Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Subrina Hearnes signals to an MH-60R Seahawk during operations aboard the USS Curtis Wilbur in the East China Sea, March 17, 2021.
Tuesday, March 23, 2021
Contracts Awarded for Next Generation Interceptor Program
March 23, 2021
The Department of Defense has awarded two contracts to Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. in support of the Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) program. With an estimated maximum value of $1.6 billion through fiscal year 2022, this contract award is structured to carry two designs into the technology development and risk reduction phase of the acquisition program to reduce technical and schedule risk. This award will ensure NGI is an efficient and effective part of an integrated Missile Defense System (MDS) solution.
The Missile Defense Agency awards on March 23, 2021 support the department’s goal of increased competition by funding two designs while remaining flexible to align with evolving Defense Department strategies and priorities.
“Today’s awards are an important step in modernizing our Missile Defense System,” said Stacy Cummings, performing the duties of Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment. “NGI plays an important role in our homeland defense, and our acquisition strategy is ensuring the department maximizes innovation to keep pace with rapidly advancing threats.”
As the ground-based midcourse missile defense system, NGI is an
advanced interceptor designed to protect the nation against
intercontinental ballistic missile attack. The department will uphold
“fly before you buy” principles to ensure the overall system and
components have been rigorously flight-tested prior to making any
procurement decisions.
“NGI is the result of the first holistic technical assessment of
homeland defenses the department has conducted since initial system
operations began in 2004,” added Vice Adm. Jon Hill, Director, Missile
Defense Agency. “By planning to carry two vendors through technology
development, MDA will maximize the benefits of competition to deliver
the most effective and reliable homeland defense missile to the
warfighter as soon as possible. Once fielded, this new homeland defense
interceptor will be capable of defeating expected threat advances into
the 2030s and beyond.”
Stratotanker Scan
Airmen inspect an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker before a flight at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, March 18, 2021.
Securing the Box
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Jessica Mills performs routine maintenance on an aircraft fueling station communications box aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford in the Atlantic Ocean, March 19, 2021.
Flight Prep
Air Force Capt. Brittany Dippel prepares for a flight at Osan Air Base, South Korea, March 16, 2021.
Missile Mission
The USS John S. McCain launches a missile during an exercise in the Philippine Sea, March 20, 2021.
Recovery Mission
Air Force Master Sgt. Reginald Cromier, a life support investigator with Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency, cleans and sorts through aircraft wreckage during a recovery mission in Ratanakiri Province, Cambodia, Feb. 28, 2021.
Expert Shot
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Cameron Ashe and Staff Sgt. Barbara Walker demonstrate correct positioning and shooting techniques during training at Joint Base San Antonio, March 12, 2021.
Insertion and Extraction
Marines conduct insertion and extraction training off the coast of Okinawa, Japan, March 19, 2021.
Falcon Flier
A pilot flies an Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon during Red Flag 21-2 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., March 17, 2021. Participants work with joint and allied partners in 2.9 million acres of land and airspace to advance interoperability.
Sports Heroes Who Served: Singer, Songwriter, Actor Kris Kristofferson Is Also an Army Veteran
March 23, 2021 | , DOD News
Sports Heroes Who Served is a series that highlights the accomplishments of athletes who served in the U.S. military.
Kris Kristofferson is a famous singer-songwriter and actor. He is also an award-winning college athlete, a Rhodes Scholar and an Army veteran.
Although Kristofferson is a singer, he's more famous for the songs he wrote but were covered by others, such as: "Me and Bobby McGee," "For the Good Times," "Sunday Mornin' Comin' Down" and "Help Me Make It Through the Night."
As an actor, he starred in a number of films including: "Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore," "A Star is Born," "Convoy," "Heaven's Gate," "Stagecoach," "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia," "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" and "Blade."
While he is known for his exploits on stage and the big screen, other parts of his life are less well known.
Before his singing and acting career, Kristofferson was a talented athlete in a number of sports.
In 1958, Kristofferson attended Pomona College in California, where he excelled in rugby, football and track and field. He became so famous that he appeared in Sports Illustrated magazine's "Faces in the Crowd" that year.
Clearly, his grades didn't suffer from time spent on the athletic field; he graduated summa cum laude in literature. He also earned a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford, England.
At Oxford, he was awarded the Blue for boxing, which honors athletes who are at the top of their game. The Blue, the highest honor granted to individual sportspeople at the University of Oxford, depends on very specific criteria within that sport and is a highly sought-after achievement for Oxford student athletes.
Kristofferson also was on the university's rugby team.
Lars Henry, Kristofferson's father, was an Air Force pilot, who would eventually retire as a major general. Henry urged Kristofferson to enter the military after college, which he did.
After joining the Army, Kristofferson received flight instruction at Fort Rucker, Alabama, and became a helicopter pilot. He also successfully completed one of the military's most physically challenging courses: Ranger School.
In the early 1960s, he was stationed with the 8th Infantry Division in West Germany, where he formed a band.
After serving overseas, Kristofferson was offered an Army job, teaching English literature at the U.S. Military Academy.
However, Kristofferson's interests were in music, and he decided to leave the Army in 1965 to pursue songwriting. It is said that his decision to leave the military was a blow to his family.
To supplement his income, Kristofferson worked as a commercial helicopter pilot in Louisiana, splitting his time between there and Nashville, Tennessee, where he'd pitch country songs that he wrote. During his time ferrying people and supplies to an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico, Kristofferson wrote two major hits:, "Help Me Make It Through the Night" and "Me and Bobby McGee." Janis Joplin recorded "Me and Bobby McGee" just prior to her death in 1971. It reached the top of the charts, and it is credited as being Kristofferson's breakthrough song.
In 2004, Kristofferson was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
