ALAMEDA, California — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Waesche (WMSL-751) returned April 8 to the ship’s homeport of Alameda following a 95-day counter-narcotics patrol in the eastern Pacific Ocean, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said.

Waesche’s deployment supported Joint Interagency Task Force-South, with the ship operating in international waters off the coast of Central and South America, resulting in the seizure of more than 14,000 pounds of cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of $193 million.

The drugs were seized during six separate interdictions by the Coast Guard Cutters Active (WMEC-618), Steadfast (WMEC-623) and Waesche, with the assistance of a helicopter interdiction squadron of pilots, aircrew and trained helicopter marksmen embarked aboard Waesche.

The contraband and 10 suspected drug traffickers were transferred April 5 from Waesche and turned over to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in San Diego.

“This offload represents a successful example of the cycle of justice,” said Rear Adm. Nathan Moore, deputy commander of Coast Guard Pacific Area. “This cycle of justice disrupts the cycle of crime, which, left unchecked, fuels violence and instability that erodes our hemisphere’s social and economic fabric and directly contributes to historically high numbers of drug-related deaths in North America.”

As part of its Western Hemisphere Strategy, the Coast Guard increased its presence in known drug transit zones in the eastern Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea. During at-sea interdictions in international waters, suspect vessels are initially located and tracked by military or law-enforcement personnel from the U.S. and its allies. The interdictions, including boardings, are conducted by U.S. Coast Guard members.

Waesche’s commanding officer, Capt. Patrick Dougan, said the ship, among the Coast Guard’s most sophisticated and technologically advanced assets, is well-suited to the task.

“[The ship] would be ineffective without the men and women who serve aboard,” Dougan said. “Everyone on board plays an important role, and manning these ships requires everyone to contribute. This crew, as well as those of our other Coast Guard assets, are relentless in their pursuit of improving their professional excellence.”

The Waesche is one of four 418-foot national security cutters homeported in Alameda. The ship and its normal compliment of 148 crew members perform deployments lasting about 100 days, carrying out missions such as law enforcement, search and rescue, fisheries management and drug interdictions from the Bering Sea to the eastern Pacific.

Fort Worth, Texas — Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced in an April 18 release that, should the Bell 407GXi be selected for the U.S. Navy Advanced Helicopter Trainer program, the company plans to conduct final assembly of the aircraft in Ozark, Alabama.

Bell submitted its proposal to the Navy on April 2. The Navy is seeking to acquire 130 aircraft to replace the fleet of Bell TH-57 helicopters.

“Bell is proud to be the only U.S.-based manufacturer to participate in the Navy Advanced Helicopter Trainer competition,” said Mitch Snyder, president and CEO. “Our Ozark team has proven their capabilities delivering Bell 407s to the Navy through the Fire Scout program. We look forward to providing a safe, technologically advanced aircraft for the next generation of Naval aviators.”

The Bell 407GXi is outfitted with the new Rolls-Royce M250-C47E/4 dual channel FADEC turbine engine, delivering exceptional hot and high performance, fuel efficiency and the ability to cruise at 133 knots/246 kilometers per hour.

The aircraft also features Garmin’s G1000H NXi Integrated Flight Deck, which delivers enhanced situational awareness and reduces pilot workload by delivering information at a glance, such as Helicopter Synthetic Vision Technology with Terrain and Obstacle Warning, improving safety for the future of naval flight training.

MIAMI — The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Bear (WMEC-901) offloaded about 14,000 pounds of marijuana worth an estimated $12.5 million wholesale and 3,660 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $50 million on April 18 at Port Everglades, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

The drugs were interdicted off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America and represent five separate, suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions:

• The Coast Guard Cutter Bear was responsible for two cases, seizing about 7,900 pounds of marijuana and 300 pounds of cocaine.

• The Coast Guard Cutter Valiant (WMEC-621) was responsible for one case, seizing about 2,700 pounds of cocaine.

• The USS Tornado (PC-14) with a Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team was responsible for two cases, seizing 6,100 pounds of marijuana and 660 pounds of cocaine.

“I could not be prouder of this crew’s accomplishments, and of the entire interagency and allied team that continue to stand the watch in an effort to stem the efforts of smugglers that seek to destabilize the Western hemisphere while they line their pockets,” said Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Dennelly, executive officer of Coast Guard Cutter Bear.

“It is through successful interdictions, such as the ones we are offloading today, that impact these criminal organizations, regardless of the product they are smuggling. It is certainly a team effort with contributions by our Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations partners, Department of Defense and other DHS partners that make todays offload possible.”

The cutter Bear is a 270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia. The cutter Valiant is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Jacksonville, Florida. The USS Tornado is a 179-foot Cyclone-class patrol ship.

RED SEA (NNS) — Maritime forces from France’s Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group and the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group participated in a naval passing exercise in the Red Sea on April 15.

The Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group, composed of France’s Marine Nationale aircraft carrier FS Charles De Gaulle (R-91), F70AA-class air defense destroyer FS Forbin (D-620), and the Royal Danish Navy Iver Huitfeldt-class frigate HDMS Niels Juel (F-363), along with the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group, composed of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74), guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG-53), and guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG-74), conducted dissimilar aircraft training, a nighttime gun exercise, a liaison officer exchange program, and a photo exercise.

“French Rafale aircraft and American [F/A-18] Super Hornets conducted air-to-air combat and [refueling] training,” said Cmdr. Desobry Bowens, Carrier Air Wing Nine’s operation officer (CAG-Ops) embarked aboard the John C. Stennis. “The Rafales also performed touch-and-go procedures on the [John C. Stennis’] flight deck.”

The ships and their crews were put through several integrated training events.

“We did a liaison officer exchange, where their CAG-Ops and admiral spent time aboard the John C. Stennis, and our admiral went to the Charles De Gaulle,” Bowens said. “We also exchanged landing signal officers from both aircraft carriers to cross-train. Both carriers have similar aircraft landing equipment.”

Conducting joint operations and exercises in the region with allied NATO partners is beneficial to everyone involved.

“[This] PASSEX enhances partnerships with our NATO allies, and promotes interoperability,” said Bowens. “We can better understand how each other operates. [The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group’s] mission often includes presence operations, and when we work in combined airspace, we show strength through resolve. We’re not just two aircraft carriers passing by each other at sea, we’re working together.”

A similar viewpoint was shared by French leadership.

“This PASSEX with John C. Stennis strike group, a few days only after entering the Red Sea, emphasizes Charles de Gaulle’s come back at its highest level,” said Capt. de Saint Germain, commanding officer of Charles de Gaulle. “That kind of interaction is the best way to increase our interoperability with our American ally.”

The John C. Stennis also provided targets for French Rafales to strafe at during the nighttime GUNEX.

PASSEX is just one of many exercises conducted by partner-nations in support of regional security and stability. The exercise concluded with a photo exercise, capturing the strength through unity that multi-national navies have while operating together.

This PASSEX is one of the many ways the U.S. Navy works with France’s Marine Nationale in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. In January 2019, USS John C. Stennis and France’s Marine Nationale F70AA-class air defense destroyer FS Cassard (D 614) culminated weeks of interoperability training.

The John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and the Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three strategic choke points.

U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses about 2.5 million square miles of water area and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. The expanse is comprised of 20 countries and includes three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, the Suez Canal, and the Strait of Bab al-Mandeb at the southern tip of Yemen.

DIEGO GARCIA, British Indian Ocean Territory (NNS) — P-8 aircraft from the U.S. and Indian navies conducted cooperative activities in the Indian Ocean on April 15, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a release.

The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG-111) also joined the drills, which focused on anti-submarine warfare training, information sharing and coordination between maritime patrol aircraft and ships.

“The U.S. Navy is committed to engaging with regional partners in establishing common practices and developing mutual capabilities. Spruance is proud to exercise alongside the Indian navy,” said Cmdr. Matthew Smidt, commanding officer of Spruance. “We were greatly impressed by the professionalism and competency of their MPRA. The exercise was a wonderful experience and opportunity from which we learned and honed our skills.”

Spruance, based in San Diego, and P-8A aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 “Fighting Tigers,” based in Jacksonville, Florida, are conducting routine operations in 7th Fleet. The Indian Navy P-8I aircraft is with Naval Air Squadron 312 based at Indian Naval Station Rajali.”Flying ASW (anti-submarine warfare) in the 7th Fleet AOR (area of operations) is a team event, and we eagerly seize every opportunity to work with our allies and partners,” said Lt. James Lowe, pilot with VP-8. “Our goal is to further standardize our procedures so we can work more efficiently in future real-world operations. I think, in the end, we are fortunate to be able to operate out of beautiful Diego Garcia and learn about our Indian counterparts as well!”

U.S. Navy ships and aircraft train routinely with the Indian navy between annual port visits and exercises like Malabar. These events reaffirm a shared commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“We look forward to developing useful lessons through this engagement and laying the groundwork for future integration efforts between our Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Forces,” said Cmdr. Zachary Stang, VP-8 commanding officer.

U.S. 7th Fleet provides security alongside allies and partners throughout a free and open Indo-Pacific. As the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed fleet, 7th Fleet operates roughly about 50-70 ships and submarines, and 140 aircraft with approximately 20,000 Sailors.

PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) has taken another step toward returning to the fleet as a fully ready, combat-capable ship, Naval Sea Systems Command said in a release.

The destroyer achieved a milestone in its complex repair and restoration as it successfully launched and moored pierside at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ shipyard on April 16. The launch reflects more than a year’s worth of effort in restoring and modernizing one of the U.S. Navy’s most capable warships.

Since the ship’s arrival in Pascagoula in January 2018, work has focused on restoring the integrity of the hull and topside structures that were damaged during a 2017 collision with the containership MV ACX Crystal that killed seven Sailors and injured several others, including Fitzgerald’s commanding officer at the time, Cmdr. Bryce Benson.

“The complexity of this overhaul has been challenging, but our planning team at Bath Iron Works and waterfront team at HII is executing repairs and installing upgrades so that Fitzgerald returns to our Sailors lethal and mission-ready,” said Rear Adm. Jim Downey, deputy commander for surface warfare and commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center. “We’re excited to have the ship back in the water, where we can begin outfitting and testing efforts in support of getting the ship and crew back underway.”

To restore the impacted spaces to full operations and functionality, various hull, mechanical and electrical, combat system and command, control, communications, computers and intelligence repairs are being conducted. These repairs range from partial to complete refurbishment of impacted spaces to replacement of equipment such as the radar and electronic warfare suite. The ship is also receiving various modernization upgrades. Due to the extent and complexity of the restoration, both repair and new construction procedures are being used.

“This undocking is a step forward and brings us that much closer to getting Fitzgerald back out to sea — where the ship belongs,” said Cmdr. Garrett Miller, Fitzgerald’s current commanding officer. “I’m proud of this crew’s hard work over the past year and look forward to returning to the fleet with enhanced warfighting capability and lethality.”

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s surface warriors need more and better simulators to hone their skills, the vice chief of naval operations said April 16, also noting that crews would benefit from more attention from their commanding officers.

“Commanding officers need more time to train their crews,” VCNO Adm. Bill Moran said, speaking at an event of the U.S. Naval Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, and sponsored by Huntington Ingalls Industries.

“More freeplay,” Moran said.

Moran, the nominee to become the next and 32nd chief of naval operations, was responding to a question about the results of the Navy’s investigations and reviews of the 2017 collision of the destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain.

The Navy has adopted 111 recommendations, Moran said, and has been implementing them at a pace such that would not “crush the fleet.” The recommendations are being implemented in three tiers of priority: safety, effectiveness and excellence — moving from a culture of just meeting the standards to exceeding the standards.

Moran, a P-3 pilot, said the Navy needed to “build better simulators,” noting his concern that the quality of the simulators used in the surface warfare community “were well below what I am used to in the aviation community.”

“We [also] don’t have the capacity I think the fleet needs,” he said.

He cited the littoral combat ship community for the good quality of its training simulators and said that “we should have that for every ship class in the Navy.”

“That, to me, will make the biggest difference over time,” he said.

The Navy is building two new structures to house ship simulators in the fleet concentrations of Norfolk, Virginia, and San Diego. The Navy has had in place the NSST (navigation, seamanship and shiphandling trainer) for more than a decade.

Moran stressed that even with excellent simulation, Sailors need “some seawater under your legs.” He praised the measures taken by the Navy’s commander of surface forces, Vice Adm. Rich Brown, to restructure the career path of junior surface warfare officers to give them more time at sea earlier in their careers.

He said that COs can give more time to training their crews by getting maintenance and schedules under control. The Navy has reduced the number of required inspections — knocking out some 60, he said — to free up crews for developing warfighting skills.

WASHINGTON — The Navy’s vice chief of naval operations said that readiness of the strike fighter community is improving and is approaching the 80% goal set by former Defense Secretary James Mattis.

“The highs are getting higher and the lows are getting higher,” said VCNO Adm. Bill Moran, speaking of the daily readiness statistics that come in from the fleet.

Moran was answering questions April 16 at an event of the U.S. Naval Institute and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a Washington think tank, and sponsored by Huntington Ingalls Industries.

Moran, a P-3 pilot and now nominee for chief of naval operations, said that less than two years ago, the readiness of the F/A-18 strike fighter was less than 50% mission capable.

The running 10-day average last week was 76%, he said.

Moran said the Navy had “accepted normalization of deviancy” in a time of budget turbulence and that “naval aviation had fallen into that trap.”

He said the Navy recruited the expertise of the commercial aviation industry to look at its processes and metrics and implemented changes that helped to turn the situation around. He also said the lessons also were being applied to surface ship maintenance.

UPPSALA, Sweden — Marine Jet Power (MJP) has been awarded a multiunit, multiyear contract with CSBC Shipyard to provide propulsion for 15,100-ton class vessels for the Taiwan Coast Guard (TCG), the company said in a release.

The 34-meter vessels will be built at CSBC’s facility in Keelung, Taiwan. Featuring dual MJP stainless steel 750 DRB waterjets, the vessels are predicted to exceed 30 knots and will be powered by MTU inboard diesel engines.

“MJP has a long history with the Taiwan Coast Guard and, to date, we have been involved in TCG previous builds already operational; 50-ton, 100-ton and 500-ton class projects. We are excited to build TCG’s next generation of 100-ton class vessels and the start of our relationship with CSBC,” said Nils Morén, sales manager for MJP.

Selected for its quality and durability in the field, MJP’s DRB line of waterjets are constructed from duplex stainless-steel and feature all inboard hydraulics. The mixed-flow pump design offers high performance and increased operational efficiencies resulting in lower maintenance cost and minimal service intervals.

“MJP’s all stainless-steel construction was a huge consideration for the shipyard and the end user when selecting a propulsion package,” said Michael Kuan from UDC Marine, MJP’s Taiwanese representative.

“CSBC ultimately selected MJP for durability and ease of maintenance in addition to the other long-term benefits waterjets provide to the operator over the life span of the vessels,” Kuan said.

Marine Jet Power will begin to deliver waterjets to the shipyard later this year and the 15 vessels will be constructed over the next four years.

HONOLULU — Crews of two U.S. Coast Guard cutters and a long-range HC-130 patrol aircraft recently completed combined operations to help combat illegal fishing across Oceania, the Coast Guard 14th District said in a release.

The crews teamed with shipriders from the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) as part of Operation Rai Balang 2019, a Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) mission.

For three weeks, U.S. Coast Guard cutters Sequoia (WLB-215) and Kiska (WPB-1336) embarked FSM shipriders to patrol the FSM exclusive economic zone and on the high seas, supported by the HC-130.

In addition to the Coast Guard and FSM combined operations, Operation Rai Balang also involved ships and aircraft from the remaining Pacific Quadrilateral Defense Partners — Australia, New Zealand and France — in support of other Pacific Island countries across Oceania.

Illegal, unregulated and underreported fishing threatens resource security and sovereignty. Enforcing international fishing regulations on the high seas and helping Pacific island countries protect their waters from illegal fishing promotes maritime governance and reinforces a rules-based international order that is essential to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

“The U.S. Coast Guard and our Pacific Quadrilateral Defense Partners have two decades of experience working together with Pacific Island countries to help ensure resource security and the viability of tuna stocks in the Pacific,” said Capt. Riley Gatewood, chief of enforcement for U.S. Coast Guard 14th District.

“Working with experts from these nations and regional leaders like the [FSM] is vital to ensuring food security and the rule of law in Oceania. Working together we are helping to sustain and increase a secure, free and open Indo-Pacific,” Gatewood added.

Estimates show that illegal fishing accounts for about 30 percent of all fishing activity worldwide, representing up to 26 million tons of fish illegally harvested each year, valued at between $10 billion and $23 billion.

“IUU fishing can act as a nexus for economic, social and political instability or unwanted influence of countries looking to gain a foothold in the region — all having direct economic and security implications for the United States if not effectively controlled,” said Lt. Cmdr. Conor Sullivan, of fisheries enforcement for the Coast Guard 14th District.

The U.S. bilateral shiprider arrangement with FSM is only one of 11 such agreements across Oceania. The Coast Guard regularly conducts bilateral fisheries law enforcement with these Pacific Island Countries, often as part of planned FFA operations across the region.