WASHINGTON — Master Chief Jason M. Vanderhaden was relieved as Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard by Master Chief Heath B. Jones during a military change-of-watch ceremony May 19 at Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey.  

Vanderhaden also retired from the Coast Guard after 34 years of service to the nation directly following the ceremony and received the Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal. 

“I’m grateful for the tremendous leadership of our senior enlisted leader corps and amazing Chief’s Mess, they are truly the backbone of our service,” said Vanderhaden. “It’s been an honor to serve as the 13th MCPOCG, and I look forward to observing the great work of our next leadership team. Together we are the world’s best Coast Guard. Semper Paratus!”  

Vanderhaden assumed the duties of the 13th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard on May 17, 2018. The MCPOCG is the highest senior enlisted member of the Coast Guard and the principal adviser to the Commandant on all enlisted personnel matters. 

Jones, now the service’s 14th MCPOCG, previously served as the Command Master Chief for the Deputy Commandant for Mission Support at Coast Guard Headquarters.  

The office of the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard was established by legislative action on August 27, 1969, to provide the Commandant with a personal adviser and assistant in matters affecting the enlisted members of the Coast Guard, both active and reserve, and their families. The normal tour of assignment is four years, which runs concurrently with the Commandant of the Coast Guard.

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy’s Unmanned Carrier Aviation program office (PMA-268) is moving forward with integrating its two key elements — the MQ-25 air vehicle and the MD-5 ground control station — at the program’s System Test and Integration Lab at Patuxent River, Maryland, the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons said May 18. 

PMA-268 is the lead systems integrator, working closely with its two prime industry partners, Boeing and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, to ensure the expeditious integration of the MQ-25 Stingray air vehicle, the MD-5 GCS and aircraft carrier modifications required to support MQ-25 operations. 

The MD-5 GCS is part of the Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System, the system-of-systems required for MQ-25A command and control. UMCS also includes aircraft carrier and shore site infrastructure modifications, Navy produced ancillary equipment and integration with command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems. 

Rear Adm. Brian Corey, who oversees the Program Executive Office for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, visited the lab May 17 for a firsthand look at the equipment required to operate MQ-25. 

“It is great to see momentum with GCS following the successful MQ-25 flight demonstrations last year,” he said to the government/industry team. “The air vehicle and GCS are equally important to this program and this is the team that is going to stitch it together.” 

Just recently, Lockheed Martin delivered the latest system developmental release to the Navy and plans to help integrate the MD-5 system with the air vehicle next month. 

“This will be the first time we are integrating an air vehicle and GCS from two different prime contractors,” said T.J. Maday, MQ-25 labs and integration manager. “And this is all being done with the government as the lead system integrator within the government lab.” 

Early integration allows for risk reduction and integration testing between the air vehicle and ground control station and provides the opportunity to ensure network connectivity between development environments are functional. 

Lockheed Martin also recently delivered two MD-5 ground control stations to Webster Outlying Field in Saint Inigoes, Maryland, to support MQ-25’s test transportable control stations. These will be the first assets to control the MQ-25’s initial Unmanned Carrier Aviation Mission Control System flight in 2023. 

The MQ-25 will be the world’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft. It will provide an aerial refueling capability that extends the range, operational capability and lethality of the carrier air wing.  

WASHINGTON — Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced May 19 that a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be named USS Telesforo Trinidad (DDG 139), honoring Fireman 2nd Class Telesforo De La Cruz Trinidad, the only Filipino in the U.S. Navy to be awarded the Medal of Honor.  

“My first time learning about Petty Officer Trinidad’s story was as a midshipman at the Naval Academy and since being sworn in as secretary, I have wanted to honor his heroic actions by naming a ship after him,” said Del Toro. “This ship and her future crew will be a critical piece in strengthening our maritime superiority while also emphasizing the rich culture and history of our naval heritage.” 

Trinidad was born Nov. 25, 1890, in Aklan Province, Panay, Philippine Islands. On Jan. 21, 1915, Petty Officer Trinidad was serving aboard USS San Diego when the captain decided to conduct a four-hour full-speed and endurance trial to determine if the ship could still maintain its officially rated flank speed. Following the trial, an obstructed tube in one of the ship’s boilers gave way, creating a chain reaction. Trinidad re-entered the closed space to the No. 2 boiler to save Fireman 2nd Class R. W. Daly. As he was carrying Daly through the No. 4 fireroom, an explosion of No. 3 boiler hit Trinidad, which burned him in the face. After seeing Daly to safety and despite his injuries, Trinidad then assisted in rescuing another injured shipmate from the No. 3 fireroom. For his bravery, the U.S. Navy awarded him the Medal of Honor.   

“I am pleased to honor Trinidad’s life and legacy today — especially during Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month,” said Del Toro. “Having a ship named after such a significant figure highlights our diverse culture and that our people will always be our strategic advantage against any adversary. I hope the naming of this ship is a beacon for not only Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders but for all our Sailors, Marines and civilians who serve across the Department of the Navy. The service and sacrifice of these men and women have made our military and our nation stronger and better.” 

WASHINGTON — The keel-laying ceremony for the first new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic-missile submarine (SSBN) will take place June 4. 

The keel-laying date for the future USS Columbia (SSBN 826) was mentioned by Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, during a May 18 hearing of the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. The ceremonies will be held at the General Dynamics Electric Boat Shipyard at Quonset Point, Rhode Island. 

The date was announced to employees of Electric Boat the same morning. The missile compartment and other components are built at Quonset Point. Final assembly of the submarine will take place at the Electric Boat facility in Groton, Connecticut. 

HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, builds 22% of the submarine, including the bow and stern.  

General Dynamics Electric Boat was awarded a $5.1 billion contract in September 2017 to complete the design of the lead boat and in November 2020, the company received a nearly $9.5 billion award for construction and test of the USS Columbia and lead work on the USS Wisconsin. Including the Columbia, hull numbers SSBN 826 through 837 have been reserved for the new class, which previously was known as the Ohio-class Replacement Program. 

The Columbia design features a new reactor with a core designed to last the life of the boat. The Columbia class also will feature an X-stern plane configuration with a waterjet propulsor, electric drive and integrated power system, a six-mast sail with sail planes and a large-aperture bow sonar. The subs will retain the Trident D5LE missile system.

Advance construction of the Columbia began in 2019 and delivery is expected in 2027. The first Columbia SSBN is scheduled to be on patrol in fiscal 2031 to maintain the undersea leg of the nation’s nuclear deterrent force.  

The Columbia class is to completely replace Ohio class SSBNs by 2039. 

NEW LONDON, Conn. — The U.S. Coast Guard Academy graduated 252 new officers, along with nine international students, with keynote speaker Vice President Kamala Harris in attendance during the 141st Commencement Exercises May 18, the academy said May 18. 

The Class of 2022 consisted of 87 cadets from underrepresented minority groups, including the largest number of Asian American and Pacific Islanders to graduate in academy history.  

This year also marked the second highest number of cadets to commission into the Coast Guard in addition to 21 Cyber Systems graduates, the first to graduate from the newly instituted major to meet the needs of the service’s cybersecurity strategy of defending cyber space, enabling operations, and protecting infrastructure.  

The new officers will begin to serve as leaders in a variety of operational roles throughout the Coast Guard, mostly on cutters. 

Nine graduating international cadets from the countries of Cambodia, Iceland, Jordan, Mexico, Madagascar, Palau, Panama, Rwanda and the Ukraine will serve in their respective countries of origin. 

“We view our cadets as our eyes and ears and hands and hearts, wherever you serve,” said Harris. “You are doing the critical work — you will be doing the critical work to protect our country, to advance our interests, and to shape the trajectory of world affairs.” 

Founded in 1876, the Coast Guard Academy is one of the five U.S. service academies and is ranked among the nation’s most prestigious and selective institutions of higher learning. 

TAMPA, Fla. ― Teledyne FLIR Defense announced today at SOFIC 2022 the official launch of SeaFLIR 240 and TacFLIR 240, the latest additions to its line of high-definition, multi-spectral surveillance systems developed for a variety of maritime and land-based operations. 

With a lightweight stabilized turret, HD payload options, and inertial navigation capabilities, SeaFLIR 240 can support a wide range of at-sea missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, search and rescue and special operations. The system’s advanced image-processing technology, coupled with a small form factor, make it ideally suited for U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard combatant craft, small boats, and unmanned surface vessels, the company says.  

Tailored for manned and unmanned vehicle use, TacFLIR 240 is designed to identify and track smugglers, terrorists and other threats, day or night, over the toughest terrain. The system can support mid-range object and vehicle detection and assessment both for military and homeland security customers. 

“Our new SeaFLIR/TacFLIR 240 line is a powerful solution in a smaller package, mission-ready for a host of maritime and land applications,” said Dr. JihFen Lei, executive vice president and general manager of Teledyne FLIR Defense. “Leveraging multiple technology enhancements, such as the ability to support developing Aided Target Recognition capabilities, the new 240 line-up can help users dramatically boost operational surveillance, threat detection and classification, all of which improves situational understanding.” 

PACIFIC OCEAN — The U.S. Navy’s littoral combat ship class successfully launched sea-based missiles at a land-based target for the first time during a proof-of-concept exercise on May 12, said Lt.j.g. Sam Hardgrove in a May 16 release. 

Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) fired three AGM-114L Longbow Hellfire missiles to strike a land-based target several nautical miles away as part of the LCS surface-to-surface mission module, or SSMM. 
 
“This test proved the critical next step in increasing lethality of the littoral combat ship,” said Cmdr. Dustin Lonero, Montgomery’s commanding officer. “Using our speed and shallow draft, we are now uniquely optimized to bring this level of firepower extremely close to shore in support of our warfighters and operators on the beach.” 
 
The Longbow Hellfire missile already plays a key role in the up-gunned surface warfare mission package. Originally fielded by both variants of the littoral combat ship in 2019, the missile has repeatedly demonstrated the capability quickly defeat multiple swarming fast attack craft or fast inshore attack craft. Each LCS is capable carrying 24 missiles. 
 
“The SSMM is a fundamental cornerstone of LCS lethality and evolving capability to provide enhanced fire support in the littorals and over the horizon in support of the Navy and Marine Corps fighting force,” said Lt. Michael Jones, a warfare-tactics instructors from Surface and Mine Warfare Development Center. “The new ability for LCS to conduct maritime strikes bolsters the ship’s role in conducting shaping operations within amphibious and expeditionary warfare areas.” 
 
The Longbow Hellfire missile was commissioned in 1998 and has proven successful over its years of service across all U.S. military branches. Originally designed as an anti-tank weapon for the U.S. Army, its all-weather millimeter-wave sensing, semi-active laser guidance continues to prove extremely effective in the maritime domain against all manner of threats. 
 
“If you take a proven program of record and adapt its capability for the maritime warfare environment, you have a win for the taxpayer, improved interoperability between various services, and an increased lethality and competitive edge at sea,” said Chief Gunner’s Mate David Wynne, Montgomery’s weapons chief petty officer. 
 
Combining emerging technologies, an MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter, from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 23, remained airborne providing advanced targeting and bomb hit assessment capability. The Fire Scout already provides littoral combat ships an over-the-horizon intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting capability. 

HERNDON, Va. — L3Harris Technologies is one of three companies selected to provide preliminary designs for the next generation submarine tender, a support vessel that will provide expeditionary maintenance and repairs for U.S. Navy submarines, the company said May 17.  

L3Harris will support the development of the AS(X) ship specifications, interface specifications, ship cost estimates and construction schedules under the base AS(X) Concept Refinement and Preliminary Design contract. The nine-month concept refinement and preliminary design study includes options for an additional nine-month concept refinement and preliminary design update and an overarching 36-month period for special studies.  

“We are excited to participate in the design study for the AS(X) submarine tender,” said Rosemary Chapdelaine, president of Maritime at L3Harris. “In the coming months, we will work closely with our customer and industry partners to bring innovative solutions to advance the technology that will inform and define the future capabilities on this new class of ships.”  

The AS(X) will be capable of providing support and maintenance for up to four submarines, replacing the U.S. Navy’s two aging tenders, the USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) and USS Frank Cable (AS 40), commissioned in 1979. The current tenders provide intermediate-level maintenance and repairs, hotel services and logistics support at sea to nuclear-powered guided missile and attack submarines deployed in the 5th and 7th fleets areas of responsibility.  

L3Harris’ Herndon, Virgina, facility will perform the program management and engineering design tasks and is partnered with Philly Shipyard Inc. and VARD Inc. for design development. 

MANAMA, Bahrain — A U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer seized 640 kilograms of methamphetamine worth $39 million from a fishing vessel while patrolling international waters in the Gulf of Oman, May 15-16, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/U.S. 5th Fleet public affairs said May 17. 
 
A U.S. Coast Guard interdiction team from USS Momsen (DDG 92) discovered the illegal narcotics during a flag verification boarding in accordance with international law. The confiscated drugs and fishing vessel remain in U.S. custody. 
 
The vessel’s nine crew members identified themselves as Iranian nationals and will be transferred to a regional nation for repatriation. 
 
Momsen was operating in support of Combined Task Force 150, one of four task forces under the Combined Maritime Forces. The international naval force has increased regional patrols to locate and disrupt unlawful maritime activity. 
 
The vessel was interdicted while transiting international waters along a route historically used by criminal organizations to smuggle people, weapons, narcotics and charcoal. Crew members attempted to discard more than 60 bales of the seized drugs as Momsen approached. 
 
CTF 150 has conducted nine successful drug seizures in 2022, resulting in the confiscation of heroin, methamphetamine, amphetamine pills and hashish worth a combined value of $130 million. 
 
Combined Maritime Forces is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world. The organization includes 34 nations and is headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet. 

MANAMA, Bahrain — A U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutter seized illicit narcotics from a fishing vessel while conducting patrols in the Gulf of Oman, May 15, Combined Maritime Forces Public Affairs said May 15. 

USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144) seized 182 kilograms of heroin, 182 kilograms of methamphetamine, 27 kilograms of amphetamine pills and 568 kilograms of hashish with a total estimated U.S. street value of $17 million. 

Glen Harris was operating as part of Combined Task Force 150, one of four task forces within the Combined Maritime Forces. The international naval force has increased regional patrols to locate and disrupt unlawful maritime activity. 

On May 12, USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) interdicted a separate fishing vessel in the Gulf of Oman and seized methamphetamine and hashish worth $10,000, following the seizure of $4 million in heroin May 5 by United Kingdom frigate HMS Montrose (F 236).  

Combined Maritime Forces is the largest multinational naval partnership in the world. The organization includes 34 nations and is headquartered in Bahrain with U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and U.S. 5th Fleet.