Pax River’s Somerville Makes History Again
CAPT Elizabeth Somerville became the US Navy’s first woman to command Naval Test Wing Atlantic at a change of command ceremony last week at NAS Pax River. Somerville relieved COL Richard Marigliano.
State Dept. Ups Reward for Info on Hackers
The US State Department is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identity and location of five hackers thought to be part of the Russia-backed Conti ransomware group. Another Russian hacking group is claiming an attack on Lockheed Martin that knocked the company’s websites offline.
$54B+ for US Semiconductors
Dubbed the Chips and Science Act, and with the president calling it a “once in a generation investment in America,” tens of billions of dollars have been released into the US economy to immediately stimulate the semiconductor industry and further into tech research and development.
Va. OKs Largest US Offshore Wind Farm
Dominion Energy’s 2.6-gigawatt Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind farm will be the largest offshore wind farm in the US consisting of 176 wind turbines to be constructed 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach.
Defense Revenue Up Nearly 8% From ’21
Defense revenues of the top 100 defense companies climbed for a sixth consecutive year. Fiscal 2021 defense revenue for the Top 100 list totaled $595 billion, up nearly 8% from last year.
Navy TALSA East Is First for UAS Training
The US Navy’s Training and Logistics Support Activity East officially opened last month. TALSA East is the first dedicated Navy facility for unmanned aircraft operators to complete SUAS training. The first official course in the new facility in Virginia Beach, VA, will begin August 8 for SkyRaider R80D.
Young Federal Workers Aren’t Staying
Young federal workers are leaving the federal government at a rate of 9% — half again the overall 6.1% attrition rate. The Veterans Administration has the highest attrition rates among government agencies at 7.1%, followed by the Army, Air Force, and Treasury.
US Approves Small Nuclear Reactors
Amid rising interest in nuclear energy as a tool for reaching ambitious decarbonization goals, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission will issue a final rule certifying NuScale’s small modular nuclear reactor design, touted as safer and scalable.
New Kennel Keeps Military Dogs Close to Home
NAS Patuxent River Security has a new Military Working Dog kennel. Before the kennel opened, the dogs assigned to Pax River were housed at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling more than 60 miles away. With a kennel at Pax, base security has improved its overall readiness and also cut logistical costs associated with housing and transporting the dogs off site.
Ejection Seat Issue Grounds Some Navy Aircraft
Naval Air Systems Command grounded an undisclosed number of planes last week following the discovery of a problem with a component involved in the pilot ejection process.
