Nimitz Reaches 350K Arrested Landings
Navy CAPT Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, front seat, and CMDR Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron, make an arrested landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet on April 22, 2023, in the South China Sea marking the 350,000th time the carrier has landed a fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck. Nimitz is in U.S. 7th Fleet conducting routine operations. 7th Fleet is the Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (Caitlin Flynn/US Navy)
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The oldest active aircraft carrier in the US Navy, the USS Nimitz, reached 350,000 arrested plane landings in nearly a half-century, on Saturday, when an F/A-18F Super Hornet touched down on the deck, reports Stars and Stripes. CAPT Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the Nimitz, CMDR Luke Edwards, of the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron, made the landing. The Nimitz is in US 7th Fleet conducting routine operations in the South China Sea.
World military spending reached an all-time high of $2.24 trillion in 2022, Aljazeera reports on the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute’s annual report on global military expenditure. Global spending rose for the eighth consecutive year. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine fueled a 13% rise in Europe, the steepest in at least 30 years.
Axios breaks out the SIPRI annual report on global military expenditure with a chart. The US, at $877 billion, spent more on its military in 2022 than the next 10 countries combined. It was only a slight increase for the US over 2021, even factoring an estimated $20 billion in direct military aid to Ukraine. China’s military budget grew by 4% in Beijing’s 28th consecutive annual increase; Russia’s by 9% to $86 billion last year. Meanwhile, Ukraine ($44 billion) increased spending by a whopping 640% to move from 36th to 11th on SIPRI’s annual list of the 40 biggest spenders.
The Kremlin said on Wednesday it could seize more Western assets in retaliation for foreign moves against Russian companies, after taking temporary control of assets belonging to two European state-owned utilities, reports Reuters.
As a standoff continues over the Pentagon’s abortion policies and the promotions of nearly 200 senior officers, the senator at the center of the controversy, Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) is emphasizing a new argument for delaying the promotions: The military has too many generals and admirals, reports Military.com.
Ukraine-based start-up One Way Aerospace, which makes low-cost, domestically produced kamikaze drones, will demonstrate a long-range system to the country’s Ministry of Defense and an undisclosed European NATO partner in late May at an unknown location, reports C4ISRNET. Founded eight months ago by two veterans of the British and Australian militaries and a Ukrainian engineer, One Way Aerospace has made rapid leaps in widening the set of platforms it markets to customers.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) is sending the state’s National Guard and its Highway Patrol to help San Francisco fight the trafficking of the synthetic opioid fentanyl in the city, reports The Hill. A multiagency operation will kick off after California Highway Patrol has identified ways to assist San Francisco police, and after the CalGuard has identified specialist personnel and resources to “support analysis of drug trafficking operations,” according to a release from the governor’s office.
Days after helping evacuate the US embassy in Khartoum, the DoD continues to assist the State Department in aiding Americans wishing to leave Sudan, reports Military Times. Current support includes “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities to observe potential land routes out of Sudan and detect threats, and positioning naval assets off the coast of Sudan should they be needed,” Air Force BRIG GEN Pat Ryder, a Pentagon spokesman, briefed reporters.
The US is considering sending a contingent of troops to Port Sudan to coordinate the departure of American citizens seeking to leave Sudan, US officials told CBS News Monday. The troops would be part of the Pentagon’s effort to make the over 500-mile land route between Khartoum and Port Sudan a viable way out for up to several thousand Americans who remain in Sudan.
A new report finds the increasing complexity resulting from a growing volume of data and number of sources undermines leaders’ decision making, reports GCN.com. Although 97% of respondents to a global Oracle survey wanted data, 72% said that the volume of data — and their lack of trust in it — has prevented them from making any decisions at all; 91% believe “the growing number of data sources has limited the success of their organizations.”
The world’s military space forces need to talk more, US officials say, and that means everything from establishing norms for space operations to setting up red phones with Chinese and Russian space operators, reports Defense One.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers wants to apply US cybersecurity technologies and techniques in defense of Taiwan, a target of Chinese influence campaigns, digital onslaughts, and potential military takeover, reports C4ISRNET. Sens. Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) and Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Mike Gallagher (R-WI) introduced the Taiwan Cybersecurity Resiliency Act, which would require the Pentagon to intensify its cyber outreach and collaboration with the much-discussed independent island.
The US Treasury is expected to soon release the latest advisories on how companies can take advantage of the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act, reports Reuters. The legislation offers billions of dollars in tax incentives for facilities using American equipment to accelerate decarbonization of the US power sector while creating domestic jobs. Industry officials say they are still waiting for exact definitions of what it means for a product to be American-made.
Reuters reports First Republic Bank’s market value plunged below $1 billion for the first time ever on Wednesday after a report said the US government was unwilling to intervene in the rescue process, hammering the lender’s stock.
Microsoft Corp. shares surged about 7% on Wednesday and lifted tech stocks after the company’s robust earnings eased fears of a slowdown in cloud computing and boosted confidence that artificial intelligence will become a major growth driver, reports Reuters.
Free Uber and Lyft rides for vets will end in May and the VA is pleading with Congress to extend the program, reports Military.com. The pandemic-era program has provided more than 750,000 rides getting veterans to jobs, medical appointments, and support services. The VA began offering rideshare benefits to homeless veterans in August 2021 following passage of the fiscal 2020 Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D., Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act, which temporarily authorized the program.
The Veterans Crisis Line is fielding a record number of cries for help, reports NBC News. The hotline received more than 88,000 calls, texts, and chats in March — the highest number of monthly contacts it has ever had.
COL Meghann Sullivan, commander of the 5th Brigade Engineer Battalion, 5th SFAB, faces allegations of assaulting at least two subordinate men and harassing several others, with some of those incidents allegedly tied to alcohol abuse, reports Military.com. At least one of those alleged assaults involved forceful kissing and another grabbing a man below the belt without his consent.
Equipment and personnel arrived Sunday at Yonaguni, Japan’s westernmost inhabited island, a day after the country’s defense minister ordered the PAC-3 missile-defense system to be deployed there. Stars and Stripes reports the move follows North Korea’s announcement last week of its final preparations to launch a “military surveillance satellite,” according to a Japan Defense Ministry statement on Saturday. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has issued an order to launch multiple satellites once the preparations are finished, the statement said. A launch date has not been specified.
This week’s celebratory state visit by South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol will underscore US readiness to deter a North Korean attack on South Korea, reports AP. Biden will announce specific new nuclear deterrence efforts, a new cyber security initiative, economic investments, and an educational partnership to as they mark the 70th anniversary of the countries’ alliance.
President Joe Biden has nominated US Army Vice Chief of Staff GEN Randy George to be the service’s next chief, reports Defense News. If confirmed by the Senate, George would succeed GEN James McConville, who will retire this summer.
Contracts:
Cashman Dredging & Marine Contracting Co. LLC, Quincy, Massachusetts, was awarded a $23,963,300 firm-fixed-price contract for maintenance dredging. Bids were solicited via the internet with four received. Work will be performed in Baltimore, Maryland, with an estimated completion date of Sept. 9, 2023. Fiscal 2021 civil construction funds and fiscal 2022 and 2023 civil operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $23,963,300 were obligated at the time of the award. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore, Maryland, is the contracting activity (W912DR-23-C-0014).
The Whiting-Turner Contacting Co., Baltimore, Maryland, is awarded a $41,446,750 firm-fixed-price task order (N6945023F0391) under previously-awarded multiple-award construction contract N69450-22-D-0013 to provide construction of P282 AHTS Flight Simulator Facility and demolition of Building 3005 at Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Milton, Florida. This task order contains one unexercised option which, if exercised, would increase the cumulative contract value to $43,273,703. Work will be performed in Milton, Florida, and is expected to be completed by April 2027. Fiscal 2023 military construction (Navy) funds in the amount of $41,446,750 will be obligated at time of award and will not expire at the end of the current fiscal year. Seven proposals were received for this task order. The Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida, is the contracting activity.
Booz Allen Hamilton, McLean, Virginia, is awarded a $28,733,649 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N0016422CB004 for non-personal professional support services to support the Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC). This contract includes options, which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $103,457,453. Work will be performed in Washington, DC (33%); and McLean, Virginia (67%), and is expected to be completed by October 2023. Fiscal 2023 research, development, test and evaluation (Navy) funds in the amount of $2,646,962 (85%); fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $379,000 (12%); and fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $80,185 (3%) 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 via the Federal Business Opportunities or the SAM.gov websites in accordance with 10 US Code 2304(c)(1) (only one responsible source and no other supplies or services will satisfy agency requirements). The Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division, Crane, Indiana, is the contracting activity.
Hardinge Inc., Elmira, New York, is awarded a $15,500,000 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract to provide field engineering support to include inspection, evaluation, repair, upgrade, training and rebuild in support of the sustainment of commercial industrial plant equipment that is required to support overhauling and repairing aircraft engines and components for the Navy. Work will be performed in Cherry Point, North Carolina (41%); North Island, California (40%); Jacksonville, Florida (14%); and Solomons Island, Maryland (5%), and is expected to be completed in April 2028. No funds will be obligated at the time of award; funds will be obligated on individual orders as they are issued. This contract was not competitively procured pursuant to Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 (a)(1). The Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers, Patuxent River, Maryland, is the contracting activity (N6852023D0002).
Intrepid LLC, Huntsville, Alabama (HT001123C0077), was awarded a 12-month, firm-fixed-price contract in the amount of $11,112,148 to support financial management which includes budget execution, programming, and funds allocation for the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) $8 billion Department of Defense-level program. Additionally, the contractor will assist DHA personnel with proper access into the General Fund Enterprise Business System and aid with the resolution of any issues, allowing the government to perform their duties. The contractor will also provide support to the Executive Steering Committee, the Corporate Executive Board, and the Resource Optimization Board, which are key DHA governance organizations. Work will be primarily performed at Defense Health Headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia. Operation and maintenance funds in the amount of $11,112,148 are obligated for fiscal 2023. The contract was awarded on a sole source basis in accordance with Federal Acquisition Regulation 6.302-1 One Responsible Source. The period of performance for this award is April 15, 2023, to April 14, 2024. The Defense Health Agency, Professional Services Contracting Division, Falls Church, Virginia, is the contracting activity. (Awarded April 13, 2023)
Textron Systems, Hunt Valley, Maryland, is awarded a $32,822,940 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-14-C-6322 for engineering and technical support for the Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) Unmanned Surface Vehicle (USV) program. Work will be performed in Hunt Valley, Maryland (70%); and Slidell, Louisiana (30%), and is expected to be completed by May 2024. Fiscal 2023 other procurement (Navy) funds in the amount of $3,032,724 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, DC, is the contracting activity.
Huntington Ingalls Industries, Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, is awarded a $115,000,000 cost-plus-fixed-fee modification to previously awarded contract N00024-15-C-4301 for continued execution of the USS Columbus (SSN 762) engineered overhaul. Work will be performed in Newport News, Virginia, and is expected to be completed by December 2023. Fiscal 2023 operations and maintenance (Navy) funds in the amount of $115,000,000 will be obligated at the time of award and will expire at the end of the current fiscal year. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, DC, is the contracting activity.
