foot Tier 4-compliant ASD (azimuthing stern drive) tractor tug. Construction is scheduled to start in later summer. Delivery in slated for the fall of 2019. The new tug will be the most powerful ship-assist tug on the Mississippi River and further enhance Bisso’s position as having the largest fleet of ASD tractor tugs serving the Mississippi River ship-assist trade, according to Scott Slatten, Bisso’s president. (Source: Work Boat 07/05/18)

Navy PC contract award: $9.9M

Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems of Annapolis, Md., was awarded a $9,948,825 firm-fixed-priced, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to the previously awarded contract (N61331-15-D-0011) to exercise options for the accomplishment of depot level repair, maintenance, and modifications of the AN/AQS-24 mine detecting system to support the Navy for the currently deployed airborne mine countermeasures legacy systems. Northrop Grumman Undersea Systems will provide depot repairs and incorporation of engineering change proposals, including the updates of all integrated logistics support documentation to support the conversions and sustainment. Work will be performed in Annapolis and is expected to be completed by April 2019. No funding will be obligated at time of award. Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 07/03/18)

Harvey Gulf emerges from Chapter 11

Harvey (La.) Gulf International Marine has announced that it has completed financial restructuring and emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings. This marks the completion of the plan of reorganization approved by the New Orleans-based bankruptcy court some 77 days following Harvey’s prepackaged filing. Under the reorganization, Harvey Gulf has shed about $1B in debt, and emerges with a dramatically de-leveraged balance sheet. HGIM has kept its commitments to its trade vendors, paying all unsecured claims in full, according to the company. Harvey Gulf will combine its new financial strength and operational planning with its safety and environmental record, which is demonstrated by the company’s anticipated fifth consecutive year without a recordable incident on Aug. 13. The company has a 99.2 percent uptime record for vessels on long term contract over the past 10 years, and has indicated it intends to expand globally through mergers or acquisitions. (Source: Work Boat 07/02/18)

La. yard delivers tug to Hawaii

Conrad Shipyard of Morgan City, La., has delivered the 123-foot tug, the Kāpena Jack Young, to Young Brothers of Honolulu, Hawaii - an independent subsidiary of Seattle-based Foss Maritime. The Kāpena Jack Young is the first of four new ocean-going tugs that will soon begin neighbor-island service for Young Brothers. The tugs are the first new Kāpena class tugs built for Young Brothers. “Kāpena” means “captain” in Hawaiian; and the name celebrates the skill and innovation of Young Brothers’ Hawaiian navigators. The tugs will be homeported in Kaunakakai - the largest town on Molokai Island. The tugs are designed to match Young Brothers’ fleet of high-capacity barges, and to improve the company’s ability to provide “just-in-time” cargo service to neighboring communities. (Source: Work Boat 07/03/18)

HII mod contract for DDG 62: $27.4M

Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $27,469,298 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-17-C-4444) for the execution of USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) emergent repair and restoration. This effort shall provide for additional collision repairs as well as maintenance and modernization of DDG 62. Work will be performed in Pascagoula, and is expected to be completed by January 2020. FY 2018 Navy operations and maintenance; FY-17 other Navy procurement funding in the amount of $20,621,275 will be obligated at time of award, and $19,981,782 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DOD 07/02/18)

Cmdr. Meno new NMCB 1 boss

GULFPORT, Miss. – Commander Michael Meno became the new commanding officer of Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 1 during a change-of-command ceremony June 29 in Gulfport, Miss. He relieved Cmdr. Lance Flood, who had served in the post since June 2016. Meno comes to Gulfport from the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations where he served as Shore Readiness Analyst for the Programming Division. During Flood’s tour 760 sailors deployed to 36 countries in support of five unified commanders while completing 18 projects valued at $9.6M; and established two fleet-priority detachment sites in Israel and Ukraine. Flood received the Meritorious Service Medal for his efforts. He is to transfer to the Navy Expeditionary Combat Command in Virginia. (Source: NMCB 07/02/18)

Contract: Northrop, $14.3M

Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. of Annapolis, Md., is awarded a $14,304,010 firm-fixed-price, cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-15-C-6320) to exercise options for the fabrication, testing, production and delivery of AN/AQS-24C mine hunting sonar systems. The AN/AQS-24C system provides high-speed capability to detect and classify volume (moored) mines while simultaneously hunting bottom mines. The 24C system modification integrates ahead-looking topographic large area survey (ATLAS) volume search sonar capability and associated minehunting software into the AN/AQS-24B configuration. The system is deployed from the MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter. Work will be performed in Annapolis (83%); and Panama City, Fla. (17), and is expected to be completed by June 2021. Fiscal 2017 and 2018 other Navy procurement funding in the amount of $14,304,010 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD, 06/29/18)