April 25, 2024

DoD End-of-Year Contracts for Dec. 27-30

These end-of-the-year Department of Defense contracts were awarded in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, from December 27-December 30, 2022.

Contractors Get Half of DoD Budget

$1.3T Budget

More than half of the Pentagon’s yearly budget goes to private contractors. In 2021, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman received over $116 billion in Pentagon contracts while paying their top two dozen executives a total of $287 million. The CEOs of the top five contractors received compensation ranging from $18 million to $23 million each.

TPP Topic: Carrier Air Wing in DMO

Carrier Air Wing

There’s still time to register for The Patuxent Partnership’s panel discussion December 14 on “The Carrier Air Wing in DMO – The Sequel.” The event will feature RADM Andrew Loiselle, director of Air Warfare Division, N98, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Pax Alum 1st Native Woman to Fly Into Space

Pax Alum

NAS Patuxent River alum Nicole Mann will be the first Native woman to fly into space this fall. She is scheduled to be aboard the SpaceX Crew-5 mission to go to the International Space Station.

State Dept. Ups Reward for Info on Hackers

Cyber Threats

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.

Ukraine ‘Fantastic Case Study’ in Information Warfare, Says General

cyber offensive

US Marine Corps commandant GEN David Berger said the past four months of war in Ukraine has been a “fantastic case study” in information warfare. “If you can manage information, you can actually gain an advantage,” he said.

Aircraft ‘Safety Pause’ Ordered by Navy

Three US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft crashes in the past week and a half — two of which were fatal — have led the Navy’s aviation community to undergo a “safety pause.” During the pause Monday, all non-deployed units reviewed risk-management practices and conducted training “on threat and error-management processes.”

New Helicopters Headed to Andrews

Andrews

Joint Base Andrews, MD, will be the next location to receive the new MH-139 helicopter. The Grey Wolf will replace the aging UH-1N Huey and expand the base’s fleet size.

Milley: Respecting Legacy of D-Day Soldiers

D-Day

US Army GEN Mark Milley, speaking Monday at the American Cemetery of Colleville-sur-Mer in France, overlooking Omaha Beach, told a group of World War II veterans gathered for the 78th anniversary of D-Day that the ongoing war in Ukraine is about “honoring” them as the world has come together “against a determined invader.”

Blue Angels Fly Into Annapolis This Week

Blue Angels

Commissioning Week has begun in Annapolis, and two flyovers by the Navy flight demo team, the Blue Angels, are planned. Visitors can see the arrival and rehearsal on Tuesday, May 24. The jets will also do a flyover during the graduation Friday where President Joe Biden is expected to be the keynote speaker.