Missile Defense Agency News

Founded as the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and renamed Military Sealift Command in 1970, MSC today not only support the Navy, but we are the Department of Defense's provider of all sealift. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently interviewed Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, U.S. Navy, for insights on the service today and it’s needs to grow in the future.What makes MSC so vital to the Navy’s fleet and our military forces around the world?When we  look at the history of contested logistics in World War II…

Leadership has added a new face in the contracting department at Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD). Michael Brian Donaldson assumed the role of deputy chief of the contracting office (DCCO) in December, with management responsibility for a team of more than 110 contracting specialists, contracting officers, cost analysts, policy analysts and other contracting professionals.The contracting department at NSWCDD executes several thousand contract actions in a typical year, with a collective value of approximately $950 million.

Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) operates hundreds of boats all the way from a 7-meter Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) to a 78-foot patrol boat, as well as construction equipment such as cranes, bulldozers, pumps, cranes, vehicles and chain saws and Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) equipment.Maintaining all of it comes under the watchful eye of Force Maintenance Director Dave Noel.“I’m the guy that fixes the equipment we buy,” Noel said. “Once it’s fielded, it’s our job to keep it operational…

Hindsight, they say is 20/20, and in this regard renowned design house Gibbs & Cox has nine decades in the rear view mirror on which to lean. We recently caught up with Chris Deegan, President and CEO of Gibbs & Cox, celebrating its 90th anniversary in 2019, to discuss the organization’s rich history and promising future.When you took the top spot at Gibbs & Cox in 2016, what were your goals for the organization?As a company that designs everything from yachts to work boats to destroyers, I wanted to reassert G&C as the global leader in the naval architecture and marine engineering industry.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx today announced that DOT has awarded contracts with a total award value of $1.96 billion over eight years to seven U.S. maritime firms to manage, maintain and operate 48 National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) vessels through January 2024. These Maritime Administration contracts are funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) National Defense Sealift Fund to support DoD’s strategic sealift mission. “Since 1946, National Defense Reserve Fleet vessels have facilitated U.S. strategic sealift, natural disaster response, and humanitarian operations all around the world,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and sailors aboard the USS Carney, USS Gonzalez, and USS Barry successfully completed a flight test involving the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) weapon system. At approximately 2:30 a.m. EST today, three short-range ballistic missile targets were launched near simultaneously from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility, Virginia. Two Aegis BMD destroyers acquired and tracked the targets. Using this data, the Aegis BMD ships conducted simulated Standard Missile-3 Block IB guided missile engagements with the distributed weighted engagement scheme (DWES) capability enabled. The DWES provides an automated engagement coordination scheme between multiple Aegis BMD ships that determines which ship is the preferred shooter…

Building on its relationship with the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) a Royal Navy Type 45 frigate will take part in major research trials. The joint Ministry of Defence and industry-run UK Missile Defence Centre (MDC) has agreed to take part in trials which will include testing the Sampson radar, part of the Sea Viper missile system, in detecting and tracking ballistic targets. While there is no programme to fit Type 45 with Theatre Ballistic Missile Defence (TBMD) capability…

Bodkin Design & Engineering (BD&E) contracted to develop a coastal water prototype wave power harvesting system. A prototype unit was constructed and tested at the company's Newton facility and was found to have a power conversion efficiency between 34% and 50%. This covert system is designed to be alternative power source for submerged sensors and systems. In addition to its military uses, this submerged system can find application to commercial moorings and on pleasure boats. The fully submerged, robust, self-contained design is anti-fouling and ideally suited for surf zone operation where extreme environmental conditions could damage systems that rely on deployed arms, floats or fragile mechanics.

WASHINGTON – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced contracts totaling $77 million for three U.S. maritime firms to operate 10 National Defense Reserve Fleet ships through July 27, 2015. “This money will help make sure these important Defense Reserve Fleet ships are manned with skilled mariners and are ready when our Nation calls,” said Secretary LaHood. The contracts were awarded to Ocean Duchess Inc. of Houston, Texas for $16,618,430; Keystone Ocean Shipping of Bala Cynwyd, Pa. for $30,212,588; and Interocean American Shipping Corporation of Moorestown, N.J. for $30,533,710. These companies are responsible for maintaining the ships in good mechanical condition and ensuring crews are available for their operation when needed.

MarineNews spoke with Rick Biben, Chief Executive and President of Gibbs and Cox, Inc., about his background in the industry, the state of the naval design market, how his company is investing for the future and technological and design advancements in the field. What is your background in the industry? After college (Bryant University, 1972, BS Management) I went into the U.S. Peace Corps (Ecuador, 1972 – 1975) for about three years. I left the government and entered the contractor community in 1979. I was with Syscon Corporation from 1981 through late in 1999.

Federal Electronics, Inc. has been selected as a recipient of the 2008 Supplier Excellence 4 Star Award from Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS). A supplier to Raytheon IDS for the past 7 years, Federal Electronics was honored with the award for the company's exemplary performance and contribution to the success of Raytheon IDS and its customers. Federal Electronics Vice President Ed Evangelista and Account Manager Chris Heywood were presented with the award in a ceremony at Raytheon IDS in Tewksbury, Mass. "We are honored to have been selected by Raytheon IDS for this prestigious award for the second consecutive year," said Evangelista. Raytheon IDS is involved in Joint Battlespace Integration and provides solutions to organizations including the U.S.

The Lockheed Martin developed Aegis Weapon System successfully intercepted a ballistic missile target outside the earth's atmosphere during its descent phase of flight today. The Aegis Weapon System, aboard the guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70), and range sensors confirmed a direct hit of the missile target by a Raytheon-developed Standard Missile (SM)-3 over the Pacific Ocean. In addition to USS Lake Erie, the guided missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59) also participated in today's test. USS Russell provided target track information to the USS Lake Erie and components of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense element. This test, Flight Mission (FM)-6, marks the fourth time that the Aegis Weapon System successfully guided its Standard Missile-3 to a ballistic missile target.

The Boeing Company announced that the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX) mooring system has been installed at SBX's homeport in Alaska, completing a key piece of infrastructure for the missile defense sensor. Manson Construction, a Boeing subcontractor, used tugs, barges and cranes to place the mooring system's eight anchors on the bottom of Kuluk Bay. Heavy machinery aboard a barge then dragged the 75-metric-ton anchors, embedding them into the sea bed. The construction team completed the installation three weeks ahead of schedule. When SBX visits its homeport of Adak, Alaska, a small island in the Aleutian Islands, it will be chained to the anchors to keep it stationary in Kuluk Bay. SBX is a new sensor developed by Boeing for the U.S.

BAE Systems has been awarded a second contract from Boeing for work on the Sea-Based X-Band Radar (SBX-1), a floating, self-propelled, mobile missile warning radar station. The radar arrived at BAE Systems Hawaii Shipyards in Pearl Harbor from Alaska on June 26 and will remain there through February 2008. The company had previously performed maintenance work on the SBX-1 in 2006. BAE Systems will conduct maintenance and systems upgrades to include fuel oil tank cleaning; tow bridle repairs; a deadweight survey; antenna installation; catwalk and ladder repairs; crane upgrades and additions; galley and scullery upgrades; and will install a quick launch recovery boat. SBX-1 is part of the United States Missile Defense System, operated by the Missile Defense Agency.

The Senate Armed Services Committee approved a $517.7b fiscal 2007 defense authorization bill, a 4 percent increase over the amount authorized by Congress last year. The bill, which includes a $50b bridge fund to pay for operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during the first six months of fiscal 2007, totals $4.8b more than authorized by the House Armed Services Committee. The Senate panel, which met behind closed doors, boosted funding for several weapons programs, including the addition of $1.5b to the Navy's shipbuilding accounts, largely due to concerns about the "declining size of the fleet," according to a summary of the bill released by the committee.

Demonstrating an affordable and proven capability to strengthen America's port security, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) officials and Rhode Island legislative leaders recently commemorated the opening of the Athena Maritime Domain Awareness Fusion Center with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Athena system fuses a large number of existing sensor data to provide decision makers with the real-time maritime situational awareness they need to enable quick, responsive actions to protect the country's shoreline. Attending the event were Gov. Don Carcieri, Sen. Jack Reed, Sen. Lincoln Davenport Chafee, Congressman Patrick Kennedy, and Congressman Jim Langevin, who joined IDS President Dan Smith and Petryszyn in cutting the ribbon.

Raytheon Company has been awarded two sole source contracts by the U.S. Navy totaling $15.7 million for AEGIS equipment support. A $10.2 million performance based logistics contract renews Raytheon Integrated Defense System's (IDS) direct responsibility for administering AEGIS technical support for spares and repairs requirements of U.S. Navy and Foreign Military Sales customers. A $5.5 million contract calls for upgrading transmitter equipment in the AEGIS Weapon System. The AEGIS program is served by Raytheon's IDS Surveillance & Sensor Systems business area. Raytheon recently commemorated a 25-year milestone of continuous AEGIS equipment production.