ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy’s top officer has self-quarantined himself after coming in contact with a family member who tested positive for COVID-19, the Defense Department announced.  

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday “had contact with a COVID-positive family member and, although testing negative, will be quarantining this week,” U.S. Army Lt. Col. Chris Mitchell, a Defense Department spokesman, said on May 11. 

Gilday is personally following guidance he issued to the Navy as a whole on May 6: “Each of us must continue to practice and follow all public health measures necessary to minimize risk to our force and our families. Take responsibility. Show courage in speaking up if you see shipmates falling short. We have obligations for operational readiness and stringent requirements for health protection measures.” 

Below are more excerpts from the CNO’s May 6 message to the fleet: 

“As we continue to learn about this virus and how to mitigate its risk, the widespread public health measures you are actively practicing — physical distancing, face coverings, minimizing group events, frequent hand-washing, sound sanitation practices, a questioning attitude on how we are feeling — must be our new normal. We must harden our Navy by continuing to focus on the health and safety of our forces and our families. The health and safety of our Sailors and their families is, and must continue to be, our No. 1 priority. Fleet operations depend on it. 

“As the forward deployed force of our country, we have a duty to ensure we are ready to respond. We cannot simply take a knee or keep everyone in port until this enemy is defeated. We are America’s away team. The uncertainty caused by COVID-19 makes our mission of protecting America at sea more important than ever. That is why the U.S. Navy continues to operate forward every day.” 

“When we entered this pandemic, we quickly closed down services to minimize interactions and the spread of the disease. We will need to take a measured approach to opening up these services to prevent a recurrence of the disease. 

“I expect local commanders to understand area conditions and to communicate prudent expectations and guidance up and down the chain of command. I trust our Sailors to follow these guidelines.” 

Special Correspondent John M. Doyle contributed to this report.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The attack submarine USS Boise has arrived at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division in Newport News, Virginia, to prepare for its long-delayed overhaul, Naval Sea Systems Command said in a May 8 release. 

The Boise was shifted from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, “to begin pre-maintenance ‘smart start’ activities in preparation for the submarine’s engineered overhaul (EOH),” Bill Couch, a NAVSEA spokesman, said in the release.  

“An EOH is a major multiyear overhaul near the midpoint of a submarine’s service life to perform necessary repairs, maintenance and modernization, to certify the submarine for unrestricted operations and to ensure the submarine is operating at full technical capacity and mission capability,” Couch said. 

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine had been scheduled for an overhaul in 2013, but the work was delayed because of the work backlog at the Navy’s four shipyards that are certified to overhaul nuclear-powered vessels, the Government Accountability Office said in a November 2018 report.   

The Boise completed its most recent deployment in 2015 and had been tied up at Naval Station Norfolk since. It was no longer able to conduct operations by mid-2016 and lost its dive certification in February 2017. The backlog led the Navy to award, in October 2017, a contract to Newport News Shipbuilding, one of two U.S. submarine builders, to overhaul nuclear-powered submarines in addition to its normal work of building submarines. 

The delays in depot-level maintenance cause not only backlogs in the work itself but result in loss of hundreds or even thousands of days in service and reduced availability of attack subs for deployments in support of the requirements of combatant commanders.

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) is working toward the next phase of replacing the legacy Light Armored Vehicle (LAV) with a modern Advanced Reconnaissance Vehicle (ARV), the command said in a release. 

Armored reconnaissance was the subject of a capability-based assessment, the results of which were summarized in a 2019 Joint Requirements Oversight Council-validated initial capabilities document produced by the Marine Corps’ Combat Development and Integration (CD&I). The assessment pitted light armored reconnaissance (LAR) battalions against a peer threat and identified shortfalls and gaps in capability. 

CD&I emphasized the need for a modern, purpose-built ARV. As the core-manned, next-generation system, ARV must possess transformational capabilities to enable LAR battalions to gain contact with and collect on peer-threat forces. It must accomplish this goal without becoming decisively engaged, while also successfully waging the counter-reconnaissance fight. 

After the analysis and various other supporting activities, the ARV concept emerged as a transformational required capability. The characteristics differentiating the ARV from current systems include a battle management system, enhanced vision technologies for increased situational awareness and target tracking and engagement capabilities. 

The program manager for light armored vehicles (PM LAV) is pursuing this capability to support LAR battalions, provide them with additional capabilities and set the conditions to transform the way they fight. 

“Any ARV path forward will continue to be informed by the ongoing [Office of Naval Research] technology demonstrator effort, the ARV Analysis of Alternatives, Phase III Force Design outputs, additional government [requests for information], senior leadership direction and industry feedback,” said John “Steve” Myers, program manager for MCSC’s LAV portfolio. 

A collaborative effort 

In the early planning stages, the U.S. Marine Corps envisioned the ARV as a replacement combat vehicle for the LAV. Over time, officials began to view the ARV as a vehicle platform equipped with a suite of advanced reconnaissance capabilities, with an open-system architecture that can sense, shoot, move, communicate and remain transportable as part of the Naval expeditionary force. PM LAV is leading the acquisition planning effort to help realize this next-generation reconnaissance vehicle. 

The portfolio is collaborating with the ONR and the Capabilities Development Directorate of Headquarters Marine Corps, CD&I. 

Capitalizing on their Detroit arsenal location, PM LAV is working with Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center to update the ARV concept as a tool to analyze impacts of capability changes. 

Recognizing commonalities exist among the ARV and the optionally manned fighting vehicle, the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps are working together to ensure collaboration for those capability gaps. 

ONR is conducting research on advanced technologies to inform requirements, technology readiness assessments and competitive prototyping efforts for the ARV. In 2019, ONR selected two vendors to design, fabricate and test full-scale technology demonstration platforms. 

Both platforms are expected to be ready for government evaluation in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. Through ONR’s efforts, the Ground Combat Element Division of CDD has been refining a set of requirements for the ARV to meet the future reconnaissance mission of the Marine Corps. PM LAV will leverage this information in a performance specification to be released to industry partners to build the ARV. 

The collaboration between PM LAV, ONR and CD&I is crucial to the success of the ARV. 

“Effective collaboration between the materiel developer, technologist and combat developer is essential to achieving the next-generation capabilities required to transform legacy armored reconnaissance into a modern, combat credible force,” said Kurt Koch, Ground Combat Equipment Division, CDD. 

Koch noted how the strong partnerships forged over the last three years set the conditions to develop the core of a next-generation, combat vehicle system  —mobile on land and water  —to serve as a manned hub coordinating the actions of unmanned ground and aerial robotic sensor, and weapon systems. 

The path forward 

PM LAV has taken several steps to ensure the success of the ARV. In 2019, PM LAV released a Request for Information to industry comprising a set of attributes for a transformational vehicle. Based on responses to the RFI, the program office met with several vendors interested in becoming a prime vendor for ARV. PM LAV originally planned to hold an industry day in May 2020 for the competitive prototyping phase. However, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused the event to be rescheduled to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. 

“We still want to hold an industry day so we can have an open discussion with industry, provide more clarification and answer any questions from our industry partners,” said Maryann Lawson, MCSC’s project lead for ARV. 

In addition to industry engagements, the evaluation of science and technology efforts as well as ongoing [capabilities design document] and performance specification refinement should yield the information necessary to move into the competitive prototyping phase. 

“PM LAV will focus efforts targeted on industry RFIs and strategic small group engagements,” Myers said. 

The Marine Corps plans to use the ground vehicle systems other transaction agreement with the National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC) to release a draft request for prototype proposal (RPP) for the ARV base variant in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020. The government is interested in industry feedback and collaboration to shape the requirement and statement of work for the final RPP release in spring 2021. Industry partners are encouraged to periodically check Beta.SAM.gov and engage with the NAMC for future RFIs and program updates.

WASHINGTON — The nominee to become the next Navy secretary spoke at his confirmation hearing on May 7 of the Arctic’s importance to national defense and international commerce and of rising Chinese efforts to influence the region. He also committed his advocacy to increasing U.S. Navy presence in the region to counter both “Great Power Competitors” China and Russia.  

“The Chinese and the Russians are everywhere, especially the Chinese,” Kenneth J. Braithwaite, the current U.S. ambassador to Norway and nominee to become the 77th Navy secretary, said during his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

See: Braithwaite Cites Theodore Roosevelt Crisis in Call for Reform of Navy Culture

“You would be alarmed at the amount of Chinese activity off the coast of Norway in the high north. We need to be vigilant to that to understand why.”  

As a former Navy P-3 patrol plane commander who operated from the Aleutian Islands and as ambassador to Norway, NATO’s gatekeeper to the North Atlantic, Braithwaite is no novice to the region and its growing importance.  

“Russia’s hope is to be relevant again on the world stage, where we all come to understand that China wants to be dominant on that same world stage,” Braithwaite said. “They have really pressed hard on Norway to be part of that calculus.” 

He pointed out that the cost of commerce from China to European markets would be cut by half if goods were transported by the Northern Sea Route across the top of Russia to Kirkenes, the northernmost Norwegian port. 

“China has launched a charm campaign to try to win Norway over,” Braithwaite said. “After in 2010 trying to force them to withdraw the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident, Liu Xiaobo, the Norwegians stood up to the Chinese and [the Norwegians] suffered for that economically. But China now recognizes the importance of Kirkenes [and] securing a terminus on the Northern Sea Route, and they are up there trying to win over the people of northern Norway.”  

Braithwaite said the U.S. Navy is at the vanguard countering Chinese hegemony in the Arctic, saying the Navy “provides some of the only capabilities to be able to do power projection in that part of the world.” 

He noted the current presence of three Navy destroyers operating the Barents Sea along with ships of the U.K. Royal Navy and the Royal Norwegian Navy.  

Braithwaite also told Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) that he would be a strong advocate for a strategic Arctic port large enough to handle destroyers and icebreakers. The nearest such port is Anchorage, Alaska, which is 1,500 miles from the Arctic Circle, Sullivan added.   

“The great news is the United States Navy has been up there for many, many years,” Braithwaite said. “You may not see them, but they’re up there. As it begins to become more navigable on the surface, we also need to make sure that our presence is noted.”  

“We continue to need to be vigilant,” he added. “We continue to need to be present. That requires an adequate-size Navy to be there.” 

“It will be a priority of mine.”

WASHINGTON — The nominee to be the next Navy secretary said the sea service needs a course correction to restore the culture of leadership and accountability that has suffered in recent controversies, saying that “culture trumps everything.” 

“It saddens me to say: the Department of the Navy is in troubled waters due to many factors, primarily the failure of leadership,” Kenneth J. Braithwaite, the U.S. ambassador to Norway and the president’s nominee to be the 77th Navy secretary, said during testimony May 7 at his confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.  

Braithwaite said failings over the past few years — such as the “Fat Leonard” scandal, the fatal at-sea collisions in 2017, recent judicial missteps and the COVID-19 crisis aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt — were “indicative of a breakdown in the trust of those leading the service.” 

Lessons he said he took from his earlier experience as a naval aviator that the Navy Department is “resilient” and that “it all starts with culture.” 

“Successful organizations have a strong culture, which always starts with leadership,” he said. “Culture is one thing that creates for an organization a sense of belonging, a sense of good order and discipline.”  

“It is my No. 1 priority, if I’m confirmed, to restore the appropriate culture in the United States Navy,” Braithwaite said. “A culture exists; I won’t say it’s been broken; I think it’s been tarnished.” 

He stressed the importance of empowering people up and done the chain of command and that he would not intervene in the chain of command.

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $187.46 million advance procurement contract from the U.S. Navy to provide long-lead-time material and advance procurement activities for amphibious assault ship LHA 9, the company said in a release. 

“This contract allows us to maintain the health of our critical nationwide shipbuilding supplier base while continuing our serial production of large-deck amphibs,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said. “We will work closely with our Navy-Marine Corps partners and our suppliers across the U.S. to build another highly capable, versatile and survivable warship.” 

Ingalls is the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the Navy. The shipyard delivered its first amphibious assault ship, the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli (LPH 10), in 1966. Ingalls has since built five Tarawa-class (LHA 1) ships, eight Wasp-class (LHD 1) ships and the first in a new class of amphibious assault ships, America (LHA 6), in 2014. The second ship in that class, Tripoli (LHA 7), was delivered to the Navy earlier this year. Bougainville (LHA 8) is under construction.

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The U.S. Navy’s future unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) family of systems will set a new standard for navigating in hazardous environments, operating with minimal human control and executing missions further from port than previously imagined, a company spokesman for Draper said in a release. 

Draper has supported the Navy for more than 60 years. The company was awarded a Navy contract to develop technology to support the family of USVs. 

Overall, the Navy has picked 40 companies to participate in a five-year, $982 million multi-award contract (MAC) to support the research, development and delivery of USVs. In 2018, Draper won a similar award for the Navy’s unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV). 

The indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity MAC identifies task orders in six functional areas. Draper will provide support in payloads, non-payload sensors and autonomy and vehicle control systems. 

Key to Draper’s support of the Navy’s USV program is a simulation framework that enables engineers to design, develop, validate and execute real-time hardware-in-the-loop simulations and rapid assessment, integration and test of complex systems. The Draper simulation framework is available to military and scientific organizations. More than 30 entities have requested access to it and several prime contractors have used it. 

“Under this award, Draper is prepared to meet the new standard for assured autonomy for autonomous surface vehicles and support the Navy’s requirement for greater flexibility — in mission design, operations and resource deployment,” said Joel Parry, Draper’s maritime warfare and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) lead. 

Draper will provide capabilities for Navy platforms that include Sea Hunter, medium and large USVs and the mine countermeasures USV. The company will deliver sensor and actuator technologies, computing technologies, design methods and tools and modeling and simulation technologies, among others. 

“Our capabilities in unmanned surface vehicles will continue Draper’s support of the U.S. Navy and its mission to remain unsurpassed in its global flexibility, agility and reach,” said Bill Borgia, director of mission systems at Draper.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department has announced some Navy flag officer nominations, resuming a practice that had been suspended for about a year for cybersecurity reasons.  

Such lists of names are routinely provided to Congress, but their public announcement had been suspended by previous Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John M. Richardson. A reversion to a previous policy was made evident May 6 when Defense Secretary Mark Esper made some announcements of senior Navy officer reassignments.  

Current CNO Adm. Mike Gilday reportedly made the decision to resume announcements is response to a query from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass). The Marine Corps had been making at least some announcements in the interim. 

These Navy officers have been nominated to their respective positions:  

• Adm. Robert P. Burke for reappointment to the rank of admiral and assignment as commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe; commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa; and commander, Allied Joint Forces Command, Naples, Italy. Burke serves as vice chief of naval operations, directly under Gilday. 
• Vice Adm. William K. Lescher for appointment to the rank of admiral and assignment as the new vice CNO, succeeding Burke. Lescher is serving as deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources (N8), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 
• Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti for reappointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development, N7, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Franchetti is commander of the 6th Fleet. She is also commander, Task Force 6; Striking and Support Forces NATO, deputy commander; U.S. Naval Forces Europe, deputy commander; U.S. Naval Forces Africa, and Joint Force Maritime Component commander Europe, Naples, Italy. 
• Rear Adm. Eugene H. Black III for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as commander, 6th Fleet; commander, Task Force 6; commander, Striking and Support Forces NATO; deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe; deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces Africa; and Joint Force Maritime Component commander Europe, Naples, Italy. Black is serving as director, Surface Warfare Division, N96, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.   
• Rear Adm. Randy B. Crites for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as deputy chief of naval operations for integration of capabilities and resources (N8), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Crites is serving as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget (FMB), and director, Fiscal Management Division (N82), Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 
• Rear Adm. Yancy B. Lindsey for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as commander, Navy Installations Command, Washington, D.C.   Lindsey is serving as commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia; and commander, Maritime Air Forces, Naples, Italy.   
• Rear Adm. Kenneth R. Whitesell for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as commander, Naval Air Forces; and commander, Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego. Whitesell is serving as deputy commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.   
• Reserve Rear Adm. John B. Mustin for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as chief of Navy Reserve, Washington, D.C. Mustin is serving as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, Norfolk, Virginia. 
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Stephen D. Barnett is serving as commander, Navy Region Northwest, Silverdale, Washington. Barnett previously served as deputy commander, Navy Installations Command, Washington, D.C.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Christopher S. Gray will be assigned as commander, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Central; and as commander, Maritime Air Forces, Naples, Italy. Gray previously served as commander, Navy Region Northwest, Silverdale.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) John E. Gumbleton is serving as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget (FMB); and director, Fiscal Management Division, N82, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Gumbleton previously served as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, San Diego.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Brendan R. McLane will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group 10, Norfolk. McLane previously served as commander, Navy Recruiting Command, Millington, Tennessee.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Paul J. Schlise will be assigned as director, Surface Warfare Division, N96, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Schlise is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 10, Norfolk.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Philip E. Sobeck is serving as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 3, San Diego. Sobeck previously served as director, 21st Century Sailor Office, N17, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Arlington, Virginia. 
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Dennis Velez is serving as commander, Navy Recruiting Command, Millington. Velez previously served as senior military assistant, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C. 
• Capt. Putnam H. Browne, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as director, 21st Century Sailor Office, N17, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Arlington. Browne previously served as executive assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy for manpower and reserve affairs, Washington, D.C. 

These Marine officers have been nominated to their respective positions:  

• Lt. Gen. Lewis A. Craparotta, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as commanding general, Training and Education Command. Craparotta is serving as the commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific, and commanding general, Fleet Marine Corps Forces Pacific, at Camp Smith, Hawaii. 
• Lt. Gen. Steven R. Rudder, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Pacific and commanding general, Fleet Marine Corps Forces Pacific. Rudder is serving as the deputy commandant for aviation, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. 
• Maj. Gen. Dennis A. Crall, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as director for command, control, communications and computers (C4)/cyber; and chief information officer, J-6, Joint Staff. Crall is serving as the senior military adviser for cyber to the undersecretary of defense for policy, Washington, D.C. 
• Maj. Gen. Karsten S. Heckl, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as commanding general, I Marine Expeditionary Force. Heckl is serving as the commanding general, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, Cherry Point, North Carolina. 
• Maj. Gen. David A. Ottignon, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as deputy commandant for manpower and reserve affairs. Ottignon is serving as the director, Manpower Management Division, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Quantico, Virginia. 
• Maj. Gen. Mark R. Wise, for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and assignment as deputy commandant for aviation, U.S. Marine Corps. Wise is serving as the deputy commanding general, Marine Corps Combat Development Command, and as assistant deputy commandant for combat development and integration, Quantico. 
• Col. Adam L. Chalkley for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Chalkley is serving as the chief of staff, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. 
• Col. Kyle B. Ellison for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Ellison is serving as the director, Expeditionary Warfare School, Marine Corps Base Quantico.  
• Col. Phillip N. Frietze for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Frietze is serving as the deputy director, Capabilities Development Directorate, Department of Combat Development and Integration, Marine Corps Base Quantico.  
• Col. Peter D. Huntley for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Huntley is serving as the deputy commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  
• Col. Julie L. Nethercot for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Nethercot is serving as the director, Commander’s Action Group, U.S. Northern Command, Colorado Springs, Colorado.  
• Col. Forrest C. Poole III for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Poole is serving as the executive assistant to the deputy commandant, installations and logistics, Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps, Washington, D.C. 
• Col. Ryan S. Rideout for appointment to the rank of brigadier general. Rideout is serving as the chief of staff, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, Norfolk. 

PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Eastern Shipbuilding Group held a keel-laying ceremony for the U.S. Coast Guard’s first-of-class offshore patrol cutter (OPC), the Argus, the company said in a release. 

The April 28 ceremony, at Eastern Shipbuilding’s Nelson Street facility in Panama City, was performed and recorded without an audience to comply with U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines for combatting the spread of the COVID-19 virus.  

The keel-laying represents the ceremonial start of a ship’s life by commemorating the assembly of the initial modular construction units. Historically, to attest that the keel was properly laid and of excellent quality, the shipbuilder would carve their initials into it. This practice is commemorated by welding the initials of the ship’s sponsor into the keel authentication plate. 

The ship’s sponsor is retired Coast Guard Capt. Beverly Kelley, who was the first woman to command a U.S. military vessel. She commanded the 95-foot patrol boat, the cutter Cape Newagen, in 1979. Throughout her distinguished career, she became the first woman to command both a medium-endurance cutter and a high-endurance cutter in cutters Northland and Boutwell, respectively. 

“Eastern Shipbuilding Group is humbled and proud to have been chosen to build this next-generation ship for the world’s best Coast Guard, and we think today represents a milestone that all those involved in the program can be proud of,” said Eastern’s president, Joey D’Isernia. 

“The steel joined here today is unlike any you or I have seen before. This steel has been ravaged by 162 mph winds, generated by the third most powerful hurricane to make landfall in this country’s history. This steel has borne witness to a pandemic that has caused fear and shaken our core. But through all this, it remains sturdy, it remains resilient, and today it will join with other steel to become stronger, more  defined and more resolute. Today is representative of how we build, and of unwavering resolve in the face of adversity for a Coast Guard and a nation that deserves nothing less.” 

D’Isernia was accompanied on the podium by Capt. Andrew Meverden, representing the Coast Guard, and Bradley Remick, the welder charged with fashioning the sponsor’s initials onto the ceremonial keel authentication plate. 

The OPC will provide a capability bridge between the national security cutter, which patrols the demanding open ocean, and the fast-response cutter, which serves closer to shore. The OPC design includes the capability of carrying an MH-60 or MH-65 helicopter and three operational over-the-horizon small boats. The vessel also is equipped with a highly sophisticated combat system and C4ISR suite. 

KEY WEST, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk crew has returned to their homeport in Key West following a 65-day counter-drug patrol throughout the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean, the Coast Guard said in a release. 

The Mohawk crew, with a deployed Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron crew, interdicted four suspected drug vessels, apprehended more than 25 suspected drug smugglers and seized more than 4,500 pounds of cocaine and 1,500 gallons of liquefied cocaine.  

The crew worked with multiple interagency and partner-nation maritime patrol aircraft and surface assets to counter transnational criminal organizations and hinder the illicit flow of drugs, people and other dangerous cargo into the U.S. 

Two of these interdictions were coordinated directly with Central and South American law-enforcement agencies from Costa Rica to strengthen partnerships, promote stability and rule of law in the region and ease pressures on the U.S. southern border and domestic law enforcement. 

Between operational tasking, the cutter crew completed aviation, damage control, seamanship and navigation training to maintain operational readiness and prepare for future multimission deployments. 

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives. 

Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, play a role in counter-drug operations. 

The fight against drug cartels in the eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring and interdictions, to criminal prosecutions by international partners and U.S. Attorneys in districts across the nation. 

The law-enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the eastern Pacific is conducted under the authority of the 11th Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the Coast Guard.