NS&D Monitor
2/27/2015
IN THE INDUSTRY
CH2M Hill shareholders late last week approved a proposal that would allow the company to seek minority investment from outside investors. The proposal, as outlined in a proxy statement issued last month, involves the elimination of the “prohibition on the issuance of common stock, directly or indirectly, to persons other than employees, directors, consultants or employee benefit trusts without the consent of CH2M HILL stockholders, and to permit such third party investors to transfer CH2M HILL common stock, subject to any contractual limitations.” CH2M Hill has said the proposal is intended to help provide “greater flexibility” in raising capital, but also has stressed the move does not mean the company will be publicly traded.
IN THE NAVY
The Navy on Feb. 22 conducted successful test flights of two Trident 2 D5 missiles, which marks 155 successful test flights since design completion in 1989, according to a Lockheed Martin press release. Lockheed builds the missiles. The Navy launched the unarmed missiles in the Pacific Ocean from a submerged Ohio-class submarine.
IN THE AIR FORCE
The U.S. has dismantled the last Peacekeeper intercontinental ballistic missile silo as dictated by the New START Treaty, according to a Feb. 23 Tweet by the Bureau for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance (AVC). New START requires the dismantlement of 50 Peacekeeper launch facilities at F.E. Warren AFB and one Peacekeeper test launch facility at Vandenberg AFB. An AVC spokesperson told NS&D Monitor in an email that the silo was physically eliminated on Dec. 19. Under the treaty, destroyed facilities must remain open for a 60-day period following dismantlement of the headworks to allow Russia to confirm that the launch facility has been demolished. On Feb. 18, the 60-day observation period for the Vandenberg site ended, and the silo was marked as eliminated under terms of the treaty. The U.S. deployed Peacekeepers—each capable of carrying 10 warheads—from 1986 to 2005.
The Air Force on Feb. 25 released an RFP for its Mk12 reentry vehicle trainer simulator (RVTS) modification program. Industry is required to submit bids by April 28. The RVTS trainer is used to train personnel in the operation, maintenance, assembly, disassembly, reconfiguration, troubleshooting, checkout and field-level repair of the Minuteman 3 reentry system components. Modifications will include updating and delivering data to include specifications, drawings and technical orders for the new RVTS configuration, and retaining the capability to perform all necessary functions to support the ICBM’s RVTS training requirements. Reassembly will include 10 new/remanufactured nose tips for the forward section; electrical boxes, electronics, interconnecting wiring and cabling and miscellaneous hardware for the back section of the missile.
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center Contracting Division at Kirtland AFB on Feb. 25 closed its response period after issuing an RFP on Jan. 25 for Technical Order Support and Logistics Management Administration Support. The main purpose of the contract will be to support and assist the government in developing and maintaining Air Force Nuclear Weapons Technical Orders (TO), including template development, writing, editing, graphic maintenance, quality assurance, preparation in digital format, distribution and assistance with TO management.
ON THE INTERNATIONAL FRONT
At a Feb. 23 meeting of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) in Vienna, Member States unanimously nominated Japan and Kazakhstan to lead international efforts for entry into force of the CTBT, according to a CTBTO release. “This year marks the 70th year after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki,” Japanese Amb. Mitsuru Kitano said. “As the only country that has ever suffered from atomic bombs, Japan will lead the realistic and practical efforts in the international community toward the realization of a world free of nuclear weapons, including efforts towards achieving the early entry into force of the CTBT.” Kitano and Kazakhstani Amb. Kairat Sarybay will co-chair the next conference to facilitate the treaty’s entry into force, tentatively scheduled for Sept. 29, 2015 in New York. The two countries will also collaborate to enter CTBT into force in the two years following the conference as well.