BUSAN, Republic of Korea — The U.S. Navy, the Republic of Korea navies and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force executed a trilateral-naval exercise Jan. 15 to Jan. 17 south of Jeju Island, in international waters near the Korean Peninsula and Japan.

Commander, Naval Forces Korea participated with Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in the multi-day trilateral exercise that focused on integration, interoperability and readiness across multiple complex warfare areas.

“This exercise sharpens our combined skills and deepens our relationship with our partner nations,” said Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, commander, CNFK. “Our close-knit teamwork with ROK and JMSDF is critical to the success of conducting combined maritime operations and training at sea.”

The collaborative exercise reflects shared values, through a trilateral commitment to deter aggression, and to maintain peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

The USS Carl Vinson, the flagship of CSG 1, kicked off the exercise Monday. The USS Carl Vinson previously conducted a trilateral maritime exercise with JMSDF and ROK on November 26, 2023.

These exercises support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

CNFK is the U.S. Navy’s representative in the Republic of Korea, it fosters enduring relationships with joint, combined, and multinational partners and strengthens combined maritime warfighting capability, interoperability, and readiness.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro has directed newly confirmed Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition Nickolas Guertin and Commander of Naval Sea Systems Command Vice Adm. James Downey to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the Navy shipbuilding portfolio.

The intent is to provide an interim progress review to Secretary Del Toro within 45 days. The purpose of the review is to provide an assessment of national and local causes of shipbuilding challenges, as well as recommended actions for achieving a healthier U.S. shipbuilding industrial base that provides combat capabilities that our warfighters need, on a schedule that is relevant. 

“I remain concerned with the lingering effects of post-pandemic conditions on our shipbuilders and their suppliers that continue to affect our shipbuilding programs, particularly our Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and Constellation-class frigate,” Del Toro said. “The Department of the Navy has a strategic imperative requiring a whole-of-government effort to rebuild our nation’s comprehensive maritime power – a new Maritime Statecraft in which the Navy plays a vital role. The American public should know that the Department of the Navy is committed to developing, delivering, and sustaining the finest warfighting capability to our Sailors and Marines. We will continue to work with industry and all other stakeholders to strengthen our national shipbuilding capacity, both naval and commercial.”

NAVAL BASE VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — A variety of robots crawling in, on and below a decommissioned U.S. Navy destroyer, as well as replacement parts being additively manufactured on site, comprised just a small part of the activity that took place during the first-ever U.S. Navy Repair Technology Exercise, or REPTX, held Aug. 22-Sept. 1 at Naval Base Ventura County in Ventura County, California.

Teams from various companies as well as academic and government laboratories arrived from around the world with their technology applications to conduct demonstrations and field experiments aboard the decommissioned Spruance-class destroyer, known as the Self Defense Test Ship. The ship is operated by personnel from Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) in Port Hueneme, California, a field activity of Naval Sea Systems Command and located at NBVC.

NAVSEA’s Naval Systems Engineering and Logistics Directorate Technology Office (NAVSEA 05T) sponsored REPTX 2022, which was hosted by NSWC PHD and held both pierside and aboard the SDTS, which took to the sea for the second week of the event.

The purpose of the inaugural exercise was to see if the technology can tackle real-world fleet maintenance and battle-damage related repairs of ships while operating in a true maritime environment — boosting the Navy’s ability to keep ships at sea by aiding Sailors in carrying out needed repairs.

“The format provides a realistic fielding environment, both pierside and underway, allowing teams the chance to field, adjust, learn and retest their solutions,” said Janice Bryant, sustainment technology program manager at NAVSEA 05T.

“REPTX didn’t just showcase technology but applied it to solve Navy challenges,” Bryant added. “It was a problem-centric event that promoted collaboration rather than competition. Many problems require a complex solution, and multiple participants have independent pieces of that solution.”

The more than 60 REPTX participants demonstrated technologies designed to address four focus areas: visualization, command and control aids, forward manufacturing and expeditionary maintenance.

The technology also needed to be capable of taking on a “day job” — in other words, serving a purpose that adds value to Navy ships and crew on a routine basis. And, it has to be user-friendly enough for a ship’s crew to learn quickly.

“Our priorities as a warfare center are to deliver and sustain readiness, modernize and maintain the current fleet, and field the surface fleet of the future,” said Capt. Andrew Hoffman, NSWC PHD commanding officer. “REPTX demonstrates these priorities by allowing both industry, government and academia to work side-by-side while exploring innovative maintenance concepts that we can rapidly deliver to our forward-deployed warfighters.”

Approximately 20 reservists from the Navy’s Surge Maintenance (SurgeMain) program provided that ship’s crew perspective as they got hands-on with much of the technology, learning how to operate the remote-controlled robotics, wearing augmented reality (AR) headsets to view repair instructions and videos, measuring corrosion on the deckplate of the SDTS, and more.

“The SurgeMain sailors typically don’t get chances like this to provide input on new technologies, so it was hugely important for them to have that opportunity,” said REPTX Project Manager Suzie Simms. “At the end of the event, all of the SurgeMain sailors who participated said they want to be involved again next year.”

Scenarios where reservists were able to remotely control robots included identifying unknown objects on the side of the ship’s hull, detangling a fouled propeller, measuring the depth of metal wastage due to corrosion using ultrasonic waves, and inspecting tight spaces that would be difficult or dangerous for a human to go into.

Several companies brought AR technology to the SDTS, providing both communication and real-time visuals during simulated battle damage assessment scenarios as well as repair work instructions and videos that can be viewed through the headset while simultaneously looking at the damaged area.

Additive manufacturing technology installed in compact shipping containers both pierside and aboard the SDTS provided the capability to 3D print replacement parts as needed in a variety of materials.

Other scenarios involved ship-to-shore communication systems, inspection and repair tools, and above- and below-water visualization devices.

Technology suppliers assisted SurgeMain reservists in using and demonstrating the technology aboard the SDTS during week two — this time in a true maritime environment as the vessel went underway off the coast of Port Hueneme. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operators got a chance to fly their camera-equipped drones around the ship to inspect it.

The main goals of the UAV demonstrations during REPTX were to identify issues like corrosion and misplaced items and to test the UAVs’ capabilities to aid in battle damage assessment and repair — a key focus area for the Navy — by rapidly creating digital models, among other things.

In one scenario, a flange with a leaky gasket was the focus of a collaborative effort on the last underway day of REPTX. The SDTS crew had identified the issue in the ship’s state room, and several technology suppliers worked on a fix with SurgeMain sailors.

A reservist used an AR headset during the scenario to connect remotely with a subject matter expert elsewhere to help inspect and measure the faulty flange.

Armed with measurements of the flange assembly, two additive manufacturing companies participating in REPTX later 3D-printed parts that could be used to replace the flange and gasket in the state room.

Other underway demonstrations tested, repaired and monitored vital equipment on the ship.

Participants and organizers agreed that some of the best things to come out of REPTX were the spontaneous collaborations between attending organizations that revealed more efficient uses of their individual technologies when used together.

Along with the focus on collaboration, organizers designed the event to be educational for everyone involved.

“REPTX facilitated learning on both the government and participant sides,” said Jason Bickford, research manager at NSWC PHD. “We’ve heard unanimous positive feedback from participants that it was a valuable experience for them.”

The learning experience was impactful in that it was hands on, operationally based and held aboard an active ship.

Bryant said that next steps include determining how to invest $2 million in follow-on funding to further develop technologies for fielding in the fleet. The REPTX team will also release to the public a comprehensive after action report on the event.

Meanwhile, discussions are underway for a sequel.

“Events like REPTX enable NAVSEA to be more agile and competitive in the future fight,” Bryant said. “Providing access to Navy assets, crew and problems allows traditional and non-traditional players to engage together, quickly and effectively. Continuing efforts like REPTX are essential as the Navy looks to build a more resilient and sustainable fleet and innovative and responsive industrial base.”

WASHINGTON — Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday hosted the commander in chief of the Israeli Navy, Vice Adm. David Saar Salama, in Washington, D.C., for a formal counterpart visit, June 8-9, the CNO’s public affairs office said in a release.  

The two leaders discussed several topics of shared interest including force design, strategic competition, unmanned technologies and regional security efforts.  

The two-day visit included a full honors ceremony, meetings with senior U.S. Navy leadership and a visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. 

“Our strategic partnership with Israel is ironclad and enduring,” said Gilday. “United by our commitment to a rules-based international order, free and open seas, and advancing collective capabilities, our two navies have never been more aligned than they are today. I look forward to working closely with Adm. Salama to strengthen our partnership and interoperability.”   

“‏The cooperation between the Israeli Navy and the U.S. Navy, led by my friend Adm. Mike Gilday, is another testament to the strength of the strategic partnership and friendship between the two navies,” said Salama. “The joint work with the U.S. Navy, especially with the 5th and 6th Fleets, will continue to yield many achievements for Israel and overall maritime security. Together, we will continue to face the challenges ahead in order to maintain stability at sea.” 

U.S. Navy and Israeli Naval Forces regularly operate together around the world, particularly in the U.S. 5th and 6th Fleet Area of Operations. Most recently, the U.S. Navy and the Israeli Navy participated in Intrinsic Defender 22, a bilateral exercise focused on maritime security operations, explosive ordnance disposal, health topics and unmanned systems integration. 

On Sept. 1, 2021, the U.S. Department of Defense officially reorganized Israel within the area of responsibility of U.S. Central Command. 

This was the first meeting between Gilday and Salama. 

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. — The Pacific Target Marine Operations, a division of Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division’s Threat/Target Systems Department, recently deployed small drones over Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, to provide cost-effective unmanned aerial system familiarization and threat training. 

“The Low-Speed Aerial Target- Small [LSAT-S] program developed a cost-effective target training and deployment program that directly represents the UAS threat the fleet faces daily,” said Pete Pena, PTMO program lead. “UAS are classified by their size, range, and speed, and are broken into five groups based on those attributes. We’re flying group 1 drones which are considered to be the greatest threat to military forces across the globe due to their unique range of capabilities as well as their relatively low cost and small size.” 
 
In 2021, speaking at a U.S. Senate committee, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, referred to the proliferation of small drones as the “most concerning tactical development” since the emergence of improvised explosive devices. 
 
Groups 1-3 can range from over-the-counter handheld drones to medium sized drones with sensors and the capacity to deliver weaponized payloads. However, the main threat that comes from groups 1-3 is intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. These drones can be difficult to detect and destroy due to their low flying altitude and small size. 
 
“Point Mugu is a no drone zone,” said Fire Controlman 1st Class Petty Officer Michael Jordan, assigned to NBVC. “It is difficult to obtain authorization to operate drones in this controlled airspace, even for military units. So, this demonstration provided a rare opportunity for watch standers to experience live drone flights and provide identification, which is the first step in countering threats.” 
 
In 2019, Ellen Lord, the former undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, established a waiver system to authorize drone operations on military ranges in highly controlled conditions, to test the U.S. military’s counter-UAS capabilities. 
 
Civilian and military operators had a chance to fly multiple different scenarios onboard Point Mugu, Pena added. Each test presented a range of conditions, spanning from the direction a UAS was flying to a variance in flight patterns, altitudes, airspeeds, and representative threats. 
 
“This demo is a force multiplier which allows us to offer more frequent and robust counter-UAS presentations to the fleet and installation commanders,” said Cmdr. Todd “Jazz Hands” Faurot, LSAT-S pilot. “This increases our defenses during peacetime and also providing for a war time surge capability.” 
 
The first step in countering the rising threat from UAS is target acquisition and identification. The proliferation of UAS, especially group 1-3, the downsizing of the technology, and its decreasing costs of production will make threat detection difficult. 
 
“Our demonstrations provide the fleet with important UAS familiarization and training to face this increasing airborne threat,” added Pena. 
 
NBVC is comprised of three distinct operational facilities: Point Mugu, Port Hueneme and San Nicolas Island. It is Ventura County’s largest employer and protects Southern California’s largest coastal wetlands through its award-winning environmental program. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Declaring “Our time to innovate is now,” Chief of Naval Research (CNR) Rear Adm. Lorin C. Selby last week introduced a new vision for future naval power, one based on faster development of unmanned, autonomous systems, vibrant partnerships with industry and academia and reimagined naval formations. 

“I think this decade, the 2020s, will have special significance for our nation and our role in leading the world,” Selby told a nationwide audience during the HACKtheMACHINE Unmanned event. “What can we do today that can deliver measurable results in two years, that leads to deployed capabilities at scale in five years, to fully realize that reimagined future?”   

Small, Agile, Many 

A critical important component of future naval success, he said, is incorporating advanced cyberphysical technologies found in the “small, the agile, and the many” — small unmanned, autonomous platforms that have the agility to be built and adapted quickly, in large numbers, and at far lower costs compared to larger platforms. These unmanned air, surface and subsurface vehicles will carry an array of sensors and modern payloads, and perform multiple missions. 

“The small, the agile and the many have the strong potential to define the future in a world where the large and the complex are either too expensive to generate in mass, or potentially too vulnerable to put at risk,” he said. 

“We are talking about how to iterate at scale and at speed. How to take things that meet operational needs and making them part of the force structure, deploying them in novel naval formations” that will “confuse and confound the tasks our adversaries must consider.” 

One of the advantages of the small, agile and many platforms in this new formation is that Selby believes they can be built relatively inexpensively compared to existing force structure. This makes them more attritable in high-end conflict — in other words, if they are shot down or otherwise put out of action, American forces will have dozens, even thousands, of backups in place. Having large numbers of advanced but inexpensive platforms in the fleet to counter an adversary’s expensive platforms could play an important role in deterring aggressive actions. 

Selby gave his remarks during a keynote address at the HACKtheMACHINE Unmanned competition, held virtually Nov. 16-19. This event, which is expanding to multiple cities across the country, is a public-facing technology challenge aimed at accelerating discovery and team building between the Department of the Navy, industry and academia. 

The ultimate goal of such events, Selby said, is to create new ways of doing business for autonomous and software-based systems. Comparing this moment in history to the dawn of the industrial revolution, when technological advances drove massive change, he noted that today, “data is the new oil, and software is the new steel.” 

Sponsored by ONR, in conjunction with Program Executive Office (PEO) C41, PEO Integrated Warfare Systems, PEO Unmanned and Small Combatants, the Navy’s Cybersecurity Office (PMW-130) and industry partners like Fathom5 and Booz Allen Hamilton, HACKtheMACHINE Unmanned is one of the ways ONR is working to support the Navy’s 2021 Unmanned Task Force and integrate unmanned and autonomous technology at scale.  

A Strategic Hedge 

Selby emphasized the importance of America’s current naval force structure needing a “strategic hedge.” He noted that in World War II, the Navy was primarily invested in battleships as the nucleus of combat power for any future conflict. However, the Navy and the nation had a “hedge” investment in aircraft carrier and submarine force structure. Ultimately the hedge proved crucial to victory — far different from the beginning of the war, when battleships were seen by many as the key. 
   
The small, the agile and the many represent a viable hedge to support the large and the complex platforms that comprise the backbone of today’s force structure. Rapid development of unmanned, autonomous systems provides the technological drive to create a hedge option for the 21st century Navy and Marine Corps. Developing this strategic hedge at ONR is one of many ways the organization helps the Navy and Marine Corps adapt to potential futures. 

Finally, the CNR stressed the importance of moving from the current requirements-driven acquisition process — a successful process for large platforms, but one not rooted in speed — to a “problem-driven” process, where the Naval Research Enterprise asks operators and commanders what problems they are facing, and rapidly creates solutions to solve their problems.  

That approach has already begun. ONR provided dozens of unmanned platforms and sensors used in last April’s Integrated Battle Problem 2021, which focused on a PACFLEET battle problem. In 2022, those efforts will continue, including partnering with SOUTHCOM to deliver new tools for drug interdiction efforts. 

PORT HUENEME, Calif. — The U.S. Navy in partnership with the Oxnard Harbor District (OHD) is providing resources onboard Port Hueneme in direct support of decreasing port congestion in Los Angeles County and reducing the national supply-chain shortage, Nov. 22, 2021. 

A standing Joint Use Agreement (JUA) with Naval Base Ventura County and OHD, allows the Navy to support commercial supply chain logistics when activated. 

“Naval Base Ventura County recently welcomed a large cargo vessel,” said Daniel J. Herrera, assistant program director for port operations, NBVC. “Ports of America already off-loaded a large number of 40-foot containers into lot 22 onboard Port Hueneme, which is merchandise expected to have direct impact with helping to support holiday supply demands.” 

The Department of the Navy entered into a JUA in 2002 with the OHD, replacing the 1994 memorandum of understanding, authorizing commercial use of Wharf 3 onboard NBVC, including approximately 21 acres of contiguous land, buildings 546 and 548, and if available, up to an additional 10 acres of industrial land located outside of the Wharf 3 area. 

Jason Hodge, President of the OHD which owns the Port of Hueneme, said commercial business at the port has increased significantly over the past year and when it comes to moving cargo, the Port’s flexible “can do” attitude is similar to the Navy Seabees’ “Can Do” motto of completing a task no matter the condition or situation. 

“The port appreciates the partnership with NBVC and locating additional space to accommodate excess holiday shipments coming through the port,” Hodge said. “We are delighted to come together to meet the challenge of providing a solution to help keep essential goods moving. Our long-standing history of partnership continues with this call-to-action to address the national supply chain challenge.” 

The JUA was activated in November as a resource to help reduce the shipping congestion affecting Los Angeles County’s major ports and contributing to the national supply crisis. Vessels would arrive into the port to unload a portion of their containers before continuing on to Los Angeles County or chose to unload all their containers at the Port of Hueneme to avoid the backlog of ships farther south. 

CARIBBEAN SEA – The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD 24) arrived in U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations off the coast Haiti to begin humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations, Aug. 21, said Lt. Laura Price, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet. 

Arlington departed Naval Station Norfolk Aug. 17 to support U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) following a 7.2-magnitute earthquake that struck Haiti on Aug. 14, 2021. 
 
“Our initial focus is to concentrate on saving lives while alleviating suffering for the people of Haiti,” said Capt. Eric Kellum, commanding officer of Arlington. “Assisting those in need due to a natural disaster is something this team is trained and ready to do. Our presence here demonstrates our nation’s commitment to supporting our partners in this part of the world.” 
 
Arlington has approximately 600 Sailors and Marines which includes service members embarked from Bravo Company, 1st Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment to provide lifesaving and humanitarian assistance support. The ship is augmented by two MH-60 Seahawk helicopters from the “Chargers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26, a landing craft, utility (LCU) from Assault Craft Unit (ACU) 2, Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 2, in addition to staff from Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40, and amphibious and aviation planners. 
 
The mission forms part of an inter-agency framework lending aid to Haiti, including the Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART), which was deployed Aug. 14 immediately after the earthquake occurred. U.S. Southern Command Joint Task Force-Haiti, commanded by Navy Rear Adm. Keith Davids was stood up to coordinate military support, with Arlington deployed as a maritime component. 
 
Arlington joins other U.S. Southern Command components and U.S. Coast Guard ships already on station, in addition to allies and partners from the Netherlands, France, and United Kingdom. 
 
USS Arlington, homeported in Norfolk, Virginia, is part of Expeditionary Strike Group 2, whose mission is to provide timely, operational, amphibious expertise in support of national tasking to sustain maritime security and defense of the nation. 

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — An Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 20 P-8A Poseidon successfully completed an airworthiness test of a pod-mounted radio frequency countermeasure (RFCM) prototype at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) Atlantic Test Ranges, March 12, the Naval Air Systems Command said in an April 9 release. 

The first-of-its-kind radio frequency defense decoy could allow the P-8A to thwart enemy radio frequency missile attacks. 

 “This has the potential to be a game-changer for protecting the warfighter,” said Capt. Eric Gardner, program manager for the Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft Program Office (PMA-290). “We continue to look for ways to enhance capabilities that allow the fleet to be successful.”  

Getting the pod into testing, in just over a year, took a complete team effort. 

Constantly looking for upgrades to the P-8A, PMA-290 set out to find a solution to a potential threat from surface-to-air radio frequency missiles. 

Outlining their needs and running lead on the project, PMA-290 brought in the Advanced Tactical Aircraft Protection Systems Program Office (PMA-272), the Rapid Prototyping, Experimentation & Demonstration (RPED) team, and the NAWCAD Aircraft Prototype Systems Division (APSD) to get the ball rolling. 

The RPED team supported APSD in designing the RFCM pod, which integrated the proven AN/ALE-55 Fiber Optic Towed Decoy from PMA-272 into a shell. The team developed the shell design based on the certified AGM-84 Harpoon missile, and then incorporated unique tracks and housing to fit and deploy the decoy. 

By employing the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition’s delegation of other transactions authority (OTA) for prototype projects, PMA-290 and NAWCAD were able to complete a one-of-a-kind contract with BAE Systems to develop the RFCM pod’s additional internal equipment suite. The OTA, a non-Federal Acquisition Regulation contracting approach, could potentially allow this critical self-protection technology to transition from prototype to fleet capability in much less time than a traditional effort. 

APSD and BAE leveraged the established AN/ALE-55 electrical design to accommodate the suite’s installation. 

“A lot of the challenge and effort went into designing, to our best estimates, for what BAE was expected to put in the pod,” said Michael Hansell, the leading APSD engineer for the project. “We had to adapt and redesign rapidly. We worked as fast as possible to support PMA-290 and RPED to make sure we could pivot and adjust to meet established timelines.” 

Constant tweaks were needed as the teams continued to hone in on a capable design. 

“Michael Hansell and his team’s flexibility and willingness to go above and beyond, to work through issues and prepare for BAE, was key in getting [the pod design and build] done in a timely manner,” said James Sherman, the APSD project lead. 

The Naval Innovative Science & Engineering (NISE) program funded the project, which provided the means to conceptualize, prototype, build, and test this new capability for the Navy. 

This funding accelerated the design and manufacturing cycle for the prototype to just under six months. The expedited developmental process supports the rapid prototyping of new and developing technologies and provides the resources to find solutions and incorporate improvements to fill capability gaps in the fleet faster. 

The teams were also able to use PMA-272’s F/A-18 lab equipment to speed up the timeline. 

All this teamwork culminated in the successful airworthiness test with VX-20. 

 “This shows that when we identify a need and work rapidly as a team we can bring a viable solution to test that has the ability to greatly impact the warfighter,” said Lt. Cmdr. Mike Marschall, PMA-290 weapons and rapid capabilities co-team lead. 

Following the test, the pod went to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California, where it successfully completed effectiveness testing, March 21-26. It will now continue to be tested at a system level leading to platform integration through planned capability fielding phases. 

PACIFIC OCEAN – Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III flew out to the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz off the coast of California to thank the crew for a record-setting deployment, the Department of Defense said in a Feb. 25 release.  

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group is returning after operations in U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) areas of responsibility. It was the first carrier strike group to deploy under COVID-19 protocols. By the time the carrier strike group reaches home, the Sailors and Marines aboard will have been gone for 321 days. 

The Nimitz, the cruiser USS Princeton, and the destroyers USS Sterett and USS Ralph Johnson made up the group. 

“You’ve just demonstrated incredible professionalism, resilience and focus,” Austin told the crew over the ship-wide public address system. “It’s been very impressive.” 

The group provided carrier support in the Persian Gulf in support of CENTCOM during a particularly tense time with Iran. The group also participated in maritime exercise Malabar 2020 alongside Indian, Australian and Japanese ships. The carrier strike group also participated in dual-carrier operations with the USS Theodore Roosevelt and USS Ronald Reagan carrier strike groups. The group also operated in the South China Sea. 

Austin praised the group for these efforts. “You’ve sent a clear message about America’s resolve,” he told the crew. “Any potential adversary out there — in this ocean or any other ocean — has to know when they look at what you accomplished, that the United States takes very seriously our security commitments around the world.” 

He thanked the Sailors for working with key allies and partners across the U.S. combatant commands. 

The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group had the longest deployment since the Vietnam War. It was lengthened by COVID-19 protocols that called for a quarantine before departing and the elimination of port calls during the deployment. The Navy aims for deployments to be roughly six months. The Nimitz group will be away from family and friends almost twice that. 

“I don’t want deployments this long to be the norm,” the secretary said. “And so, we need to take a hard look at that, but you handled it very, very well. You led. You took care of each other in the midst of a pandemic, and you were a team.”  

In a news conference with Pentagon reporters on the hangar deck, Austin thanked families in particular. “Their families have been very, very supportive as well,” he said. “And I want to make sure I give them a shout out again, and provide our thanks for their sacrifices.” 

The Nimitz was on its way home from the CENTCOM area of responsibility when events in the region necessitated its return. Events such as these happen. He noted the year-long deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan that stretched to 18 months, as an example. 

“I understand the stress that, that can place on families,” he said. “So as secretary, what I want to do is make sure that … going forward, we do everything we can to minimize that kind of stress.” 

That means taking care of equipment, sure, but really ensuring that service members and their families are taken care of. “We’re going to continue to learn,” he said. “We’re going to continue to make sure we have the resources. [We’re going to ensure] that we’re doing the right things to pace ourselves going forward. Because I really think this is important.” 

Overall, the carrier strike group steamed more than 87,300 nautical miles during its deployment. The carrier launched 10,185 sorties totaling 23,410 flight hours logged. 

Article by Jim Garamone, DoD News