Weeks Marine $10.7M dredge pact

Weeks Marine of Covington, La., was awarded a $10,775,000 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging of East Rockaway Inlet, N.Y. Bids were solicited via the internet with two received. Work will be performed in Queens, N.Y., with an estimated completion date of April 26, 2019. FY 2019 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $10,775,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New York City is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/28/19)

HII’s Jones earns biz woman top 10

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Feb. 28 that Denise Jones, a talent management director at HII-Pascagoula, was among the Top 10 of the Mississippi Business Journal’s Top 50 Businesswomen of 2018. Jones joined Ingalls in 1979 as a word processor in the graphic arts group. Currently, she is responsible for more than 700 registered apprentices participating in 15 trade-skills development programs. The Mississippi Business Journal selects a new class of 50 senior decision-makers who are among the most powerful, influential women business leaders in the state. More than an awards program, the Top 50 Businesswomen is a development and networking organization that encompasses training opportunities for the honorees to grow together as business leaders. (Source: HII-Pascagoula 02/28/19)

Navy to commission LCS 18

WASHINGTON - The Navy will commission its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat ship (LCS), the future USS Charleston (LCS 18), during a 9 a.m. (CT) ceremony March 2 in Charleston, S.C. “The future USS Charleston is proof of what the teamwork of all of our people - civilian, contractor (Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.) and military - can accomplish together,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina will deliver the commissioning's principal address. Charlotte Riley, wife of former Charleston Mayor Joe Riley, is the ship’s sponsor. The ship will be homeported in San Diego, alongside sister Independence variant LCS built by Austal USA. The ceremony, using hashtag #USSCharleston, can be viewed on the Navy Live blog, visit http://navylive.dodlive.mil/?p=48648. (Source: Navy.mil 02/27/19)

PC sonar system development testing

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The Navy announced completion of developmental testing for the AN/AQS-20C mine-hunting sonar system Feb. 26 at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City. The AQS-20C is the “Next-Gen” of the AN/AQS-20 system designed to be incorporated into the Littoral Combat Ship’s Mine Countermeasures Mission (MCM) warfare package. The system consists of four sonar arrays: Two side-looking, a gap-filler, and forward-looking sonar arrays to provide simultaneous detection, localization and classification of mines. The system delivers high-definition images that combine to form a 3D image during post-mission analysis.During testing, Raytheon’s towed sonar sensor conducted 12 underway missions in several operational modes and at different depths at four separate NSWCPC test ranges in the Gulf of Mexico. The missions were conducted aboard the test vessel M/V Patriot. The AQS-20C will be integrated with and deployed from the MCM Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV), a semi-autonomous diesel-powered and aluminum surface craft that supports MCM payloads. Test results will undergo assessments leading to a final developmental testing report, which is expected to be completed this spring. (Source: Program Executive Office 02/27/19)

Navy in need of 6,200 at-sea sailors

WASHINGTON, DC – The Navy is short some 6,200 sailors to meet at-sea requirements for its fleet. The gap could be exacerbated as the Navy adds new ships, Adm. Chris Grady - head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command - told a combined hearing of the House Armed Services readiness and seapower and projection forces subcommittees. Those sailors will, in part, be used to add crews to each surface ship, after the Navy had had gone to a lower “optimal manning” crew size to save personnel costs, he said. In 2012, the number of crew on a DDG was 240. In 2017, it’s about 270, and is to be “funded back up very close to the original size of a guided-missile destroyer in 2023 at about 318,” he said. According to the written testimony submitted, from Grady and Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. John Aquilino, the missing sailors are from the mid-grade and senior enlisted ranks and would take years to train and put aboard ships. There was no set of specific billets identified, but rather needed across platforms. The number could grow as the Navy adds ships to the fleet and personnel needs rise, Grady said. Growing sailors fast enough with technical skills to operate a 355-ship fleet is to be a major challenge for the sea-service and a key focus of the Navy’s ongoing surface reform effort. (Source: USNI News 02/26/19)

FERC okays La. LNG & pipeline order

ARLINGTON, Va. – Venture Global LNG announced Feb. 22 that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has issued an order granting authorizations to the company for its Venture Global Calcasieu Pass (Plaquemines Parish, La.) LNG export facility and associated TransCameron Pipeline in Cameron Parish, La. FERC approved the Calcasieu project by applying a new approach for consideration of direct greenhouse gas emissions from LNG facilities. “With our FERC order in hand, and our project contracted with a binding 20-year sale and purchase agreements (SPAs) with Shell, BP, Edison S.p.A., Galp, Repsol and PGNiG, we plan to immediately commence construction activities in Louisiana,” co-CEOs Bob Pender and Mike Sabel stated in a joint announcement. The Calcasieu construction project expects to be operational in 2022. The 10 million tons per annum (MTPA) Calcasieu Pass facility will employ a comprehensive process solution from GE Oil & Gas that utilizes mid-scale, modular, factory-fabricated liquefaction trains; and the 20 MTPA Plaquemines Parish LNG export facility and associated Gator Express Pipeline. The Calcasieu project is at the intersection of the Calcasieu Ship Channel and the Gulf of Mexico. The Plaquemines LNG facility is about 30 miles south or New Orleans on the Mississippi River. The Plaquemines facility received its draft Environmental Impact Statement in November and expects to receive its final EIS on May 3, according to the FERC. FERC has also established a 90-day federal authorization decision deadline for Aug. 1. (Source: Venture Global 02/22/19)

Navy issues RFI for LSC program

The US Navy has issued a request for information (RFI) Feb. 19 for its next-generation large-surface combatant (LSC) class of warships. The LSC program will be a new buy acquisition that uses the DDG 51 Flight III combat system as a template, according to the RFI. It also identifies and evaluates the integration of non-developmental mechanical and electrical systems into a new/modified hull design, incorporating platform flexibility and growth potential for future fleet requirements. Responses to the RFI are due by April 1. This RFI is the first of two the Navy anticipates issuing for LSC. It focuses on shipbuilders, ship designers, and ship and combat system integrators. (Source: Jane’s Navy International /02/25/19)

Trio recovered from Lake Verret

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard and Assumption Parish Sheriff’s Office rescued two individuals in Lake Verret, La., early morning Feb. 26. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report from the sheriff’s office at 12:40 a.m. of an overdue 18-foot skiff with two men and a woman aboard. Guard Air Station New Orleans launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and aircrew. An updated report from APSO indicated that one of the three had been located and taken to Assumption Community Hospital with signs of possible hyperthermia. The helicopter aircrew arrived at 2:21 a.m. and located the remaining two, and vectored APSO’s water patrol units to the people. They were recovered and transported to Teche Regional Medical Center in Morgan City, La., with signs of possible hypothermia. The man and woman reportedly had been in the 60-degree water for nearly and were reportedly wearing life jackets. (Source: Coast Guard 02/26/19)

Production controller for Navy-PC

The Panama City (Fla.) Naval Surface Warfare Center has an opening for a production controller. Specialized experience must demonstrate the following: 1) Reviewing requests for construction, maintenance, repair, renovation, replacement, and other services; 2) Analyzing project data and work requirements; 3) Following progress of work, tracking, and monitoring the status and completion of work through Maximo; 4) Performing cost accounting and work order tracking for both in house and contract execution; 5) Submitting funding documents to clients to acquire funds; 6) Monitoring all job order numbers and/or project packages to ensure they are correct and funded properly. Additional qualification information can be found from the following Office of Personnel Management website.

CG cutter returns from Caribbean ops

The Coast Guard Cutter Dauntless (WMEC-624) returned Feb. 14 to its homeport alongside Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., after a 59-day patrol in the Caribbean Sea. While on patrol, Dauntless conducted joint operations with Department of Homeland Security air and surface assets to intercept more than 80 migrants heading for America, conducted four medical evacuations at sea saving nine lives, and assisted in a drug interdiction seizure. Operation Unified Resolve was a combined effort between Joint Interagency Task Force South, Coast Guard, and international partners in the region. The emphasis of the operation focused on interdicting vessels smuggling drugs and illegal migrants, which resulted in the seizure of more than 1,410 pounds of cocaine and detention of two smugglers as part of the joint mission effort with U.S. Customs Border Protection. (Source: Coast Guard 02/14/19)

Weeks Marine mod pact: $9.9M

Weeks Marine Inc. of Covington, La., was awarded a $9,900,000 modification (P00001) to contract W912P8-19-C-0010 for Mississippi River Southwest Pass maintenance cutter-head dredging. Work will be performed in Plaquemines Parish, La., with an estimated completion date of May 26, 2019. FY 2018 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $9,900,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/22/19)

SE milcon pacts for GC states

Archer Western Federal JV of Chicago (N69450-19-D-0907); B.L. Harbert International of Birmingham, Ala. (N69450-19-D-0908); Haskell Co. of Jacksonville, Fla. (N69450-19-D-0909); Korte Co. of St. Louis (N69450-19-D-0910); and Mortenson Construction of Minneapolis, Minn. (N69450-19-D-0911) are each awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity multiple award design-build construction project contracts located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast’s area of responsibility. The work to be performed provides for, but not limited to, general building type projects (new construction, renovation, alteration, demolition, and repair work) including industrial, airfield, aircraft hangar, aircraft traffic control, infrastructure, administrative, training, dormitory, and community support facilities. These five contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. Archer Western is awarded the $24,774,660 initial task order for P427 Littoral Combat Ship Operational Trainer Facility at Naval Station Mayport, Fla. The remaining four contractors will be awarded $1,000 each to satisfy the guaranteed minimum. Work for this task order is expected to be completed by January 2021. All work on this contract will take place in Florida (15%); Georgia (15%); Louisiana (14%); Mississippi (14%); South Carolina (14%); Tennessee (14%); and Texas (14%). The term of the contract is not to exceed 60 months, with an expected completion date of February 2024. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast of Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/22/19)

CG orders 20 Shark boat deliveries

The Coast Guard placed a delivery order Feb. 4 for 20 Response Boats-Small II (RB-S IIs), worth about $8.5M, with Metal Shark Boats of Jeanerette, La. The boats are targeted for delivery beginning in May through September. They will be stationed throughout the country including Gulf Coast locations. The 29-foot small boats are replacing the 25-foot RB-S, which is being phased out. The new boats can reach a top speed of 40 knots and are used for a range of missions, including search and rescue, vessel boarding team deployment, law enforcement missions, port security, drug and migrant interdiction, and environmental response operations. This brings the total of RB-S IIs ordered to 370. Metal Shark has delivered 339 RB-S since the Louisiana firm won a 2012 contract worth about $192M to replace 470 response boats. (Source: Coast Guard 02/15/19)

HII delivers DDG 17 to Navy

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) to the Navy on Feb. 22. The signing of the DD 250 completion document officially transfers custody of the ship from HII to the Navy. Paul Ignatius is scheduled to sail away from HII-Pascagoula in June. It is the 31st Aegis destroyer that HII has delivered to the sea-service, and “well over our 80th time to deliver a Navy surface combatant on the banks of the Pascagoula River,” said George Nungesser, Ingalls’ DDG program manager. (Source: HII Ingalls 02/22/19)

MS voids TopSail investment deal

Mississippi has voided its deal with Louisiana-based Edison Chouest shipbuilding subsidiary TopShip after the firm missed a Dec. 31 deadline to invest $68M and hire 1,000 workers at the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi Development Authority (MDA) spokesperson Melissa Scallan told the Sun Herald of Biloxi. The MDA turned down a proposal by Edison Chouest Offshore to cut in half its investment, Scallan said. But the law approving the incentives at the higher number did not leave the state with wiggle room to alter the deal. The Mississippi State Port Authority spent $32M to buy 116 acres at the port. Port Director Jonathan Daniels says Topship paid $16M of that and is making monthly lease payments of $85,000, plus interest. As of September, a total of 587 jobs had been created and verified, according to port spokesperson Kimberly Aguillard. Of that number, 352 jobs were for low- to-middle income people. The port has three years to meet the jobs mandate from the date HUD OKs the work on the port, Aguillard said. The clock could start running within 30 to 40 days following a HUD visit next week, she said. Topship builds vessels to service offshore drilling platforms in the Gulf of Mexico. The project(s) “certainly haven’t developed the way we had hoped,” Daniels said, “but we are willing to work with them so that they can maximize use of the site for job creation and business development. It’s a very flexible facility. It really could prove for a very unique production space.” (Source: The AP 02/16/19)

MBB delivers OSV to Seacor

Master Boat Builders of Bayou La Batre, Ala., has designed and delivered a new 221-foot offshore support vessel (OSV) to Seacor Offshore LLC, which has an Acadian office in Morgan City, La. The Seacor Totonaca capacities include 150,000 gallons of fuel and a 155-foot rear cargo deck that can carry up to 2,216 LT of freight. The steering system is a Jastram split rudder system from Gulf Coast Air & Hydraulics of Mobile, Ala. (Source: Work Boat 02/21/19)

MSU UAS contract: $7.2M

Mississippi State University of Starkville was awarded a $7,200,000 cost contract for test and validation of emerging propulsion technologies for unmanned aircraft systems. Bids were solicited via the internet with one received. Work will be performed at Mississippi State with an estimated completion date of Feb. 20, 2021. FY 2018 research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,200,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Contracting Command of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/21/19)

VTH Marine mod pact: $39.8M

VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded a $39,808,087 modification to previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00024-18-C-2230) to exercise an option for the detail design and construction of an Auxiliary Personnel Lighter–Small (APL(S)). The initial contract was for the detail design and construction of the lead and second craft in the APL(S) 67 class. This option is for the first of four additional craft. The contract also includes options for associated support efforts related to the craft design and construction for deployment spare parts, crew familiarization, international delivery, and production-level technical data package including data rights. Work will be performed in Pascagoula (59%); the remaining 42 percent will be performed in the following areas: Mandeville and Metairie, La.; Gautier, Miss.; Billerica, Mass.; and Boca Raton, Fla. It is expected to be completed by November 2020. FY 2019 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $39,808,087 is being 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 02/21/19)

1st Navy Week: Mobile & Mardi Gras

Mobile, Ala., will serve as the first stop for 2019’s Navy Week programs and bring sailors and assets to the Port City in conjunction with the country’s oldest Mardi Gras festivities Feb. 27-March 5. Through nearly 100 events, the Navy will provide the public with a snapshot of service members making up the fleet, and highlight their expertise. Among participating sailors will be the crew of the oldest American warship, USS Constitution; Navy Band Southeast; Navy explosive ordnance disposal teams; Navy Office of Small Business Programs; Navy oceanographic and meteorology teams; Naval History and Heritage Command; hometown sailors; and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95). Operations Specialist Seaman Dalton Thomas, a native of Mobile and sailor aboard DDG 95, expressed his enthusiasm to bring the Navy home with him. “I’m excited to … have my family finally see me in uniform,” said Thomas. “My friends and I used to go to Mardi Gras … but this will be my first time going with my ship.” During the week, sailors will also visit eight high schools where students will have the opportunity to visit the Burke - a large state-of-the-art, mobile virtual reality experience that simulates a Navy SEAL extraction mission. (Source: US Navy 02/21/19) The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS James E. Williams was built at Ingalls Shipbuilding in nearby Pascagoula, Miss.

Navy retooling Fire Scout program

SAN DIEGO – The Navy is shifting its focus of how to employ its emerging MQ-8C Fire Scout rotary-wing unmanned vehicles to help Littoral Combat Ships take on tougher targets. In the last 12 months, the Navy’s shift of focus has gone from protecting LCS from fast smarm attacks to using new sensors to provide targeting information for weapons aboard LCS, Cmdr. Edward Johnson, the Navy’s Fire Scout requirements officer, said during a panel here at the WEST 2019 conference. The new focus comes as the Navy has included additional weaponry for LCS to make it more lethal. Plans had called for the Fire Scouts to be armed with 70mm Hydra rockets equipped with the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance system to take on threats. The shifted focus will be to a “more sensor-laden targeting platform” for the developing over-the-horizon (OTH) Naval Strike Missile, Johnson said, with the right kind of sensors, multi-functional radar, passive targeting capability, and networks to push the information to the “right people at the right times.” The captain, who has control of the ship and Fire Scout, will now have his own asset to generate that OTH targeting information. “That’s a circle of influence and sea control out to about 300 miles,” said Scott Kennedy, then-Northrop Grumman director of business development. The larger “Charlie” model is based on the Bell 407 airframe, and with future long-range weapons that include the anti-surface Naval Strike Missile. Naval Air Systems Command has said the aircraft will also be compatible with the systems aboard the next-generation frigate (FFG(X)) currently under development. The C-variant is currently being tested after completing an Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) event in 2018. (Source: USNI News 02/20/19) Gulf Coast Note: Northrop Grumman began flight tests of the MQ-8C Fire Scout in 2018. The unmanned helicopter is produced in Moss Point, Miss., at the Trent Lott International Airport. The Moss Point facility is key to producing and testing of the Fire Scout, the Navy’s newest autonomous helicopter.

La. wants levee system debt forgiven

Louisiana officials are in the process of asking the U.S. government to forgive about $2.9B in interest it owes over 30 years for its cost share of the New Orleans area levee system rebuilt after Hurricane Katrina. The levee system’s overhaul cost more than $20B - including 350 miles of levees, flood walls, gates and pumps. The state is expected to make its first of 30 annual payments on the $1.1B debt during the third quarter of 2020. Adding interest over 30 years would wind up costing the state a total of $3B, according to Chip Kline, chairman of the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority, which includes $519M in interest accrued during construction. About 63 percent of the $3B would be interest, he said at Feb. 20’s monthly Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board meeting in New Orleans. Louisiana officials have been talking to Trump Administration about setting up a meeting with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Office of Management and Budget. The meeting is likely to take place in March or April. The state hopes to start talks with OMB about how it could avoid paying interest. Louisiana’s 2020 annual coastal plan includes a request for $103M from the state Legislature’s Capital Outlay budge to make a first payment next year. (Source: NOLA.com 02/20/19)

CoE Vicksburg to get new boss

The Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army announced the following officer assignments Feb. 19 to and from the Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (CoE) in Vicksburg, Miss. Maj. Gen. Richard G. Kaiser, current commanding general of the Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Miss., has been assigned to duty as deputy chief of engineers/deputy commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Washington, D.C. Maj. Gen. Richard M. Toy, commanding general of the Great Lakes and Ohio River Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been assigned to the post of commanding general of the Mississippi Valley Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Vicksburg, Miss. (Source: DoD 02/19/19)

Pascagoula: 25% of AWS mod pact

Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems of Moorestown, N.J., is awarded an $8,242,834 cost-plus-incentive-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-15-C-5151) to exercise options for ship integration and test of the Aegis Weapon System (AWS) for AWS Baselines through Advanced Capability Build 16. Work will be performed in Camden (43%); Pascagoula, Miss. (25%); Norfolk, Va. (12%; Everett, Wash. (10%); Virginia Beach, Va. (6%); San Diego (3%); and District of Columbia (1%), and is expected to be completed by September 2024. Fiscal 2015 Navy shipbuilding and conversion, and 2019 other Navy procurement funding in the amount of $8,242,834 will be obligated at the time of award. No contract funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/19/19)

VTH, Gibbs NOAA contract

VT Halter Marine of Pascagoula, Miss., announced Feb. 18 that it had been selected for a preliminary contract design for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) Variant (NAV) ship. Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) announced the awards for Phase I of the firm-fixed-price groups for the shallow coastal, continental shelf, and worldwide ocean survey and data collection ship requirements. The contract award for VT Halter Marine is $1.5M. If successful with detailed design and best value in Phase II, the value could amount to an estimated $150M. VTH has teamed with Gibbs & Cox Inc., a naval architecture and marine engineering firm with an operation in New Orleans, to provide NAVSEA and NOAA a design approach that will deliver efficient and multi-mission ships. (Source: Work Boat 02/18/19)

CG rescues duo/dog near SW pass

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard rescued two people and a dog near the Southwest Pass of Vermillion Bay, La., in the morning of Feb. 17. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at 8:40 a.m. of an overdue 19-foot aluminum vessel with two people and a dog aboard who departed for a fishing trip Feb. 16 between Vermillion Bay and the Southwest Pass. The CG launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew and a CG Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew. Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Iberia Parish and Vermillion Bay Sherriff’s Department also launched air and surface asset crews to search. The Dolphin helicopter aircrew located the two people in a marsh area near the Southwest Pass of Vermillion Bay just west of Marsh Island at 4:23 p.m. The CG helicopter aircrew hoisted the two individuals and their dog at 4:23 p.m. and transported them to Acadiana Regional Airport. The individuals were reported in good health. (Source: Coast Guard 02/18/19)

Public input of MBNEP draft update

MOBILE, Ala. - The Mobile Bay National Estuary Program (MBENP) has publicly released the Draft Update of its Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for 2019-23 and opened a 45-day comment period, which ends March 18. Developed by more than 300 community leaders, the CCMP update will be the roadmap for protecting and restoring coastal Alabama over the next four years. The final document will be implemented by the MBNEP Management Conference including federal, state and local officials and agencies, industries, businesses, academia, and citizen groups. A .pdf file is available for viewing and downloading on the MBNEP webpage, CCMP Draft. Comments are solicited and should be directed to Bethany Dickey at bdickey@mobilebaynep.com by close of business on March 18, 2019. (Source: MBNEP 02/08/19)

La. firms awarded NC ferry pact

C.Fly Marine Services of Madisonville, La., was recently awarded the functional design verification and production engineering for two new 185-foot ferries for the state of North Carolina’s Department of Transportation Ferry Division. The two new boats will replace the smaller Hatteras class ferries currently in service. Gulf Island Shipyards of Houma, La, will handle the construction of the river-class ferries, which will carry 40 vehicles, 7-person crews, and 300 passengers. The new boats are scheduled for delivery in 2020. C.Fly Marine has more than 20 years experience in vessel design, analysis, and construction. The company offers both naval architecture and marine engineering focused in application and design to deliver comprehensive solutions. Madisonville is located about 50 miles NW of Slidell, La. Gulf Island Shipyards manufacture complex steel structures and marine vessels for variety of industries with shipyards at Lake Charles, Jennings, and Houma, La.; and a technical services group in New Orleans to provide enhanced oversight of engineering, estimating and related services. (Source: Work Boat 02/18/19)

WWII’s kissing sailor comes to end

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The ecstatic sailor in an iconic photograph of the 20th century shown kissing a woman in Times Square celebrating the end of WWII has died. George Mendonsa was shown kissing Greta Zimmer Friedman, a dental assistant in a nurse's uniform, on Aug. 14, 1945 - V-J Day, the day Japan surrendered to the U.S. People spilled into the streets of NYC to celebrate the news. Mendonsa planted a kiss on Friedman, whom he had never met. The photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt was first published in Life magazine and is called "V-J Day in Times Square," but is known to most as "The Kiss." It became one of the most famous photographs of the 20th century. Mendonsa, 95, died at an assisted living facility in Middletown, R.I, according to his daughter Sharon Molleur. (Source: The AP 02/18/19)

GoM federal lease sale: March 20

The U.S. Department of Interior (DoI) and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced it will offer 78M acres for a region-wide lease sale slated for March 20. The sale would include all available unleased areas in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). Lease Sale 252, scheduled to be live-streamed from New Orleans, will be the fourth offshore sale under the 2017-22 National Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program. Lease Sale 252 will include 14,696 unleased blocks, located from three-to-231 miles offshore in the Gulf’s central, eastern, and western planning areas, and to depths ranging from nine feet to more than 11,110 feet. The following areas are excluded from the lease sale: Blocks subject to a congressional moratorium established by the Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006; blocks adjacent to or beyond the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone; and whole blocks and partial blocks within the current boundaries of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. The Gulf’s outer continental shelf covers about 160M acres that is estimated to contain about 48B barrels of undiscovered/recoverable oil, and 141T cubic feet of undiscovered/recoverable gas. Revenues received from the leases are directed to the U.S. Treasury; the Gulf Coast states of Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas; the Land and Water Conservation Fund; and Historic Preservation Fund. All terms and conditions for Gulf of Mexico Region-wide Sale 252 are detailed in the Final Notice of Sale information package. (Source: Dept. of Interior 02/13/19)

La. boats collide, 4 sent to OMC

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard responded to a report of four people in the water after two vessels collided near Baptiste Collette Bayou, La., on the morning of Feb. 16. CG Sector New Orleans received a notification at 10:45 a.m. of a vessel collision between a 40-foot commercial deck boat, with eight people aboard, and a 24-foot bay boat, with four people aboard. All four people from the bay boat were ejected into the water. The crew the deck boat threw lifelines/life jackets, and brought them aboard. CG Station Venice sent out a 45-foot response boat/crew that arrived at 11:05 a.m. The CG boat took the four persons from the deck boat and transferred them to Station Venice. They were transported to Ochsner Medical Center in Terrytown, La. The bay boat was half sunk in Baptiste Collete Bayou outside the channel awaiting salvage. The conditions of the four people were not reported by the CG. The cause of the incident is under investigation. (Coast Guard 02/16/19)

Airbus 220-320 GC recruiting

MOBILE, Ala. - With Airbus expecting to need more workers for its A320 assembly line and the new A220 line that's currently being built here, the aerospace firm is holding recruiting drives at two sites along the Gulf Coast (GC) - Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla., on Feb. 19, and Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., on Feb. 28. Military/DoD I.D. is required to attend recruiting open houses. Airbus and its hiring partner, AIDT, are seeking candidates - retired military, Guard, Reserve or active duty - to fill positions at the A220 assembly line. The open house at NAS Pensacola is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Building 741. To register. The open house at Keesler AFB is from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at Sablich Center, Room 108B. To register. (Source: Airbus Facebook page, 02/15/19)

Leak may (or not) topple BP disaster

A toppled oil platform that has been leaking into the Gulf of Mexico for 14 years and four months may have released more oil than recent estimates have indicated, possibly pushing the total volume beyond BP’s Deepwater Horizon disaster. New research from University of South Florida marine scientist Shaojie Sun indicates 2,100 to 71,400 gallons of oil are escaping daily from the Taylor Energy platform site, about 10 miles from of the mouth of the Mississippi River. The 71,400 gallons per day high estimate is more than two times larger than the highest potential rate cited by the Coast Guard when it ordered Taylor to fix the problem in late 2018. At the higher rate, and added up over the past 14.3 years, the Taylor leak could top the 2010 BP disaster by more than 241M gallons and potentially making it one of the largest oil disasters in history. Sun presented the new oil release estimates at the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Conference in New Orleans last week. He stressed that his estimated range is extremely wide. While the total Taylor Energy release could soar as high 375M gallons, it may also be as low as 11M. Either way, the Taylor site has been an unchecked and overlooked problem, according to Ian MacDonald, an oil spill expert and oceanographer at Florida State University. (Source: NOLA.com 02/15/19)

Looking to include Reserves in LaDRs

PENSACOLA, Fla. - Enlisted Reserve leaders joined forces with the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) HQ staff here Feb. 13 to discuss ways ahead for Learning and Development Roadmaps (LaDR) as a career tool for both active-duty and reservists. LaDRs have been used primarily by active-duty sailors to navigate careers through a document that outlines training and education milestones for each rating and pay grade. “Our aim working with the Reserve Force is to give Reserve Sailors the same benefit, the same tool that their active-duty counterparts have,” said NETC Force Master Chief Karim Cole. “There is actually a lot of information in the LaDRs already that applies to all of our sailors, so it makes sense to broaden the scope.” The workshop developed an integrated active-Reserve LaDR that will be used by the total force. “We’re rolling up our sleeves and thoroughly reviewing each LaDR to ensure Reserve opportunities and milestones are captured in one document for each rate, including civilian skills where applicable,” said Force Master Chief Chris Kotz of the Navy Reserve Force HQ in New Orleans. “This is a great opportunity to ensure our Navy continues to capitalize on the experience and innovation of the total force, active and Reserve. LaDRs are available on the MyNavy Portal website at https://my.navy.mil, and the Navy Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) website at https://www.cool.navy.mil/usn. Navy COOL is part of the NETC team that recruits and trains those who serve the nation, and taking them from “street to fleet” and transforming civilians into operational and combat-ready war-fighters, while providing opportunities for learning and development. (Source: NETC 02/15/19)

$9M Seemans launch & recovery pact

Seemans Composites of Gulfport, Miss., is awarded a $9,125,520 cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for the machining center proposal. This effort will evaluate Navy unmanned underwater vehicles launch and recovery needs and define target areas for further evaluation and design definition. Work will be performed in Gulfport, and is expected to be completed Feb. 11, 2022. FY 2019 Navy research, development, test, and evaluation funds in the amount of $9,125,520 are obligated at the time of award. No funds will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured under N00014-18-S-B001 lLong range broad agency announcement (BAA). Proposals will be received throughout the year under the long range BAA; therefore, the number of proposals received in response to the solicitation is unknown. Office of Naval Research of Arlington, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/15/19)

Prez: Nat’l emergency; DoD specifies

President Donald Trump declared a national emergency Feb. 15 in a bid to fund a border wall, along the U.S.-Mexico border, without congressional approval. Democrats vowed to challenge it as a violation of the Constitution. Building a wall was the Republican president's 2016 campaign pledge to halt the flow of illegal immigrants into America. Hours after Trump's announcement, the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives' Judiciary Committee said it had launched an investigation into the emergency declaration, according to Reuters. In a related matter, the Defense Department released a statement on the president’s declaration of a national emergency. “The president invoked sections 12302, 284(b)(7), and 2808 of Title 10, U.S. Code, and requires the use of the armed forces to respond to this emergency through support to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in its efforts to secure the southern border.”
*Section 12302 (Activation of the Ready Reserve) authorizes involuntary activation of the Ready Reserve, which includes members who, when mobilized, perform a federal mission at the direction of the secretary of defense.
*Section 284(b)(7) (Counterdrug Support) authorizes DoD to support the counterdrug activities of other federal agencies, including DHS, with the construction of roads, fences, and lighting to block drug smuggling corridors across international boundaries. DoD will review and respond appropriately to any request for assistance received from DHS.
*Section 2808 (Military Construction [MILCON]): This declaration of a national emergency at the southern border requiring the use of the armed forces authorizes the secretary of defense to determine whether border barriers are necessary to support the use of the armed forces and to re-direct unobligated DoD MILCON funding to construct border barriers if required. (Source: Defense Department 02/15/19)

Seabees take 3-D on deployment

GULFPORT, Miss. - Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) 133 deployed from here for the first time in mid-February to 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation with organic 3-D additive manufacturing printing capabilities. NMCB-133 was outfitted with several Tactical Fabrication (TACFAB) Kits consisting of 3-D scanners, printers, laptops computers, and the software to tie them together. The Seabee unit’s Cmdr. Luke Greene has a vision to use the kits both at the command HQ at Camp Mitchell in Rota, Spain, and throughout NMCB-133’s job sites in Europe, Africa, and Southeast Asia. The capability to engineer and print both original designs and certain stock numbered items will be a game changer for the Seabees. Access to critical components can often be the difference-maker between mission success and long delays. Additive manufacturing technology builds 3-D objects by layering material (plastic, metal or concrete) atop one another. The process involves a computer and special CAD software that relays messages to the printer to make the desired shape. Chief Construction Mechanic Gail Best was witness to the potential of this technology. The team printed a bushing for the adjustable shock absorber used on medium tactical vehicle replacement tractors and wreckers. “We cannot order this particular part separately, so if it fails, we have to replace the entire shock absorber” at $10,000 a pop, she said. “We were able to print a new bushing … for about $1 and installed it.” In the future, 3-D printing could give Seabees the ability to print needed supplies and repair parts on the battlefield, according to Cmdr. Joe Symmes, 22 Naval Construction Regiment’s supply officer. (Source: 22 Naval Construction Regiment 02/15/19)

NI boat-builder christens crew boat

On a windy day along the banks of Bayou Teche in New Iberia, La., the sun remained bright and visitors enthused for the christening of the latest craft from Breaux Brothers Enterprises – the 105-foot Half Moon Clipper – that was built as a crew boat for the Holland America cruise company. “She’s 94 long tons” empty weight, Breaux Brothers’ Co-Owner/VP Vance “Vic” Breaux told the Daily Iberian. When loaded, the crew boat will be at 154 tons dead weight. It was built for Holland America Lines to serve as a 193-passenger crew boat for employees and guests visiting Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas. Half Moon Cay is a 2,400 acre private island that most Holland America Line ships stop at when departing from Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Unlike larger crew boats, the Half Moon Clipper works as a day- runner, shuttling crew/guests between larger passenger liners and the island. The boat has three French-built Baudoin diesel engines that provide about 2,000 hp to drive three propellers. The Breaux Brothers’ facility has been building aluminum boats along the Teche since 1983. Still, it represents a $4.5M investment for Holland America, and a major sale for the Breaux Brothers. (Source: Daily Iberian 02/15/19)

Steady work keeps HII humming

With two aircraft carrier buys approved, contracts for two Coast Guard National Security Cutters (NSC) and for a guided-missile destroyer awarded in 2018, Huntington Ingalls Industries has a backlog of work to keep it busy for years, company officials proclaimed Feb. 14 at its fourth quarter earnings call. HII CEO/President Mike Petters also gave insight into what the Navy’s 30-year shipbuilding plan looks like from its Mississippi and Virginia shipyards’ perspective. The two-carrier buy adds $15B to HII’s contract backlog. Work on the third and fourth Gerald R. Ford-class will continue into the early 2030s. While the company has contracts for future amphibious assault ships Tripoli (LHA-7) and Bougainville (LHA-8) at HII-Pascagoula, Petters said future contract timing for LHA-9 and 10 put at risk some of the cost savings gained from running a hot production line. Petters would prefer signing a multi-year contract to build the Flight II San Antonio-class LPDs for the Mississippi shipyard. “I’ve said this is a very exciting time in shipbuilding,” Petters proclaimed. “Orders are in the book and the team can get cut loose to execute those orders.” (Source: USNI News 02/14/19) Note: HII-Pascagoula also builds the Coast Guard's NSC.

Navy focusing on hitting first and fast

SAN DIEGO - The Navy has “spent a lot of time” over the years playing defense, Rear Adm. Ronald Boxall, director of surface warfare, told attendees here at the West 2019 conference. However, "the best defense is a good offense, and the idea that we will go after the threat - at range - is something that we have to be able to do.” His statements align with the shifting focus of the surface and submarine fleets, from defending against missile attacks to developing new weapons and tactics, to prioritize hitting first and fast. The admiral’s comments come as the Pentagon braces for new challenges such as modern Chinese surface ships, submarines, and aircraft in the Pacific, and Russian assets in around Europe and the Arctic. The Chinese fleet in the western Pacific keeps a close eye, and has become a “dance partner,” with American ships, according to Vice Adm. John Alexander, commander of Third Fleet. Those encounters are generally professional, but have made Navy brass concerned about the Chinese’s medium-to-long-range missiles that can hit U.S. bases (Guam, Japan, and Okinawa) and ships in the region. Testifying before Congress on Feb. 12, Indo-Pacific Command chief Adm. Phillip Davidson told senators he was most interested in innovations in heavy-weight torpedo technology for its subs. Boxall message on the West Coast to defense and industry executives: The Navy needs to move toward more offensive weapons to prevent being in a position where it has to “go broke playing defense,” when the sea-service can up-man its own position though an aggressive offensive posture. The Navy already expects to put the anti-ship Naval Strike Missile aboard for the Littoral Combat Ship, and future FFG(X) guided missile frigates, later this year. Submarines are bringing back the Harpoon missile. (Source: Breaking Defense 02/14/19) Gulf Coast Note: Independence class LCS are built at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. Austal is also among four other shipyards that could be bidding on the FFG(X).

Gulf Coast TEA award winners

PENSACOLA, Fla. – The flag headquarters of the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) announced its 2018 Training Excellence Award (TEA) winners on Feb. 14. The annual award recognizes activities that demonstrate superior performance in the naval education and training environment. “The Training Excellence Award recipients epitomize the highest degree of training excellence found throughout NETC,” said Rear Adm. Kyle Cozad, NETC commander. NETC TEAs are composed of three categories: Training Excellence, Training Support Excellence, and Functional Merit awards. Gulf Coast learning center recipients of the Functional Merit Awards, including the Navy dive and EOD command are: Business Administration and Support Award (Yellow T): Center for Naval Aviation Technical Training (CNATT), Pensacola, Fla.; and Center for Information Warfare Training (CIWT), Pensacola.
Planning and Programming Award (Silver T): Center for Explosive Ordnance Disposal and Diving (CEODD), Panama City, Fla.; CNATT-Pensacola; and CIWT-Pensacola.
Total Force Management Award (Red T): CEODD-Panama City; CNATT-Pensacola; and CIWT- Pensacola.
Logistics Management Award (Blue T): CEODD-Panama City; CNATT-Pensacola; and CIWT-Pensacola.
Information Technology Management Award (Gold T): CIWT-Pensacola.
Curriculum Management Award (Black T): CEODD-Panama City; CNATT-Pensacola; and CIWT-Pensacola.
Training Production Management Award (Green T): CEODD-Panama City; CNATT-Pensacola; and CIWT-Pensacola.
Training Support Management Award (Bronze T): CNATT-Pensacola; and CIWT-Pensacola. (Source: NETC 02/15/19)

Privatized military housing’s black eye

The non-profit Military Family Advisory Network (MFAN) conducted a non-scientific targeted military family online survey (Jan. 6-Feb. 6) to try and figure out the scope of problems with five privately-managed military housing companies across 46 states following reports in 2018 of mold, termites, lead paint, faulty wiring, poor water quality and vermin causing health-related issues. Respondents also noted their requests for remediation or reporting the issues were often denied and ignored by base commanders. Nearly 56 percent of 14,558 respondents said they had "negative or very negative experiences" with base housing. The results of the online survey were released Feb. 13 hours before Senate Armed Services subcommittees were to hold a joint hearing on those issues with military family, Pentagon officials, and executives from the five private companies - Balfour Beatty Communities, Corvias Group, Hunt Military Communities, Americas Lendlease Corp., and Lincoln Military Housing- were to testify. Military families cited 35 firms. Crystal Cornwall told of a move from Camp Pendleton, Calif., to military house at Keesler AFB, Miss., where termites fell out of light fixtures. At Pendleton, the family lived with pervasive mold. Janna Driver’s family suffered from respiratory issues, headaches, nosebleeds and other problems at Tinker AFB, Okla. "It's clear this is happening everywhere,” said Oklahoma Sen. Jim Inhofe, chairman of the SASC. Nearly all military housing is now being managed by private companies since 1996, when DoD turned over responsibility under a 50-year contract. About 30 percent of military families live in military housing, according to the DoD. During testimony, the five executives were contrite, but John Picerne of Corvias was the only one to apologize. When asked about annual profits, Christopher Williams of Balfour said net profits were $33M annually; Corvias: From $12M-$14M; the other three declined or promised to answer later. The committees floated some ideas to fix some issues: Requiring firms to issue a tenant bill of rights; breaking the 50-year contracts and rebid so others could compete; and conducting and publishing satisfaction online surveys. Spouses asked for the option to withhold rent if maintenance issues are not addressed. Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, Environment and Energy John Henderson agreed with the withholding rent suggestion. “It would be nice if we had discretion over the incentive fee so we had a bigger hammer to hold over our project managers," Henderson said. (Source: Military.com 02/13-14/19) Gulf Coast Note: Balfour manages military housing at NAS Meridian and NCBC Gulfport, Miss.; NAS Pensacola and Whiting Field, Tyndall AFB, NSA Panama City, Fla. Corvias manages units at Hurlburt Field and Eglin AFB, Fla., and Fort Rucker, Ala. Hunt manages units at Keesler AFB, Miss.

OPINION: Dear Navy, build ships

A report that the Navy is re-evaluating its 355-ship goal in the wake of the new national security strategy is a good sign. Those who think the number should be lower are all wet. Ideally, the Navy will revise that number upward. The U.S. Navy, at present, is arguably the most powerful navy in the world: 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers with four squadrons of multi-role fighters and support craft; major surface combatants – lots of cruisers and destroyers; and nuke subs that rule the under-sea. One major problem: The capability to be two places at the same time. The Navy has 288 ships in service. Thirty years ago, the Navy had 592 ships-vessels, 15 carriers, and a training carrier [USS Lexington (AVT-16) based out of Pensacola, Fla.]. Ten years later the numbers began to dwindle. The decline has been bipartisan. Former Presidents Clinton and Obama did a lot of slashing; George W. Bush did little to reverse the trend although he was in a global War of Terror, but did develop the under-armored Littoral Combat Ship classes. Then, there was the missed opportunity to license production of Spain’s Alvaro de Bazan-class guided missile frigates to replace Perry-class ships. There’s hope: The Navy’s FFG(X) program offers a chance to start addressing those shortfalls. The Bazan design is one of five competing for the contract, along with both contractors of both classes of LCS (includes Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.). In addition, a version of the Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter (HII-Pascagoula, Miss.) is in the mix. Buying all four designs would help alleviate the shortfall. The Navy has suffered decades of cuts, leading to a dwindling force structure. It can be reversed, but ships take a time to build. The Navy can get out of hole, but must start to build now. (Source: Washington Examiner OPINION by Harold Hutchinson, contributing writer 02/12/19)

SE La. leads nation in maritime jobs

Southeast Louisiana’s first congressional district supports the greatest number of maritime jobs in the U.S., according to a Transportation Institute (TI) report on the Jones Act’s national security and economic benefits. The Louisiana district supports some 33,590 jobs, and generates nearly $9B in economic impact. “(T)he Jones Act is not only a vital piece of America’s national security strategy, but a pillar of economic strength and job creation for the district,” U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a prepared statement. “These jobs are critical to the transportation of goods and to offshore energy exploration and production in the United States,” the congressman exclaimed. The Jones Act is a national security statute enacted to prevent U.S. dependence on foreign vessels and preserve a ready reserve force for times of war. Overall, Louisiana has 70,780 Jones Act jobs that make up $18.2B in economic impact. Nationally, the maritime industry supports 648,220 jobs and generates a $154.8B economic impact. Louisiana is the nation’s top job-producer for the entire domestic maritime industry and contributes more than $18B to the national economy, according to James L. Henry, chairman/president of TI. But, most importantly it is the role that the Jones Act community plays in America’s national security, according to Scalise. “When our shipbuilders and maritime workers are able to thrive, the entire country benefits,” he said. (Source: Work Boat 02/13/19)

LCS 20 concludes acceptance trials

MOBILE, Ala. – The Future Littoral Combat Ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) successfully concluded acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico on Feb. 8 following a series of in-port and underway demonstrations for the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey. Acceptance trials are the last significant milestone before the ship is delivered to the Navy, which is planned for this summer. During trials, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests of the Independence-variant LCS to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant, ship-handling and auxiliary systems. "I can’t say enough about the positive results achieved by the Navy and industry team (at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile) during these acceptance trials of the future USS Cincinnati,” said Capt. Mike Taylor, LCS program manager. Following delivery and commissioning, Cincinnati will join her nine sister ships homeported in San Diego. (Source: Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants 02/13/19)

La. firm’s levee contract: $48.6M

Phylway Construction of Thibodaux, La., is awarded a $48,654,095 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River levee construction. Bids were solicited via the internet with six received. Work will be performed in New Orleans with an estimated completion date of Feb. 21, 2021. FY 2019 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $48,654,095 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/13/19)

Austal-built LCS Tulsa commissioning

The Navy will commission its newest Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, the future USS Tulsa (LCS 16), during an 8 a.m. (CST) ceremony Feb. 16 in San Francisco. Independence class team is led by Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., for all even-numbered hulls of LCS. U.S. Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma will deliver the commissioning address. Kathy Taylor, former mayor of its namesake Tulsa, Okla., is the ship’s sponsor. The ceremony, using #USSTulsa, can be viewed on the Navy Live blog at http://navylive.dodlive.mil. USS Tulsa will join USS Freedom (LCS 1), USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Omaha (LCS 12) and USS Manchester (LCS 14) in their homeport of San Diego. (Source: US Navy) 02/13/19)

Proposed cyanide plant near airport

Cornerstone Chemical Co.'s plan to build a $100M hydrogen cyanide plant at its Fortier manufacturing complex near Waggman, across the Mississippi River from the Louis Armstrong International Airport, drew dozens of concerned citizens to a Feb. 12 public hearing, according to WVUE Fox8. The public has until 4:30 p.m. Feb. 18 to submit written comments on the proposal to the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, but the agency also is considering extending the comment period. The Tuesday hearing lasted more than three hours, with many speakers expressing alarm that the chemical firm might obtain an air quality permit. (Source: NOLA.com 02/13/19)

Pope’s climatologist in NOLA

The Rev. Eduardo Scarel, best known for his role in advising Pope Francis on climate change and who has been dubbed the Pope’s climatologist, was in New Orleans Feb. 12 speaking to high school students and audience at the Notre Dame Seminary. Scarel is a Carmelite priest and atmospheric scientist. The Pope needs a climatologist because the “care for environment, for nature requires to see the state of the planet,” he said, ”and the tools of science provide the best way to see.” Scarel helped advise Pope Francis on the Pope’s 2015 encyclical about climate change. An encyclical is a letter to Catholic leadership clarifying the church’s stance on an issue. The 2015 encyclical argued that humans have a moral imperative to address climate change. (Source: NOLA.com 02/13/19)

NEDU trains Montenegro Navy divers

MONTENEGRO - U.S. Navy Divers from the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) at Panama City, Fla., spent two weeks training to Montenegrin Navy divers, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians, special warfare personnel, and medics. Training topics focused on diving safety and supervision; mission-planning, medical diagnosis, treatment, and evacuation of diving emergencies; and advanced dive medicine. In addition, NEDU and Montenegrin divers shared techniques and procedures to improve NATO interoperability for both nations. This program is designed to “enhance operational readiness skills of Navy and Montenegrin divers, and helps develop the Montenegrin Navy Underwater Mine Counter Measures (UMCM) program,” said DoD Underwater HMA Program Manager Bill Grau, and also improves the safety of Montenegro citizens. The training was funded by the USEUCOM Humanitarian Mine Action (HMA) Program. DoD’s Humanitarian Demining Training Center (HDTC) led the project management and mission planning. The program has provided training and equipment to Montenegro since 2012. (Source: NAVSEA 02/13/19) NEDU is a premier diving and hyperbaric research, test and evaluation unit located aboard Naval Support Activity Panama City. NEDU partners with war-fighters to develop timely, cost-effective solutions to support and improve manned operations in undersea and other extreme environments through biomedical research and independent testing and evaluation of equipment and procedures. Contract: EPS Corp. of Tinton Falls, N.J., is awarded a $10,980,406 modification to a previously awarded hybrid cost-plus-fixed-fee, firm-fixed price, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to exercise an option for technical expertise in the development and testing of underwater weapons and underwater weapons systems components. Two percent of that work will be done in Montenegro, and is expected to be complete by February 2020. Naval Surface Warfare Center Indian Head (Md.)’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/13/19)

EPA: First nat’l PFAS action plan

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Region 6 Administrator Anne Idsal will unveil the agency’s Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Action Plan at a media conference at 8 a.m. CST from Dallas. EPA’s action plan will move forward with the Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) process outlined in the Safe Drinking Water Act for PFOA and PFOS - two of the most prevalent PFAS chemicals. Additionally, EPA Region 4 Acting Regional Administrator Mary Walker and EPA Office of Policy Associate Administrator Brittany Bolen will unveil EPA’s action plan at a media conference Feb. 14 at 9 a.m. CST from Durham, N.C. EPA will continue enforcement actions and clarify clean-up strategies, expand monitoring PFAS in the environment, and expand research and scientific foundation for addressing PFAS by developing new analytical methods and tools. Both media conferences will be streamed live at www.epa.gov/live. (Source: EPA 02/13/19) Gulf Coast Note: Region 6 serves Louisiana; Region 4 serves Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi.

Education key to new Navy CC system

WASHINGTON - Education will be key to maintaining America’s might at sea, according to Navy officials Feb. 12 in unveiling a comprehensive look at education throughout the service after Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer signed a memorandum that will lead to the establishment of a Naval University System to help develop America’s ultimate competitive advantage: The minds of its service members. The memo is an outgrowth of the Education for Seapower Study - the first comprehensive “top to bottom” look at Navy education in 100 years. The effort will go from the deckplates to the flag and general officer ranks, with the Navy establishing a Naval Community College system and putting in requirements for masters’ degrees in strategic studies for all unrestricted line flag and general officers. The Navy will name a chief learning officer - a senior executive civilian - in place by June. The CLO will develop the education strategy by December. CNO Adm. John Richardson is reorganizing the Naval Staff to create the position of director of war-fighting development. The idea of a Navy community college system is to get sailors and Marines educational programs delivered wherever they serve. This will develop into a system that will be a mix of online learning and at schools to fulfill the needs of the individuals and the services. (Source: Defense.gov 02/12/19)

HII's 4Q earnings call via webcast

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ fourth quarter 2018 earnings conference will be webcast live via www.huntingtoningalls.com on Feb. 14 at 8 a.m. CST. Participants will include Mike Petters, president/CEO, and Chris Kastner, executive VP of business management and CFO. (Source: HII 02/12/19)

Austal expanding LCS involvement

Austal USA is looking to deepen its ties with the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program by pursuing multiple efforts to stay involved in maintenance and the life cycle management for the LCS program,, which is nearly halfway through construction. The Mobile, Ala., shipyard is in talks with the Navy regarding opportunities to do post-delivery maintenance at its shipyard; conduct planning yard services and maintenance in San Diego and other West Coast shipyards; and support for ships’ forwardly deployed in Singapore. Terry O’Brien, VP of business development for Austal, told USNI News that the firm wanted to be involved in the LCS program from “cradle to grave.” The first opportunity out of the game is conducting post-delivery work in Mobile. The Navy awarded Austal a $16.3M contract on Jan. 24 to conduct “extended industrial post-delivery availability work” in a new arrangement that is “a first for Austal USA and the Navy,” according to an Austal media release. Under the new model, being tested on the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), two kinds of work would be done at Austal. (1) Any work not completed during construction that Navy chooses to postpone until after delivery and commissioning would be done at the post-shakedown availability (PSA); and (2) Any guarantee work to correct deficiencies found during sea trials in the Gulf. “It’s a little bit on the innovative side,” O’Brien explained. It appears to assist the Navy by getting the job done quicker and at a lower cost, he said, and when the ship arrives in San Diego it makes it more available for training. One issue still to be worked out is whether the ship would conduct a full shakedown period in the Gulf of Mexico, or some work in Mobile and followed by more sea time in San Diego and a shorter follow-on PSA. O’Brien said the Navy contract is for one LCS for now, but if it goes well Austal hopes their remaining nine of its Independence class of LCS would do similar post-delivery maintenance in Mobile. (Source: USNI News 02/11/19)

AL snapper season for private anglers

Alabama is operating for a second straight year under an Exempted Fishing Permit (EFP) from NOAA Fisheries to allow state fisheries management agencies, including the Marine Resources Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, additional flexibility to set private angler red snapper fishing seasons. The 2019 red snapper fishing season for anglers fishing from a private vessel or state-licensed guide boat will be three-day weekends (Friday-Sunday) from June 1 through July 28, plus the fourth of July. The season only applies to private anglers and state-licensed Alabama commercial party boats that do not hold federal for-hire fishing permits. The 2019 red snapper fishing season for anglers fishing from a federally permitted charter boat will be announced by NOAA Fisheries in the weeks ahead. NOAA Fisheries is undertaking a two-year study to examine the viability of limited state management for Gulf of Mexico red snapper in federal waters. Other Gulf Coast states will announce their 2019 seasons in the coming weeks. (Source: Outdoor Alabama 02/07/19)

Time traveling into coastal history

The Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab’s Discovery Hall Programs, during the state’s bicentennial year, will offer a multi-day workshop - 'Time traveling through our coastal history using seashells: A STEAM approach' – that will link science, history, and art from July 16-19. The workshop is designed for middle and high school teachers. Educators will explore how scientists use seashells and radiocarbon dating to consider human interactions with the state’s coastal ecosystems, and investigate past environmental conditions in the Gulf of Mexico.Workshop attendees will collect living and dead molluscan communities - while aboard the R/V Alabama Discovery – and discuss the science of underlying hypoxia and math behind radiocarbon dating. (Source: DISL 01/18/19)

Improving DOD housing initiative

WASHINGTON - Defense Department officials are looking for ways to improve the Military Privatization Housing Initiative (MPHI) that was established in 1996, according to Pentagon spokeswoman Heather Babb. DOD recognized the need to improve housing conditions it sought ways to leverage the expertise of private-sector partners. DOD needed the improvements to address retention, recruitment, and quality-of-life concerns. Congress authorized MPHI in 1996. DOD has privatized 99 percent of its family-housing inventory in the U.S. - more than 50,000 units across some 150 bases. MPHI transformed the quality of on-base housing faster than traditional military construction could have, Babb continued. But, there is room for improvement, and that’s why working with private partners to address reports of unhealthy living conditions at any installation is a top priority for Robert McMahon, assistant secretary of defense for sustainment, who has oversight of DOD’s privatization program. “If there are problems, we will address them,” he said. McMahon, and his counterparts from the military services, recently met with executives from each of the housing partners to look for ways to improve and better ensure residents have a positive living experience. At the meeting, McMahon outlined a vision between DOD and its partners to provide safe, high-quality and affordable housing where military members and their families will want, and choose, to live. (Source: DOD 02/08/19) Gulf Coast Note: DOD-Private Housing Partnerships across Gulf Coast region are located at Naval Air Stations Pensacola and Whiting Field and Naval Support Activity Panama City, Fla.; Naval Air Station/Joint Reserve Base New Orleans; NAS Meridian and Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss.; Eglin Air Force Base and Hurlburt Field, Fla.

Ingalls duo earn tech leaders award

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Feb. 11 that eight employees from its Ingalls (Miss.) and Newport News (Va.) shipbuilding divisions were recognized for achievements in the STEM fields during the 33rd annual Black Engineer of the Year Award STEM Global Competitiveness Conference held last week in Washington, D.C. Christopher Belton, a lead test engineer at Newport News, received the Adm. Michelle Howard Legacy Award. Seven other HII employees received Modern Day Technology Leader awards, which recognize efforts in shaping the future of science, technology, and engineering, science. The two employees from Ingalls’ shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., were Ronald Ryes Jr., electrical engineer; and Dominique Wilson, electrical engineer. (Source: HII 02/11/19)

Don’t look now: Shutdown looming

WASHINGTON – Bipartisan talks aimed at resolving the border security/wall dispute, and averting another government shutdown Feb. 15, have broken down, according to multiple sources speaking to media on Feb. 10. “I'm not confident we're going to get there," Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman and lead Republican negotiator, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said on "Fox News Sunday." Lawmakers had been trying to finalize a dollar amount that could go to barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. President Trump wants $5.7B, but lawmakers offered between $1B-to-$2B. Also Democrats want to cap (reduce) the number of detention beds to limit detention activities of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The question of the ICE beds led to the impasse, according to sources familiar with the talks. Republicans seek a way to exclude violent criminals from the cap. “It's all over the map (status of the talks) because of the Democrats," White House Acting Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney said on "Meet the Press." The president “will do something about it," he said. Multiple fed agencies including Homeland Security are operating on a short-term spending bill Trump signed Jan. 25 to end the last 35-day shutdown. That shutdown was also caused by the refusal of Democrats to provide funding for border security/wall. Trump has threatened to declare a national emergency to circumvent Congress, but that option faces GOP opposition and legal hurdles. The president is scheduled to travel to El Paso, Texas, for a rally Feb. 11 and is widely expected to focus on demands for a border wall. (Source: Washington Post 02/10/19)

IMO maritime fuel reg changes

Research by Woodmac, the Scotland-based consultancy group with an international reputation for supplying comprehensive data and advice across multi-markets, made some observations about the future of maritime fuel ahead of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) new fuel rules to heavily reduce the level of sulfur emissions from ships beginning Jan. 1, 2020. Woodmac is forecasting a rise in the use of equipment to clean up sulfur emissions before the new rules start; and that a little more than 10 percent of marine fuel will be scrubbed in 2020. The firm anticipates compliance with the new regs to be 85 percent in 2020, rising to full compliance in five years. The use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in shipping will increase 70 percent in 2019-20, which will displace 100,000 barrels per day (bpd) of marine fuels in 2020. The firm also estimates availability of very low-sulphur fuel oil at 1.4M bpd in 2020 and 1.7M bpd in 2024. (Source: Marine Link 02/08/19) Note: WoodMac is an international energy, chemicals, renewables, metals and mining research and consultancy group. In 2015, WoodMac was bought by Verisk Analytics, a New Jersey-based data analytics and risk assessment firm, in a deal valued at $2.8B.

HII’s LPD 29: First with MPDE

WASHINGTON - The next generation of LPD 17 Flight II Class amphibious transport dock ships are moving forward in Main Propulsion Diesel Engine (MPDE) efficiency by installing the common rail fuel injection system on the ship's Pielstick-Colt 2.5V Sequentially Turbocharged (STC) engine. The technically advanced system replaces the existing mechanical fuel delivery system and is expected to yield significant lifecycle cost savings due to reduced fuel usage and maintenance costs. The project began in 2015. Fairbanks Morse engineers collaborated to develop a prototype, which was tested on the future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD-28) engine. Upon completion, the common rail fuel injection components were removed, and mechanical fuel injection components re-installed and retested. The future USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29), currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., will be the first amphib delivered to the Navy with common rail fuel injection MPDEs. (Source: Team Ships 02/08/19)

NRF leaders visit Camp Lemonnier

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - Navy Reserve leadership, including Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs) Gregory J. Slavonic, Chief of Navy Reserve Vice Adm. Luke M. McCollum, and Navy Reserve Force Master Chief Chris D. Kotz visited the East African base Feb. 2-4. Camp Lemonnier, located in the Horn of Africa (HOA), is home to more than 900 forward-deployed sailors; two-thirds of whom are Navy Reservists. Lt. Cmdr. Jay Gaul had lunch with the admiral. “It is very clear to me that Vice Adm. McCollum is committed to modernizing the way the Navy Reserve does business and leveraging emerging technologies to accomplish his vision,” Gaul said. A Feb. 4 all-hands meeting included a question-and-answer session about reserve pay, training prior to deployment, Pentagon websites, and warfare qualifications. But the admiral and force master chief’s points were on modernization of existing systems and qualifications to help streamline and focus resources. “I work for you,” the admiral said, “and I wake-up every day thinking about what we can improve … to advocate on your behalf and ultimately, to thank you.” (Source: Camp Lemonnier 02/09/19) Gulf Coast Note: The Naval Reserve Force (NRF) is headquartered in New Orleans, and functions as the Director of Naval Reserve on CNO’s staff in Washington, D.C., and as Chief of Naval Reserve on matters before Congress.

Interactive map of polluted La. waters

A recently created interactive map on the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s website shows pollution has made state waterways unsafe for swimming; fishermen and seafood consumers whether it’s safe to catch or eat. Fifty-eight lakes, bayous, and other waterways have contaminated fish; bottoms are too polluted for swimming, or both. Most points restrict fish or shellfish eating; and two warn against swimming. The largest advisory covers all state waters and in the Gulf of Mexico. That’s almost 1,200 square miles. Clicking on a fishhook icon brings up the advisory from each body of water. (Source: NOLA.com 02/09/19)

MDA exec to talk econ development

Jamie Miller, deputy director of governmental affairs and chief innovation officer at the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), will be guest speaker at the Greater Picayune Area Chamber of Commerce’s Feb. 20 luncheon. Miller, who will be discussing economic development for the Pearl River area, also oversees state-owned ports. “This is all related to economic development,” said Chamber Executive Director Terry Farr. “He will talk about these opportunity zones “and how firms may be able to borrow money, including BP restitution funds for communities. Miller also coordinates with all Mississippi military bases; works with the Mississippi Military Communities Council; coordinates all federal research center; and serves as liaison to the Delta Regional Authority and Appalachian Regional Commission for MDA. (Source: Picayune Item 02/08/19)

Academy to expand maritime program

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The Panama City Marine Institute (PCMI) is expanding its partnership with North Bay Haven Charter Academy Middle and High School from a half-day program to full days in the next school years in its Maritime Program for students in ninth through 12th grade. PCMI expects to add 100-plus students to the PCMI campus, and offer core classes in math, English, social studies, and the sciences - with an emphasis on natural and marine. The program also will offer courses in aerospace technology allowing students to train to become certified drone pilots and Sea Cadets, and Navy JROTC, which can earn students rank in the military after high school. The maritime portion includes certification courses in sailing and seamanship, boating safety, life-guarding, and scuba diving. The Sea Cadet Program also has the entire curriculum. Students interested in environmental sciences, PCMI has an active partnerships with Gulf World Marine Institute, Bay Watch, and Florida Fish and Wildlife. (Source: News Herald 02/08/19) Note: North Bay Haven Charter Academy Middle and High School programs include, among others, STEM academies, engineering, health sciences, and AP Computer Science.

Austal-built LCS to deploy to Americas

The Navy is planning to deploy one of its West Coast littoral combat ships – an Independence variant built at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. - to Latin America this year for a first-of-its-kind counter-drug mission, U.S. Southern Command's Adm. Craig Faller testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Feb. 7. Faller told the committee that USSC is working with the Navy to deploy the LCS before the end of 2019. "We expect to have (an LCS) this year, and that will be a big benefit for our exercise program” for engaging with partner-nations, and “because of the flexibility it brings for counter-narcotics interdiction," he said. In January, Vice Adm. Richard Brown, commander of Naval Surface Forces, said the service plans to deploy three LCS this year - two West Coast/Austal built, and one from the East Coast. (Source: Military.com 02/07/19)

La. yard delivers first of 10 tugs

At the end of 2018, the Louisiana-based Gulf Island Shipyards delivered the first in a series of 10 Z-Tech 30-80 tugs – the Mark E. Kuebler - to Bay Houston (Texas) Towing Co. Designer Robert Allan Ltd released more technical information about the Kuebler. The 30-80 design evolved from the previous Z-Tech 7500 design and its main feature is the incorporation of the designer’s RAstar series hull form. Simulations conducted by an in-house team, and sea trials, showed the tug met all requirements to the design with a bollard pull, ahead of 81.5 MT and a free running speed ahead: 13 knots, which is particularly important for escorting large vessels. (Source: Marine Link 02/07/19) Gulf Island’s Shipyard at Jennings, La., are building the tugs. Jennings is one of three shipyards operated by GIS: Lake Charles and Dularge, La.

Navy ‘Tours with Industry’ apps sought

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Selected sailors and officers can apply to participate in the Secretary of the Navy’s “Tours with Industry” (SNTWI) program, outlined Feb. 7 in NAVADMIN 029/19. SNTWI is open to active-duty and Full Time Support (FTS) sailors in pay-grades E-6 to O-6. Sailors must route applications through detailers; and eligibility is based solely on individual community needs. SNTWI provides a “venue for exceptional sailors to experience innovative business practices for between 10 and 12-months,” said Lt. Christina Johns, SNTWI program coordinator. “Navy fellows are fully immersed in company practices and will be actively engaged in projects and company operations.” Communities must submit names to SNTWI (PERS-443) no later than Feb. 22. Final selection will be made by the Community Distribution Division, and selectees will be notified. Past fellows have been assigned to such companies as Qualcomm, Apple, Boeing, Tesla, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, GE Digital, Amazon, FedEx, Space X, LinkedIn and USAA, according to Johns. (Source: Naval Personnel Command 02/07/19)

Mod contract to repair NSAPC

URS Group Inc. of Morrisville, N.C., is awarded a $21,000,000 modification on a firm-fixed-price task order under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract (N62470-13-D-6022) for Phase 1 of Hurricane Michael repairs for stabilization and repairs to multiple buildings at Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSAPC), Fla. The work to be performed provides for removal of carpet, walls, windows and other unsalvageable items due to water penetration, clean-up of roofing materials and tarping of rooftops to mitigate further water intrusion. Repairs include roof replacement, roof decking, and sealing roof penetrations. The repairs also include correction of architectural, structural, plumbing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire protection, electrical deficiencies and any other incidental related work as found due to damage from the hurricane. After award of this modification, the total task order value will be $42,510,000. Work will be performed in Panama City, and is expected to be completed by September 2019. Fiscal 2019 Navy operations and maintenance contract funds in the amount of $21,000,000 are obligated for 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. (DoD 02/07/19)

EPA accelerating Prez' water initiative

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has accelerated investment in the nation’s aging water infrastructure, which was highlighted in President Trump’s State of the Union address and his infrastructure initiative. EPA has jump-started infrastructure projects to enhance environmental protections and economies, says EPA’s Acting Administrator Andrew Wheeler. EPA has issued seven Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans to help finance over $4B in water infrastructure projects in Region 6, which includes Louisiana, and clearly define federal jurisdiction. EPA’s proposed Waters of the U.S. definition will provide states and the private sector with regulatory certainty to streamline projects. “Through EPA’s state revolving loan funds, we can help cities and towns of all sizes improve their water systems,” says Region 6 Regional Administrator Anne Idsal, and “increase capacity and reliability.” In 2017, EPA invited two projects located in Region 4 to apply for a WIFIA loan and 12 additional projects in 2018. These projects are located in five different states, including the Gulf Coastal states of Alabama, Florida and Mississippi. (Source: EPA 02/07/19)

CG medevacs injured fisherman

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard conducted an emergency medical evacuation of an injured man from a vessel near the Chandeleur Islands in Louisiana on the morning of Feb. 7. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a notification at 8:23 a.m. of a 45-year-old man who sustained a serious leg injury aboard the commercial fishing vessel Miss Kimberly II. The CG diverted a CG Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin aircrew at 9:10 a.m., which arrived on scene and hoisted the man aboard at 9:20 a.m. The injured man was transported in stable condition back to CGAS New Orleans where local EMS took him to a local hospital. (Source: Coast Guard 02/07/19)

Sea level tools only tell half a story

Tools used to measure relative sea level rise in low-lying coastal areas like south Louisiana tells but half a story, according to fifth-year Tulane University PhD student Molly Keogh’s published research in Ocean Science. Researchers have indicated sea level rise estimates don’t account for the primary contributor to higher water levels: Sinking marshes. Relative sea level rise is the sum of rising seas and sinking land generally measured with tide gauges. In areas with no bedrock, gauges are fixed to rods nearly 60 feet deep. It’s a problem when it comes to measuring subsidence near the surface, wrote Keogh. Subsidence is used to describe settling/sinking land. Subsidence of the delta is caused by leveling off of the Mississippi River, faulting and the withdrawal of water, oil and gas. Some 60 percent of subsidence occurs within the top 16 feet, Keogh continued. Sediment at the surface is newer; and over time compacts under its weight and further buried. This “shallow subsidence” tide gauge measurements miss the relative sea level rise, she told NOLA.com. Tide gauges don’t account for shallow subsidence and underestimate sea level risings. “We could be looking at only half the true rate,” Keogh said. There is a solution: An instrument called a surface elevation table that can be used to record shallow subsidence. Unlike tidal gauges, SETs have an arm that extends horizontally with pins on the ground to track surface elevation change. (Source: NOLA.com 02/05/19)

La. firms awarded $15M for contracts

R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates of New Orleans and Coastal Environments Inc. of Baton Rouge, La., were each awarded a $7,500,000 firm-fixed-price contract for cultural resources related services. Bids were solicited via the internet with nine received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order and with an estimated completion date of Feb. 6, 2024. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 02/06/19)

HII declares quarterly dividend

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Feb. 6 that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend of 86 cents per share payable on March 8 to shareholders of record as of close of business Feb. 22. HII is America’s largest military shipbuilding company. For more than a century, HII’s Newport News and Ingalls shipbuilding divisions in Virginia and Pascagoula, Miss., have built more ships in more ship classes than any other U.S.-based naval shipbuilder. (Source: HII 02/06/19)

1.18M NOLA cruise passengers

A record number of cruise ship passengers (1.18M) traveled through the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA) in 2018. The number marked a 2.3 percent increase over 2017, and the fifth consecutive year of hitting the 1M mark. A 23 percent jump in Mississippi River cruises’ passengers buoyed the total. In 2019, there will be new and larger ships set to sail from New Orleans both to the Caribbean and along the Mississippi River. In 2018, there were 235 passenger ships calling on Port NOLA compared to 229 in 2017. (Source: Marine Link 02/05/19)

WH FY-20 budget expected March 12

WASHINGTON - The White House expects to deliver its FY 2020 budget to Congress on March 12, six weeks later than its initial release date, three sources have told Defense News. The sources, speaking on background because there has been no formal announcement from the Office of Management and Budget, confirmed the March 12 target date. No dollar figure has been announced, but is expected to be in the range of $750B. It is possible the date could slide should there be another government shutdown, which could begin as soon as Feb. 16 if an agreement is not reached between Congress and the White House. (Source: Defense News 02/06/19)

SECNAV: Another Austal LCS named

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer's office announced in a news release Feb. 5 that the next Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship will be named USS Pierre (LCS 38) for the capital city of South Dakota. It is the second ship to bear the name. The future USS Pierre will be built by Austal USA in Mobile, Ala. The Navy has accepted delivery of 17 LCS, including recent contract modifications, for a grand total of 35 procured. Eleven ships are under construction (LCS 17, 19-26) and seven more ships in preconstruction stage (LCS 29-32, 34, 36, 38). Austal USA builds even-numbered LCS hulls. (Source: Seapower Magazine 02/05/19)

Hybrid electrical drive for OPCs

Leonardo DRS’ permanent magnet motor, used for years to power oil rigs yet is no bigger than a clothes dryer, will help propel the Coast Guard's new Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC), the first of which is being built at Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) in Panama City, Fla. The Virginia-based firm was awarded a $10.7M contract in 2017 to furnish nine hybrid electric drive systems for the Heritage-class OPCs. Leonardo DRS is already building a second system for the second OPC, the Chase. ESG began cutting steel in January for the first ship in class, the Argus, and successfully achieving the milestone even after sustaining damage and work interruptions due to Hurricane Michael back in early October. Two 625-hp permanent magnet motors will power the OPC’s hybrid-electric drive system, designed to provide auxiliary propulsion to the ship's main diesel engines. The system will increase fuel efficiency, decrease emissions, and reduce wear and tear on the main diesel engines, according to Greg Reed, senior director for business development in Leonardo DRS' naval power unit. (Source: Military.com 02/05/19)

GCOOS develops new GoM website

Gulf Coast communities now have a new way to access information about the Gulf of Mexico and its coastal waters thanks to a new website developed by the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System. GCOOS is the heart of data collection for ocean and coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico - collecting thousands of data points from sensors and ensuring reliable, timely and accurate information before disseminating it to residents, researchers, and resource managers across Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. GCOOS is also the only NOAA-certified observing system whose sole focus is on the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System 02/05/19)

SECNAV: LCS 36 named Kingsville

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer announced Feb. 4, in a media release, that the next Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship will be named USS Kingsville, and will be built at Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala. The future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) is named in honor of the city of Kingsville, Texas, and is the first ship to bear its name. The Navy has accepted delivery of 17 LCS, including the recent contract modifications. A total of 35 LCS have been procured with 11 ships under construction (LCS 17, 19-26) and seven more ships in preconstruction (LCS 29 - 32, 34, 36, 38). (Source: Seapower Magazine 02/04/19) Austal USA builds the even-number hulls of LCS.

LCS 18 commissioning March 2

The commissioning of the Navy’s newest Littoral Combat Ship, USS Charleston (LCS 18), will be held in Charleston, S.C., on March 2. Charlotte Riley, wife of former Mayor Joe Riley, is the ship’s sponsor. She took part in the ceremonial christening two years ago at Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, Ala. The commissioning will precede Charleston Navy Week, which is March 11-16. The event is expected to be live-streamed by the Defense Department at navylive.dodlive.mil. Anyone interested in attending must register for tickets in advance at navyleaguecharleston.org. Registration will stay open through Feb. 14. (Source: Post and Courier 02/04/19)

Swiftships LCU mod pact: $26.6M

Swiftships LLC of Morgan City, La., is awarded a $26,683,722 modification to previously awarded fixed-price incentive contract (N00024-18-C-2401) to exercise an option for construction of Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) 1701 and 1702. LCU 1700 will replace the existing LCU 1610 class of amphibious landing craft on a one for one basis. LCU 1700 will be a similarly rugged steel craft which will recapitalize the LCU 1610 capabilities and have a design life of 30 years. LCU 1700 craft will be a highly reliable and fuel efficient heavy lift platform whose capability will be complementary to the faster air cushion landing craft which have a significantly shorter range, smaller payload capacity, no habitability, and operating hour limitations. Work will be performed in Morgan City and is expected to be completed by May 2021. FY 2019 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $26,683,722 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 02/04/19)

Navy reanalyzing 355-ship plan

The Navy is reanalyzing its 355-ship build-up plan of 2016 with an already underway new force-structure assessment, said Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson. "We're on a path to grow the Navy," said CNO, adding that the goal is to achieve "the most capable naval force" he told Military.com on Feb. 2. Prior studies by both the Navy and outside sources have indicated that the sea-service’s optimal fleet size ranges are from the high 300s to 400s, Richardson said. If the 355 number makes no sense, "we'll get a new number," CNO proclaimed. “We might hold to it, we may not, (but) the analysis is in progress." Todd Harrison, director of the Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the 355-ship plan needs to be realistic given less likely dollars for future Pentagon budgets, including FY 2020’s requests. “(Y)ou'll need trade-offs," he said Jan. 31. "Things have to go,” he continued. "The 355-ship Navy is out the window if you want to implement the plan." Some programs will have to be reviewed or outright canceled - carrier, frigate or amphibious ship purchases - to better align with NDS and pragmatic costs. As of January, the Navy had 287 ships that were capable of conducting operations. (Source: Military.com 02/01/19)

Metal Shark delivers pilot boat

JEANERETTE, La. - The Alabama-Louisiana shipbuilder Metal Shark has delivered a custom welded-aluminum pilot boat to the Brazos Pilots Association of Freeport, Texas. The “Brazos Pilot” is a 64-foot Defiant-class mono-hull pilot boat designed by Metal Shark and built at its Franklin, La., shipyard. This pilot boat is intended to replace a smaller, single-engine 40-foot pilot boat that would allow for better crew safety and to enhance services to operators at Port Freeport. Following a christening Jan. 31, the new pilot boat is already in service. (Source: Metal Shark 02/04/19) Metal Shark has two Louisiana-based shipyards, including one at Jeanerette; and the company recently bought a shipyard in Mobile, Ala.