Army Grounds Chinook Helicopter Fleet
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economic community. The opinions expressed here do not reflect opinions of the Leader’s owners or staff.
The Army has grounded the entire CH-47 Chinook helicopter fleet following an undisclosed number of recent engine fires, reports Military Times. The Wall Street Journal first reported the move to shut down the Boeing-made fleet. No deaths or injuries occurred due to the fires.
A budding tropical system over the central Atlantic, dubbed Invest 91L, is likely to become a tropical depression or storm over the next several days, potentially ending a historic stretch with no named storms, according to UPI reports from AccuWeather meteorologists. The system was spinning several hundreds of miles east of the Leeward Islands, and if it strengthens further in the coming days and becomes an organized tropical storm, it will be given the name Danielle — the fourth name on the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season list.
The US Navy stopped an Iranian boat from seizing a 5th Fleet unmanned vessel, reports Navy Times. US 5th Fleet sailors spotted the Iranian naval vessel Shahid Baziar towing a Saildrone Explorer, a 5th Fleet unmanned surface vessel. With a coastal patrol ship and helicopter the 5th Fleet responded and the Iranian vessel released the USV and left the area four later, on Aug. 30.
NASA’s tiny CAPSTONE moon probe gets nearly 1 million miles from Earth, reports Space.com. The 55-pound CAPSTONE reached apogee, its farthest point from Earth — 951,908 miles — on Friday afternoon (Aug. 26). CAPSTONE — Cislunar Autonomous Positioning System Technology Operations and Navigation Experiment — launched atop a Rocket Lab Electron booster on June 28. The microwave-oven-sized probe is taking a circuitous, highly fuel-efficient route to the moon, where it’s expected to arrive on Nov. 13.
Ukraine is using wooden decoys of advanced US rocket systems to lure Russia into wasting its missiles, reports The Washington Post. The decoy versions of US-supplied rocket launcher systems drew at least 10 Russian Kalibr cruise missiles, leading Ukraine to further boost its production of replicas, in an effort to lure Moscow into firing its expensive long-range missiles on fake targets. “When the UAVs see the battery, it’s like a VIP target,” a senior Ukrainian official told The Washington Post newspaper, referring to the Russian drones that spot the long-range artillery replicas, transmitting the location of the dummy targets to its naval cruise missiles.
The Biden administration is preparing to sell $1.1 billion in missiles and radar support to Taiwan, reports Military.com. The package would include as much as $650 million in continued support for a surveillance radar sold earlier, about $90 million for roughly 100 Sidewinder air-to-air missiles as well as about 60 additional anti-ship Harpoon missiles, the official said. Both weapons have been sold to Taiwan previously
For borrowers who qualify for up to $20,000 forgiveness of student loans, the canceled debt won’t count as taxable federal income thanks to a provision in the American Rescue Plan Act, reports Route Fifty. However, according to the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit think tank that analyzes tax policy, tax liability could remain in at least six states: Arkansas, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
NASA sets Saturday for its next Artemis launch attempt, reports The Washington Post. NASA is going to attempt to launch its massive Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to the moon Saturday afternoon, after an attempt Monday was canceled when a series of problems marred the effort. The launch is scheduled for 2:17 p.m., with a two-hour launch window. Weather for a Saturday launch also could be tricky, with only a 40 percent chance of favorable conditions.
Russia’s and China’s space weapon plans spur high-level Pentagon meeting, reports Military Times. DEFSEC Lloyd Austin will hold the classified meeting at the Pentagon next week. The discussion comes after two key events last year: Russia launched a missile to destroy a defunct Soviet-era satellite, creating more than 1,500 pieces of space debris, and defense officials say China tested a new combination of a hypersonic glide vehicle and a fractional orbital bombardment system ― an unpredictable capability that can stay on orbit as long as the user determines and then de-orbit as part of its flight path.
VA extends debt collection relief until the end of 2022. reports Military Times. The move covers debts related to disability compensation over-payments, education benefits mistakes, and pension payouts not related to service-connected injuries. Individuals who owe money will not have to pay it back until early 2023 if they can show the move would cause financial hardship.
Britain’s Queen Elizabeth will appoint her nation’s new prime minister at Balmoral, in Scotland, instead of Buckingham Palace in London, reports Reuters. Breaking the tradition is due to the 96-year-old monarch’s mobility issues. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said on Wednesday that the queen would meet outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson as well as his successor on Sept. 6 at Balmoral, where the monarch spends her summers.
Mikhail Gorbachev: Last Soviet leader dies aged 91, reports BBC News. Mr Gorbachev took power in 1985 and introduced reforms, as well as opening up the Soviet Union to the world. But he was unable to prevent the slow collapse of the union, and many Russians blamed him for the years of turmoil that ensued. Outside Russia, he was widely respected. “Mikhail Gorbachev was a one-of-a kind statesman,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said. “The world has lost a towering global leader, committed multilateralist, and tireless advocate for peace.”
Contracts:
Clarity Innovations LLC, Columbia, Maryland, was awarded a contract (H92415-22-F-0038) valued at $10,325,029 for technical labor support such as data analysts, data scientists, data engineers, software developers, DevSecOps engineers, database administrators, Tactical Assault Kit developers, and other related technical talent labor categories. This contract will be the primary means of support for the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) vice commander-directed Data Stewardship Program lead by the SOCOM Command Data and Artificial Intelligence Office. Fiscal 2022 operations and maintenance; and fiscal 2022 research, development, test and evaluation funding in the amount of $9,675,029 is being obligated at the time of award. This contract was competed in accordance with the requirements of the Air Force basic ordering agreement FA830720G0039. Four offerors responded with proposals. Competition was set aside for small business in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation Part 19.502. U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida, is the contracting activity.
Midnight Sun-Centennial Kirratchiaq JV LLC, Anchorage, Alaska, has been awarded a $19,000,000 indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract modification (P00002) to previously awarded contract FA480021D0008 for providing Simplified Acquisition of Base Civil Engineer Requirements support for Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE), Virginia. This modification exercises Option Year One which extends the contract for one year. This contract provides all labor, tools, equipment, transportation, materials, supervision, and all other necessary supplies and services required to perform a broad range of design, minor and new construction, facility repair, and maintenance on real property for JBLE. Work will be performed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia; and Sandston, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31, 2026. This single-award modification is the result of a competitive Section 8(a) set-aside for small business in which nine offers were received during the time of the original contract award. Fiscal 2022 and 2023 operations and maintenance funds will be used to fund individual task orders awarded under this contract. The 633rd Contracting Squadron, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Virginia, is the contracting activity.
