YOKOSUKA, Japan — The U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), returned to Yokosuka, Japan, Oct. 16, following a five-month deployment across 5th and 7th Fleet, the ship’s public affairs office said in a release. 

During Ronald Reagan’s deployment, the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 flew more than 14,820 flight hours, and the ship transited nearly 43,000 nautical miles. The strike group departed Yokosuka May 19 and conducted passing exercises with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) in May and June. The ship transited through the Strait of Malacca on June 18 and participated in joint, simultaneous multi-domain operations with the Indian navy and air force from June 23-24. This marked the first naval integration event off the West Coast of India since MALABAR 2020. 
 
The carrier strike group executed integrated at-sea operations alongside the United Kingdom’s HMS Queen Elizabeth (R 08) Strike Group, as well as the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (IWOARG) and the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in the Gulf of Aden, July 12. The strike group also participated in several interoperability and bilateral events, to include operations with the French frigate FS Languedoc (D 653), Pakistan navy frigate PNS Alamgir (F 260) and German navy frigate FGS Bayern (F 217). 
 
While deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations, Ronald Reagan supported naval operations while CVW-5 provided airpower to protect U.S. and coalition forces as they conducted drawdown operations from Afghanistan. Operating as Task Force 50 in 5th Fleet, personnel from the strike group supported Task Force 58 in September with facilitating the safe transit of more than 7,000 U.S. citizens and evacuees traveling from Afghanistan during Operation Allies Refuge. The task force included more than 1,400 U.S. and coalition personnel from various units operating in the region. U.S. service members worked to provide travelers with meals, short-term lodging, and medical services around the clock before departing. 
 
“This year’s deployment was historic and unprecedented for the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier,” said Capt. Fred Goldhammer, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer. “Our crew’s unrelenting dedication, seamless teamwork, and unmatched ability to overcome challenges enabled Ronald Reagan’s ability to provide support for Operations Freedom’s Sentinel and Allies Refuge during the final days of the war in Afghanistan. I am extremely proud of the crew’s resilience and success throughout this year. The brave men and women of ‘Warship 76’ answered the call whenever and wherever they were needed, demonstrating the extreme versatility and unmatched capability of our forward-deployed naval forces.” 
 
The strike group returned to U.S. 7th Fleet Sept. 17 from the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. 
 
Prior to returning home in October, the strike group and USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) carrier strike group joined with United Kingdom’s carrier strike group led by HMS Queen Elizabeth (R08) CSG 21 and JMSDF ships led by Hyuga-class helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 182) for multiple carrier operations in the Philippine Sea; bringing together 17 ships from six nations and more than 15,000 Sailors. The purpose of the integration was to demonstrate capabilities in multi-domain operations, U.S. dedication to regional stability, and highlight the U.S. Navy’s enduring power-projection capability. 
 
On the 2021 deployment, the carrier strike group included the Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, and embarked staffs of Task Force 70 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG 67), and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97). 
 
Sailors manned the rails in dress white uniforms as the ship arrived pierside, following more than 153 COVID-free-days at sea since departing Yokosuka in May. 
 
“The team working together to safely navigate the ship through the Strait of Malacca twice, the San Bernardino Strait, the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea, and the South China Sea truly demonstrates the importance of freedom of the seas and keeping the sea lines of communication open. This is especially vital in the Indo-Pacific region,” said Cmdr. Nathan Moore, Ronald Reagan’s navigator. “Pulling pierside back in Yokosuka and being home safe after five months straight at sea is something we are all grateful for and quite proud of. We served a critical mission for our country and helped to finish an important chapter of our nation’s history.” 
 
While in port, Ronald Reagan will remain in sustainment and ready to immediately redeploy in response to a crisis or other tasking. The crew maintains a high level of training, forward-presence, warfighting proficiency, quick-response posture, and readiness to respond to any regional contingency. 
 
The Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group is forward-deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. U.S. 7th Fleet is the largest forward-deployed fleet in the world, and with the help of and network of alliances and partners from 35 other maritime nations, the U.S. Navy has operated in the Indo-Pacific region for more than 70 years, providing credible, ready forces to help preserve peace and prevent conflict. 

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — In her first major keynote address since taking command, Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost, commander of U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM), discussed priorities and challenges ahead for the transportation enterprise today at the National Defense Transportation Association (NDTA)-USTRANSCOM annual fall meeting, U.S. Transportation Command Public Affairs said in a release.  

Van Ovost thanked the NDTA and USTRANSCOM teams for orchestrating a “world-class logistics forum,” and said while new leadership brings a fresh perspective, “TRANSCOM’s mission is enduring and my number one priority remains the same — our warfighting readiness.”  

“We do this through a warfighting framework of three elements — global posture, mobility capacity, and global command and control and integration,” Van Ovost said. “Since World War II, we have enjoyed strategic dominance in each of the three areas and we have presented our nation’s leaders with options.”  

However, the general said the security environment is changing.  

“We now face direct challenges across all domains, threatening our ability to deliver an immediate force tonight, and a decisive force when needed,” she said.  

Discussing the enterprise’s footprint across the globe, Van Ovost said she is looking to attendees to innovate ways to prepare, package, and preposition materiel in order to improve deterrence and “progress to smaller force packages, operating from more austere places, and spanning greater distances.”  

She said capacity across the air and sea iskey. She committed to being “laser-focused on emphasizing a responsible ‘buy used’ strategy with the U.S. Navy,” in order to address the looming retirement of 34 of 50 vessels, and she also committed to “preserving necessary air mobility capabilities and capacity to ensure that we can deliver an immediate force tonight to meet our national security objectives.”  

Finally, Van Ovost highlighted the need for resilient and agile command and control, calling it “one of my highest areas of interest and frankly, concern.” She stressed the need for cooperation and mitigation efforts.  

“Our ever-growing number of cyber adversaries will be a challenge to all of us,” she said. “They have carefully studied our supply chain and transportation operations, and are actively working to disrupt and degrade logistics flows.” 

Van Ovost also mentioned recent successes, such as use of the Civil Reserve Air Fleet during the historic non-combatant evacuation operations, analysis of tanker capacity, and working leading to an upcoming global household goods contract.  

In closing, she referenced the meeting’s theme.  

“Resilient and Reliable … Agile and Adaptable must be more than a bumper sticker,” Van Ovost said. “The future all-domain contested environment requires our logistics enterprise to be resilient and reliable. Our warfighting framework must be agile and adaptable to deter potential adversaries, and if necessary, win decisively.  

“There is no second place when it comes to our national defense.”  

USTRANSCOM exists as a warfighting combatant command to project and sustain military power at a time and place of the nation’s choosing. Powered by dedicated men and women, TRANSCOM underwrites the lethality of the Joint Force, advances American interests around the globe, and provides our nation’s leaders with strategic flexibility to select from multiple options, while creating multiple dilemmas for our adversaries. 

NEW DELHI — Boeing is continuing to expand the Indian navy’s long-range maritime reconnaissance anti-submarine warfare capabilities with the delivery of the country’s 11th P-8I, the company said Oct. 18. The patrol aircraft is an integral part of the Indian navy’s fleet and has surpassed 30,000 flight hours since it was inducted in 2013. 

This is the third aircraft to be delivered under an option contract for four additional aircraft that the Indian Ministry of Defence awarded in 2016. The Indian navy was the first international customer for the P-8 and today operates the largest non-U.S. fleet. The P-8 is also operated by the U.S. Navy, the Royal Australian Air Force and the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force. 

In addition to unmatched maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare capabilities, the P-8I has been deployed to assist during disaster relief and humanitarian missions. 

Boeing supports India’s growing P-8I fleet by providing training of Indian navy flight crews, spare parts, ground support equipment and field-service representative support. Boeing’s integrated logistics support has enabled a high state of fleet readiness at the lowest possible cost. 

Boeing is completing construction on the Training Support & Data Handling Centre at INS Rajali, Arakkonam, in Tamil Nadu, and a secondary center at the Naval Institute of Aeronautical Technology, Kochi, as part of a training-and-support package contract signed in 2019. The indigenous, ground-based training will allow the Indian navy crew to increase mission proficiency in a shorter time, while reducing the on-aircraft training time resulting in increased aircraft availability for mission tasking. 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Northrop Grumman Corp.has delivered the 500th WSN-7 ring laser gyroscope inertial navigation system (INS) to the U.S. Navy, the company said in a release. 

“Installed across the U.S. Navy fleet, Northrop Grumman continues to support U.S. and NATO surface and submarine naval platforms around the world,” said Todd Leavitt, vice president, naval and oceanic systems, Northrop Grumman. 

Beginning with the first gyroscope installed on USS Utah (BB-31) in 1911, Northrop Grumman has built a reputation as an industry leader and partner with the U.S. Navy in navigation, positioning and sensing systems. Today, the AN/WSN‑7 is the U.S. Navy program of record for INS on all surface combatants equipped with AEGIS weapons systems (Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers; Arleigh Burke-class destroyers), all Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, among other U.S. and allied vessels. 

The AN/WSN‑7A is the U.S. Navy program of record for all Los Angeles-class, Sea Wolf-class and Virginia-class submarines, and provides the same level of performance and accuracy as the AN/WSN‑7, in a modified form factor fit for subsurface use. 

Northrop Grumman’s broad range of assured positioning, navigation and timing (A-PNT) systems provide precise, survivable, secure, resilient and agile solutions for sea, land, air and space. 

PHILADELPHIA — The U.S. Coast Guard commissioned the USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145), Patrol Forces Southwest Asia’s fourth 154-foot Sentinel-class cutter, into service at Penn’s Landing in Philadelphia Oct. 15, the Coast Guard Atlantic Area said in release. 

Adm. Karl Schultz, commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, presided over the ceremony. Yvonne Gilmore Jordan, the eldest first cousin to Tunnell, is the ship’s sponsor. 

“We are so thankful to the Coast Guard for this incredible honor. I can’t internalize the perils Emlen, and his shipmates endured. Emlen didn’t want anyone calling him a hero, but the Coast Guard said yes, he is. As a relative, it is a privilege to be a participant in this commissioning as the Coast Guard Cutter Emlen Tunnell is placed into service,” said Jordan. 

The cutter’s namesake is Steward’s Mate 1st Class Emlen Tunnell, a native of Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard from 1943 to 1946. During this time, he rescued two shipmates. The first was aboard the USS Etamin at anchor in Papua New Guinea in 1944. When a crewman became engulfed in flame following a Japanese torpedo attack, he beat out the fire, sustaining burns, and carried him to safety. 

The second rescue came aboard the USCGC Tampa in 1946 when a shipmate fell overboard off Newfoundland. Tunnell risked the 32-degree Fahrenheit water suffering shock and exposure to save him. The U.S. Coast Guard awarded the Silver Lifesaving Medal to Tunnell posthumously for his heroism. 

“What really defined Emlen was his character, that selflessness. It was who he was as a human being,” said Schultz. “When this cutter sailed unexpectedly to avoid tropical storm Elsa, Coast Guardsmen who are going to shape the future chapters of the Emlen Tunnell story stepped to the plate, as Emlen did years ago. Maybe not with as many heroics, but they did what Coasties do. They jumped into the breach.” 

Tunnell was also a lauded athlete beginning in high school and then college before he joined the service. While in the Coast Guard, he played football and basketball, and upon his departure, he resumed college. Tunnell went on to play professional football for the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers. He also served as an assistant coach for the Giants. Notably, Tunnell was the first African American to play for the Giants, African American talent scout, and African American full-time assistant coach. He is also the first African American inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame.  

The Emlen Tunnell was officially delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard on July 1 in Key West, Florida. It is the 45th Sentinel-class fast response cutter. Each of these cutters carries the name of a U.S. Coast Guard enlisted hero. While the ship commissioned in Philadelphia, it will homeport in Manama, Bahrain, part of U.S. Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia. The crew will transit to homeport alongside their sister ship, the USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144), later this year.  
 
Schultz added the Sentinel-class cutter is a game-changer in a time when the demand for U.S. Coast Guard services has never been higher. The Tunnell and Glen Harris will join two Sentinel-class ships already in service in the Arabian Gulf. Two additional 154-foot cutters will join these in 2022 for a total of six in service at PATFORSWA. 

Established in 2002 in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA played a crucial role in maritime security and maritime infrastructure protection operations. PATFORSWA is a maritime humanitarian presence on the seas, providing U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet with combat-ready assets. Utilizing the U.S. Coast Guard’s unique access to foreign territorial seas and ports, our crews formulate strong and independent relationships throughout the Arabian Gulf and leverage the full spectrum of flexible vessel boarding capabilities at sea and maritime country engagements onshore. 

MOBILE, Ala. — Austal USA hosted the christening ceremony for the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) Independence-variant littoral combat ship at the company’s Gulf Coast shipyard Oct. 16, the company said in a release. Ship sponsor Lolita Zinke performed the ceremonial bottle break over the bow of the Santa Barbara, the 16th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA and the third U.S. Navy ship to be named after the California coast city. 

Zinke, wife of former U.S. member of Congress and former U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, was selected by then-Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer to be the ship sponsor of the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Zinke was born and raised in Santa Barbara. 

“I could never have imagined I would be standing here today ready to christen a Navy ship,” Zinke said, “let alone one named after my home town.”  

Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh welcomed the official party and community members and employees who attended the ceremony. 

“I am proud to represent the Austal shipbuilding team today as we commemorate a significant milestone in the life of this incredible warship,” said Murdaugh. “Our talented team of shipbuilders is proud to provide our Navy with an extraordinarily capable vessel that will honor the great city of Santa Barbara as she becomes a vital part of the U.S. naval fleet protecting our Nation.” 

Santa Barbara (LCS 32) is the 16th of 19 small surface combatants Austal USA is building for the U.S. Navy. Five littoral combat ships are under various stages of construction. Austal USA is also constructing two Expeditionary Fast Transport ships for the U.S. Navy with another beginning construction next month, and the company also was recently awarded a contract to build two steel Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue ships. 

SAN DIEGO — Amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) arrived in San Diego Oct. 15, after a decade of forward-deployed service in the Indo-Pacific region operating out of Japan, Expeditionary Strike Group 3 public affairs said in a release. 
 
As part of the U.S. 7th Fleet’s forward-deployed naval forces in Japan, Germantown worked alongside allied and partner nations to provide security and stability in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

“We are excited to welcome Germantown and her crew to the team,” said Rear Adm. Wayne Baze, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3. “They made an incredible impact in the Indo-Pacific as a forward-deployed ship, and I know they will continue to excel in San Diego.” 
 
Since 2011, Germantown has participated in numerous operations and exercises across the Indo-Pacific including Cobra Gold, Valiant Shield, Kamandag, MTA Sama Sama, and Tiger Triumph 2019, the first U.S.-India bilateral exercise to feature all three joint services, Army, Navy, and Air Force. 
 
During an innovative achievement in June, Germantown resurrected a World War II-era waterborne ambulance concept during a certification exercise. Installing a medical shock trauma section on Germantown’s Landing Craft, Utility (LCU) added another link in the “heal chain” to get wounded Marines from the battlefield to critical care. 
 
“I am immensely proud of the hard work and incredible performance of our crew in 7th Fleet,” said Cmdr. Cullen Greenfield, commanding officer of Germantown. “As we transition to 3rd Fleet and ESG 3, this crew continues to display its trademark resiliency and warfighting capability with early renewal of warfare certifications in both the Communications and Intelligence mission areas, and a seamless instream offload of Marines after San Francisco Fleet Week.” 
 
Most recently, Germantown participated in Talisman Sabre 21, marking the third time the ship has taken part in the U.S.-Australia bilateral exercise with partner support from Canada, South Korea and Japan. Germantown demonstrated their ability to act as a force multiplier in amphibious assaults, providing critical back-up through embarked LCU. 
 
Germantown also completed Advanced Integrated Training and Certification Exercise, a demanding multi-faceted exercise where the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Amphibious Squadron 11 conducted exercises ranging from non-compliant vessel boarding, boat raids, underway replenishments, and amphibious landings with air support provided from amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6). 
 
Germantown sailed from San Diego on Jan. 5, 2011, replacing USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49). USS Rushmore (LSD 47) will replace Germantown later this year. 

PEARL HARBOR — The U.S. Pacific Fleet released on Oct. 15 the following statement regarding the encounter that day between an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer and a Russian destroyer:   

“The statement from the Russian Defense Ministry about the interaction between our two Navy ships is false. 

“While USS Chafee (DDG 90) was conducting routine operations in international water in the Sea of Japan on Oct. 15, 2021, a Russian Udaloy-class destroyer came within approximately 65 yards of USS Chafee (DDG 90) while the ship was preparing for flight operations. The interaction was safe and professional. Although Russia issued a Notice to Airman and Mariners (NOTAM/NOTMAR) in this area for later in the day, the NOTAM/NOTMAR was not in effect at the time of the interaction. At all times, USS Chafee conducted operations in accordance with international law and custom. The United States will continue to fly, sail, and operate where international law allows.” 

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Saildrone, a market leader in ocean data, ocean mapping, and maritime intelligence solutions, announced Oct. 18 the close of its $100 million Series C round, bringing its total funding to $190 million. 

Led by BOND, the round includes new investors XN, Standard Investments, Emerson Collective and Crowley Maritime Corp., as well as participation from previous investors, Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, Lux Capital, Social Capital and Tribe Capital. The new financing will be used to grow Saildrone’s data insight teams and scale go-to-market functions to meet the rapidly growing demand for ocean domain intelligence. 

Saildrone’s products are based on data collected from a fleet of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) powered primarily by renewable wind and solar power. Saildrone USVs have sailed over 500,000 nautical miles and clocked more than 15,000 days at sea in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. Recently, a Saildrone USV navigated to the heart of Hurricane Sam, in a world first, taking scientific measurements and HD video that stands to transform understanding of hurricane forecasting. 

Saildrone not only collects scientific data for climate intelligence and high-resolution bathymetric mapping of the ocean floor, it also uses proprietary machine learning to provide marine domain awareness for law enforcement and homeland security applications such as policing illegal fishing, counter narcotics operations and marine sanctuary protection. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with Saildrone as they build out the future of maritime intelligence, drawing on their unique technological differentiation and expansive mission history to serve customers across diverse industries,” said Noah Knauf, general partner at BOND, who will join the company’s board of directors. 

An American owned and operated company founded in 2012, Saildrone’s mission is to sustainably explore, map, and monitor the ocean to understand, protect, and preserve our world. Predominantly powered by renewable energy, Saildrone USVs have a minimal carbon footprint and are equipped with advanced sensors and embedded machine learning and artificial intelligence technology to deliver critical insights from any ocean, at any time of year. 

“We are honored to have the BOND team and our new investors join our journey,” said Richard Jenkins, Saildrone founder and CEO. “The combination of the most tried and tested autonomous ocean technology with the partnership of some of the most experienced venture capitalists in the world consolidates our industry leadership and enables our rapid growth path to meet the needs of our customers.” 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, Oct. 16 in Mobile, Alabama. 

Meredith Berger, performing the duties of undersecretary of the Navy, will deliver the keynote address at the ceremony. Remarks will also be provided by Vice Adm. Jeffrey Trussler, deputy chief of naval operations for information warfare; Oscar Gutierrez, mayor pro tempore for the city of Santa Barbara, California.; and Rusty Murdaugh, president of Austal USA. 

Lolita Zinke, wife of former Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke and the ship’s sponsor, will participate in a time-honored Navy tradition to christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

“Tomorrow we christen the third USS Santa Barbara, named for the beautiful coastal city in central California,” Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro said. “In so doing we move one step closer to welcoming a new ship to Naval service and transitioning the platform from a mere hull number to a ship with a name and spirit. There is no doubt future Sailors aboard this ship will carry on the same values of honor, courage and commitment upheld by crews from an earlier vessel that bore this name.”

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The platform is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence.

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom-variant team is led by Lockheed Martin in Marinette, Wisconsin (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence-variant team is led by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls).

LCS 32 is the 16th Freedom-variant LCS and 32nd in the LCS class. It is the third Navy ship named in honor of the city of Santa Barbara. The first USS Santa Barbara (Id. No. 4522) was a single-screw steel freighter that was placed into commission by the Navy on April 15, 1918, in New York. The ship made four round-trip voyages to Europe during and after World War I and was decommissioned Aug. 6, 1919, and returned to her owners. Later renamed American, the ship was sunk by German submarine torpedoes off the east coast of British Honduras (modern-day Belize) on June 11, 1942. The second USS Santa Barbara (AE-28) was commissioned on July 11, 1970. The Kilauea-class ammunition ship completed deployments to the Mediterranean, the western Pacific, and the Caribbean before being decommissioned in 1998.