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SCA Weekly Report | January 30 - February 3, 2023
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**Please note that there will not be a SCA Weekly report next week due to the 2023 SCA Winter Membership Meeting**
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2023 SCA Winter Meeting
February 8-9, 2023
The Biltmore Hotel
Coral Gables, FL
The 2023 SCA Winter Membership Meeting will be held on February 8-9, 2023.The cost to attend the meeting is $575.
SCA Board and Committee Meetings will be held on Wednesday, February 8, 2023 and SCA Staff Reports, the Guest Speaker Panel Sessions, and golf tournament will be held on Thursday, February 9, 2023.
The cost to play in the golf tournament is $250 and the cost to rent clubs for the golf tournament is an additional $80.
Please note that groups for the golf tournament will be finalized by February 1, 2023. If you have any requests for your golf group, please email SCA staff before this date.
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Registration Now Open:
2023 National Ship Repair Industry Conference (NSRIC)
March 20-23, 2023
The Westin Crystal City
Arlington, VA
The 2023 National Ship Repair Industry Conference (NSRIC) will be held in-person on March 20-23, 2023.The cost to attend the meeting is $550.
NSRIC 2023 is only open to SCA members and Ship Repair Association Members, and is closed to the press.
Invited Government Speakers for Tuesday Include:
- Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Michael Gilday
- Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti
- Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Linda Fagan
- Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command, Vice Admiral William Galinis
- Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Vice Admiral Roy Kitchener
- Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, Rear Admiral Brendan McLane
- Commander, Regional Maintenance Center, Rear Admiral Eric Ver Hage
- Program Executive Officer for Ships, Rear Admiral Thomas Anderson
- Program Executive Officer for Aircraft Carriers, Rear Admiral James Downey
- Assistant Commandant for Engineering & Logistics, USCG, Rear Admiral Carola List
- Director of Acquisition Programs & Program Executive Officer, USCG, Rear Admiral Chad L. Jacoby
- Secretary of the Navy, Mr. Carlos Del Toro
- ASN RDA (Acting), Mr. Frederick J. Stefany
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A room block has been secured for this event at the Westin Crystal City. To book a room at the negotiated rate of $272/ night, click HERE.
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Senate Armed Services Committee Finalizes Roster
This week, Democrats and Republicans announced the members who will serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC). The committee will continue to be chaired by Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI), while Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS) will succeed retired Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) as ranking member. The Democratic roster to the committee remained unchanged but the Republican roster welcomed three new members to the committee including Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) and Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO).
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) is set to chair the Seapower panel and Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) will chair the Readiness subcommittee. Ranking Members of the subcommittees are expected to be announced shortly.
House Armed Services Committee Finalizes Roster
On Thursday, the House Armed Services Committee organized and named the members of their committee on Thursday this week. Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Ranking Member Adam Smith (D-WA) announced two hearings next week: The Pressing Threat of the Chinese Communist Party to U.S. National Defense and State of the Defense Industrial Base.
SCA President Matt Paxton will be testifying on the state of the shipyard industrial base in the latter hearing.
House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee Names Full Roster; Subcommittees
This week, the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee chaired by Rep. Sam Graves (R-MO) and Rep. Rick Larsen (D-WA), announced its full roster of committee members. Daniel Webster (R-FL) and Salud Carbajal (D-CA) are set to lead the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation.
Senate Commerce Committee Sets Roster; Sens. Scott and Lee Removed from Committee
Senate leaders named the rosters of the Democrats and Republicans who will serve on the Senate Commerce Committee which will be led by Chair Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ranking Member Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Under his purview as Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY) removed Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) from the committee because they tried to oust McConnell as leader of the Republican caucus. The GOP leader insisted last year that he didn’t take the attempt to end his leadership reign personally, but the latest move sends a clear message to conservatives that challenging McConnell’s leadership carries a cost.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) has been a consistent opponent to the Jones Act and has authored several amendments and pieces of legislation to get rid of or to dilute the statute.
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Navy to Host Inaugural Industry Day for Unmanned and Surface Combatants
The Navy program executive office for unmanned and surface combatants plans a three-day series of briefings for industry to outline the current state of projects and new opportunities for companies in a portfolio that is expected to grow in coming years.
The event will take place March 1-3 and is being convened to satisfy a requirement in the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act for industry day events for select advanced system development areas, according to a Jan. 31 notice.
The Navy expects event briefs to cover strategic overviews, program initiatives, avenues of entry, upcoming opportunities, and other topics relevant to the direction and partnership opportunities with the PEO USC and beyond,” states the notice.
The service plans to raise awareness about its work regarding unmanned surface vessels; unmanned underwater vessels; unmanned deployable mobile ocean systems; unmanned deployable fixed ocean systems; and autonomous unmanned aircraft systems, according to the notice.
Navy’s First XLUUV Sub to Go Underwater ‘Very Soon’
The Navy is preparing to transition its largest unmanned submarine to date from land-based testing to underwater trials “very soon,” a service official said Jan. 30.
Researchers are currently conducting land-based subsystem testing, and will be “in the water for full systems testing very soon,” Rob Iera, principal assistant program manager for PMS 406 Unmanned Maritime Systems, said at an American Society of Naval Engineers’ Technology, Systems and Ships Symposium.
The Orca XLUUV, or extra-large unmanned underwater vehicle, is a long-range modular vehicle and the first unmanned diesel electric submarine. The vehicle’s objective is to deploy undersea mines although it could carry a variety of payloads.
The first Orca was originally slated for delivery in December 2020, with all five expected by the end of calendar year 2022, GAO said. The Navy is now expecting the five vehicles between February and June of 2024. The Orca is just one of several unmanned underwater vehicle projects underway with the Navy.
Navy Suspends Work at 4 Dry Docks Over Earthquake Concerns
The US Navy said today it is suspending submarine repair work at four dry docks in Washington state due to concerns about the facilities’ ability to withstand seismic activities.
The suspension of work applies to dry docks four, five and six at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash., and one at the Trident Refit Facility Bangor.
While officials say there is “no immediate risk” to the facilities, the Navy will have a team of more than 100 experts evaluate the dry docks for what measures are required long-term to keep its personnel and equipment safe.
Driving the concerns are the results of a recent planned “seismic study,” which was done as part of the service’s long-term plan to revamp the four public shipyards, that “identified potential issues associated with the remote possibility of a large-scale earthquake occurring simultaneously with a submarine maintenance availability,” according to the statement.
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WindServe Marine Secures Loan for Offshore Wind CTV Construction
WindServe Marine, a U.S. offshore wind support services company, has secured a loan from The Washington Trust Company, for the construction of three new 88-foot crew transfer vessels (CTV). WindServe's new CTV fleet will initially support the design efforts of 12 new turbines at the Southfork Wind project, located off the coast of Long Island. Once the turbines' construction is complete, the utility of the vessels will be expanded to service and maintenance to similar windfarm projects including Revolution Wind (RI and CT), and Sunrise Wind (NY)," Washington Trust said.
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China Will Use Antarctica for Its Ocean Monitoring Satellites
China, only the third country to put a man in space after the Soviet Union and United States, is to build ground stations on Antarctica to back its network of ocean monitoring satellites, state media said on Thursday. China’s global network of ground stations to support a growing number of satellites and outer space ambitions has drawn concern from some nations that it could be used for espionage, a suggestion China rejects.
China Aerospace Science and Technology Group Co. is to build the stations at the Zhongshan research base, one of two permanent Chinese research stations on Antarctica, after winning the tender with its 43.95 million yuan ($6.53 million) bid, state-controlled China Space News reported. No technical details of the project were given in the report, though China Space News published two accompanying illustrations of an artist’s rendering that shows four ground stations at Zhongshan, located by Prydz Bay in East Antarctica, south of the Indian Ocean.
The project was part of broader initiatives aimed at building China’s marine economy and turning China into a marine power, according to China Space News.
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FMC Will Seek Additional Comments on “Unreasonable Refusal to Deal” Rulemaking
In a briefing last week, the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) noted that since the signing into law of the Ocean Shipping Reform Act (OSRA), the public is continuing to take advantage of the act’s provision that created the ability to file Charge Complaints.
The Commission has received more than 200 filings since the law’s enactment in June 2022. More than 70 Charge Complaints met the threshold requirements for being referred to investigators. Commission staff reported that the Charge Complaint process is proving successful at promoting informal settlements as well as waivers of Demurrage and Detention billings. Staff estimate that more than $700,000 in charges have been refunded by carriers since June.
Long Beach Seeks Offshore Wind Opportunities with Pier Wind Project
The Port of Long Beach is looking to offshore wind turbine assembly and manufacturing as a new growth strategy as part of its vision for the future. The port announced its plans for a terminal dedicated to California’s emerging offshore wind business as port executives review the state of the port and declared 2023 as the “Year of Imagination” as they look toward the future now that the surge in containers has peaked.
A centerpiece in the port’s future strategy and its overall goal to become the world’s first zero-emissions seaport, the new 400-acre terminal would be the largest offshore wind turbine assembly facility dedicated to floating wind farm technology. The proposed floating offshore wind staging and integration facility is dubbed “Pier Wind” within the port’s complex.
Anchorage Launch Gets New Metal Shark-Built Crew Boat
Recently, Metal Shark delivered a welded-aluminum 45 Defiant crew boat to Anchorage Launch Services Company, an Oregon-based operator providing launch, line, pilotage, and cargo services to vessels on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers. Designed in-house by the Metal Shark engineering team and built at the company’s Jeanerette, LA, production facility, the 47 x 12 ft. twin-diesel waterjet-powered “Triumph VII” is now in service.
“Our captains, crew, and passengers have all been very impressed with the capabilities of our new vessel,” said Alex Scott, COO of Anchorage Launch. “With an extra emphasis on safety, performance, and passenger accommodations, it is clear that Metal Shark paid close attention to the details.”
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If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the SCA staff.
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