Defense Revenue Up Nearly 8% From ’21
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Defense revenues of the top 100 defense companies climbed for a sixth consecutive year, reports Defense News, “a sign of the global industry’s continued resilience in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic shocks that stretch back to 2019.” Fiscal 2021 defense revenue for the Defense News Top 100 list totaled $595 billion, up nearly 8% from last year.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute found that global military spending rose for the seventh consecutive year in 2021, reports The Associated Press. The Swedish think tank’s report also said Russia has emerged as the world’s second-largest arms producer after the US. Russia surpassed Britain, which had held that spot since 2002.
Amid a hiring boom, defense firms say that the labor shortage is dragging them down, reports Defense News. The shortage is forcing firms to juggle staff, hold job fairs, and find workarounds to keep operations running as smoothly as possible.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics July 2022 jobs report reveals that the unemployment rate for veterans settled at 2.7% for the third consecutive month in July, reports Navy Times. About 237,000 veterans were unable to find work last month, according to the report.
A Federal Salary Council report shows that salaries for federal employees have fallen significantly behind the private sector, reports Federal News Network. The council said the pay disparity between public and private sector employees, on average, was 22.47%.
The Pentagon has not found any defective ejection seat parts on its F-35s, or on other potentially affected combat and training aircraft, during checks that began in July, reports Navy Times. F-35s across the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps have started returning to flight.
The Navy said it has recovered an F/A-18E fighter jet that fell into the Mediterranean Sea in a bout of bad weather in July, reports The Drive. The jet will be taken to an unspecified military facility in the region before being transported back to the US.
A memo last week from DeputyDefSec Kathleen Hicks reminds senior leaders that the contents of their government phones are to be preserved, reports Navy Times. This comes after recent revelations that senior Defense Department officials’ phones were scrubbed of communications in the final days of the Trump administration.
China said Sunday it carried out its fourth consecutive day of military drills in the air and sea around Taiwan in the wake of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island, despite international calls to calm the tensions, reports The Associated Press. The Aviationist offers a recap of what has happened and is currently happening around Taiwan since Pelosi’s visit.
DefSec Lloyd Austin’s calls to top Chinese military officials have gone unanswered during this crisis in the Pacific, reports Politico. Officials and experts say China’s silence is a shortsighted and reckless move that increases the risk of escalation in an already tense situation.
As China launches missiles and continues to make threats, Pacific nations are keeping a cool head, reports Breaking Defense. “There is no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait. It is normal and routine for legislators from our countries to travel internationally,” reads a statement from the foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU.
The US Navy has delivered the first of three Royal Malaysian Air Force CN-235 military transport aircraft converted to a maritime patrol platform, reports Seapower Magazine. This comes three and a half years after the US signed a letter of offer and acceptance to begin increasing the capability and interoperability of US and Malaysian forces.
The US will take part in a joint military exercise with India less than 62 miles from the South Asian country’s disputed border with China, reports CNN.
August has some perks for shoppers hitting the stores in Maryland, reports WTOP News. Maryland’s tax-free holiday is August 14-20.
The Navy wants to help pay off student debt to get new recruits, reports Task & Purpose. Besides the loan repayment program, the service is also offering a $50,000 enlistment bonus for people who ship out quickly.
Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division employees provided firsthand training for five teachers from local school districts who hope to translate what they learned about science, technology, engineering, and math to their students when the school year begins, reports fredericksburg.com. The training was held at the University of Mary Washington Dahlgren campus.
Commissary home delivery test is a hit with customers, reports Air Force Times. The pilot program continues through the end of the month at eight locations: Scott Air Force Base, IL; Fort Bragg South, NC; MacDill Air Force Base, FL; Fort Belvoir and Naval Station Norfolk, VA; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA; and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Naval Station San Diego, CA.
The number of cases of monkeypox had climbed in the US military to 40 late last week, 10 times the number it was less than four weeks ago, reports Military.com. DoD said Friday the figure included 26 active-duty personnel.
A recent inspection at barracks at Fort Bragg, NC, revealed problems with the HVAC system and have forced as many as 1,200 soldiers will be relocated, reports Army Times. The inspection found “higher than normal moisture levels” — conditions ripe for mold — “and quality of life concerns,” a spokesperson for Fort Bragg said.
The fourth and final supermoon of 2022, known as the Sturgeon Moon, will occur on Thursday, August 11, at approximately 9:36 pm EDT, reports Space.com. The lunar show likely won’t be appreciated by everyone as it unfortunately clashes with one of the most anticipated meteor showers of the year — the Perseid meteor shower.
Contracts:
AECOM Technical Services Inc., Los Angeles, California (W911KB-22-D-0016); AGN JV LLC, Portland, Oregon (W911KB12D0017); Bethel Environmental Solutions LLC, Anchorage, Alaska (W911KB-22-D-0018); Brice Engineering LLC, Anchorage, Alaska (W911KB-22-D-0019); and Jacobs Government Services Co., Arlington, Virginia (W911KB-22-D-0020), will compete for each order of the $100,000,000 firm-fixed-price contract for environmental remediation services. Bids were solicited via the internet with five received. Work locations and funding will be determined with each order, with an estimated completion date of Aug. 7, 2027. US Army Corps of Engineers, Anchorage, Alaska, is the contracting activity.
Green Contracting Co., Inc., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $28,904,000 firm-fixed-price contract for replacement of the building central utility plant chillers and associated equipment and selected system components at the National Maritime Intelligence Center, Maryland. The work to be performed includes will include an all-inclusive replacement of the existing control system for the major heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment as well as distribution and terminal controls equipment in the entire building and adds a catwalk for a cooling tower. In addition, ancillary work from other trades (architectural, fire alarm/fire protection, and electrical) is required in support of the mechanical system modifications, as well as the controls replacement. Work will be performed in Suitland, Maryland, and is expected to be completed by October 2026. Fiscal 2022 military construction (Navy) contract funds in the amount of $28,904,000 are obligated on this award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. This contract was competitively procured via the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment website with four proposals received. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, Washington, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity (N40080-22-C-0010).
UPDATE: ThunderCat Technology LLC, Reston, Virginia (SPE2D1-22-D-0012, $45,467,709), has been added as an awardee to the multiple award contract for medical equipment and accessories for the Defense Logistics Agency Electronic Catalog, issued against SPE2DH-16-R-0002 and awarded Oct. 6, 2016.
