The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
August 14, 2024
Early Bird rates available until August 22, 2024
NDTA and USTRANSCOM look forward to seeing you at the 2024 NDTA-USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting, October 7-10, 2024, at the St. Louis Union Station Hotel. The event includes engaging fireside chat sessions with experienced government and industry leaders who will share ideas and experiences that tie into the Fall Meeting theme: “Accelerating Decision Advantage Across Defense Transportation & Logistics.” Join us to discover how data analytics can transform challenges into opportunities and enable decision advantage in military operations. Check out the session highlighted below and the agenda for a full lineup of fireside chats and more. Register today. […READ MORE…]
Pictorial Wrap-up of the 2024 SFPC
Relive the excitement of the Surface Force Protection Conference … or see what you missed. The August issue of Defense Transportation Journal features an eight-page pictorial section capturing the daily conference highlights, including keynote speakers, panelists, the exhibit hall, and a tour of The Port of Virginia and Mobile Command Unit (PAC1). […READ MORE…]
Coast Guard: Autonomous Ships and How to Regulate Them
Autonomous ships can reduce human error, among other potential benefits, but may also pose new risks, such as increased risks of a cyberattack. While these technologies may allow for smaller crews, when in U.S. waters, such ships must still comply with the statutes that established minimum crew size by vessel. This Q&A discusses autonomous ships and how the Coast Guard—the federal agency responsible for the safety of U.S. waterways—regulates them. Click for highlights and a full report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). […READ MORE…]
Your Source
Senators Introduce Bi-partisan Bill to Counter Chinese Maritime Threat
(gCaptain.com) Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), and Rick Scott (R-FL) have introduced the bipartisan Strategic Port Reporting Act, aimed at countering the growing maritime threat posed by China. The legislation mandates the U.S. Department of Defense to devise a strategy to address the increasing influence of Chinese companies in key global ports, which poses risks to U.S. national security, trade routes, and global supply chains. […READ MORE…]
Your Source
Attacks Against Defense Industrial Base Increasing, NSA Chief Warns
(Defense One) China, Russia, and others are taking aim more frequently at companies that serve the U.S. military, Gen. Timothy Haugh, the head of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency (NSA), said at TechNet Cyber last week.
The defense industrial base—the companies that produce goods and services and conduct research for the Defense Department—includes more than 160,000 domestic and foreign companies that employ 9 percent of the U.S. workforce, Haugh said. That base “is being actively targeted by our adversaries and competitors, particularly by the People’s Republic of China,” he said. […READ MORE…]
Your Source
(Container-News.com) Ocean container shipping demand from China to North America and North Europe continued to break records in June as importers rushed to protect supply chains amid the global disruption caused by conflict in the Red Sea. The latest data shows 800,000 TEUs were shipped from China to North Europe in June, the highest-ever monthly figure on this trade. […READ MORE…]
Discover the NEW DTMO Rental Car Agreement with the NDTA Virtual Chapter
You’re invited! The NDTA Virtual Chapter will host an exclusive webinar on the new DTMO Rental Car Agreement using the Microsoft Teams Webinar platform on Tuesday, August 20 from 12 PM to 1:30 PM EST.
Speakers Rob Johnson and Kim Shine from the Defense Travel Management Office (DTMO) will delve into the creation and implementation of the new DTMO Rental Car Agreement #5. Register now to secure your spot and gain invaluable knowledge that will enhance your travel management strategies. […READ MORE…]
The U.S. Department of Transportation announced more than $26.5 million in planning grants through the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) competitive Bridge Investment Program, created by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. These grants will fund 28 projects in 18 states and will be used to make our highway infrastructure more resilient to the effects of climate change. […READ MORE…]
Welcome New Member
NDTA extends a warm welcome to its newest Sustaining Member:
Editor’s Picks
U.S. Container Ports Face Record Cargo Surge Ahead of Possible Port Strike
Monthly inbound cargo volume at major U.S. container ports is expected to approach record levels as retailers expedite shipments ahead of a potential strike at East and Gulf Coast ports, the National Retail Federation (NRF) announced last week. The contract between the International Longshoremen’s Association and the United States Maritime Alliance, covering East Coast and Gulf Coast ports, is set to expire on September 30.
Unique US Navy submarine Returns to Base After Two-year mission
A unique sub-variant of the Ohio-class guided missile submarines, the converted nuclear-powered ballistic missile boat USS Florida, returned at the end of July 2024, to base at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, following a 727-day deployment to 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas of operations.
Newport News Shipbuilding Constructing 2 New Quality of Life Facilities for Navy Submariners
(USNI.org) Shipbuilding is on contract to build two new facilities for U.S. sailors assigned to submarines undergoing overhauls at the Virginia shipyard, USNI News has learned. HII will build the new facilities close to the Newport News dry dock. The two buildings, slated to cost $9 million, will feature a galley and housing for sailors in one facility and workspaces in the other, a spokesperson for Naval Sea Systems Command told USNI News.
Lockheed Martin’s ‘Affordable’ New Hypersonic Missile
(NewAtlas.com) Lockheed Martin has released more details about its Mako hypersonic missile that the company is building for the US Air Force and international customers. The multi-mission missile that flies at Mach 5+ can be launched from a wide variety of aircraft. In development since 2017, the Mako was an entrant in the US Air Force’s Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW) program and was intended to be a missile that was both hypersonic and affordable.
Air Force Weighs Options to Make up for B-52 Cost, Schedule Breaches
(Defense News) The Air Force is working to make up for schedule delays and cost overruns on two central components of its plan to keep the B-52 flying into the 2060s. The 1960s-era B-52, whose missions have ranged from nuclear alert during the Cold War to precision strikes against the Taliban, is the workhorse of the Air Force’s bomber fleet. The service is undergoing a $48 billion overhaul to keep it operating for another 30 to 40 years alongside its newest bomber, the B-21.
Air Force Says Restoring Nukes on Some B-52s Would Cost $4.5 Million
(Defense News) The Air Force estimates it would cost about $4.5 million to restore nuclear weapon capabilities on approximately 30 B-52 bombers. The House and Senate armed services committees included the recommendation in their respective defense policy bills for fiscal 2025. The bombers in question had previously been equipped with the ability to carry nuclear weapons but were converted to conventional aircraft about 10 years ago to comply with a key U.S.-Russia arms control treaty known as New START.
As Recruiting Rebounds, Army to Expand Basic Training, Rebuild for War
(Army Times) Buoyed by an increase in recruiting, the Army will expand its basic combat training in what its leaders hope reflects a turning point as it prepares to meet the challenges of future wars. The added training will begin in October and comes as the Army tries to reverse years of dismal recruiting when it failed to meet its enlistment goals. New units in Oklahoma and Missouri will train as many as 4,000 recruits every year.
Boeing on Track to Break PAC-3 Missile Seeker Annual Production Record
In the quest to ramp up Patriot missile production this year in the U.S., Boeing is on track to break its annual seeker production record, the company announced Aug. 6. In the first half of the year, the program surpassed its previous three- and six-month rolling PAC-3 seeker production records. The program is also on pace to break its annual seeker production record by over 20% by year-end.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. Bridgestone Americas (Bridgestone) and Kodiak Robotics, Inc., celebrated a successful ongoing weekly delivery collaboration that has surpassed 50,000 autonomous long-haul trucking miles, incorporating Kodiak autonomous trucks to ship Bridgestone passenger car tires between South Carolina and Dallas.
Blue Yonder, the leader in digital supply chain transformations, announced the acquisition of One Network Enterprises at an enterprise value of approximately $839 million. The acquisition gives Blue Yonder customers the ability to collaborate and share data – from inventory levels to raw and finished goods materials movement – in real time across all trading partners up and down the supply chain.
The Source is a free educational publication for NDTA members, conference attendees, and associates.