SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutter Willow has completed a 12-day mission servicing 23 critical aids to navigation (AToN) across eight maritime ports in Puerto Rico, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. 

The crew of the cutter Willow serviced AToN in the ports of San Juan, Mayaguez, Tallaboa, Ponce, Guanica, Ceiba, Culebra and in the southwest pass of Vieques, Puerto Rico. 

“After 15 months of multiple major maintenance periods and COVID restrictions, the Coast Guard Cutter Willow is excited to be back in Puerto Rico,” said Cmdr. Margaret Kennedy, Coast Guard Cutter Willow commanding officer. “It’s dirty but satisfying work, which makes the waterways safe for commercial and recreational marine traffic and helps facilitate the flow of maritime commerce to and from the island. Our ship and crew still have a lot of work to do, and we look forward to returning to the Sector San Juan area later this summer to complete it.” 

As the only heavy lift asset within the Coast Guard’s Seventh District, cutter Willow is primarily responsible for the continuous operation of 245 fixed and floating aids to navigation spanning from the U.S Virgin Islands to South Carolina and relies on a crew of 48 personnel to complete this and other Coast Guard missions.  

The servicing of these maritime resources requires a systematic process that often places the cutter in hazardous waters while the crew works to lift the aid, steel chain, and concrete sinker out of the water to replace components of the buoy and mooring on deck. 

This occurs up to six times a day and requires a team effort by all hands onboard to complete the task. Once set back in the water, the aid is precisely placed using GPS coordinates that best mark the waterway for the mariner to reference.  

The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Willow (WLB 202) is a 225-foot sea going buoy tender homeported in Charleston, South Carolina. 

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Huntington Ingalls Industries announced on May 25 a U.S. Navy order of two REMUS 300 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). 

“REMUS UUVs have been used by the U.S. Navy for their defense operations for more than 20 years,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems business group in HII’s Technical Solutions division. “We are pleased to provide them with the new REMUS 300 to support their critical national security missions.” 

The two-man portable, small-class UUV offers swappable energy modules with up to 10, 20 or 30 hours of endurance. The open architecture and modularity allow REMUS 300 to be tailored to specific mission requirements and enable spiral development and upgrades as technology evolves. 

Delivery of the commercial REMUS 300 UUVs is scheduled for mid-2022. 

SAN DIEGO — General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced in a May 24 release that the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system aboard the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) achieved the Navy’s target of 8,000 successful aircraft launches and recoveries during the ship’s 18-month post-delivery test and trial (PDT&T) period.   

“The last 18-months have been very exciting and challenging. We are proud of the record number of critical “firsts” EMALS and AAG achieved during this period to bring the systems into real-time operational readiness,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Navy leadership set a clear goal of completing 8,000 catapult launches and arrestments during PDT&T. EMALS and AAG met and exceeded that goal with a 100% safety record.”   

During the January 2020 through April 30, 2021 PDT&T period, CVN 78 conducted 18 independent steaming events (ISE) involving night and day, all weather, and various sea state operations. Within the first three months, EMALS and AAG completed critical aircraft compatibility testing, flight deck certification and more than 2,000 successful aircraft launch and recovery cycles involving F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2C/D Hawkeyes and Advanced Hawkeyes, C-2A Greyhounds, EA-18G Growlers, and T-45C Goshawks. By the 17th ISE in March 2021, EMALS and AAG had successfully completed 7,879 cats and traps aboard CVN 78. During the 18th and final ISE in April 2021, EMALS and AAG broke 8,000 by over 150 launches and recoveries.  

“What is also notable is that CVN 78 was the only East Coast carrier available for student aviator carrier training and pilot certification during this period,” Forney said. “EMALS and AAG played a critical role in helping over 400 pilots, including new student aviators, achieve their initial carrier qualifications or recertify their proficiency. The confidence placed in EMALS and AAG capabilities to safely launch and arrest both seasoned pilots as they sharpen their skillsets, and future naval aviators as they earn their wings of gold, is something we are extremely proud of.” 

GA-EMS is also delivering EMALS and AAG for the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) and USS Enterprise (CVN 80). EMALS and AAG will provide greater flexibility over legacy systems to accommodate the current air wing, as well as future manned and unmanned aircraft. 

MEDITERRANEAN SEA — The Legend-class national security USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753) transited out of the Mediterranean Sea, concluding the crew’s recent operations in the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet’s area of responsibility, May 24, 2021, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in a May 25 release. 

Hamilton entered the Mediterranean Sea on April 15 and the Black Sea on April 27 to support NATO Allies and partners. Hamilton was the first U.S. Coast Guard Cutter to visit the Black Sea since 2008. The last U.S. Coast Guard cutter to visit the Black Sea was USCGC Dallas (WHEC 716) and sailed to the Black Sea twice, in 2008 and 1995. 

Since leaving the Black Sea on May 14, Hamilton’s crew visited Valletta, Malta, and conducted engagements at sea with the armed forces of Malta. They also conducted a brief logistics stop in Rota, Spain, on May 23. 

“By operating with 6th Fleet, we expand the Coast Guard’s global reach and advance our Nation’s Tri-Service Maritime Strategy,” said Capt. Timothy Cronin, commanding officer of USCGC Hamilton (WMSL 753). “This deployment also reinforced our commitment to freedom of navigation in international waters while building capacity and partnerships with nations that have shared interests and threats in the maritime domain.” 

After departing North Charleston, South Carolina, on Feb. 28, the crew of Hamilton stopped in Puerto Rico and then headed toward Rota, with two Sentinel-class fast response cutters, USCGC Charles Moulthrope (WPC 1141) and USCGC Robert Goldman (WPC 1142). After escorting the fast response cutters and departing Spain, Hamilton then visited Italy, Georgia, Ukraine and Malta. The crew conducted various operational exercises with the maritime components of each country and Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria. 

“The relationships we build are fundamental for establishing maritime safety and security worldwide,” said Lt. Cmdr. Taylor Kellogg, operations officer of USCGC Hamilton. “Working together with our NATO allies and partners, we advance the rule of law on the sea, ensuring free and open access to the maritime domain.” 

The U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard operate forward, from the littoral to the open ocean, ensuring stability and open sea lanes across all maritime domains. U.S. Coast Guard operations in U.S. 6th Fleet demonstrate the service’s commitment, flexibility, and capability to operate and address security concerns throughout Europe and Africa. 

The U.S. Coast Guard is conducting a routine deployment in U.S. Navy 6th Fleet, working alongside allies, building maritime domain awareness and sharing best practices with partner nation navies and coast guards. 

SAN DIEGO – The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) returned to San Diego, May 25, marking the completion of its deployment to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility, the U.S. 3rd Fleet’s Public Affairs office said in a May 25 release. 

Theodore Roosevelt, flagship of the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG), departed on deployment Dec. 23, 2020, to the U.S. 3rd Fleet and 7th Fleet areas of operation. 

“Whether it was operating in the Indo-Pacific and the South China Sea or high northern latitudes in the Gulf of Alaska, Carrier Strike Group Nine demonstrated that the U.S. Navy is ready for anything,” said Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo, commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine. “We met the challenges that COVID-19 brought head-on and successfully deployed forward to work with our allies and partners from Australia, India, Japan, Malaysia, and South Korea.” 

In U.S. 7th Fleet, Theodore Roosevelt’s primary mission was conducting maritime security operations, ensuring freedom of navigation and economic trade in the Indo-Pacific region. In support of allies and partners, Theodore Roosevelt conducted bilateral exercises with the Indian navy and air force, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal Australian Navy, Republic of Korea navy, and the Royal Malaysian Air Force, focusing on building capabilities and increasing combat readiness to win the high-end fight. In May, Theodore Roosevelt participated in exercise Northern Edge 2021 in the Gulf of Alaska. 
 
“I am incredibly proud of this crew for all their hard work and sacrifice throughout this deployment,” said Capt. Eric Anduze, commanding officer of Theodore Roosevelt. “Our presence in the Indo-Pacific had a significant impact on maintaining stability and security in the region that would not have been possible without every single Sailor aboard.” 
 
Theodore Roosevelt joined forces with the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group to conduct dual-carrier operations and, on a later date, the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group in the South China Sea for expeditionary strike force operations, increasing interoperability as well as command and control capabilities. 
 
The TRCSG consists of USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG 52), Destroyer Squadron 23, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Russell (DDG 59). 
 
Theodore Roosevelt’s embarked air wing consists of the “Tomcatters” of Strike Fighter Squadrons (VFA) 31, “Golden Warriors” of VFA-87, “Blue Diamonds” of VFA-146, “Black Knights” of VFA-154, “Liberty Bells” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115, “The Gray Wolves” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 142, “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75, “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 and “Providers” of Fleet Logistic Support Squadron (VRC) 30 Detachment 3. 

Ron Tremain hails from Sherwood, Oregon, and is the vice president of Maritime Domain Awareness for Saildrone Inc. Prior to coming aboard Saildrone, Tremain led the maritime business development team at Insitu and consulted on avia­tion programs at Boeing.

Tremain’s history of maritime operational success is demon­strated by his 23-year career as one of the first elite U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmers and by his strong track record of building some of the largest and most successful autonomous maritime programs, as evidenced by the highly successful U.S. Coast Guard ScanEagle program and his work protecting national security and battling illegal, unreported and unreg­ulated fishing; piracy; and transnational organized crime in the U.S. government and international arenas. 

Tremain responded to questions from Senior Editor Richard R. Burgess.

What is Saildrone?

TREMAIN: Saildrone is a company building and operat­ing unmanned surface vehicles [USVs] that are powered primarily by solar energy, with wind being the primary propellent for the craft. Our founder, Richard Jenkins, has set a number of world records in the sailing industry be­fore coming to the autonomy world, and he brought his technologies and his experience into creating a vehicle that has the capability to operate at long range and long endurance with primarily solar and wind power.

We have three difference sizes of platforms: Our small­est is the 23-foot-long Explorer. Our medium size is the 33-foot-long Voyager. Our largest size is the 72-foot-long Surveyor. The carbon-fiber sail on each is more like a wing than a sail but is a sail that can be controlled mechanically and with the wind. Depending on which di­rection we want it to sail, the operator can make adjust­ments to increase the speed, decrease the speed, change course direction as needed. The largest USV, Surveyor, also has a diesel engine installed to augment the genera­tor and to drive an underwater propeller as needed.

The speed of the Saildrones depends on the wind and on the size of the vessel. Surveyor can do at more than 9 knots, Voyager can do 7 knots plus and Explorer typically does up to 4 knots, but it can do 4 knots plus.

What kind of sensors equip Saildrones?

TREMAIN: For sensors, the USVs are fitted with an ad­vanced sensor suite of atmospheric and oceanograph­ic sensors, combined with MDA sensors such as AIS [Automatic Identification Systems], radar. Depending on the configuration, we have either four to 16 cameras that are pointing in a variety of directions but overlap 360-degree cameras to give a complete picture of the vehicle’s surroundings. The USVs also can be fitted with towed arrays.

How is the data transmitted to the user?

TREMAIN: All data coming off a Saildrone is real-time and is on a secure network, so it is mission hardened ready for military applications. The data will be linked directly into systems like Minotaur, which is the mesh network for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and other services. The advantage of that means that they don’t have to have a standalone data feed for Saildrone. The data goes right into the existing architecture.

What are some of Saildrone’s operations?

TREMAIN: It’s important to note all three vessels are equipped to be at sea for six months or longer. So it’s a real force multiplier and a game-changer to current op­erations, because it allows an autonomous vehicle to be at sea for extended periods of time and at extreme rang­es. To put it into perspective, not long ago we launched USVs from our site base in Alameda, California, and they currently are conducting fisheries operations in the Bering Sea, tracking and surveying tagged king crabs for a fisheries consortium. We’ve done the same with other fisheries and government agencies. The government and fisheries can do a comparative analysis and determine the best recommendations for a particular fishery.

With respect to the Coast Guard, Voyager fits very well for their mission of countering illegal, unreported and un­regulated fishing [IUU], which has overtaken piracy as a maritime law enforcement problem. In addition to coun­tering IUU fishing, USVs could conduct long-duration intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions to enable narcotics interdictions.

Last year, we conducted an operational demonstration for the Coast Guard’s District 14 in Hawaii, a very good showing of the capabilities and how we can inject into current operations. We also learned that there were some shortcomings, so we went back to the drawing board and created our middle-sized vessel, Voyager, our flagship for maritime domain operations. Our larger platform, Surveyor, was built for the mission of ba­thymetry, surveying the ocean floor. But all three USVs are basically utility vessels and can be configured as appropriate to customer needs based on space-weight-power requirements.

Saildrones have conducted the first eastbound and west­bound crossings of the Atlantic Ocean. They have tracked fish in the North Sea, surveyed ocean eddies off Africa and air-sea heat transfer over the Gulf of Mexico and discovered a shipwreck in the gulf. They have sailed up to and into bands of Arctic sea ice.

Explorer has done several missions worldwide to include circumnavigating Antarctica and then returning to Ala­meda, a journey of over 12,000 miles and 196 days. It has been used for many years now to conduct fishery surveys, bathymetry, NOAA [National Oceanic and Atmospher­ic Administration] operations, and other science and oceanographic operations. It’s been quite successful.

Saildrones have been used by NOAA and a university to study great white sharks between California and Hawaii, resulting in a lot of new knowledge about them. We’re also conducting a lot of weather operations, providing real-time weather data feeds from every hour from each vessel to NOAA and to the National Weather Service. Most weather patterns develop over the ocean and are tracked by satellite, but lacking are data on water salinity and temperature, etc. Now, we’re able to provide real-time, accurate reports of weather conditions wherever Sail­drones are deployed.

What business model does Saildrone use?

TREMAIN: A customer could either make an acquisi­tion outright or lease services. COCO [contractor owned, contractor operated] services has been our primary source of revenue. We provide the service and maintain the equipment thereby affording government agencies. As with UAVs, the services model is working quite well for the government because they can avoid the high cost of hiring additional personnel or pose additional risk to personnel at sea.

Customers typically pay by the day for USV services, because we provide 24/7 surveillance and a 24/7 data feed from the Saildrone. That’s a real advantage compared with UAVs where customers pay for so many hours per day.

Can you deploy Saildrones to launch from remote sites?

TREMAIN: It depends on the geographic location, the operation, its duration and what is most cost effective. We can transport out to the location, but for many oper­ations, we launch from Alameda, sail to the destination, conduct operations and recover back. We’ll repair on site as needed and continue the operation. With the current king crab mission, we deemed it appropriate to launch from Alameda and sail them north. For other missions in Alaska, it made best sense to transport them to Dutch Harbor for launch.

How many Saildrones do you have in inventory now? Does your company build or procure them?

TREMAIN: We have about a hundred, based in a hangar at the former Naval Air Station Alameda, which also is the location of our data center. Incoming data arriving via satellite can also be shared to government networks, for example the Customs and Border Protection [CBP] Ca­ribbean Air Marine Operations Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico, or the Air and Marine Operations Center in River­side, California. That allows CBP and all DHS agencies to take that information, inject it into their architecture and then make an educated decision on where, when and how to operate.

We currently manufacture all of our platforms. We did have some assistance on building Surveyor. But the com­pany has gotten to the size where the number of plat­forms deploying is so great that we most likely will have to outsource some of the keels and such to shipbuilders. It’s a good problem to have.

Where do you see Saildrone potentially fitting in Coast Guard operations?

TREMAIN: The Coast Guard is planning for the next 20 years on how to bring autonomy into their operations. Their ScanEagle program is up and running and doing a great job. The Coast Guard stood up a UxS program office last year to build their long-term unmanned system and autonomy strategy for the next 20-25 years.

The Coast Guard always has been a little budget-chal­lenged, priding itself with doing more with less. Provid­ing capabilities like Saildrone allows them to do more with less. It’s a cost-effective solution that provides critical data so they can better make decisions and can better prosecute the missions and more effectively use their personnel. We look forward to doing more work with the Coast Guard and the other branches of the mili­tary going forward. I think the Coast Guard is really going to cross-pollinate their autonomous capabilities — their surface assets with their air assets.

An example: Saildrones conducting surveillance in a particular area can find friendly and unfriendly targets and provide that real-time data back to the Coast Guard. An aircraft like a Volansi vertical takeoff and landing UAV may be conducting a shore based coastal patrol, may be able to intercept and surveil the target of interest, while ScanEagle UAVs continue conducting ship-launched patrols. In theory, the USV and UAV will have the capa­bility to talk to each other, forming a mesh network that expands the search horizon thereby allowing the UAV to track that target well after the Saildrone picked it up as a hot target. Being able to do that and other autonomous operations, I think is going to really increase the effec­tiveness of the Coast Guard.

For search and rescue, if Saildrones track a ship that is in a particular area and then that vessel sinks, having a patrolling Volansi UAV drop a small raft or a data marker buoy to the survivors then ascend to provide safe over­watch while the Coast Guard helicopter or cutter comes out to make the rescue.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has been heralded for the significant progress in increasing the mission-capable rates of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter fleet, but the initiatives that made it possible are not being limited to strike fighters, the admiral in charge of the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) said.   

“It was never meant to be just for Super Hornets,” said Vice Adm. Dean Peters, commander, Naval Air Systems Command, speaking May 24 at a webinar preview — sponsored by SAIC and Government Matters — of the Navy League’s upcoming 2021 Sea-Air-Space Exposition. “The plan all along was we were going to replicate those across all of our aircraft, so that’s every shop within every shop within every depot, all of our intermediate-level maintenance sites, and all of our organizational-level sites at the squadron level.” 

The admiral said that one of the key elements of the Super Hornet’s readiness recovery was the establishment of a Super Hornet maintenance operations center in Norfolk, Virginia, which was able to manage all of the maintenance and resources for the Super Hornet enterprise.      

The same effort is being established for the EA-18G Growler electronic combat aircraft, P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft, the H-60Seahawk helicopter and the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor transport aircraft, he said. 

“Over the last couple of years — from about October 2018, that’s when we had broad efficacy for a number of these sustainment initiatives — we have been able to increase our mission-capable rates by 14%,” Peters said. “That’s 330 additional mission-capable aircraft for our aircrews to train in. So, I see this absolutely trending in the right direction. The readiness is always going to be a concern. Once you get to those readiness levels, you want to be able to sustain it.”    

Peters said there were two key aspects of the success.  

“The first is establishing the supported and supporting alignment that’s required,” he said. “The air boss at the time, [commander, Naval Air Forces Vice Adm. Dewolfe Miller III], [had a] requirement of 341 Super Hornets,” which Peters said was the metric that mattered and all else was to support that.  

Peters also said he “elevated the role of the program managers to be the quarterbacks of the sustainment effort and that’s something we had not done in the past. And the program executive officers are also stepping up to be the sustainment leads for those platforms that are under their purview. 

The second key was the use of commercial best practices, Peters said.  

“For the last 20 years we missed out on all of the improvements that were going on in commercial aviation,” he said, noting the focus on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. “Now we have the chance to incorporate some of these associated with how we do maintenance. It’s all about the workflow, the work content and velocity.” 

NAVAIR has established the Reliability Control Board, Peters said, “an all-encompassing effort that identifies improvements in reliability [and] in the maintenance plan, so that’s continually being revised. What we need going forward is just to continue to prioritize. If we can do that, then we will not only sustain readiness levels that we have achieved, but we will also continue to make incremental improvements. We’ll continue to improve lethality and survivability in addition to just the basic mission capability.” 

MOBILE, Ala. — The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Mobile (LCS 26) during a ceremony in Mobile, Alabama, May 22, said commander, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron One. 

Due to COVID-19 limitations, 400 guests attended the socially distanced ceremony for the littoral combat ship named in honor of the city in which it was built. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama), delivered the ceremony’s principal address. 
 
“The United States has been the greatest source of good in the history of the world and we will continue to be a force for good because of the brave men and women that we have here today,” said Tuberville. 
 
Guest speakers for the event also included Kay Ivey, governor of Alabama, Sandy Stimpson, mayor of Mobile, and James Geurts, performing the duties of the Undersecretary of the Navy. 

“The ships that this city has built are literally sailing on every ocean right now,” said Geurts, referencing ship manufacturer Austal USA, based in Mobile, Alabama. 
 
Rebecca Byrne, president and CEO of The Community Foundation of South Alabama and wife of former Alabama U.S. Representative Bradley Byrne, provided remarks as the ship’s sponsor. 
 
“We have the distinction of the USS Mobile being built and commissioned in its namesake city here in the historic port of Mobile,” said Byrne. “We welcome the ship to the United States fleet that bears our great name and comes on great Navy tradition.” 
 
During the ceremony, Mobile’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Christopher W. Wolff, reported the ship ready and Byrne gave the traditional order to “man our ship and bring her to life!
 
“The commissioning of the fleet’s newest warship is an awesome occasion and with it comes the equally awesome responsibility to prepare ourselves to go forward and conduct our nation’s business,” said Wolff. 
 
The ceremony completed a weeklong series of events celebrating the ship and its namesake city. USS Mobile is the fifth ship named in honor of the port city on Alabama’s Gulf Coast. 
 
Mobile will be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Independence (LCS 2), USS Coronado (LCS 4), USS Jackson (LCS 6), USS Montgomery (LCS 8), USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10), USS Omaha (LCS 12), USS Manchester (LCS 14), USS Tulsa (LCS 16), USS Charleston (LCS 18), USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), USS Kansas City (LCS 22), and USS Oakland (LCS 24). 
 
The LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments while capable of open-ocean tasking. The LCS can support forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence. 

SAN DIEGO – More than 5,000 Sailors and Marines of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) returned to their San Diego homeport over the weekend, concluding a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 3rd, 5th, 6th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation, the Makin Island ARG Public Affairs/15th MEU Communication Strategy and Operations said. 

Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), embarked aboard the ships of the ready group, arrived off the coast of Southern California, May 21, to disembark at Camp Pendleton, California. USS Makin Island (LHD 8), USS San Diego (LPD 22) and USS Somerset (LPD 25) will return to port at Naval Base San Diego following the offload. A contingent of 15th MEU personnel will remain aboard ARG shipping for the pier side arrival. 

“I am so proud of the resilience and strength of character our Sailors and Marines displayed while serving our nation across four different fleets,” said Capt. Henry Kim, Makin Island ARG commander. “Despite the additional challenges of protecting a COVID-free bubble within the ARG, our Blue-Green Team determinedly exemplified the mottos of all three ships, ‘Gung Ho!’ ‘Stay Classy!’ and ‘Let’s Roll!’”

The Makin Island ARG is comprised of the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island, and amphibious transport dock ships USS San Diego and USS Somerset, and led by Commander, Amphibious Squadron Three. The 15th MEU consists of the Command Element; the Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 164 (Reinforced); the Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team 1/4; and the Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 15. 
 
The ARG-MEU team departed Nov. 10, after completing a pre-deployment sequester and back-to-back at-sea exercises in October. 
 
“The 15th MEU and Makin Island ARG deployed during an unprecedented pandemic and demonstrated the ability of the Navy and Marine Corps team to successfully and safely execute operations in a COVID-19 environment,” said Col. Fridrik Fridriksson, 15th MEU commanding officer. “I am so incredibly proud of the professionalism, toughness and mental resiliency demonstrated by our Marines and Sailors. They have accomplished great things during this deployment.” 
 
During the deployment, Sailors and Marines supported Operation Octave Quartz (OOQ) in Somalia, Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) in Iraq and Syria, Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsals in Kuwait and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and Exercise Northern Edge 2021 in Alaska. 
 
Less than two months into deployment, the ARG-MEU team, operated under U.S. Naval Forces Africa, and supported repositioning efforts in the U.S. Africa Command area of responsibility (AOR). From Dec. 20, 2020 to Jan. 31, 2021, the Makin Island ARG and 15th MEU conducted operations in Somalia and off the coast, as part of the Joint Force Maritime Component Command to Joint Task Force-Quartz, to provide support to OOQ in relocating Department of Defense forces in Somalia to other East Africa operating locations while maintaining pressure on violent extremists and supporting partner forces. 
 
“From aboard the Makin Island ARG, the 15th MEU provided contingency response forces on a 24-hour alert status and security forces to facilitate the safe and expedient repositioning of troops from within Somalia,” said Lt. Col. George Flynn, commanding officer of BLT 1/4, 15th MEU. “Operation Octave Quartz demonstrated the 15th MEU’s ability to flex the entire Marine Air-Ground Task Force to meet combatant commander requirements.” 
 
In U.S. 5th Fleet, from February to March 2021, the ARG-MEU team operated in the Gulf of Aden, Arabian Gulf and the Red Sea, and conducted Theater Amphibious Combat Rehearsals in Kuwait, Ras Al-Khair and Tabuk in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to enhance proficiency and readiness while maintaining a tiered crisis response posture in the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) AOR. Ships of the ARG also participated in Group Arabian Sea Warfare Exercise (GASWEX) 21 with the French Marine Nationale’s Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group. GASWEX 21 was a multilateral maritime exercise in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman with France, Belgium, and Japan, which allowed participating naval forces to effectively develop the necessary skills in maritime security, anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine warfare to address threats to regional security, freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce. 
 
Additionally, Marine Corps F-35B Lightning II joint strike fighters with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 164 (Reinforced), 15th MEU, conducted nine OIR missions as part of broader counterterrorism operations. 
 
While operating in U.S. 7th Fleet supporting U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, VMM 164 conducted bilateral operations with the Republic of Singapore Air Force in international waters near Singapore. Somerset participated in La Perouse, a multinational exercise conducted with ships from the Royal Australian Navy, French Navy, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force. The exercise was designed to strengthen interoperability and enhance cooperation in maritime surveillance, maritime interdiction operations, and air operations amongst all participating nations. 
 
The ARG conducted Expeditionary Strike Force (ESF) operations with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal (CG 73) in the South China Sea. ESF operations demonstrate U.S. capability to quickly aggregate an integrated naval force to operate all-domain warfare anywhere international law allows. 
 
After returning to U.S. 3rd Fleet, the ARG-MEU team supported Northern Edge 2021 (NE21) from May 3 to 14. Approximately 15,000 U.S. service members participated in a joint training exercise hosted by U.S. Pacific Air Forces on and above the Joint Pacific Alaska Range Complex, the Gulf of Alaska, and temporary maritime activities area. NE21 was one in a series of military exercises designed to sharpen the joint forces’ skills; to practice tactics, techniques, and procedures; to improve command, control and communication relationships; and to develop cooperative plans and programs. 
 
Makin Island, flagship of the ARG, supported every unit’s operations and hosted five embarked units in addition to the MEU, while supporting a broad cross-section of mission areas. 
 
“This deployment has been operationally diverse – from operating in the heat during Operation Octave Quartz to the cold weather for Northern Edge,” said Capt. Tom Ulmer, Makin Island commanding officer. “We have sailed independently as well as formed expeditionary strike forces with partners, allies, and other U.S. forces including the French carrier, Charles De Galle and USS Theodore Roosevelt strike groups. We have conducted operations in all warfare areas, while building a strong Makin Island / 15th MEU team — Team Raider — that excelled in all of our challenges — including overcoming COVID. I am very proud of all our Sailors and Marines for their hard work and dedication. We are excited to be home to reunite with family and friends.” 
 
The ARG-MEU conducted more than 10,000 hours of flight operations, 6,800 launch and recoveries, and traveled more than 135,000 nautical miles of open ocean and restricted water transits.  
 
The Makin Island ARG and 15th MEU provided numbered fleet and combatant commanders with a responsive, flexible and forward-deployed asset capable of maritime power projection, contingency operations and crisis response. Their capabilities enabled the shaping the operational environment to protect the United States and allied interests in any threat environment. 

SAN DIEGO – Construction on the USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208) began at the General Dynamics – National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (GD-NASSCO) shipyard, May 21, the Navy’s Program Executive Office – Ships said in a release. 

T-AO 208 will be operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command and is the first ship named after the Navy veteran, former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. senator from New York. 
 
“USNS Robert F. Kennedy will provide significant contributions to the fleet, serving as the primary fuel pipeline to refuel ships at sea. The building of the John Lewis-class ships marks an important milestone in enhancing our Navy’s fleet capabilities and providing critical support to our Sailors,” said John Lighthammer, Support Ships, Boats and Craft acting program manager, Program Executive Office, Ships. 
 
The ships are based on commercial design standards and will recapitalize the current T-AO 187 Class Fleet Replenishment Oilers to provide underway replenishment of fuel to U.S. Navy ships and jet fuel for aircraft assigned to aircraft carriers. These ships are part of the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force and will become the backbone of the fuel delivery system. 
 
GD-NASSCO is also currently in production on USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205) USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206). USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209) and USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210) are under contract.