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, New Jersey, a $35 million fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract for the detail design and fabrication of a prototype MUSV. 

The MUSV is envisioned as a warship in the Navy’s future family of USVs to augment the fleet with sensor capabilities. It is intended to be an autonomous vessel that will be able to operate with a strike group and be capable of being refueled at sea. 

The prototype will be used to develop technology and concepts of operation for USVs and to refine the design for production. 

This contract includes options for up to eight additional MUSVs, logistics packages, engineering support, technical data, and other direct costs, which, if exercised, will bring the cumulative value of this contract to $281 [million],” the announcement said.    

L3 is one of five companies that bid on the contract. Most of its MUSV work will be performed at Morgan City, Louisiana, and the prototype MUSV is expected to be completed by December 2022.

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 in the shipbuilding budget that came out of the president; we restored that,” Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), the chairman of the committee, said in a July 13 webinar, NatSec 2020: Coronavirus and Beyond, sponsored by the Navy League of the United States, the Association of the United States Army and Government Matters. 

Smith was referring to the addition of a second Virginia-class attack submarine for fiscal 2021.  

Also speaking was Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Va.), also a member of the House committee, who said that it is important to make sure “that we are building and enhancing our undersea strike capabilities, adding the additional Virginia-class submarine, making sure we provide stability and the assurances that we are building the next two Columbia-class [ballistic-missile] submarines. Long lead-time purchase there helps maintain the industrial base, creates certainty there.” 

Wittman also emphasized sealift, “getting the Army and Marines where they need to go,” including recapitalizing the Ready Reserve Force. 

He also said the nation’s tanker fleet needs to be secured.  

Wittman also stressed the need for Congress to exercise strict oversight of the Navy’s plans to build large unmanned surface vessels. 

“Let’s make sure we get it right, how to integrate those into the fleet,” Wittman said. “As we’ve seen in other ship classes, if you build too many too quick, and they’re not quite doing what you expect them to do, you’re going to have a lot of ships that may not be useful. That has to happen at the right pace. We are going to make sure that happens the right way.” 

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 hoists to assist the firefighters who are working to extinguish the blaze on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego. The helicopters began their runs at 10:30 p.m. Pacific time on July 12. 

Firefighting efforts on the ship were ongoing as of 6:30 a.m. Pacific time on July 13, according to a release from commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.  

According to a photo taken about 7 p.m Pacific Time by Civilian Mariner Denis Bondarenko and posted by the blogger CMDR Salamander, the fire had spread to the island superstructure and the ship’s mast had tilted.

At latest report, “57 personnel, both U.S. Navy Sailors and civilians, have been treated for minor injuries, including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation,” the release said. “Of those, five remain hospitalized for observation and are currently in stable condition.” 

The civilians treated included fighters from Federal Fire San Diego Division at Naval Base San Diego.

As reported on National Public Radio, Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, said during a local press conference on the morning of July 13 that the ship had no ammunition on board but that he was concerned about the large amount of fuel on the ship.

“The superstructure and the upper decks continue to burn and have sustained damage,” Sobeck said. “The forward mast has collapsed, and the ship is listing. However, dewatering is in process and we’re keeping a good balance.” 

“Currently there are two firefighting teams fighting the fire aboard the ship,” Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant said in a Navy release. “Federal Fire is rotating their crews aboard the ship with U.S. Navy firefighting crews from the waterfront to fight the fire in order to find the seat of the fire and extinguish it. Also, Navy Region Southwest tugs are continuously combatting the fire from the bay.” 

The fire broke out at about 8:30 a.m. Pacific time on July 12 while the Bonhomme Richard was pierside at Naval Base San Diego for a maintenance availability. CNN and other media outlets were reporting that the blaze resulted from an explosion, but the Navy has not confirmed that information. About 160 Sailors of the crew of approximately 1,000 were on board at the time, according to the Navy. 

Two destroyers berthed nearby, the USS Fitzgerald and the USS Russell, were moved to other piers after the fire broke out. All Navy ships in port were directed to provide fire parties to assist the firefighting efforts aboard the Bonhomme Richard. 

“Today, we suffered a terrible tragedy aboard USS Bonhomme Richard when a fire broke out aboard the ship while in port San Diego,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said in a release. 

“At this point, 17 Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital. The remainder of the crew is accounted for. We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local, base, and shipboard firefighters aboard USS Bonhomme Richard. Our thoughts and prayers are with our BHR Sailors, their families, and our emergency responders who continue to fight the fire. Godspeed.” 
 
Navy helicopters based at Naval Air Station North Island, California, have been used before to combat wildfires in Southern California. 

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 a potential $23.11 billion deal, Japan would procure 63 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing versions and 42 F-35Bs, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a July 9 release. 

The F-35B is operated off of aircraft carriers or amphibious assault ships by the U.S. Marine Corps, U.K. Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and the Italian Navy. The F-35 is built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. of Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft’s F135 engine is built by Pratt and Whitney Military Engines of East Hartford, Connecticut. 

The F-35As would replace the legacy F-4 Phantom II fighters in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.   

In addition to the 105 aircraft, the planned procurement also would include 110 F135 engines (including five spares) as well as mission systems, logistics support, spare parts, engineering and technical support, and other services

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 Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, would be conducted as foreign military sales. 

Under a deal with an estimated value of $130 million, Germany plans to procure 64 Mk54 All-Up-Round lightweight torpedoes and 10 Mk54 conversion kits to be used with fleet exercise sections as Mk54 exercise torpedoes. Also included in the proposed sale “are torpedo containers; Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes (REXTORP) with containers; Fleet Exercise Section and fuel tanks to be used with Mk54 conversion kits; air launch accessories for fixed wing; torpedo spare parts; training, publications, support and test equipment; U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support,” the DSCA said in a release.   

The DSCA also said that Belgium requests to buy 29 All-Up-Round Mk54 Mod 0 torpedoes. Also included in the potential $33.3 deal are two Fleet Exercise Section conversion kits; torpedo support equipment, training and publications; U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support.   

Germany would arm its P-3C maritime patrol aircraft with the torpedoes. The Belgian Navy, which is phasing out its inventory of Mk46 lightweight torpedoes, would deploy the Mk54s on its fleet of NH-90 helicopters and a new generation of multi-mission frigates.   

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 Department “to help sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and defense-critical workforce. … These actions will help to retain critical workforce capabilities throughout the disruption caused by COVID-19 and to restore some jobs lost because of the pandemic,” the release said. 

DoD is investing $56 million in ArcelorMittal Inc. to sustain critical domestic industrial base shipbuilding capability and capacity. ArcelorMittal, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a steel and mining company with a major facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. 

“This investment will expand ArcelorMittal’s plate processing footprint and heat-treating capability, subsequently increasing its alloy steel plate production and ensure the U.S. Government gets dedicated long-term industrial capacity to meet the needs of the nation,” the release said, noting that the investment “will protect jobs in a region hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure critical capabilities are retained in support of U.S. Navy operational readiness.” 

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, Pascagoula, Mississippi, awarded a $7.03 million firm fixed-price delivery order for the four 40-foot-long patrol boats, designated PB-2001 through 2004. The order also included design, planning, material support, shipping and documentation. 

The 40-foot welded-aluminum monohull “Defiant” is powered by two Cummins QSB 6.7 diesel inboard engines that use twin disc MG5065SC transmission systems to Hamilton HTX30 waterjets. The boat is designed to achieve a speed of 40 knots. 

The boats will begin to replace up to 160 patrol boats operated by the Navy’s Coastal Riverine Force, offering increased firepower and capabilities to enable crews to operate in hostile environments that preclude operation of current force protection boats. 

The new boats offer ballistic protection; an armored, climate-controlled pilot house; five SHOXS 4800-series whole-body isolation suspension seats to reduce crew fatigue; and an advanced communications, navigation, and situational awareness suite.

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 hard for the last five to seven years to try to bring directed energy forward in a meaningful sense to the warfighter and the operational community while at the same time advancing the technology,” said Frank Peterkin, senior technologist for directed energy at the Office of Naval Research, speaking July 7 at a Directed Energy Summit webinar sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton. 

Peterkin said that lasers primarily would be installed on surface combatants, particularly Flight II Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers but also, potentially, amphibious transport dock ships and littoral combat ships.  “There have been discussions [about] even putting lasers on aircraft carriers,” he added. 

The Navy’s initial mission sets lasers will be dazzling sensors on enemy platforms and engaging and defeating unmanned aerial vehicles. Future missions likely include defeating incoming missiles, including swarms. 

Peterkin said the “exquisite optics” of a laser’s beam director system will augment situational awareness and better direct other weapons as well. 

He said the installation of the laser weapon on the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland last October has gone well, with the ship’s crew accommodating of Navy engineers amidst the difficulties of working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Portland’s laser weapon demonstrated its ability to defeat a drone earlier this year. He said the amphib’s crew is quickly learning how to operate and sustain the weapon, with which the ship will deploy in 2021. 

The Navy will install the ODIN [Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy] laser weapon system on eight ships over the next three years, Peterkin said. An ODIN already is installed on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Dewey. 

He also stressed the need for more electrical power as the Navy develops its laser weapons to take on more than one target simultaneously. It was not just a matter of a more powerful beam, he said, but also of directing the weapon to more rapidly respond to incoming threats, such as swarms. “Power will get you faster kills,” he said, noting also that beam control also needed significant improvement.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Bell-Boeing MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft to the Indonesian government, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a release. 

If concluded, Indonesia would be the third nation to procure the MV-22, the others being the United States and Japan. 

Indonesia requested eight Block C Ospreys as well as engines, various avionics, and machine guns, including spares. Also included in the deal, estimated to cost $2 billion, is the Joint Mission Planning System, publications, repair for parts, aircraft ferry and tanker support, support and test equipment, and U.S. government and contractor engineering support. 

“The proposed sale of aircraft and support will enhance Indonesia’s humanitarian and disaster relief capabilities and support amphibious operations,” the release said. “This sale will promote burden sharing and interoperability with U.S. Forces.  Indonesia is not expected to have any difficulties absorbing these aircraft into its armed forces.” 

The prime contractors for the Osprey are a joint venture of Bell Textron Inc. of Amarillo, Texas, and The Boeing Co. Of Ridley Park, Pennsylvania. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Northrop Grumman-built E-2D Advanced Hawkeye command-and-control aircraft to the government of France, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a release.  

If concluded, France would become the third nation to procure the E-2D after the United States and Japan. 

The French navy operates E-2C Hawkeyes from its aircraft carrier, the Charles De Gaulle. 

The estimated $2 billion sale includes three E-2Ds and their engines and avionics, including spares. Major components include Rolls-Royce T-56-427A turboprop engines, Lockheed Martin APY-9 radars and ALQ-217 electronic surveillance systems. 

The sale also would include the Joint Mission Planning System as well as “air and ground crew equipment; support equipment; spare and repair parts; publications and technical documentation; transportation; training and training equipment; U.S. government and contractor logistics, engineering and technical support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support,” the release said. 

“The proposed sale will improve France’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing its naval air forces with a sustainable follow on capability to their current, legacy E-2C Hawkeye aircraft,” the release said. 

“The E-2D aircraft will continue and expand French naval aviation capabilities and maintain interoperability with U.S. naval forces. As a current E-2C operator, France will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into its armed forces. 

The prime contractor for the E-2D is Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. Aerospace Systems in Melbourne, Florida.