The Defense Department has recognized acquisition teams across the department and intelligence agencies for showing “exemplary” contracting practices, DoD News reported Friday.

Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said DoD gave the 2017 David Packard Excellence in Acquisition Award to organizations that helped meet goals under the National Defense Strategy.

The award was established in honor of David Packard, who co-founded Hewlett-Packard and served as deputy defense secretary under the administration of Richard Nixon.

The U.S. Navy‘s Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office received the award due to its “innovative” use of contracting measures to manage a large portfolio of airborne platforms.

DoD also recognized the Defense Contract Management Agency‘s Special Programs Quick Closeout Team for its efforts to speed up the closing of contracts and reduce the number of overage contracts.

The National Reconnaissance Office‘s Low Earth Orbit System Program Office within the Signals Intelligence Systems Acquisition Directorate obtained the 2017 Packard Award for carrying out the launch of an LEO SIGINT spacecraft.

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency‘s Agile Web Presence Program Management Office gained the distinction for addressing the geospatial intelligence needs of DoD and the intelligence community through a “proactive” approach.

The U.S. Navy has performed an exercise with the USS Iwo Jima firing a rolling airframe missile against an unmanned missile drone.

The test was done as part of USS Iwo Jima’s yearly tradition of sensor and missile maintenance checks for the ship’s self-defense system, the Navy said Tuesday.

Under the yearly tradition, the amphibious assault ship’s crew also performs maintenance for gears and motors to ensure that USS Iwo Jima’s physical integrity is not compromised due to daily exposure to sun and salt water.

Capt. Joseph O’Brien, the ship’s commanding officer, led the exercise that took place off Virginia’s coast.

“That’s everything from scenario trainings throughout the entire year in the combat information center to a plethora of maintenance hours to include daily operability tests, bi-weekly checks, and monthly checks to ensure that the RAM launchers are performing at their best condition,” said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Damian Blackwell.

USS Iwo Jima’s CIC holds the responsibility of ensuring that the RAMs accurately track targets.

The ship is used to aid maritime security efforts in cooperation with European and Middle Eastern forces, and will join other naval vessels to compose the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The U.S. Air Force‘s budget request for fiscal year 2019 includes $192.5 million to fund a “small launch” services program over a five-year period, SpaceNews reported Thursday.

The budget line will be used to procure commercial launch services and will include $47.6 million for 2019, $11.5 million for 2020, $57.9 million for 2021, $12.1 million for 2022 and $63.4 million for 2023.

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said the service branch aims to have “a variety of launch capabilities in order to have assured access to space.”

Budget documents state that the small launch program will cover spacelift and rideshare services for developmental, demonstration and small operational spacecraft.

The new program will fund the deployment of payloads weighing less than 8,000 pounds.

The Air Force said the small launch project complements the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, which supports the launch of large satellites.

The U.S. Air Force has performed a demonstration on hydrogen’s use as an alternative fuel for the service branch’s vehicles in Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii.

The demonstration was conducted as part of a partnership between the AF Research Lab and the Hawaii Center for Advanced Transportation Technologies that seeks to test potential Hydrogen applications for the U.S. military, USAF said Thursday.

The Hawaii Air National Guard houses the project’s assets at the 647th Logistics Readiness Squadron.

The effort began in 2006 through the development of a hydrogen electrolysis unit that was used to aid the Defense Department‘s tests for Hydrogen-powered vehicles including the MJ-1E fighter weapons loader and U-30 heavy aircraft tug.

A hydrogen electrolysis unit uses electricity to extract hydrogen particles out of water, and then, compresses the collected particles into fuel.

Members of the AF Civil Engineer Center recently visited the joint base’s hydrogen facility to witness the demonstration of vehicles that make use of the hydrogen-based fuel.

NATO has cleared plans to establish two new commands in an effort to optimize maritime security, logistics and military mobility, DoD News reported Wednesday.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters that the organization will form a joint force command for the Atlantic to help secure sea-based communication lines between North America and Europe.

Stoltenberg added that NATO will also create a command for logistics, reinforcement and military mobility to streamline the transportation of troops and equipment.

U.S. offered to house the joint force command and Germany proposed to host the logistics command.

Stoltenberg noted that he expects defense ministers to make decisions on timelines, locations and staffing for the command headquarters in June.

The secretary said NATO will also set up a cyber operations center at its military headquarters to boost security.