ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy and civilian firefighters combatting the blaze on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego have isolated the fires to two separate locations, the Navy said. In an 11 a.m. Pacific time July 14 news…
Navy League’s Harris Lays Out ‘Musts’ for Maritime Dominance
ARLINGTON, Va. — An official of the Navy League of the United States has delineated what the organization considers five key policy points for the sea services going forward in fiscal 2021. Sinclair Harris, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and current national vice president…
L3 to Design, Build Prototype of Navy’s Medium USV
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has selected L3 Technologies to design and build its first medium unmanned surface vehicle (MUSV). According to a July 13 Defense Department contract announcement, Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded to L3 Technologies Inc. of Camden,…
Parties Unite in the House Behind More Submarine Construction
ARLINGTON, Va. — The chairman of the House Armed Service Committee reiterated his support for increasing construction of submarines for the U.S. Navy, as reported in the committee’s mark-up of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act. “There were some concerns about some shortages…
Navy Fights Fire From the Air After Explosion Aboard USS Bonhomme Richard
ARLINGTON, Va. — In what may be a first, the U.S. Navy is using water carried by helicopters to combat a shipboard fire. At least two MH-60S helicopters assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3 have hoisted water in large buckets on their external…
Japan Cleared for Possible Sale of F-35B Fighters for Shipboard Deployment
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of 105 F-35 Lightning II strike fighters, including 42 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing versions that Japan could deploy onboard ships to significantly expand its naval aviation capabilities. Under…
Germany, Belgium Cleared for Possible Procurement of Mk54 Torpedoes
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Mk54 lightweight antisubmarine torpedoes to Germany and Belgium, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in two July 9 releases. The procurement of the torpedoes, built by…
Defense Department Shores Up Shipbuilding Industrial Base With $56 Million
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department is taking another Defense Production Act Title III action to shore up the nation’s shipbuilding industrial base in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The action is one of seven announced July 10 by the Defense…
Navy Orders Four Metal Shark Patrol Boats
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has placed an order for four patrol boats from Gravois Aluminum Boats, doing business as Metal Shark Boats, according to a July 7 announcement from the Pentagon. The Navy’s Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair, Gulf Coast,…
More Powerful Laser Systems Are Needed, Navy Technologist Says
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s official most heavily engaged in the development of directed-energy (DE) weapons said the service is focused on fielding the sea service’s family of laser systems to warfighters but is also working to improve the systems’ power and beam control. “We’ve been working…
