The E-2D community reached its mission capable goal five months ahead of schedule recently thanks to efforts made by the E-2/C-2 Airborne Command and Control Systems Program Office (PMA-231) and the Airborne Command and Control Logistics Wing (ACCLOGWING).

The U.S. Navy awarded Vertex Aerospace, LLC (Vertex) a contract for $71,374,880 on March 2 for the base year for the Contractor Logistics and Maintenance Support (CLS) in support of the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) program, with six options for a total contract value of more than $471 million.

Expeditionary Airfield (EAF) Landing Systems teams from the Aircraft Launch and Recovery (ALRE) Program Office (PMA-251) had two action-packed weeks last month improving EAF landing systems at Marine Corps Auxiliary Landing Field Bogue, North Carolina, and the Airfield and EAF ALRE School in Pensacola, Florida.

The U.S. Navy received delivery of the fourth F/A-18E/F Super Hornet to undergo Service Life Modification (SLM) earlier this month – and the first completed at The Boeing Company’s line in San Antonio, Texas.

The three previous jets underwent the series of modifications in St. Louis, Missouri, returning to the fleet fully mission capable, with flight hours extended. The Navy expects delivery of the next completed jet out of St. Louis later this month.

France became the second international customer of the E-2D Advanced Hawkeye (AHE), Dec. 2, with a signed Letter of Offer and Acceptance to procure three E-2D aircraft from the U.S. Navy, for a maximum value of $2 billion.

The U.S. Navy awarded a $496 million Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) contract to L3Harris Technologies on Dec. 18 to further the Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) capability.

The contract supports the final design efforts and manufacturing of eight operational prototype pods and four test pods that will be used for various levels of testing and fleet employment to include airworthiness, functionality, and integration with and carriage on the EA-18G Growler host aircraft.

Four naval aviation program teams were recognized as winners of the 2020 Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition) Acquisition Excellence Awards at a virtual ceremony Nov. 5.

The Air-to-Air Missiles Program Office (PMA-259) International Programs team accepted the 2020 Department of the Navy Acquisition Excellence Award for International Acquisition Partnership on Nov. 5 during a virtual ceremony hosted by Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, James Geurts.

The team was recognized for its continuous accountability and supervision of 103 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) cases valued at $2.6 billion for 34 countries and two NATO organizations.

The U.S. Navy awarded a contract to Vertex Aerospace, LLC (Vertex) on Oct. 20, 2020, for the Contractor Logistics and Maintenance Support (CLS) in support of the Advanced Helicopter Training System (AHTS) program for $70,438,194 for the base year, with six options for a total contract value of $465,200,548.

Three proposals were submitted for the contract. The task order contract for CLS was awarded on a best-value tradeoff basis with a base and six options. CLS availability is scheduled to begin in calendar year 2021 and continue through calendar year 2027.

The U.S. Navy awarded a $25-million contract to Saab Inc. on Sept. 25, 2020, for two AN/SPN-50(V)1 Shipboard Air Traffic Radars and one Installation and Checkout kit.

The new fixed-price incentive fee contract is a sole-source procurement with the first AN/SPN-50(V)1 scheduled for delivery in September 2021. It will replace the Navy’s current radar system, AN/SPN-43C, on Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships in fiscal 2021 timeframe.