Interview with Adm. Nathman of US Fleet Forces Command

Adm. John B. Nathaman

Defense News conducted an extensive interview with Admiral John Nathman, commander of the U.S. Fleet Forces Command on Aug. 4, 2006, at Adm. Nathman’s headquarters in Norfolk, VA.

Subjects discussed included how the job of Fleet Forces Command has evolved since its creation in 2001, global piracy, the “thousand ship navy” concept, new directions in anti-mine warfare, developments related to the Littoral Combat Ship and its program innovations, et. al. The answers were substantive, and the interview is worth your while.

Why Are US Shipbuilding Costs Rising?

Earlier DID articles have covered the issue of increasing US shipbuilding costs from various points of view – see esp. “Costing the CVN-21: A DID Primer” and “RAND: UK Offers Shipbuilding Industry Lessons for USA.” Now RAND turns its attention more fully to the US Navy and shipbuilding industry. Its summary page notes that:

“Over the past several decades, the increases in acquisition costs for U.S. Navy amphibious ships, surface combatants, attack submarines, and nuclear aircraft carriers have outpaced the rate of inflation. To understand why, the authors of this book examined two principal source categories of ship cost escalation: economy-driven factors (which are outside the control of the Navy) and customer-driven factors (features for which the Navy has the most control). The authors also interviewed various shipbuilders to find out their views on other issues contributing to increasing costs. Based on their analysis, the authors propose some ways the Navy might reduce ship costs in the future, including limiting growth in features and requirements and reconsidering the mission orientation of ships. It is recognized, however, that such reductions come at a cost, since the nation and the Navy understandably desire technology and capability that is continuously ahead of their competitors.”

The full, 124-page report can be found here in PDF format.

Additional Readings

• House Armed Services Seapower and Expeditionary Forces Subcommittee (July 30/09) – Hearing on Efforts to Improve Shipbuilding Effectiveness. See Video Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3 || Gene Taylor [D-MS] Opening Statement || PDF submissions from… The Honorable Sean J. Stackley, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Research, Development, and Acquisition | Vice Admiral Kevin McCoy, Commander, US Naval Sea Systems Command | Michael Petters, President of Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding | Mr. David Heebner, Executive Vice President of Marine Systems at General Dynamics | Mr. Ronald E. Ault, President of the Metal Trades Department at the AFL-CIO | Mr. Brett Olson, Business Representative of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Local 46

The Lion in Winter: Government, Industry, and US Naval Shipbuilding Challenges

DID reader Lee Wahler points us to Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter’s recent address to the annual meeting of the Navy League [PDF format], which focused on the problem of naval shipbuilding costs. DID has covered this issue before, but Winters’ speech went beyond that in some interesting ways.

Some key excerpts from the speech follow – and the opening sets the tone:

“After three months in the job as Secretary, I have some observations regarding the relationship between the Navy and industry that I would like to focus on over the next few minutes. There are some positive conclusions – but, at the same time, there are warning signs that the relationship between the Department of the Navy and industry, a relationship that won hot and cold wars, is beginning to fray under the tensions of the fiscal and security environments of today and tomorrow.”

I thought this next bit was his most compelling statement…

$17.4M to Lockheed for SWFTS Naval Battlegroup Interconnectivity

One combat fleet

Lockheed Martin Integrated Systems in Bethesda, MD received a $17.4 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract for systems engineering and integration in support of Combat System Warfare Federated Tactical Systems (SWFTS). SWFTS is comprised of all submarine combat system subsystems, mainly consultation, command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence (C5I). This effort provides for the overall architecture integration of the subsystems to achieve a single total combat system for Naval Battlegroup interconnectivity.

Work will be performed in Manassas, VA (44%); Middletown, RI (12%); San Antonio, TX (8%); Groton, CT (7%); Woodbridge, VA (7%); Newport, RI (7%); Riverdale, MD (5%); Canton, IL (3%); Greensboro, NC (3%); Bethesda, MD (2%); North Waterford, CT (1%); Mystic, CT (1%), and is expected to be complete by December 2006. The contract was competitively procured and advertised on the Navy Electronic Commerce On-line website, with two proposals solicited and received. The Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C., issued the contract (N00024-06-C-6272).

US Government Ship-Building Roundup

CVN 77: Men at work

DID reader Lee Wahler points us to a pair of interesting articles. WorkBoat.com has a piece called “Boatyard Boom“:

“Everything indicates that the shipyard industry is on the leading edge of a boom,” said Butch King, chief executive officer, VT Halter Marine, Pascagoula, Miss. “Day rates are up, the steel market has stabilized, and operators find themselves with a good opportunity to upgrade and add to their fleet… The U.S. government announced plans to add 33 naval vessels to their existing fleet,” King added. The U.S. Coast Guard Deepwater program “continues to build and the demand for littoral combat vessels is growing.”

Note that commercial vessels are a sizable chunk of this activity. On the defense side of the ledger, however, MarineLog.com has an updated list of “Current Government Shipbuilding Contracts,” broken down by vessel type, anufacturer, and customer.

Some points to keep in mind as you read:

Fractal Creep: New Digitized Camo Uniforms for USAF, USN, Jordan

King Abdullah II in KA2

Back on January 9, 2006, DID ran a very popular article discussing the growth of fractal camouflage patterns, including Canada’s trail-blazing CADPAT, the Marines MARPAT, and HyperStealth’s advanced digital KA2 camouflage pattern created for Jordan. HyperStealth had also developed technologies to apply these patterns to aircraft, vehicles, and buildings. Digital camoufalge is a definite trend.

Since then, DID has covered the US Army’s ACUPAT scheme and other improvements to the new Army Combat Uniform. Meanwhile, there are further developments. The US Navy now has a pixilated uniform based on MARPAT, approved and released in early March. The US Air Force has just released its Airman Battle Uniform, based on a slightly pixilated tiger stripe pattern. In Jordan, over 300,000 uniforms have now been produced in variants of HyperStealth’s digital KA2 pattern, including a new Civil Defense Directorate KA2 Blue/Grey digital pattern. Research into night/urban, vehicle and aircraft camouflage patterns is also continuing. Details follow…

US Navy Spends $35M on SkillsNET e-Learning

Small business qualifier SkillsNET Government Ltd. in Waxahachie, TX received a $35 million cost-plus-fixed-fee, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract to provide operation, maintenance, analysis, training, technical services, and a commercial-off-the-shelf Skills Management System software application suite. Here’s an example of that sort of work, involving the Navy’s Chaplain Corps.

This work is part of the US Navy’s ongoing Total Force occupational data capture and analysis efforts, which encompasses all Navy personnel, enlisted, officers (active and reserve, afloat and ashore components), civilians (government and contractor). Work will be performed in Waxahachie, TX and is expected to be complete in March 2011. This contract was not competitively procured by the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division in Orlando, FL (N61339-06-D-0010).

Britain Outsources Royal Maritime Auxilliary Service

RMAS Warden

Serco Denholm Limited was announced as the preferred bidder for a 15-year, GBP 1 billion ($1.75 billion at current rates), Private Finance Initiative contract to provide a wide range of marine services. Subject to ongoing negotiations, the Future Provision of Marine Services (FPMS) contract would see Serco Denholm take responsibility for most marine services throughout the Royal Navy’s three main UK ports at Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth, and in domestic and overseas waters as well. Serco Derholm would also absorb the current Royal Maritime Auxilliary Service (RMAS).

Announcing the proposed new contract, Secretary of State for Defence John Reid said:

Beyond Armaris: Thales “Buys” Minority Stake in DCN

In December 2005, the French state and Thales issued a joint declaration of intent that Thales and DCN would tighten their ties via Thales’ purchase of a 25% interest in DCN. The two companies have previously formed Armaris in 2002 to work on joint projects like the Horizon Class air defense frigates and FREMM multi-role frigates for the French and Italian navies, and are also joint participants in the MOPA2 joint company set up to build France’s second aircraft carrier.

US Navy, Marines Strengthen Recruiting

The Few. The Proud.

The US Navy and Marines recently awarded a pair of additional contracts as part of their ongoing recruiting efforts. Walter Thompson Co. USA in Atlanta, GA received a $36.2 million modification to previously awarded GSA Task Order M00264-02-F-0213 for marketing and advertising services in support of the Marine Corps recruitment programs. The cumulative value of this contract is $196.5 million. Work will be performed in Atlanta, GA and is expected to be complete by September 2006. The Regional Contracting Office Northeast in Quantico, VA issued the contract.

For the US Navy, meanwhile…