Two ships delivered more than 8.4 million gallons of fuel and 2.8 million pounds of supplies and equipment to Thule AB, Greenland, as part of the base’s annual resupply mission, according to a release. The nine-day mission, known as Operation Pacer Goose, concluded on Aug. 19. Military Sealift Command, the naval arm of US Transportation Command, oversaw the resupply, with Thule’s 821st Logistics Flight spearheading the activities at its end. The cargo delivered included National Science Foundation equipment and construction materials that Thule engineers will use to support the base’s infrastructure-consolidation project, states the release. Pacer Goose takes place from late June to mid-September, when Thule—located some 750 miles north of the Arctic Circle—is accessible by sea. During other times of the year, aircraft fly in any additional supplies. (Thule report by 1st Lt. Daniel Dale)
The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.