ARLINGTON, Va. — Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., a Lockheed Martin company, has received an order from the U.S. Navy for six CH-53K King Stallion heavy-lift helicopters for the U.S. Marine Corps. The Naval Air Systems Command awarded a $550.4 million contract…
Japan-Based Marine Squadron Re-Designated in Prep for F-35B Transition
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps has redesignated a squadron forward -deployed in Japan in preparation for its transition to the F-35B Lightning II strike fighter. The transition will result in the second F-35B squadron forward-deployed to Marine Aircraft Group…
U.S., UK. Naval Leaders Cite Advances in Interchangeability
ARLINGTON, Va. — Senior naval leaders in the U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal Navy have praised advances beyond interoperability to interchangeability as the two navies pledge to work closer together in achieving synergistic improvements in capability. “Going forwards, there will…
Navy F/A-18 Strike Fighter Crashes in California
ARLINGTON, Va. — A U.S. Navy F/A-18 strike fighter crashed Oct. 20 west of Ridgecrest, California, according to a source and a local news bulletin. A source said the pilot of the Super Hornet — assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron…
Marine Corps Harrier Squadron Deactivates; to Fly Another Day in F-35Cs
ARLINGTON, VA. — An Oct. 15 ceremony marked the deactivation of Marine Attack Squadron 311 (VMA-311), an AV-8B Harrier II squadron at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Yuma, Arizona, as the squadron shifted some assets to merge with sister squadron…
Marine Corps Retires its Last AH-1W Super Cobra Helicopters
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps has officially retired the Bell AH-1W “Super Cobra” from their ranks after 34 years of dependable service, Bell Textron, the helicopter’s builder, said in an Oct. 19 release. The last detachment of AH-1Ws to…
Navy Establishes CMV-22B Osprey Replacement Training Squadron
ARLINGTON, Va. — The fleet replacement squadron for the Navy’s CMV-22B Osprey community has been established by the Navy to prepare future aviators, aircrew, and maintenance personnel for operating and maintaining the fleet’s newest aircraft type. Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron…
Historians Weigh In on ‘Constellation’ Name for Next Frigate
ARLINGTON, Va. — The names of U.S. Navy ships, which often invoke tradition, also often invoke controversy, especially among naval historians and fans of naval history. The Oct. 7 naming of the first ship of the next-generation guided-missile frigate (FFG(X),…
CNO Defines Future Large Surface Combatant as ‘DDG Next’
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy’s top admiral envisions the next-generation large surface combatant as the next-generation guided-missile destroyer, or in his term, “DDG-Next.” The Future Large Surface Combatant is to be one of several new surface combatant vessels in the…
CNO: Aviation-Capable Combatant Needed in Future Fleet
ARLINGTON, Va. — The chief of naval operations (CNO) said that the future naval fleet will need some sort of aviation-capable ship in the 2045 time frame, but the form of that capability is not yet in focus. Speaking Oct. 13 in…
