ARLINGTON, Virginia — The Navy has ordered two more Navajo-class T-ATS towing, salvage and rescue ships, the Defense Department said in a March 25 contract notice. The Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Gulf Island Shipyards LLC in Houma, Louisiana,…
Marine Force Design 2030: Reduce Tube Artillery, Increase Rockets, Missiles
ARLINGTON, Virginia — The Marine Corps commandant has issued his plans for a major redesign of the Marine Corps’ force structure by 2030, with substantial reductions in some venerable weapon systems and increases in new systems. For example, traditional tube…
Geurts: Navy Acting to Shore Up Industrial Base to Ease Virus Impact on Readiness
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is taking active measures to ease the impact of the COVID-19 virus on the operations and finance of its defense industrial base to minimize disruptions to its acquisition and readiness, the service’s top acquisition official said. James…
Navy Ship Commissionings on Track Despite Pandemic, But Ceremonies Are Delayed
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy plans to put two Virginia-class attack submarines in commission in April despite the COVID-19 pandemic, but the ceremonies marking the events will be delayed. “Due to public health safety and restrictions on large public events, the commissioning ceremonies…
Marine Corps to Double UAS Squadrons, Reduce Rotary Squadrons by 2030
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps is planning to change its aviation community significantly as part of a long-range effort to align its force structure more with the National Defense Strategy, including doubling the number of unmanned aerial system (UAS) squadrons and…
First Marine Corps F-35C Squadron One Step Closer to Deployment
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps’ first squadron to operate the F-35C Lightning II strike fighter has achieved certification as “safe for flight,” a major milestone toward eventual combat readiness and deployment. Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314), based at Marine Corps Air Station…
Hospital Ship Mercy Deploying to Los Angeles
ARLINGTON, Virginia — The secretary of defense said the Military Sealift Command’s hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) is deploying to Los Angeles to relieve the city’s hospitals of some of their non-COVID-19 patient burden as they deal with the virus…
Navy’s Top Doctor: No Active COVID-19 Transmissions Aboard Ships Yet
ARLINGTON, Va — The U.S. Navy’s top medical officer said that no COVID-19 cases have been detected on board Navy ships at sea. “Because of those enhanced measures that were undertaken weeks ago, we have not seen active transmission,” Rear Adm. Bruce Gillingham, surgeon…
112 Congressmen Call for Second Virginia-Class Sub in 2021
WASHINGTON — The congressional push for reinstatement of a second Virginia-class submarine in the 2021 defense budget has attracted the support of 112 congressmen. A letter from three congressmen on the Seapower subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee — sent to the House Appropriations Committee…
Esper Orders Navy to Ready Hospital Ships to Take Pressure Off U.S. Hospitals
ARLINGTON, Va. — The secretary of defense said March 18 that he has ordered the U.S. Navy to prepare its two hospital ships for activation to take pressure off the nation’s hospitals battling the COVID-19 virus pandemic. At a Pentagon news conference, Secretary Mark T. Esper referred…
