The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association

August 11, 2022

The NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting will include a keynote address by Dr. Tai Ming Cheung, Professor; Director UC Institute on Global Conflict and Cooperation. […READ MORE…]

By ManMohan S Sodhi, Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management, City, University of London, and Christopher S. Tang, Professor of Supply Chain Management, University of California, Los Angeles, for The Conversation

Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan has elicited a strong response from China: three days of simulated attack on Taiwan with further drills announced, plus a withdrawal from critical ongoing conversations with the US on climate change and the military. […READ MORE…]

USTRANSCOM Cybersecurity Newsletter 22-20

Overview: First, the US House of Representatives has passed a bill designed to increase visibility of foreign ransomware attackers. Second, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Ukrainian State Service of Special Communications and Information Protection of Ukraine (SSSCIP) sign a Memorandum of Cooperation (MOC) to strengthen collaboration on shared cybersecurity priorities. […READ MORE…]

MSC Supply Chain Management Division “Delivers” to the Fleet

Article and photo by Hendrick Dickson, Military Sealift Command

Military Sealift Command (MSC) has a fleet of approximately 130 civilian-crewed ships providing agile logistics, strategic sealift, and special mission support across the full spectrum of military operations. This fleet keeps U.S. Navy ships replenished at sea, supports the Joint warfighter, and moves military equipment and supplies to forces around the world. Their motto says, “MSC Delivers,” but who delivers to MSC? […READ MORE…]

Editor’s Picks

Army Barracks in Germany is Ground Zero for Flow of West’s Weapons to Ukraine
(Stars & Stripes)  The push to get Western arms into the hands of Ukrainian troops begins here, on the fourth floor of an old Patch Barracks conference hall that has turned U.S. European Command into a nerve center.

Creating Resilient Supply Chains Requires a ‘Security’ Mindset
(Smerconish)  It is no longer sufficient to design supply chains that are timely and cost-effective. As we learned over the past two years, resilience is paramount and making supply chains resilient demands a new management paradigm.

Send in the Marines? Reconsider Force Design 2030 Beforehand
(Defense News)  As the Marine Corps is reorienting away from counterinsurgency operations in the Middle East and Southwest Asia to a potential peer-level confrontation in the Indo-Pacific region, its leadership argues: “The Marine Corps is not organized, trained, equipped, or postured to meet the demands of the rapidly evolving future operating environment.” But through Force Design 2030 the Corps has embarked upon a dramatic revision of its force structure.

HIMARS’ Hidden Superpower and Other Acquisition Lessons from Ukraine
(Defense One)  With no U.S. troops on the ground, acquisition professionals are the operators making the difference.

Pentagon Advisers Want DoD to Build Out Agreements Between Small and Large Defense Businesses
(Federal News Network)  For the past thirty years, Congress has continued to renew the Defense Department’s Mentor-Protégé Program — but only as a pilot. Now, after an in-depth look from outside business experts, the Defense Business Board is recommending Congress make the program permanent once DoD makes a few tweaks.

WELCOME New NDTA Corporate Member
Please join NDTA in welcoming our newest Sustaining member Trinity Shipping Company!

Atlas Air Worldwide to be Acquired by Investor Group Led by Apollo Together With J.F. Lehman & Company And Hill City Capital for $5.2 Billion
(Atlas Air Worldwide)  Atlas Air Worldwide has announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by an investor group led by funds managed by affiliates of Apollo together with investment affiliates of J.F. Lehman & Company and Hill City Capital in an all-cash transaction with an enterprise valuation of approximately $5.2 billion.

U.S. Bank: Truck Freight Spending Increases Across All Regions in Second Quarter
(U.S. Bank)  Spending on truck freight was up 3.3% compared to the first quarter and 19.7% year-over-year, according to the second quarter 2022 U.S. Bank Freight Payment Index.

AAR Mobility Systems Awarded $173.5 Million Firm-Fixed-Price Contract From U.S. Air Force to Produce Next Generation All Aluminum Cargo Pallets
(AAR CORP.)  AAR CORP. has been awarded a firm-fixed-price (FFP) requirements contract from the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to produce Next Generation All Aluminum Cargo Pallets.

Berkshire Grey and FedEx Expand Their Robotic Automation Solutions Relationship
(FedEx)  Berkshire Grey and FedEx have entered into an agreement for new development activities that will provide broader AI robotic automation capabilities to help improve the safety and efficiency of FedEx package handling operations globally.

A.P. Moller – Maersk to Acquire Danish Company Martin Bencher Group to Strengthen Handling of Project Logistics
(Maersk)  A.P. Moller – Maersk (Maersk) has reached an agreement to acquire Martin Bencher Group, a Denmark-based project logistics company with premium capabilities within non-containerized project logistics. With the intended acquisition of Martin Bencher, Maersk will introduce a new product: Maersk Project Logistics.

The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.