The Official Newsletter of The National Defense Transportation Association
May 27, 2026
Fall Meeting Registration
Opens Tomorrow — May 28!
The 14th Annual NDTA–USTRANSCOM Fall Meeting is scheduled for October 26-29, 2026, at the Texas Gaylord Resort & Convention Center, in Grapevine, TX. Industry, government, and military partners will come together to learn about and share ideas, solutions and impacts related to this year’s theme: “Delivering Hope Projecting Lethality – Theater to Globe.“ Join us as we focus on the Joint Deployment and Distribution Enterprise on the direction we need to take and the resources we need to leverage to provide the capacity, posture, and command and control, to gain and maintain the strategic advantage over any adversary.
Visit the Fall Meeting website today and start planning to join us in October in Grapevine, TX! Registration will open on May 28, 2026, and we will continue to update Fall Meeting information on NDTA‘s website as the program agenda develops. We’ll keep you posted with regular reminders and updates on the program and registration details.
U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administrator Delivers Pivotal Address
VADM William A. Brown, USN (Ret.), NDTA President and CEO, received approval from the Maritime Administration to publish his remarks delivered last week at the NDTA-CAS Surface Force Projection Meeting at Christopher Newport University, where Maritime Administrator Captain Steven Carmel spoke to all in attendance.
Here – for the first time – is “American Maritime Power: Wartime Capacity, Peacetime Viability, and the Architecture of Future Trade,” a pivotal address by U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administrator Captain Steven Carmel at the NDTA-CAS Surface Force Projection Meeting. This is a must-read for all U.S. leaders, including economists, systems engineers, logisticians, and transporters.
‘Always push forward’: President Trump Addresses Coast Guard Academy Class of 2026
(www.militarytimes.com) President Donald Trump told Coast Guard Academy graduates that they inherited the legacy of “some of the most daring and intrepid Americans ever to live” and will “go onto greatness themselves” in service to the country.
Speaking in New London, Conn., on May 20 to more than 230 commissioning officers, Trump praised the cadets — some of whom already have saved lives or been involved in major counter-drug operations — for “unbelievable heroism and exceptional selflessness.”
The address marked the second time Trump has spoken at a Coast Guard Academy graduation and the first since his administration announced a $25 billion investment in the service last year. […READ MORE…]
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator (FMCSA) Derek D. Barrs announced the rollout of a registration system for truck drivers, motor coach operators, and other motor carriers. This state-of-the-art tool — called Motus: the U.S. DOT Registration System — replaces a decades-old network of loosely connected applications rife with fraud, waste, and abuse. […READ MORE…]
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford launched a groundbreaking website highlighting the more than 10,000 air traffic control modernization projects that are happening across the nation. The site’s data will be updated monthly to ensure the flying public has an unprecedented level of transparency into how their tax dollars are spent. […READ MORE…]
‘Flying Taxi’ Technology Edging Closer with Help from Department of Transportation
By Vinay Simlot
Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced a new pilot program to advance electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, commonly known as flying taxis. This initiative aims to encourage companies to deploy these revolutionary aircraft across the United States.
This program marks a new chapter in the legacy of American flight, focusing on modernizing air travel. “The country and the companies that are the greatest innovators are the ones that are going to win,” Duffy said during the program announcement. […READ MORE…]
TSA Readies for Summer Travel Season Kickoff
(www.tsa.gov) The official summer travel season is about to kick off, and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is staffed and ready to screen an expected 18.3 million passengers and crew at our nation’s airports between Thursday, May 21, and Wednesday, May 27.
“Thanks to swift action of President Trump and Secretary Mullin to pay frontline TSA officers and put an end to the 76-day Democrat shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, TSA can now anticipate a smooth screening experience for America’s air travelers this Memorial Day and summer travel season,” said TSA Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Administrator Ha McNeill. […READ MORE…]
TSA Is Launching a New ‘Gold+’ Airport Security Program
(www.travelandleisure.com) The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) plans to launch a new TSA Gold+ service as part of the agency’s push to integrate public-private partnerships into security screening efforts.
The new service, being introduced as part of the agency’s 25th anniversary, will allow airports to opt in to “advanced, reliable security solutions designed to keep you safe while making travel more comfortable,” according to the TSA. The new program does not currently have a public sign-up option and can only be utilized by airport operators. […READ MORE…]
Chapter Event
MARITIME INDUSTRIAL BASE (MIB) SYMPOSIUM HIGHLIGHTS
The NDTA JAX Chapter’s MIB Symposium was an exclusive gathering of Jacksonville’s and Florida’s most influential leaders, government officials, educators, and innovators focused on the future of maritime logistics, shipbuilding, and workforce development.
Held at the Adam W. Herbert Center at the University of Florida on April 22, 2026, the event featured engaging panel discussions, interactive Q&A sessions, and high-profile keynote conversations designed to spark collaboration and forward-looking solutions.
Linda Carrion, President of the International Propeller Club of Jacksonville, and Angie Reno, President of the NDTA Jacksonville Chapter, set the stage for a day centered on strategic partnerships and maritime growth. […READ MORE…]
USTRANSCOM Cybersecurity Newsletter
In this issue of USTRANSCOM Cybersecurity Pulse:
- Trump says He and Xi Talked U.S., Chinese Cyberattacks, Spying
- ATTENTION: NDTA Fall Meeting October 26-29, 2026
- The Canvas Breach Proved that Prevention is no Longer Enough
- CISA Unveils CI Fortify to Help Secure Critical Infrastructure during Conflicts
- USTRANSCOM DIB TSPs Community of Interest: Join Today for Access to Non-Publicly Available Threat and Cybersecurity Report
- Tycoon2FA Hijacks Microsoft 365 Accounts via Device-code Phishing
- US Lists Offensive Cyberattacks in Counterterrorism Strategy
- Hackers Abuse Google Ads, Claude.ai Chats to Push Mac Malware
- Google says Criminals used AI-built Zero-day in Planned Mass Hack Spree
- US Bank Reports Itself after Slinging Customer Data at ‘Unauthorized AI App’
- House Homeland Panel gets a Rare Look at Advanced AI Tool amid Escalating Cyber Concerns
- Major Tech Manufacturer Foxconn Confirms Cyberattack Hit North American Factories
- Microsoft Confirms Windows 11 Security Update Install Issues
- Navigating Hostile Waters: Submarine Cable Infrastructure and the Strait of Hormuz
Editor’s Picks
Helos Need Upgrades to Perform Special Ops ‘Quieter, with Fewer Aircraft’: PEO Rotary Wing
(breakingdefense.com) U.S. special operations helicopters must be significantly upgraded to successfully handle future stealth operations “quieter” and using fewer aircraft, according to Program Executive Officer for Rotary Wing Steve Smith.
“We all saw the events in January, and incredible capability demonstrated, but it took immense numbers of aircraft and layered effects,” Smith said at the SOF Week expo here, referring to Operation Absolute Resolve in which the U.S, captured Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela. “We’ve got to be able to do that quieter with fewer aircraft, so we need holistic systems that are on the aircraft that can generate those layered effects.”
U.S. Marines Turn UH-1 Helicopter into a Flying Drone Command Post
(defence-blog.com) U.S. Marines demonstrated a new airborne drone relay tactic during a recent exercise, using UH-1Y Venom utility helicopters as flying command posts to extend the range and lethality of first-person view strike drones well beyond what ground operators can achieve.
In the exercise, which validated a concept that Ukraine’s battlefield experience has shown to be operationally decisive: pairing cheap, expendable drones with the altitude and mobility of manned aircraft to strike targets the helicopter itself cannot safely approach.
U.S. Military’s Shahed-136 Kamikaze Drone Clone Is Getting Hivemind Swarming Capability
The U.S. military’s Low-Cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System, or LUCAS, the recently combat-proven long-range one-way attack drone designed for massed operations, will be equipped with Hivemind autonomy software from Shield AI. The company was selected for the integration effort by the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research and Engineering (OUSW R&E) as part of an effort to bring AI-enabled swarming and autonomous teaming to LUCAS.
The U.S. Navy Is Full Speed Ahead on Building a Laser Fleet
(www.navytimes.com) In a posture statement delivered to the House Armed Services Committee on May 14, Chief of Naval Operations (and noted directed energy champion) Adm. Daryl Caudle delivered a forceful argument for why high-energy laser weapons are a necessity for the sea service — namely, to take over missile defense from kinetic interceptors and free up space for offensive weapons across the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which he proclaimed “the workhorse of the surface Fleet, as illustrated clearly by Operation Epic Fury.”
Modular Construction Key to Battleship Effort, Navy Official Says
(news.usni.org) Spreading the construction of the Trump-class battleship across several different manufacturing locations is key to the Navy’s current plan to build the almost three-football-field-long warship.
The service is betting on modular construction across the country to come together for final battleship assembly at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia in the same drydock the Ford-class carriers are assembled, Jason Potter, performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition (RDA), told the House Armed Services sea power and projection forces subcommittee.
Please join NDTA in welcoming our newest Sustaining Member:
CBVR2 Introduces Advanced Simulation for CBRN Defense and Mission Readiness
(www.ara.com) Applied Research Associates (ARA) is proudly supporting the development of CBVR2, a virtual world technology platform that will enhance readiness and transform how Department of Defense instructors and planners prepare personnel for complex chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) environments.
Matson New Vessel Construction Programs Marks Two Milestones
Matson, Inc. marked two milestones in its fleet renewal program with the beginning of hull assembly on the second of three new LNG powered “Aloha Class” containerships designed for its Hawaii and China-Long Beach Express (CLX)
Radiant Logistics Expands Hong Kong Operations and Establishes New Presence in Shenzhen
(https://radiantdelivers.com) Radiant Logistics, Inc., a leading provider of technology-enabled global transportation and value-added logistics solutions, announced the expansion of its company-owned operations in Hong Kong and the establishment of new company-owned operations in Shenzhen, China, effective May 1, 2026.
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