ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has ordered another two MQ-4C Triton high-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicles from Northrop Grumman Corp. According to a Feb. 6 Defense Department contract announcement, Naval Air Systems Command awarded a $172.4 million contract modification for the two…
Navy Transfer of Space Operations to U.S. Space Force Still Up in the Air
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s shift of its assets in space to the U.S. Space Force is still to be determined, a Navy spokesman said. The U.S. Space Force was established on Dec. 20 as the Defense Department’s fifth…
U.S. 2nd Fleet Flexes Expeditionary Command and Control
WASHINGTON — The U.S. 2nd Fleet exercised its ability to operate expeditionary maritime operations centers in its run-up from initial to full operational capability, achieved in December, the fleet commander said. Vice Adm. Andrew “Woody” Lewis, commander of the 2nd Fleet, who spoke here Feb. 4 at Maritime Security…
Navy Deploys Low-Yield Nuclear Warhead in SLBMs, Pentagon Confirms
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has deployed the W76-2 low-yield nuclear warhead in the Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile, the Defense Department confirmed Feb. 4. The deployment was reported in an article posted Jan. 29 on the website of the Federation of…
Carrier JFK Sailors May Train on Gerald R. Ford
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy may accelerate the training of the crew of the future USS John F. Kennedy on its predecessor, USS Gerald R. Ford, the Navy’s top official said. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas J. Modly, speaking Jan. 29 at the Center for Strategic…
Modly: Navy Needs More ‘Distributed’ Fleet
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s top official was mum on details of the recently completed Integrated Force Structure Assessment (IFSA), but he said the Navy needs a more distributed fleet to counter peer competitors. “There are going to be a lot of…
MH-60S Seahawk Helicopter the First Navy Aircraft Loss of 2020
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy MH-60S Seahawk helicopter lost in the Philippine Sea on Jan. 25 is the first loss of a Navy aircraft in calendar 2020 and possibly fiscal 2020 as well. The MH-60S, assigned to the command ship…
Navy’s MQ-4C Triton UAV Deploys, Reaching Early Operational Capability
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s MQ-4C Triton unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) has deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, with this initial deployment marking the achievement of early operational capability (EOC), the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a release. Unmanned Patrol Squadron (VUP) 19, the…
Marine Squadron Completes F/A-18 Phase-Out
ARLINGTON, Va. — The next U.S. Marine aircraft squadron scheduled for transition to the F-35 Lightning II strike fighter made its last flight in an F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter Jan. 23. The flight by Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (All-Weather) 225 (VMFA(AW)-225), based at Marine Corps…
Coast Guard Expedites ScanEagle ISR Services for National Security Cutters
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Coast Guard is so bullish on the Insitu-built ScanEagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that it is moving up the schedule of installing it on its Legend-class national security cutters (NSCs). The Coast Guard awarded Insitu…
