Navy 042815 final

Continued on pAGe 15 ➥Continued on pAGe 12 ➥

Nuclear Weapons Safety and SecurityBy ViCe AdmirAl terry J. BenediCt, direCtor, nAVy StrAteGiC SyStemS proGrAmS (SSp)

The first priority, and

the most important, is the

safety and security of the

Navy’s nuclear weapons.

Accordingly, Navy leader-

ship clearly delegated

and defined SSP’s role

as the program manager

and technical authority

for the Navy’s nuclear weapons and nuclear

weapons security.

At its most basic level, this priority is

the physical security of one of our nation’s

most valuable assets. Our Marines and Navy

masters-at-arms provide an effective and inte-

grated elite security force at our two Strategic

Weapons Facilities and Waterfront Restricted

Areas in Kings Bay, Ga., and Bangor, Wash.

U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Force Protec-

tion Units have been commissioned at both

facilities to protect our submarines as they

transit to and from their dive points. These

Coast Guardsmen and the vessels they man

provide a security umbrella for our Ohio-class

submarines. Together, the Navy, Marine Corps

and Coast Guard team form the foundation of

our Nuclear Weapons Security Program, and

my headquarters staff ensures that our nuclear

weapons capable activities continuously meet

or exceed security, safety and compliance

criteria.

SSP’s efforts to sustain the safety and

improve the security of these national assets

continue at all levels of the organization. The

Navy’s nuclear weapons enterprise maintains

a culture of self-assessment in order to sustain

safety and security. This is accomplished

through biannual assessments by SSP head-

quarters staff, periodic technical evaluations,

Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

By RoNAld o’RouRke, SPeCIAlISt IN NAVAl AffAIRS

The Virginia-class attack submarine (see Figure 1) was designed to be less expensive and better optimized for post-Cold War submarine missions than the Seawolf-class design. The Virginia-class design is slightly larger than the Los Angeles-class design, but incorporates newer technologies. Virginia-class boats currently cost about $2.8 billion each to procure. The first Virginia-class boat entered service in October 2004.

Past and Projected Annual Procurement Quantities

Table 1 shows annual numbers of Virginia-class boats procured from FY1998 (the lead boat) through FY2014, and numbers scheduled for procurement under the FY2016-FY2020 Future Years Defense Plan (FYDP).

Multiyear Procurement (MyP)

The 10 Virginia-class boats shown in Table 1 for the period FY2014-FY2018 (referred to as the Block IV boats) are being procured under a multiyear procure-ment (MYP) contract that was approved by Congress as part of its action on the FY2013 budget, and awarded by the Navy on April 28, 2014. The eight Virginia-class boats procured in FY2009-FY2013 (the Block III boats) were procured under a previous MYP contract, and the five Virginia-class boats procured in FY2004-FY2008 (the Block II boats) were procured under a still-earlier MYP contract. The four boats procured in FY1998-FY2002 (the Block I boats) were procured under a block buy contract, an arrangement somewhat similar to an MYP contract. The boat procured in FY2003 fell between the FY1998-FY2002 block buy contract and the FY2004-FY2008 MYP ar-rangement, and was contracted for separately.

Joint Production Arrangement

Virginia-class boats are built jointly by General Dynamics’ Electric Boat Division (GD/EB) of Groton, Conn., and Quonset Point, R.I., and Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) of Newport News, Va., which forms

Table 1. Annual Numbers of Virginia-Class Boats Procured or Projected for Procurement

FY981

FY99 1

FY00 0

FY011

FY02 1

FY03 1

FY04 1

FY05 1

FY06 1

FY07 1

FY08 1

FY091

FY101

FY112

FY12 2

FY13 2

FY14 2

FY15 2

FY16 2

FY17 2

FY18 2

FY19 2

FY202

Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement

Congressional Research Service 4

Figure 1. Virginia-Class Attack Submarine

Source: U.S. Navy file photo accessed by CRS on January 11, 2011, at http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=55715.

Multiyear Procurement (MYP)

The 10 Virginia-class boats shown in Table 1 for the period FY2014-FY2018 (referred to as the Block IV boats) are being procured under a multiyear procurement (MYP) contract10 that was approved by Congress as part of its action on the FY2013 budget, and awarded by the Navy on April 28, 2014. The eight Virginia-class boats procured in FY2009-FY2013 (the Block III boats) were procured under a previous MYP contract, and the five Virginia-class boats procured in FY2004-FY2008 (the Block II boats) were procured under a still-earlier MYP contract. The four boats procured in FY1998-FY2002 (the Block I boats) were procured under a block buy contract, which is an arrangement somewhat similar to an MYP contract.11 The boat procured in FY2003 fell between the FY1998-FY2002 block buy contract and the FY2004-FY2008 MYP arrangement, and was contracted for separately.

10 For a discussion of MYP contracting, see CRS Report R41909, Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke and Moshe Schwartz. 11 For a discussion of block buy contracting, see CRS Report R41909, Multiyear Procurement (MYP) and Block Buy Contracting in Defense Acquisition: Background and Issues for Congress, by Ronald O'Rourke and Moshe Schwartz.

Figure 1. Virginia-Class Attack Submarine

V. Adm. Terry J. Benedict

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28Apr2015

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AuVSi’s unmanned

Systems

Atlanta, Ga.

www.auvsishow.org/

auvsi2015

May 5-7, 2015

AFCeA defensive Cyber

operations Symposium

Baltimore, Md.

www.afcea.org

May 20-21, 2015

AFCeA Spring intelligence

Symposium

Springfield, VA

http://www.afcea.org/

mission/intel

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Table of ConTenTs

exClusive subsCriber ConTenTSubscribers to Navy Air/Sea receive exclusive weekly content. this week’s exclusive content includes:

• An announcement from Naval Service Training Command, who are seeking suggestions

from the naval officer corps in order to improve the core competencies of future Navy

and Marine Corps officers.

• An update from dod officials about new science and technology initiatives to spur

innovation, including programs to improve the acquisition process and better incentivize

industry.

Calendar of evenTs

Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and issues for Congress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Nuclear Weapons Safety and Security . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Carrier Strike Group 8 Changes Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

integrated Maritime Portable Acoustic Scoring and Simulation (iMPASS) System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Remotely Operated Vehicle intervention System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Navy Training Virtual desktop installations Mark Milestone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

P-8A engine Maintenance and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

X-47B First to Complete Autonomous Aerial Refueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Triton UAS Conducts First Flight with Search Radar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

USS McFaul deploys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

World’s First lNG-Powered Containership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Air-to-Ground Missile for F/A-18e/F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Acoustic device Countermeasure MK 2 MOd 4/MOd 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

People . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

enterprise Air Surveillance Radar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

U.S. Warships help ensure Maritime Security in Arabian Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

PlA Navy’s Strategic Role for National interests and Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Contracts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

2 | APRil 28, 2015 | NAVy NeWS WeeKly | WWW.NAVy-KMi.COM

carrier Strike Group 8 changes command

On April 17, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 8 held a change-of-com-

mand ceremony at Norfolk Naval Station.

Rear Admiral Victorino G. Mercado was relieved by Rear Admiral

Bret C. Batchelder as commander, Carrier Strike Group 8.

Mercado assumed command of CSG-8 in June 2014. he led the

strike group when it shifted flagships from USS Dwight D. Eisenhower

(CVN 69) to USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) to support fleet readi-

ness and operational requirements. Following the shift, he success-

fully guided the strike group’s ships and aircraft through an intensive

maintenance and modernization availability and basic training, laying

the foundation for integrated strike group operations.

Admiral Phil davidson, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command

and former CSG-8 commander praised Mercado’s leadership.

“Thank you and well done to a friend and leader who built a solid

foundation for CSG-8; my old carrier strike group, and still my favorite

CSG,” said davidson. “Vic excelled while leading the strike group,

and his responsibilities were vast: 7,500 sailors, 14 ships and the

seven aircraft squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 7. he put them on the

path to be able to fight and to win.”

Mercado, in turn, thanked the sailors of the strike group for their

unwavering talent, dedication and professionalism.

“i commend the great work put forth by the crews of ike and Tru-

man as they continue preparing their ships to train, fight and deploy

to defend the nation,” said Mercado. “it has been an honor to serve

with these outstanding sailors and their leadership. With the help of

our shipyard partners, these warships are better equipped to return to

sea to perform operations around the globe. i will follow closely their

certain, continued success.”

Mercado’s previous commands include commanding officer, USS

Decatur (ddG 73), which completed an accelerated deployment in

support of Operation enduring Freedom, and commander, destroyer

Squadron 21 as sea combatant commander for the John C. Stennis

Battle Group.

Mercado’s next assignment is director, assessment division, N81,

office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

Batchelder, a decorated naval aviator with more than 100 combat

missions and more than 1,000 carrier-based landings, said he is

excited to take command of CSG-8, which includes the harry S. Tru-

man Carrier Strike Group.

“it is an incredible honor to take command of Carrier Strike Group

8,” said Batchelder. “i applaud the hard work, dedication and resiliency

the strike group has shown to meet every challenge thrown at them

through a series of demanding maintenance and training evolutions.”

Batchelder, a Colorado native, has served much of his naval

career aboard aircraft carriers including USS Midway (CV 41), USS

Constellation (CV 64), USS Nimitz (CVN 68) and USS Truman, while

attached to Strike Fighter Squadron 151 and as commanding officer

of VFA-105. he also served as commander, Carrier Air Wing 11.

Most recently, Batchelder commanded Joint enabling Capabili-

ties Command as part of U.S. Transportation Command.

“A carrier strike group is an awesome thing,” said davidson.

“Carrier Strike Group 8 can go wherever and whenever our nation

needs it, in incredibly short order. A strike group commander can col-

lect its ships, aircraft and submarines and speed to any distant corner

on the planet. A carrier strike group’s mission is concise: to be ready

to conduct prompt sustained combat operations at sea, and they do

so, always, in defense of this nation and its interests.”

CSG-8’s subordinate commands include USS Truman, Carrier Air

Wing 7, the guided-missile cruisers USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) and USS

Hue City (CG 66), as well as ships assigned to destroyer Squadron

28; the guided-missile destroyers USS Gravely (ddG 107), USS

Mitscher (ddG 57), USS Ramage (ddG 61), USS Gonzalez (ddG 66),

USS Bulkeley (ddG 84), USS Bainbridge (ddG 96) and USS Jason

Dunham (ddG 109).

Integrated Maritime Portable Acoustic Scoring and Simulation (IMPASS) System

The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division intends to award a firm-fixed-price (FFP) and cost, indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract on an other than full and open competition basis to MetOcean Data Systems, LLC. The contract will provide 16 IMPASS Version 4 production units with upgraded components that include sensor buoy subsystems, RF repeater subsystems, control subsystems, support and deployment

equipment. The IMPASS is comprised of sev-eral buoys that are deployed in an area of open ocean for maritime combat training, which captures an acoustic signature of ordnance impacting the water and transmits the time of the capture and location of impact.

The IMPASS Version 4 is an upgrade of components and based on an open architec-ture network, software and hardware that enable the use of technology advances and

development to deliver a more capable and robust weapon scoring system. It is antici-pated that the majority of this effort will be performed at the contractor’s facility. The Navy is contemplating a contract with an ordering period of five years, and anticipates award approximately in July 2015.

Primary point of contact: Haiyan Li, [email protected], (760) 939-8519

WWW.NAVy-KMi.COM | NAVy NeWS WeeKly | APRil 28, 2015 | 3

Navy training virtual Desktop installations mark milestone

Naval education and Train-

ing Command (NeTC) has hit a

milestone in their upgrades of

electronic classrooms through-

out the Navy’s training domain.

On April 16 the 3,000th virtual

desktop was established at

the Center for Naval Avia-

tion Technical Training Unit

(CNATTU) in Oceana, Va.

The NeTC Virtual desktop

initiative (Vdi) began in 2012

and is deploying new com-

puter systems to more than

23,000 desktop computers in

2,500 classrooms throughout

the NeTC domain. According

to the NeTC information tech-

nology team, the Vdi systems

give instructors and students

better technology and flex-

ibility in the classroom, which

in time will allow them to teach

the curriculum at virtually any

NeTC learning site.

“Users log on, and it

knows who they are and can

provide the proper content,”

said Bruce Bare, NeTC infor-

mation Technology Business

Operations department head.

The biggest selling points, he

said, are flexibility, minimal

change to current user experi-

ence and improved security

posture.

A student can log into the

system from any classroom

to the appropriate server and

see the appropriate training

materials.

“The Vdi capability allows

CNATT to explore even more

innovative ways to support the

fleet,” said Captain Kather-

ine erb, commanding officer

of CNATT headquarters in

Pensacola, Fla. “No longer

will many of our courses be

tethered to a specific physical

location.”

Additionally, an enterprise

support team will change or

update the operating system,

where only the master image

receives the updates, then

replicates across the system

instead of the site technician(s)

manually working on poten-

tially hundreds of computers

at a learning site. This reduces

downtime for computers and

increases the efficiency of

technicians responsible for

maintaining sites.

“We don’t need some-

one to go around and touch

individual machines anymore,”

Bare said. “We need fewer in-

formation technicians, but they

need to have higher skills.”

Maintenance at the train-

ing site generally focuses on

hardware, meaning techni-

cians are still necessary

onsite. Meanwhile, program-

ming and system management

moves to one of three planned

service centers, which require

additional talent.

First implemented at the

CNATTU on board Kees-

ler, Air Force Base, Mo.,

Vdi represents a seamless

integration in the way content

is delivered. Students and

instructors use zero clients,

basically a monitor, keyboard

and mouse, to access a

virtual machine on a server in

a secure facility on the base.

The zero client stores no

operating system or software.

The virtual machines stay

active yet secure when the

user removes their CAC card,

allowing them to access their

image from any other zero

client. Once the user logs

off, the virtual instance ends

allowing for a pristine image

the next time the user logs

on.

Most importantly, accord-

ing to Bare, they’re flexible,

allowing users to access the

same courseware even when

using different zero clients

or classrooms. This flexibility

ensures that training is not

bogged down by maintenance

or technical problems in one

classroom. By the end of

the fiscal year, the Vdi team

expects to have eight more

learning sites running on the

new solution, joining the 13

that are already virtualized.

“The ability to streamline

iT investments in the long term

is very important,” Bare said,

noting that funding is always

a challenge. Bare estimates

completion of the unclassified

Vdi transition by the end of

2017.

“Typically when we go into

a site, we have a goal of vir-

tualizing 80 percent of what’s

there,” Bare said. “We’ve been

able to exceed that goal quite

well by virtualizing over 90

percent.”

Some content, like large

databases, don’t transfer

over to the new system, so

the engineers working on Vdi

have been taking what they

can over to the new system

and will readdress that content

once the transition is com-

plete. The CNATT detachment

at Naval Air Station (NAS)

Whiting Field, Fla., completed

their transition to Vdi in March,

according to lieutenant James

Bailey, who is the director of

Aviation Maintenance Officer

training and also an instructor.

The installation began in Janu-

ary and took about two and a

half months.

“There’s really no differ-

ence in the way that i teach,”

said Bailey.

Bailey is currently teaching

his ninth class, each between

20 and 25 students, and his

first using Vdi. having done

most of his training on tradi-

tional desktops, he appreci-

ates the teamwork that helped

implement this new system.

“The Vdi team support

personnel have been actively

engaged with us. When we

had questions or weren’t sure

of things, they wanted to make

sure we had the best possible

product,” Bailey said. “They’ve

been very open to our sugges-

tions and feedback.”

Remotely operated Vehicle Intervention SystemThe Naval Sea Systems Command

intends to issue a competitive request for proposal to manufacture, test and deliver a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) inter-vention system with associated program management support. An ROV intervention

system includes an ROV, operations van, maintenance/spares van, launch and recov-ery system, umbilical and associated deck in-terconnects. The ROV Intervention System will replace the Atmospheric Diving System (ADS) 2000 hard suits as the intervention

asset for the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System and the submarine rescue chamber.

Primary point of contact is: Tchwan Slye, [email protected], (202) 781-3972


P-8A Engine maintenance and SupportThe Navy is currently transitioning from

the P-3C to the new P-8A Poseidon. The

P-8A fleet is planning to conduct operations

out of two main operating bases (MOBs) –

Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla.,

NAS Whidbey island, Wash., and three

overseas primary deployment sites (PdSs).

Squadrons deploy from MOBs to PdSs in

order to meet the operational commitments.

Under the proposed basing plan, a perma-

nent detachment site will be established in

Kaneohe Bay, hawaii. Proposed support of

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)/Australian

defense Force P-8A aircraft will be ac-

complished through a mixture of MOB and

forward operating bases.

The P-8 is a derivative of the Boeing

737-800 Next Generation (NG) with stiff-

ened 737-900eR wings incorporating raked

wingtips for increased fuel economy. Propul-

sion is provided by two underwing-mounted

CFM56-7B27 A/3 or 7B27 Ae high-bypass

turbofan engines producing 27,300 pounds

of installed static thrust at sea level, standard

day conditions.

The NAVAiR P-8A Program Office

(PMA-290) is conducting a market survey

to identify potential business sources

that have the resources, capabilities and

experience for CFM56 engine field assess-

ment, unscheduled engine repair, technical

assistance for removal and replacement

of engines and depot scheduled and

unscheduled maintenance and repair in

support of the P-8A.

The P-8A CFM56-7B27 engine is sup-

ported using a two-level organizational-to-

depot (O-to-d) maintenance concept. Typical

O-level tasks include pre- and post-flight

checks, servicing, inspections and the

removal and replacement of external engine

components. Technical assistance/support

for engine removal and replacement will be

required until the maintenance capability is

achieved at the squadron. depot level tasks,

(on wing or off wing) include all maintenance

that is beyond the capability of the O-level

maintenance activity and induction into a

maintenance and repair overhaul facility. The

contractor shall perform all necessary tasks

to repair the engine and return it to a ready for

issue condition. depot maintenance includes

scheduled and unscheduled maintenance,

receipt, inspection, disassembly, repair,

installation of service letters, service bulletins,

technical directives, testing and preserva-

tion. The P-8A CFM56-7B27 engine differs

from commercial based on operational usage

resulting in unique life limits.

The scheduled depot maintenance

concept for the P-8A CFM-56-72B27 A/3 and

7B27 Ae engines is different from the com-

mercial equivalent. When inducted into the

MRO facility the engine will arrive as a com-

plete demountable power plant. The current

P-8A build window is 6,000 cycles.

primary point of contact: Alexandra laigle,

[email protected]

X-47B first to Complete Autonomous Aerial RefuelingThe X-47B successfully conducted the first ever Autonomous Aerial

Refueling (AAR) of an unmanned aircraft April 22, completing the final test objective under the Navy’s Unmanned Combat Air System demon-stration program.

While flying off the coast of Maryland and Virginia, the X-47B con-nected to an Omega K-707 tanker aircraft and received more than 4,000 pounds of fuel using the Navy’s probe-and-drogue method.

“What we accomplished today demonstrates a significant, ground-breaking step forward for the Navy,” said Captain Beau Duarte, the Navy’s unmanned carrier aviation program manager. “The ability to autonomous-ly transfer and receive fuel in flight will increase the range and flexibility of future unmanned aircraft platforms, ultimately extending carrier power projection.”

During the test, the X-47B exchanged refueling messages with a government-designed Refueling Interface System (RIS) aboard the tanker. The aircraft autonomously maneuvered its fixed refueling probe into the tanker’s drogue, also known as the basket, the same way a Navy pilot would refuel a manned aircraft.

“In manned platforms, aerial refueling is a challenging maneuver because of the precision required by the pilot to engage the basket,” Duarte said. “Adding an autonomous functionality creates another layer of complexity.”

This testing helps solidify the concept that future unmanned aircraft can perform standard missions like aerial refueling and operate seamlessly with manned aircraft as part of the Carrier Air Wing, he said.

“This segment of the X-47B demonstration program allowed us to further mature AAR technologies and evaluate the government tanker RIS,” said Barbara Weathers, X-47B deputy program manager. “We used similar command-control and navigation processes previously demonstrated during the X-47B landings aboard the aircraft carrier.”

Over the last few years, the Navy accomplished several significant firsts with the X-47B that showcased the Navy’s commitment to un-manned carrier aviation. With the completion of this program, the service continues to develop its future unmanned carrier-based platform, known as UCLASS.


triton uAS Conducts first flight with Search Radar

The Navy’s MQ-4C Triton UAS equipped with a new search radar completed its inaugural flight April 18 over Patuxent River air space.

The radar, known as the Multi-Function Active Sensor (MFAS), is expected to greatly en-hance maritime domain awareness by providing the MQ-4C with a 360-degree view of a large geographic area while providing all-weather cov-erage to expedite detecting, classifying, tracking and identifying points of interest.

“This first sensor flight is a huge achieve-ment for the program,” said Sean Burke, Triton program manager. “Our Navy and Northrop Grumman team has worked extremely hard on this developmental effort, completing more than 40 surrogate flights over the last three years, and we saw the realization of that development work.”

During this initial test event, MFAS exercised its primary operating mode, known as Maritime Surface Surveillance (MSS). The MSS mode provides continuous watch over a broad area.

“Our primary objective was to test this new radar, but we also looked at how the aircraft per-formed as well as testing additional data links,” said Lieutenant Commander Glenn Rioux, gov-ernment flight test director and senior Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 representa-tive supporting the Triton integrated test team. “This was a successful flight on many levels. We are still reviewing the data and actively planning our next text event.”

Along with the MFAS radar, the MQ-4C will also carry an Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor that will provide still imagery and full-motion video of potential threats; an elec-tronic support measures package to identify and geolocate radar threat signals; and an Automatic Identification System (AIS) that will detect and track vessels equipped with AIS responders.

When operational, the MQ-4C Triton UAS will provide 24/7 ISR coverage virtually any-where in the world. Its ability to dwell at high altitudes will improve intelligence collection and bring an unprecedented level of maritime do-main awareness to the warfighter operating and sustaining up to five orbits across the globe.

uSS McFaul DeploysThe guided-missile destroyer USS

McFaul (ddG 74) departed Naval Sta-

tion Norfolk April 22, for an independent

deployment in support of ballistic missile

defense, maritime security operations

and theater security cooperation efforts

in the U.S. 4th, 5th, and 6th Fleet areas of

responsibility.

McFaul will deploy as part of the ongo-

ing mission to preserve regional security

and protect the global flow of trade, in

addition to supporting U.S. forces operat-

ing around the world and guarding against

current and emerging ballistic missile

threats.

“This crew is dedicated and excited to

get under way and start our deployment.

They have worked tirelessly for the past

two years preparing and are ready to ex-

ecute when called upon,” said Commander

Michael J. Gunther, commanding officer.

“The ‘Silent Warriors’ of McFaul are

well trained, capable and more than ready

to carry out all assigned missions.”

Commissioned in 1998, McFaul is the

24th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer built

by the Navy. She is named after Chief

Petty Officer donald McFaul, a Navy Seal

who died during Operation: Just Cause in

1989.

World’s first lNG-Powered Containership

General Dynamics NASSCO recently launched the world’s first liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered containership at a ceremony at the company’s ship-yard in San Diego. The christening and launch ceremony also commemorated NASSCO’s 100th ship launch.

U.S. Representative Duncan D. Hunter was the principal speaker. The ship’s sponsor, Mrs. Sophie Sacco—wife of Michael Sacco, president of the Seafarers International Union of North America, AFL-CIO—christened the ship with a traditional champagne bottle break over the ship’s hull. General Paul J. Selva, commander of the U.S. Transportation Command, also spoke at the ceremony.

The ship’s name, Isla Bella, was unveiled during the ceremony. The ship was built for TOTE, a leading transportation and logistics company.

“The launch of the Isla Bella signals a very significant milestone for the thou-sands of men and women at NASSCO. Not only does it commemorate NASS-CO’s 100th ship launch, it validates NASSCO’s capability to break new ground in green ship technology and lead in the design, construction and conversion of ships to take advantage of the economic and environmental benefits of LNG,” said Fred Harris, president of General Dynamics NASSCO.

As part of a two-ship contract signed in December 2012 with TOTE, the 764-foot-long Marlin-class containerships will be the largest dry cargo ships of any kind in the world powered by LNG. This ground-breaking green ship tech-nology will dramatically decrease emissions while increasing fuel efficiency as compared to conventionally powered ships. The ships will also include a ballast water treatment system, making them the greenest ships of their size anywhere in the world.

Upon delivery in late 2015, the Jones Act-qualified ships will operate be-tween Jacksonville, Fla., and San Juan, Puerto Rico. As a complement to its gov-ernment new construction business, which over the past decade has delivered 16 ships to the U.S. Navy, NASSCO maintains an extensive history of commercial shipbuilding. In the past decade, NASSCO delivered 11 commercial ships and currently has 10 commercial ships under contract, including the two Marlin-class containerships for TOTE.

For its commercial work, NASSCO partners with South Korean shipbuilding power DSME for access to state-of-the-art ship design and shipbuilding technologies.


Air-to-Ground Missile for f/A-18e/f

Program Executive Office, Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons (PEO [U&W]) Program Manager Avia-tion (PMA-242) is seeking industry input in the form of an informational paper to support future acquisition planning for a direct-attack, fire-and-forget weapon for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft. The Navy is looking for information on any research, technologies and existing programs that might assist them in determining the feasibility and afford-ability of providing for an AGM with a multimode seeker for employment against maritime and land-based targets from F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft.

Although PMA-242 is interested in potential solu-tions that could be applied to the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet weapon portfolio, the primary purpose of this RFI is to solicit information for an AGM system with a multimode seeker. Any industry offered recommendations should discuss concepts and designs that leverage existing weaponry hardware and software to the greatest extent possible in their informational paper submission.

PMA-242 has several design preferences that should be considered for all submissions:• Forward firing ordnance for reduced time of flight and

greater agility against maneuvering targets• High-off boresight (HOBS) capability to allow for

engagement of designated targets from any angle off of ownship nose

• Compatible with a MIL-STD-1760 multirail launcher or an existing MIL-STD-1760 launcher

• Insensitive munitions (IM) compliant• No requirement for unique support equipment• Incorporates a universal armament interface

Parties interested in providing responses to this RFI

need to submit a statement of interest by 5:00 p.m. EDT, May 5, 2015. Complete responses are due by 5:00 p.m. EDT, July 24, 2015.

Primary point of contact: Brandi Firestien, [email protected], (301) 757-7051

Acoustic Device countermeasure mk 2 moD 4/moD 5

Naval Undersea Warfare Center

division Keyport intends to issue a

full and open competitive solicitation

for the production of acoustic device

countermeasure (AdC) MK 2 MOd 4/

MOd 5 devices.

The AdC MK 2 MOd 4/MOd

5 devices are 3 inches in diameter,

expendable countermeasure devices

developed to provide U.S. naval

vessels with the capability to counter

torpedo threats. There are two vari-

ants. The AdC MK 2 MOd 4 is used

on surface vessels and launched by

hand. The AdC MK 2 MOd 5 is used

on submarines and launched from

the internal countermeasure launcher,

also known as the signal ejector.

At this point, the Navy contem-

plates awarding of firm-fixed-price

contract, with cost-plus-fixed-fee

components for engineering services

and cost reimbursement contract

line item numbers. The requirements

will consist of a base year and up

to four one-year options to manu-

facture, assemble, inspect, test,

package and deliver the AdC MK 2

MOd 4/MOd 5 production devices.

Approximately 3,505 MK 2 MOd 4

and 3,000 MK 2 MOd 5 devices will

be procured.

The RFP (N00253-15-R-0005) is

expected to be released electronical-

ly on or around August 5, 2015.

primary point of contact:

Jamie yourkoski,

[email protected],

(360) 315-3566

navy Vice Admiral nora W. tyson has been nominated for reappointment to the rank of vice admiral and for assignment as commander, Third Fleet, San diego, Calif. Tyson is currently serving as deputy commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Va.

rear Admiral (lower half) richard p. Snyder, selected for the rank of rear admiral, will be assigned as director for plans, policy and strategy, J-5, headquarters U.S. Northern Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo. Snyder is currently serving as director, 21st Century Sailor Office, N17, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Arlington, Va. rear Admiral (lower half) richard l. Williams Jr., will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Fifteen, North island, Calif. Williams is currently serving as commander, Navy Region hawaii; and commander, Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, Pearl harbor, hawaii.

V. Adm. Nora W. Tyson

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard L. Williams Jr.

Rear Adm. (lower half)Richard P. Snyder

PeoPle Compiled by KMI Media Group staff


enterprise Air Surveillance RadarThe Naval Sea Systems Command

(NAVSEA) intends to post a solicitation for one engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) contract, data items and provisioned item orders, as well as options for data rights, engineering services, Variant 1 and 2 production non-recurring engineering effort for Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) Variant 1 and 2, transition to production, first article testing, and physical configuration audit, field engineering ser-vices, production engineering services, travel, and Variant 1 and 2 long lead material for the EASR. (editor’s note: see also Navy Air/Sea April 7, 2015)

EASR is envisioned as a new radar designed to be scalable and adaptable to accommodate current and future mission requirements for multiple platforms. EASR will consist of two configuration variants: Variant 1, a rotating array, and Variant 2, a fixed-face phased array. EASR will be the primary air surveillance radar supporting ship self-defense, situational awareness and air traffic control (ATC) for Ford class carriers (CVN 79+). For other ship classes, EASR will be the primary radar for self-defense and situational awareness and the backup radar for ATC. This solicitation will address the EASR EMD phase and production.

NAVSEA intends to award one cost plus incentive fee base contract with fixed-price incentive firm target options for Variant 1 and 2 production, non-recurring engineering effort for Variant 1 and 2 EASR transition to production, first article testing, and physical configuration audit, firm fixed-price options for data rights, cost only options for Variant 1

and 2 long lead material, options for cost-plus-fixed-fee engineering services, field engineering services, and production engineering services with cost only travel support via full and open competition.

Primary point of contact: John Butto, [email protected], (202) 781-2594

u.S. Warships Help Ensure maritime Security in Arabian Sea

The aircraft carrier USS Theo-

dore Roosevelt and the guided-

missile cruiser USS Normandy

are now operating in the Arabian

Sea in response to the deteriorat-

ing security situation in yemen, a

defense department spokesman

said April 21.

Briefing the Pentagon press

corps, Army Colonel Steve

Warren said the U.S. warships

“are operating [in the Arabian

Sea] with a very clear mission to

ensure that shipping lanes remain

open, to ensure there’s freedom

of navigation through those criti-

cal waterways and to help ensure

maritime security.”

On April 19, the Roosevelt,

escorted by the Normandy,

transited the Strait of hormuz

from its station in the Arabian Gulf

to the Arabian Sea, according to

a recent release from U.S. Naval

Forces Central Command Public

Affairs.

The Roosevelt and the

Normandy have joined other U.S.

forces conducting maritime secu-

rity operations in the Arabian Sea,

the Gulf of Aden, the Strait of

Bab-el-Mandeb and the Southern

Red Sea, the release said.

SituAtioN iN yEmEN

in January, houthi militiamen

took over the presidential palace

in Sanaa, and shortly afterward

President Abdo Rabbo Mansour

hadi resigned and ultimately

fled to Aden, according to press

reports, leaving the rebel group

from Northern yemen in charge of

the capital.

The houthis represent the

country’s Zaidi sect, an offshoot

of Shia islam.

Near the end of March, a

Saudi Arabia-led coalition began

launching air strikes against the

houthis in yemen.

during his first official press

briefing on April 16, defense Sec-

retary Ash Carter said the United

States is helping Saudi Arabia

“protect their own territory and

conduct operations … designed

to lead ultimately to a political

settlement in yemen. That is our

understanding and our objective.”

u.S. SEA PoWEr iN tHE Gulf of ADEN

The defense department

also is watching a convoy of

nine iranian cargo ships now in

international waters in the Gulf of

Aden, Warren said. According to

news reports, the ships may be

trying to deliver arms to support

the houthi rebels in yemen.

“They have not declared their

intentions or [indicated] what

they're going to do,” Warren said.

“At this point [the ships] have

demonstrated no … threat.”

he added that having Ameri-

can sea power close by will allow

the United States to keep a close

eye on the cargo ships.

“By having U.S. ships in the

region,” Warren said, “we … pre-

serve options should the security

situation deteriorate to the point

where there is a problem or a

threat to freedom of navigation or

to the shipping lanes or to overall

maritime security.”


PlA Navy’s Strategic role for National interests and Safety(The following is from China Military Online)

The Navy, a strategic branch of the

Chinese People’s liberation Army (PlA), was

founded on April 23, 1949.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) and

the Chinese government have attached great

importance to the Navy’s development. Under

the strong leadership of the CPC Central Com-

mittee and the Central Military Commission

(CMC), the Navy has progressed along with

the advancement of the nation. With the rapid

elevation of the overall national strengths of

China, the Navy has been making great strides

in its development.

Today, the PlA Navy has developed into

a strategic, comprehensive and international

military force with both nuclear and conven-

tional combat capabilities. it is composed

of the submarines, surface ships, aviation

troops, Marine Corps, and shore defense

wings. it has become an important strategic

tool for maintaining state sovereignty, na-

tional dignity, state security and development

interests, and is a resolute force for maintain-

ing world peace.

Currently, the PlA Navy has 235,000 of-

ficers and soldiers. it has three fleets, namely

the North China Sea Fleet, the east China Sea

Fleet and the South China Sea Fleet. each

fleet consists of fleet aviation, bases, flotillas,

maritime garrison commands, aviation divi-

sions and Marine Corps brigades.

The PlA Navy follows the military

strategy of active defense and engages in

active defense at sea in line with the strategic

requirements of offshore defense. its mandate

involves seven key missions: maintaining

state unity and territorial integrity; withstand-

ing military invasion from the sea; defending

sovereignty of islands and territorial waters

and maritime interests of the state; protecting

maritime traffic lines; supporting maritime eco-

nomic development; safeguarding maritime

production and personnel; maintaining over-

seas rights and interests of the state, citizens

and overseas compatriots; and maintaining

regional and world peace.

rEGulAr rEADiNESS PAtrol

The PlA Navy focuses on maintaining

state territorial sovereignty and maritime in-

terests, and this requires constantly being on

alert and thus needs readiness practice.

in accordance with the principles of ef-

fective force-employment, systematic patrol

and whole-area monitoring, it organizes and

conducts regular readiness patrols to maintain

a constant presence in certain areas. each

fleet keeps a certain amount of vessels and

aircraft to routinely patrol areas under their

jurisdiction throughout the year and organizes

mobile forces to patrol and guard certain areas

when necessary.

tActicAl combAt DrillS AND trAiNiNG

The PlA Navy has been taking tacti-

cal combat drills and training as the basis

for transforming its military training system

and improving the level of combat effective-

ness of the force. it extensively tests combat

concepts in simulated conditions with detailed

information to reflect real situations into the

practice of training; this includes being focused

on information and intelligence, systematic

confrontation, precision operations, fusion and

integration, winning through a united effort and

so forth.

The PlA Navy organizes exercise and

training as per the requirements of real

combat, wartime force groupings and the

operational flow of combat; it emphasizes

command-in-confrontation training, real-force

autonomous confrontation training and training

in complex battlefield environments to improve

the overall systematic combat effectiveness of

the force based on the concept of information-

based warfare.

in recent years, the Navy has continued to

explore training modes that involve open sea

combat task groups by organizing open sea

training programs for task groups composed

of new kinds of destroyers, frigates, amphibi-

ous landing ships, fast combat support ships

and ship-borne helicopters.

it has deepened studies and training on

mission subjects in complex battlefield envi-

ronments, which emphasizes training in impor-

tant contexts such as remote early-warning,

comprehensive control, open sea interception,

long-range raids, anti-submarine warfare

(ASW) in open sea, long-range escort, etc.

Since 2007, the PlA Navy has organized

more than 30 open sea trainings in the west Pa-

cific region with more than 100 practice rounds.

ProtEctiNG mAritimE iNtErEStS

it is an important duty of the PlA Navy to

resolutely maintain the maritime interests of

the state.

The PlA Navy provides safety support for

maritime law-enforcement, fishing vessels and

oil- and-gas exploitation projects alongside its

readiness operations. it has also established a

coordination and cooperation mechanism with

the Chinese Coast Guard. The navy-police-

civilian joint defense mechanism has been

established and improved.


in coordination with certain civil de-

partments, the PlA Navy also carries out

maritime survey and scientific research, con-

structing a maritime meteorological monitor-

ing system, satellite navigation system, radio

navigation system and a navigational aid

system that can issue timely information on

weather and shipping conditions. it has also

established and improved a navigation safety

support system in areas under its surveil-

lance.

The Chinese navy has held joint maritime

law enforcement exercises and drills with

the Chinese Coast Guard and has constantly

improved the military-civil maritime joint oper-

ations to enhance its command, coordination

and emergency response capabilities.

in October 2012, a total of 11 ships and

eight aircraft participated in a comprehensive

exercise called “the east China Sea coopera-

tion – 2012,” a joint maritime exercise to safe-

guard maritime rights in the east China Sea.

ProtEctiNG ovErSEAS iNtErEStS

Overseas operations, such as escorting

merchant vessels, evacuations and emergen-

cy disaster relief are an important way for the

PlA Navy to protect the state interests and to

fulfill its international obligations.

For example, in accordance with relevant

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

resolutions and with the consent of the Tran-

sitional Federal Government of Somalia, the

Chinese government dispatched a PlA Navy

task force on december 26, 2008, to the Gulf

of Aden and the Somali waters for an escort

mission.

The primary mission of this task force is

to protect the safety of Chinese vessels and

personnel transiting through this area, protect

the safety of vessels carrying humanitarian

supplies chartered by World Food Program

(WFP) and other international organizations

and provide cover for foreign vessels transit-

ing through this area.

As of April 10, 2015, the PlA Navy has

dispatched more than 50 support missions

and more than 30 helicopter missions in 20

task groups, which have provided escort for

almost 6,000 vessels bearing both Chinese

and foreign flags, covered or rescued 11

vessels released by pirates or being at-

tacked by pirates, and rescued 43 vessels

from pirate hijack attempts in 32 different

incidents.

in February 2011, the PlA Navy dis-

patched FFG Xuzhou to libyan waters to

provide support and protection for vessels

evacuating Chinese personnel stranded in

libya.

iNtErNAtioNAl DiSAStEr rEliEf AND HumANitAriAN mEDicAl SErvicES

The PlA Navy proactively carries out

medical services and assistance in foreign

countries and participated in international

medical exchanges and cooperation to im-

prove friendship and mutual trust with various

countries.

The PlA Navy hospital ship “The Peace

Ark” has conducted medical service tasks as

part of the “Mission harmony” series abroad,

during which it provided free medical service

to nearly 80,000 people in 22 countries.

Besides that, it also participated in im-

portant events such as the ASeAN defense

Minister Plus Meeting-humanitarian Aid and

disaster Relief and Military Medicine exercise

(AdMM-hAdR&MM exercise), the multi-

national joint round visits at labuan Bajo,

indonesia, the humanitarian medical aid for

the earthquake-hit Philippines and the world’s

largest naval exercise known as the Rim of

the Pacific exercise (RiMPAC) in 2014.

mAiNtAiNiNG tHE SAfEty of iNtErNAtioNAl mAritimE cHANNElS

The PlA Navy fulfills its international

obligations through regular escort operations

in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters.

Through exchanges and cooperation,

it has maintained the safety of international

maritime channels together with escort-forc-

es of other countries.

As of October 10, 2010, the PlA Navy

escort Task Force has escorted eight World

Food Programme (WFP) vessels and more

than 2,700 foreign ships, assisted five foreign

vessels and rescued 20 foreign vessels

during 15 separate incidents of pirate hijack

attempts.

The PlA Navy has established a good

communication mechanism with various

navies to conduct joint escort operations,

share information and coordinate liaison ef-

forts.

it has conducted joint escorts together

with Russian naval ships, carried out joint

exercises with South Korea, Pakistan and

U.S. naval vessels, and coordinated with the

eU when escorting WFP vessels; it has orga-

nized cross-deck visits between commanding

officers with escort forces from eU, NATO,

Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), South

Korea and Singapore; it has exchanged of-

ficers for onboard observation with a dutch

naval ship; and it also actively participates in

international mechanisms such as CGPCS

(Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of

Somalia) and ShAde (Shared Awareness and

de-conflict).

From February to July 2014, the PlA

Navy dispatched ships to escort vessels car-

rying chemical weapons out of Syria.

JoiNt ExErciSES AND trAiNiNG WitH otHEr NAviES

in recent years, the PlA Navy has partici-

pated in the Maritime Coalition series of exer-

cises with Russia, conducted the Blue Strike

series of joint trainings with the Royal Thai

Marine Corps, and taken part in the Peace

series of multilateral maritime joint exercises

hosted by Pakistan.

in June 2014, the PlA Navy sent a task

group to participate in the world’s largest


naval exercise, RiMPAC 2014 led by the U.S.

Navy near hawaii.

The PlA Navy also avails opportunities

such as cross-deck visits and escort opera-

tions in the Gulf of Aden to conduct bilateral

or multilateral exercises with indian, French,

British, Australian, Thai, U.S., Russian, New

Zealand and Vietnamese navies in areas

such as communication, formation ma-

neuvers, replenishment at sea, cross-deck

landing of helicopters, anti-surface firing,

joint escort, visit, board, search and seizure

operations (VBSS), joint search and rescue,

diving, etc.

fivE mAJor WiNGS of tHE PlA NAvy: tHE SubmAriNE forcE

The submarine force is an important

underwater assault force and an important

arm that has contributed to the development

of the PlA Navy.

The submarine force is equipped with

strategic missile nuclear submarines, at-

tack nuclear submarines and conventional

submarines. it is organized into submarine

bases and submarine flotillas.

After more than 60 years of building, the

submarine force has developed into a strong

underwater assault force with both conven-

tional and nuclear submarines.

The submarines’ stealth, underwater

endurance and ability to survive have been

remarkably improved; their underwater

penetration capabilities have been greatly

enhanced; the number and total displace-

ment have remarkably increased; it has

achieved the transformation from a force fo-

cused on increasing its numbers to one that

is now more oriented towards increasing its

quality and combat effectiveness.

fivE mAJor WiNGS of tHE PlA NAvy: tHE SurfAcE forcE

The surface force is an important com-

bat force at sea.

Currently, the three fleets of the PlA

Navy have dozens of destroyer flotillas,

landing ship flotillas, risk avoidance and

life-saving flotillas and combat support ship

flotillas.

There are hundreds of ships above

Grade iii, with the total tonnage now more

than five times that of the 1980s. The

onboard weapons systems in these new

warships have been upgraded and modern-

ized. Modern warships have also created the

opportunity to utilize a large number of new

methods of training and combat.

Now, it has become routine to train in

open seas and the level of training has been

elevated every year, and the comprehensive

combat capabilities have been remarkably

improved.

fivE mAJor WiNGS of tHE PlA NAvy: tHE AviAtioN forcE

The aviation force is an important com-

ponent of a modern navy.

With the commissioning of the third-

generation fighter planes, the aviation force

has made great improvement in its emer-

gency maneuvers, ship-aircraft coordina-

tion, air combat, low-level penetration and

in its long-range attack and precision strike

capabilities.

All fighter groups are capable of carrying

out maneuver and combat tasks out of their

defense area; all pilots on readiness duty

have undergone real missile-firing training.

All the above indicates that the over-

all combat capabilities of the naval avia-

tion force in the high-tech conditions have

reached a new level.

fivE mAJor WiNGS of tHE PlA NAvy: tHE mAriNE corPS

The Marine Corps is a fast assault force

for amphibious operations.

A well-trained marine can operate not

only equipment such as infantry automatic

weapons, amphibious tanks, amphibious ar-

mored transportation vehicles, self-propelled

artillery of various calibers and anti-tank

missiles but also special operations weap-

ons.

With the commissioning of new amphibi-

ous tanks, armored vehicles and special

operations equipment, the combat effective-

ness of the Marine Corps has been elevated

overall. Their capabilities have been demon-

strated in various PlA-level and PlAN-level

exercises and joint exercises with foreign

armed forces. They are true to their motto

of being like “a tiger on land and a dragon

at sea.”

fivE mAJor WiNGS of tHE PlA NAvy: tHE SHorE DEfENSE forcE

The shore defense force is deployed at

important shore areas and participates in

defense operations along the shore.

equipped with new-generation shore-to-

surface missiles that have stronger penetrat-

ing capabilities, higher levels of intelligence,

longer range and stronger anti-jamming

capabilities, the shore defense force has

gradually become a new service that is

both capable of important area/offshore air

defense and can effectively support other

services when launching attacks.

(Editor’s Question: Based on this over-

view, do you think the Chinese ship and sub-

marine fleet mix match with their strategy? If

you have any responses, please email them

to [email protected])


part of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII). Under the arrangement, GD/EB builds certain parts of each boat, NNS builds certain other parts of each boat, and the yards take turns building the reactor compartments and performing final assembly of the boats. GD/EB is building the reactor compartments and performing final assembly on boats 1, 3 and so on, while NNS is doing so on boats 2, 4 and so on. The arrangement results in a roughly 50-50 division of Virginia-class profits between the two yards and preserves both yards’ ability to build submarine reactor compartments (a key capability for a submarine-construction yard) and perform subma-rine final-assembly work.

Cost-Reduction effort

The Navy states that it achieved a goal of reducing the procurement cost of Virginia-class submarines so that two boats could be procured in FY2012 for combined cost of $4.0 billion in constant FY2005 dollars—a goal referred to as “2 for 4 in 12.” Achieving this goal involved removing about $400 million (in constant FY2005 dollars) from the cost of each submarine. (The Navy calculates that the unit target cost of $2.0 billion in constant FY2005 dollars for each submarine translates into about $2.6 billion for a boat procured in FY2012.)

Virginia Payload Module (VPM)

The Navy plans to build Virginia-class boats procured in FY2019 and subsequent years (i.e., the anticipated Block V and beyond boats) with an additional mid-body section, called the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). The VPM, reportedly about 70 feet in length (earlier design concepts for the VPM were reportedly about 94 feet in length), contains four large-diameter, vertical launch tubes that would be used to store and fire addi-tional Tomahawk cruise missiles or other payloads, such as large-diameter unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs).

The four additional launch tubes in the VPM could carry a total of 28 additional Tomahawk cruise missiles (seven per tube), which would increase the total number of torpedo-sized weapons (such as Tomahawks) carried by the Virginia class design from about 37 to about 65—an increase of about 76 percent. The Navy wants to start building Virginia-class boats with the VPM in FY2019. The Navy’s FY2016 five-year shipbuilding plan calls for building one of the two Virginia-class boats to be procured in FY2019, and one of the two Virginia-class boats to be procured in FY2020, with the VPM.

Building Virginia-class boats with the VPM would compensate for a sharp loss in submarine force weapon-carrying capacity that will occur with the retirement in FY2026-FY2028 of the Navy’s four Ohio-class cruise missile/special operations forces support submarines (SSGNs).

Each SSGN is equipped with 24 large-diameter vertical launch tubes, of which 22 can be used to carry up to seven Tomahawks each, for a maxi-mum of 154 vertically launched Tomahawks per boat, or 616 vertically launched Tomahawks for the four boats. Twenty-two Virginia-class boats built with VPMs could carry 616 Tomahawks in their VPMs.

The Navy in 2013 estimated that adding the VPM would increase the procurement cost of the Virginia-class design by $350 million in current dollars, or by about 13 percent.

The joint explanatory statement for the FY2014 DoD Appropriations Act (Division C of H.R. 3547/P.L. 113-76 of January 17, 2014) requires the Navy to submit biannual reports to the congressional defense committees describing the actions the Navy is taking to minimize costs for the VPM.

At a February 25, 2015, hearing before the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee, Sean Stackley, the assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition (i.e., the Navy’s acquisition executive), stated that the Navy is examining the feasibility of accelerating the procurement of the first VPM-equipped Virginia-class boat from FY2019 to an earlier year.

fy2016 funding Request

The Navy estimates the combined procurement cost of the two Virginia-class boats requested for procurement in FY2016 at $5,376.9 mil-lion or an average of $2,688.4 million each. The boats have received a total of $1,613.5 million in prior-year advance procurement (AP) funding and $416.9 million in prior-year Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) funding. The Navy’s proposed FY2016 budget requests the remaining $3,346.4 mil-lion needed to complete the boats’ estimated combined procurement cost. The Navy’s proposed FY2016 budget also requests $1,663.8 million in AP funding and $330.0 million in EOQ funding for Virginia-class boats to be procured in future fiscal years, bringing the total FY2016 funding request for the program (excluding outfitting and post-delivery costs) to $5,340.1 million.

The Navy’s proposed FY2016 budget also requests $167.7 million in research and development funding for the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). The funding is contained in Program Element (PE) 0604580N, entitled Virginia Payload Module (VPM), which is line 123 in the Navy’s FY2016 research and development account.

SuBMARINe CoNStRuCtIoN INduStRIAl BASe

In addition to GD/EB and NNS, the submarine construction in-dustrial base includes scores of supplier firms, as well as laboratories and research facilities, in numerous states. Much of the total material procured from supplier firms for the construction of submarines comes from single or sole source suppliers. Observers in recent years have expressed concern for the continued survival of many of these firms. For nuclear-propulsion component suppliers, an additional source of stabilizing work is the Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier construction program. In terms of work provided to these firms, a carrier nuclear propulsion plant is roughly equivalent to five submarine propulsion plants.

Much of the design and engineering portion of the submarine construction industrial base is resident at GD/EB. Smaller portions are resident at NNS and some of the component makers.

Several years ago, some observers expressed concern about the Navy’s plans for sustaining the design and engineering portion of the submarine construction industrial base. These concerns appear to have receded, in large part because of the Navy’s plan to design and procure a next-genera-tion ballistic missile submarine called the Ohio Replacement Program or SSBN(X).

Navy Virginia (SSN-774) Class Attack Submarine Procurement: Background and Issues for Congress

➥ Continued From pAGe 1


PRoJeCted SSN ShoRtfAll

Size and timing of Shortfall

The Navy’s FY2016 30-year SSN procurement plan, if implemented, would not be sufficient to maintain a force of 48 SSNs consistently over the long run. As shown in Table 2, the Navy projects under the plan that the SSN force would fall below 48 boats starting in FY2025, reach a minimum of 41 boats in FY2029, and remain below 48 boats through FY2036. Since the Navy plans to retire the four SSGNs by 2028 without procuring any re-placements for them, no SSGNs would be available in 2028 and subsequent years to help compensate for a drop in SSN force level below 48 boats.

The projected SSN shortfall was first identified by CRS in 1995 and has been discussed in CRS reports and testimony every year since then.

Table 2. Projected SSN Shortfall As shown in Navy’s Fy2016 30-year (Fy2016-Fy2045) Shipbuilding Plan

Fiscal yearAnnual

procurement quantity

Projected number of SSNs

Shortfall relative to 48-boat goal

Number Percentof ships

16 2 53

17 2 50

18 2 52

19 2 50

20 2 51

21 1 51

22 2 48

23 2 49

24 1 48

25 2 47 -1 -2%

26 1 45 -3 -6%

27 1 44 -4 -8%

28 1 42 -6 -13%

29 1 41 -7 -15%

30 1 42 -6 -13%

31 1 43 -5 -10%

32 1 43 -5 -10%

33 1 44 -4 -8%

34 1 45 -3 -6%

35 1 46 -2 -4%

36 2 47 -1 -2%

37 2 48

38 2 47 -1 -2%

39 2 47 -1 -2%

40 1 47 -1 -2%

41 2 47 -1 -2%

42 1 49

43 2 49

44 1 50

45 2 50

2006 Navy Study on options for Mitigating Projected Shortfall

The Navy in 2006 initiated a study on options for mitigating the projected SSN shortfall. The study was completed in early 2007 and briefed to CRS and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) on May 22, 2007. At the time of the study, the SSN force was projected to bottom out at 40 boats and then recover to 48 boats by the early 2030s. Principal points in the Navy study (which cite SSN force-level projections as understood at that time) include the following:

• The day-to-day requirement for deployed SSNs is 10, meaning that, on average, a total of 10 SSNs are to be deployed on a day-to-day basis.

• The peak projected wartime demand is about 35 SSNs deployed within a certain amount of time. This figure includes both the 10 SSNs that are to be deployed on a day-to-day basis and 25 additional SSNs surged from the United States within a certain amount of time.

• Reducing Virginia-class shipyard construction time to 60 months—something that the Navy already plans to do as part of its strategy for meeting the Virginia-class cost-reduction goal (see earlier discussion on cost-reduction goal)—will increase the size of the SSN force by two boats, so that the force would bottom out at 42 boats rather than 40.

• If, in addition to reducing Virginia-class shipyard construction time to 60 months, the Navy also lengthens the service lives of 16 existing SSNs by periods ranging from three months to 24 months (with many falling in the range of nine to 15 months), this would increase the size of the SSN force by another two boats, so that the force would bottom out at 44 boats rather than 40 boats. The total cost of extending the lives of the 16 boats would be roughly $500 million in constant FY2005 dollars.

• The resulting force that bottoms out at 44 boats could meet the 10.0 requirement for day-to-day deployed SSNs throughout the 2020-2033 period if, as an additional option, about 40 SSN deployments occurring in the eight-year period 2025-2032 were lengthened from six months to seven months. These 40 or so lengthened deployments would represent about one-quarter of all the SSN deployments that would take place during the eight-year period.

• The resulting force that bottoms out at 44 boats could not meet the peak projected wartime demand of about 35 SSNs deployed within a certain amount of time. The force could generate a total deployment of 32 SSNs within the time in question—three boats (or about 8.6 percent) less than the 35-boat figure. Lengthening SSN deployments from six months to seven months would not improve the force’s ability to meet the peak projected wartime demand of about 35 SSNs deployed within a certain amount of time.

• To meet the 35-boat figure, an additional four SSNs beyond those planned by the Navy would need to be procured. Procuring four additional SSNs would permit the resulting 48-boat force to surge an additional three SSNs within the time in question, so that the force could meet the peak projected wartime demand of about 35 SSNs deployed within a certain amount of time.

• Procuring one to four additional SSNs could also reduce the number of seven-month deployments that would be required to meet the 10.0 requirement for day-to-day deployed SSNs during the period 2025-2032. Procuring one additional SSN would reduce the number of seven-month deployments during this period to about 29; procuring two additional SSNs would reduce it to about 17, procuring three additional SSNs would reduce it to about seven, and procuring four additional SSNs would reduce it to two.


The Navy added a number of caveats to these results, including but not limited to the following:

• The requirement for 10.0 SSNs deployed on a day-to-day basis is a current requirement that could change in the future.

• The peak projected wartime demand of about 35 SSNs deployed within a certain amount of time is an internal Navy figure that reflects recent analyses of potential future wartime requirements for SSNs. Subsequent analyses of this issue could result in a different figure.

• The identification of 19 SSNs as candidates for service life extension reflects current evaluations of the material condition of these boats and projected use rates for their nuclear fuel cores. If the material condition of these boats years from now turns out to be worse than the Navy currently projects, some of them might no longer be suitable for service life extension. In addition, if world conditions over the next several years require these submarines to use up their nuclear fuel cores more quickly than the Navy now projects, then the amounts of time that their service lives might be extended could be reduced partially, to zero, or to less than zero (i.e., the service lives of the boats, rather than being extended, might need to be shortened).

• The analysis does not take into account potential rare events, such as accidents, that might force the removal an SSN from service before the end of its expected service life.

• Seven-month deployments might affect retention rates for submarine personnel.

ISSueS foR CoNGReSS

Virginia-Class Procurement Rate More Generally in Coming years

One potential issue for Congress concerns the Virginia-class procurement rate in coming years, particularly in the context of the SSN shortfall projected for FY2025-FY2036 shown in Table 2 and the larger debate over future U.S. defense strategy and defense spending.

Mitigating Projected SSN Shortfall

In addition to lengthening SSN deployments to seven months and extending the service lives of existing SSNs by periods ranging from three months to 24 months (see “2006 Navy Study on Options for Mitigating Projected Shortfall” above), options for more fully mitigating the projected SSN shortfall include:

• refueling a small number of (perhaps one to five) existing SSNs and extending their service lives by 10 years or more, and

• putting additional Virginia-class boats into the 30-year shipbuilding plan.

It is not clear whether it would be feasible or cost-effective to refuel exist-ing SSNs and extend their service lives by 10 or more years, given factors such as limits on submarine pressure hull life.

larger debate on defense Strategy and defense Spending

Some observers—particularly those who propose reducing U.S. defense spending as part of an effort to reduce the federal budget deficit—have recommended that the SSN force-level goal be reduced to something less than 48 boats, and/or that Virginia-class procurement be reduced. A June 2010 report from a group called the Sustainable Defense Task Force

recommends a Navy of 230 ships, including 37 SSNs, and a September 2010 report from the Cato Institute recommends a Navy of 241 ships, including 40 SSNs. Both reports recommend limiting Virginia-class procurement to one boat per year, as does a September 2010 report from the Center for American Progress. A November 2010 report from a group called the Debt Reduction Task Force recommends “deferring” Virginia-class procurement. The November 2010 draft recommendations of the co-chairs of the Fiscal Commission include recommendations for reducing procurement of certain weapon systems; the Virginia-class program is not among them.

Other observers have recommended that the SSN force-level goal should be increased to something higher than 48 boats, particularly in light of Chinese naval modernization. The July 2010 report of an independent panel that assessed the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR)—an assessment that is required by the law governing QDRs (10 U.S.C. 118)—recommends a Navy of 346 ships, including 55 SSNs. An April 2010 report from the Heritage Foundation recommends a Navy of 309 ships, including 55 SSNs.

Factors to consider in assessing whether to maintain, increase or re-duce the SSN force-level goal and/or planned Virginia-class procurement include but are not limited to the federal budget and debt situation, the value of SSNs in defending U.S. interests and implementing U.S. national security strategy, and potential effects on the submarine industrial base.

As discussed earlier, Virginia-class boats scheduled for procurement in FY2014 are covered under an MYP contract for the period FY2014-FY2018. This MYP contract includes the procurement of two Virginia-class boats in FY2016. If fewer than two boats were procured in FY2016, the Navy might need to terminate the MYP contract and pay a cancella-tion penalty to the contractor.

Accelerating Start of VPM Procurement

Another potential issue for Congress is whether to accelerate the procurement of the first VPM-equipped Virginia-class boat from FY2019 to an earlier year. As discussed above, the Navy testified on February 25, 2015, that it is examining the feasibility this option.

leGISlAtIVe ACtIVIty foR fy2016

fy2016 funding Request

The Navy estimates the combined procurement cost of the two Virginia-class boats requested for procurement in FY2016 at $5,376.9 million or an average of $2,688.4 million each. The boats have received a total of $1,613.5 million in prior-year advance procurement (AP) funding and $416.9 million in prior-year Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) fund-ing. The Navy’s proposed FY2016 budget requests the remaining $3,346.4 million needed to complete the boats’ estimated combined procurement cost. The Navy’s proposed FY2016 budget also requests $1,663.8 million in AP funding and $330.0 million in EOQ funding for Virginia-class boats to be procured in future fiscal years, bringing the total FY2016 funding request for the program (excluding outfitting and post-delivery costs) to $5,340.1 million.

The Navy’s proposed FY2016 budget also requests $167.7 mil-lion in research and development funding for the Virginia Payload Module (VPM). The funding is contained in Program Element (PE) 0604580N, entitled Virginia Payload Module (VPM), which is line 123 in the Navy’s FY2016 research and development account.


formal inspections and continuous on-site

monitoring and reporting at the Strategic

Weapons Facilities. Technical evaluations,

formal inspections and on-site monitoring

at the Strategic Weapons Facilities provide

periodic and day-to-day assessment and

oversight. Biannual assessments evaluate the

ability of the organization to self-assess the

execution of the assigned strategic weapons

mission and compliance with requirements.

The assessments leverage information gained

from these oversight activities. The results

of these biannual assessments are critically

and independently reviewed through the Navy

Nuclear Weapons Assessment and provided to

the secretary of the Navy and the Chief Naval

Officer.

We also strive to maintain a culture of

excellence to achieve the highest standards

of performance and integrity for personnel

supporting the strategic deterrent mission.

We continue to focus on the custody and

accountability of the nuclear assets that have

been entrusted to the Navy. SSP’s number one

priority is to maintain a safe, secure and effec-

tive strategic deterrent.

D5 lifE ExtENSioN ProGrAm

The next priority is SSP’s life-extension

efforts to ensure the Trident ii (d5) SWS

remains an effective and reliable sea-based

deterrent. The Trident ii (d5) SWS continues

to demonstrate itself as a credible deterrent

and exceeds the operational requirements

established for the system more than 30

years ago. The submarine leg of the U.S.

strategic deterrent is ready, credible and

effective, thereby assuring our allies and

partners and deterring potential adversar-

ies. however, we must remain vigilant about

age-related issues to ensure a continued

high level of reliability.

The Trident ii (d5) SWS has been deployed

on our Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines

for 25 years and is planned for a service life of

50 years. This is well beyond its original design

life of 25 years and more than double the his-

torical service life of any previous sea-based

strategic deterrent system. As a result, effort

will be required to sustain credible SWS from

now until the end of the current Ohio-class

SSBN in the 2040s, as well as the end of the

service life of the Ohio Replacement SSBN in

the 2080s.

The Navy is proactively taking steps to

address aging and technology obsolescence.

SSP is extending the life of the Trident ii (d5)

SWS to match the Ohio-class submarine

service life and to serve as the initial baseline

mission payload for the Ohio Replacement

submarine platform. This is being accom-

plished through an update to all the Trident ii

(d5) SWS subsystems: launcher, navigation,

fire control, guidance, missile and reentry.

Our flight hardware—missile and guidance—

life-extension efforts are designed to meet

the same form, fit and function of the original

system to keep the deployed system as one

homogeneous population, control costs, and

sustain the demonstrated performance of the

system. We will remain in continuous produc-

tion of large energetic components such as

solid rocket motors and Post Boost Control

System Gas Generators, and are starting an

age management replacement effort for mis-

sile small ordnance and control components.

We have also started initial planning on the

timing of when a follow-on to Trident ii (d5)

will be needed. These efforts will provide the

Navy with the missiles and guidance systems

we need to meet operational requirements

through the introduction and deployment of

the Ohio Replacement SSBNs through the

2080s.

While budgetary pressures and impacts

of sequestration have resulted in some de-

ferred or delayed efforts, strategic deterrence

remains the Navy’s highest priority. As such,

the Navy is committed to minimizing, to the

maximum extent possible, impacts to this

program in order to meet strategic require-

ments.

One impacted effort is the change to

our flight test program. in accordance with

Strategic Command (STRATCOM) require-

ments, the Navy is required to flight test a

minimum of four Trident ii (d5) missiles per

year in a tactically representative environ-

ment. The purpose of flight testing is to

detect any change in reliability or accuracy.

The Fy 2016 budget request reflects a reduc-

tion of one planned flight test for affordability.

The Navy has coordinated with STRATCOM

to determine that this temporary reduction

is manageable in the short-term, contingent

upon our plan to ramp back up to four flight

tests per year later in the Future years de-

fense Program (FydP). A prolonged reduction

beyond what is planned in Fy 2016 would

impact our ability to detect changes in reli-

ability and accuracy of an aging system with

the required degree of statistical confidence

to meet STRATCOM requirements. i am

strongly committed to ensure our flight test-

ing returns to four flight tests per year.

despite budgetary pressures, the Navy’s

d5 life extension program remains on track.

in June 2014, the USS West Virginia (SSBN

736) successfully conducted her demonstra-

tion and Shakedown Operation (dASO 25) by

launching two missiles. One missile marked

the third flight test of the d5 life-extended

(le) guidance system and the second flight

test of the d5 le Command Sequencer. The

second missile was the first flight of the d5

le Flight Controls electronics Assembly and

interlocks packages. Additionally, the first

flight test of the d5 le guidance system with

the d5 le Flight Controls electronics Assem-

bly and interlocks packages is scheduled for

dASO 26 in Fy 2016. The d5 le Command

Sequencer met its initial fleet introduction

earlier this year. The life-extension efforts for

the remaining electronics packages are on

budget and on schedule. The life-extended

missiles will be available for initial fleet intro-

duction in Fy 2017.

Another major step to ensure the con-

tinued sustainment of our SWS is the SSP

Shipboard integration (SSi) Programs, which

address obsolescence management and

modernization of SWS shipboard systems

through the use of open architecture design

and commercial off-the-shelf hardware and

software. The first increment of this update

was installed on the final U.S. SSBN in April

of last year. This completed installation on

all 14 U.S. SSBNs, all four UK SSBNs and all

U.S. and UK land-based facilities. Subse-

quent increments of this program begin

installation this summer. The SSi Program

includes refreshes of shipboard electron-

ics hardware and software upgrades, which

will extend service life, enable more efficient

and affordable future maintenance of the

SWS and ensure we continue to provide the

highest level of nuclear weapons safety and

security for our deployed SSBNs while meet-

ing STRATCOM requirements.

To sustain the Trident ii (d5) SWS, SSP is

extending the life of the W76 reentry system

through a refurbishment program known

as the W76-1. The W76-1 refurbishment

maintains the military capability of the original

Nuclear Weapons Safety and Security➥ Continued From pAGe 1


W76 for an additional 30 years. This program,

which is being executed in partnership with

the department of energy, National Nuclear

Security Administration (NNSA), has complet-

ed over 50 percent of the planned warhead

production. The Navy will continue to work

with NNSA to closely monitor production and

deliveries to ensure there are no operational

impacts.

in addition, the Navy continues the

design work to refurbish the aging electron-

ics in the W88 reentry system. The Navy is

collaborating with the Air Force to reduce

costs through shared subsystems suitable for

the W88/Mk5 and the W87/Mk21. Addition-

ally, the Nuclear Weapons Council (NWC)

has approved the inclusion of conventional

high-explosive refurbishment as part of this

effort, which will support deployment of the

W88/Mk5 into the early 2040s. As directed

by the NWC, we have submitted funding

requests to support the initial concept studies

(6.2/6.2A) for an interoperable Warhead (iW)

to begin in 2020. The Navy believes that the

NWC is effective at managing and identifying

priorities for the nuclear weapons stockpile.

Moreover, the Navy is fully represented at the

NWC and has every opportunity to raise any

issues directly with the NWC when necessary.

Therefore, i do not recommend a separate

service vote at the NWC.

oHio rEPlAcEmENt ProGrAm

The Navy’s highest priority acquisition

program is the Ohio Replacement Program,

which replaces the existing Ohio-class sub-

marines. The continued assurance of our sea-

based strategic deterrent requires a credible

SWS, as well as the development of the next

class of ballistic missile submarines. The

Navy is taking the necessary steps to ensure

the Ohio Replacement SSBN is designed,

built, delivered and tested on time with the

right capabilities at an affordable cost.

To lower development costs and leverage

the proven reliability of the Trident ii (d5) SWS,

the Ohio Replacement SSBN will enter service

with the Trident ii (d5) SWS and d5 le mis-

siles onboard. These d5 le missiles will be

shared with the existing Ohio-class submarine

until the current Ohio-class retires. Maintain-

ing one SWS during the transition to the Ohio-

class Replacement is beneficial from a cost,

performance and risk-reduction standpoint. A

program to support long-term SWS require-

ments will have to be developed in the future

to support the Ohio-class Replacement SSBN

through its entire service life.

The Navy continues to leverage from the

Virginia-class program to implement lessons

learned and ensure the Ohio Replacement

Program pursues affordability initiatives across

design, construction and life cycle operations

and support. Several critical milestones and

decisions were achieved by the SSBN design

team as they progress the design of the Ohio

Replacement. Maintaining the pace of design

and submarine industrial capability is critical to

the continued success of our sea-based stra-

tegic deterrent now and well into the 2080s.

A critical component of the Ohio Re-

placement Program is the development of a

Common Missile Compartment (CMC) that

will support Trident ii (d5) deployment on both

the Ohio-class Replacement and the succes-

sor to the UK Vanguard class. As the United

Kingdom will be the first to test, launch and

deploy the Trident ii (d5) system in a CMC, the

U.S.-led design team is progressing at pace to

support the UK Successor lead ship construc-

tion timeline. in 2014, the United States con-

tracted for the first joint procurement of missile

tubes to support building the U.S. prototype

Quad-pack module, the Strategic Weapons

System–Ashore (SWS Ashore) test site, and

the United Kingdom’s first SSBN. The joint

CMC effort is shifting from design to construc-

tion that will support production in both U.S.

and UK build yards. Any delay to the common

missile compartment effort has the potential to

impact the United Kingdom’s ability to main-

tain a continuous at sea deterrent posture.

To manage and mitigate technical risk to

both the U.S. and UK programs, SSP is lead-

ing the development of SWS Ashore integra-

tion test site at Cape Canaveral, Fla. This is

a joint effort with the Navy and the State of

Florida investing in the re-development of

a Polaris site to conduct integration testing

and verification for Ohio Replacement and

UK Successor programs. Refurbishment

of the Polaris site and construction of the

infrastructure and building is proceeding at a

rapid pace. Trident ii (d5), Ohio-class and Ohio

Replacement new design hardware will be co-

located and integrated to prove the success-

ful re-host and redeployment of the Trident ii

(d5) SWS on the new submarines. To mitigate

the restart of launch system production, SSP

recently broke ground on a surface launch

facility at the Naval Air Station, China lake,

Calif. This facility will prove that the launcher

industrial base can replicate the performance

of the Ohio Class Trident ii (d5) launch system.

We will be launching the refurbished Trident ii

(d5) test shapes we used in the 1980s starting

in Fy 2017. launch performance is a critical

factor we must understand at the systems


level to ensure we maintain high reliability as

we transition the weapon system to the next

class of SSBNs.

The United States and the United King-

dom have maintained a shared commitment to

nuclear deterrence through the Polaris Sales

Agreement since April 1963. As the director of

SSP, i am the U.S. project officer for the Polar-

is Sales Agreement. Our programs are tightly

coupled both programmatically and technically

to ensure we are providing the most cost-

effective, technically capable nuclear strategic

deterrent for both nations. last year marked

the 51st anniversary of this agreement, and

i am pleased to report that our longstanding

partnership with the United Kingdom remains

strong. The United States will continue to

maintain its strong strategic relationship with

the United Kingdom as we execute our Trident

ii (d5) le Program and develop the common

missile compartment. Our continued steward-

ship of the Trident ii (d5) SWS is necessary to

ensure a credible and reliable SWS is deployed

today on our Ohio-class submarines, the UK

Vanguard class, as well as in the future on

our respective follow-on platforms. This is of

particular importance as the New START Treaty

reductions are implemented, increasing the

reliance on the sea-based leg of the Triad. The

Ohio Replacement will be a strategic, national

asset whose endurance and stealth will enable

the Navy to provide continuous, uninterrupted

strategic deterrence well into the 2080s.

SoliD rockEt motor (Srm) iNDuStriAl bASE

A priority is the importance of the defense

and aerospace industrial base, in particular,

the solid rocket motor industry. i remain con-

cerned with the decline in demand for solid

rocket motors. While the Navy is maintain-

ing a continuous production capability at a

minimum sustaining rate of 12 rocket motor

sets per year, the demand from both NASA

and Air Force has precipitously declined. Not

only did this decline result in higher costs for

the Navy, as practically a sole customer, it

also put an entire specialized industry at risk

for extinction, or at least on the “endangered

species list.”

To allow this puts our national security

at risk. The Navy cannot afford to singularly

carry this cost, nor can our nation afford to

lose this capability. While the efforts of our

industry partners and others have created

short-term cost relief, the long-term support

of the solid rocket motor industry remains

an issue that must be addressed at the

national level. To date, this has not hap-

pened. At SSP, we will continue to work with

our industry partners, dod, senior NASA

leadership, Air Force and Congress to do

everything we can to ensure this vital national

security industry asset is preserved.

NuclEAr ENtErPriSE rEviEW

The recent secretary of defense-directed

Nuclear enterprise Review (NeR) and the

Program and Budget Review for the Fy 2016

budget formulation focused significant atten-

tion on the recapitalization, sustainment, and

modernization of our nuclear deterrence sys-

tems and infrastructure. The NeR provided

the Navy a thorough and unbiased look at

our nuclear forces. Overall, the report found

that the nuclear enterprise is safe, secure and

effective today, but it also found evidence

of systemic problems that, if not addressed,

could undermine the safety, security and

effectiveness of elements of the force in the

future. Fortunately the Navy’s internal Nuclear

Weapons Assessment and the SSP Compre-

hensive Self-Assessment identified most of

the issues underscored during the NeR. in

fact, the report validated numerous efforts

already under way.

The Navy has taken active steps to ad-

dress the more than 68 recommendations

with Navy equity contained in the report. Sig-

nificant action has been taken to implement

each recommendation, generally focused

on a few key areas, including: oversight,

investment, and personnel and training

improvements. These implementation actions

have been funded with an additional budget

request of $407 million in Fy 2016 and $2.2

billion across the FydP. With respect to

oversight, the Navy is clarifying the nuclear

deterrent enterprise leadership structure and

reducing administrative burdens imposed on

the forces. The Nuclear deterrent enter-

prise Group (NdeRG), formed and led by

the secretary of defense will provide regular

oversight of the nuclear enterprise. The Navy

Nuclear Weapons Oversight Council has

become the Navy’s mechanism to ensure

NdeRG recommendations and guidance are

properly implemented and that investments

achieve the intended effect.

Regarding training and personnel the

Navy is planning a significant investment to

build a margin in the deterrence force and

clear the SSBN maintenance backlog.

Some of the recommendations involve

long-term cultural or organizational changes,

and the Navy has matched the right

responsibilities with the right leaders. There

will be an emphasis on the importance of the

deterrence mission through updated vision

statements, revised campaign plans, and

methods to eliminate obstacles to enhance

moral conduct and relieve the pressures on

sailors, training and work-life balance. More

specifically, the Navy will apply additional

resources to Strategic Mission personnel with

a planned $28 million and an increase of 44

full-time equivalents (FTes) in Fy 2016. in ad-

dition, 160 FTes were added for the Strategic

Weapons Facilities and Trident Training Facil-

ity to improve sustainment and training of the

ballistic missile submarine force.

The Navy has also planned a substantial

increase in FTes for the four Naval Public

Shipyards. With an eventual target of 33,500

direct and reimbursable FTes, the goal is

to better match capacity with workload.

in addition, some submarine maintenance

will be outsourced to the private sector to

ensure over capacity work does not result in

deferred maintenance into the FydP. Both of

these actions result in an investment of $338

million with an overall planned FydP invest-

ment of $1.1 billion. There will be accelerated

infrastructure improvements and recapitaliza-

tion plans to ensure long-term sustainment

at shipyards and strategic weapons facili-

ties. The Navy accelerated investment in the

budget request for Fy 2016 from a 17-year

plan to a 15-year plan to improve the condi-

tion of the shipyards by adding $350 million

across the FydP. The Navy has also funded

$324 million across the FydP to address

infrastructure issues at the strategic weapons

facilities. Navy is developing a 20-year invest-

ment plan to ensure the continued reliability

of critical infrastructure at these facilities to

support nuclear weapons movement and op-

erations. While the Navy has made significant

progress through actions taken to date, we

recognize much work remains to be accom-

plished. The Navy is confident we have the

right emphasis, oversight and processes in

place to maintain a credible, modern and safe

sea-based deterrent.

NAvy NuclEAr rEGulAtory rESPoNSibility

As a result of the Nuclear enterprise

Review the Navy implemented a central-

ized regulatory authority for nuclear force

readiness. As the director, Strategic Systems

Programs (diRSSP), i now have account-

ability, responsibility and authority to serve as

the single flag officer to monitor performance


and conduct end-to-end assessment of the

Navy Nuclear deterrence Mission (NNdM)

elements. These responsibilities are defined

in SeCNAViNST 8120.1B and OPNAViNST

8120.1. Nine echelon 2 level commands

directly contribute to the NNdM: U.S. Fleet

Forces Command (USFlTFORCOM); U.S.

Pacific Fleet (PACFlT); Fleet Cyber Command

(USFlTCyBeRCOM); Navy Supply Systems

Command (NAVSUPSySCOM); Naval Sea

Systems Command (NAVSeASySCOM);

Chief of Naval Personnel (CNP); Bureau of

Medicine and Surgery (BUMed), Commander,

Navy installations Command (CNiC); and

SSP.

diRSSP will be the NNdM regulatory

authority responsible for assessing and re-

porting issues to the Navy Nuclear Weapons

Council and the CNO. SSP is tasked with

developing, coordinating and implementing

policies approved by the CNO, and conduct-

ing end-to-end assessments of the depart-

ment of the Navy nuclear weapons and

nuclear weapons systems and personnel for

safe, reliable, and effective execution of the

NNdM.

SSP is engaged with the echelon 2 com-

mands defined above to understand their

current reporting and assessment processes

and to define the NNdM regulatory assess-

ment policy. My next in-progress review for

the CNO, April 2015, will define the existing

reporting and engagement strategies, the

status of our interaction with the commands,

and present the initial component assess-

ment and reporting.

collAborAtioN WitH tHE Air forcE

The final priority is strategic collaboration

between the services. The Navy and the Air

Force are both addressing the challenges of

sustaining aging strategic weapon systems

and have begun to work collaboratively to

ensure these capabilities are retained in the

long term to meet our requirements. To do

so, we are seeking opportunities to lever-

age technologies and make the best use of

scarce resources.

As i testified last year, the Navy and the

Air Force established an executive Steering

Group to identify and investigate potential

collaboration opportunities and oversee

collaborative investments for sustainment of

our strategic systems. As a part of this effort,

technology area working groups are study-

ing collaboration opportunities in the areas

of Reentry Systems, Guidance, Strategic

Propulsion, Command and Control, Radiation

hardened electronics, Testing and Surveil-

lance and Nuclear Weapons Surety.

The Navy was an active participant in

the Air Force’s Ground Based Strategic

deterrent (GBSd) effort. Members of my

staff were involved with this effort, which

began during the GBSd Analysis of Alterna-

tives (AoA). Navy subject matter experts

supported each of the GBSd AoA working

groups and participated in an effort to evalu-

ate the benefits and potential risks of com-

monality and collaboration for each of the

GBSd AoA options. Since the completion of

the AoA, the Navy has continued to support

the Air Force technical and programmatic

efforts on GBSd including technology identi-

fication and requirements development.

The benefits of increased collaboration

between the services are many. however,

commonality is required to actually save

costs. Commonality will help improve the

affordability of the nation’s strategic services

by eliminating redundant efforts and by

improving economic order quantities of key

constituents and components. in addition

to the benefits gained by improved eco-

nomic order quantities, the use of common

constituents and components will make it

easier for the Navy and Air Force to sustain

the critical skills and capabilities needed

by stabilizing demand signals to suppliers.

Finally these efforts allow the Navy and Air

Force to leverage work already being done

by the other service to avoid unnecessary

duplication and costs.

each leg of the Triad has unique attri-

butes. Furthermore, a sustained and ready

Triad provides an effective hedge, allowing

the nation to shift to another leg, if necessary

due to unforeseen technical problems or vul-

nerabilities. For this reason, the department

is focused on cooperative efforts that main-

tain affordability and reduces risk to both

services while retaining essential diversity

where needed to ensure a credible and reli-

able deterrent. Many of the industries and

required engineering skills sets are unique to

strategic systems. Key to SSP’s historical

success has been our technical applications

programs, which in the past have provided

a research and development foundation. As

we evaluate maintaining this strategic capa-

bility until the 2080s to match the full service

life of the Ohio Replacement submarine, we

will need to resume these critical efforts.

coNcluSioN

SSP continues to maintain a safe,

secure and effective strategic deterrent and

focus on the custody and accountability of

the nuclear assets entrusted to the Navy.

Our PB-16 budget request ensures that

we will sustain this capability in Fy 2016.

however, we must remain vigilant about

unforeseen age-related issues to ensure the

high reliability required of our SWS. SSP

must maintain the engineering support and

critical skills of our industry and govern-

ment team to address any future challenges

with the current system as well as prepare

for the future of the program. Our nation’s

sea-based deterrent has been a critical

component of our national security since the

1950s and must continue to assure our allies

and deter potential adversaries well into

the future. i am privileged to represent this

unique organization as we work to serve the

best interests of our great nation.


DRS Laurel Technologies, John-

stown, Pa., is being awarded a

$15,513,814 firm-fixed-price, indefinite-

delivery/indefinite-quantity contract for

the Common display System (CdS)

Technology insertion 12 production.

The CdS is a family of display systems

which provides the Navy with an enter-

prise display solution on Navy surface

ships with potential for U.S. Marine

Corps and Allied forces use. CdS was

initially developed to support ddG

1000 and Aegis Modernization, but has

been expanded to all Aegis CGs and

ddGs, CVNs, and amphibious ships to

include lhAs and lSds, and is being

considered for use in Navy aircraft and

submarines. This contract includes

options which, if exercised, would bring

the cumulative value of this contract to

$96,300,000. Work will be performed in

Johnstown, Pa., and is expected to be

completed by April 2016. Fiscal 2015

other procurement (Navy) funding in the

amount of $2,831,148 will be obligated

at the time of award. Contract funds

will not expire at the end of the current

fiscal year. This contract was competi-

tively procured with proposals solicited

via the Federal Business Opportunities

website, with two offers received. The

Naval Sea Systems Command, Wash-

ington, d.C., is the contracting activity

(N00024-15-d-5210).

Vigor Marine LLC, Portland, Ore., is

being awarded an $8,730,074 firm-

fixed-price contract for a 55-calendar

day regular overhaul and drydocking

availability of the USNS Guadalupe

(T-AO 200), a Military Sealift Com-

mand fleet replenishment oiler. Work

will include port main engine overhaul;

docking, undocking, and underwater

hull cleaning and painting; and cargo

tank preservation. The primary mission

of USNS Guadalupe is to provide fuel

to Navy ships at sea and jet fuel to

aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers.

This contract includes options, which

if exercised, would bring the total

contract value to $9,177,702. Work will

be performed in Portland, Ore., and is

expected to be completed by Aug. 1,

2015. Fiscal 2015 operation and main-

tenance (Navy) funds in the amount of


at the time of award, and funds will

expire at the end of the current fiscal

year. This contract was competitively

procured with proposals solicited via

the Federal Business Opportunities

website, with two offers received.

The Navy’s Military Sealift Command,

Washington, d.C., is the contracting

activity (N32205-15-C-1005)

Stronghold Engineering Inc.,

Riverside, Calif., is being awarded

$7,377,218 for firm-fixed-price

task order 0040 under a previously

awarded multiple award construc-

tion contract (N62473-10-d-5483) for

design and construction to repair the

base-wide telephone and communi-

cation infrastructure cabling systems

damaged by wildfires at the Marine

Corps Base Camp Pendleton. Work

will be performed in Oceanside, Calif.,

and is expected to be completed by

May 2016. Fiscal 2015 operation and

maintenance (Marine Corps) contract

funds in the amount of $7,377,218 are

being obligated on this award and will

expire at the end of the current fiscal

year. Three proposals were received

for this task order. The Naval Facilities

engineering Command, Southwest,

San diego, Calif., is the contracting

activity.

24APrIl

ConTraCT awards Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

General Dynamics, National Steel

and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO), San

diego, Calif., was awarded a $31,773,194

modification to previously awarded cost-

plus-incentive-fee contract (N00024-

13-C-4404) for USS America (lhA 6) fiscal

2015 post-shakedown availability. during

a post-shakedown availability, NASSCO

will repair or improve the design of the

ship in preparation for final contractor tri-

als. Work will be performed in San diego,

Calif., and is expected to be completed

by November 2015. Fiscal 2015 shipbuild-

ing and conversion (Navy); fiscal 2015

other procurement (Navy) and fiscal 2015

operations and maintenance (Navy) con-

tract funds in the amount of $31,773,194

will be obligated at time of award. Funds

in the amount of $9,553,086 will expire

at the end of the current fiscal year. The

Southwest Regional Maintenance Center,

San diego, Calif., is the contracting activ-

ity. (Awarded April 22, 2015)

Boeing Co., huntington Beach, Calif.,

is being awarded an $11,102,857 modi-

fication to previously awarded contract

(N00024-15-C-4205) for the production

and maintenance of support kits for the

AN/USQ-82(V) Gigabit ethernet data Mul-

tiplex System. The contractor will provide

ship sets for ddGs 119, 121 and 122 and

maintenance support kits for ddGs 119,

121 and 122. Work will be performed in

huntington Beach, Calif., and is expected

to be completed by July 2016. Fiscal

2014 shipbuilding and conversion (Navy)

funding in the amount of $11,102,857 will

be obligated at the time of award and will

not expire at the end of the current fiscal

year. The Naval Sea Systems Command,

Washington, d.C., is the contracting

activity.

Tiger Natural Gas, Inc., Tulsa,

Okla., has been awarded a maximum

$14,782,044 fixed-price with economic-

price-adjustment contract for direct sup-

ply natural gas deliveries. This contract

was a competitive acquisition and four

offers were received. This is a two-year

base contract with no option periods.

locations of performance are Oklahoma

and New Mexico with a Sept. 30, 2017,

performance completion date. Using mili-

tary service is Navy. Type of appropriation

is fiscal year 2015 multi-agency funds.

The contracting activity is the defense

logistics Agency energy, Fort Belvoir, Va.,

(SPe600-15-d-7518).

23APrIl


ConTraCT awards

Raytheon Co., Marlborough, Mass.,

is being awarded an $89,094,388 firm-

fixed-price contract for 25 Submarine

high data Rate (SubhdR) antenna

systems. The SubhdR antenna system

is used to provide submarines with

high-capacity communications in the

extremely high-frequency and super

high- frequency bands and enables

reception of the global broadcast ser-

vice. This contract combines purchases

for the U.S. Navy (80 percent) and the

government of the United Kingdom (20

percent) under the Foreign Military Sales

program. Work will be performed in

Massachusetts (37.84 percent); Florida

(19.02 percent); New Jersey (17.02

percent); California (12.26 percent); New

hampshire (7.64 percent); Pennsylvania

(3.38 percent); and Utah (2.84 percent),

and work is expected to be completed

by June 20, 2018. Fiscal 2014 and

2015 ship submersible nuclear funds

in the amount of $35,563,190 will be

obligated at the time of award. This

contract was not competitively procured

pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1)—only

one responsible source. The Space and

Naval Warfare Systems Command, San

diego, Calif., is the contracting activity

(N00039-15-C-0022).

Atlantic Diving Supply Inc., Virginia

Beach, Va., (N61331-15-d-0013); edO

Corp., Panama City, Fla., (N61331-

15-d-0014); and Piping Systems

international inc., Bay Minette, Ala.,

(N61331-15-d-0015), are each being

awarded firm-fixed-price, indefinite-

delivery/indefinite-quantity, mul-

tiple award supply contracts for the

provision of hardware, materials

and supplies to support the littoral

and mine systems and science and

technology programs. examples of

programs being supported include the

Organic Airborne Mine Countermea-

sure Systems, Remote Minehunting

Systems, unmanned maritime sys-

tems, mine warfare programs, littoral

Combat Ship (lCS) mission module

integration, lCS fleet introduction and

sustainment, sea frame construction,

Mh-60 integration, acoustics, magnet-

ics, electro-optics, signal processing,

automatic target recognition and senor

and data fusion. The maximum dollar

value, including the base period and

four option years, for all three contracts

combined is $35,000,000 and the

companies will compete for individual

delivery orders. Work will be conducted

in various Navy ship homeports and is

expected to complete in April 2020. At

time of award, Atlantic diving Supply

is being awarded a delivery order for

$15,028, edO Corp. is being awarded

a delivery order for $82,221, and Pip-

ing Systems international inc. is being

awarded a delivery order for $220,012.

Fiscal 2015 operations and mainte-

nance (Navy) funds in the amount of

$317,261 will be obligated at the time

of award, and funds will expire at the

end of the current fiscal year. These

contracts were competitively procured


website, with three offers received. The

Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama

City division, Panama City, Fla., is the

contracting activity.

MAQ Diversified Inc., Vienna, Va.

(N62645-15-d-5020); Matrix Providers

inc., denver, Colo.(N62645-15-d-5021);

Potomac healthcare Solutions llC,

Woodbridge, Va. (N62645-15-d-5022);

Med Pros Group llC, doing business

as Prohealth Staffing, houston, Texas

(N62645-15-d-5023); and dilligas

Corp., doing business as U.S. Got

People, San Antonio, Texas (N62645-

15-d-5024) are each being awarded a

40-month, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-

delivery/indefinite-quantity, multiple

award task order contract for various

ancillary services to include Allied

health, technician, technologist and

assistant labor bands at military treat-

ment facilities in the western region

of the United States. The aggregate

not-to-exceed amount for these

multiple award contracts combined

is $28,339,864 , and the companies

will have the opportunity to bid on

each individual task order as they are

issued. Work will be performed at the

Naval health Clinic hawaii (28 percent);

Naval hospital Oak harbor, Wash. (24

percent); Naval hospital lemoore, Calif.

(12 percent); Naval Medical Center, San

diego, Calif. (10 percent); Naval hospital

Camp Pendleton, Calif. (9 percent);

Naval hospital Twentynine Palms, Calif.

(7 percent); Naval hospital Bremerton,

Wash. (7 percent); Naval hospital Guam

(2 percent); and any associated branch

clinics in the western region (1 percent).

Work performed under these contracts

is expected to be completed Sept. 30,

2017. Fiscal 2015 defense health Pro-

gram funds in the amount of $2,927,324

will be obligated at the time of award

under initial task orders, and the funds

will expire at the end of the current fiscal

year. Funding is predominantly from the

defense health Program; however, other

funding initiatives such as psychological

health/traumatic brain injury, overseas

contingency operations and wounded, ill

and injured may be used. These are all

one-year funding types. These contracts

were solicited via a multiple award

electronic request for proposals as a

100-percent Small disabled Veteran-

Owned Small Business set-aside; 19

offers were received. The Naval Medical

logistics Command, Fort detrick, Md.,

is the contracting activity.

Marine Hydraulics International

Inc., Norfolk, Va., is being awarded a

$9,848,963 modification to previously

awarded contract (N00024-10-C-4405) for

USS Cole (ddG-67) fiscal 2015 selected

restricted availability. The scheduled

availability includes the planning and

execution of maintenance, repairs and

modifications that will update and improve

the ship’s military and technical capabili-

ties. Work will be performed in Norfolk,

Va., and is expected to be completed by

November 2015. Fiscal 2015 operations

and maintenance (Navy) funding in the

amount of $9,848,963 will be obligated at

time of award, and will expire at the end

of the current fiscal year. The Mid Atlantic

Regional Maintenance Center, Norfolk,

Va., is the contracting activity.

22APrIl


Compiled by KMI Media Group staff

Kollsman Inc., Merrimack, N.h., is

being awarded a $43,000,000 indefinite-

delivery/indefinite-quantity, firm-fixed-price

contract for procurement of Night Targeting

Systems Upgrade (NTSU) and associ-

ated support for the U.S. Marine Corps

(USMC). The NTSU system is an airborne,

electro-optic, forward-looking infra-red,

turreted sensor package that provides

long-range surveillance, high-altitude target

acquisition, tracking, range-finding and

laser designation for the USMC. Work will

be performed in Merrimack, N.h., and is

expected to be completed by April 2020.

Fiscal 2013 National Guard and Reserve

equipment appropriation funding in the


at time of award and will not expire at the

end of the current fiscal year. This contract

was negotiated on a sole source basis in

accordance with the statutory authority

10 U.S.C. 2304(c)(1) as implemented by

FAR 6.302-1. The Naval Surface Warfare

Center-Crane division, Crane, ind., is the

contracting activity (N00164-15-d-JQ30).

General Dynamics, National Steel

and Shipbuilding Co., San diego, Calif., is

being awarded a $24,161,138 cost-plus-

award-fee, cost-plus-incentive-fee, with

firm-fixed-priced and cost-only compo-

nents contract for littoral combat ships

(lCS) sustainment execution in support of

lCSs homeported in or visiting San diego,

Calif. This sustainment execution contract

is for both lCS variants. The company

will be to provide planned maintenance,

facility maintenance, execution planning,

accomplishment of Chief of Naval Opera-

tions availabilities, emergent and continu-

ous maintenance, fly-away support and

engineering support. This contract includes

two options which, if exercised, would

bring the cumulative value of this contract

to $96,338,503. Work will be performed in

San diego, Calif., and is expected to be

completed by April 2016. Fiscal 2015 op-

erations and maintenance (Navy) contract

funds in the amount of $6,138,041 will

be obligated at the time of award and will

expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

This contract was competitively procured


website, with two offers received. The Na-

val Sea Systems Command, Washington,

d.C., is the contracting activity (N00024-

15-C-4313).

Costello Construction of Maryland

Inc., Columbia, Md., is being awarded

a $10,175,000 firm-fixed-price contract

for construction of a parking garage for

the Center for Cyber Security at the U.S.

Naval Academy. The multilevel parking

garage will have approximately 306 parking

spaces, built with cast-in-place concrete

frame, structural tee’s and panels on a

pile foundation system. Special founda-

tion features for the parking facility include

pile foundation system and earth berm,

including underground retaining wall

structure and waterproofing. environmental

mitigation includes relocation of an existing

bio-retention feature. Work will be per-

formed in Annapolis, Md., and is expected

to be completed by October 2016. Fiscal

2015 military construction (Navy) contract

funds in the amount of $10,175,000 are

being obligated on this award and will not

expire at the end of the current fiscal year.

This contract was competitively procured


website, with three proposals received. The

Naval Facilities engineering Command,

Washington, d.C., is the contracting activ-

ity (N40080-15-C-0151).

Hamilton Sundstrand Corp., Rock-

ford, ill., is being awarded $7,573,995

for firm-fixed-price delivery order 7009

against previously awarded contract

(N00383-12-d-001N) for the repair of the

V-22 Osprey aircraft constant frequency

generator. Work will be performed in

Rockford, ill., and work is expected to

be completed by Sept. 30, 2016. Fiscal

2015 working capital (Navy) funds in the

amount of $7,573,995 will obligated at the

time of award and will not expire before

the end of the current fiscal year. This

contract was not competitively procured

in accordance with FAR 6.302.1. Naval

Supply Systems Command Weapon

Systems Support, Contracting depart-

ment, Philadelphia, Pa., is the contracting

activity.

21APrIl

United Launch Services LLC,

littleton, Colo., has been awarded a

$138,041,011 firm-fixed-price modifica-

tion (P00086) to previously awarded

contract FA8811-13-C-0003 for launch

vehicle production services (lVPS) under

the terms of the requirements contract.

Contractor will execute a requirement for

fiscal 2015 lVPS in support of the launch

vehicle configuration of one National

Reconnaissance Office Atlas V 541. This

modification also procures backlog trans-

portation for the GPS iiF-10 and GPS iiF-

11 missions as well as mission specific

commodities for the MUOS-4 mission.

Work will be performed at Centennial,

Colo.; decatur, Ala.; Vandenberg Air

Force Base, Calif.; and Cape Canaveral

Air Force Station, Fla., and is expected

to be complete by July 29, 2017. Fiscal

2015 Air Force missile procurement and

Navy weapons procurement funds in

the amount of $138,041,011 are being

obligated at the time of award. launch

Systems directorate, Space and Missiles

Systems Center, los Angeles Air Force

Base, Calif., is the contracting activity.

Inficon Inc., east Syracuse, N.y., has

been awarded a maximum $46,800,000

fixed-price with economic-price-

adjustment contract for medical items

and accessories. This contract was a

competitive acquisition, and 70 offers

were received. This is a five-year base

contract. location of performance is New

york with an April 20, 2020, performance

completion date. Using military services

are Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps

and federal civilian agencies. Type of ap-

propriation is fiscal 2015 defense working

capital funds. The contracting activity

is the defense logistics Agency Troop

Support, Philadelphia, Pa. (SPe2dh-

15-d-0010).

20APrIl


Navy 042815 final

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