The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
March 26, 2026
May 18-21, 2026
NDTA-CAS
Surface Force Projection Meeting
Check out the daily agenda
Join the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA) and Christopher Newport University’s Center for American Studies (CAS) Surface Force Projection Meeting (SFPM), May 18-21, 2026, at Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA. Connect with top U.S. government and industry experts to tackle deployment and sustainment challenges and address this year’s theme, “Projecting Power in a Globally Contested Environment — Ideas into Action!” Network with peers, attend insightful sessions, and hear from renowned speakers. NDTA, along with CAS, partners with the U.S. Army Transportation Command (ARTRANS), Military Sealift Command (MSC), U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. Coast Guard, logistics and transportation industry, and academia to provide the SFPM. Mark your calendar and don’t miss out! Details on agenda, lodging, and registration will be available on our website starting December 18, 2025. Registration opens on January 29, 2026. Become an NDTA member today for exclusive benefits!
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Bryan Bedford today announced a new measure to enhance safety in areas where helicopters often cross both arrival and departure paths near busy airports.
The general notice (GENOT), which suspends the use of visual separation between airplanes and helicopters, now mandates that air traffic controllers will instead use radar to actively manage these aircraft to keep them separated at specific lateral or vertical distances. […READ MORE…]
Travelers Are Facing the Longest TSA Wait Times in History
(npr.org) TSA is experiencing the longest wait times ever in its 24-year history because of the ongoing partial shutdown, the agency’s deputy administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill told the House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday.
Wait times at some major airports have exceeded four hours, and employees at those airports are calling out of work at rates of 40% to 50%, Nguyen McNeill told members of the committee.
CHAPTER EVENT
Answer the Call to Be Part of Our Nation’s Maritime Industrial Base Strategy!
Join us for NDTA JAX Chapter’s Maritime Industrial Base (MIB) Symposium — an exclusive gathering of Jacksonville’s and Florida’s most influential leaders in maritime logistics, economic development, and national security.
Wednesday, April 22, 2026, 8 AM to 5 PM
University of North Florida
Adam W. Herbert Center
Jacksonville, Florida
Hear from industry innovators shaping the future of America’s sea power and connect with the voices driving regional growth. If you want to be in the room where the future of the MIB is being forged, reserve your seat now before space runs out.
To register: https://www.ndtajax.com/mibsymposium
Apply for 2026 NDTA Foundation Scholarships,
now through Wednesday, April 15, 2026
NDTA wants to remind you that we are accepting applications for the 2026-2027 academic year. Applications are being accepted through April 15 via e-mail at ndtahq@ndtahq.com for our four academic scholarship programs for members and their children:
- Program A – for currently enrolled college students
- Program B – for soon-to-be high school graduates accepted at an accredited institution
- Program C – for currently enrolled, distance learning college students
- Program D, The Denny Edwards Graduate Scholarship – for graduate (master’s degree) students
NDTA offers all scholarship winners a unique opportunity to join our Industry Connect Program (ICP). The ICP links interested students with an industry mentor to help them bridge to the future. More information can be found here.
NDTA is excited about the education and development of our Nation’s future logistics and transportation leaders! Providing scholarships and the ICP helps us promote learning and professional development. To learn about scholarship qualification details and how to apply, go to www.ndtahq.com/foundation/, call us at 703-751-5011 or send us an email at ndtahq@ndtahq.com. Read student testimonials from previous scholarship recipients to learn about the impact it has had on their studies and their career paths.
We look forward to hearing from you!
USTRANSCOM CYBERSECURITY PULSE NEWSLETTER
This issue of USTRANSCOM Cybersecurity Pulse highlights:
- Trump Administration Unveils New Cyber Strategy for America
- Threat Actor Exploits Flaws and Uses Elastic Cloud SIEM to Manage Stolen Data
- FBI is Probing ‘Suspicious’ Breach into Bureau Networks
- Global Takedown Neutralizes Tycoon2FA Phishing Service
- USTRANSCOM DIB TSPs Community of Interest: Join Today for Access to Non-Publicly Available Threat and Cybersecurity Reports
- Iran’s MuddyWater Hackers Hit US Firms with New ‘Dindoor’ Backdoor
- Israel: RedAlert Spyware Campaign Exploits Wartime Panic with Trojanized App
- AI and Deepfakes Supercharge Sophisticated Cyber-Attacks, Says Cloudflare
- Hackers Steal Medical Details of 15 million in France
- Surge in Attacks on Surveillance Cameras Linked to Iranian Hackers
- No One, Not Even Beijing, Is Getting Through the Strait of Hormuz
- FBI and Europol Seize LeakBase Forum Used to Trade Stolen Credentials
- LastPass Warns of New Phishing Campaign
- Fake DOD Memo about ‘Compromised’ Apps Shows Swift Spread of Deceptive Messaging
Editor’s Picks
(army.mil) The U.S. Army officially received a groundbreaking H-60Mx Black Hawk helicopter, extensively modified to fly with or without a pilot at the controls. This next-generation “Optimally Piloted Vehicle” (OPV) now enters a rigorous testing phase, marking a pivotal moment in the Army’s push to build a safer, smarter, and more versatile helicopter fleet for the future.
Advanced Shipbuilding ‘Factory of the Future’ Opens in Alabama
(navy.mil) Funded in part by Navy investments provided in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), the advanced manufacturing company Hadrian officially opened a new facility in Cherokee, Alabama on March 20 that will boost production of U.S. Navy nuclear submarines.
The 2.2 million-sq.-ft. facility will host a highly automated “factory of the future,” known as F4, which will mass produce components for Virginia-class attack submarines and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines.
Marines Test ‘Cruise Control’ Swim Feature on Amphibious Vehicle Prototype
(militarytimes.com) The vehicles vying to replace the Marine Corps’ aging light armored vehicle fleet hit the water for the first time earlier this year, completing a series of tests to demonstrate safety and performance across a spectrum of sea conditions and highlighting some new features in the process.
The testing, which involved the variant of the future advanced reconnaissance vehicle, or ARV, equipped with a 30mm autocannon, took place in January and February at Camp Pendleton, California.
U.S. Air Force Special Operations Seeks Kamikaze Drones
(defensenews.com) The U.S. Air Force wants small one-way attack drones for its special operations forces, according to an Air Force Request for Information.
“Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) and Special Tactics (ST) units currently lack a purpose-built First-Person View (FPV) unmanned capability,” warned the RFI, which is due April 17. “This deficit restricts the force’s ability to employ FPV systems in specialized mission sets and limits the development of standardized Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) essential for modern, high-intensity conflict.”
February Surprise for Busiest U.S. Container Gateway
(freightwaves.com) Empty containers, an indicator of future imports, declined 0.15% to 302,044 TEUs. Port Chief Executive Dr. Noel Hacegaba noted that cargo movement remains fluid despite external pressures.
“Cargo volumes at the Port of Long Beach remained positive in February,” Hacegaba said in an online media briefing. “The conflict in the Middle East has added more uncertainty to global trade and triggered broad market conditions and reactions from parties across the supply chain.”
National Trucking Capacity Is About to Tighten Significantly
The freight market momentum is building at a rapid clip. National dry van spot rates — tracked via the SONAR National Truckload Index (NTI.USA), the 7-day moving average of booked rates including fuel — have broken out to a new cycle high of $2.89 per mile. This represents the strongest level since 2022 and confirms the market’s shift toward carriers is gaining real traction.
Echo Global Logistics Expands Platform with ITS Acquisition
Echo Global Logistics announced that it has completed the acquisition of ITS Logistics, creating an AI-enabled 3PL with over $5 billion in annual revenue. The deal merges two of the industry’s largest brokerage platforms, broadening the scope of transportation service offerings for both companies.
FedEx to Shutter 9 New York Parcel Centers
FedEx Corp. plans to close nine shipping facilities in New York and one in Pennsylvania as its multi-year effort to integrate legacy express and ground delivery operations into one unified surface network enters its final phase. FedEx aims to reduce expensive excess capacity and provide better service by streamlining pickups and deliveries, so most neighborhoods are only served by one van each day.
Construction Complete on U.S. East Coast’s Deepest Commercial Shipping Channel, Harbor
(portofvirginia.com) Construction of the 55-ft. deep shipping channel and harbor, a key project in The Port of Virginia’s® $1.4 billion Gateway Investment Program, is complete, making Virginia home to the deepest port on the U.S. East Coast. “Completion of this project positions The Port of Virginia as a national leader in U.S. port infrastructure development and will help drive the Virginia economy,” said Sarah J. McCoy, interim executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.
Travelport and Icelandair Extend Partnership with Multi-Year Content Agreement
(travelport.com) Travelport, a multi-source content provider that powers bookings for hundreds of thousands of travel suppliers worldwide, announced a multi-year content agreement with Icelandair, extending a partnership that dates to 1993.
The multi-year agreement provides Travelport-connected travel agencies with continued access to Icelandair’s full range of content and competitive fares across its network.
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