US Armed Forces

[Khafee]

Boeing awarded $30.7M for MH-47G components for U.S. special ops
By Ed Adamczyk
14 June 2019

The contract is the second issued in as many days for Chinook helicopters or parts for the U.S. Special Operations Command, and is said to be urgently needed to sustain operational demands.

View attachment 8047
Boeing Co. received a $30.7 million delivery order for MH-47G Chinook helicopter components, the Defense Department announced on Thursday.
Photo by Teddy Wade/U.S. Army | License Photo

June 14 (UPI) -- Boeing Co. received a $30.7 million order to build Chinook helicopter components for the U.S. Army Special Operations Command, the Defense Department announced.

The new delivery order comes after an announcement earlier this week of a $194.2 million contract to deliver six renew-build and one new-build MH-47G helicopters for the Command. The Pentagon cited an increased need for the aircraft in a statement.

"The order is required to sustain U.S. Special Operations Forces heavy assault, rotary wing aircraft and to mitigate the impact of the MH-47G aircraft availability," the Pentagon said.

Boeing has been contracted to supply eight additional special-use helicopters for the U.S. Army in the past year, bringing the Army's total to 69 special operations Chinook aircraft.

In July 2018, Boeing was awarded a $131.1 million contract for four additional Chinook special operations helicopters for the U.S. Army. That contract marked the start of a production run for the Block II Chinooks that is expected to last for about a decade, Boeing said.

"The MH-47G is the world's best, most reliable heavy-lift helicopter and will help Special Operations execute their difficult missions," Chuck Dabundo, Boeing MH-47 program manager, said in a statement on Thursday. "Nearly a quarter of the Special Ops fleet is now on contract for Block II, and we look forward to delivering this capability to them on schedule."

The delivery order announced Thursday for components and parts includes orders for the United Kingdom, supplying $10 million in funding to acquire long-lead components and parts for its own part of the MH-47G Block II program.

The majority of the work will be performed at Boeing facilities in Ridley Park, Pa. The U.S. Special Operations Command Headquarters in Tampa is the contracting agent.

Boeing awarded $30.7M for MH-47G components for U.S. special ops - UPI.com

Boeing Co. received a $30.7 million order for Chinook helicopter components for the Army's Special Operations Command, the second contract in as many days meant to satisfy urgent needs to meet operational demands.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Navy to christen littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-St. Paul
The U.S. Navy will christen the latest Freedom-variant LCS on Saturday at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin.

June 14, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk

The littoral combat ship USS Freedom, seen here, is the sister ship of the future USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, which will be christened in ceremonies on Saturday. Photo by MCS1 James Evens/U.S. Navy/UPI

June 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy said it will christen its latest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, on Saturday.

The ship, designed for near-shore environments, is also designated LCS 21. Rep. Betty McCullum, D-Minn., whose congressional district includes the city of St. Paul, will be the principal speaker at the event at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corp. shipyard in Marinette, Wis., on Saturday. Jodi Greene, deputy undersecretary of the Navy, will ceremonially break a bottle of sparkling wine over the ship's bow.

Boat landings along the Menominee River will be closed as the ship is launched sideways into the water Saturday morning.

LCS vessels are designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. They are outfitted with mission packages that can deploy manned and unmanned vehicles and sensors in support of mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare or surface warfare missions. While their shallow drafts allow them to operate in shallow water, they are equally capable of ocean-going maneuvers.

The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. It is 388 feet long and carries 51 personnel.

"The christening of the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul marks an important step toward this great ship's entry into the fleet," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. "The dedication and skilled work of our industry partners have ensured this ship will represent the great city of Minneapolis St. Paul and serve of our Navy and Marine Corps team for decades to come."

Navy to christen littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-St. Paul - UPI.com

The U.S. Navy said it will christen its latest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, Saturday morning at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marinette, Wis.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Navy to christen littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-St. Paul
The U.S. Navy will christen the latest Freedom-variant LCS on Saturday at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Wisconsin.

June 14, 2019
By Ed Adamczyk
View attachment 8049
The littoral combat ship USS Freedom, seen here, is the sister ship of the future USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, which will be christened in ceremonies on Saturday. Photo by MCS1 James Evens/U.S. Navy/UPI

June 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy said it will christen its latest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, on Saturday.

The ship, designed for near-shore environments, is also designated LCS 21. Rep. Betty McCullum, D-Minn., whose congressional district includes the city of St. Paul, will be the principal speaker at the event at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine Corp. shipyard in Marinette, Wis., on Saturday. Jodi Greene, deputy undersecretary of the Navy, will ceremonially break a bottle of sparkling wine over the ship's bow.

Boat landings along the Menominee River will be closed as the ship is launched sideways into the water Saturday morning.

LCS vessels are designed to defeat asymmetric "anti-access" threats such as mines, quiet diesel submarines and fast surface craft. They are outfitted with mission packages that can deploy manned and unmanned vehicles and sensors in support of mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare or surface warfare missions. While their shallow drafts allow them to operate in shallow water, they are equally capable of ocean-going maneuvers.

The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul has a steel hull and aluminum superstructure. It is 388 feet long and carries 51 personnel.

"The christening of the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul marks an important step toward this great ship's entry into the fleet," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. "The dedication and skilled work of our industry partners have ensured this ship will represent the great city of Minneapolis St. Paul and serve of our Navy and Marine Corps team for decades to come."

Navy to christen littoral combat ship USS Minneapolis-St. Paul - UPI.com

The U.S. Navy said it will christen its latest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, Saturday morning at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marinette, Wis.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

House committee includes funding for Space Corps in defense bill
By Ed Adamczyk
14 June 2019

President Donald J. Trump, C, signs Space Policy Directive 1, a change in national space policy, on December 11, 2017. The House Armed Services Committee approved a new military branch for space on Thursday. File photo by Aubrey Gemignani/NASA/UPI

June 14 (UPI) -- The House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment for funding in the defense spending bill for a Space Corps.

The committee unanimously passed the measure after a one-hour debate. In a 21-hour markup session that ended late Thursday, the National Defense Authorization Act was passed by 33 votes to 24.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., offered the measure as Strategic Forces subcommittee chairman, with Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn. Establishment of a military space force with status equal to the branches of the U.S. armed forces was proposed in February by President Donald Trump.

"I am thrilled my colleagues on HASC recognize the importance of focusing on this proposal," Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said in a statement. "As I have said time and time again, the future of warfighting will be fought in space. Russia and China are surpassing us in space capabilities and we must have a military branch focused solely on this mission."

The language in the bill calls for a space force within the Department of the Air Force, a civilian secretary and a four-star general as commandant. It will include personnel and assets of the Air Force, but not of the National Reconnaissance Office or the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

The bill provides for a two-year transition period from Air Force guidance to separate military department, beginning in January 2021.

The plan is smaller than Trump's proposal, and differs from the Senate Armed Service Committee plan, however.

"The Space Corps is as close as we could make it to the proposal that passed this committee overwhelmingly," Cooper said after the vote. "It is not a $13 billion expenditure, a gold-plated plan like had been proposed to us by the secretary of the Air Force. It is instead a reorganization so that space professionals can be properly recognized for their skill and ability and promoted."

House committee includes funding for Space Corps in defense bill - UPI.com

The House Armed Services Committee unanimously approved an amendment to fund the Space Corps in the 2020 defense spending bill.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

House committee includes funding for Space Corps in defense bill
By Ed Adamczyk
14 June 2019

View attachment 8051
President Donald J. Trump, C, signs Space Policy Directive 1, a change in national space policy, on December 11, 2017. The House Armed Services Committee approved a new military branch for space on Thursday. File photo by Aubrey Gemignani/NASA/UPI

June 14 (UPI) -- The House Armed Services Committee approved an amendment for funding in the defense spending bill for a Space Corps.

The committee unanimously passed the measure after a one-hour debate. In a 21-hour markup session that ended late Thursday, the National Defense Authorization Act was passed by 33 votes to 24.

Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., offered the measure as Strategic Forces subcommittee chairman, with Rep. Jim Cooper, D-Tenn. Establishment of a military space force with status equal to the branches of the U.S. armed forces was proposed in February by President Donald Trump.

"I am thrilled my colleagues on HASC recognize the importance of focusing on this proposal," Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., said in a statement. "As I have said time and time again, the future of warfighting will be fought in space. Russia and China are surpassing us in space capabilities and we must have a military branch focused solely on this mission."

The language in the bill calls for a space force within the Department of the Air Force, a civilian secretary and a four-star general as commandant. It will include personnel and assets of the Air Force, but not of the National Reconnaissance Office or the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.

The bill provides for a two-year transition period from Air Force guidance to separate military department, beginning in January 2021.

The plan is smaller than Trump's proposal, and differs from the Senate Armed Service Committee plan, however.

"The Space Corps is as close as we could make it to the proposal that passed this committee overwhelmingly," Cooper said after the vote. "It is not a $13 billion expenditure, a gold-plated plan like had been proposed to us by the secretary of the Air Force. It is instead a reorganization so that space professionals can be properly recognized for their skill and ability and promoted."

House committee includes funding for Space Corps in defense bill - UPI.com

The House Armed Services Committee unanimously approved an amendment to fund the Space Corps in the 2020 defense spending bill.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

GAO: Air Force shifting money to KC-135 because of KC-46 tanker problems
June 14, 2019
By Allen Cone

The Air Force plans to re-allocate $57 million from the KC-46 program to the older refueling tanker, the KC-135 Stratotanker, as issues persist and commanders refuse their aircraft be refueled by it.

June 14 (UPI) -- Because of ongoing problems with the KC-46 Pegasus, the U.S. Air Force plans to initially re-allocate $57 million from the program to the older refueling tanker, the KC-135 Stratotanker, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

The report, which was released Wednesday, also noted that some Air Force commanders don't want their their aircraft refueled by the KC-46. This in turn is further delaying the scheduled use of the plane developed by Boeing, officials said.

The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee received the report.

Boeing remains three years behind schedule on the program and won't deliver the first 18 aircraft with all three refueling subsystems by June 2020. The aircraft has been in development since 2011.

"Program officials expect the KC-46 to meet key performance goals over the next few years as it accumulates 50,000 fleet hours," the report said. "However, the Air Force is accepting aircraft that do not fully meet contract specifications and have critical deficiencies."

The three Category 1 deficiencies are lack of visual clarity in the remote vision system, undetected contacts with receiver aircraft, and boom stiffness while refueling lighter aircraft.

"The deficiencies could affect operations and cause damage to stealth aircraft being refueled, making them visible to radar," the report said.

Program officials estimate it will take three to four years to develop fixes for these deficiencies, and a few more years to retrofit up to 106 aircraft.

Also, there there are 160 Category 2 deficiencies can be addressed through workarounds, according to the report.

The Air Force's estimated costs for the fixes are more than $300 million. The Air Force is withholding 20 percent payment on each aircraft until Boeing fixes the deficiencies and noncompliances.

The GAO analyzed cost, schedule, performance, test, manufacturing, contracting, and sustainment planning documents. Interviewed were officials from the KC-46 program office, other defense offices, such as the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

"Air Force major commands have been reluctant to allow their receiver aircraft to be tested with the KC-46 over concerns that the lack of visual clarity in the remote vision system and the boom's stiffness could cause the boom to strike and damage the receiver aircraft," the report states. "Program officials told us that, as a result, negotiations between the KC-46 program and Air Force major command officials concerning the use of receiver aircraft are taking longer than expected."

Air Mobility Command in fiscal 2020 plans to reallocate $57 million from the KC-46 program to fly and maintain KC-135s, which were manufactured between 1955 and 1965 -- meaning they will be in use far longer than planned.

"The funding would cover the cost to fly and sustain some KC-135 aircraft above what the command had planned, including the associated personnel costs," the report states. "Air Mobility Command officials said that decisions about retaining some legacy KC-135 aircraft would be reviewed annually thereafter. If these aircraft are retained, funding would be reallocated from the KC-46 program to support the decision."

Amid issues, the report notes that the costs of the KC-46 program have been coming under cost. As of January, the Air Force estimates that its total cost, including development, procurement and military construction, will be $43 billion, about $9 billion less than the 2011 estimate of $51.7 billion.

The military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft are built from empty Boeing 767 jet airliners in Everett, Wash., then transferred to a facility at the south end of Paine Field called the Military Delivery Center. That's where the jet's military systems, including the refueling and communications equipment, are installed.

In January, the first two KC-46s were flown from Boeing's facilities to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.

On Feb. 21, the Air Force halted deliveries of the aircraft due to foreign object debris, including trash and industrial tools. Eight tools were found in aircraft under production at Boeing's facility, and two more in tankers delivered to the U.S. Air Force, according to an internal Boeing memo.

After inspections by the Air Force and the creation of an additional inspections plan, deliveries resumed about one week later.

But the Pentagon again halted deliveries of the aircraft in April due to foreign object debris. At the same time, in April, Boeing was awarded a $5.7 billion post-production contract for combat capability for the K-46 Pegasus.

The KC-46A can accommodate a mixed load of passengers, aeromedical evacuation and cargo capabilities, including maximum takeoff weight of 415,000 pounds and fuel capacity of 212,299 pounds, according to the Air Force.

GAO report: Air Force shifting money to KC-135 because of KC-46 tanker problems - UPI.com

Because of ongoing problems with the KC-46 Pegasus, the Air Force plans to initially re-allocate $57 million from the program to the KC-135 Stratotanker, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

GAO: Air Force shifting money to KC-135 because of KC-46 tanker problems
June 14, 2019
By Allen Cone

The Air Force plans to re-allocate $57 million from the KC-46 program to the older refueling tanker, the KC-135 Stratotanker, as issues persist and commanders refuse their aircraft be refueled by it.
View attachment 8053

June 14 (UPI) -- Because of ongoing problems with the KC-46 Pegasus, the U.S. Air Force plans to initially re-allocate $57 million from the program to the older refueling tanker, the KC-135 Stratotanker, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

The report, which was released Wednesday, also noted that some Air Force commanders don't want their their aircraft refueled by the KC-46. This in turn is further delaying the scheduled use of the plane developed by Boeing, officials said.

The House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee received the report.

Boeing remains three years behind schedule on the program and won't deliver the first 18 aircraft with all three refueling subsystems by June 2020. The aircraft has been in development since 2011.

"Program officials expect the KC-46 to meet key performance goals over the next few years as it accumulates 50,000 fleet hours," the report said. "However, the Air Force is accepting aircraft that do not fully meet contract specifications and have critical deficiencies."

The three Category 1 deficiencies are lack of visual clarity in the remote vision system, undetected contacts with receiver aircraft, and boom stiffness while refueling lighter aircraft.

"The deficiencies could affect operations and cause damage to stealth aircraft being refueled, making them visible to radar," the report said.

Program officials estimate it will take three to four years to develop fixes for these deficiencies, and a few more years to retrofit up to 106 aircraft.

Also, there there are 160 Category 2 deficiencies can be addressed through workarounds, according to the report.

The Air Force's estimated costs for the fixes are more than $300 million. The Air Force is withholding 20 percent payment on each aircraft until Boeing fixes the deficiencies and noncompliances.

The GAO analyzed cost, schedule, performance, test, manufacturing, contracting, and sustainment planning documents. Interviewed were officials from the KC-46 program office, other defense offices, such as the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration and Boeing.

"Air Force major commands have been reluctant to allow their receiver aircraft to be tested with the KC-46 over concerns that the lack of visual clarity in the remote vision system and the boom's stiffness could cause the boom to strike and damage the receiver aircraft," the report states. "Program officials told us that, as a result, negotiations between the KC-46 program and Air Force major command officials concerning the use of receiver aircraft are taking longer than expected."

Air Mobility Command in fiscal 2020 plans to reallocate $57 million from the KC-46 program to fly and maintain KC-135s, which were manufactured between 1955 and 1965 -- meaning they will be in use far longer than planned.

"The funding would cover the cost to fly and sustain some KC-135 aircraft above what the command had planned, including the associated personnel costs," the report states. "Air Mobility Command officials said that decisions about retaining some legacy KC-135 aircraft would be reviewed annually thereafter. If these aircraft are retained, funding would be reallocated from the KC-46 program to support the decision."

Amid issues, the report notes that the costs of the KC-46 program have been coming under cost. As of January, the Air Force estimates that its total cost, including development, procurement and military construction, will be $43 billion, about $9 billion less than the 2011 estimate of $51.7 billion.

The military aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft are built from empty Boeing 767 jet airliners in Everett, Wash., then transferred to a facility at the south end of Paine Field called the Military Delivery Center. That's where the jet's military systems, including the refueling and communications equipment, are installed.

In January, the first two KC-46s were flown from Boeing's facilities to McConnell Air Force Base, Kan.

On Feb. 21, the Air Force halted deliveries of the aircraft due to foreign object debris, including trash and industrial tools. Eight tools were found in aircraft under production at Boeing's facility, and two more in tankers delivered to the U.S. Air Force, according to an internal Boeing memo.

After inspections by the Air Force and the creation of an additional inspections plan, deliveries resumed about one week later.

But the Pentagon again halted deliveries of the aircraft in April due to foreign object debris. At the same time, in April, Boeing was awarded a $5.7 billion post-production contract for combat capability for the K-46 Pegasus.

The KC-46A can accommodate a mixed load of passengers, aeromedical evacuation and cargo capabilities, including maximum takeoff weight of 415,000 pounds and fuel capacity of 212,299 pounds, according to the Air Force.

GAO report: Air Force shifting money to KC-135 because of KC-46 tanker problems - UPI.com

Because of ongoing problems with the KC-46 Pegasus, the Air Force plans to initially re-allocate $57 million from the program to the KC-135 Stratotanker, according to a Government Accountability Office report.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Air Force diverted $66M from projects for chemical cleanup costs
By Allen Cone
June 14, 2019

A stockpile of petroleum-contaminated dirt at the Galena landfarm is shown in summer 2017. Galena Air Force Station was turned over to a contractor in 1993, but the Air Force retains responsibility for toxin cleanup in the area. Photo courtesy of Alaska Division of Soil Prevention and Response

June 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force diverted more than $66 million to cover the cleanup costs of harmful "forever chemicals" in the water supply in the past two years, according to an analysis by the Department of Defense.

The class of chemicals, called perfluorooctanic acid and commonly referred to as PFAS, have been widely used by the military in firefighting foam.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, had requested the analysis, was among four Democratic senators who had requested a list of all diversions, or planned diversions, of funds intended for a site cleanup of non-PFAS contamination to PFAS cleanup efforts.

Carper released the letter he received from the Pentagon.

"Congress needs to ensure that the Department of Defense has the resources needed to fully address its millions of dollars -- perhaps billions of dollars -- in liabilities related to the DOD-related PFAS contamination in our communities," Carper said in a statement. "Otherwise, the DOD will just keep robbing Peter to pay Paul by putting important projects on standby and stretching budgets to clean up PFAS contamination. We also need to understand that this problem is not just a money matter."

Originally, the funds were intended for projects that included asbestos abatement, radiological cleanup, removing contaminated soil, repairing the protective covering for a landfill, and monitoring water for contaminants and pesticides.

Specifically more than $37 million was diverted from a landfill cap repair and soil investigation and remediation project at former Galena Air Station, Alaska; and $8.6 million from radiological cleanup in McClellan AFB, Calif. Also, there was munition response investigations and cleanups, including nearly $2 million at Bergstrom AFB, Texas; $1.4 million in Chanute AFB, Ill.; and $2.9 million at Williams AFB, Ill.

"There are a number of ways that Congress must begin tackling this multi-faceted problem," Carper said. "For starters, Congress should declare PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law. That would greatly reduce the slow bureaucracy that so often prolongs the process for cleaning up contaminated sites, which just creates more anxiety for communities concerned about known or potential contamination."

The Army and Navy "have been able to address these emerging requirements without diverting funds" not intended for PFAS cleanup, according to the Pentagon.

"DoD takes its cleanup responsibility seriously and undertakes these actions in an open and transparent manner," wrote Ellen M. Lord, undersecretary of the Department of Defense, said in the letter dated June 5. "Our priority is to quickly address the presence of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctane acid (PFOA) in drinking water that resulted from DoD activities."

Lord said the Pentagon is addressing the chemicals based on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability act of 1980.

In March, the four Senators -- Carper, Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; and Patty Murray, D-Wash. -- also sent letters to the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Management and Budget and Department of Health and Human Services requesting all documents and communications between the agencies related to the interagency review of EPA's February 2019 "PFAS Action Plan" and EPA's long-awaited groundwater cleanup guidelines for PFAS.

On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020, that would force the Pentagon to phase out the use of firefighting foams with PFAS.

Air Force diverted $66M from projects for chemical cleanup costs - UPI.com

The U.S. Air Force diverted more than $66 million to cover the cleanup costs of harmful "forever chemicals" in the water supply, according to an analysis by the Department of Defense.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

Air Force diverted $66M from projects for chemical cleanup costs
By Allen Cone
June 14, 2019

View attachment 8055
A stockpile of petroleum-contaminated dirt at the Galena landfarm is shown in summer 2017. Galena Air Force Station was turned over to a contractor in 1993, but the Air Force retains responsibility for toxin cleanup in the area. Photo courtesy of Alaska Division of Soil Prevention and Response

June 14 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force diverted more than $66 million to cover the cleanup costs of harmful "forever chemicals" in the water supply in the past two years, according to an analysis by the Department of Defense.

The class of chemicals, called perfluorooctanic acid and commonly referred to as PFAS, have been widely used by the military in firefighting foam.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., the top Democrat on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, had requested the analysis, was among four Democratic senators who had requested a list of all diversions, or planned diversions, of funds intended for a site cleanup of non-PFAS contamination to PFAS cleanup efforts.

Carper released the letter he received from the Pentagon.

"Congress needs to ensure that the Department of Defense has the resources needed to fully address its millions of dollars -- perhaps billions of dollars -- in liabilities related to the DOD-related PFAS contamination in our communities," Carper said in a statement. "Otherwise, the DOD will just keep robbing Peter to pay Paul by putting important projects on standby and stretching budgets to clean up PFAS contamination. We also need to understand that this problem is not just a money matter."

Originally, the funds were intended for projects that included asbestos abatement, radiological cleanup, removing contaminated soil, repairing the protective covering for a landfill, and monitoring water for contaminants and pesticides.

Specifically more than $37 million was diverted from a landfill cap repair and soil investigation and remediation project at former Galena Air Station, Alaska; and $8.6 million from radiological cleanup in McClellan AFB, Calif. Also, there was munition response investigations and cleanups, including nearly $2 million at Bergstrom AFB, Texas; $1.4 million in Chanute AFB, Ill.; and $2.9 million at Williams AFB, Ill.

"There are a number of ways that Congress must begin tackling this multi-faceted problem," Carper said. "For starters, Congress should declare PFAS as hazardous substances under the Superfund law. That would greatly reduce the slow bureaucracy that so often prolongs the process for cleaning up contaminated sites, which just creates more anxiety for communities concerned about known or potential contamination."

The Army and Navy "have been able to address these emerging requirements without diverting funds" not intended for PFAS cleanup, according to the Pentagon.

"DoD takes its cleanup responsibility seriously and undertakes these actions in an open and transparent manner," wrote Ellen M. Lord, undersecretary of the Department of Defense, said in the letter dated June 5. "Our priority is to quickly address the presence of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctane acid (PFOA) in drinking water that resulted from DoD activities."

Lord said the Pentagon is addressing the chemicals based on the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability act of 1980.

In March, the four Senators -- Carper, Jack Reed, D-R.I.; Gary Peters, D-Mich.; and Patty Murray, D-Wash. -- also sent letters to the Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Management and Budget and Department of Health and Human Services requesting all documents and communications between the agencies related to the interagency review of EPA's February 2019 "PFAS Action Plan" and EPA's long-awaited groundwater cleanup guidelines for PFAS.

On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee approved the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2020, that would force the Pentagon to phase out the use of firefighting foams with PFAS.

Air Force diverted $66M from projects for chemical cleanup costs - UPI.com

The U.S. Air Force diverted more than $66 million to cover the cleanup costs of harmful "forever chemicals" in the water supply, according to an analysis by the Department of Defense.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

House panel advances $733B defense budget bill over GOP objections
By: Leo Shane III and Joe Gould  
View attachment 8059
Lt. Nicholas Yerkes, a landing signals officer on board the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln, stands watch as an F/A-18F Super Hornet from the Jolly Rogers of Strike Fighter Squadron 103 land on the flight deck. (MC3 Jeff Sherman/U.S. Navy)

WASHINGTON ― House lawmakers advanced a $733 billion defense policy bill on Thursday after nearly 21 hours of sometimes heated debate on the size of the Pentagon budget, the size of the country’s nuclear arsenal and a host of other military priorities for next year.

The 33-24 final vote by the House Armed Services Committee on the draft of the defense authorization bill marked one of the most divided stances from the committee in years, as Republicans voiced concerns with Democrats’ priorities in the measure.

The legislation, which sets military spending policy for the upcoming fiscal year, has been adopted by Congress for 58 consecutive years, usually by sizable bipartisan margins. Committee officials insist that’s because the needs of the military usually rise above the partisan politics of Capitol Hill.

But this year, the narrow passage out of committee illustrated the stark divide in defense policy between the two parties, and hints at a lengthy battle to come as the measure moves across Capitol Hill to the Republican-controlled Senate in the coming weeks.

Committee Chairman Adam Smith, D-Wash., in recent days said he is committed to finding a palatable bill for both Republicans and Democrats. But during the marathon debate he repeatedly defended his party’s plans for $733 billion in defense spending for fiscal 2020 as a responsible and sufficient mark.

“By a reasonably comfortable margin, this is the largest budget we will have ever passed in Congress (for defense) and it's a significant improvement on where we were before,” he said before the committee vote.

Smith had already set aside some of his own priorities in a bid to win support from the panel’s hawkish Republicans, who are likely to influence their caucus when it comes time to vote the bill out of the House. Without that support, Democrats may struggle to gather enough votes from progressives in their own caucus, who have questioned even the lower level of spending.

But Senate Republicans have already set their authorization bill draft at $750 billion, a mark recommended by the White House and defended by HASC ranking member Mac Thornberry, R-Texas. He said that the figure is needed to keep pace with military modernization and readiness needs.

Thornberry’s amendment included a lengthy laundry list of weapons and platforms left out of the bill.

“I worry that we talk about this like it’s just numbers we’re pulling out of the air,” he said. “These are real things. An aircraft carrier gets delayed a year if $733 billion is the way it comes out.”

The bill includes a 3.1 percent pay raise for troops next January — a point of agreement on both sides that Smith repeatedly referenced — and provisions for increased protections for sexual assault victims, increased oversight of military housing problems and parameters for a new Space Corps within the Air Force.

But fights over the effects of climate change on national security, limitations on the use of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp and a provision mandating gender integration in Marine Corps basic training further divided the committee.

On a series of Republican amendments aimed at preserving funds for the nuclear arsenal — including one to protect deployment of low-yield nuclear weapons on submarines — Democrats repeatedly defeated Republican proposals.

Similarly, the committee upheld several provisions designed to put a check on President Donald Trump’s ability to shift resources from the Defense Department to the U.S. southern border with Mexico.

Democrats have accused Trump of abusing his emergency powers to shift Department of Defense funds for the border and send thousands of troops there. In the committee debate, Republicans generally argued Trump is taking necessary and normal steps to secure the border given political resistance to addressing the issue.

“I want everybody to understand we have been sending DoD assets to the border since the Alamo,” said Rep. Mike Rogers, who sponsored one of the amendments. “We have to do it in order to keep our border secure and deal with the humanitarian crisis.”

The measure now shifts to the full House, where Smith and Democratic leadership will have to build a coalition of supporters to get the measure to negotiations with the Senate. That chamber will vote on its draft next week.

Work on a compromise draft between the House and Senate is expected to last through most of the summer and fall.

House panel advances $733B defense budget bill over GOP objections

In a break with tradition, most Republicans on the panel opposed the measure over concerns about funding totals.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Khafee]

Military exercise BALTOPS kicks off along Estonia’s coast
By: Cal Pringle

14 June 2019

View attachment 8061
A U.S. sailor flags down a landing craft to offload tactical vehicles during BALTOPS 2019. (Cpl. Abrey Liggins/U.S. Marine Corps)

WASHINGTON — U.S. and Spanish marines on Wednesday conducted an amphibious landing drill on the Estonian coast as part of this year’s BALTOPS exercise, according to a Pentagon news release.

The location of the exercise is significant for NATO as it seeks to counter what it perceives as Russian aggression along the alliance’s eastern flank.

BALTOPS is an annual maritime-focused exercise in the Baltic region involving 18 allied and partner nations.

During the multinational exercise, U.S. Marines assigned to the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit and their Spanish counterparts assigned to the 2nd Landing Battalion, Marine Infantry Brigade, landed on the shore using the amphibious dock landing ship Fort McHenry, the release said.

Last month, the United States and Estonia signed a defense cooperation agreement, joining the other Baltic states Lithuania and Latvia in reaching bilateral agreements with the Pentagon on future defense planning.

Military exercise BALTOPS kicks off along Estonia’s coast

U.S. and Spanish marines conducted a training mission in the Baltic Sea.

www.defensenews.com

 

[Khafee]

KC-46 refueling system flaws will take years to fix and cost hundreds of millions, GAO says
By: Stephen Losey  
14 June 2019

A KC-46A Pegasus connects with an F-35 Lightning II over California Jan. 22. A new GAO report details continuing problems with several refueling systems. (Ethan Wagner/Air Force)

New designs will be required to fix some of the issues with the refueling boom and the remote vision system on the Air Force’s new KC-46 Pegasus tanker, and that could take years to fix, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Wednesday.

The refueling boom on the Pegasus could inadvertently scratch fighter jets’ stealth coatings, or otherwise damage aircraft, according to the GAO.

The good news is that the cost of delivering all 179 KC-46 tankers is now expected to come in at $43 billion, or nearly $9 billion cheaper than originally estimated in 2011, GAO said in the report. More, the KC-46 is ultimately expected to meet all 21 of its performance goals.

But delays in the program mean that Boeing will not be able to make good on its most significant delivery requirement — delivering nine sets of wing aerial refueling pods — until mid-2020, or nearly three years later than originally expected.

In addition to previously reported foreign object debris problems, the GAO report details deficiencies with the tanker’s remote vision system and refueling boom — which could damage aircraft, especially stealth coatings.

As has been previously reported, the remote vision system’s cameras sometimes had problems with glare when the sun shone at certain angles, GAO said. This caused the display screens to be washed out or blacked out during some test flights, and the aerial refueling operators had a hard time seeing the receiving aircraft’s receptacles to guide in the boom. The system also doesn’t provide enough depth perception in some lighting conditions, GAO said.

Boeing said it has already made changes, such as adjusting the contrast on the display screen and allowing operators to more quickly switch between different viewing options.


However, GAO responded that those changes didn’t fix the underlying problem: KC-46 operators need to be able to refuel aircraft in all conditions, with sufficient visual clarity in all lighting conditions. Boeing has agreed to redesign the vision system to do so, but the redesign could take three or four years, plus several more years to install it in the planes.

That vision problem also caused the boom nozzle to bump into the receiving aircraft, without the knowledge of the refueling operators. This could damage the antenna or other structures near the refueling receptacle, GAO said.

This especially presents a problem for low-observable planes such as the F-22 fighter, because inadvertent boom nozzle contact could scratch or damage special stealth coatings, and make them visible to radar.

GAO also said the Pegasus’ telescoping boom is stiffer than expected, which means lighter aircraft — such as the A-10 and F-16 — must use more power to move the boom forward while in contact to compress it and stay in refueling position.

The need for additional force can create a problem when the receiving planes disconnect from the boom. When they disconnect, their additional power can cause them to lunge forward back into the boom, which could damage the plane and the boom itself.

For the A-10, because the receptacle is located on its nose, a collision with the boom could damage the windshield and put the pilot at a greater risk.

Boeing said that fixing that problem will require a hardware change, which could take three or four years to be designed and certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.

But because the contract didn’t specify how much force should be needed to compress the boom, and because the Air Force signed off on Boeing’s original proposed specifications, program officials said the Air Force will have to foot the bill. The total cost for designing and retrofitting roughly 106 KC-46s? More than $300 million, GAO said.

KC-46 refueling system flaws will take years to fix and cost hundreds of millions, GAO says

New designs will be required to fix some of the issues with the refueling boom and the remote vision system on the Air Force’s new KC-46 Pegasus tanker.

www.airforcetimes.com

 

[Khafee]

KC-46 refueling system flaws will take years to fix and cost hundreds of millions, GAO says
By: Stephen Losey  
14 June 2019

View attachment 8063
A KC-46A Pegasus connects with an F-35 Lightning II over California Jan. 22. A new GAO report details continuing problems with several refueling systems. (Ethan Wagner/Air Force)

New designs will be required to fix some of the issues with the refueling boom and the remote vision system on the Air Force’s new KC-46 Pegasus tanker, and that could take years to fix, the Government Accountability Office said in a report released Wednesday.

The refueling boom on the Pegasus could inadvertently scratch fighter jets’ stealth coatings, or otherwise damage aircraft, according to the GAO.

The good news is that the cost of delivering all 179 KC-46 tankers is now expected to come in at $43 billion, or nearly $9 billion cheaper than originally estimated in 2011, GAO said in the report. More, the KC-46 is ultimately expected to meet all 21 of its performance goals.

But delays in the program mean that Boeing will not be able to make good on its most significant delivery requirement — delivering nine sets of wing aerial refueling pods — until mid-2020, or nearly three years later than originally expected.

In addition to previously reported foreign object debris problems, the GAO report details deficiencies with the tanker’s remote vision system and refueling boom — which could damage aircraft, especially stealth coatings.

As has been previously reported, the remote vision system’s cameras sometimes had problems with glare when the sun shone at certain angles, GAO said. This caused the display screens to be washed out or blacked out during some test flights, and the aerial refueling operators had a hard time seeing the receiving aircraft’s receptacles to guide in the boom. The system also doesn’t provide enough depth perception in some lighting conditions, GAO said.

Boeing said it has already made changes, such as adjusting the contrast on the display screen and allowing operators to more quickly switch between different viewing options.


However, GAO responded that those changes didn’t fix the underlying problem: KC-46 operators need to be able to refuel aircraft in all conditions, with sufficient visual clarity in all lighting conditions. Boeing has agreed to redesign the vision system to do so, but the redesign could take three or four years, plus several more years to install it in the planes.

That vision problem also caused the boom nozzle to bump into the receiving aircraft, without the knowledge of the refueling operators. This could damage the antenna or other structures near the refueling receptacle, GAO said.

This especially presents a problem for low-observable planes such as the F-22 fighter, because inadvertent boom nozzle contact could scratch or damage special stealth coatings, and make them visible to radar.

GAO also said the Pegasus’ telescoping boom is stiffer than expected, which means lighter aircraft — such as the A-10 and F-16 — must use more power to move the boom forward while in contact to compress it and stay in refueling position.

The need for additional force can create a problem when the receiving planes disconnect from the boom. When they disconnect, their additional power can cause them to lunge forward back into the boom, which could damage the plane and the boom itself.

For the A-10, because the receptacle is located on its nose, a collision with the boom could damage the windshield and put the pilot at a greater risk.

Boeing said that fixing that problem will require a hardware change, which could take three or four years to be designed and certified by the Federal Aviation Administration.

But because the contract didn’t specify how much force should be needed to compress the boom, and because the Air Force signed off on Boeing’s original proposed specifications, program officials said the Air Force will have to foot the bill. The total cost for designing and retrofitting roughly 106 KC-46s? More than $300 million, GAO said.

KC-46 refueling system flaws will take years to fix and cost hundreds of millions, GAO says

New designs will be required to fix some of the issues with the refueling boom and the remote vision system on the Air Force’s new KC-46 Pegasus tanker.

www.airforcetimes.com

 

[Khafee]

2,000 air force personnel from 4 nations join Red Flag-Alaska exercises
By Ed Adamczyk
14 June 2019

View attachment 8092
Personnel of the air forces of four countries -- the United States, Japan, Thailand and South Korea -- are conducting Red Flag-Alaska, a 16-day exercise of simulated air combat at two U.S. Air Force bases in Alaska. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force

View attachment 8093

View attachment 8094

View attachment 8095

June 14 (UPI) -- Red Flag-Alaska, an exercise involving 2,000 personnel, 85 aircraft and the air forces of four Pacific Rim countries, is underway, the U.S. Air Force announced.

The majority of the aircraft, from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the South Korean Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force and the U.S. Air Force, are flying from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, both in Alaska.

The exercise is directed by Pacific Air Forces, a U.S. Air Force component, and allows U.S. forces to train with coalition partners in a simulated combat environment.

It is the first time that senior enlisted leaders from the four countries' air commands have gathered in the same location. The exercise will conclude on June 21.

"Any time we come together in a training environment like this, we get really good and realistic training opportunities with our partner nations," U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth O. Wright said in a press release.

"I think opportunities like Red Flag are extremely important for us to get those repetitions in with our allies. I encourage all participants to take advantage of these opportunities where you get to work at a tactical level with our Indo-Pacific and our European counterparts because you never know how those relationships might pay off one day," Wright said.

The program, which is conducted several times each year, dates to 1975, when it was first undertaken at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. All Red Flag-Alaska exercises take place over the isolated, 67,000 square-mile Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex over central Alaska, and involve integration of various forces in realistic threat environments.

Red Flag-Alaska executes the world's premier tactical joint and coalition air combat employment exercises and are designed to replicate the stresses warfighters must face during their first eight to 10 combat sorties, a USAF statement said.

"What they found in previous wars is that pilots were dying within their first 10 flights in-theater [in combat situations]," said Capt. James Carson of the U.S. Air Force's 354th Operations Group. "That's the idea behind RF-A. We try to provide similar flights to what pilots can expect to see when they actually go to war, but in a safe environment."

Among those involved in the exercise are personnel of the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing, who are testing and operating MQ-9 Reaper drones in simulated combat situations. .

2,000 air force personnel from 4 nations join Red Flag-Alaska exercises - UPI.com

Red Flag-Alaska, an exercise involving 2,000 personnel, 85 aircraft and the air forces of four Pacific Rim countries, is underway, the U.S. Air Force announced.

www.upi.com

 

[Khafee]

2,000 air force personnel from 4 nations join Red Flag-Alaska exercises
By Ed Adamczyk
14 June 2019

View attachment 8092
Personnel of the air forces of four countries -- the United States, Japan, Thailand and South Korea -- are conducting Red Flag-Alaska, a 16-day exercise of simulated air combat at two U.S. Air Force bases in Alaska. Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force

View attachment 8093

View attachment 8094

View attachment 8095

June 14 (UPI) -- Red Flag-Alaska, an exercise involving 2,000 personnel, 85 aircraft and the air forces of four Pacific Rim countries, is underway, the U.S. Air Force announced.

The majority of the aircraft, from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, the South Korean Air Force, the Royal Thai Air Force and the U.S. Air Force, are flying from Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson and Eielson Air Force Base, both in Alaska.

The exercise is directed by Pacific Air Forces, a U.S. Air Force component, and allows U.S. forces to train with coalition partners in a simulated combat environment.

It is the first time that senior enlisted leaders from the four countries' air commands have gathered in the same location. The exercise will conclude on June 21.

"Any time we come together in a training environment like this, we get really good and realistic training opportunities with our partner nations," U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Kaleth O. Wright said in a press release.

"I think opportunities like Red Flag are extremely important for us to get those repetitions in with our allies. I encourage all participants to take advantage of these opportunities where you get to work at a tactical level with our Indo-Pacific and our European counterparts because you never know how those relationships might pay off one day," Wright said.

The program, which is conducted several times each year, dates to 1975, when it was first undertaken at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. All Red Flag-Alaska exercises take place over the isolated, 67,000 square-mile Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex over central Alaska, and involve integration of various forces in realistic threat environments.

Red Flag-Alaska executes the world's premier tactical joint and coalition air combat employment exercises and are designed to replicate the stresses warfighters must face during their first eight to 10 combat sorties, a USAF statement said.

"What they found in previous wars is that pilots were dying within their first 10 flights in-theater [in combat situations]," said Capt. James Carson of the U.S. Air Force's 354th Operations Group. "That's the idea behind RF-A. We try to provide similar flights to what pilots can expect to see when they actually go to war, but in a safe environment."

Among those involved in the exercise are personnel of the New York Air National Guard's 174th Attack Wing, who are testing and operating MQ-9 Reaper drones in simulated combat situations. .

2,000 air force personnel from 4 nations join Red Flag-Alaska exercises - UPI.com

Red Flag-Alaska, an exercise involving 2,000 personnel, 85 aircraft and the air forces of four Pacific Rim countries, is underway, the U.S. Air Force announced.

www.upi.com