ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is starting to see results from laws, policies and processes that make career progression more flexible and more accommodating to education, and the sea service is liking what it sees, the Navy’s deputy chief of personnel said. 

New provisions in law enacted in 2019 that allow personnel to interrupt their careers for such activities as advancing their education are bearing fruit, Rear Adm. Jeffrey W. Hughes, deputy chief of naval personnel, said June 8, speaking during a webinar sponsored by #NatSecGirlSquad, an organization that “builds and supports competent diversity in national security and defense through its professional development community and strategic advisory services,” its website says. 

Hughes cited an example of an officer eligible for promotion with a “compelling reason” — such as pursuit of an advanced degree — could defer consideration by a promotion board so that the officer was not disadvantaged by being behind his peer group in career progression. 

An officer who, for example, pursued a master’s degree for two years immediately after commissioning normally would be two years behind his year group in achieving career milestones in the fleet. By being able to defer promotion consideration at the normal milestones, the officer could compete for promotion with officers originally commissioned two years later. The same could apply to an officer who pursued advanced education mid-career.  

“This has been incredibly powerful,” Hughes said. “The first time we’ve used it is this past year. We have had seven people that have used it, and all seven of them were for in-residence graduate education at various levels, some right out of their commissioning source, some who took advantage of an opportunity at a high-end civilian institution, and some who were in residence at brick-and-mortar establishments such as the Naval War College or [Naval] Postgraduate School.”  

Hughes said that the Navy also has seen great value in a “career intermission program going for a number of years,” describing it as a “two-or three-year off ramp.” 

He said it “was not necessarily education-based but that probably more than half of the folks who take us up on this career intermission program are doing it so they can pursue education.” 

Sailors using the career intermission program transfer to the Individual Ready Reserve for two years while taking a pay cut but retaining full medical benefits and funds for making the change-of-station move. 

Hughes said the career intermission program has been used by many participants for pursuing advanced degrees or gaining the education that leads to commissioning as an officer. 

“We freeze them in time so that when they come back [to the Navy] they are not at a disadvantage from a promotion or advancement perspective,” he said. “Frankly, the numbers have been compelling. For the hundreds of folks that have taken us up on this [program] and come back, the promotion and advancement rates are in the high 90s [in percentage].”   

“We see a great return on investment,” he said, for the Navy and the individual Sailor.    

Hughes also said that educational incentives are proving to be powerful than monetary incentives in retention of Sailors, such as sending a Sailor on a demanding assignment overseas and rewarding the sacrifice with an educational opportunity afterward. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Defense Secretary Mark Esper has directed that U.S. military personnel assignments in some Middle East countries be unaccompanied, with families now in place ordered gradually withdrawn by 2022. The Pentagon policy, however, does not affect U.S. Navy crews forward-deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, a Navy official said. 

In a June 2 announcement, Esper directed that tours under control of combatant commanders in the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq be unaccompanied and set at 12 months — except for Navy personnel in Bahrain, whose tour lengths will be 18 months. Families in Bahrain will be withdrawn as tours end, with withdrawal completed by August 2022. 

“This step is a byproduct of the department’s continuous reassessment of personnel policies worldwide, not just in the Middle East,” the announcement’s fact sheet said. “It is intended to ensure the operational readiness and deployment flexibility of U.S. forces’ mission support to operations in the region. A gradual drawdown of personnel will ensure mission-critical elements of the force continue to execute training and operations in the region with little disruption.” 

“Over the next two years, DoD military personnel who fall under Title 10 authority will transition to one-year unaccompanied tours, with some exceptions,” the fact sheet said. “This will be a gradual drawdown of dependents over two years as people regularly rotate in and attrite out of duty assignment in the Arabian Peninsula.” 

In a June 3 e-mail response to Seapower, Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, said that the policy change would affect Navy personnel on shore duty in Bahrain but not the crews of the ships forward-deployed there. 

The crew members of the 10 coastal patrol ships and four mine-countermeasures ships operating from Bahrain already serve 18-month unaccompanied tours. The civilian mariners assigned to the expeditionary base ship USS Lewis B. Puller and other ships of the Military Sealift Command already serve unaccompanied tours and are not entitled to dependents in Bahrain. 

U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat crews of the Patrol Force Southwest Asia based in Bahrain also are rotational. 

Rebarich said that the “policy does not impact DoD civilians” and that sponsored U.S. military dependents currently in the region will be able to remain through the end of [their] sponsors’ tour and the Bahrain school will remain open.” 

“The change will not hinder deployed U.S. forces and capabilities to support missions, trainings and operations in the region, especially for U.S. 5th Fleet,” she said. “The Kingdom of Bahrain has been a gracious host to U.S. 5th Fleet for three decades. The U.S. Navy appreciates the support of our friendship and partnership with Bahrain.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s Advanced Aerial Sensor (AAS) has been deployed to the western Pacific, according to a release from the squadron that deployed the AAS on its P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft. 

Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45), based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, returned May 29 from an eight-month deployment to the western Pacific in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet. In a June 2 release announcing the return, the squadron noted its role in deploying the new radar system. 

“VP-45 had the task of being the Navy’s first global force-managed squadron to deploy the [AAS] aircraft for theater [anti-submarine warfare],” the release said. 

“Aircrew and maintenance accelerated the timeline on AAS’ role in the theater, helping operational planners prepare future deployments,” VP-45 Cmdr. Paul Nickell said in the release. “VP-45 maintainers executed over 13,000 man hours, ensuring every mission succeeded.” 

The APS-154 AAS is a development of the P-3C’s APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System for the P-8A Poseidon. The AAS is solid-state, wide-aperture, active electronically scanned array radar housed in a long pod under the fuselage. The sensor is designed to provide standoff detection and tracking of moving targets and high-resolution ground mapping. Flight tests on the first P-8A test aircraft began in April 2014. 

During its deployment, VP-45 conducted maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), theater security cooperation and anti-submarine warfare missions. The squadron flew more than 5,000 flight hours during more than 875 sorties. The squadron operated from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to northern Japan, down to southern Australia and across several Asia-pacific nations, the release said. 

The squadron also received aerial refueling on some flights, including on one that allowed for the first long-range, persistent ASW event that spanned half the 7th Fleet’s area of operations.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The carrier air wing assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford is working up on its flight deck and conducting air operations with inert ordnance, the wing commander said. 

Speaking June 1 to reporters by teleconference while operating off the Virginia Capes, Capt. Joshua Sager said his seven squadrons assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) are on board the carrier for the first time, beginning a lengthy training cycle of catapult launches and arrested landings and working up to ordnance loads and dropping inert ordnance on targets. 

The Ford’s commanding officer, Capt. J.J. Cummings, also speaking in the teleconference, said the ship has unloaded 40,000 pounds of inert ordnance for CVW-8 to expend during its training. He said the newly operational aft lower Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) is getting a workout servicing the air wing. 

Sager said the AWE “gives us a lot of flexibility to access what is normally deeper in the magazine” — especially to make changes to ordnance loads in real time, as the mission set might change before aircraft are launched. 

“We’re actually testing that out while we’re out here,” he said. “We’re actually taking the carrier qualification mission to a mission that focuses on combat operations and executing that capability. It’s been an absolute an honor to be a part of that trajectory that we’re on.”      

The Ford has achieved 167 arrested landings in one day so far with the Advanced Arresting Gear, and Sager plans to show that the ship/air wing team can beat that number. 

Cummings said the reliability of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System is climbing.  

James F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, also in the teleconference, said the Ford’s current at-sea period is serving to “exercise the equipment hard.”  

Sager said the air wing would not need recovery tanking during this at-sea period because of the availability of divert airfields within easy range. Mission tanking would be conducted for practice strikes into North Carolina. 

With more than 1,000 air wing personnel embarked, the ship’s galleys all are fully operating, Cummings said. The ship and air wing are free of any cases of COVID-19 among the personnel embarked, he said. 

CVW-8 includes four strike fighter squadrons flying F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, one carrier airborne early warning squadron flying E-2 Hawkeyes, one helicopter maritime strike squadron operating MH-60R Seahawks and one helicopter sea combat squadron flying MH-60S Seahawks. 

Sager declined to comment on plans for an electronic attack (VAQ) squadron flying EA-18G Growlers to join the air wing in the future. The VAQ squadron formerly assigned to the wing is assigned an expeditionary role.

ARLINTON, Va. — Naval Air Systems Command is looking at options for an aircraft to replace the T-44C Pegasus multi-engine training aircraft, but the ultimate choice may not be “new.” The Navy is exploring options for adapting an existing aircraft design to the service’s Multi-Engine Training System (METS). 

According to a draft request for information (RFI) posted May 26, the Navy is looking at existing twin-engine aircraft to replace the service’s fleet of 54 T-44Cs used to train Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard pilots to fly aircraft such as the V-22 Osprey, E-2C/D Hawkeye, P-8 Poseidon, P-3 and EP-3 Orion, C-130/KC-130/HC-130 Hercules, E-6 Mercury, C-40 Clipper, HC-27 Spartan and HC-144 Ocean Sentry. 

The T-44A, a variant of the Beech King Air 90 business aircraft, first entered service in 1980. The existing T-44As all have been modified to the T-44C configuration.  

The Navy said the METS should have an FAA type certification for single- and dual-pilot operations under day and night visual flight rules and under instrument flight rules. It shall cruise at speeds greater or equal to 195 knots and shall be able to operate at a minimum of 20,000 feet above sea level. The aircraft also should have an endurance of 3.5 or more flight hours. 

The pressurized aircraft cockpit will have side-by-side seating, as well as a jump seat for an instruct. The cockpit will be equipped with multifunction displays with digital moving map; redundant VHF and UHF radios; an integrated GPS/inertial navigation system; Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast; flight management system; weather radar, radar altimeter, and a cockpit data recorder.  

The METS aircraft also shall have tricycle landing gear and a reconfigurable cargo bay in the cabin.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale to Taiwan of submarine-launched torpedoes, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a release. 

DSCA said that Congress has been notified of the potential sale of torpedoes to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), which represents Taiwan’s interests in the United States. 

TECRO has requested to buy 18 Mk48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology Heavy-Weight Torpedoes, as well as spare parts, support and test equipment, shipping and shipping containers, operator manuals, technical documentation, training, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services and other related elements of logistics support, the DSCA said, with a total estimated program cost of $180 million. 

“The proposed sale will improve the recipient’s capability in current and future defensive efforts,” the release said. “The recipient will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense. The recipient will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”  

DSCA said that there are no prime contractors associated with this case because all material will be delivered straight from U.S. Navy stocks.  

The Mk48 torpedo is now back in production for the U.S. Navy after a gap in procurement.  

The Republic of China Navy in Taiwan operates two Chien-Lung diesel-electric submarines based on the Dutch Zwaardvis design as well as two old U.S. diesel-electric submarines for training. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — BAE Systems has expanded its capacity to manufacture its Riptide family of autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) a year after the company acquired Riptide Autonomous Systems. The company also has been integrating its sensor packages on the UUVs.  

BAE has built a new manufacturing facility in Plymouth, Massachusetts, a “multimillion dollar state-of-the-art prototype and production site … that greatly increases capacity for both vehicle development and personnel focused on the Riptide product line,” the company said in a release.   

The Riptide UUVs are used by the U.S. Navy and other government agencies, said Dr. John Hogan, director of the Sensor Processing and Exploitation group at BAE Systems, in an interview with Seapower. He was not at liberty to discuss the customers’ use in any detail.  

The Riptide family consists of three types of portable small UUVs, which the company said in a release “are sophisticated yet simple, efficient and highly flexible platforms that offer performance discriminators including being able to perform at greater depth, at longer range, with more endurance, and at greater speed.” 

The Riptide family includes a 25-pound, 4.875-inch-diameter Micro UUV; a 65 to 120-pound, 7.5-inch-diameter, one-man-portable (1MP) UUV; and a 120 to 240 pound, 9.375-inch-diameter two-man portable (2MP) UUV. The Micro UUV now features enhanced functionality. The prototypes of the 1MP and 2MP have been completed. 

“Additionally, we have developed the first prototype of our 6,000-meter-rated UUV,” Hogan said in the release. “This depth in a small UUV will allow unparalleled flexibility and cost efficiency by taking on missions unprecedented for the small class of UUVs, reducing the barriers to access the deep ocean.”  

Hogan told Seapower the Riptide UUVs have a “very efficient computing system” and have the lowest power usage rate in the industry. 

He told Seapower that the systems and sensors that can be employed in the UUVs include navigation, communications, electro-optical and electronic warfare. The UUVs use waypoints for navigation and a have an open architecture for integrating sensors. 

Hogan pointed to the the Navy’s ANTX-19 demonstration last year in which a Riptide UUV was used for signals intelligence collection. The UUV recorded radio transmissions and was able to transmit the data acoustically to a surface vessel.    

“As joint all-domain operations become the Department of Defense’s (DoD) operational norm, there is increased need for undersea platforms capable of integrating key payload and autonomy technology,” Hogan said in the release. “In the time since the acquisition was announced, we have made tremendous technology and integration progress that positions us to serve our DoD customer base as well as commercial, research and development, and educational organizations to affordably and expertly explore under the sea. 

“Our Riptide family of autonomous undersea vehicles brings a sustainable and scalable solution for developers of autonomy and behaviors, power systems, subsea sensors, and new payloads,” Hogan said in the release. “Among the many commercial and military-based uses for our UUVs and sensor packages are seabed surveillance, harbor protection, intelligence collection, infrastructure surveillance, oil and gas survey, and mine countermeasures.” 

BAE Systems has set a commercial pricing model for the Riptide family to “streamline vehicle acquisition by employing standard, mission-focused system configurations that satisfy our broad customer base while continually enhancing vehicle quality, reliability and repeatability,” the release said. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier is progressing through its post-shakedown workload and is preparing to integrate its assigned air wing, Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8). 

Although the Ford has conducted more than 3,000 catapult launches and arrested landings, those have been performed by test units, training squadrons, fleet replacement squadrons and other fleet squadrons. When CVW-8 comes aboard in early June, the ship and its air wing will be integrated as a warfighting team for the first time. 

The Navy and its industry partners have been working to ready the Ford to embark the 1,200 personnel and prepare for flight operations with CVW-8.  

James. F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said in a May 20 teleconference with reporters that “the next thing with [Ford] will be embarking the air wing and going to cyclic ops.”  

On May 18, the carrier completed 167 launches and arrested landings — far greater than the ship’s previous record of 135, Geurts said. 

The Ford, built by Huntington Ingalls’ Newport News Shipbuilding, is equipped with the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), both built by General Atomics. Both, plus the Advanced Weapon Elevators (AWEs) designed for the Ford class, are key to achieving the sortie rate that will increase the carrier’s striking power over Nimitz-class carriers.  

The AWEs, 11 of which the Ford is to be equipped, are necessary to speed ordnance to the flight deck for arming of aircraft. The “bomb farm” that the Nimitz class had on the narrow part of flight deck on the starboard side of the island superstructure to temporarily park weapons carts is not a feature of the Ford class. The difficulties with equipping the Ford with the AWEs has played a significant part in the delays of the aircraft carrier becoming deployable. 

Geurts said the Navy/industry team has been steadily working through the AWE issues and recently certified the aft Lower Stage 5 AWE that lifts ordnance from the aft magazine to the flight deck. With this AWE operational, the carrier air wing can conduct some at-sea training with inert ordnance.   

Geurts also said that the forward lower AWE, Lower Stage 1, which “will give access to the forward ammo bay,” is set to be operational by the end of fiscal 2021. “The remaining elevators are really more about getting additional capacity and redundancy,” he said. 

Capt. Joshua Sager Sager assumed command of CVW-8 on March 5. He has accumulated more than 3,600 flight hours and has completed more than 900 carrier arrested landings. 

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to stand before you as the newest commander of Carrier Air Wing Eight,” Sager said at his change-of-command ceremony, as reported by the Navy News Service. “I look forward to continued service with the more than 1,700 outstanding men and women who comprise one of the finest organizations in this great Navy. We look forward to our upcoming integration with the USS Gerald R. Ford as we expand the capabilities of our service’s newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.” 

CVW-8 consists of seven aircraft squadrons flying F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2C Hawkeyes, and MH-60S/R Seahawks. A squadron of EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft is expected to join the wing later.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps’ KC-130J Super Hercules tanker/transport aircraft is getting an infrared countermeasures system at last. 

The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Aircraft Prototyping Systems Division has awarded BAE Systems a prime position on a $26.7 million task order to install, integrate and test the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system on KC-130Js. 

The LAIRCM system, built by Northrop Grumman, is a tail-mounted pod with a turreted laser system that “improves aircraft capability and survivability by countering advanced infrared missile system threats,” according to a BAE Systems release. 

The LAIRCM uses laser beams to detect and disable the seekers of incoming infrared-seeking missiles. 

Until now, Marine Corps KC-130Js have operated in combat zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq but without a defensive countermeasures system. Some KC-130Js have operated in direct combat with the Harvest HAWK system, which includes Hellfire, Griffin and Viper Strike missiles for close air support missions.  

David Nagy, director of flight solutions for BAE, told Seapower that the LAIRCM systems procured from Northrop Grumman will be provided by the government to BAE for installation on the aircraft. BAE will install the LAIRCM systems in up to 19 KC-130Js under the contract over the next five years, if all options are exercised. 

The work will be performed in Crestview, Florida, in partnership with Vertex Aerospace Aircraft Integration and Sustainment Division. Under previous contracts, the BAE-Vertex team has installed LAIRCM systems on Air Force and foreign military aircraft,  

“The BAE Systems turnkey solution provides program management, inventory control, engineering support, installation, and system testing of the DoN [Department of the Navy] LAIRCM upgrade,” the release said. “Aircraft maintenance and support activities will also be provided as required. This is the second task order awarded to BAE Systems under the Prototyping and Limited Production indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract.” 

 “The program office looks forward to working with BAE Systems on the DoN LAIRCM installations,” said Navy Capt. Steven Nassau, program manager for Naval Air Systems Command’s PMA-207, as noted in the BAE Systems release.

“This competitive award will allow the Marine Corps to move from government depot installation to industry without a gap in services. It is a great reflection on the dedication of the KC-130J Mission Systems Team and the contracts office. It also speaks to the flexibility of both the Navy and industry.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has issued a formal notice that it is setting a standoff distance of 100 meters for other ships approaching its vessels — and the sea service is warning armed adversaries that it could consider crossing that line as a threat. 

In a May 20 “notice to mariners” broadcast to shipping, the Navy said that “due to recent events, in order to enhance safety, minimize ambiguity and reduce opportunities for miscalculation, all vessels are advised to maintain a safe distance of at least 100 meters from U.S. naval vessels in international waters/straits. 

“Armed vessels approaching within 100 meters of a U.S. naval vessel may be interpreted as a threat and subject to lawful defensive measures.” 

The maritime area affected by the notice includes the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.  

The formal notice was published following incidents near the Strait of Hormuz on April 15, when 11 Iranian navy (IRGCN) armed small craft “repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches of the USS Lewis B. Puller, USS Paul Hamilton, USS Firebolt, USS Sirocco, USCGC Wrangell and USCGC Maui while the U.S. vessels were conducting joint integration operations with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the international waters of the North Arabian Gulf,” the U.S. 5th Fleet said in a release. 

“The IRGCN vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of the Puller with a 50-yard closest point of approach and within 10 yards of Maui’s bow,” the release added.  

“The U.S. crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships’ horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices but received no response from the IRGCN. After approximately one hour, the IRGCN vessels responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries, then maneuvered away from the U.S. ships and opened distance between them.”   

The Iranians occasionally have used their highly maneuverable boats in swarms to harass naval and merchant ships in the Persian Gulf and last year captured merchant ships flagged in the United Kingdom and other nations.  

Many U.S. ships are armed with Mk38 25 mm chain guns and M2 .50-caliber machine guns — in addition to larger-caliber guns on some ships — for countering fast attack craft, while many helicopters based on American ships are armed with Hellfire and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guided missiles that are effective against such craft.  

In January 2016, Iranian boats seized two U.S. Navy riverine command boats and detained the crews after the U.S. boats strayed into Iranian waters off Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. The crews and boats later were released.  

The notice also said that “mariners are reminded to operate in accordance within international law and with due regard for the safe navigation of other vessels. All vessels operating in the vicinity of U.S. naval vessels are advised to clearly communicate intentions, respond to queries concerning course and speed, exercise principles of prudent seamanship required under international and remain at maximum distance from U.S. naval forces.”