$9M HII contract for DDG-117

Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $9,236,208 cost-plus award-fee order against previously awarded basic ordering agreement (N00024-16-G-2303) to provide program management, advanced planning, engineering, design, material procurement/kitting, liaison, scheduling, and participation in planning conferences and design reviews in support of the post shakedown availability for DDG-117. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (75%); and Mayport, Fla. (25%), and is expected to be completed by May 2020. FY 2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $9,236,208 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) - only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion, and Repair Gulf Coast of Pascagoula is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/28/18)

Pace firm contract: $13.7M

BCI Construction USA Inc. of Pace, Fla., was awarded a $13,731,375 firm-fixed-price contract for headworks intake lifting equipment. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Lancaster and Celina, Tenn.; and Jamestown, Ky., with an estimated completion date of Oct. 15, 2020. FY 2018 river and harbor contributed funds in the amount of $13,731,375 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Nashville, Tenn., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/28/18)

Sub base contract: $7.8M

Mark Dunning Industries of Dothan, Ala., is awarded a $7,887,182 modification under a previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract (N69450-11-D-7577) to exercise option three for base operations support services at Naval Submarine Base, Kings Bay, Ga. The work to be performed provides for all management, supervision, labor hours, training, equipment and supplies necessary to perform grounds maintenance and landscaping, integrated solid waste management, custodial, and pest control services. After award of this option, the total cumulative contract value will be $57,766,980. Work will be performed in Kings Bay, and is expected to be completed September 2019. No funds will be obligated at time of award. Subject to availability of funds, FY 2019 Navy operations and maintenance and FY-19 Navy working capital contract funds in the amount of $7,470,345 for recurring work will be obligated on individual task orders issued during the option period. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast of Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/28/18)

Jet, marine fuel contract: $9M

JAR Assets of Mandeville, La., is awarded a $9,115,290 contract modification (P00019) to firm-fixed-price contract HTC711-16-C-W001 exercising the third option year. The contract provides transportation of bulk jet fuel and marine diesel fuel by barge. This modification brings the total cumulative face value of the contract to $34,663,134 from $24,152,844. Work will be performed at ports and points along the inland waterways and Gulf Coast locations in the Gulf Region. The period of performance is from Oct. 1, ,to Sept. 30, 2019. FY 2019 defense working capital funds were obligated at time of award. U.S. Transportation Command of Scott AFB, Ill., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/28/18)

ESG contract begins 1st OPC build

The Coast Guard exercised contract options Sept. 28 with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Fla., to begin construction of the lead Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) Argus and to acquire long lead-time materials for the second OPC, Chase. The contract option begins the construction of the Argus, and is another milestone in replacing the CG's aging fleet of medium endurance cutters. The value of all the options is $317.5M. In addition to covering production of the lead ship, the contract covers the initial order of components and materials necessary to support future construction of the Chase by acquiring propeller and steering components, marine diesel engines, the ship integrated control system, switchboards, and generators. Delivery of the lead OPC is tentatively planned for 2021. (Source: Marine Link 09/28/18)

GC firms at center of LNG workshop

The Coast Guard’s Liquefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise (LGC NCOE) partnered Sept. 17-20 in Jacksonville, Fla., to coordinate an “LNG as Fuel Workshop” for future inspectors of LNG fueled vessels, with support from industry experts – including the Gulf Coast’s Harvey Gulf International Marine and Crowley Maritime Corp. - and the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Center. The team of LNG fuel specialists provided CG marine inspectors from across America with an in-depth understanding of LNG fueled engines, bunkering evolutions, risk analysis, membrane containment systems, type C tanks, vessel operations, plan review, and firefighting techniques. The workshop consisted of classroom instruction, exercises, a live LNG demonstration, and a trip to observe bunkering operations. Attendees will be able to use the training to inspect LNG fueled vessels being constructed and/or operated in ports around the country. LNG fueled vessels by Harvey Gulf International Marine’s operations at Port Fourchon, La. and Crowley Maritime’s operations in Louisiana and Mississippi, are already operating on the Gulf Coast (GC). The LGC NCOE is one of six nationwide national centers of expertise focusing on providing industry specific consultation and services to the CG and maritime industry. (Source: Maritime Propulsion 09/28/18)

MS firm earns $16.7M for dam rebuild

Husman Environmental & RC Construction JV of Jackson, Miss., is awarded a $16,780,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Semmes Lake dam rebuild. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Fort Jackson, S.C., with an estimated completion date of June 25, 2020. FY 2018 military construction funds in the amount of $16,780,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Charleston, S.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/27/18)

More Fitz repair monies for HII

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $48,532,386 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for the execution of USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) emergent repair and restoration. This effort provides for the additional collision repairs as well as maintenance and modernization of the ship. Work will be performed in Pascagoula and is expected to be completed by May 2020. FY 2018 Navy operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $48,499,489; and FY-17 other Navy procurement in the amount of $32,898 is obligated at time of award, and contract funds in the amount of $48,499,489 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year (Sept. 30). Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-17-C-4444). (Source: DoD 09/27/18; awarded Sept. 25)

HII: $5B DDG 51 contract

Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $5,104,668,778 fixed-price-incentive, firm target multiyear contract for construction of six DDG 51 class ships, two in FY 2018 and one each in FY-19 through FY-22. This contract includes options for engineering change proposals, design budgeting requirements, and post-delivery availabilities on the awarded firm multi-year ships, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $5,253,076,779. The contract includes options for construction of additional DDG 51s. These options may be subject to future competitive actions in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract, and therefore the dollar values are considered source selection sensitive information and will not be made public at this time (41 U.S. Code 2101, et seq., Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) 2.101 and FAR 3.104). Work will be performed in Pascagoula (91%; Erie, Pa. (1%); and other locations below 1 percent (totaling 8%), and is expected to be completed by April 2029. FY-2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $1,712,643,749 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was procured via a limited competition between Huntington Ingalls Inc. and Bath (Maine) Iron Works pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c) (3) and FAR 6.302-3 (Industrial Mobilization), with two offers received. In the same Sept. 27 DoD announcement, Bath Iron Works is awarded a $3,904,735,559 fixed-price-incentive, firm target multi-year contract for construction of four DDG 51s, one each in FY-19 through FY-22. This contract also includes options for construction of additional DDG 51s. These options may be subject to future competitive actions in accordance with the terms and conditions of the contract, and therefore the dollar values are considered source selection sensitive information and will not be made public at this time). Work will be performed in Bath, Maine (61%); Cincinnati, Ohio (5%); Atlanta (4%); York, Pa. (2%); Coatesville, Pa. (2%); Falls Church, Va. (2%); South Portland, Maine (1%); Walpole, Mass. (1%); Erie, Pa. (1%); Charlottesville, Va. (1%); and other locations below 1 percent (totaling 20%), and is expected to be completed by June 2028. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/27/18)

$98M mod contract for Textron

Textron Inc. of New Orleans is awarded a $98,045,961 cost-reimbursable, not-to-exceed, undefinitized modification to previously-awarded letter contract (N00024-17-C-2480) for the procurement of additional long-lead-time material (LLTM) for the Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC) program, Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 100-class craft 109 through 112, and for the procurement of LLTM and pre-fabrication activities for LCACs 113 through 118. The SSC program is the functional replacement for the existing fleet of vehicles, which are nearing the end of their service life. It is an air cushion vehicle designed for a 30-year service life. The SSC mission is to land surface assault elements in support of operational maneuver from the sea at over-the-horizon distances while operating from amphibious ships and mobile landing platforms. SSC provides increased performance to handle current and future missions, as well as improvements which will increase craft availability and reduce total ownership cost. Work will be performed in New Orleans (45%); Cincinnati, Ohio (12%); Harahan, La. (10%); Huntington Beach, Calif. (6%); Eatontown, N.J. (6%); Chesapeake, Va. (5%); Corona, Calif. (4%); Metairie, La. (4%); Gold Beach, Ore. (3%); East Hartford, Conn. (3%); and Riverdale, Iowa (2%). Work is expected to be completed by December 2021. FY 2017 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $13,189,830; and FY-2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $60,344,640 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/27/18)

Can’t deploy? May get heave-ho

Sailors that can’t deploy for 12 consecutive months will become subjects for processing out of the service, Chief of Naval Personnel Vice Adm. Bob Burke announced during an online all hands call Sept. 25. "If you go 12 consecutive months, not qualified for sea duty - which is our rough metric for deployability in the Navy because we’re a seagoing service - then you are subject to processing for administrative separation," CNP said. It doesn’t mean that sailor will be given the heave-ho, “but will be looked at for separation," he said. The new rules go into effect Oct. 1. The new Navy personnel message gets tougher with sailors for medical, legal and/or administrative issues if they exceed the 12-month deadline. There will be exceptions to the stricter policy for those who are unable to deploy due to pregnancy, combat-related injuries, and a few other reasons. "We’ll look at this on a case basis and extenuating circumstances will be considered," Burke said. The new rule isn’t a Navy-only effort. It comes down from Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis. The retired Marine four-star general wants to slash the number of troops who can’t be deployed –around 235,000 people (11 percent) of the 2.1M active-duty and reserve personnel. (Source: Navy Times 09/26/18)

96-hour NEX appreciation event

The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEX) is holding a world-wide, 96-hour Customer Appreciation Event that began Sept. 27. The event will feature True Blue Deals on apparel, handbags, shoes, watches, sunglasses, luggage, small appliances, furniture, electronics, fitness, cookware, consumer electronics, and robotic vacuums. Every dollar spent at the NEX goes directly back to sailors and their families. Since 1946, the Navy Exchange Service Command has given more than $3.6B to Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs and improvements to stores and facilities. Check out the deals at MyNavyExchange.com. NEX Gulf Coast locations in Mississippi: Columbus, Gulfport, Stennis; Louisiana: Belle Chasse; Florida: Pensacola, Whiting Field, Panama City. (Source: NEX 09/26/18)

Austal pact: $16.4M for LCS-18

Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., is awarded $16,459,663 for cost-plus-award-fee order N6931618F4003 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 Charleston’s (LCS-18) post shakedown availability (PSA). The PSA is accomplished within a period of about 16-to-20 weeks between the time of ship’s custody transfer to the Navy and the Shipbuilding and Conversion, Navy (SCN) obligation work limiting date. Efforts will include program management, advance planning, engineering, design, prefabrication, and material kitting. Work will be performed in Mobile (60 percent) and San Diego (40 percent). It is expected to be completed by August 2019. FY 2014 /18 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $8,550,000 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 09/26/18)

P’goula gets 1% of Leidos work

Leidos Innovations Corp. of Gaithersburg, Md., is awarded a $20,987,917 cost-plus-incentive-fee, cost-plus-fixed-fee, cost only modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-16-C-5202) to exercise the options for ship-installation, integrated logistic support, fleet support, and life-cycle-sustainment of the Navy’s AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 Surface Ship Undersea Warfare Systems. The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is the Surface Ship Undersea Warfare combat system with the capabilities to search, detect, classify, localize and track undersea contacts, and to engage and evade submarines, mine-like small objects and torpedo threats. This contract is for four inter-related areas of support for the AN/SQQ-89A(V)15, logistics, installation, fleet support, and life-cycle-sustainment. Work will be performed in Chesapeake, Va. (26%); Everett, Wash. (23%); Norfolk, Va. (19%); Yokosuka, Japan (14%); San Diego (13%); Bath, Maine; Manassas, Va.; Mayport, Fla.; Pascagoula, Miss.; and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (all 1% each), and is expected to be completed by August 2020. FY 2013, 2016, 2017, and 2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; FY-17/18 other Navy procurement; and FY-18 Navy operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $10,261,096 will be obligated at the time of award; and $75,223 will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/26/18)

Partners in hands-free dive module

JFD has partnered with Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla., to develop an advanced hands-free combat diver navigation module called “Shadow NAV”. Combat divers conduct underwater missions in hazardous and zero visibility. Critical to success is having an accurate underwater compass and depth readings to assist with navigation while staying within depth limits of a closed circuit oxygen rebreather to prevent oxygen toxicity, which can cause significant health risks. Tactical swim-board mounted compasses, depth gauges, and chronometers are obsolete in zero-visibility. Shadow NAV is fitted to a diver’s standard mask and provides a visual display of the wearer’s compass heading, depth, and visibility conditions. Through using a mask-mounted head-up display, combat divers are not restricted by negative mission environments. JFD anticipates that the small, low-power enhanced navigation capability may significantly improve safety standards for military divers. (Source: Shephard Media 09/25/18) JFD is a leading provider of submarine rescue capability and training. The company is a leading supplier of commercial and defense diving equipment and saturation diving systems to the commercial industry.

DCL, Aerostar partner over UAVs

DCL Rigging & Mooring (DCL) of Houma/New Orleans, La., and Aerostar Drone Solutions of Canada have created an alliance to shake up traditional Asset Management and Engineering Inspection Service Markets in North America. The partners intend to lower the cost of conducting engineering surveys and inspection engagements by utilizing advanced, multiple-imaging sensors on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). “This alliance is another example of DCL offering a new technology to help facilitate safe and efficient O&G (oil and gas) operations in a changing world,” said DCL President Cody Schnuriger. Over the past two years, Aerostar has proven its UAV technology will reduce the risk to people and provide a low-cost alternative to conventional inspection practices, said Aerostar President Darren Jackson. Aerostar has developed some industry-leading UAV inspection services that directly supports the Asset Integrity efforts of its customers. Some of these services include Live Flare Stack inspections, Confined Space Internal inspections, Heat Loss Surveys, Corrosion Under Insulation inspections, Pipeline Right-Of-Way inspections. Aerostar has proven that UAV technology can “typically save a client up to 75 percent on mandatory engineering inspections for the Oil & Gas, Petrochemical, Refinery and Offshore Industries,” said Jackson. (Source: Marine Link 09/25/18)

CG to transfer patrol boats to Ukraine

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Coast Guard is scheduled to implement the transfer of two former 110-foot Coast Guard cutters, Drummond and Cushing, to the Ukraine during a ceremony Sept. 27 at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Md. (Source: Coast Guard media advisory 09/25/18) Gulf Coast Note: Both cutters were built at Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, La. USCGC Cushing (WPB-1321) was commissioned in the Spring of 1988 at Coast Guard Base Mobile, Ala.

Global contract: $13M

Global Connections to Employment of Pensacola, Fla., is awarded $13,028,622 for modification P00010 to extend the previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N68836-17-C-0005) to exercise option period two for full food and mess attendant services in support of Naval Air Station Pensacola; and Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal School at Elgin Air Force Base, Fla.; and mess attendant services in support of Naval Construction Battalion Center at Gulfport, Miss. The contract includes a one-month base period, two 12-month option periods, one 11-month option period, and a six-month extension option, which if all options are exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $45,737,677. Work will be performed in Pensacola (60%); Elgin (20%); and Gulfport (20%), and work is expected to be completed by September 2019. If all options on the contract are exercised, work will be completed by February 2021. Subject to the availability of funds, FY 2019 Navy operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $13,028,622 will be incrementally funded throughout year, and funds will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract is a sole-source procurement under the AbilityOne Program (Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 8.704) with one offer received. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center of Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/24/18)

Atchafalaya contracts: $23M

Citi Approved Enterprise of Harvey, La., was awarded a $13,195,792 firm-fixed-price contract for Atchafalaya Basin floodway, Boeuf Lock, 2018 south chamber guide wall replacement. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in Morgan City, La., with an estimated completion date of April 30, 2020. FY 2018 Mississippi River and Tributaries funds in the amount of $13,195,792 were obligated at the time of the award. Also, Hanson Construction Co. of Seattle was awarded a $10,162,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Atchafalaya River and Bayous Chene, Boeuf and Black, Atchafalaya Bay and Bar Channel, maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in St. Mary Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of March 23, 2019. FY 2018 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,162,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans, Louisiana, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/24/18)

Glemora dredging pact: $21M

Mike Hooks LLC of Westlake, La., was awarded a $21,052,718 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Glemora, La., about 25 miles southwest of Alexandria, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 1, 2019. FY 2016, 2017 and 2018 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $21,052,718 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/24/18)

O’Bannon to lead CoE project m’gmt

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ Vicksburg (Miss.) District has selected Alainna O’Bannon as chief of its programs management branch’s project management division. O’Bannon’s duties are to include development and defending the federal budget and preparing the fiscal year work plan execution. Prior to the new assignment, O’Bannon was operations and maintenance appropriation manager at the Mississippi Valley Division, which supports district offices located from St. Paul, Minn., to New Orleans. She is a native of Vicksburg with an associate’s from Hinds (Miss.) Community College and a bachelor’s in business administration from the State University of New York. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 09/24/18)

Reduce plastic flow from Miss. River

Thirty-three mayors and city leaders from the length of the Mississippi River are calling for a 20 percent reduction of plastic waste flowing into the river and out to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Three mayors and 30 other city leaders announced a commitment Sept. 20 at the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative in Davenport, Iowa. The plan is to cut plastic waste by 20 percent over the next two years. The planned reductions will come from agreements with industries operating on the river, and city and state government-led efforts, such as limits on single-use plastic bags and increased capacity at recycling facilities, said Colin Wellenkamp, the initiative's executive director. St. Gabriel, Vidalia, and Baton Rouge, La., mayors were among those signing the agreement. Plastic waste breaks down into "microplastics" that end up in drinking water and marine animals, including fish and oysters. A 2017 Louisiana State University study found that the GoM is one of the most plastic-polluted bodies of water on the planet. Much of the waste is believed to flow from the Mississippi River. (Source: NOLA.com 09/22/18)

Time running out for '16 fed flood aid

Louisiana homeowners affected by 2016 flooding, and who took a survey showing interest in the Restore Louisiana homeowner aid program, have until Oct. 1 to complete applications for assistance. Restore Louisiana has indicated that 3,000 people with damage from the March-August 2016 floods filled out an initial survey, and were invited to apply for a grant, haven't done it. Qualifying homeowners can complete applications by visiting restore.la.gov or by calling toll-free to 1-866-735-2001 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Assistance centers are open in Baton Rouge, Hammond, Lafayette, and Monroe. More than 14,000 homeowners have been awarded grants totaling $480M to date through the federally-financed program. (Source: The AP 09/23/18)

Future DoD budgets may hit FFG-X

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Defense Department is banking on billions in savings through operational efficiencies to sustain and modernize between FYs-19/23, but if those efficiencies aren’t realized, the Pentagon may have to cut major programs to make up the difference, according to defense expert Todd Harrison, director of defense budget analysis at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. During those fiscal years, DoD anticipates to “save” roughly $46B from cutting waste across the board. But if it’s not happening, the department will be faced with little wiggle room. The current DoD budget is not even close to accomplishing those savings, yet Harrison said future budget projections rely on them. If those “savings” aren’t realized, DoD will have to risk asking Congress for more money or “cut meat instead of fat,” he said. Most of the Navy’s big programs - F-35C stealth jet, Ford-class carrier, and Columbia-class submarine - will likely avoid those major cuts. But the Navy may have to scrap the next-generation frigate (FFG(X) or slow the pace on the Virginia-class submarine. In FY-20, DoD estimates an $84B budget increase, Harrison said, and $87B for FY-21. But Congress will need to work out a deal to increase the Budget Control Act of 2011 spending caps to provide for those increases, he said. “I think it’s going to be a long, hard drawn-out fight,” he said. (Source: USNI News 09/20/18)

La.-Miss. partnering biz entities

Four business entities from Louisiana and Mississippi, including the Marine Industries Science and Technology Cluster, will partner to promote entrepreneurism in the first ‘Gulf Coast Pitch Night’ in Gulfport, Miss., on Oct. 17. The Small Business Innovation Research Consortium, Louisiana Technology Transfer Office, MIS&T Cluster, and Innovate Mississippi will co-host the event at the scenic Great Southern Club in Gulfport. The collaboration is designed to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem across state lines. “The pitch competition will showcase tech talent, provide business-to-business networking, and allow entrepreneurs to meet investors in a social setting,” SBIRC chairman Andy McCandless told The Acadiana Advocate. “This is just the beginning of tech sector growth throughout the South.” In recent years, Louisiana’s economy has grown steadily in digital media and biosciences. Mississippi has seen growth in the aerospace and marine sciences’ industry. Initiatives have evolved with incubators and college technology transfer offices; and investment groups have emerged to support startups. Targeted tax incentives, like Louisiana’s Research and Development Tax Credit, have helped leverage private sector efforts, as well as public-private hubs like the Stennis Space Center in south Mississippi. (Source: Acadiana Advocate 09/20/18)

Weeks Marine contract: $19.8M

Weeks Marine of Covington, La., was awarded a $19,884,400 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance pipeline dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed in Houston with an estimated completion date of July, 7, 2019. FY 2014 and FY-18 Army operations and maintenance; and general construction funds in the combined amount of $19,884,400 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Fort Worth, Texas, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/20/18)

Christening of LCS 22

The Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Kansas City (LCS 22), during a 10 a.m. (CDT) ceremony Sept. 22, at Austal USA’s shipyard in Mobile, Ala. At the ceremony, principal speaker will be U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II from Missouri. Mrs. Tracy Davidson, wife of commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Adm. Philip Davidson, will serve as the ship's sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. (Source: U.S. Navy 09/18/19)

Navy IDs sailor killed on carrier

The Navy identified a sailor Sept. 17 who was killed on the flight deck of the carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77). Airman Apprentice Joseph Min Naglak was working on the flight deck of the carrier when struck by the propeller of an E-2C Hawkeye after he had secured the aircraft to the deck. The carrier was conducting flight operations qualifications at the time. Naglak, from New Jersey, has been aboard CVN-77 since completing naval aviation technical training in Pensacola, Fla., after enlisting in the Navy in April 2017, according to Naval Air Force Atlantic. (Source: USNI News 09/19/18)

Austal awarded LCS 32 & 34

WASHINGTON - The Navy awarded modifications to previously awarded Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) contracts for FY 2018: One LCS to Lockheed Martin and two LCS to Austal USA of Mobile, Ala. “These contract awards represent an important next step in delivering critical war-fighting capability to the fleet,” said Capt. Mike Taylor, LCS program manager. The three LCSs being awarded Sept. 18 are the future LCS 29, LCS 32 and LCS 34. LCS 29 will be built at Fincantieri Marinette (Wis.) Marine. LCS 32 and LCS 34 will be built at Austal USA. The Navy has accepted delivery of 16 LCS. Including today’s contract modifications, a total of 32 LCSs have been procured. Ten ships are under construction (LCS 15, 17, 19 through 26), and six additional ships are under contract (LCS 27-30, 32, 34). Austal builds the even-numbered hulls. The Navy may release a competitive solicitation(s) for additional LCS class ships in FY 2019, and therefore the specific contract award amount for these ships is considered source selection sensitive information (41 U.S. Code 2101, et seq., Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) 2.101 and FAR 3.104) and will not be made public at this time. Work on the Austal LCS will be performed in Mobile (61%); Pittsfield, Mass. (20%); Cincinnati, Ohio (4%); Kingsford, Mich. (1%); Bristol, Conn. (1%); and various other locations of less than one percent each (totaling 13%), and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Lockheed Martin of Baltimore, Md., is awarded a fixed-price-incentive firm target modification to a previously awarded contract (N00024-18-C-2300) for construction of one LCS. Work will be performed in Marinette, Wis. (40%); Washington, D.C. (7%); Baltimore (6%); Beloit, Wis. (2%); Iron Mountain, Mich. (2%); Milwaukee (1%); Waunakee, Wis. (1%); Crozet, Va. (1%); Coleman, Wis. (1%); Monrovia, Calif. (1%); and various other locations of less than one percent (totaling 38%), and is expected to be completed by September 2024. FY 2018 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract modification was awarded via a limited competition between Austal USA and Lockheed Martin pursuant to 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(3) and FAR 6.302-3. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/18/18)

Riverboat conversion at Houma

American Queen Steamboat awarded a contract to Gulf Island Shipyards in Houma, La., to convert a 23-year-old casino boat into a 245-passenger riverboat. The Kanesville Queen will become the American Countess, the fourth vessel for AQS that recently moved its headquarters from Memphis to New Albany, Ind. Construction is expected to begin in the fourth quarter. No delivery date has been announced. The company earlier said it expected to start its cruises primarily on e Lower Mississippi River in 2019. The 257-foot vessel will travel under its own power to Gulf Island in Houma from Marine Builders Inc. in Jeffersonville, Ind., where it’s been sitting since moving from Iowa. AQS has built its fleet by and refurbishing used vessels. (Source: Work Boat 09/17/18)

C&C delivers third towboat

C&C Marine and Repair of Belle Chasse, La., delivered the third in a series of new 6,600 hp triple-screw Z-drive towboats to Marquette Transportation of Paducah, Ky. The Jerry Jarrett’s design includes three Cummins QSK60-M main engines that are paired to three Steerprop SP25D azimuthing Z-drive thrusters from Karl Senner of Kenner, La. The triple azimuthing Z-drive configuration is designed to allow for optimal speed, power and maneuverability. The Jerry Jarrett was delivered four months after the second towboat in the series, Chris Reeves, was delivered and only seven months after the first boat in the series, Cindy L. Erickson, was delivered by C&C Marine and Repair in February. After delivery of the second towboat, Marquette Transportation exercised the option for a fourth. That towboat is scheduled for delivery in December. C&C Marine and Repair was established in 1997 and is located in Belle Chasse on 80 acres along the Intracoastal Waterway. (Source: Work Boat 09/17/18)

VT Halter Marine contract: $77.8M

VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $77,898,158 firm-fixed-price contract for the detail design and construction of the Auxiliary Personnel Lighter – Small (APL(S)). These craft are similar to barges used in the commercial oil and gas industry. APL(S) was determined to be a commercial item and is being acquired under the procedures in Federal Acquisition Regulations Part 12 “Acquisition of Commercial Items”. The initial contract is for the detail design and construction of the lead and second craft in the APL(S) 67 class. This contract includes options for four additional craft and associated crew familiarization and packaging and delivery, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $244,065,420. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (58%). The remaining 42 percent will be performed in the following areas: Mandeville and Metairie, La.; Gautier, Miss.; Billerica, Mass.; and Boca Raton, Fla.; and is expected to be completed by July 2020. FY 2018 and FY-17 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amounts of $38,957,903, and $38,940,255, respectively, will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was a limited competition between VT Halter Marine Inc. and Bollinger Shipyards, located primarily in Louisiana and Texas, under 10 U.S. Code 2304 (c)(3) implemented at Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-3. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/17/18)

Navy’s going to need a bigger ship

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Navy Surface Warfare community is moving fast on wanting to buy a new large surface ship to replace aging cruisers, and it’s going to need to be more spacious accommodate future upgrades and weapon systems. Rear Adm. Ron Boxall, head of the Chief of Naval Operations’ Director of Surface Warfare has convened a “large surface combatant requirements evaluation team” to figure out what requirements are going to be needed for the larger ship. The goal, according Boxall, will be to buy the first cruiser replacement in 2023 or 2024. The acquisition process should kick off in 2019. Navy-thinking is that it’s going to need extra power for energy-intensive weapons of the future - electromagnetic rail guns and lasers. A key requirement is adaptability to upgrade and grow more quickly. The replacement ship will incorporate Raytheon’s AN/SPY-6 air and missile defense radar, the same way as the new DDG Flight III. The combatant will have the Flight III requirements as a baseline with room to grow, he said. The new ship will likely borrow elements from both the current DDGs and the Zumwalt-class destroyers that are entering the fleet. Also integral to any future ship will be the ability to host unmanned vehicles (drones), Boxall said. The Navy is starting down a path of incorporating drones into almost every aspect of war- fighting and including aerial refueling drones such as the MQ-25. The Navy has been integrating drones in recent years. The MQ-8 Fire Scout - an unmanned helicopter that can fly off a cruiser, destroyer or Littoral Combat Ship’s flight deck, and be used for targeting, was used in August to kill a target with a Harpoon missile launched from the Alabama-built USS Coronado (LCS 4). Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence variant of LCS. (Source: Defense News 09/17/18)

NSC Stone’s keel authenticated

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding authenticated the keel of the National Security Cutter Stone (WMSL 758) on Sept. 14. It is the ninth Legend-class cutter built at Ingalls for the Coast Guard. Laura Cavallo, the great niece of the ship’s namesake, former Coast Guard commander Elmer “Archie” Fowler Stone, is the ship’s sponsor. Demetrica Hawkins, a structural welder at HII-Pascagoula, welded Cavallo’s initials onto a steel plate, signifying the keel of NSC 9 as being “truly and fairly laid.” The plate will remain affixed to the ship throughout its lifetime. Ingalls has delivered six NSC, the flagship of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class high-endurance cutters that entered service in the 1960s. The ship’s namesake, former Cmdr. Stone became the Coast Guard’s first aviator upon graduating from flight training at Pensacola, Fla., in April 1917. In 1919, Stone was one of two pilots to successfully make a transatlantic flight in the Navy seaplane NC-4. (Source: Huntington Ingalls Industries 09/14/18) The Curtiss flying boat NC-4 is on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Pensacola Florida.

Revolutionizing workboat fabrication

A large percentage of the workboat fabrication industry is located along the Gulf Coast. A visit to anyone of them would likely reveal an antiquated fabrication process that has been used over the last 70 ago. The workboat manufacturing process is expensive, labor intensive, and hasn’t changed a great deal since WWII. It may be time to resign the manufacturing process from the bottom up. A new solid-state welding process for aerospace technologies is being developed at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in North Alabama. It can reduce costs and decrease manufacturing schedules. Although NASA welding development focuses on the aerospace discipline, many applications exist for these same solid-state weld processes in the maritime industry. (Source: Marine Link 09/14/18)

Diesel fuel test burns on bay

MOBILE, Ala. – The Coast Guard Research and Development Center and federal, state and local stakeholders will be conducting a series of controlled test burns of diesel fuel on Little Sand Island in Mobile (Ala.) Bay beginning Sept. 17. There will be several test burns during the week that will last for about 10 minutes and produce a small plume of black smoke. Pre-planned burns allow researchers to gather critical data and determine best practices for operational use of in-situ burning to help oil spill responders develop new equipment and procedures and train response personnel. (Source: Coast Guard 09/14/18)

3 GC firms to compete for $49M pact

Seaside Engineering & Surveying of Baker, Fla. (W91278-18-D-0082); Gustin, Cothern & Tucker of Niceville, Fla. (W91278-18-D-0083); Joyner Keeny of Rocky Mount, N.C. (W91278-18-D-0084); Maptech Inc., Jackson, Miss. (W91278-18-D-0085); Merrick & Co., Greenwood Village of Colorado (W91278-18-D-0086); SurvTech Solutions of Tampa, Fla. (W91278-18-D-0088); and Woolpert Inc. of Dayton, Ohio (W91278-18-D-0090) will compete for each order of the $49,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for architect and engineering services for survey and mapping. Bids were solicited via the internet with 42 received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 12, 2021. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of Mobile, Ala., is the contracting activity. (DoD 09/13/18)

NSAPC $7.2M contract

EMR Inc. of Niceville, Fla., is awarded $7,137,000 for firm-fixed-price task order N6945018F1034 under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N69450-17-D-0507) for repairs and modifications to Building 484 at Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla. The work to be performed provides for comprehensive repairs and modifications to the building shell, fire protection systems, fire exits and all interior areas associated with these components. The work also includes removal and installation of a new standing seam roof and removal and replacement of windows. Work will be performed in Panama City, and is expected to be completed by September 2020. FY 2018 Navy operations and maintenance contract funds in the amount of $7,137,000 are obligated on this award, and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast of Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/13/18) NSAPC hosts tenant commands Naval Surface Warfare Center; Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving; Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Six; Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center; and Navy Experimental Diving Unit; Navy Munitions Command detachments. The unique conditions along the Gulf of Mexico, coupled with mission synergy, make NSAPC an ideal location for fleet training and littoral warfare missions.

EOD sailors earn Bronze stars

EGLIN AFB, Fla. - Two sailors assigned to the Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal (NAVSCOLEOD) unit at Eglin AFB were awarded Bronze Star medals Sept. 11 for meritorious service in support of Special Operations Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve. During the command’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony at the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Memorial, Executive Officer Lt. Cmdr. Garrett Pankow presented the medals to EOD1 Skyler Gronert and EOD1 Brian Oberley. For Oberley, the occasion was a recognition of a family legacy. His father, retired EODCM Patrick Oberley, who attended the ceremony and is also a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal for heroic achievement during Operation Desert Storm. Brian Oberley, a native of Panama City, Fla., is a graduate of Mosley High School and Kentucky Wesleyan College. He is currently the leading petty officer for NAVSCOLEOD’s training department and will be an instructor during his tour. Gronert, a native of Inverness, Fla., received the Bronze Star for his support for Special Forces Operational Det. Alpha from January to July 2017. Gronert is cited for his personal courage and tactical proficiency. As EOD instructors, Oberley and Gronert will be able to apply their experiences to prepare technicians to locate, identify, render safe, and explosively dispose of foreign and domestic ordnance, including conventional, chemical, biological, nuclear, underwater, and terrorist-type devices. NAVSCOLEOD, located on Eglin, provides specialized basic and advanced EOD training to joint-service U.S. and partner-nation military. (Source: Naval School Explosive Ordnance Disposal 09/11/18)

Seemann opens bow dome facility

Seemann Composites celebrated an expansion of a new $4.6M submarine bow dome production facility Sept. 12 at the Bayou Bernard Industrial Park in Gulfport, Miss. The facility accommodates an additional 46 people (to a total of 160) for a contract with General Dynamics’ Electric Boat for the Navy. The 25,600-square-foot building is to produce bow domes for Columbia Class Ballistic Missile Submarines, which will replace the Ohio Class subs. (Source: Mississippi Business Journal 09/12/18) Sonar bow domes are located on the hulls of submarines and surface ships. Their purpose is to house electronic equipment used for detection, navigation, and ranging. Sonar domes for submarines are made of steel or glass-reinforced plastic with a half-inch rubber boot covering the exterior.

LA divvies up fed$ for coastal projects

The state announced Sept. 11 how it will divide $41M from the federal government’s National Disaster Resilience Competition among 10 flood resilience and community relocation projects – across six parishes - along the Louisiana coast. The federal funds will be spent in Lafourche, Plaquemines, St. John the Baptist, Terrebonne, Jefferson, and St. Tammany that are considered highly vulnerable to flooding, storms, rising sea levels and coastal erosion. The state had narrowed the number of projects to 10 in April, and unveiled this week how the monies will be spent. Lafourche Parish will get the largest share at $10.5M; Plaquemines gets more than $6.6M; St. John was allotted $6M; Terrebonne $6.45M for two projects; Jefferson $6M; and St. Tammany $5.3M. The projects were developed through Louisiana's Strategic Adaptations for Future Improvements program. Gov. John Bel Edwards told NOLA.com that the projects were "cutting-edge" responses to the state's "increasing vulnerability to weather events and coastal erosion." (Source: NOLA.com 09/11/18)

Hurricane Hunters fly dual mission

KEESLER AFB, Miss. – The Air Force Reserve’s “Hurricane Hunters” of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler assisted the Coast Guard with a search and rescue mission Sept. 11, locating a 41-foot Bali sailing catamaran while working a mission of flying into Hurricane Florence off the coast of the Carolinas. The catamaran was making a trans-Atlantic voyage from Portugal to the Bahamas, and was not responding. After receiving a SAR-assistance request from the CG, crew members of the 53rd WRS aircraft were able to hail the boat, and receive a reply. The Hurricane Hunters then turned to those new coordinates gotten from the sailboat crew, and the boat was identified within 10 minutes. The sailboat crew was notified about Hurricane Florence and after their destination and intent was received, the Hurricane Hunters headed back to Savannah, Ga., to continue monitoring Florence. "This isn't the first time we have conducted a search and rescue mission, because as aviators and even mariners, we have a duty to render assistance," said Lt. Col. Thomas Moffatt, 53rd WRS navigator. (Source: 403rd Wing 09/12/18)

Senate OKs ‘minibus’ bills; House next

The Senate approved a $147B funding package on a 92-5 vote on Sept. 12 for Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, Military Construction, and Veterans Affairs’ FY 2019 appropriations. The package now goes to the House for consideration. This "first minibus" bill includes three of 12 FY-19 appropriations bills that need to be passed by Oct. 1, the start of the new fiscal year. If all three are approved by both chambers, and signed by the president, they would account for nearly 90 percent of annual federal spending, including the military. Congress would still have to patch short-term spending for a portion of the government, including Homeland Security, which oversees the president’s wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. None of the three proposed packages considered spending for the wall. The three-bill bundle features a $5.1B increase for Veterans Affairs (VA), including $1.1B to pay for a law Trump signed in June to give veterans more freedom to see doctors outside the VA healthcare system. The bills also include $44.6B for energy and water programs, including programs to ensure nuclear stockpile readiness and spur innovation in energy research. They also fund flood-control projects and addresses regional ports and waterways. (Source: CBS 08/13/18)

Aegis field engineering contract

Lockheed Martin Corp.’s Rotary and Mission Systems of Moorestown, N.J., is awarded a $13,020,091 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for Aegis design agent field engineering services. The services include test and evaluation, engineering change development, ordnance/ship alterations, modernization engineering, logistics and technical support, ordnance alterations kit development, integration and test support, AN/SPY-1 series radar antenna refurbishment and Coast Guard deep-water program design agent field engineering support. These services are in support of Aegis-equipped CGs and DDGs, allied Aegis-equipped ships and Coast Guard Aegis-configured ships. This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $63,992,064. This contract combines purchases for the Navy (77%); and the governments of Japan (19%) and Spain (4%) under the Foreign Military Sales program. Work will be performed in Norfolk, Va. (34%); San Diego (31%); Pascagoula, Miss. (4%); Washington, D.C. (4%); Port Hueneme, Calif. (4%); Yokosuka, Japan (19%), and Rota, Spain (4%), and is expected to be completed by September 2019. FY 2018 Navy operations and maintenance funding in the amount of $445,133; and FY-18 other Navy procurement funding in the amount of $713,000 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). Naval Surface Warfare Center of Corona, Calif., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/11/18)

DoD industrial base study ok'd

WASHINGTON - The White House and Defense Department have been planning a major announcement Sept. 13 regarding the presidential-directed defense industrial base report. President Trump was briefed and signed off on the report last week. That president’s go-ahead was to have set the stage for a White House media blitz that was to include economic advisor Peter Navarro. But the president’s role in the release was thrown into question Monday, after the White House announced it was cancelling a Trump’s speech in Jackson, Miss., due to Hurricane Florence’s anticipated landfall in the Carolinas. The speech was set to mention the report, but wasn’t its focus. The report is the result of an executive order signed by Trump last July, which brought together over a dozen working groups from the Pentagon to the departments of Commerce and Homeland Security. The groups focused on different areas, including shipbuilding, ground vehicles, and specific supply chains stretching across the globe, to workforce training and cybersecurity. In August, the Breaking Defense website took a sneak peek at the scope of the report, finding that instead of massive long-term changes to policy, the report will spend more time into putting out smaller more immediate changes aimed at fixing problems and concerns now in the complex supply chains and supplier availability. (Source: Breaking Defense 09/11/18)

VT Halter to build new ATB

Pascagoula, Miss., shipbuilder VT Halter Marine has secured a new contract to build an articulated tug barge (ATB) tug with an option for a second vessel for Bouchard Transportation Co. of New York. Construction of the M/V Evening Stroll begins immediately at the Mississippi shipyard with delivery scheduled for December 2019. The vessel will enter into Bouchard’s fleet service in NYC to transport liquid petroleum products throughout the Jones Act Market. (Source: Marine Link 09/11/18)

PC exec to serve on FL ports council

At the Florida Ports Council’s annual board meeting last week in St. Petersburg, Port Miami Director/CEO Juan Kuryla was elected chairman. Port of Palm Beach Executive Director Manuel Almira was elected vice chairman, and Port Panama City Executive Director Wayne Stubbs was elected secretary/treasurer. All positions serve one-year terms. The Florida Ports Council is the professional association of Florida’s 14 public seaports, providing advocacy, leadership and research on seaport-related issues at the state and federal level. Stubbs came to Panama City in August 2001 to serve as executive director of the Panama City Port Authority. (Source: Maritime Logistics 09/10/18) During his tenure, the port has invested more than $75M in new facilities, and achieved a threefold increase in cargo activity.

Weeks Marine pact: $35.5M

Weeks Marine Inc. of Covington, La., was awarded a $35,545,001 firm-fixed-price contract for removal and disposal of material. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in Plaquemines Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 12, 2019. FY 2018 civil works funds in the amount of $35,545,001 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/10/18)

Sperry Marine pact: $19.5M

Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Sperry Marine of Harvey, La., was awarded a $19,594,487 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for electronic chart display information systems and corresponding X-Band Radar and S-Band Radar units. This contract fulfills Military Sealift Command’s (MSC) requirement for the delivery of new electronic display information systems and radar units for various MSC classes of ships to replace outdated navigational equipment. The new navigational equipment will give MSC the opportunity to replace, update, and improve the command’s navigational capabilities to standardize equipment throughout the MSC fleet. Work will be performed in Harvey, Louisiana, and is expected to be completed by Sept. 9, 2023. FY 2018 Navy working capital funds in the amount of $3,500 are obligated to cover the minimum-guarantee. Working Navy capital funds will be used on individual delivery orders as they are issued to deliver equipment. This contract was competitively procured, with proposals solicited via the government-wide Point of Entry Federal Business Opportunities website, with six proposals were received in response to the solicitation. Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/10/18. Awarded Sept. 7, 2018.)

Spec Warfare seeks enlisted apps

WASHINGTON – The Navy Special Warfare enlisted community manager at the Chief of Naval Personnel announced that the Navy is seeking E-1 through E-5 applicants for conversion to Special Warfare Operator (SO) and Special Warfare Boat Operator (SB) ratings, according to NAVADMIN 224/18, which was released Sept. 10. SOs perform maritime and land-based special operations with duties that include combat diving, para-drop operations, small boat operations, tactical ground mobility, small arms and crew-served weapons, fast roping, rappelling, explosives, communications, trauma care, intelligence gathering and interpretation, and Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Explosive (CBRNE) defense measures. SBs conduct maritime special operations in open ocean, littoral, and riverine environments. They provide maritime insertion and extraction of Special Operations Forces and others. SBs also possess unique skills in the operation, maintenance, and repair of specially configured combatant/non-standard craft, operate and maintain small arms and crew-served weapons, tactical communications equipment, Unmanned Aerial System/Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, and use air delivery techniques to insert combatant craft. Other skills include small boat tactics, tactical ground mobility, call for fires, trauma care, intelligence gathering, interpretation, and CBRNE defense measures. For more information on conversion opportunity read NAVADMIN 224/18 at www.npc.navy.mil/. (Source: Chief of Naval Personnel 09/10/18)

Old Ironsides: 9/11 anniversary

BOSTON - Old Ironsides will commemorate the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks with canon fire and solemn music. Navy crews with USS Constitution on Sept. 11 will fire one-gun salutes to mark when airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon, and a field in Somerset County, Pa., 17 years ago. Taps will also be played at the times when the two World Trade Center towers and part of the Pentagon collapsed as well as when United Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 6,000. The world's oldest commissioned warship still afloat was launched in 1797 and earned its nickname "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812. (Source: The Associated Press 09/09/18)

Avoiding a fed gov't shutdown

WASHINGTON – House and Senate negotiators are expected to make a deal Sept. 10 on a package of three spending bills for FY 2019 that will set in motion Republican leaders' plans to avoid a partial government shutdown Oct. 1. The congressional funding actions still leave some uncertainty such as whether President Trump will defer until after the mid-term elections his partial government shutdown talk over funding for U.S.-Mexico border wall funding. The House is tentatively scheduled to vote on the three “minibus” bills this week that would include funds for the departments of Energy and Veterans Affairs, and the legislative branch of government. The Senate may also vote this week, though that would require an agreement among lawmakers to speed up procedures. Most of the federal government has not yet been funded. FY-18 funding expires at 12:01 a.m. Oct 1. (Source: Wall Street Journal 09/10/18)

La. vessel support: $7.4M

Hornbeck Offshore Operators of Covington, La., is awarded a $7,471,447 firm-fixed-price contract for a time charter of the HOS Mystique vessel in support of U.S. Southern Command. This multi-mission support vessel will be chartered to provide proof of concept for a single vessel to meet various training, exercise, experimentation, and operational mission support requirements. Work will be performed at sea, and is expected to be completed June 14, 2019. FY 2018 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,471,447 are being obligated at the time of award. Funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Military Sealift Command's Navy Electronic Commercial Online and the Federal Business Opportunities websites, with six offers received. Navy Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 09/07/18)

GC Seabees drilling for water

RIOHACHA, Colombia - Amidst a nearly decade-long drought, a team of U.S. Navy construction professionals assigned to the Gulfport, Miss.-based Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 began water well drilling exploration operations in Riohacha on Aug. 30 as part of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2018. NMCB-133 is working side-by-side with members of the Wayuu population who are indigenous to the Colombian town in an effort to bring a greater supply of fresh water to the community. The activity is labeled as an exploration because there is never a guarantee water will be found. To increase the chances of finding water, SPS and NMCB-133 has brought in an on-site geologist who is conducting scientific studies of the drilling area. (Source: Southern Partnership Station 09/096/18) NMCB 133 is a Navy Construction (Seabee) Battalion homeported on the Gulf Coast at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport.

La. yard delivers whale-watching crafts

Gulf Craft of Franklin, La., delivered a pair of multi-functional 98-foot aluminum catamaran passenger vessels, the ‘Acadia Explorer’ and ‘Schoodic Explorer’, to the Bar Harbor (Maine) Whale Watch Co. Designed by Incat Crowther, the 150-passenger certified vessels will be used for whale watching excursions, nature cruises and lighthouse tours in the Acadia National Park and surrounding areas as well for providing tender services to cruise ships which frequent Bar Harbor during the spring and summer months. (Source: Work Boat 09/05/18) Gulf Craft is one of the nation's leading family-owned and operated companies that design, engineer and build aluminum commercial vessels. Gulf Craft's main facility is completely integrated for efficient vessel construction. It is located on 100 acres of property along the Charenton Canal in Franklin. The facility is accessible to and from the Gulf of Mexico via the Atchafalaya River and Intracoastal Canal.

NHC watching two tropical systems

The National Weather Center (NHC) continues to monitor two tropical weather systems in the Atlantic Ocean on Sept. 5, including a disturbance expected to develop into a tropical depression by the end of the week. Both systems are expected to move across the Atlantic though it’s too early to tell whether they will make landfall. The NHC said the tropical disturbance was located a couple hundred miles south-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands off the coast of western Africa. The system has become "better organized" since Tuesday, forecasters said; and are giving the disturbance a chance of forming into a tropical depression in about five days. Additionally, NHC forecasters are watching a second system, a tropical wave that is expected to move off the west coast of Africa over the next several days. (Source: NOLA.com 09/05/18)
Meanwhile, Hurricane Florence picked up strength overnight Sept. 5 reaching winds of 120 mph to become the first major hurricane of the Atlantic season, according to the NHC. Meteorologists reported early Wednesday that the storm had become a Category 3 hurricane. The current five-day forecast does not show Florence affecting land.According to the NHC's early morning advisory, Florence was located about 1,440 miles east of Bermuda and was moving at northwest at about 13 mph.

House moves to negotiate DoD bill

The U.S. House of Representatives moved Sept. 4 to begin negotiations with the Senate on a Defense Department funding bill that the upper chamber paired with domestic appropriations. In its first day back from August recess, the House approved by voice vote a motion to go to conference with the Senate on the $675B defense bill. Lawmakers are hoping to approve a final measure by the day before FY 2019 begins on Oct. 1. If it happens, it’d be an accomplishment that hasn’t been met in nine years. But, of course, there will be multiple complicating factors standing in the way. Also, both chambers of Congress only plan to be in session for 11 days between now and October. In order to gain bipartisan support for the dueling spending measures, the Senate paired the DoD bill with the departments of Labor, Education, and Health and Human Services. The Senate passed the combined $854B bill in August. Senators on both sides of the aisle have said they want to keep the two bills together, a move that could complicate negotiations. The House has not passed its version of domestic spending. If the conference committee gets the deal done, President Trump has threatened to shut down the government if he doesn’t get funding for a proposed wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Congressional leaders are to meet with the president Sept. 5 in an ongoing effort to persuade him to postpone a shut down until after the November mid-term elections. Both the House and the Senate proposals would fund a 2.6 percent military pay raise. The House bill would also provide $9.4B for 93 F-35 jets - 16 more than requested, and four more than in the Senate bill. Also, the House bill would allocate $22.7B for a dozen new Navy ships - two more than requested, and one less than in the Senate bill. The two extra ships in the House bill are Littoral Combat Ships, which Congress continues to buy despite the Navy’s plan to transition away from it, so that Austal USA and Mariette Marine shipyards can keep working and keep pace for future orders. (Source: The Hill 09/04/18) Gulf Coast Note: Austal USA shipyard builds the Independence LCS. Marinette (Wis.) Marine builds the Freedom variant.

CG conducting storm after-action

NEW ORLEANS - Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., deployed assets and personnel Sept 5 throughout affected counties of the Gulf Coast for post Tropical Storm Gordon assessments. HC-144 aircraft were to conduct an overflight, and H-65 and H-60 rescue helicopters from Aviation Training Center Mobile are standing by for necessary response efforts. CG members are also evaluating the conditions of ports and waterways in the impacted areas. Mariners are still advised to take precautions when getting underway and securing vessels. For up-to-date Marine Safety Information Bulletins, visit Sector Mobile’s Homeport page at: https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/mobile and look for links under "Safety Notifications." The CG, in coordination with the Army Corps of Engineers, ports, and local emergency management agencies, are focusing on the swift reopening of ports and waterways. (Source: Coast Guard 09/05/18)

Austal delivers LCS 18 to Navy

MOBILE, Ala. - The Navy accepted delivery of the future Littoral Combat Ship USS Charleston (LCS 18) during a ceremony here at the Austal USA shipyard on Aug. 31. The delivery marks the official transfer of LCS-18 from the Austal USA-led shipbuilding team to the Navy. It is the final milestone before commissioning, which is yet to be finalized. Charleston is the 16th LCS to be delivered to the Navy and the eighth of the Independence variant that are all built at the Mobile, Ala., shipyard. LCS-18 will make San Diego its homeport alongside other Independence LCS. The Independence variant is noted for its unique trimaran hull and its large flight deck. (Source: US Navy 09/04/18)

54 rigs shut down ahead of Gordon

U.S. oil prices edged upward past $70 per barrel on Sept. 4 after Anadarko Petroleum Corp. shutdown and evacuated two Gulf of Mexico oil platforms in preparation of a potential Cat 1 hurricane named Gordon that is making a bee-line for the northern Gulf Coast. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures were at $70.04 per barrel (up 24 cents). (Source: Marine Link 09/04/18) UPDATE: A total of 54 O&G production platforms in the Gulf of Mexico were shutdown because of the threat posed by TS Gordon, according to a Sept. 4 media releases from the federal Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement. Those numbers represented 7.86 percent of the 687 manned platforms in the GoM.

Gordon may reach ‘Cat 1’ status

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. - Tropical Storm (TS) Gordon lashed South Florida with heavy rains and high winds Sept. 3 and is expected to strengthen into a “Cat 1” hurricane before making landfall on the northern Gulf Coast. The TS is still moving west-northwest at 17 mph and expected to reach hurricane strength by the time it hits coastal Louisiana and Mississippi late Sept. 4. From there, it is forecast to move inland over the lower Mississippi Valley on Sept. 5. A storm surge warning has been issued for the area stretching from Shell Beach, La., eastward to Dauphin Island, Ala. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the city has "the pumps and the power" needed to protect its residents. Yet, authorities issued a voluntary evacuation order for areas outside the city's levee protection system, including the Venetian Isles, Lake Saint Catherine and the Irish Bayou areas. Additionally, TS Florence continues to hold steady over the eastern Atlantic. Forecasters say little change in strength is expected in the coming days, and no coastal watches or warnings are in effect. (Source: Associated Press 09/03/18)

CG sets Port Condition Zulu

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard has begun securing its area of responsibility Sept. 3 and adjusting port conditions along the Gulf Coast as the threat of Tropical Storm Gordon continues its northward motion. The Coast Guard urges all mariners to continuously monitor local and national weather sources and avoid coastal areas that may be impacted by the storm. Owners of large boats are urged to move those vessels to less vulnerable inland marinas to prevent damage. Trailer-able boats should be pulled from the water, tied securely to trailers and stored in non-prone flooding areas. Those who are leaving their boats in the water are reminded to update their Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon registration, and secure EPIRBs safely to vessels prior to a major storm. The CG has set Port Condition X-Ray for the New Orleans’ Captain of the Port Zone, and the ports of Pascagoula and Gulfport, Miss. All commercial vessels and barges greater than 500 gross tons and all oceangoing barges and their supporting tugs shall report to the CG captain of the port their intention to depart or remain in port. Those planning to remain in port must complete an application and submit it in writing within 24 hours to Sector New Orleans’ captain of the port. Additional information on Port Condition X-Ray and the latest port conditions can be found on Marine Safety Information Bulletin Vol. XVIII Issue 60 found the Coast Guard Sector New Orleans Homeport website at https://homeport.uscg.mil/port-directory/new-orleans. All marine interests must take early and substantial action to ensure safety of the port and vessels. For updates on port statuses follow the Coast Guard Heartland Twitter account at @USCGHeartland. (Source: Coast Guard 09/03/18) UPDATE PORT CONDITIONS: The CG has now set Port Condition YANKEE for the Sector New Orleans and Sector Mobile, Ala., areas. Port Condition YANKEE is set when hurricane-force winds are possible within 24 hours. During YANKEE, all affected ports are closed to inbound vessel traffic greater than 500 gross tons. All vessels greater than 500 gross tons without permission to remain in port should have departed or be prepared to depart prior to the setting of Port Condition ZULU. For planning purposes, in ZULU the port is closed, and all port operations are suspended.
PORT CONDITION 'ZULU': The Coast Guard set Port Condition ZULU for the ports of Gulfport and Pascagoula, Miss., and Mobile, Ala. ZULU closes the port and suspends all port operations. It is set when hurricane-force winds are possible within 12 hours.


UPDATED POTENTIAL WEATHER CONDITIONS: Tropical Storm conditions for all of southeastern Louisiana east of Morgan City, including lakes Pontchartrain and Maurepas, while a hurricane watch is in effect from the mouth of the Pearl River to the Alabama-Florida border. A storm surge warning is in effect for areas east of the Mississippi River, from Shell Beach in St. Bernard Parish (La.) east to Dauphin Island, Ala. A warning means there’s a danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the coastline during the next 36 hours. A storm surge watch remains in effect for areas south of Shell Beach to the mouth of the Mississippi River. Forecasters with the Slidell office of the National Weather Service warned that residents of southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi should prepare for potential winds of 58 to 73 mph, or a strong tropical storm. (Source: NOLA.com 09/03/18)

Canal to modify reservation system

On Oct. 1, the Panama Canal will implement changes in Transit Reservation (booking) System for Neo-Panamax vessels for new Neo-Panamax locks, which includes a restructuring of payment fees for the liquefied natural gas segment (LNG), in order to optimize the use of the inter-oceanic route. A Panama Canal Administration (ACP) media release indicated that the modifications "are a positive step for the neopanamax locks", and take into account the lifting of certain rules of navigation to LNG ships, as well as comments from customers. (Marine Link 09/02/18)

Data Summit 3 at MSU

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Industry and state leaders will gather Sept. 13-14 at Mississippi State University for the third annual Data Summit, hosted by MSU’s National Strategic Planning and Analysis Research Center (NSPARC). Sessions will explore how data science can lead to new innovations and processes within the “smart city” concept across various industries, including education, energy, city planning, transportation, security and data governance. Keynote speakers will be Mississippi Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and NSPARC Executive Director Domenico “Mimmo” Parisi. Other speakers from the business world will include, among others, Jessica Osaki, product operations manager at Google; and Michael Baker International’s (MBI) Matt Smith, Connected and Automated Vehicles program manager. Registration for the summit is $40. Elected officials may register for free. (Source: MSU 08/31/18) MBI is a global engineering, planning and consulting services’ firm. It was selected by the City of Columbus, Miss., to support U.S. Department of Transportation projects within the Smart Columbus grant portfolio. MBI will provide project management, systems engineering expertise, and administrative support for Columbus’ programs. MBI has Gulf Coast offices in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.

Reserve dive det comes to Gulf Coast

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) at Panama City is joining forces with an NEDU Reserve Detachment to strengthen diver readiness and improve fleet support. For the last 12 years, the Reserve Detachment has been working under Naval Operations Support Center (NOSC) Chicago, and providing long-distance support to Panama City. In August, the Reserve Detachment relocated to NOSC Pensacola, Fla., where they will be in close proximity, and have increased collaboration and a high velocity learning environment to improve training and maximize knowledge sharing. Overall, the change will maximize NR NEDU’s ability to support NEDU, and the dive unit to better execute its mission of supporting the Navy’s dive fleet through biomedical research and independent testing and evaluation of equipment and procedures. The Reservists will gain access to training and qualifications previously unavailable to them. They will also be able to participate in research at NEDU and work towards qualification on technical systems in NEDU’s Experimental Diving Facility and Ocean Simulation Facility. (Source: Navy Experimental Diving Unit 08/31/18)