WASHINGTON – Unlike the South China Sea and other contested
areas, the U.S. Navy does not have the
capability to conduct freedom-of-the-seas operations in the icebound waters of
the Arctic, a key Pentagon official conceded.

With only one heavy and one medium icebreaker and no Navy
ships with hulls hardened against ice, “We do have limitations in the Arctic
right now,” James H. Anderson, assistant secretary of defense for  strategy, plans and capabilities, told a readiness
subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 3 during a hearing
on U.S. military readiness in the Arctic.

The subcommittee chairman, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska),
said he doubted the Navy could today follow the route across the Arctic that
Allied supply convoys took to the Soviet Union in World War II. Sullivan noted
that previous Defense Department Arctic strategies called for protecting “our
sovereign territory, our sea lanes through Freedom of Navigation operations
(FONOPS).”

The drastic decline of sea ice in the Arctic has opened sea
lanes across the top of the world, sparking territorial disputes. Russia,
Norway, Canada and the United States all have boosted their military presence
in the Arctic at a rate not seen since the Cold War.

Last year, Russia completed a large new base at Alexandra
Island in the Franz Josef Land archipelago, while reopening and refitting seven
former Soviet bases within the Arctic Circle. Russia also has modernized its
powerful Northern Fleet. In response, the U.S. has reconstituted the 2nd Fleet,
adding the North Pole to that fleet’s area of responsibility. Last October, a
U.S. aircraft carrier, the USS Harry S. Truman, entered Arctic waters for the
first time since 1991.

Sullivan said the Navy has assured him that U.S. submarines
are all over the Arctic, but “you can’t see a sub. The whole point of a FONOP
is to demonstrate presence.”

When pressed at the hearing about conducting FONOPS in the
large stretches of the Arctic still covered by ice, Anderson said the Navy had
determined that to exercise its Arctic strategy, “they do not have a
requirement for ice-hardened ships.”

In addition to a deficit of ice-hardened hulls, Sullivan said
the U.S. lacks a strategic port on — or even near — the Arctic Ocean that could
handle repairs or refueling of large Navy or even U.S. Coast Guard vessels.

“Russia has close to a dozen or two dozen ports,” he said,
noting the closest viable port at Anchorage or Dutch Harbor, Alaska, was 1,000
nautical miles or more from Arctic waters. In addition to ports and military
bases, Russian President Vladimir Putin has 54 icebreakers, Sullivan said. “He’s
got all the cards.”

Anderson, who is performing the duties of deputy
undersecretary of defense for policy, for which he is expected to be nominated
by President Trump, said the Pentagon, under the National Defense Authorization
Act for fiscal year 2020, is assessing infrastructure needs in the Arctic to
support operational flexibility and power projection. That includes an Army
Corps of Engineers study of Nome as a possible large ship harbor. A draft
report is expected in December, Anderson said.

WASHINGTON — The admiral in charge of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear weapons arsenal said the new warhead in development is needed to modernize the arsenal. 

Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe, director of Strategic Systems Programs (SSP), testifying on March 3 in Washington before the Strategic Forces subcommittee of the House Armed Forces Committee, said the W93 warhead and Mark 7 re-entry aeroshell are needed to pace the threat. 

The proposed fiscal 2021 budget reflects the direction to pursue the W93 warhead and Mark 7 aeroshell program of record, which “will address an evolving threat environment and ballistic missile warhead modernization requirements, will improve operational effectiveness for U.S. Strategic Command and will mitigate technical, operational, programmatic and geopolitical risk in the sea-based leg of the deterrent,” Wolfe said. 

“The SSP fiscal 2021 budget request not only funds the sustainment of today’s deterrent but it also begins the investment to build and re-energize capabilities, technologies, work force and critical skills required of any nuclear nation.” 

The SSP budget “reflects important investments in our follow-on Trident D5 Life-Extension 2 need for strategic deployment no later than 2039 in an evolving threat environment,” he said. 

Wolfe said the modernization efforts will produce “just-in-time replacements,” noting that the recapitalization “has left no margin for unanticipated challenges and technical work that we have not executed in over 30 years. … We must begin now. Now is the right time to ensure that the sea-based deterrent continues to meet strategic requirements.” 

He said the refurbishment of the W76 warhead family has been completed and a small number of them have been modified with a low-yield option. The timeline for completion of the W88 Warhead Alteration 370 program has been modified to reach production in 2021. 

Lisa Gordon-Haggerty, administrator of the National Nuclear Safety Administration who also testified at the hearing, said the W93 warhead will be based on previously deployed and tested nuclear explosive components. 

Wolfe said it has been 30 years since a new aeroshell had been developed and that “we’ve got to look how we can produce an aeroshell, agnostic of whatever the final solution is. We’ve got to have this for all of our systems as we move into the future.” 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) has ordered another UC-12W Huron utility transport aircraft from Textron Aviation. 

NAVAIR awarded Textron Aviation Inc. $14.3 million to fund the production and delivery of one King Air 350C Cargo Slick aircraft modified to a UC-12W, according to a March 2 Defense Department announcement.  

The UC-12W Huron is the most recent naval version of the C-12 light utility transport aircraft. It is used as a base flight aircraft for Marine Corps air stations. The UC-12W, an FAA-certified military variant of the King Air 300 series aircraft, is a low-wing, fully pressurized, multifunction T-tail monoplane with two turboprop engines. 

The aircraft is certified to operate on unimproved runways, certified/capable of operating in extreme weather conditions and equipped with the latest FAA mandates for operations in and outside of the continental United States. The cabin can be configured to accommodate passengers, cargo or both.  

The Marine Corps operates 8 UC-12Ws equipped with extended-range fuel tanks, additional aircraft survivability equipment, night-vision compatible lighting and satellite phone communications. The UC-12Ws are replacing UC-12F/M versions of the Huron.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Joint Program Office have delivered the 500th F-35 Lightning II strike fighter, the company said March 3. The F-35 surpassed 250,000 flight hours last month. 

The 500th production aircraft is a U.S. Air Force F-35A, to be delivered to the Burlington Air National Guard Base in Vermont. The 500 F-35s include 354 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing variants, 108 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing variants for the U.S. Marine Corps and 38 F-35C carrier variants for the Navy and international customers. The 250,000 flight hours include developmental test jets and training, operational, U.S. and international F-35s.  

“These milestones are a testament to the talent and dedication of the joint government, military and industry teams,” said Greg Ulmer, Lockheed’s vice president and general manager of the F-35 program. “The F-35 is delivering an unprecedented fifth-generation combat capability to the warfighter at the cost of a fourth-generation legacy aircraft.” 

The F-35 operates from 23 bases worldwide. More than 985 pilots and over 8,890 maintainers are trained. Nine nations use the F-35 from their home soil, eight services have declared initial operating capability and four services have employed F-35s in combat operations.

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Coast Guard Cutter Munro returned home on March 1 after a 78-day deployment, during which the crew seized an estimated $115 million worth of cocaine from suspected smugglers in the eastern Pacific Ocean, according to a Coast Guard Pacific Area release. 

The crew patrolled known drug-transit zones of the eastern Pacific from late December to mid-January and interdicted three suspected drug-smuggling vessels that carried 6,680 pounds of pure cocaine. 

The cocaine seized by Munro’s crew and three other Coast Guard cutters was part of a nearly 20,000-pound haul of the drug offloaded in San Diego on Feb. 11. 

This patrol was Munro’s second deployment to the eastern Pacific since the cutter’s 2017 commissioning. Last July, Vice President Mike Pence attended Munro’s offload of more than 39,000 pounds of cocaine and 933 pounds of marijuana worth more than $500 million. That offload included contraband found aboard a self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel interdicted by Munro’s crew on June 18 that was carrying more than 17,000 pounds of cocaine. 

Following February’s offload, the crew began a multiweek tailored ship’s training availability — a set of drills, inspections and exercises that assess a ship’s mission readiness and damage control capabilities. The crew passed all 136 required drills, with an overall average of 97%. 

“I truly could not have asked for a better crew with whom to share these memories, but we didn’t do this alone,” said Capt. Jim Estramonte, the Munro’s commanding officer. “Through all our adventures, the friends and family members of Munro’s crew have supported us. It is their hard work at home that allows us to serve. Their sacrifice does not go unnoticed. So thank you to all those who make our success possible.” 

Munro is one of four national security cutters homeported in Alameda. These Legend-class cutters are 418 feet long, 54 feet wide and have a 4,600 long-ton displacement. They have a top speed in excess of 28 knots, a range of 12,000 nautical miles, endurance of up to 90 days and can hold a crew of nearly 150. 

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Specialized and Proven Aircraft program office (PMA-226) recently completed a modification on several U.S. Navy F-16A Fighting Falcon aircraft to increase readiness and service life, according to Naval Air Systems Command. 

The FalconUp modification improves F-16A readiness by extending their fatigue lives by more than 500 hours and provides the configuration baseline to incorporate the funded Falcon Star program, which adds an additional 3,750 hours to the service lives of the aircraft. 

“The FalconUp upgrade incorporates structural improvements that extend the service life of the aircraft from 3,665 hours to 4,250 hours,” said Capt. Ramiro Flores, PMA-226’s program manager. “The program procured and installed proven structural modification kits on 10 U.S. Navy aircraft that enhanced and strengthened their internal structure.” 

PMA-226 used a rapid acquisition approach, in this case a build-to-print strategy to minimize risk and eliminate the need for test plans, systems engineering plans and design reviews. Build-to-print is a process in which a manufacturer produces products, equipment or components according to the customer’s exact specifications. 

The program office leveraged existing designs that the U.S. Air Force and international partners have used to install the modification and have been including it in production of the F-16 for more than two decades. The Navy competitively awarded the contract to ES3 Prime Logistics Group Inc., which has previously manufactured the same components for the Air Force and PMA-226. 

“Since the proven design has flown thousands of hours in this configuration, and it doesn’t require expansion of the current flight envelope, we were able to deliver this training capability to the warfighter much faster than a traditional program,” said Lt. Cmdr. Heather Bliss, PMA-226 adversary program team co-lead. 

“The upgrade allows the Navy to provide mission ready adversary aircraft for Naval aviation advanced tactical and aerial combat training, extending the operational life of the F-16A through 2025,” said Boyd Forsythe, PMA-226 adversary program team lead.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Naval Air Systems Command has ordered two MV-22B Osprey tilt-rotor transport aircraft and provided funds to continue the modernization of the Osprey fleet. 

According to the Feb. 28 Pentagon contract announcement, NAVAIR awarded Bell-Boeing a $165.3 million contract under the fiscal 2020 defense budget for the two MV-22Bs and for repairs to the existing Osprey fleet under the Common Configuration Readiness and Modernization (CC-RAM) program. 

The CC-RAM program is designed to reduce about 70 different sub-configurations of the Osprey fleet to standard configurations. Most of the existing Osprey fleet is the Block B configuration. Bell-Boeing delivered the first of 129 Block B MV-22Bs to be converted to Block C standards to the Marine Corps on Dec. 10.  

The Block C incorporates upgrades added as a result of lessons learned in combat deployments of the Osprey. The upgrades include improved cockpit displays, a display in the passenger/cargo cabin, chaff and flare dispensers and a weather radar. 

NORFOLK, Va. — U.S. 2nd Fleet, on behalf of U.S. Naval Forces Europe (NAVEUR) and with Military Sealift Command (MSC), is conducting convoy operations across the Atlantic, employing the guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf alongside USNS Benavidez, MV Resolve and MV Patriot, the 2nd Fleet said in a release. 

Sealift remains the primary method for transporting military equipment, supplies and materiel around the world. With the return of peer competition and access to sea lanes no longer guaranteed, the Navy and MSC train together to ensure successful delivery and sustainment of combat power. 

“In a real-world conflict, much of the military equipment must still go by sealift, which makes convoy operations a critical skill set to maintain and practice,” said Capt. Hans E. Lynch, commodore of MSC Atlantic. “In the last five years, there has been an increased emphasis on including Merchant Marine shipping in large-scale exercises to enhance tactical proficiency. Exercises that incorporate convoy operations are an extension of that ongoing tactical training.” 

This exercise is simulating an opposed transit, testing the fleets’ abilities to safely cross the Atlantic and new ways of conducting a convoy in today’s environment. Convoy operations were critical during World War I and World War II as the primary method for moving troops and military equipment, supplies and materiel to Europe. After WWII, convoys became less prevalent in the Atlantic theater, although still practiced in other areas of operation. 

“The Atlantic is a battlespace that cannot be ignored,” said Vice Adm. Andrew Lewis, commander of the 2nd Fleet. “We need to be prepared to operate at the high end alongside our allies, partners and adversaries alike as soon as we’re underway.” 

During its operations in the Atlantic, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, along with P-8s from VP-4 and a U.S. submarine, cleared the maritime battlespace prior to the transit of the Vella Gulf-escorted MSC convoy. 

“This exercise allows us to sharpen our ability to move critical resources across the Atlantic, from the United States to Europe,” said Adm. James G. Foggo III, commander of NAVEUR. 

Foggo added: “The transatlantic bridge is just as important today for moving troops and military equipment, supplies and materiel from the United States to Europe as it has been at any point in history.” 

The 2nd and 6th fleets work together to ensure the security of sea lanes of communication in the Atlantic. If called upon, the Pentagon’s sealift transportation fleet expects to move about 90% of required assets from the U.S. to the conflict theater. The safest and quickest way to get needed materials to the front lines is via maritime convoy. 

“We, as a Navy, are inherently linked with the broader maritime industry, and this exercise provides a great opportunity to train like we fight,” said Capt. Andrew Fitzpatrick, the Vella Gulf’s commander. “Practicing convoy operations flexes a blue-water, high-end skill for the first time in many years, enabling us all to operate on, above and below the sea in a contested environment.” 

MSC operates about 110 noncombatant, civilian-crewed ships that replenish Navy ships, conduct specialized missions, strategically preposition combat cargo at sea around the world and move military cargo and supplies used by deployed U.S. forces and coalition partners. 

C2F tests operational authorities over assigned ships, aircraft and landing forces on the East Coast and the Atlantic Ocean. When directed, C2F conducts exercises and operations within the U.S. European Command area of responsibility as an expeditionary fleet.

MCLEAN, Va. — BAE Systems Inc. was awarded a five-year $188.2 million contract to provide the U.S. Navy’s Aegis Technical Representative organization with large-scale system engineering, integration and testing expertise for the Aegis weapons and combat systems aboard Navy surface ships, the company announced.  

“BAE Systems personnel have worked side-by-side with Navy Sailors and civilians for nearly 40 years to strengthen and modernize the fleet of Aegis-equipped surface ships,” said Mark Keeler, vice president and general manager of BAE’s Integrated Defense Solutions business. “Our team brings a wealth of Aegis combat system expertise with the agility, innovation and technical acumen to ensure the U.S. Navy has the safe and effective combat capability it needs to meet mission objectives.” 

As part of the Aegis Technical Representative Engineering Support Services contract, BAE will provide Navy acquisition managers with on-site leadership and systems engineering to validate Total Ship Combat design at Navy sites in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, Bath, Maine, and Pascagoula, Mississippi. 

The company also will support systems engineering and test and evaluation personnel to provide fleet experience and operational insight. Additionally, the company will provide logistics, cybersecurity, production, acquisition and waterfront support required for upgrading and maintaining development of Aegis combat system capabilities and baselines across the entire life cycle.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy will christen its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Cooperstown (LCS 23), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony on Feb. 29 in Marinette, Wisconsin, the Pentagon said in a release. 

Alba Tull will serve as the ship’s sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Jane Forbes Clark, chairman of the board of directors of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York, will deliver the ceremony’s keynote address.  

“The christening of the future USS Cooperstown marks an important step toward this great ship’s entry into the fleet,” acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said. “The dedication and skilled work of everyone involved in the building of this ship has ensured that it will represent the great city of Cooperstown and serve our Navy and Marine Corps team for decades to come.” 

LCS 23 is the 12th Freedom-variant LCS, the 23rd in the class. The Cooperstown is the first ship named in honor of the city. LCS 23 received its name on July 25, 2015, during a ceremony at the Hall of Fame and it honors the veterans who are members of the Hall of Fame. These 64 men served in conflicts ranging from the Civil War through the Korean War. 

LCS is a modular and reconfigurable ship, designed to meet validated fleet requirements for surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral region. Using an open architecture design, modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to gain, sustain and exploit littoral maritime supremacy, LCS provides the U.S. joint force access to critical areas in multiple theaters. 

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom variant and the Independence variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom-variant team is led by Lockheed Martin in Marinette (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence-variant team is led by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls).