PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The crew of USCGC Legare (WMEC 912) returned home Thursday after an eight-week counter-narcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific in support of Joint Interagency Task Force South and the Coast Guard 11th District, the Coast Guard 5th District said Oct. 22. 

The crew patrolled over 12,650 nautical miles through the heart of the Eastern Pacific Ocean in support of Campaign Martillo, working in conjunction with Customs and Border Protection, the Drug Enforcement Administration and other partnering nations. 

With the assistance of an embarked Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron aviation detachment from Jacksonville, Florida, and a two-person Law Enforcement Detachment Team from San Diego, Legare’s team was successful in the interdiction of over 1,300 pounds of illegal narcotics worth an estimated street value of more than $24.6 million. 

En route to the Eastern Pacific Ocean, Legare also stood by to support the Coast Guard’s 1st District in the Northeast following hurricane Henri and assisted in transferring two migrants in support of the 7th District in the Southeast. 

Cmdr. Malcolm Belt, commanding officer, said, “I’m extremely proud of the Legare crew, and our HITRON aviation detachment for the perseverance demonstrated during this patrol. Despite significant equipment failures and logistics hurdles experienced this patrol for both our helicopter and the cutter, the crew always rose to the occasion to ensure we stayed mission effective.” 

The Legare is a 270-foot Famous-class medium-endurance cutter homeported in Portsmouth, Virginia, under the command of U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area. Based in Portsmouth. U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area oversees all Coast Guard operations east of the Rocky Mountains to the Arabian Gulf. Also, they allocate ships to deploy to the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific to combat transnational organized crime and illicit maritime activity. 

AMARILLO, Texas — Bell Textron Inc., a Textron Inc. company, celebrated the completion of the first AH-1Z Viper attack helicopter for the Kingdom of Bahrain Sept. 30, the company said in a release.  

Bell delivered the first of 12 production aircraft to Naval Air Systems Command as part of the 2019 foreign military sales contract. Foreign military sales of the AH-1Z bring the advanced, dedicated capabilities of the aircraft directly to international operators and help increase interoperability and amplify effectiveness of allied forces. The helicopter will be prepared for shipment to Bahrain with the Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) before being transported to Bahrain in 2022.  

“This is an extraordinary achievement by the H-1 Program and brings the Royal Bahraini Air Force a step closer to fielding the advanced capabilities of the AH-1Z,” said Mike Deslatte, Bell H-1 vice president and program director. “The men and women of Team Viper, a group of premier suppliers, have done an exceptional job of delivering to the U.S. government, on time and on contract.” 

Bell designed the AH-1Z Viper specifically to meet the stringent operational requirements of the U.S. Marine Corps, which focus on full marinization and a reduced logistical footprint. The aircraft has a fully integrated glass cockpit and the ability to carry a wide variety of munitions.  

The composite rotor system further enhances the Viper’s ability to provide close air support to ground forces in any environment, while the fully integrated Target Sight System enhances pilots’ capabilities to identify clearly, acquire, track and engage targets beyond maximum weapon range.  

“The Viper will provide significant benefits to the Bahrain Defence Force as they modernize their fleet of attack helicopters,” said Deslatte. “Having a proven state-of-the-art platform will help contribute to the security of Bahrain while improving interoperability with U.S. forces.”  

Bell continues to work to deliver aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps, Bahrain and Czech Republic. The company also keeps the H-1 up to date with planned capability improvements designed to ensure the Viper maintains its strategic technological edge throughout its service life. 

WASHINGTON — The Navy Strategic Systems Programs (SSP) and the Army Hypersonic Program Office (AHPO) successfully conducted a High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics flight campaign Oct. 20, the SSP said Oct. 21. 

This flight campaign was executed by Sandia National Laboratories from the NASA Wallops Flight Facility. This test will be used to inform the development of the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) offensive hypersonic strike capability. 

This test demonstrated advanced hypersonic technologies, capabilities, and prototype systems in a realistic operating environment. Three precision sounding rocket launches were conducted containing hypersonic experiments from partners, including CPS, AHPO, the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office, Sandia, Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory, MITRE, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and several defense contractors. 

During weapon system development, precision sounding rocket launches fill a critical gap between ground testing and full system flight testing. These launches allow for frequent and regular flight-testing opportunities to support rapid maturation of offensive and defensive hypersonic technologies. 

This test is a vital step in the development of a Navy-designed common hypersonic missile, consisting of a Common Hypersonic Glide Body (CHGB) and booster, which will be fielded by both the Navy and Army with individual weapon systems and launchers tailored for launch from sea or land. The Department of Defense successfully tested the CHGB on March 20, 2020. The Navy and Army will continue to work in close collaboration to leverage joint testing opportunities. 

Delivering hypersonic weapons is one of the DoD’s highest priorities. Hypersonic weapons, capable of flying at speeds greater than five times the speed of sound (Mach 5), are highly maneuverable and operate at varying altitudes. The DoD is working in collaboration with industry, government national laboratories, and academia to field hypersonic warfighting capability in the early-to mid-2020s. 

The Army and Navy routinely share data with Missile Defense Agency that supports its work on hypersonic defenses. 

LOCKPORT, La. — Bollinger Shipyards LLC  has delivered the newest Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutter (FRC), the USCGC John Scheuerman, to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida, nearly a week ahead of schedule despite a three-week shutdown due to the significant damage sustained to Bollinger’s facilities during Hurricane Ida, the company said Oct. 21.

The storm made landfall in late August near Port Fourchon, Louisiana, as a powerful Category 4 storm. Bollinger’s facilities in Port Fourchon, Lockport, Houma and Larose suffered significant damage as a result of Hurricane Ida, which tied with last year’s Hurricane Laura and the Last Island Hurricane of 1856 as the strongest on record in Louisiana. 

“While every delivery is meaningful, being able to deliver this vessel nearly a week early despite everything our crew has faced over the past month is nothing short of remarkable,” said Bollinger President & CEO Ben Bordelon. “We had folks who lost everything in that storm. Our yard where we build the FRCs took a beating and was shuttered for three weeks while we rebuilt. This vessel and this delivery is a win our folks really needed and it reflects the resilience, commitment and tenacity of the 650 skilled men and women that built it.” 

On Sept. 24, following an extensive multi‐week recovery and rebuilding effort, Bollinger welcomed employees back to all 11 of its facilities across Louisiana. USCGC John Scheuerman departed Lockport Oct. 11 for Bollinger’s Fourchon facility, where it performed a shakedown exercise before dry docking for final inspection in preparation of its delivery. The cutter departed Fourchon for Key West Oct. 17.

The USCGC John Scheuerman is the 169th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 46th FRC delivered under the current program. The USCGC John Scheuerman is the fifth of six FRCs to be home-ported in Manama, Bahrain, which will replace the aging 110-foot Island-class patrol boats, built by Bollinger Shipyards 30 years ago, supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA), the U.S. Coast Guard’s largest overseas presence outside the United States. 

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz has previously lauded the “enhanced seakeeping capabilities” of the PATFORSWA-bound FRCs, saying the ships are going to be “game changing” in their new theater of operations. Last week, at the commissioning ceremony for the USCGC Emlen Tunnell — another Bahrain-based FRC — Schultz said these ships will “conduct maritime security operations, theater cooperation efforts, and strengthen partner nations’ maritime capabilities to promote security and stability in the region, as well as thwart the increasingly aggressive and dangerous maritime activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.”

BREMERTON, Wash. — SAFE Boats International has been awarded a $90 million firm-fixed-price modification to a previously awarded contract for design, construction, outfitting, reactivation, and training for six Mk VI Patrol Boats with an option for two additional vessels, the company said in a release. 

This Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) contract will provide Mk VI Patrol Boats to Ukraine via a U.S. State Department-approved agreement utilizing Building Partner Capacity and Foreign Military Financing funds. Work will be performed in Washington State and SAFE Boats expects to increase their workforce by creating up to 75 new positions, primarily at their Tacoma facility. Final delivery on the contract is slated for March 2025, or March 2026 if the option for additional vessels is exercised. 

“This award is the culmination of hard work and collaboration by the SAFE Boats Team, our supply chain partners, and the U..S government,” said Richard Schwarz, CEO of SAFE Boats International. “We are excited to be part of this important program and to have the opportunity to expand our workforce; no small feat in our current economy.”  

Propelled by HamiltonJet waterjets and twin, 2,600 horsepower, MTU 16V 2000 series diesel engines (5,200 horsepower total), the eighty-five-foot-long Mk VI Patrol Boat has a range of 600-plus nautical miles, a cruising speed of more than 25 knots with a sprint speed of more than 35 knots, and a draft of 4.5 feet, making it ideal for littoral operations.  

MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. — In September, Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) began fielding an amphibious, unmanned robot system to support littoral operations globally. The Explosive Ordnance Disposal Remotely Operated Vehicle is a next-generation, box-shaped robot that enables Marines to navigate safely and efficiently in shallow waters to identify and neutralize explosive hazards and other threats.  

“This robot gives Marines eyes in the water,” said Master Sgt. Patrick Hilty, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal project officer at MCSC. “It is a capability the Marine Corps has never before had.”  

The ROV employs sound navigation and ranging sensors, a high-definition video capability and cameras that provide real-time feedback for EOD divers. It includes an articulator arm that helps Marines maneuver through underwater foliage or neutralize explosive threats.  

“It is a system that saves Marine divers from having to swim hundreds of meters, an activity that can tire them out,” Hilty said.  

Marines can use the robot for various amphibious missions. For example, they can leverage the ROV to search harbors before docking a Marine Expeditionary Unit ship. Operators can use it for activities in very shallow waters, conducting littoral lost object searches, damage assessments and mine countermeasure missions.  

Hilty applauded the ROV’s tether feature, which keeps EOD technicians at a safe distance from explosive hazards. Before the capability, Marine divers could only disrupt or dispose underwater explosive threats by swimming in close proximity, exposing them to hostile elements.  

“The ROV gives us a remote means to search underwater while also helping us stay at our best when having to prosecute explosive devices,” Hilty said.  

Master Sgt. Matthew Jackson, a staff non-commissioned officer in charge of 1st EOD Company’s Littoral Explosive Ordnance Neutralization section, said the ROV is highly stable in an underwater environment. He noted how the machine requires minimal equipment and reduces the Marine Corps’ overall footprint during operations.  

“This intuitive system has the ability to complete critical underwater tasks much deeper than manned missions can,” Jackson said. “The ROV will serve as an important capability to support our tasks.”  

Jackson also praised the system for its ease of use. He said it requires minimal training compared with other unmanned underwater systems. This ultimately saves the Marine Corps time and money required for training.  

“Instead of sending a Marine to a course for seven or eight weeks, it takes about four days to learn basic operations for successful employment,” Jackson said.  

The ROV also supports naval integration. In 2019, the Navy acquired this commercial off-the-shelf capability. The service conducted a series of tests to determine its viability for EOD missions. These tests included reliability and maintenance evaluations to test its effectiveness and ease of employment during simulated activities.  

“Testing conducted by the Navy allowed us to field this capability to Marines more quickly,” Hilty said. “Additionally, the Marine Corps and Navy both having this system increases interoperability among the services.”  

The robot is the first increment in the Littoral Explosive Ordnance Neutralization (LEON) Family of Systems. This series of robotic capabilities will allow Marines to search a wider area in the littorals, including the very shallow water, surf and beach zones. LEON systems, to be fielded gradually by MCSC over the next several years, will also help the Marine Corps complement Navy EOD teams in joint operations as it strives to evolve naval force integration in the future.  

“Having this capability aids in naval force integration by giving us the same equipment that the Navy is using,” said Staff Sgt. Seth Barnes, EOD Technician with 1st EOD Company. “It allows us to bolt on with Navy EOD as we move forward.”  

Achieving Force Design 2030 remains an ongoing, concerted effort for the Marine Corps, as repeatedly stated by Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger. This goal requires the acquisition of nextgeneration, unmanned systems, like the ROV, to support Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations.  

“We’re bringing the EABO concept to the modern day,” said Ronald Diefenbach, a program analyst on the Explosive Hazard Team at MCSC. “Adhering to this concept, we can use the ROV to support Marines when operating from the littorals and while conducting island-hopping tasks.”  

Hilty said the Marine Corps has never before leveraged waters for missions. In the past, Marines would begin operations from land, typically a beach. This new concept requires a shift in the paradigm in how the Marine Corps operates. Fielding capabilities that conform to the vision to support an evolving naval fight will ultimately support the present and future Marine.  

“We’ve always done this piece via the Navy,” said Hilty. “Now that the Marine Corps is doing it, we are learning valuable skillsets, becoming much better-rounded and proving to be a bigger asset to the MAGTF [Marine Air-Ground Task Force].” 

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Munro (WMSL 755) and crew returned to their Alameda homeport Oct. 20 following a 102-day, 22,000-nautical-mile deployment to the Western Pacific, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a release. 

Munro departed Alameda in July to the Western Pacific to operate under the tactical control of U.S. Navy 7th Fleet to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific.  

“Munro’s deployment demonstrated the Coast Guard’s unique authorities in support of the Indo-Pacific command,” said Vice Adm. Michael F. McAllister, commander Coast Guard Pacific Area. “Joint operations help strengthen our partnerships through search and rescue, law enforcement, marine environmental response and other areas of mutual interest which preserve a stable and secure global maritime environment.” 

Munro’s crew executed numerous cooperative engagements, professional exchanges and capacity building efforts with naval allies and partners, including the Japan Coast Guard, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force, Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Royal Australian Navy and Indonesia Maritime Security Agency.  

“Our relationships in the Western Pacific are stronger today, and our partners are unified in their commitment to security,” said Capt. Blake Novak, commanding officer of Munro. “It was an incredible opportunity for our crew to participate alongside allies, sharing search and rescue and law enforcement concepts to promote peace, prosperity, and the sovereign rights of all nations.” 

As both a federal law enforcement agency and an armed force, the U.S. Coast Guard is uniquely positioned to conduct defense operations in support of combatant commanders on all seven continents. The service routinely provides forces in joint military operations worldwide, including the deployment of cutters, boats, aircraft, and deployable specialized forces. 

Munro is one of four 418-foot national security cutters homeported in Alameda. National security cutters like Munro feature advanced command and control capabilities, aviation support facilities, stern cutter boat launch, and increased endurance for long-range patrols, enabling the crews to disrupt threats to national security further offshore. 

MISAWA, Japan — Two MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft systems returned to Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, following a deployment to Naval Air Facility (NAF) Misawa,NAF Misawa public affairs said Oct. 19. 

The deployment of an Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 (VUP-19) detachment and its two MQ-4C Tritons to Japan helped develop the concept of operations, including expeditionary basing, and fleet learning associated with high-altitude, long-endurance systems operations in the maritime domain. 
 
The two MQ-4C Tritons will continue to operate from their forward deployed location at Andersen Air Force Base to provide maritime surveillance and persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities to the U.S. 7th Fleet in support of U.S. interests and regional allies. 
 
The MQ-4C Triton’s persistence and capabilities complement the Navy’s P-8A Poseidon multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft and are integral to the Navy’s Maritime Strategy. 

WASHINGTON — The Navy released on Oct. 20 two reports related to the fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) on July 12, 2020: the results of the U.S. Pacific Fleet Command Investigation and a Major Fires Review commissioned by the vice chief of naval operations (VCNO) that examined all major fires in the Navy over the last 12 years, VCNO public affairs said.  

The Navy convened the Pacific Fleet command investigation on USS Bonhomme Richard to specifically examine all causal and contributing factors to the fire that resulted in the total loss of the ship.   

There were four categories of causal factors that allowed for the accumulation of significant risk and led to an ineffective fire response: the material condition of the ship, the training and readiness of the ship’s crew, the integration between the ship and supporting shore-based firefighting organizations and the oversight by commanders across multiple organizations. The command investigation also concluded “a lack of familiarity with requirements and procedural noncompliance at multiple levels of command” contributed to the loss of ship.   

VCNO Adm. Bill Lescher emphasized the Navy’s commitment to making urgent and necessary changes to correct the deficiencies and related root causes that led to the Bonhomme Richard fire.   

“The loss of this ship was completely preventable,” said Lescher. “And the Navy is executing a deliberative process that includes taking appropriate accountability actions with respect to personnel assigned to Bonhomme Richard and the shore commands designed to support the ship while moored at Naval Base San Diego.” 

Lescher designated the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet as the Consolidated Disposition Authority to handle administrative and disciplinary actions relating to military members. Recommendations concerning civilian employees will be forwarded to the cognizant supervisor for action. Based on a separate criminal investigation, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet preferred charges against one Sailor who is charged with aggravated arson and hazarding a vessel. A preliminary hearing for the Sailor is scheduled for mid-November.   

The investigation was exhaustive in scope, yielding more than 1,000 findings of fact associated with the fire resulting in 242 opinions based on those findings, 139 recommendations for corrective action by various organizations at levels throughout the Navy, and listing 36 individuals recommended for accountability actions.   

Additionally, the report recognized the “bravery, ingenuity, and resourcefulness in the actions of Sailors across the San Diego waterfront and others who had a role in the response,” and identified 10 meritorious performance recommendations for actions taken during the firefighting efforts.    

Alongside the Bonhomme Richard investigation results, the Navy also released the results of the Major Fires Review, ordered in January 2021 by the VCNO. A comprehensive historical review of major fires aboard U.S. Navy ships, the Major Fires Review aimed at identifying recurring trends in the causal factors of 15 major shipboard fires over the past 12 years.   

The expansive review included 12 major findings contributing to a current state of elevated risk for ships in maintenance availabilities with seven strategic recommendations for corrective actions.  

The Major Fires Review revealed that ineffective learning, the persistence of underlying weaknesses in shipboard watchstanding standards, hazardous and combustible material stowage and training were the primary issues contributing to a lack of enduring change in shipboard fires.   

To address the findings of the Command Investigation and the Major Fires Review, the Navy established a Learning to Action Board to both implement the recommendations and to assess their ongoing execution overtime, testing both whether the recommendations remain in effect and whether they are providing the intended effect.   

The first Learning to Action Board convened Oct. 13 and will meet quarterly to provide a structure, process, and forum to drive accountability for implementing and assessing approved recommendations through Fleet, Type Command and Systems Command ownership.   

“The provides the structure and cadence of accountability for learning that will make these recommendations come alive with urgency,” Lescher said.  

See the Command Investigation of the USS Bonhomme Richard fire and the Major Fires Review documents in the Navy FOIA reading room.

SAN DIEGO — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. (GA-ASI) completed the transfer of two MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 unmanned aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps on Oct. 15, the company said Oct. 20. 

The two aircraft have been operated by the Marine Corps since 2018 under a company owned/company operated lease agreement in support of an urgent operational Need. The Reapers represent the first increment of the Marine Air-Ground Task Force unmanned aircraft expeditionary (MUX) program of record. The transfer of aircraft includes two ground control stations and associated support equipment.  

The two COCO MQ-9As, using remote split operations from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, have been in operation for the Marine Corps as part of a lease agreement between GA-ASI and Naval Air Systems Command, accruing over 12,000 flight hours supporting operations in the Middle East and informing the requirements and expectations for the MUX program of record. The program of record will include an additional 16 new MQ-9As, which the Marine Corps will begin procuring in 2022 to support an early operational capability in 2023 and initial operating capability in the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command by 2025. 

“The Marine Corps leveraged the leased aircraft to better understand and articulate the needs of the MUX program, while simultaneously supporting the forward-deployed warfighter,” said GA-ASI President David R. Alexander. “It was a great example of how a customer can ‘try before you buy’ our aircraft. Now they’ve seen firsthand how a persistent ISR platform, like the MQ-9A, can support the Marine Corps’ need for long-range sensing in the Pacific as a part of the commandant’s force design initiative.”    

With unmatched operational flexibility, MQ-9A Block 5 has endurance of over 26 hours, speeds of 220 knots true air speed and can operate up to 45,000 feet. It has a 3,850-pound (1,746 kilogram) payload capacity that includes 3,000 pounds (1,361 kilograms) of external stores. It provides a long-endurance, persistent surveillance capability with full-motion video and synthetic aperture radar. An extremely reliable aircraft, MQ-9A Block 5 is equipped with a fault-tolerant flight control system and triple redundant avionics system architecture. It is engineered to meet and exceed manned aircraft reliability standards.