ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has proposed in its 2023 budget to decommission the amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) during fiscal 2026. The Mount Whitney has served as the flagship of the U.S. 6th Fleet since…
Marine Corps to Use Leased Ships to Test Light Amphibious Warfare Ship Concept
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps plans to lease two commercial ships over the next two years to experiment with the light amphibious warfare ship concept, also now being classed as the landing ship-medium. Brig. Gen. Mark Clingan, assistant deputy…
Marine Corps May Keep More Tube Artillery, Osprey Squadrons in Force Design 2030
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps continues to tweak its Force Design 2030, adjusting the number of tube artillery batteries, the number of MV-22B squadrons, the operation of a Marine Littoral Regiment and the size of an infantry battalion. Under…
Navy Proposes to Cut Five EA-18G Growler Electronic Attack Squadrons
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is proposing to deactivate five electronic attack squadrons, or VAQs, that operate the Boeing EA-18G Growler electronic attack jet, roughly a third of the Defense Department’s tactical jet electronic attack force. As laid out…
Navy’s LCS Decommissioning Proposals Would Bring Major Changes for Retained Ships
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s 2023 budget proposal — including the Future Years Defense Plan — would result in profound changes to the missions, organization, force structure, training and crews of the Navy’s littoral combat ships in addition to…
Navy Proposes Elimination of Snakehead LDUUV program
ARLINGTON, Va. — Even as the U.S. Navy was christening the first prototype of the Snakehead large-diameter unmanned underwater vehicle (LDUUV) in February, planning was underway to cancel the program. The Navy is proposing in its 2023 budget to eliminate…
Q&A: Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet
Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener assumed command of Naval Surface Forces and Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet in August 2020, and as a type commander he has guided the forces as he continues to man, train and equip the forces…
State Dept. Approves Possible Sale of AH-1Z Helicopters to Nigeria
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to Nigeria of 12 Bell AH-1Z attack helicopters and related equipment for an estimated cost of $997 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in an April…
New Task Force 153 to Patrol Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb Strait, Gulf of Aden
ARLINGTON, Va. — Combined Maritime Forces, or CMF, the U.S.-led multi-national coalition of forces enforcing maritime security in the U.S. Central Command are of responsibility, is establishing a fourth task force to enhance the security of the region. CMF is…
Martin Defense to Develop Amphibious Autonomous Vehicle for Expeditionary Fuel Delivery
ARLINGTON, Va. — A defense company in Hawaii has been tapped by the Office of Naval Research to develop an autonomous vehicle to deploy a fuel delivery system to support amphibious systems. Martin Defense Group LLC of Honolulu has been…
