Galliano firm mod pact: $11.7M

Alpha Marine Services of Galliano, La., is awarded an $11,710,536 modification under a previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N3220518C3520) to fund the first one-year option period for the charter hire of U.S.-flagged Maritime Support Vessel M/V Kellie Chouest in support of U.S. Southern Command. This contract includes a 12-month base period, three 12-month option periods, and one 11-month option period, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $57,464,816. Work will be performed at sea, and if all options are exercised, work will be completed by April 30, 2023. FY 2019 operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,710,536 are obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured with proposals solicited via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with three offers received. The Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/30/19)

EIA: More GC pipeline capacity

The rising American crude oil production has created a need for more pipeline capacity to the Gulf Coast region, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. EIA recently launched a new liquids pipeline projects database to track 200+ crude oil, hydrocarbon gas liquids (HGL), and petroleum products pipeline projects. "Rising domestic crude oil production has led to several changes in Gulf Coast crude oil supply and demand patterns, creating a need for more pipeline capacity," an EIA report indicated. GC crude oil pipeline capacity additions represent most of the scheduled pipeline capacity growth over the next few years. EIA’s new database provides an improved capability to track the growth. U.S. crude oil production doubled from 2010-18 – about 70 percent coming from the Gulf Coast. As production increased, imports dropped, which meant less of a need for pipeline capacity from the GC to Midwest. New pipelines originating in the Midwest are increasingly moving crude oil south. As a result, the GC transitioned from being a net shipper to a net recipient of crude oil since 2015. In the region, nine intrastate crude oil pipeline projects have been announced or are under construction from 2019–21. These projects are planned to move crude oil throughout Texas and Louisiana to further alleviate regional constraints. (Source: Marine Link 05/31/19)

$1.3B equity investment for La. LNG

ARLINGTON, Va. - Venture Global LNG and Stonepeak Infrastructure Partners of New York jointly announced May 28 executed definitive agreements under which Stonepeak will exclusively provide a $1.3B equity investment in Venture Global’s 10M tonnes per annum (MTPA) Calcasieu Pass LNG export facility in Cameron Parish, La., just south of Lake Charles. The investment brings a total committed capital to fund the construction of the Calcasieu Pass, and the continued development of Venture Global’s 20 MTPA Plaquemines (La.) LNG and 20 MTPA Delta LNG facilities to $2.2B. It’s a major financial boost for construction already underway. The facility is expected to begin supplying LNG to customers in 2022. (Source: Venture Global LNG 05/28/19) The 930-acre project site is located where the Calcasieu Ship Channel meets the Gulf of Mexico. The project site is secured under exclusive agreements for up to a 70-year term.

Lionfish removal nets Fla. record

A record 19,167 lionfish were removed from Gulf and Atlantic waters as part of the Emerald Coast Open tournament, which coincided with the 5th Annual Lionfish Removal and Awareness Festival at AJ’s Seafood & Oyster Bar and Harbor Walk Village in Destin, Fla., on May 18-19. While the tournament is over, there are chances to earn prizes through the FWC’s 2019 Lionfish Challenge, a removal incentive program started May 18 and continues through Labor Day, Sept. 2. This year, participants who submit the largest and smallest lionfish may be eligible to receive up to $3,000 in prizes thanks to support sponsors: American Sportfishing Association, Yamaha Motor Co., Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach (Fla.) County and National Marine Manufacturers Association. Find more details at fwcreefrangers.com. (Source: InWeekly 05/30/19)

Bollinger promotes Remond to VP

LOCKPORT, La. - Bollinger Shipyards announced May 30 the promotion of Chris Remont to the post of Executive Vice President of New Construction Programs. Remont will assume responsibility of overseeing all commercial and government new construction programs. Since joining the Bollinger in 2014, Remont has held the positions of Director and VP of Program Management, VP/GM of Bollinger Lockport’s new construction facility where he led all facets of construction, planning, scheduling, engineering, material control, quality, and production. Remont has 25 years of shipyard and manufacturing experience. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University, and a Masters of Business Administration from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La. (Source: Bollinger 05/30/19) Bollinger is a leading designer and builder of fast military patrol boats, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tug boats, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards. Bollinger has 10 shipyards and all are strategically located throughout Louisiana with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico.

Update: Cochran funeral information

Former U.S. Senator Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), who represented the Magnolia State in Congress for more than 45 years, passed away early Thursday (May 30) morning in Oxford, Miss., at the age of 81. Cochran, who was born was born in Pontotoc, Miss., was first elected to the Senate in 1978, becoming the first Republican in more than 100 years to win a statewide election. He was the 10th-longest-serving senator in American history. He resigned last year due to health concerns. Cochran had been called “Gentleman Thad” by his peers in Congress, and the “King of Pork” by detractors for securing billions in federal spending for Mississippi. After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Mississippi and other Gulf Coast states, became part of Cochran’s legacy. He was chairman of appropriations, and convinced a reluctant Congress to provide $29B in immediate Katrina relief, including an unprecedented $5B in discretionary HUD Community Development Block Grant money for Mississippi. It allowed the state to provide homeowner grants for rebuilding. The federal relief was credited with preventing financial and social ruin in Mississippi and Louisiana after the hurricane’s destruction. Services for the former U.S. senator are pending. (Source: Clarion Ledger 05/30/19) UPDATE: Funeral arrangements have been announced for Sen. Cochran: Visitation June 2 from 5-7 p.m. at the University of Mississippi Robert C. Khayat Law Center in Oxford; Funeral service will be June 3 at 11 a.m. at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson; a second funeral service will be held June 4 at 11 at Northminster Baptist Church in Jackson. Coleman Funeral Home of Oxford is in charge of arrangements. (Source: News Mississippi 05/31/19)

Temp safety zone for Bayou Chene

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is enforcing a temporary safety zone in the vicinity of Bayou Chene while the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sink a barge near Morgan City, La. on May 29. The safety zone will remain in effect until 6 p.m. on May 30. All mariners are required to keep a minimum distance of two (2) nautical miles within Bayou Chene Light – 4. No vessel or person is permitted to operate in the temporary safety zone unless authorized by the captain of the port or designated representative. Until further notice, the Bayou Boeuf Lock will open to all navigation. This will be the only east-to-west route from Port Arthur, Texas, to New Orleans. All mariners are advised to use extreme caution when transiting the Bayou Boeuf Locks and check in and out with the Vessel Traffic Service Berwick Bay on Channel 11. For information regarding the safety zone, you may contact the Vessel Traffic Service Berwick Bay duty officer via VHF Ch. 11 or contact Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Morgan City at 985-380-5374. (Source: Coast Guard 05/29/19)

Update: CG ends off-shore search

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is searching for a 54-year-old male in the water 75 nautical miles off Vermilion Bay, La., in the morning of May 29. The Coast Guard was notified at 6:26 a.m. by workers at the Eugene Island 331 platform that the man entered the water from Renaissance Offshore's Eugene Island 331 platform in the Gulf of Mexico. The CG deployed an MH-65 Dolphin aircrew from New Orleans; CG Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., deployed an HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew; and the Cutter Mako’s boatcrew. The cause of the incident is under investigation. (Source: Coast Guard 05/29/19) UPDATE: Coast Guard ended its search May 31 for the person in the water 75 nautical miles off Vermilion Bay. The CG used 21 assets to search some 3,700 square miles over a 56-hour period.

VTHM plans $37M expansion

VT Halter Marine shipbuilding plans to invest $37.5M to expand its operations in Pascagoula, Miss., in order to fulfill a recent $745M contract award from the Coast Guard to construct a Polar Security Cutter icebreaker. The project is expected to create 900 jobs over the next five years. The cutter will be the first Coast Guard heavy icebreaker constructed in the last 40 years. VT Halter Marine’s investment includes rehabilitation and modernization of its Pascagoula shipyard. The renovations are scheduled to begin later this year; and expected delivery to the CG is in 2024. Mississippi Development Authority is providing assistance for the construction of a dry dock and workforce training. (Source: Area Development 05/29/19)

Update3: Spillway indefinitely delayed

Upstream floodwaters flowing toward a swollen Mississippi River will require the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to open its rarely used Morganza Spillway in Louisiana on June 2 – after saying weeks ago it had “no intention” of funneling part of the river's flow into the Atchafalaya Basin from Morganza to Morgan City. CoE announced last week it would be opening the 65-year-old spillway for only the third time in its history. In coastal Mississippi, Biloxi Mayor Andrew “FoFo” Gilich called a meeting of mayors May 28 to gather facts and to see what can be done to protect South Mississippi from another reopening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway above New Orleans for the third time this year. The 90-minute meeting concluded with a plan to turn up pressure on Jackson (Miss.) and Washington, D.C., and get action to protect the coast’s water, seafood and economy. The releases have no benefit to Mississippi, only adverse effects. The releases have dropped the salinity in the Mississippi Sound, which is usually in the upper teens, said Joe Newell with DRM, but now it is down to two in some locations. “It’s river water,” said Moby Solangi, director of the Institute for Marine Mammal Studies in Gulfport. The river brings pollution and pesticides from 31 states and two Canadian provinces that are creating dead zones. Shrimp sampling shows a large decrease and may delay the opening of the season. “I think it’s even worse than the BP oil spill” in 2010, Solangi said. “We had 91 dead dolphins … during the oil spill. As of today, we have 98 and counting” along with 143 dead turtles. “Yes, Louisiana needs to protect its resources, its habitat and its population,” Solangi said. But he said Mississippi gets the flood water first and the problem is getting worse. (Source: Biloxi Sun Herald 05/28/19) UPDATE: Plans to open the Morganza Spillway have been put off until June 6 - four days later because the river’s rising more slowly than expected, according to an Army Corps of Engineers' (CoE) media release. The delay will avoid putting more water into the Atchafalaya Basin. The opening had been planned for June 2. UPDATE 2: The CoE announced June 3 that it has delayed the opening a second time - until June 10 - to divert part of the flow of the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya Basin to reduce the chance of levees being overtopped in Baton Rouge. This second delay is the result of breaches and overtopping of levees along the Arkansas River, with the escaping floodwaters slowing the rise of the Arkansas as it enters the Mississippi, and slowing that river’s rise downstream. UPDATE 3: The CoE has delayed opening the Morganza Spillway above Baton Rouge indefinitely in response to slightly better forecasts for water heights at the spillway and upriver, corps spokesman Ricky Boyett said June 6.

Pearl sailor buried on Memorial Day

Ninety-eight-year-old WWII Navy veteran Sherwin Callander rose from his seat at a Limestone County, Ala., church funeral and saluted the flag-draped casket containing the remains of Edgar David Gross. On Memorial Day, more than 77 years after his death in the December 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a family and nation came to say final farewells to the WWII sailor. Gross had only recently been identified from forensic DNA obtained from family members by the Defense Department’s POW/MIA Accounting Agency in Hawaii. “Years from now … you may be able to tell your … grandchildren, even your great-grandchildren, you were there when our country returned a fallen sailor to the red clay of north Alabama,” said Gross’ great-nephew Tom Gross. “It took a nation and a military that did not forget a sailor from humble roots.” A water tender aboard the battleship USS Oklahoma, the 40-year-old seaman maintained pumps and valves on one of the ship’s 12 oil-fired boilers when the attack began. Within 20 minutes of being hit by nine torpedoes, Oklahoma capsized. Only 35 people on the ship were positively identified. The remaining unidentified was buried in mass graves labeled “UNKNOWNS” at the National Memorial Cemetery in Honolulu. On Sept. 7, 2018, DPAA and Armed Forces Medical Examiner System identified Edgar Gross using mitochondrial DNA, dental and anthropological analysis from three relatives. (Source: Decatur [Ala.] Daily 05/28/19)

LM won’t bid on FFG(X) design

Lockheed Martin (LM) will not submit a bid to compete in the design of the Navy’s next-generation guided-missile frigate (FFG(X)) competition, company officials told USNI News on May 28. LM has chosen to focus on developing the frigate’s combat system rather than forward its Freedom-class Littoral Combat Ship hull design for the detailed design and construction contract that Naval Sea Systems Command plans to issue this summer, according to Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin VP of ship systems. The firm told the Navy on May 23 it will not join other bidders for the hull design, according to two USNI News sources. In 2018, five contractors were each awarded a $15M initial design contract to refine an existing ship design for the 20 (FFG(X)) frigates: Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss.; Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.; Lockheed Martin, Fincantieri Marine, and General Dynamic’s Bath (Maine) Iron Works. Lockheed Martin, if it had won the contract, would have built the frigate at the Fincantieri Marine-owned Marinette (Wis.) Marine shipyard. Fincantieri would also build its FFG(X) at the same yard. LM partnered with Marinette to build the Freedom-class LCS. In 2009, Marinette was bought by Fincantieri. The Navy plans to issue a final detailed design and construction FFG(X) request for proposal (RFP) with the final contract to be awarded in 2020. (Source: USNI News 05/28/19) Gulf Coast Note: Austal USA will submit a design for the FFG(X) based on its Independence-class LCS.

New ‘Gitmo’ court judge selected

WASHINGTON - A retired Navy flag-officer judge has been named to oversee the military tribunals at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, filling a job that has lacked a permanent occupant since his predecessor was dismissed in 2018 after discussing plea deals with defense lawyers in the Sept. 11 (9/11) and the destroyer USS Cole cases. Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan appointed Christian L. Reismeier to the civilian job last week. The Pentagon made an announcement on May 28. Reismeier is a one-star admiral who retired in 2015. Judgeship responsibilities have been carried out since early 2018 on an interim basis. Reismeier is taking over more than 15 years after the Defense Department named the first overseer of a tribunal system at “Gitmo” that was set up after the 9/11 attacks. No major Qaeda prosecution has yet to be carried out. The military commission’s most complex case is against five men accused of conspiring in the 9/11 attacks. No trial date has ever been set, seven years after President Obama approved proceeding with prosecution. (Source: New York Times 05/29/19)

ESG delivers Subchapter M tow

Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Fla., delivered the 90-foot Brian Boudreaux towboat May 20. It is the first new construction Subchapter M towboat for Florida Marine Transporters of Mandeville, La., and the 68th that the shipyard has built for Florida Marine. It early 2018, the towboat operator signed for four more towboats bringing the total to 70 vessels contracted over the last 14 years. The Brian Boudreaux was built at ESG’s Allanton facility. The new towboat is the first new construction vessel in the series to be issued a USCG Subchapter M Certificate of Inspection (COI). (Source: Eastern Shipbuilding 05/24/19)

MS coastal project proposals

The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources is accepting proposals for coastal projects that may receive funding from the Gulf of Mexico Energy Securities Act (GOMESA). Proposals are restricted to projects in Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties. They must meet one or more of the following criteria: For the purposes of coastal protection, including conservation, coastal restoration, hurricane protection and infrastructure directly affected by coastal wetland losses; mitigation of damage to fish, wildlife or natural resources; implementation of a federally-approved marine, coastal or comprehensive conservation management plan; mitigation of the impact of Outer Continental Shelf activities through the funding of onshore infrastructure projects; and planning assistance and the administrative costs of compliance. The deadline for proposals to be submitted is 5 p.m. on June 13. Submissions will be made to Russell Weatherly at russell.weatherly@dmr.ms.gov This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or delivered to MDMR at 1141 Bayview Ave. in Biloxi. (Source: MDMR 05/24/19)

CNO, Vice confirmed; Marine on hold

The Senate has confirmed Adm. Bill Moran to be the Chief of Naval Operations, and Vice Adm. Robert Burke to serve as the next Vice CNO. Moran is currently VCNO and Burke is Chief of Naval Personnel. Burke will be promoted to the rank of admiral upon taking on the VCNO job. Current CNO Adm. John Richardson will retire this summer after 37 years. The Navy is facing a challenge to recruit and retain sufficient personnel to man a larger and more complex Navy, but have former personnel chiefs at the top spots may help ensure sufficient focus on those issues. U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has held up confirmation of Lt. Gen. David Berger to be the next commandant of the Marine Corps, according to USNI News. Moran and Berger were nominated about the same time, and went through confirmation hearings with the Senate Armed Services Committee together. Three sources confirmed Sullivan was the senator who placed a hold on Berger’s nomination due to local Alaska issues. (Source: USNI News 05/24/19)

CG rescues 2 from sinking boat

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard rescued two people on the evening of May 27 from a sinking vessel in Bayou Eloi about 33 nautical miles east of New Orleans. Coast Guard Sector New Orleans received a report at 7:30 p.m. Monday via a marine VHF radio of a 30-foot boat with two people aboard taking on water in Lake Eloi. The CG launched an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from CG Air Station New Orleans and a 24-Foot Special Purpose Craft boatcrew from CG Station New Orleans to assist. The aircrew located the vessel at 8:33 p.m. and directed the boatcrew of its location. The crew transported the people to a good Samaritan vessel in stable condition. (Source: Coast Guard 05/27/19)

2,100 gallon oil spill recovery

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard responded to a crude oil discharge from the Bowley Cap Facility in Lake Bully Bonds near Galliano, La., on Sunday (May 26). The Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit at Houma received a National Response Center report of about 2,100 gallons of crude oil going into a marshy area near the facility due to a mechanical failure. The source of the discharge has been secured. A pollution response team from Marine Safety Unit-Houma and a Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator's Office representative deployed to the facility to work with other responding agencies to coordinate clean-up operations. Those operations are underway. A containment boom, lined with sorbent boom, has been deployed to contain the spill. Three drum skimmers are engaged in skimming operations. Recovery operations were to resume Monday (May 27) morning. (Source: Coast Guard 05/26/19)

Navy hospital ship's schedule

MIAMI - The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will return for another deployment to South and Central America, and the Caribbean in mid-June to begin a five-month medical assistance mission as a result of the humanitarian crisis created by the ongoing political and economic instability in Venezuela. Comfort medical teams will pull in to Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, Saint Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Trinidad and Tobago for working port visits. (Source: US Southern Command 05/24/19) See previous story on initial announcement.

NOLA Memorial Day volunteers

A swarm of volunteers planted American flags on more than 15,000 headstones at the Chalmette (La.) National Cemetery on May 24 for Memorial Day. Family groups, active and retired military personnel, scouts, St. Bernard Parish fire, sheriff and tourism departments, the World War II Museum, and businesses such as Valero and Shell fielded teams of three to 10 volunteers. The task was completed in 45 minutes, breaking last year’s record of an hour. Navy veterans Cindy and Edward Broom brought their grandchildren to help plant flags. “We’ve brought them the past three years,” Cindy said. “They love doing it.” Flags are placed at the graves in the national cemetery in honor of Memorial Day and in preparation for the annual Memorial Day Ceremony to be held at Sunday (May 26) at 12:30 p.m. The Vietnam Veterans of VFW Post 3798 will present a tribute to America's fallen troops. “We have records of Memorial Day ceremonies here dating back to 1935,” Jim Cowie, a National Park Service (NPS) volunteer at the cemetery, told NOLA.com. According to the NPS website, the cemetery was established in May 1864 as a final resting place for U.S. soldiers who died in Louisiana during the Civil War. (Source: NOLA.com 05/24/19)

SCA safety awards to GC firms

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national trade association representing the U.S. shipyard industry, hosted its annual spring meeting in Washington, D.C., last week. The SCA presented 30 awards for exceptional safety practices. Gulf Coast winners included the Excellence in Safety award to Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.; Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La.; and Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Fla. The SCA Award for Improvement in Safety was presented to Austal USA and Bollinger Shipyards. Winners of the Award for Significant Safety Achievement included Modern American Recycling & Repair Services (M.A.R.R.S.) of Mobile, Ala. The Port of New Orleans was presented the Equity Ally Award in recognition of its efforts to provide access to opportunities for women and minority entrepreneurs at the Good Work Network’s annual meeting May 17 at Audubon Zoo. During FY 2016-18, more than $6M was spent with minority- and women-owned businesses. During the current fiscal year, Port NOLA has already spent more than $5.6M in small business contracts. (Source: American Shipper 05/24/19)

OPC sub at W&O's Mobile valve shop

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - W&O, a global supplier to the marine and upstream oil and gas markets for pipe, valves, and fittings, valve automation, and engineered solutions, announced May 24 that it had been awarded a subcontract from Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) of Panama City, Fla., for the Coast Guard’s Offshore Patrol Cutters (OPC). W&O was selected as the major supplier of valves for the new ship class. The OPC is the Coast Guard's largest shipbuilding program. The current contract calls for ESG to build up to nine OPCs. “This project represents years of development our team has put into this product line. This project will be handled by our Mobile, Ala., branch, where the state-of-the-art valve automation facility has successfully delivered thousands of motor operated valves to the shipbuilding industry over the last 10 years," said Debbie Garner, W&O’s Gulf Coast Regional Manager. (Source: PR Newswire 05/24/19)

Bollinger delivers FRC #34

Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., delivered the USCGC William Hart, the 34th Fast Response Cutter to the Coast Guard on May 23 in Key West, Fla. (Source: Marine Link 05/24/19)

First U.S. zero-emission ferry

Alabama's historic Gee's Bend Ferry recently entered service after being converted from geared-diesel to become the first zero-emission, electric-powered passenger/car ferry in the United States. The service is owned by the Alabama Department of Transportation and operated by HMS Global Maritime (HMS Ferries). The 15-vehicle/132-passenger ferry runs on the Alabama River between Camden and Boykin, Ala. (Source: Marine Link 05/24/19) HMS Ferries has also contracted to operate Pensacola (Fla.) Bay Cruises. HMS has more than 25 years of experience in the maritime industry, and currently operates boat cruises and ferries at locations across the country including the Mobile (Ala.) Bay and Gees Bend ferries in Alabama, and St. Johns River ferry in Jacksonville, Fla.

Advocacy to host small biz reg talks

The U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy is hosting a roundtable discussion of federal regulatory issues June 6 at the Jackson (Miss.) Hilton that impact small businesses. The free-to-register discussions begin at 9 a.m. President Trump has made regulatory reform a center piece of his agenda and signed two executive orders addressing the regulatory burden faced by the private sector. As the independent voice for small business within the federal government, The Office of Advocacy has a unique and role to aid the SBA’s implementation of those orders. To assist in accomplishing the goals, Advocacy has developed a Regulatory Reform Action Plan. As part of this plan, there are Regional Regulatory Reform Roundtables being held across the country to give small businesses first-hand information about federal regulations that most concern or impact business In order for this reform effort to be successful, small business participation will be needed. This will be an opportunity for small business leaders to educate Advocacy and federal agencies through first-hand accounts of how federal regulations impact their small business. (Source: Event Brite 05/2019)

Record SASC plan to challenge House

The Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday released its tentative plan to authorize a record-setting $750B in defense spending for FY 2020 in a bill that would give military members a 3.1 percent pay raise in January; numerous R&D plus-ups for military-specific programs, including $125M to research technologies for future warships; and outlines a comprehensive reorganization for military housing, creating a Tenant Bill of Rights - a dispute resolution process - and establishing new quality, health and hazard standards for the private companies contracted to provide and maintain residences for personnel. The Senate measure, which matches the overall defense budget request from the Trump Administration, is expected to be challenged by the Democrats in the House, where lawmakers are drafting their own authorization bill to seek less funding and oppose several of the Senate proposals. One likely area of dispute is the Senate's plan to devote $3.6B to replenish funds the President diverted from military construction projects to pay for a border wall. House Democrats have pledged not to backfill those accounts. The Senate bill also lays out a plan for the creation of a U.S. Space Force within the Air Force, to be headed by a commander, but not an undersecretary. After a year, that commander would be included as a permanent member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff for space-related issues. (Source: Washington Post 05/24/19)

HII-built DDG commissioning in Fla.

HII-built DDG to be commissioned in Fla. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117) will be commissioned into the fleet July 27 in Port Everglades, Fla. It is the Navy’s 67th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer and features the latest technology and weapon systems with the most advanced combat capabilities. The ship was built by Huntington Ingalls Industries’ shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. The DDG is named for the 59th Secretary of the Navy in President Lyndon Johnson’s administration. Secretary Ignatius plans to attend the ceremonies, making it the first destroyer to be commissioned with the honoree present. (Source: Sun Sentinel 05/23/19)

Lockport firm's $11.6M contract

Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors of Lockport, La., is awarded an $11,638,510 firm-fixed-price contract for the purchase and conversion of one existing offshore supply vessel into an Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Center range support vessel (ARSV). The ARSV will perform ocean engineering and range support in the launch, recovery and deep ocean mooring installation and maintenance of remote operated vehicles, unmanned underwater vehicles, and autonomous underwater vehicles. The ARSV will be operated for multiple days at sea, which will permit researchers onboard to remain on station at remote locations for multiple days to collect data, deploy scientific equipment, and perform scientific calculations. Work will be performed in Lockport and is expected to be completed by January 2020. FY 2019 Navy research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $11,638,510 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Federal Business Opportunities website, with one offer received. Naval Sea Systems Command of Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/23/19)

4 LCS to new development squadron

ARLINGTON, Va. - The Navy established a new unit at Naval Base San Diego on May 22 that will serve as a fount of experimentation for the surface warfare community to accelerate the lethality and combat readiness of its warships. Naval Surface Force and Pacific Fleet Commander Vice Adm. Richard discussed the announcement with reporters about establishment of the Surface Development Squadron One (SURFDEVRON ONE) to execute operational testing and evaluation of new and emerging surface war-fighting capabilities. Brown said the new squadron will soon be adding up to three Zumwalt DDGs because if their advanced capabilities and potential. Future plans are to get the Navy’s Sea Hunter unmanned surface vehicle (USV) transferred to the squadron, he said. The Navy is experimenting with Sea Hunter to develop navigation capabilities, concepts of operation and sensor configurations for USVs. Brown also envisions Large USVs and Medium USVs for the fleet in the 2020s will be assigned to the development squadron. “The possibilities are endless,” he said. The Navy’s first four littoral combat ships (LCS) - Freedom, Independence, Fort Worth and Coronado - would be transferring to the squadron. These LCS are currently non-deploying test ships to support development of the fleet of successor to LCS and their mission packages. Capt. Hank Adams is the first commanding officer of Surface Development Squadron One. (Source: Seapower Magazine 05/22/19) Gulf Coast Note: USS Independence and USS Coronado are Independence-variant LCS built by Austal USA shipyards in Mobile, Ala.

CAT $8M mitigation contract

CAT Island Conservancy LLC of Baton Rouge, La., was awarded an $8,121,750 firm-fixed-price contract to purchase Bottomland Hardwood Impacts mitigation bank credits/acres from approved mitigation bank(s) in the Lake Pontchartrain and/or Mississippi River basins. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Baton Rouge with an estimated completion date of June 3, 2019. FY 2019 Army Corps of Engineers civil construction funds in the amount of $8,121,750 were obligated at the time of the award. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/22/19)

Shipbuilders study punching up LCS

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Littoral Combat Ship builders – Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., and Lockheed Martin - are researching how to backfit more lethal capabilities into existing Freedom- and Independence-variant ships. Austal and LM are both conducting a two-phase review to upgrade original LCS hulls, Joe DePietro, Lockheed VP, told USNI News in early May. “(U)underneath our class design services contract that we already have,” the Navy issued a technical instruction awarded contract for about $2M “to go start the work on Phase 1 to develop the packages that would be for the installation and integration of those systems,” he said. The systems include Raytheon /Kongsberg’s anti-ship Naval Strike Missile, Nulka MK 53 Decoy Launching System (DLS), SLQ-32(V)6 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) system, modification to the ship’s fire control system for its 57mm guns, and a possible decision to choose one of two options to upgrade the ships’ TRS-3D combat radar or Austal USA ships’ Sea Giraffe radar. A spokesman for Austal USA declined to comment on its work on the Independence variant when contacted by USNI News. The Navy is set to review the upgraded plans later this month, ahead of a planned draft Request for Proposal, DePietro said. (Source: USNI News 05/21/19)

NASP Port Ops response training

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Federal civilian and base contract workers from Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola’s Port Operations Department completed required annual response training recertification May 16 at Allegheny Pier. NASP is one of four installations in the United States with an active airfield and deep water port. The Facility Response Training (FRT) scenario, an annual recertification process orchestrated by contracted company LRS Gryphon Joint Venture (JV) involved a simulated oil spill. The three-day course is critical to the continued success of NASP’s supporting of Navy, Coast Guard and visiting ships, says FRT instructor John Hamilton. The training is also critical to meet federal and state requirements concerning bulk oil storage in coastal areas, and how to properly respond to oil spills and to protect the environment. The training also meets Occupational Safety and Health Administration required training for oil spill responders. NASP’s contract employees also practiced deploying oil containment booms, and responded to a simulated medical emergency aboard one of Port Ops’ skimmer boats. “Truly our mission at our bulk oil storage installations is prevention,” said but we still need to train and practice for all possible oil spills to ensure our environment is viable for generations to come,” Hamilton said. (Source: NAS Pensacola 05/16/19)

Bevan to head ‘Share the Beach’

The Alabama Coastal (ACF) Foundation hired biologist Dr. Elizabeth Bevan to support Share the Beach, Alabama’s sea turtle conservation program. Bevan joined ACF on the heels of earning doctorate and master’s degrees at The University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she studied the endangered Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle in the Gulf of Mexico. (Source: Mobile Chamber of Commerce 05/19) The ACF, a non-profit organization, seeks to establish common ground amongst government, business and industry, grassroots groups and individuals to work toward addressing coastal conservation issues. ACF is designed to address priority environmental issues throughout the region to preserve and protect the coastal way of life.​

TS Panama City to aid with RoboSubs

Huntington Ingalls Industries is the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, and is now helping the Boeing Co. build Orca, a large unmanned submarine. Just as aerial drones have changed the nature of air warfare, unmanned will allow the Navy to rethink underwater warfare, according to some analysts. This partnership between defense contractors may not be new, but has swelled in 2019. Navy selected two competitors for initial design of Orca: A Boeing-HII team and Lockheed Martin were each awarded about $40M in 2017. In March, the Navy formally ended the competition and awarding more funding to Boeing to build, test and deliver five Orca submersibles. The effort links Boeing and HII’s Technical Solutions (TS) division. Some of the work will be done at HII’s TS facility in Panama City, Fla., where they have developed a smaller submersible called Proteus, which runs in manned and unmanned modes. Among some of HII’s responsibilities will be fabricating and assembling hull structures, and looking at safety and reliability issues, said Dan Tubbs, Boeing’s deputy director of advanced maritime systems. Separate from that contract, the Navy’s requested FY 2020 budget shows a major commitment to unmanned systems, including submersibles. The Navy is asking lawmakers for $359M toward unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), which includes $182M for development, fabrication and testing of Orca. “We made an investment in Proteus … that we run out of Panama City to learn about the space,” said HII President/CEO Mike Petters. “(O)ne thing led to another and Boeing turned to us and said, can you help us manufacture a product?” At first, Orca will be used for delivering payloads, laying mines, mapping the ocean floor and gathering surveillance leaving manned subs for more significant missions. Orca will refine naval tactics, according to Bradley Martin, a senior researcher at RAND Corp. and retired Navy captain. (Source: Virginian-Pilot 05/18/19)

CG Safety Week through May 24

NEW ORLEANS – Throughout National Safe Boating Week, which runs through May 24, members from Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., and the Coast Guard Auxiliary will be visiting area boat ramps, conducting vessel safety checks, and answering safe boating questions. This year’s National Safe Boating Week’s slogan for the year is “Wear It.” The campaign focuses on the proper usage and fitting of life jackets for all on-the-water activities. Main events will include CG Station Destin, Fla., holding a search and rescue demonstration May 21 to highlight CG assets and capabilities. “We look forward to positive interactions and teaching moments to increase on-water safety throughout the summer boating season,” said Ensign Andrew Goetz of CG Sector Mobile. (Source: Coast Guard 05/17/19)

Austal, HII: New gas turbine module

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – GE Marine’s new lightweight LM2500 composite gas turbine module and updated components are fully certified by the Navy after receiving MIL-S-901D shock qualification, the company reported during the Sea Air Space 2019 industry exhibition. The Navy approval was obtained after the successful shock test of the composite module and the submittal of a comprehensive assessment of the changes to the LM2500 system. Changes include the composite module, components, and fewer shock mounts for weight reduction - all while leveraging the experience and loadings from previous LM2500 shock tests with running units. The Navy and General Dynamics Bath (Maine) Iron Works OK’d the Engineering Change Proposal for the LM2500 modernized composite module for initial application onboard the future USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), the 78th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer. The surface combatant will feature four GE LM2500 marine gas turbines and will be constructed by Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Miss. Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builder of the Independence class of LCS, quickly adapted the weight-saving composite enclosure and will incorporate the new module on the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32). The Navy plans to purchase up to 20 new FFG(X) frigates, which will have more lethality than present-day LCS. GE is banking on its LM2500 family of marine gas turbines to power the new frigate program and contract. GE’s LM2500 family of gas turbines is also among contractors being considered for the Navy’s Large Surface Combatant program - to replace the DDG 51 destroyers. GE’s marine gas turbine business is part of GE Aviation and is HQ’d in Cincinnati, Ohio. GE also has aviation manufacturing plants in Ellisville and Batesville, Miss., and Auburn, Ala. (Source: GE Aviation (05/06/19)

D-Day 75 in New Orleans

As the 75th anniversary of D-Day approaches on June 6, America's surviving WWII veterans is dwindling. With nearly 400 veterans passing away daily, fewer than 500,000 of more than 16M men and women who served are alive today. In this post-war era, France will honor those who fought on the beaches of Normandy over the D-Day landings. In New Orleans, through Oct. 20, the National WWII Museum will commemorate the actions of D-Day, the seminal point in the European theater that ultimately saved the world from Nazi tyranny. That's all the more reason in time for the 75th anniversary of D-Day and well beyond to discover the countless rich biographies and true tales of valor that make up the National WWII Museum. (Source: Forbes 05/15/19)

Retired GC sailors reunite for Stark

Two retired sailors from Alabama and NW Florida traveled hundreds of miles to Mayport (Fla.) Naval Station to reunite March 17 under the oaks of the base's memorial park, where there's a marker for the 37 men who died in an attack on their ship. Gary Goodale of Gulf Breeze, Fla., and James Pair of Coffee County, Ala., caught up with each other before the memorial service, which was attended by about 200 people, shipmates, families, and active-duty sailors. It's been 32 years since an Iraqi jet fired two Exocet missiles at the USS Stark, a guided-missile frigate, while it was on patrol in the Persian Gulf on May 17, 1987, during the Iran-Iraq War. Goodale was a mechanic on the ship's jet engines. He was in the main control room of the engineering plant when the missiles struck about 9 p.m. He was among those who worked though the night and into the next day to keep the Stark's power on so the crew could fight the rampaging fires. "We didn't have a choice. Either (save the ship) or swim," he said. "We were out there alone." Pair, a sonar tech, was in Jacksonville when the attack came. His four-year hitch was to have ended the day after the attack. He'd left the ship days before. He could only watch on TV. "I let my shipmates down because I wasn't there." Goodale and Pair both said that in the confusion of the attack, they were both briefly listed as missing in action. The crew was successful: The ship was saved and repaired in 15 months at HHI-Pascagoula, Miss., and sailed until it was decommissioned at Mayport in 1999. (Source: Jacksonville.com 05/17/19) Among the 37 casualties aboard Stark were four from Gulf Coast (GC) states: Bradley Brown of Calera, Ala.; Ronnie Lockett of Bessemer, Ala.; Jeffrey Sibley of Metairie, La.; and Vincent Ulmer of Bay Minette, Ala.

NOLA shipping firm pact: $7M

Patriot Shipping of New Orleans is awarded a $7,201,300 firm-fixed-price contract for the transportation of dry cargo in support of Pacific Pathways 19-2 using the combination roll on/roll off-load on/load off vessel M/V Ocean Jazz. This contract is for a period of 158 days with no options periods. Work will be performed at sea worldwide, and will commence May 27. It is expected to be completed by Nov. 20, 2019. Transportation Working Capital Funds in the amount of $7,201,300 are obligated for FY 2019 and do not expire. Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/17/19)

NSWCPC mine detecting pact

Raytheon Co. of Keyport, Wash., is awarded a $20,668,994 indefinite delivery/indefinite-quantity modification to previously awarded contract N61331-17-D-0001 to exercise options for maintenance and support of AN/AQS-20 Sonar Mine Detecting Set. The AN/AQS-20 is a towed, mine hunting and identification system for Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants. This option exercise extends the period of performance and allows for continuing support which includes but not limited to: repair; overhauls and other scheduled maintenance; hardware and software maintenance; tracking and resolution of obsolescence issues; technology improvements; reliability and maintainability improvements; development and incorporation of change notices and engineering change proposals; test support; engineering services; spares and repair parts; design efforts and hardware upgrades to improve system performance, sustainability, reliability, and other activities in support of the program. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, R.I. (65 percent); Keyport (30 percent); and Panama City, Fla. (5 percent), and is expected to be completed by May 2020. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/17/19)

Portion of La.open shrimp season

Louisiana’s Wildlife and Fisheries department announced May 16 that the portion of state outside waters between the Atchafalaya River Ship Channel at Eugene Island westward to western shore of Freshwater Bayou Canal will reopen to shrimping at 6 a.m. on May 20. (Source: La. Wildlife & Fisheries 05/16/19)

IMO’s fuel oil switch may favor GC

The International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s mandated switch in January 2020 to the use of very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) to power ships worldwide will launch a one- to five-year disruption in oil and refined products markets, according to a study released May 16 by Boston Consulting Group. The mandated switch will require fuels to have sulfur content below 0.5 percent, compared to the current 3.5 percent. It aims to improve human health by reducing air pollution from sea-going vessels. The change may increase profits for refiners, especially on the Gulf Coast (GC), where plants are designed to process high-sulfur crudes. It could also benefit producers of shale oil, which has lower sulfur content than other varieties, the study found. (Source: Marine Link 05/16/19)

KBR awarded FEED pact in Oman

Texas-based engineering company KBR announced its award of a Front End Engineering Design (FEED) contract by Oman LNG for the debottlenecking of their facility at Sur in the Sultanate of Oman. Under the contract, KBR will provide FEED services for the project to increase production at its world-class plant in Sur. This FEED stipulates KBR performing full FEED services including licenser and vendor management and associated services. KBR will act as an extension to Oman LNG's project team and help manage the overall execution of the project. (Source: Marine Link 05/17/19) Gulf Coast states’ note: KBR’s headquarters is in Houston, and with offices in Birmingham and Huntsville, Ala., and Jacksonville, Fla.

15-year La. oil leak being contained

A nearly 15-year-long oil leak, 11 miles south of the Louisiana coastline, is finally being contained, according to the Coast Guard’s Capt. Kristi Luttrell, federal on-scene coordinator. More than 30,000 gallons of oil have been recently captured, from the 2004 Taylor Energy platform and wells leak site, and transported ashore. Taylor Energy is responsible for the spill when Hurricane Ivan triggered an underwater mudslide that toppled a platform and damaged 25 connected wells. A 2018 report based on an independent analysis of satellite imagery concluded the leak is in the magnitude of up to 697 barrels per day, far exceeding earlier estimates. Taylor Energy disputed the findings. After that report, the CG ordered the company to contain the spill under the Clean Water Act. The CG hired a private contractor out of Belle Chasse, La., to contain the leak. The containment device is now fully functioning. “After monitoring the system for several weeks we have determined that the system is meeting federal containment standards,” Capt. Luttrell told NOLA.com May 16. (Source: NOLA.com 05/16/19)

Committee OK's proposed DoD bill

A U.S. House Appropriations subcommittee approved a proposed FY 2020 defense funding bill - one of four across Congress - on May 15 that would cover the cost of a 3.1 percent military pay raise – possibly the largest since 2010. The bill would provide $690.2B for the Defense Department - $8B less than the President’s request, but $15.8B more than the FY-19 DoD budget. It also calls for 600 fewer active duty troops; and 16,900 from the reserves. Programs that may see increases next year include 90 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters; 73 UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters; and 16 C-130J aircraft. The bill would fund 11 ships, including three DDG-51 guided missile destroyers, two submarines, one FFG frigate, an aircraft carrier, two fleet oilers and two towing, salvage and rescue ships. There’s also a $1.26B emphasis on environmental cleanup of military and former base sites for restoration, removal of unsafe property and debris, and hazardous waste disposal. (Read: Tyndall AFB, Fla. and Offutt AFB, Neb.) (Source: Military.com 05/15/19) Important Note: Several programs would be bolstered if the legislation passes as written, which isn't likely since it will be one of four that ultimately guide future defense spending: The Senate Appropriations Committee, and Senate and House Armed Services committees.

CG searching Lake Pontchartrain

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard is searching for two people possibly in the waters of Lake Pontchartrain, La., on May 15. CG Sector New Orleans received a report from a towing vessel of an overturned 10-foot camouflage flat boat in the lake about one nautical mile east of the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. The reporting source stated he’d seen the same vessel May 14 at the same location with two people aboard. The search included a small CG Response Boat and crew and MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter aircrew; and Jefferson Parish Police Department. Anyone with information about this flat boat or the people is asked to call the CG at (504) 365-2200. (Source: Coast Guard 05/15/19)

MS gets 5% of DDG-51 services

Boeing Co. of Huntington Beach, Calif., is awarded a $13,353,939 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to a previously-awarded contract (N00024-18-C-4103) for design agent and technical services for the AN/USQ-82(V) family of systems consisting of the Data Multiplex System, Fiber Optic Data Multiplex System, and Gigabit Ethernet Data Multiplex System. Boeing, as the AN/USQ-82(V) design agent, will provide advanced and highly specialized technical engineering to assist with system sustainment; cybersecurity enhancement; configuration management; development, qualification and integration of systems; testing and technical support to manufacturing and repair vendors. The AN/USQ-82(V) systems are installed and deployed on Navy DDG 51-class destroyers, in Missile Defense Agency Aegis Ashore ballistic missile defense systems, on ships of three countries under Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases, in various Navy and FMS land-based test sites, and are also being installed on new-construction LHA 8 and new FMS Japan and Korean DDGs. This contract involves Foreign Military Sales to Korea and Japan. Work will be performed in Huntington Beach (69%); Arlington, Va. (19%); Pascagoula, Miss. (5%); Bath, Maine (5%); Seattle (1%), and Philadelphia (1%), and is expected to be completed by May 2020 with FY 2019 Navy shipbuilding and conversion; FY-19 other Navy procurement; FY-19 Navy operations and maintenance; and FY-19 Navy research, development, test, and evaluation. Foreign Military Sales funding in the amount of $13,353,939 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, District of Columbia, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/15/19)

Fla. firm to construct Gulfport housing

EMR Inc. of Niceville, Fla., is awarded an $18,941,000 firm-fixed-price task order (N6945019F0710) under a multiple award construction contract for the design and construction of P855 expeditionary combat skills student berthing at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport, Miss. The work to be performed provides for the design and construction of a multi-story building with auger cast pile foundations that replaces Q4 barracks. The building will comply with facilities criteria for Navy and Marine Corps unaccompanied housing and consists of 83 Naval Education and Training Command modules. Each module will include a semi-private sleeping room, two walk-in closets, small service area including a micro fridge, one lavatory, private toilet room and a private shower stall with dressing area shared by two people. The building will have sound attenuation and include a bachelor quarters administrative lobby, laundry facilities, vending, multipurpose recreation rooms, housekeeping, storage, administrative spaces, and utility rooms. Work will be performed in Gulfport and is expected to be completed by June 2021. FY 2019 Navy military construction contract funds in the amount of $18,941,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Three proposals were received for this task order. Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast of Jacksonville, Fla., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/15/19)

Rodriquez named SoQ at NSWCPC

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – Petty Officer First Class Joseph Rodriguez was named Sailor of the Quarter (SoQ) for second quarter of 2019 at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City (NSWCPC). Rodriquez was selected for his “exceptional motivation and performance” as Leading Petty Officer who “meticulously planned” and assisted with providing required Diver Life Support System equipment in support of Valiant Shield, an Indo-Pacific Command biennial field training exercise, said Commanding Officer Capt. Aaron Peters. “It’s one thing to always want to travel to distant countries for meaningful memories,” said Rodriguez. “But to be able to do so while setting records of precedence in service to my country creates unforgettable experiences and shared history with my peers that will last a lifetime.” The base commander also cited Rodriquez, a Pennsylvania native, for service across the Panama City community. (Source: NSWCPC 05/15/19)

La. shipyard delivers escort tug

Gulf Island Fabrication’s Jennings, La.-based Gulf Island Shipyards has delivered the 98-foot Z-Tech 30-80 terminal/escort tug Connolly M to Bay Houston Towing. The Connelly M was designed by Robert Allan Ltd in British Columbia, and built at Gulf Island’s Jennings facilities. The vessel will be operated by G&H Towing for Houston-based Bay Houston. (Source: Work Boat 05/14/19)

Gulfport CBs join in SPS deployment

MAYPORT, Fla. - The Navy has deployed adaptive force packages (AFPs) in support of Southern Partnership Station (SPS) 2019 to the Caribbean, Central and South America to conduct subject matter expert exchanges from May to October 2019. SPS is an annual series of Navy deployments focused on exchanges with regional partner nation militaries and security forces. This year’s deployment will visit Barbados, Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras and Peru to work alongside those nations’ military forces, police forces, civilian health professionals, and other governmental agencies. SPS 19 will be conducting training and subject matter expert exchanges to improve capacity in medical, dive operations, engineering and explosive ordnance disposal. The AFPs are separate units comprised of military personnel from the Gulfport, Miss.-based Naval Construction Group 2 Seabees (CBs), Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 2, Mobile Diving and Salvaging Unit 2, and the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery. The deployment will focus on enhancing cooperative partnerships. Regional partnerships reflect Assigned units will focus on locally-identified needs to include port and harbor security, health service systems, and humanitarian response infrastructure. SPS is part of U.S. Southern Command’s Enduring Promise initiative. (Source: U.S. 4th Fleet )5/14/19)

SCA annual meeting starts May 15

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), the national trade association representing the U.S. shipyard industry, said that more than 70 shipbuilding and repair organizations will be represented at its 2019 annual meeting beginning May 15. Ahead of the meeting, SCA launched a new web site dedicated to sharing important policy and industry information about U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry and the supplier industrial base, as well as highlight the maritime and shipbuilding community workforce. SCA’s annual meeting will focus on “shipbuilding innovations, recognizing improvements in safety practices and incidents rates, and cybersecurity,” Matthew Paxton, president of SCA. Among some of the legislative attendees to the meetings will be Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-Ala.), and Rep. John Rutherford (R-Fla.); as well as cybersecurity experts from the private and public sectors. SCA will also announce the formation of its first Cybersecurity Committee. (Source: Work Boat 05/13/19) Rutherford of Jacksonville sits on the House Appropriations Committee where he serves on subcommittees: Homeland Security, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs. Byrne of Mobile sits of the Armed Services Committee and Seapower and Project Forces subcommittee.

Gulf Craft delivers whale watch boat

Gulf Craft of Franklin, La., has delivered a new 114-foot Tier 4 whale watch vessel to Dolphin Fleet of Provincetown, Mass. Designed by the Louisiana shipyard, the new aluminum vessel, Dolphin XI, will be able to haul up to 360 passengers into the Atlantic Ocean to get up close with the sea’s natural inhabitants. The boat has a 5-foot draft and is powered by three Caterpillar C32 EPA Tier 4 diesel engines. The propulsion package will give the Dolphin XI a running speed of 30 knots at 2,100 rpm. (Source: Work Boat 05/11/19)

Virtual underwater history museum

The U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) announced the opening of its Virtual Archaeology Museum, which displays video, detailed three-dimensional (3D) models, and mosaic maps of shipwrecks from the 19th and 20th centuries. Discovered by BOEM in the course of underwater research and oil and gas exploration, the shipwrecks are important submerged cultural resources that provide a unique window into history. With technological advances in remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and underwater videography, highly detailed surveys of these shipwrecks are now possible, and computer technology has reached the point where photo-real and hyper-accurate 3D models can be created from two-dimensional imagery from thousands of feet underwater. Through the use of the 3D models, we can see each shipwreck site as a whole and monitor changes to it over time,” BOEM Gulf of Mexico regional director Mike Celata said in a statement announcing the virtual museum. NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER) has been at the forefront of deep ocean exploration for two decades and has collaborated with BOEM to gather data at shipwreck sites in the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic. (Source: Work Boat 05/13/19)

Responders rescue MS flood victims

First responders worked through the night May 11-12 rescuing people in Pearl River County and northern Harrison County (Miss.) after storms dumped more than 10 inches of rain and swelled waterways, according to officials. The National Weather Service in New Orleans said possible rain totals reached as much as 15 inches in some locations in northern Pearl River County. Major flooding was occurring in both Hancock and Harrison counties. One man was clinging to a tree when he was rescued by Harrison fire and rescue personnel after he tried to drive through flood waters and his car was swept off the road. Another man and his 4-year-old were rescued from the roof of their submerged pickup truck. On Friday, a train derailed in Pearl River County after the track was damaged by floodwaters, the Associated Press reported. There were no reported injuries. The Coast Guard rescued two men and three dogs near Poplarville. The Pearl River sheriff’s office reported around 4:30 a.m. the men and dogs that the CG rescued them from a vehicle on a highway overpass. “We faced torrential rain, lightning and low visibility but, thanks to our training, we were able to safely transport the two men and the dogs to safety,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Johannel Mejia, an aviation maintenance technician at CG Air Station New Orleans. The NWS said early May 12 that water levels near creeks and rivers are still rising, particularly Red Creek in Stone and George counties. U.S. 49 remains closed south of Wiggins. (Source: Sun Herald 05/12/19) An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from CG Air Station New Orleans hoisted the two men and dogs and transported them to awaiting emergency medical services at a nearby field in stable condition. (Source: CG)

Collision closes Houston Channel

A huge response effort was underway Friday (May 10) afternoon when a tanker collided with a tank barge tow in the Houston Ship Channel spilling an estimated 9,000 bbl. of gasoline product and closing the waterway near Bayport, Texas, according to Coast Guard and state officials. The 755-foot Genesis River, a Panama flagged liquid propane gas tanker, collided with the 69-foot tug Voyager - operated by Kirby Inland Marine - as it pushed two 25,000-bbl. tank barges of reformate, a high-octane gasoline blend product. One barge capsized. The other barge was split open by the impact, spilling its cargo into the waterway. The capsized barge does not appear to have lost its cargo. The other barge had major damage. “The bow of the ship went through the port tank into the starboard tank” and both were open to the sea,” said James Guidry, Kirby’s executive VP of vessel operations, at a Saturday morning (May 11) press briefing at the San Jacinto College Maritime Campus. The current objective is to get the vessels secured, according to Capt. Kevin Oditt, commander of Coast Guard Sector Galveston. As the cleanup continues, the CG is consulting with port officials and pilots about when the channel can be safely reopened, he said. (Source: Work Boat 05/11/19)

PC dive team earns LoA

Naval Sea Systems Command’s Warfare Centers commander, Adm. Eric Ver Hage, presented a letter of appreciation (LoA) May 1 to the Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, Fla., dive team for their superior performance and assistance following Valiant Shield 2018, a U.S. Indo-Pacific Command biennial field training exercise. During the exercise, the PC dive team played an important role off the coast of Farallon de Medinilla Island, a part of the Marianas Islands Range Complex north of Saipan. (Source: NSWC Panama City 05/08/19)

LDWF monitoring spillway re-opening

The Bonne Carre’ Spillway in Louisiana opened May 10 for an historic second time this year, while the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) continued its biological monitoring of fish and wildlife resources related to the first spillway opening. LDWF is cooperatively monitoring the effects of freshwater inputs from the spillway openings on Louisiana’s oyster, shrimp, and crab resources, as well as potential impacts on federally managed marine mammal and sea turtle populations. LDWF is part of a multi-agency group monitoring the effects of freshwater introduction resulting from the first and second opening of the spillway. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is the lead agency charged with monitoring marine mammals and sea turtles and LDWF has assisted NOAA in this regard. (Source: LDWF 05/10/19)

Busy year for LCS commissionings

It’s going to be a busy year for Littoral Combat Ships. Six LCS are slated for commissioning by the end of 2019, a program official said May 8 at the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space symposium in Maryland. Three of the commissionings have already occurred within the first five months of the calendar year - LCSs 13, 16 and 18. In the coming months, LCSs 15, 17 and 20 will be commissioned, said Neal White, deputy program manager for LCS. In addition, there will be three keel-layings for LCSs 25, 27 and 28. The Navy is winding down the program and plans to build a total of 33 ships before transitioning to building the next-generation frigate (FFG(X)). The Navy chose five shipbuilders to submit designs for a fleet of about 20 guided-missile frigates. The first ship would be purchased as early as 2020, meaning that the current LCS design may be modified to fit the new platform. Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., builds the Independence variant (even-numbered hulls). Lockheed Martin builds the Freedom variant of the ships (odd-numbered hulls) in Wisconsin. (Source: Seapower Magazine 05/09/19)

Prez intends to nominate Shanahan

WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump plans to nominate acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan to formally take over as defense secretary, according to the president’s spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders wrote in May 9 tweet. Shanahan is a 30-year executive with the Boeing Co. He will need Senate confirmation for the post. "Acting Secretary Shanahan has proven over the last several months that he is beyond qualified to lead the Department of Defense,” she continued tweeting. Shanahan, 56, had no prior experience in either the military or foreign policy before becoming deputy defense secretary in 2017. Shanahan told reporters at the Pentagon that he learned of the president’s intent to nominate him in the afternoon of May 9 at the White House. (Source: CNBC 05/09/19)

LCAC mod pact; Textron assembly

Rolls-Royce Corp. of Indianapolis, Ind., is awarded an $8,622,670 firm-fixed-price modification to previously-awarded contract (N00019-17-C-0081). This modification is for the procurement of 10 MT7 marine turbine installation parts kit shipsets for the Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 100 class craft. This procurement is in support of the Ship-to-Shore Connector Program. An MT7 installation parts kit is one “shipset” (craft) consisting of four engine intakes, two right-hand engine exhausts and two left-hand engine exhausts. Work to be performed includes production of the installation parts kit shipsets and delivery to Textron Marine and Land Systems for the assembly of the LCAC 100 Class craft. Work will be performed in Indianapolis, Ind., and is expected to be completed by January 2021. FY 2017 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $1,724,534; and FY-18 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $6,898,136 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity, working in conjunction with the Naval Air Systems Command. (Source: DoD 05/09/19) Gulf Coast Note: Textron Marine’s Marine and Land Systems offices, which includes Marine craft and LCAC, are located in Slidell, La.

VTHM icebreaker details unveiled

The Coast Guard’s next icebreaker is based on a German research vessel, features a unique Finnish propulsion design, and is driven by American diesels, according to prime contractor VT Halter Marine. The Navy awarded VTHM of Pascagoula, Miss., a $745,940,860 fixed-price incentive-firm contract for the detail design and construction of the Coast Guard PSC (formerly the Heavy Polar Icebreaker). VT Halter Marine has teamed with Technology Associates Inc. (TAI) as the ship designer and, for over two years, has participated in the CG’s Heavy Polar Icebreaker Industry Study. The ship design is an evolution from the mature ”Polar Stern II” currently in design and construction. During the study, TAI incrementally adjusted the design and conducted a series of five ship model tank tests to optimize the design. In addition to TAI, VT Halter Marine has teamed with ABB/Trident Marine for its Azipod propulsion system; Raytheon for command and control systems integration; Caterpillar for the main engines; Jamestown Metal Marine for joiner package; and Bronswerk for the HVAC system. The program is scheduled to bring an additional 900 skilled craftsman and staff to the Mississippi-based shipyard. (Source: Marine Link 05/09/19) TAI is a leading provider of Maritime Solutions with its main office in New Orleans, and a location in Pensacola, Fla.

Emerging shipbuild ‘readiness divot’

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – American and Canadian naval officers and industry leaders looked forward to more coordination and better times for shipbuilding, according to Vice. Adm. William Merz, a panelist in “The Future of Shipbuilding” program May 7 at Sea-Air-Space conference. The shipbuilding process was only recently coming out of a four decade “readiness divot” where the U.S. had been flirting dangerously with a shrinking fleet for more than 40 years, the 3-star flag officer said. Fellow panelist, Rear Adm. Casper Donovan of the Royal Canadian Navy, gave insight into Canada’s 20-year shipbuilding program. “For the first time, we have a long-term shipbuilding strategy,” Donovan remarked. Sequestration was a major topic of discussion among panelists. FYs 2019-20 may helping the U.S. Navy turn the corner, said Merz. The FY-20 shipbuilding plan that is “now on the streets” and it stresses adaptability, efficiency and agility among several programs. For the Coast Guard, its 6/3/1 cutter construction strategy is well underway, which fits under the National Defense Strategy, said another panelist, Coast Guard Rear Adm. Douglas Schofield. “We’re finally recapitalizing a good portion of the Coast Guard fleet,” he told the audience at a panel discussion moderated by Matt Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America. Everyone agreed that the “boom/bust” cycle hurts shipyards and private industry, because when shipyards stand down from military construction, it’s very hard to re-engage without lost time and expertise. (Source: Seapower Magazine 05/08/19) Gulf Coast Notes: The CG’s program of record calls for buying eight National Security Cutters (NSCs), 25 Offshore Patrol Cutters, and 58 Fast Response Cutters (FRCs) as replacements for 90 aging cutters. The CG’s proposed FY-20 budget requests a total of $657M for the NSC, OPC, and FRC programs. HII-Pascagoula, Miss., has delivered eight Legend-class NSCs and has one under construction and two under contract. The CG awarded detail design for 25 Offshore Patrol Cutter to Eastern Shipbuilding Group of Panama City, Fla. The CG has ordered 50 FRCs to date. Thirty-two are in service. Bollinger Shipyards of Lockport, La., has successfully utilized this parent craft design model to deliver over 138 patrol boats to the CG and Navy since 1985. In March, Bollinger delivered USCGC Joseph Doyle, the 33rd FRC to the CG.

SECNAV: Readiness relies on industry

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. - The Navy is showing progress in its drive to increase readiness and prepare forces to “fight tonight and win,” Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said May 8. But in a luncheon speech at the Navy League’s annual Sea-Air-Space exposition, SECNAV spoke directly to defense industry representatives in the audience telling them: “We cannot do this alone.” Spencer said that the Navy needs and welcomes industry support to increase readiness, and meet operational demands. SECNAV called the relationship a “true partnership” based on shared risk and rewards. He offered industry “a clear line of sight to our needs and resources, and industry understands that our security, stability and prosperity rely on ready and combat-capable forces that are capable of projecting naval power. … We must work together to provide solutions to our challenges.” Referring to the results of investigations into two fatal destroyer at-sea collisions in 2018, SECNAV said the fleet was moving from a culture of “normalization of deviation” standards to increased focus on performance and safety. At the end, Spencer said the Navy’s vision was for a “more agile, sustainable and superior force. … We want to be able to dominate future conflicts from the seafloor to space, in blue waters, littorals, mountains and desert, and also throughout the information domain.” (Source: Seapower Magazine 05/08/19)

HII academy graduates 26 seniors

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division hosted a signing-day ceremony May 8 for the 2019 graduates of its Shipbuilder Academy program. Twenty-six high school seniors were offered full-time positions at HII-Pascagoula after successfully completing the specialized career technical education (CTE) program. “For more than 80 years, Ingalls has provided the families of our communities the opportunity to learn relevant job skills and build successful careers,” said George S. Jones, Ingalls’ VP of operations. The students honored will join more than 11,000 employees of HII-Pascagoula. Upon graduation, the students will enter the Ingalls workforce as entry-level skilled craftsmen. Shipbuilder Academy was established in 2016 with a mission to provide enrolled students with a strong foundation in the maritime industry and fill the current industry skills gap. (Source: HII-Pascagoula 05/08/19)

Navy hospital ship to deploy again

WASHINGTON – The Navy’s East Coast-base hospital ship USNS Comfort will embark in June on another humanitarian mission to help countries cope with the influx of Venezuelans fleeing that country’s economic and political crisis, VP Mike Pence said May 7 in a speech on the crisis to the Council of the Americas annual conference. USNS Comfort will leave in June on a 5-month mission to South and Central America, and the Caribbean to help countries "overwhelmed" by the more than three million Venezuelan refugees who have fled in recent years, Pence said. Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said that before USNS Comfort can be deploy from its homeport of Norfolk, Va., a staff of doctors, nurses, other medical and support staff have to be assembled. The Comfort's tour in the fall of 2018 provided medical assistance in Colombia and several other countries where most of the Venezuelan refugees have settled. Trump administration officials have warned that another two million people are expected to flee by the end of 2019, if the crisis continues in the once-prosperous nation. (Source: The AP 05/07/19) Gulf Coast Note: Personnel from Naval Hospital Pensacola, Fla., and some of its branch clinics in La., Miss., and Fla., are no strangers to deploying with USNS Comfort. Dr. Chris Lewis, a Navy Pulmonary Medicine specialist at NHP, was among the internal medicine personnel to deploy in USNS Comfort during its Haitian recovery effort in 2010. On a four-hour notice, NHP corpsmen, laboratory technicians and pediatricians deployed in 2017 with USNS Comfort following the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. They remained on duty for three months. In 2015, 19 personnel from NHP deployed with Comfort as part of the Continuing Promise humanitarian deployment for six months through Caribbean, and Central and South American countries. Although no orders have been cut for Navy medical and other personnel within the Gulf Coast region, Navy Medicine is in the process of identifying Comfort’s mission-needs and available personnel.

DISL: Coordinator's DWH data

The Dauphin Island (Ala.) Sea Lab’s Discovery Hall Programs Outreach Coordinator Rachel McDonald's work conducting outreach on the Alabama Center for Ecological Resilience (ACER) consortium’s research is featured in a special issue of the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative’s (GoMRI) Current: The Journal of Marine Education. ACER is a research and outreach program funded by GoMRI, and focused on investigating the role biodiversity plays in the resilience to an ecological disturbance like the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The special Current issue, published by the National Marine Educators Association (NMEA), synthesizes the data from a variety of projects gathered in the wake of the oil spill. NMEA’s goal for the creation of this dedicated special issue was to give educators a way to explain the scientific process to their students by using the Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill as an example. The special issue covers five areas of research including where currents carried the oil after the spill, the rain of oiled marine snow, the spill’s impacts on organisms and habitats, technological advancements resulting from devices and equipment used to study the spill, and a feature on data sharing, data transparency, and GoMRI’s Information and Data Cooperative. Along with Sara Beresford, Jessie Kastler, Dan Dinicola, and Katie Fillingham, McDonald contributed to the article titled, “Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Impacts on Organisms and Habitats”, highlighting the work of ACER’s science teams. McDonald helped in shaping the biology article with her input on coastal habitats. (Source: Dauphin Island Sea Lab 05/07/19)

LWF’s conservationists of 2018

Katherine Gividen of Baton Rouge, president and founding member of the Louisiana Master Naturalists of Greater Baton Rouge, was presented the Louisiana Wildlife Federation’s Governor’s Award, honoring her as conservationist of 2018. The Governor’s Award is presented each year to the person, business or organization making the most outstanding contribution to the protection, wise use and enjoyment of Louisiana’s natural resources. The federation presented six other annual awards to individuals and organizations for their conservation efforts during an awards banquet in Baton Rouge. Additional awardees included * CITGO Petroleum Corp.’s refinery in Lake Charles was named Corporate Conservationist of the Year for its Caring for Our Coast Program in Louisiana. The program focuses on conservation and restoration work at the Cameron Prairie National Wildlife Refuge. * The Audubon Nature Institute’s Youth Volunteer Corps in New Orleans as Youth Conservationists of the Year for 2018. * Sherrill Sagrera of Abbeville was named Volunteer Conservationist of the Year for her contributions to coastal restoration planning in southwest Louisiana. Sagrera has been a member of the Vermillion Parish Coastal Protection/Restoration Advisory Committee, Rainey Conservation Alliance board of directors, and Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. * Thomas Christian “Chris” Pearce of Many was named Conservation Educator of the Year for his wildlife education career at the LSU AgCenter. * State Sen. Dan W. “Blade” Morrish ( R-Jennings) was named Elected Official Conservationist of the Year for his legislative efforts to protect and conserve the Sabine Lake oyster reef, which may be the largest unharvested shellfish reef in any temperate marine climate in the world. (Source: NOLA.com 05/07/19)

CoE reviewing spillway reopening

The Army Corps of Engineers is again reviewing whether to reopen the Bonnet Carre Spillway to reduce the flow of water past New Orleans, after National Weather Service forecasters said May 7 that the river will rise to 16.9 feet at the Carrollton Gage on May 25, and stay at that level for six days, according to CoE spokesperson Ricky Boyett. The river had again risen to 16.6 feet in New Orleans, less than a half foot below the official flood stage of 17 feet. Levees and floodwalls protect NOLA from water levels of 20 and 22 feet. “We are reviewing probable operation (of the spillway) as this forecast indicates surpassing the Bonnet Carre Spillway trigger,” Boyett said. The trigger for opening the spillway is linked to the flow of water moving past the Carrollton Gage at greater than 1.25M cubic feet per second, not just nearing the 17-foot flood stage. If it were to reopen, it would be the first time that the spillway was operated more than once in the same calendar year, and the fifth time it was opened in a single decade. The spillway was opened Feb. 27, the 13th time in its history, and closed April 11. Officials opened 206 of its 350 bays. The Weather Prediction Center is predicting more rain in key areas along the Mississippi and Ohio rivers through seven days, with some locations expecting to receive between 5 to 7 inches of rainfall. The CoE is tracking 260 locations along Mississippi and Atchafalaya river levees in Louisiana. This year’s problem locations include 125 seepage sites and six locations where water is leaking through levees on the protected side. Two locations are considered high priority and 38 are mediums. Corps officials do not release the location of problem areas because of security concerns. (Source: NOLA.com 05/07/19) Mississippi officials claimed the February to April reopening of the spillway caused marine deaths along its coastal region.

Geocent awarded $83M C2 pact

Geocent of Metairie, La., is awarded a $83,338,808 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, cost-plus-fixed-fee, multiple-award contract to provide command and control (C2) technologies and capabilities in the areas of innovative science and technology research, systems engineering, architecture, design, development, integration, testing, configuration management, quality assurance, and implementation and support of C2 net-centric military operations. This is one of six contracts awarded. All awardees will have the opportunity to compete for task orders during the ordering period. This two-year contract includes four, two-year options which, if exercised, would bring the overall, cumulative value of this contract to an estimated $93,030,165. All work will be performed in San Diego, and is expected to be completed May 6, 2021. If the options are exercised, the period of performance would extend through May 6, 2029. A guarantee of $10,000 using FY 2019 Navy working capital funds will be obligated at the time of award. Funds will be obligated as task orders are issued using Navy research, development, test and evaluation; Navy operations and maintenance; other Navy procurement; Navy shipbuilding construction; and Navy working capital funds. This contract was competitively procured via a request for proposal (N66001-18-R-0002) and publication on the Federal Business Opportunities website and the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command e-Commerce Central website. Fourteen offers were received and six were selected. Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific of San Diego is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/07/19) The doctrine of network-centric warfare for the U.S. armed forces draws its highest level of guidance from the concept of "team warfare,” meaning the integration and synchronization of all appropriate capabilities across the various services as part of the principle of joint warfare.

LSF seeks seafood industry input

Louisiana Seafood Future (LSF) is a collaborative effort of Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Louisiana SeaGrant, Coastal Protection Restoration Authority, and the Governor's Office geared toward assisting the seafood industry in adapting to coastal change. The LSF is seeking input to help inform the initiative about adaptation strategies. LSF is asking members of the seafood industry to come together and discuss how to keep their businesses competitive and sustainable. In rounds of meetings throughout the coast, industry members will share ideas about how to adapt to coastal change and what they need to make those adaptations work. LSF wants to highlight adaptation strategies created by those most affected by coastal changes - the shrimpers, crabbers, oyster fishers, fin-fishers, dockworkers, and processors, all who are at the heart of our coastal seafood economy and culture. LSF also has an online survey, which is to be completed by May 19.

DDG 133 Nunn to be built at HII

The Navy has named one of its future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers in honor of former U.S. Sen. Sam Nunn of Georgia, the Navy announced May 6. DDG 133 is among the new class of the DDG-51 Flight III baseline centered around the AMDR/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar system, according to the Navy. Nunn, 80, served in the Coast Guard from 1959-60 and remained in the CG Reserve until 1968. He also served as chairman of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. The ship will be constructed at Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Ingalls shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. The ship was authorized for construction last September. Sixty-six class ships have been delivered to the Navy fleet and 10 ships are currently under construction, with an additional 12 under contract with shipbuilders HII-Pascagoula and Bath (Maine) Iron Works. The first Flight III ship, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) started fabrication last May. Also under construction is the USS Louis H. Wilson and other named Flight III ships under contract also honor two former U.S. senators, Ted Stevens of Alaska and Jeremiah Denton of Alabama. (Source: UPI.com 05/06/19)

1st LCS Advanced Training w/ 2 ships

The Navy conducted its first advanced tactical training maneuver with the Littoral Combat Ship in advance of USS Montgomery’s (LCS-8) deployment to the Pacific theater later in 2019. USS Montgomery’s training was a smaller version of the Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) events that cruisers, destroyers, and amphibious ships go through before deploying. Montgomery conducted its five-day at-sea training with another LCS - Independence (LCS-2) - and a replenishment oiler, Lt. Cmdr. Nick VanWagoner, lead planner for the LCS SWATT, told USNI News. The next two LCS crews to deploy will be included in a larger cruiser/destroyer SWATT event this summer while the Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center (SMWDC) learns more about the capabilities and limitations of the LCS, and how to ensure crews are trained for solo and larger formation operations. When Montgomery deploys in the coming months, it will be different than other surface ships in the fleet - with a crew of about 70 sailors compared to about 350 on a destroyer. It will operate with only its surface warfare mission package and the Blue Crew, which went through the recent SWATT event, will rotate with Gold Crew every four-to-six months. Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23 embarked with its MH-60S helicopters and the MQ-8 Fire Scout aboard LCS-8. The crew also conducted life-fire exercises. The crew also used the SeaRAM missile defense system and defeated a threat in the first salvo, VanWagoner said. This summer, two LCS crews – the first deploying crew of USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) and the Gold Crew from Montgomery – will conduct a SWATT with a carrier strike group’s surface ships. (Source: USNI News 05/06/19) Gulf Coast Note: Independence class - even numbered hulls - are built at Austal USA's shipyard in Mobile, Ala.

AUVSI names new board members

The Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) announced new members of its board of directors May 2 at the conclusion of XPONENTIAL 2019, AUVSI’s annual tradeshow/conference in Chicago. Mark Gordon of Stratom Inc. was elected chairman. Among some of the other executive committee members elected to new terms were Suzy Young, exec VP, of the University of Alabama at Huntsville, and Bill Irby, treasurer, of L3 Technologies. Outgoing Chairman Dallas Brooks of Mississippi State University and the ASSURE UAS Center of Excellence in Starkville will continue to serve on the executive committee as immediate past chairman. “This year we are welcoming more representatives from the unmanned ground and maritime communities to the AUVSI board of directors,” said Brian Wynne, AUVSI president/CEO. AUVSI XPONENTIAL is the largest trade show for the unmanned systems and the robotics industry. Next year’s trade show will be in Boston. (Source: AUVSI media release 05/02/19)

$22.9M flood control work for NOLA

Luhr Brothers Inc. of Columbia, Ill., was awarded a $22,936,000 firm-fixed-price contract for Mississippi River and tributaries flood control. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in New Orleans, with an estimated completion date of May 1, 2020. FY 2019 Army operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $22,936,000 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/02/19)

Slidell: 30% of $20M UISS work

AAI Corp. of Hunt Valley, Md., is awarded a $20,452,716 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract (N00024-14-C-6322) for engineering and technical services for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) Unmanned Surface Vehicle program. The UISS is the system which will allow the Littoral Combat Ship to perform its mine-countermeasures warfare mission. UISS will target acoustic, magnetic, and magnetic/acoustic combination mine types. The UISS program will satisfy the Navy’s need for a rapid, wide-area coverage mine clearance capability, required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines. UISS seeks to provide a high area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley (70 percent); and Slidell, La. (30 percent), and is expected to be complete by September 2019. FY 2019 Navy research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $7,670,225 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 05/02/19)

Trump to scrap gas-shipping waiver

President Donald Trump pledged May 1 he would not waive requirements that American vessels be used to transport natural gas among U.S. ports, according to Gulf Coast and Alaska Republicans defending the mandates after a meeting at the White House. Lawmakers from Alaska, Louisiana and Mississippi claimed that Trump ruled out relaxing mandates under the Jones Act in order to facilitate shipments of liquefied natural gas to Massachusetts and Puerto Rico. “He’s not going to make any changes to the Jones Act,” said Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.). The pledge marks a reversal in White House policy-thinking, and a victory for American shipbuilders’ interests and their allies on Capitol Hill. Waiver supporters, such as oilman Harold Hamm, have promoted the exemptions as essential to lowering the cost of energy in Puerto Rico and ease the flow of American natural gas to the Northeast, where there aren’t enough pipelines to deliver the product from Pennsylvania. (Source: Bloomberg 05/01/19)

Tow vessel sinks near Lafitte

NEW ORLEANS – The Coast Guard responded to a sunken vessel in the Intracoastal Waterway near Lafitte, La., in the morning of May 2. CG Sector New Orleans received notification at 6:45 a.m. of the towing vessel Cindy R, pushing six barges and with three crewmembers aboard, sinking at mile marker 8, west of the Harvey Lock. The crew boarded the towing vessel Elin Gertrude before the Cindy R sank. There were no reported injuries. Elin Gertrude picked up the Cindy R’s tow. Cindy R has about 3,000 gallons of diesel aboard. OMI deployed an absorbent boom around the vessel to mitigate the spread of oil. A crane was en route to commence salvage operations. The waterway is open. The cause of the incident is under investigation. (Source: Coast Guard 095/02/19)