Galliano firm's $12.5M mod pact

Alpha Marine Services of Galliano, La., is awarded a $12,585,814 modification under previously awarded firm fixed-price contract (N32205-18-C-3520) to fund the second one-year option period for the U.S.-flagged maritime support vessel M/V Kellie Chouest in support of U.S. Southern Command. Work is to be performed at sea starting June 1, 2018, and is expected to be complete, if all options are exercised, by April 2023. This contract includes a 12-month base period, three 12-month option periods and one 11-month option period, which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $57,464,816. The option will be funded by FYs 2020 and 2021 Navy operations and maintenance funds. This contract was competitively procured via Federal Business Opportunities and three offers were received. Naval Military Sealift Command of Norfolk, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/29/20)

Watson takes reins of CGS NOLA

NEW ORLEANS - Coast Guard Sector New Orleans held a change of command ceremony on May 29. Capt. Kristi M. Luttrell transferred command of Sector New Orleans to Capt. Will E. Watson, with Rear Adm. John P. Nadeau, commander, Eighth Coast Guard District, presiding. "I was honored to assume command of Sector New Orleans today," said Watson. "It is one of the Coast Guard's largest and busiest sectors. I take on this responsibility with great humility and great enthusiasm and look forward to continuing to serve." Watson comes to command the Sector from duty as deputy commander. His previous operational tours include serving as Commanding Officer at Marine Safety Unit Lake Charles, La.; and deployed to Joint Field Office Baton Rouge in support of Hurricane Katrina and Rita Rescue and Recovery Operations in 2005. From 1997-2000, he served as Port Operations Officer at Marine Safety Office New Orleans. Watson holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Loyola University of New Orleans, as well as a Master of Arts in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Xavier University in New Orleans. CG Sector New Orleans supports a wide range of Coast Guard operations to include search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, marine environmental protection, aids to navigation, and ports, waterways, and coastal security. Sector New Orleans' commander also serves as captain of the Port of New Orleans. (Source: Coast Guard 05/29/20)

'Mr. Eddie' arrives at Bollinger

LOCKPORT, La. - Bollinger Shipyards’ Quick Repair (BQR) unit has taken delivery of “Mr. Eddie” - a new 3,400 ton dry-dock. It is now operational off the Mississippi River on the Harvey Canal. The 219-foot dry-dock was built at Bollinger Shipyard’s Amelia, La., facility. The BQR provides service to inland and offshore marine transportation markets with five (5) dry-docks ranging from 900-to-3,400-ton capacity. The propeller, machine, and armature shops located adjacent to the wet dock and floating dry docks are known worldwide for its services performed for other shipyards and customers. The dry-dock is named for Bollinger employee Eddie Barnes Jr., who joined shipyard in mid-1972. He held key production positions such as Dockmaster, Foreman and Superintendent. The original 'Mr. Eddie' has been instrumental over the years in coordinating the dry-dock, construction and crane operations within the facility, according to Bollinger President/CEO Ben Bordelon. (Source: Bollinger 05/29/20)

'Harmony' to cruise Miss. River

GUILFORD, Conn. - A small cruise company plans to be the first to begin cruising on U.S. waterways and rivers since the coronavirus pandemic caused cruise ships to be anchored globally. American Cruise Lines announced that its 184-passenger riverboat American Song will depart from Portland, Ore., on June 20 and sail to Clarkston, Wash., along the Columbia and Snake rivers. The company also said in a news release that its 190-passenger American Harmony is scheduled to depart from Memphis, Tenn., on June 28, and navigate the Mississippi River to New Orleans. American Cruise Lines, based in Connecticut, said it would voluntarily sail at 75 percent capacity and adhere to CDC safety protocols. (Source: The AP 05/28/20)

BR firm's Comite River project

James Construction of Baton Rouge, La., was awarded a $55,050,170 firm-fixed-price contract for the Comite River Diversion Project. Bids were solicited via the internet with three received. Work will be performed in East Baton Rouge, La., with an estimated completion date of Dec. 31, 2021. FY 2018 civil construction funds in the amount of $55,050,170 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers of New Orleans is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/28/20)

Bollinger delivers 39th FRC to CG

LOCKPORT, La. - Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the USCGC MYRTLE HAZARD to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Fla. It’s the 162nd vessel the Louisiana-based yards have delivered to the CG over 35 years; and the 39th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) delivered under a current three-ship program. USCGC MYRTLE HAZARD is the first of three FRCs to be homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam, increasing the CG’s presence in the Indo-Pacific Theater. Later this year, Bollinger will be delivering the first of six FRCs that will be homeported in Bahrain, which will replace the Island Class Patrol Boats supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia, the CG's largest unit outside of the United States. The delivery is an “important milestone in the FRC Program,” said Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon. It is the “first of several vessels that will expand and support the Coast Guard’s operational presence” and enhance its mission in that region – a focal point emphasized by both President Trump and CG Commandant Adm. Karl Shultz. The FRC "hot production line” continues to produce and provide stability in the industrial base for the American government and the Bollinger workforce, said Bordelon, and assures economic benefit for the Lafourche Parish, La., region and vendor-partners in 40-plus states that support the FRC program. Bollinger Shipyards (www.bollingershipyards.com) is a designer-builder of high-performance military patrol boats, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels and more. Bollinger has 10 shipyards, all strategically located throughout Louisiana with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf Coast region. (Source: Bollinger 05/28/20) http://www.bollingershipyards.com/blog/bollinger-shipyards-bolsters-uscg-strategic-presence-in-the-indo-pacific-theater

LCS-LUSV combat integration RFP

The Navy has issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) on May 22 for Combat System (CS) Ship Integration and Test (SI&T) for Littoral Combat Ships (LCS) and Large Unmanned Surface Vehicles (LUSV). The LCS and LUSV combined are under the Small Surface Combatant program. The RFP was posted to beta.sam.gov. It said the work covers FYs 2021-31 and covers lethality and survivability upgrades to both the Freedom and Independence-variants of LCS after ship delivery and combat systems integration on the LUSV before and after vessel delivery. At the Surface Navy Association Symposium in January, LCS Integrated Combat Systems (ICS) Deputy Program Manager Kitty Sutherland said the service was starting a two-phase LCS lethality and survivability program to improve the capabilities of both variants (Defense Daily, Jan. 14). It includes improving the gun weapon system with an improved fire control system, upgrading the Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement program (SEWIP), improved decoys, upgrading to a COMBATSS-21-based combat management system to be common across both LCS variants, continuing deployment of the Naval Strike Missile to the ships, and upgrading to digital radar. The Navy now plans to transition LUSV to a program of record in FY-23 when it shifts it to the main shipbuilding account. The Navy plans to procure 10 LUSCs over the next five years consisting of two more Overlord prototypes, one LUSV prototype via research and development funds, two LUSVs with the ICS and VLS each in FY23 & FY-24, and three vessels in FY-25. The Navy aims for the later LUSVs to have the ICS and various payloads to support anti-surface warfare and strike missions. (Source: Defense Daily 05/27/20) https://www.defensedaily.com/navy-releases-rfp-lcs-lusv-combat-system-integration-testing/navy-usmc/

NOLA, CoE recommend deeping

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) and Port of New Orleans are recommending dredging to 50 feet a total of 2½ miles of the port's Uptown wharves on the Mississippi River. A decision to go forward with the dredging would allow the port to compete with other Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic coast ports to load and unload major ocean-going vessels. Access to the port's Milan Street and Louisiana Avenue wharves is now limited to ships with drafts of 35 feet or less. At the Nashville Avenue wharf, the draft varies between 35 and 45 feet. The present Napoleon Avenue draft is 45 feet. (Source: NOLA.com 05/26/20) Last September, the USACOE approved a Mobile, Ala., Port and harbor project that would deepen the existing Bar, Bay and River channels to 52 feet, 50 feet, and 50 feet respectively. The project, which has been underway, also includes widening the Bay Channel by 100 feet for three nautical miles to accommodate two-way vessel traffic, expanding the current Post-Panamax sized turning basin, and incorporating a minor bend easing in the lower Bay Channel. https://www.nola.com/news/business/article_7d92ca7a-9f6f-11ea-9625-fbf09f06ec14.html

MS 5% of mod comms-for-ships pact

BAE Systems' Technology Solutions and Services of Rockville, Md., is awarded a $10,536,004 modification (P00006) to previously awarded cost-plus-fixed-fee contract N00421-20-C-0003. This modification exercises options to provide engineering and technical services for integrated communications and information systems radio communications on Navy ships in support of the Ship and Air Integration Warfare Division, Naval Air Warfare Center, Webster Outlying Field, Md. Work will be performed in Saint Inigoes, Md. (60%); California, Md. (30%); Bath, Maine (5%); and Pascagoula, Miss. (5%). It is expected to be complete by June 2025. FY 2020 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funds for $2,000,000 will be obligated at time of award, none of which will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Air Warfare Center's Aircraft Division of Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/27/20)

Ex-ATC officer heads CG Upper Miss.

NEW ORLEANS – Coast Guard Sector Upper Mississippi held a change of command in St. Louis, Mo., on May 26. Outgoing commander, Capt. Scott A. Stoermer, transferred command to Capt. Richard M. Scott. The new commander is a Coast Guard Academy graduate. He also served at the CG Aviation Training Center (ATC) in Mobile, Ala., where he oversaw a full modernization of all CG aviation training programs; and selected as the 2012 Charles Swaringen Award recipient, noting leadership influence across the Coast Guard’s training system. Sector Upper Mississippi is responsible for CG operations across the Heartland, including all or parts of 11 states and 2,200-plus miles of commercially navigable waterways along the Upper Mississippi, Missouri and Illinois River basins. Capt. Stoermer was born at Fort Polk, La., and is an Army brat and second -generation military officer. (Source: Coast Guard 05/27/20)

HII-built Portland downs drone w/ laser

The HII-Pascagoula, Miss.-built amphibious warship USS Portland (LPD-27) shot down a drone with a laser weapon May 16 during a first-of-its-kind at-sea test of the Navy’s high-energy laser weapon system. The Navy is currently developing and testing a portfolio of laser weapons, some of which are more and less powerful, that could be fielded on a greater variety of ships, including the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers. Portland fired its high-power laser weapon at an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) while operating off Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, according to a U.S. Pacific Fleet news release on May 22. “By conducting advanced at-sea tests against UAVs and small crafts, we will gain valuable information on the capabilities of the Solid State Laser Weapons System demonstrator against potential threats,” Portland commander, Capt. Karrey Sanders, was quoted in the release. The Solid State Laser Weapons System demonstrator is a “unique capability” Portland gets to test and operate, he continued, “while paving the way for future weapons systems” and a “redefining (of) war at sea for the Navy.” Portland was tapped in 2018 to be the first ship to test the Solid State Laser – Technology Maturation (SSL-TM) Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) MK 2 MOD 0 at sea. This second iteration is expected to become a 150-kw weapon. The Navy is also working on a less powerful laser weapon, the High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS), which is planned to reach 60 kw; and an Optical Dazzling Interdictor Navy (ODIN) laser that would not be used to knock down incoming threats, but rather as a non-lethal option to warn enemies away from a warship (Source: UNSI News 05/22/20) https://news.usni.org/2020/05/22/video-uss-portland-fires-laser-weapon-downs-drone-in-first-at-sea-test

Boaters rescued in south La.

On Monday, May 25, the Coast Guard rescued two overdue boaters near Hopedale, La. CG Sector New Orleans received a report at 11:30 a.m. of an overdue vessel. The two people left Hopedale Marina for a fishing trip Sunday afternoon and did not return on time. A 24-foot Special Purpose Craft and crew was launched from CG Station New Orleans, along with an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from CG Air Station New Orleans. The aircrew located the stranded boaters on an island. The boat crew picked up the duo and brought them to the marina. It was reported that their vessel sank around midnight, and they had drifted to the island. They were both reported in good condition. (Source: Coast Guard 05/25/20) 

Update: Swimmers wash ashore

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard was actively searching for two missing people last seen swimming near Perdido Pass, near Orange Beach, Ala., in the late afternoon of May 24. Coast Guard Sector Mobile received a report from a 911 operator at 5:54 p.m. of three people in distress in the vicinity of Perdido Pass. Two swimmers are still missing. The third swimmer was recovered by a good Samaritan boat and later transferred to EMS. The two swimmers were last seen by the East Jetty in Perdido Pass. An Urgent Marine Information Broadcast was issued. Involved in this search are CG Station Pensacola, Fla., 45-foot response boat/crew; CG Air Station New Orleans MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew; Orange Beach Police; Baldwin County Beach Patrol; and Orange Beach Fire Department. Anyone with information regarding this case is requested to contact the CG Sector Mobile's Command Center at (251) 441-6211. (Source: Coast Guard 05/24/20) UPDATE: The bodies of two swimmers washed ashore on the morning of May 25 in Gulf Shores, Ala. They were identified as the swimmers who went missing at Orange Beach. Orange Beach Police confirmed the bodies as those of Ryan Guy, 28, and Darius Robinson, 22, both of New Orleans. The third swimmer - a 28-year-old woman from Chalmette, La. - was found floating face-down in the water near Perdido Pass around 6 p.m. Sunday. She was taken to a hospital in critical condition. (Source: WEAR-T V 05/26/20)

WW2 museum to reopen, cut jobs

NEW ORLEANS – The National WWII Museum announced May 22 that it has released 82 employees based on financial challenges brought on by fewer visitors because of the coronavirus. The job cuts account for nearly 33 percent of the museum’s staff, which number more than 300. The museum will also eliminate 40 vacant positions, and many of the remaining staff members will take temporary pay cuts between 5 and 25 percent. “As a private non-profit that largely relies on visitation, The National WWII Museum has faced significant financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its campus closure,” museum President/CEO Stephen Watson said in a statement. In the first two months of the shutdown, the museum lost millions of dollars in revenue from admission sales, private events, fund-raisers, and overseas educational travel programs that were cancelled. Despite being able to reopen on Memorial Day, the museum expects a tough year ahead given the impacts on tourism. Visitation for FY 2021, which begins in July, is predicted to be less than half of previously expected. On June 6, the museum will be 20 years old. (Source: WWL/WGNO 05/22/20)

CG, OB police halt illegal charter

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard and the Orange Beach (Ala.) Police department terminated the voyage of an illegal charter boat near the Baldwin County town on May 23. OBP contacted Coast Guard Sector Mobile, Ala., with concerns of a suspected illegal passenger-for-hire operation in the area after seeing multiple advertisements on social media. CG law enforcement officers, patrolling with Orange Beach Police, boarded a 21-foot vessel and found paying passengers aboard. The captain had no valid Merchant Mariner’s License, no current vessel registration, and no business license. The voyage was terminated and the vessel was escorted back to port. Under federal law, owner/operators of illegal charter vessels can face civil penalties of more than $59,000. “Illegal charter boats place passengers in great danger,” said Capt. LaDonn Allen, sector commander. “The safety of the boating public is our top priority and along with our partners (OB Police), we are dedicated to stopping this illegal activity and ensuring the appropriate penalties are applied.” The CG urges anyone paying for a trip on a passenger vessel to verify there is a safety plan and a credentialed operator.” If an operator can’t produce appropriate credentials, passengers should not board the boat. (Source: Coast Guard 05/23/20)

CG rescues trio near Port Fourchon

NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard rescued three people from a vessel taking on water about eight nautical miles off Port Fourchon, La., mid-day on May 23. CG Sector New Orleans received a call via VHF radio at 12:18 p.m. of a vessel taking on water with three people aboard. CG Air Station New Orleans launched an MH-65 Dolphin aircrew that located the vessel and people immediately. A rescue swimmer dropped an inflatable raft for the trio, and waited on scene for a 45-foot medium response boat crew from CG Station Grand Isle. The three people were reported in good condition and brought back to Port Fourchon to meet an awaiting EMS. “The fact that they had a VHF radio greatly assisted in us finding the three people quickly and making sure they were safe,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Ferguson, Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator at CG Sector New Orleans. (Source: Coast Guard 05/23/20)

New locomotives support Port NOLA

NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Public Belt Railroad (NOPB) has upgraded its locomotive fleet with the arrival of eight new ones to replace aging engines, improve efficiency, and lower overall emissions. The new locomotives provide reliable service and support the short-line railroad’s commitment to integrating more sustainable business and operational practices. The new EPA-classified Tier One locomotives will allow NOPB to reduce its fleet size by 46 percent, fuel consumption by 25 percent, and emission reductions of nitrous oxide by 40 percent. NOPB is a Class III switching railroad with a mission of serving the Port of New Orleans in moving cargo. “Bringing these lower-emission locomotives on line supports Port NOLA’s and NOPB’s commitment to sustainability,” said Brandy D. Christian, CEO of NOPB and President/CEO of Port NOLA. “With the Port and NOPB now fully aligned, we are able to make strategic investments that provide air quality benefits for the community while providing superior service to our users and Class I partners.” (Source: Port of New Orleans 05/22/20) https://www.portnola.com/info/news-media/press-releases/new-orleans-public-belt-railroad-improves-efficiency-with-lower-emission-locomotives

Good Samaritans, CG aid 7 boaters

NEW ORLEANS - Coast Guard Station Pensacola, Fla., with assistance from three good Samaritan vessels, rescued seven people from a capsized recreational vessel offshore of Pensacola early morning May 22. CG Sector Mobile, Ala., received a report around 8:30 a.m. that the 28-foot recreational vessel, Uno Mas, was taking on water. CGS Pensacola launched a 45-foot response boat/crew to assist. In the process of launching the boat crew, CG Sector Mobile received additional information that all seven people aboard were moved to good Samaritan vessels without injury. The Pensacola CG boat crew picked up five adults and two children from those vessels and returned them to Orange Beach, Ala. “This case highlights the importance of having vital life-saving equipment while boating,” said Lt. Cmdr. Corrie Sergent, search and rescue mission coordinator at Mobile. “The fact that all people aboard were wearing life jackets and used their VHF radios to call for help ensured their successful rescue,” she said. “We are thankful for the quick actions of the Good Samaritan vessels nearby providing assistance until our crew could arrive.” (Source: Coast Guard 05/22/20)

LCS 24 completes trials in GoM

MOBILE, Ala. - The future USS Oakland (LCS 24) successfully concluded acceptance trials May 22 following a series of in-port and underway demonstrations in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). During trials, the final milestone prior to the ship’s delivery, the Navy conducts comprehensive tests of systems. “I am impressed” with the results achieved by the Navy and Austal USA shipyard’s industry team during the trials, said Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Program Manager Capt. Mike Taylor. Following delivery and commissioning, USS Oakland will sail to California to be homeported in San Diego with 11 of its sister ships. Four other Independence-variant LCS are under construction at Austal USA in Mobile, Ala.: The future USS Mobile (LCS 26) undergoing final assembly; USS Savannah (LCS 28); USS Canberra (LCS 30); and USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Additionally, Austal USA is preparing for construction of the future USS Augusta (LCS 34), USS Kingsville (LCS 36) and USS Pierre (LCS 38). LCS is now the second-largest Navy surface ship class in production. (Source: PEO Unmanned and Small Combatants 05/22/20)

La. wetland losses: Already 'screwed'

Rising sea level, fueled by global warming, will eventually cover the remaining 5,800 square miles of Louisiana's coastal wetlands in the Mississippi River Delta. The question remains, how quickly, according to a study published May 22 in Science Advances. “This is a major threat” to one of the most ecologically-rich environments in America, and also for 1.2M inhabitants and associated economic assets surrounded by the marshland, the report concludes. The new study reviewed the rates of sea-level rise that caused wetlands to disappear beneath the waves along Louisiana delta's 8,500-year history. It found that at rates of relative sea level rise between 6-to-9-millimeters a year, the ancient coastal marshes would turn into open water in 50 years. At 3mm annually, it would take a few centuries. The global average of sea-level risings between 2006-15 was about 3.58mm per year. As a result, Louisiana’s wetlands have already exceeded a tipping point, the authors penned. "What it says is we're screwed," said lead author Torbjörn Törnqvist, a Tulane University geology professor. "We have exceeded the threshold from which there is basically no real way back anymore, and there probably won't be a way back for a couple of thousand years." Other recent studies have shown growth of wetland plant material is keeping pace with today's rate of subsidence and sea level rise, but base on 6-to-10 years of measurements. By studying the boring core record of dozens of decades and hundreds of years of ancient marsh growth and disappearance, researchers discovered that marsh growth won’t be able to keep up with the rising water levels. However, the report said additional research is needed to understand how rapid sea-level rise over decades causes the wetlands to disappear. (Source: NOLA.com 05/22/20) https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_577f61aa-9c26-11ea-8800-0707002d333a.html

Senate confirms new SECNAV

WASHINGTON - The U.S. Senate confirmed Navy secretary-nominee Kenneth “K.J.” Braithwaite by voice vote May 21. Braithwaite, a former ambassador to Norway and executive for American oil and health care companies, assumes the job after financier Richard V. Spencer was forced out of office amid a fight with the White House and senior defense leaders over the handling of a legal case against a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes. At his confirmation hearing this month, Braithwaite vowed to improve public trust in leadership. A Michigan native and 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Braithwaite was an anti-submarine warfare pilot who tracked Soviet subs in the western Pacific and Indian oceans. He later served in various communications and legislative affairs roles before leaving active service in 1993 and the Naval Reserve in 2011. His nomination had been stalled since fall, and comes a month after the resignation of then-SECNAV Thomas Moldy amid his handling of an outbreak of coronavirus aboard the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt, which included Moldy’s decision to fire the CO after complaints about a slow response that went public, and a caustic speech to crew members for applauding the dismissed ship's commander. (Source: Defense News 05/21/20)

Navy debriefs FFG(X) competitors

Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts told reporters Wednesday that the service has completed debriefing all losing competitors for the FFG(X) frigate competition and responded to concerns about its cost. Geurts said he’d “committed to all the companies” to do a detailed and transparent debrief; and now, are launching the FFG(X) program as planned. Fincantieri’s Marinette (Wis.) Marine won the April 30 initial contract for detail design and construction to deliver up to 10 FFG(X)s. It beat competitors Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss.; Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.; and General Dynamics Bath (Maine) Iron Works. Last month, Geurts said the lead ship is expected to cost $1.281B, including design money, construction of the first ship, government furnished equipment, program office, and other associated costs. The Navy’s estimates expected Fincantieri’s follow-on ships to cost about $781M on average. ” So, I’m comfortable that we’ve got that program positioned well,” he said. If the estimated cost per thousand tons of displacement of the FFG(X) is about equal to that of a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship or the Coast Guard National Security Cutter, that would increase the estimated unit procurement cost of the third and later FFG(X)s by 17 percent. - and closer to $1.1B. HII execs were not happy with the Navy’s decision and stated so publicly. (Source: Defense Daily 05/20/20) https://www.defensedaily.com/navy-finished-frigatedebriefs-geurts-comfortable-program/navy-usmc/

Sonar mine detect work at PC

Raytheon Co., Keyport, Washington, is awarded a $10,480,184 modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity requirements contract N61331-17-D-0001 to exercise options for maintenance and support for the 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. Work will be performed in Portsmouth, Rhode Island (65%); Keyport, Washington (30%); and Panama City, Florida (5%). This option exercise extends the period of performance and allows for continuing support including 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 is expected to be complete by May 2021. No funding will be obligated at the time of award. The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, Panama City, Florida, is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/20/20)

HII lifts deckhouse on DDG 125

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding achieved a milestone May 20 with the successful lift of the aft deckhouse onto the guided missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125). The 320-ton deckhouse includes radar equipment rooms, main engine intake and exhaust compartments, electric shop, and staterooms. DDG 125 is the fifth of five Arleigh Burke-class destroyers HII was awarded in June 2013 and is the first Flight III ship, which adds enhanced radar capability and other technological upgrades. “Our entire shipbuilding team has worked tirelessly to ensure that all of our efforts have been aligned to implement all Flight III changes successfully on this ship," said Ben Barnett, DDG 125 program manager. "With this lift, we are one step closer to delivering the U.S. Navy the most technologically advanced destroyer in the fleet.” The five-ship contract, part of a multi-year procurement in the DDG 51 program, allows Ingalls to build ships more efficiently by buying bulk material and moving the skilled workforce from ship-to-ship. A photo accompanying this release is available at: https://newsroom.huntingtoningalls.com/file/ddg125-aft-deckhouse-lift (Source: HII 05/20/20)

MS port exec leaving for SoFlo

The executive director of the Mississippi State Port of Gulfport, Jonathan Daniels, has resigned following acceptance of the chief executive officer (CEO) and executive director’s post at Port Everglades in Broward County, in south Florida. Daniels took the reins at Gulfport in June 2013, when the port was in the middle of a $570M West Pier restoration and expansion funded by the federal government for economic development after Hurricane Katrina. The port’s Board of Commissioners plans a national search for a new director. (Source: Sun Herald 05/20/20)

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B&K $7.9M NOLA canal work

B&K Construction of Mandeville, La., was awarded a $7,941,412 modification (P00001) to contract W912P8-19-C-0071 for drainage canal work. Work will be performed in New Orleans with an estimated completion date of Dec. 13, 2022. Fiscal 2020 civil operations and maintenance funds in the amount of $7,941,412 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, New Orleans, is the contracting activity (Source: DoD 05/18/20)

Austal mod pact for LCS 26

Austal USA of Mobile, Ala., is awarded an $8,229,522 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously-awarded contract N00024-11-C-2301 for Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) industrial post-delivery support for LCS 26. Work will be performed in Mobile (80%); and Pittsfield, Mass. (20%). Austal USA will provide shipboard support to implement approved engineering change proposals, approved government-responsible deficiencies identified during test and trials, crew-related activities and preventative maintenance. Austal will also provide program management support and logistics support for technical documentation affected by the work performed. Work is expected to be complete by March 2021. Fiscal 2016 Navy shipbuilding and conversion funding in the amount of $3,970,000 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 05/20/20) 

HII to host drive-up hiring event

PASCAGOULA, Miss. - Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division will host a drive-up hiring event for job seekers on on Singing River Island from 9 a.m. until 12 noon on May 22. Attendees will have the opportunity to apply for open positions and speak to HII-Ingalls recruiters and shipbuilders in person without having to exit their vehicle. “We are exploring innovative hiring techniques,” said Edmond Hughes, VP of human resources/administration. The event allows HII staff to "efficiently interface with interested applicants while practicing safe social distancing,” he said. Attendees will enter the at USS Wisconsin Loop on Singing River Island. Each hiring station set up around the loop will represent a different shipbuilding craft. Pre-register at Ingalls.huntingtoningalls.com/wearehiring. (Source: HII 05/20/20)

La. firm vying for DC area work

Intercontinental Construction Contracting Inc.,* Passaic, New Jersey (N40080-20-D-0011); FBGC JV LLC,* Hampton, Virginia (N40080-20-D-0012); Pontiac Drywall Systems Inc.,* Pontiac, Michigan (N40080-20-D-0013); Maclean-Ocean JV LLC,* Bethesda, Maryland (N40080-20-D-0014); RAND Enterprises Inc.,* Newport News, Virginia (N40080-20-D-0015); and Aimcon Design Build LLC,* Harvey, Louisiana (N40080-20-D-0016), are awarded $99,000,000 for an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple award design-build/design-bid build construction contract for construction projects located primarily within the Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Washington area of responsibility (AOR). All work on this contract will be performed primarily within the NAVFAC Washington AOR to include District of Columbia (40%); Virginia (40%); and Maryland (20%). Intercontinental Construction Contracting Inc. is awarded initial task order at $169,821 for the construction of seven above-ground storage tanks and two pump houses at Chesapeake Beach Detachment, Maryland. The work to be performed provides repairs, new construction and alterations to shore facilities and utilities. Additionally, work may also include but are not limited to, engaging in installing and serving mechanical, electrical, plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, building's equipment and other specialized trades. Work for this task order is expected to be complete by June 2021. The term of the contract is not to exceed 24 months, with an expected completion date of May 2022. Fiscal 2020 Navy working capital funds (NWCF); and fiscal 2020 supervision, inspection and overhead contract funds in the amount of $194,821 are obligated on this award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The maximum dollar value including the base period and one option year for all six contracts combined is $99,000,000. Future task orders will be primarily funded by military construction (Navy); operations and maintenance (Navy); and NWCF. This contract was competitively procured via the Beta Sam website, and 23 proposals were received. These six contractors may compete for task orders under the terms and conditions of the awarded contract. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command Washington, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/19/20) [* denotes small business]

Advanced TacNav mod pact

Applied Systems Engineering of Niceville, Fla., is awarded a $10,600,000 modification on an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity delivery order (N001781-70-D-2053) for additional quantities of Advanced Tactical Navigation units as well as various upgrades, repairs and associated support. Work will be performed in Niceville and is expected to be complete by April 2022. This modification raises the contract ceiling to $22,259,073. This modification is being awarded on a sole-source basis in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-2, Unusual and Compelling Urgency (see 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(2)). No funds are being obligated at the time of award, and will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. Naval Surface Warfare Center of Dahlgren, Va., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/19/20) In March 2017, ASE was awarded an $11,679,073 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide essential hardware, upgrades and repairs for the Battle Management Systems program, specifically Advanced Tactical Navigator units. The work was to be performed in Niceville and completed by March 2022. (Source: DoD 0317/17)

MBRACE water, oyster research

Mississippi Based RESTORE Act Center of Excellence (MBRACE) is awarding $2.75M for research on water quality and oyster reef sustainability within the state. Four different projects will receive funding through 2022, with the University of Southern Mississippi (USM) being the lead institution on two of those projects. MBRACE is one of six Centers of Excellence Research Grants Programs (CERGP) established in the Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and is designated as the Center of Excellence for Mississippi. MBRACE is a consortium of Mississippi’s four research universities (Jackson State, Mississippi State, University of Mississippi, and USM. The funded projects include “Impacts of water quality on oyster development to inform oyster reef restoration and sustainability on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.” University of Mississippi/Dr. Deborah Gochfeld - Award Amount: $442,942; “The distribution of submarine groundwater discharge and its effect on coastal water quality in Mississippi.” Mississippi State University/Dr. Adam Skarke - Award Amount: $450,052; “Optical observation for oyster larvae.” University of Southern Mississippi/Dr. Xiaodong Zhang - Award Amount: $449,907; and “MRACE 2 - Core Research Program.” University of Southern Mississippi/Dr. Jerry Wiggert - Award Amount: $1,383,658. The projects were selected following a rigorous review process coordinated by the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium. (Source: USM 05/18/20) https://www.usm.edu/news/2020/release/mbrace-funding-for-research.php

$88M to GC areas affected by spillway

WASHINGTON – Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced May 18 an allocation of $88M in fishery disaster funding to the Gulf Coast (GC) states of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi fresh-water flooding and causing a catastrophic fishery disaster due to the 2019 unprecedented opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway along the Mississippi River in Louisiana. “The Department of Commerce stands with our U.S. fishing communities, especially in times of hardship,” said Ross. “These funds will help industries and individuals recover from this disaster, and build resilience for the future.” Fisheries play a major role for coastal economies. But when a natural disaster event occurs beyond the control of fishery managers, resulting in sudden negative economic impact, federal funds can be used to address the impact to commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, charter businesses, subsistence users, processors, shore-side infrastructure, and the fishing ecosystem and environment. Activities that can be considered for funding include infrastructure projects, habitat restoration, state-run vessel and fishing permit buybacks, and job retraining. (Source: Department of Commerce 05/18/20) https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/05/secretary-commerce-allocates-88-million-fishery-disaster-funding-gulf More than $21.3M is on its way for fishermen, aquaculture businesses and seafood processors in South Mississippi, U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker and U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo announced. (Source: Sun Herald 05/18/20)

Read more here: https://www.sunherald.com/news/state/mississippi/article242817826.html?#storylink=cpy

Map changes for hurricane season

The National Hurricane Center is making key changes to its visual explanations of hurricane risks this year with a new map better outlining the threat of storm surges, and a time interval for basic hurricane forecast maps. Both changes are aimed at quickly explaining hurricane risks and evacuation decisions for the 2020 hurricane season (June 1-Nov. 30). (Source: NOLA.com 05/17/20) https://www.nola.com/news/hurricane/article_a084dcea-9627-11ea-b77f-cfce2e542a33.html.

Ala. Gulf Coast snapper season

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Alabama Gulf Coast’s red snapper fishing season begins next weekend. The Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources said red snapper season will begin May 22. It will consist of four-day weekends, Friday through Monday, from May 22 to July 19. Anglers fishing from federally permitted for-hire boats have their own season beginning June 1. The daily bag limit will be two red snapper per person, per day with a minimum size limit of 16 inches total length. Harvested fish must be reported on Snapper Check. Additional information is available at the Alabama Department of Conservation. (Source: The AP 05/15/20)

CG, F&W aid injured girls

NEW ORLEANS -- The Coast Guard Panama City and Florida Fish and Wildlife responded to two girls struck by a boat propeller and injured near Shell Island, Fla., late afternoon May 16. Coast Guard Station Panama City launched a 29-foot Response-Boat and crew. Two crewmen went ashore and stabilized the girls to be transferred to an F&W vessel that embarked the girls, their mother, and the two boat crew members, and transported them to Panama City Marina to awaiting EMS. One girl suffered a foot laceration and the other a knee laceration. Both girls were reported to be in stable condition. (Source: Coast Guard 05/16/20)

Navy-funded small biz research

CORONA, Calif. - In the next round of Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) funding, the Navy will be accepting proposals from innovative startups and small businesses beginning June 3. The 20.2 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) details millions of dollars available for businesses that can provide innovative solutions responsive to any of 55 Navy-specific topics while meeting unmet market demands. Pre-release for 20.2 opened May 6 and is ongoing until proposal acceptance begins. The latest announcement introduces new opportunities beyond those offered in the previous 20.4 announcement, which closes May 28. (Source NSWC Corona 05/15/20) https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112968

Dive school increasing performance

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - The Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center (NDSTC) is implementing ideas and programs from top-tier professional sports teams to make changes this year to increase functional performance, resiliency and cognitive capability while decreasing injury and accelerating the physical recovery of explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians and Navy divers. EOD techs/divers are known for their ability to stay calm in pressurized situations, but tactical human performance does not come without instruction and development. Cmdr. Sam Brasfield, NDSTC commanding officer, said the legacy human performance programs during an EOD tech/diver’s initial training typically relied on limited knowledge of instructors, who did not possess formal education on exercise physiology and muscle recovery. In order to correct it, NDSTC initiated a review of its physical therapy program, calling on graduate-level research from the Naval Postgraduate School and inputs from professional human sports performance clinicians, to build a framework for tactical combat use. Using the data, NDSTC created the Tactical Human Performance Program (THPP) in 2016 to provide baseline instruction, development and evaluation in all aspects of human performance to dive training students. Today’s program specifically focuses on four key pillars: Mindset, nutrition, movement, and recovery to optimize human performance and injury prevention. (Source: Naval Education and Training Command 05/15/20) https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112975

Armed Forces Day May 16

The White House has issued a proclamation honoring current and former members of the military for Armed Forces Day on Saturday, May 16. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/proclamation-armed-forces-day-2020/

HII-Pascagoula LHA 9 support pact

Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss., is awarded $16,931,540 for a not-to-exceed, undefinitized contract action for long-lead-time material in support of one Amphibious Assault Ship (General Purpose) Replacement (LHA(R)) Flight 1 ship (LHA 9). Work will be performed in Erie, Pa. (47%); Tacoma, Wash. (22%), Pascagoula (17%); Sheffield, United Kingdom (12%); and St. Louis, Mo. (2%), and provides the procurement of long-lead-time material for LHA 9, the fourth LHA(R), America class and the second LHA(R) Flight 1 variant. Work is expected to be complete by February 2024. Fiscal 2019 Navy shipbuilding and conversion advance procurement funding in the amount of $16,931,540 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was not competitively procured, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code 2304(c)(1) and only one responsible source with no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity (Source: DoD 05/15/20)

National Safe Boating Week

NEW ORLEANS - The Eighth Coast Guard District is partnering with government agencies to spread awareness of the importance of safe boating and wearing proper personal flotation devices. This year National Safe Boating Week runs Saturday May 16 to May 22. The campaign promotes safe and responsible boating and the value of consistent life jacket wear by recreational boaters. National Safe Boating Week is an annual observance sponsored by the National Safe Boating Council, and endorsed and promoted by the CG. For more information on boating safety, please visit the U.S. Coast Guard's Boating Safety Division at USCGBoating.org, or the National Safe Boating Council at SafeBoatingCouncil.org. The CG also has a mobile app which provides essential services and information most commonly requested by boaters. For more information, visit USCG.mil/mobile. (Source: Coast Guard 05/15/20)

CG proposing rule changes

The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register on May 13 that it is seeking public comments on a proposal to expand regulations on vessel financial responsibility for tank vessels greater than 100 gross tons. The notice of proposed rule-making (NPRM) also proposes to make other amendments to clarify and update reporting requirements, reflect current practice, and remove unnecessary regulations. The proposed rule would ensure the Coast Guard has current information when there are significant changes in a vessel’s operation, ownership, or evidence of financial responsibility, and would reflect current best practices in the CG’s management of the Certificate of Financial Responsibility program. The CG will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before Aug. 11, 2020. For more information, read the Federal Register NPRM. (Work Boat 05/14/20)

Cruise line offers 28 ships as collateral

Royal Caribbean Cruises launched a $3.3B bond offering May 13 by pledging 28 of its ships as collateral and forecast heavy losses for the first quarter as the COVID-19 pandemic has brought business to a standstill. Royal Caribbean, which was forced to suspend its cruises globally and cut about 26 percent of its U.S. workforce, said the health crisis has dented its first-quarter net income by about $453M. The cruise operator’s shares have sunk over 72 percent this year. RCC expects to report a preliminary first-quarter net loss of $1.44B. The firm is preparing to write down the value of its Silversea Cruises unit and several ships by $1B-to-1.3B. Last year’s 1Q profit was $249.7M. RCC will use the new private note offering to repay a $2.35B, 364-day term loan agreement with Morgan Stanley. Royal Caribbean declined to specify which ships it had pledged for its debt offering. It had vessels with a net book value of about $22.7B at the end of 2019, including the world’s largest cruise ship, Symphony of the Seas. RCC estimates its cash burn to be up to as much as $275M per month during the prolonged suspension of operations. (Source: Marine Link 05/13/20) Gulf Coast Note: RCC had been offering cruises aboard the Majesty of the Seas cruise ship from New Orleans to the Bahamas and Western Caribbean. https://www.marinelink.com/news/royal-caribbean-pledges-ships-collateral-478467?utm_source=MT-ENews-2020-05-13&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MT-ENews

Oyster shucking ground to near-halt

Natalie Gerdes' family owns Uptown New Orleans’ Casamento restaurant, which is famous for oysters and tile decor. The restaurant switched to takeout when the coronavirus stay-at-home order began in mid-March. Business is down 75 percent, she said. "Some days are a struggle." Few people are ordering raw or chargrilled oysters. Those who do are mostly regulars, Gerdes said. More than almost any other food, oysters tend to be consumed in restaurants. It also means that oyster farmers are struggling mightily. Most oyster farmers lease areas of the sea floor from the state. Their crop is sold to processors, who sell to distributors, who sell to restaurants. When the restaurant industry came to a halt, processors stopped buying. "Demand is down like 99 percent," said Mitch Jurisich, chairman of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force. In a normal year, about 5,000 sacks would be sold at the dock in Empire, La., weekly. Only about 500 sacks/week are being sold there now. Unlike most Louisiana oyster farmers, Boris Guerrero doesn't dredge up oysters. He manages Grand Isle Sea Farms, which sells specialty oysters grown in floating cages, directly to restaurants. Grand Isle Sea Farms has had an online business selling oysters directly to consumers. Customers are more willing now to try shucking at home, and to share online photos doing it, he said. Direct sales have not made up for the sales lost from restaurants. The Gulf Coast produces more oysters than anywhere else in the U.S., but production has been down between 50-to-85 percent from historic levels before the pandemic, according to a 2018 report by The Nature Conservancy. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill alone wiped out between 4-and-8.3 billion adult sub-tidal oysters in the Gulf of Mexico. In 2018, Louisiana was the only Gulf state producing as many oysters as before the oil spill. But recent flooding in the Mississippi River basin has further dented that progress. (Source: NOLA.com 05/11/20) https://www.nola.com/news/coronavirus/article_0610382a-8b1a-11ea-858c-f763d8784cbc.html.

Missing crewman in south La. waters

 NEW ORLEANS - The Coast Guard is searching early May 11 for a missing crewman of a commercial fishing vessel that was reported in the water offshore of Marsh Island, La. The crewman, identified as a 52-year-old male, went missing from Guiding Light 3 about 3 a.m. some 18 nautical miles south of Marsh Island. He is presumed to have fallen overboard. CG assets involved in the search is the cutter Skipjack; CG Air Station New Orleans MH-65 helicopter/crew; and a CG Aviation Training Center Mobile, Ala., HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircrew. (Source: Coast Guard 05/11/20)

IMO endorses changeover crew plan

Ships need to change crews allowing the world's 1.2M seafarers to be able to fly home at the end of their periods of service. The issue is among the biggest challenges facing the shipping industry as the result of the COVID-19 pandemic. To help governments with procedures to facilitate the safe movement of seamen, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) issued a 12-step plan to its 174-member states, providing them with a roadmap to free seafarers from COVID-19 lockdowns and allow appropriate exemptions for them to join/leave ships. The 55-page document has been advanced by a broad coalition of seafarer international unions and shipping industry associations with input from the airline industry, international organizations and the insurance sector to provide a comprehensive blueprint of how governments can facilitate crew changeovers and resolve safety concerns. In two weeks some 150,000 merchant seafarers will need to be changed over to ensure compliance with international maritime regulations. (Source: Marine Link 05/07/20) https://www.marinelink.com/news/imo-endorses-shipping-industrys-step-plan-478311?utm_source=MT-ENews-2020-05-08&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=MT-ENews

Prez: End aquaculture fed water regs

President Donald Trump signed an executive order May 7 that may lead the way to fish-farming in the Gulf of Mexico and other federal waters potentially disrupting ecosystems, but enlarging markets for the seafood industry. The EO makes it the federal policy to "identify and remove unnecessary regulatory barriers" restricting aquaculture in federal waters. A cumbersome permitting process and opposition from environmentalists and wild seafood fishers, including Louisiana shrimpers, have kept floating net pens from GoM’s deep waters. Fish farms in marine waters are blamed for increased pollution and escapes that may harm wild fish populations. They’re also considered an efficient, highly profitable means of producing large numbers of popular fish species, including salmon and tuna. (Source: NOLA.com 05/09/20 https://www.nola.com/news/environment/article_025f0aea-9172-11ea-9ff2-cb6a9cf49139.html and White House 05/07/20 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-promoting-american-seafood-competitiveness-economic-growth/

Gulf Coast’s EPA brownfield grants

DALLAS – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced May 8 that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) will receive $800,000 as a Brownfield revolving loan fund grant. The funding is part of $65.6M given nationwide to assess and clean up contaminated properties under the agency’s Brownfield program. “LDEQ’s Brownfield programs have a history of success throughout the state,” said Region 6 Administrator Ken McQueen. Revolving loan fund grants are to assist communities to invest in abandoned and damaged properties and return them to productive use. LDEQ will target areas of Shreveport Common, historic riverfronts of Monroe, West Monroe, Ouachita and small communities like Arabi. Nationally, EPA announced the selection of 155 grants for communities and tribes totaling over $65.6M in funding of Revolving Loan Fund, and Cleanup Grant Programs. The funds will aid under-served and economically disadvantaged communities in assessing and cleaning up abandoned industrial and commercial properties. A brownfield is a property for which the expansion, redevelopment, or reuse may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant. (Source: EPA 05/08/20) Other Gulf Coast regional recipients: Louisiana – Alexandria $300K; Mississippi – Canton $300K, Three Rivers Planning and Development District Inc., New Albany, Pontotoc, and Tupelo $600K, Vicksburg $300K, and West Point Consolidated School District in Cedar Bluff $264K. Alabama – Bessemer $300K, Mobile $300K, and Dothan $297K. (https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-selects-louisiana-dept-environmental-quality-800000-brownfields-revolving-loan-fund

Textron-La. 30% of UISS work

AAI Corp., dba Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Md., is awarded a $20,720,170 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) and Unmanned Surface Vehicle program. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley (70%) and Slidell, La. (30%). The UISS will allow the Littoral Combat Ship to perform its mine countermeasure sweep mission and targets 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 which are required to neutralize magnetic/acoustic influence mines. The UISS also seeks to provide a high-area coverage rate in a small, lightweight package with minimal impact on the host platform. Work is expected to be complete by September 2021. FY 2020 Navy research, development, test and evaluation funds in the amount of $7,193,864 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., is the contracting activity. (Source: DoD 05/08/20)

HII ‘disappointed’ over FFG(X) loss

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) had a mix of emotions and some good financials for the first quarter, according to company officials at May 7’s business report conference call. A pension benefit combined with strong operating results in shipbuilding businesses sailed some of the positive data. Net income increased 46 percent to $172M. Sales increased 9 percent to a record $2.3B. There was no material impacts from COVID-19 in the quarter, but there was lower employee attendance at its shipyards in Mississippi and Virginia. Shipbuilding sales are now forecast to be around 3 percent higher in 2020 versus an earlier projected outlook of 3-to-5 percent growth. HII is holding to its forecast of 9 percent shipbuilding operating margin for the year, but cautioned factors could impact profits. On the minus side is the labor challenges and uncertainty whether disruptions and delays due to the virus will be recoverable, according to executives. HII executives are still reeling after the Navy awarded a potential $5.58B frigate (FFG-X) contract to Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri and Marinette (Wis.) Marine. “We’re obviously very disappointed in the way it came out,” Mike Petters, chief executive of HII, told reporters, “but we’ll get a debrief from the Navy on what happened and how it could have gone better, and we’ll go forward from there.” The Navy awarded Fincantieri the $795M first-in-class guided-missile frigate contract. It had options in it for nine more ships ($5.58B potential). HII has a backlog of work worth $45B that keeps it in a strong financial position. However, there’s no denying HII wanted the FFG(X). There were two other bidders for the contract: Mobile, Ala.-based Austal USA, and a partnership between General Dynamics’ Bath (Maine) Iron Works and Spanish shipbuilder Navantia. (Source: USNI News 05/07/20) https://news.usni.org/2020/05/07/huntington-ingalls-industries-execs-disappointed-over-ffgx-loss

SECNAV nom: USN ‘troubled waters’

The President’s nominee for Navy Secretary blamed nearly a decade’s worth of Navy problems on a “breakdown” in leadership and culture during a May 7 Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing. Kenneth Braithwaite, a retired rear admiral and Vice Chief of Information, and ambassador to Norway, told the SASC in a prepared statement that the Navy was in “troubled waters” similar to the era of the 1991 Tailhook scandal. He cited numerous failures: Bribery of Navy officers in the Pacific; 2017 fatal ship collisions in the western Pacific; and the fallout from the COVID-19 outbreak on USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71). “It saddens me to say” among those issues the facts are “indicative of a breakdown in the trust of those leading the service,” he told the committee. Braithwaite said, if confirmed by the Senate, he would focus on improving the culture of the Navy. “Culture eats strategy for breakfast." He indicated that his No. 1 priority would be to restore good order and discipline. “I won’t say it’s broken. I think it’s been tarnished,” he continued. He did not specify the names of anyone in Navy active duty leadership circles. But, the instances he specified spanned the tenures of former SECNAVs Ray Mabus, Richard V. Spencer and acting SECNAV Thomas Modly. Beyond leadership issues, Braithwaite affirmed the Navy’s goal of developing at least a 355-ship Navy. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) quizzed Braithwaite for more details on the 355-ship fleet plan. “The way I calculate it ... an extra $20 billion would restore the curve and get us about where we need to be, combining shipbuilding and aircraft manufacturing,” Wicker hinted. Braithwaite didn’t talk cost, but cited an ongoing defense study into the Navy’s annual long-range shipbuilding plan and how he would serve as an advocate for a larger fleet. (Source: USNI News 05/07/20) One of the largest shipbuilding firms in America (HII) is located in part along the south Mississippi coast. https://news.usni.org/2020/05/07/braithwaite-to-sasc-navy-department-in-troubled-waters-due-to-leadership-lapses-tarnished-culture

Navy regional bases & HURREX

NORFOLK, Va. - All Navy commands within Navy Region Southeast will be participating in Hurricane Exercise/Citadel Gale 2020 (HURREX/CG 20), which is scheduled to begin May 11-15 despite the current COVID-19 environment. Co-hosted by U.S. Fleet Forces Command and Commander, Navy Installations Command, the annual hurricane preparedness/disaster response and recovery exercise is conducted prior to the onset of hurricane season (June 1) to prepare staffs and crews for potential impacts on infrastructure and fleet operations. HURREX/CG 20 simulates a storm system that will develop and intensify to hurricane strength near the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic Coast. During the week-long training, commands review procedures for current Tropical Cyclone Conditions of Readiness, which include plans for sortie of ships, aircraft evacuation, personnel accountability, and operating during mission essential staffing. Through this a simulated learning environment, commands are able to evaluate readiness and correct local processes as necessary. There will be no ship movements associated with HURREX/CG 20. However, fleet units will execute muster procedures and shore-based heavy weather responses such as heavy mooring ships of every class and heavy weather tie-downs of each aircraft type. (Source: U.S. Fleet Forces/CNIC 05/08/20) SE regional Navy commands to participate include NAS Meridian and Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport in Mississippi; NAS/JRB New Orleans; NAS Pensacola, Corry Station, NAS Whiting Field, and NSA Panama City in Florida.

https://www.navy.mil/submit/display.asp?story_id=112895 

$300M in funds for fishing industries

WASHINGTON – U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced on May 7 the allocation of $300M in economic relief to U.S. fishermen and seafood industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds were allocated as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), signed into law March 27 by President Trump. Commercial fishing, charter/for-hire businesses, qualified aquaculture operations, processors, and parts of the seafood sector in coastal states and territories are among those eligible to apply for funds. Tribes are also eligible for funding including for any negative impacts to subsistence, cultural, or ceremonial fisheries. DoC’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will work with the three Interstate Marine Fishery Commissions, organizations with a demonstrated track record of success in disbursing funds, to quickly deliver financial assistance into the hands of those who need it. Find additional NOAA financial assistance information on our website. (Source: Department of Commerce 05/07/20)

Lucky dogs: CG recovers 5 boaters

The Coast Guard rescued three people and a dog from a capsized fishing vessel about 70 nautical miles offshore of Apalachicola, Fla., in the afternoon of May 7. All aboard the 64-foot fishing vessel Pete’s Dream was airlifted to safety by a CG Air Station Clearwater, Fla., MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter/crew. Additionally, on May 7, about 1 a.m., CG Sector Mobile, Ala., received a distress call from the recreational vessel Liberty Call offshore of Pensacola, Fla., which was taking on water after striking a submerged object. The vessel had two passengers and a dog. A CG Station Pensacola 45-foot Response Boat/Crew arrived on scene and used a portable water pump to maintain safe water levels, and towed the vessel to Lost Key Marina. (Source: Coast Guard 05/07/20)

NSWCPC change of command

PANAMA CITY, Fla. - Navy Captain Aaron Peters, commanding officer of Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City, is retiring after 31 years of naval service. COVID-19 has prevented a formal change of command. Capt. David Back is to take the lead at NSWC Panama City. Peters was in command for 33 months and has faced Hurricane Michael in October 2018 and the current COVID crisis. (Source: NSWC Panama City 05/07/20) https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Media/News/SavedNewsModule/Article/2174991/nswc-panama-city-commanding-officer-bids-final-farewell/

MTC to cool down Port of Mobile

MOBILE, Ala. - MTC Logistics is erecting steel for its International Distribution Center refrigerated cargo facility at the Port of Mobile. MTC is investing about $61M at the port. “The feedback from the processors in the Southeast and our international import customers has been extremely positive,” said Andy Janson, president of MTC Logistics. “Mostly we hear, ‘Hurry up and open!’.” When completed, the facility will provide shippers with seamless supply chain solutions focused on global commerce.  MTC provides shippers a comprehensive suite of services, including blast freezing, port drayage and LTL consolidation. MTC will expand the seaport’s blast freeze capability by accommodating 30 truckloads per day and providing 40,000 racked pallet positions of storage. The distribution center will be one of the largest in the Southeast. The facility is scheduled to open in early 2021. MTC Logistics is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hoffberger Holdings Inc., a diversified privately held investment company of the Hoffberger family of Baltimore, Md. (Source: Port of Mobile 05/05/20) http://www.asdd.com/pdf/MTC_ConstructionMilestoneMet_05052020.pdf

Big FFG(X) risks $1.4B oversized cost

The Navy shortened its orders for Littoral Combat Ships based on the vessels were too small, vulnerable to attack and lightly armed. A new report by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) suggests the (FFG(X)), intended to replace LCS - and awarded to a Wisconsin shipyard that is a unit of Italy’s Fincantieri SpA - may cost 56 percent more than projected partly because it is bigger. The Navy projects that 18 of 20 new FFG(X) will cost on average of $940M apiece, each in inflation-adjusted dollars. The first two are estimated to cost $1B each based on one-time costs. CRS put out “a potential issue” alert to Congress this week that the accuracy of Navy’s estimates considering that “ships of the same general type and complexity that are built under similar production conditions” tend to have similar and substantial higher costs per ton of displacement. The warning was based on the ship’s 7,400 tons, making it about 67 percent of the size of an Arleigh Burke destroyer; and it carries many of the same weapons systems. The latest of the destroyers are estimated to cost $1.9B each, which could mean that the cost for most of the frigates at $1.47B each, “an increase of about 56%,” based on comparing their tonnage to the destroyers. CRS suggested lawmakers ask the Navy basis for “its view that the frigate … can be procured for about one-half the cost.” Capt. Danny Hernandez, spokesman for the Navy’s acquisition office, said the frigate is under “a fixed price” contract for overruns. Hernandez said the Navy’s cost estimate is 1 percent higher than another deal completed by DoD’s independent analysis unit. The CRS suggested lawmakers review how much “process improvements” at Fincantieri’s (Marinette) Wisconsin facility would permit frigates to be built in line with Navy’s cost estimate. One version of its LCS, that the yard is still building, experienced schedule delays before improving. The first FFG(X) is set to begin construction in 2022. (Source: Bloomberg News 05/07/20) Fincantieri won an initial $795M fixed-priced, detailed design and construction contract on April 30 for the first FFG(X), with an option for nine more totaling $5.5B. The company won out over Austal USA of Mobile, Ala.; General Dynamics; and Huntington Ingalls Industries of Pascagoula, Miss. Fincantieri spokesman Eric Dent did not have a comment on the CRS report.  https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-07/navy-s-big-frigate-risks-an-oversized-1-4-billion-cost-per-ship?sref=obIXyZ7y

EDA accepting apps for CARES+

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross announced May 7 that the department’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) is accepting applications from eligible grantees for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) supplemental funds (EDA CARES Act Recovery Assistance) intended to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus. “President Trump is working tirelessly to make sure Americans stay safe during this crisis and that our economy is loaded to spring back when this global scourge recedes,” said Ross. The recovery assistance is designed to provide a wide-range of financial assistance to communities and regions impacted by the pandemic. On March 27, President Donald J. Trump signed the $2T CARES Act into law. CARES provides EDA with $1.5B of which $1.467B is available for grant making. The remaining funds are to cover salaries and expenses and oversight activities. The Secretary’s announcement comes as EDA has published an Addendum to its FY 2020 Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance Notice of Funding Opportunity (FY20 PWEAA NOFO) making the funds available. (Source: Department of Commerce 05/07/20) https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2020/05/us-department-commerce-announces-availability-15-billion-cares-act.