ROTA, Spain — The  Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney departed Naval Station Rota for the last time as a Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe (FDNF-E) asset on June 27. 

USS Roosevelt, named after the 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his wife Eleanor, replaced Carney in the first of four scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the Rota-based destroyers. 

“Carney’s role as one of our forward-deployed destroyers in Spain has been the cornerstone of the United States’ commitment to our NATO allies and partners and to our combined integrated air and missile defense architecture,” said Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet. “Through all five years’ worth of operations and exercises, Carney Sailors set the bar high for readiness, interoperability and combat effectiveness.” 

Carney came to C6F on Sept. 25, 2015, as one of the first Rota-based FDNF-E destroyers under commander, Task Force (CTF). Carney began operational tasking in the C6F area of operation immediately upon arrival, conducting operations in the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Eastern Atlantic Ocean, Red Sea, Indian Ocean, and Persian Gulf. 

The ship conducted 55 port calls throughout Europe, the Middle East and Africa. In an effort to maintain and improve efforts towards “Partnership for Peace,” Carney conducted six at-sea maritime training exercises and one passing exercise with partner nations in the Black Sea. Additionally, the ship participated in 11 large-scale exercises in the European theater, improving relations with both NATO allies and partners to include exercise Sea Breeze 2019. 

“Working in 6th Fleet and under the direction of CTF 65 has been a phenomenal experience,” said Cmdr. Christopher J. Carrol, Carney’s commanding officer. “We were extremely blessed for the opportunities to meet the objectives of the Fleet.” 

On her seventh and final patrol this spring, Carney conducted a tactical control shift from C6F to 5th Fleet in support of national tasking alongside the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG). The unconventional FDNF-E patrol included port visits to the Seychelles and to Cape Town, South Africa, which reinforced the partnership between the U.S. and South Africa. While transiting back to Rota, Spain, Carney became the most recent ship in naval history to circumnavigate Africa instead of transiting north through the Suez Canal. 

“Carney’s departure is a proud moment for all of us,” said Capt. Joseph A. Gagliano, commander, Task Force (CTF) 65. “In addition to the crew departing with pride for a job well done, we are proud to return Carney in peak readiness condition. Both the ship and crew are ready for any mission.” 

Carney is scheduled to return to its former homeport of Mayport, Florida.

SAN DIEGO — Construction of the fourth expeditionary sea base ship officially began June 25 at the General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding shipyard, the Program Executive Office-Ships said in a release. Due to the COVID pandemic, the milestone was marked with an informal shipyard ceremony. 

ESB ships are flexible platforms that are used across a range of military operations supporting multiple operational phases. Acting as a mobile sea base, they are part of the infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces and supplies to provide prepositioned equipment and sustainment. 

“This is a great Navy day as we mark the start of construction on the fourth ship in a class of flexible, adaptable ships that will provide our combatant commanders with enhanced capabilities,” said Tim Roberts, strategic and theater sealift program manager for PEO-Ships. “The ESB platform has proven to be a valuable addition to the Navy and Marine Corps battle force.” 

ESBs support aviation mine countermeasure and special operations force missions. In addition to the flight deck, the ESB has a hangar with two aviation operating spots capable of handling MH-53E equivalent helicopters, accommodations, work spaces, and ordnance storage for embarked force, enhanced command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence to support embarked force mission planning and execution and reconfigurable mission deck area to store embarked force equipment to include mine sleds and rigid hull inflatable boats. 

In 2019, the Navy made the decision to commission all ESBs to allow them to conduct a broader and more lethal mission set, compared to original plans for them to operate with a USNS designation. 

ESBs are commanded by a Navy O-6 with a hybrid-manned crew of military personnel and Military Sealift Command civilian mariners. This designation provides combatant commanders greater operational flexibility as to how the platform is employed.  

In addition to ESB 6, NASSCO is under contract for the construction of ESB 7, with an option for ESB 8, as well as the Navy’s John Lewis Class Fleet Replenishment Oilers.

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble returned June 25 to its homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam following the ship’s surge deployment to the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations, the U.S. 3rd Fleet said in a release. 

Preble, along with a detachment from “Easyriders” from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 37, deployed in March to conduct U.S. Southern Command and Joint Interagency Task Force South’s enhanced counter-narcotics operations missions in the Caribbean Sea and Eastern Pacific Ocean. 

During their deployment, Preble, with their embarked U.S. Coast Guard law enforcement detachment, recovered 100 bales of suspected cocaine totaling an estimated 2,000 kilograms, with an estimated wholesale value of $40 million. 

“The success of this deployment was due to our Sailors and embarked Coast Guardsmen working together daily for a common cause – enhanced counter-narcotics operations,” said Cmdr. Leonardo Giovannelli, Preble’s commanding officer. “We thank our Preble families and friends whose unwavering support made it possible for their loved ones, our Sailors, to succeed at sea and complete our mission.” 

With the deployment conducted in a COVID-19 environment, the primary focus of ship’s leadership was crew safety. 

“We took all available precautions before the start of the deployment,” said Cmdr. Peter Lesaca, Preble’s executive officer. “I credit our Sailors for understanding the gravity of the pandemic, keeping themselves in good health, and taking care of their shipmates to keep the ship safe.” 

Preble joined other Navy warships, numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperating in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, are all playing a role in counter-drug operations.

MOBILE, Ala. — The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of the future USS Oakland on June 26 during a ceremony at Austal USA in Mobile, the Program Executive Office-Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) public affairs said in a release. 

Oakland is the 22nd littoral combat ship (LCS) and the 12th of the Independence variant to join the fleet. Its delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy, bringing the service’s inventory up to 300. It is the final milestone prior to its scheduled commissioning in early 2021.  

“This is a great day for the Navy and our country with the delivery of the future USS Oakland,” said LCS program manager Capt. Mike Taylor. “This ship will play an essential role in in carrying out our nation’s future maritime strategy.” 

Four additional Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA: Mobile, Savannah, Canberra and Santa Barbara. Three additional ships are awaiting the start of construction. 

The future USS Oakland is the third Navy ship to honor the long history its namesake city has had with the Navy. The first Oakland was commissioned in 1918 and used to transport cargo. In 1943, the second USS Oakland was commissioned. Though in service for less than seven years, she was key to many anti-aircraft missions in the western Pacific — Marshall Islands, Pagan Island, Guam, Iwo Jima, Rota, Peleliu and Okinawa. After the war, Oakland performed two duty patrols off the coast of China before her decommissioning in 1949. 

The future USS Oakland is the third LCS delivered to the Navy in 2020. The future USS St. Louis was delivered Feb. 6, and the future USS Kansas City delivered Feb. 12. Two additional ships — Minneapolis-St. Paul and Mobile — are planned for delivery this year.

RESTON, Va. — Rolls-Royce has secured recent agreements with the U.S. Navy for ship engines, propulsion components and services valued at up to $115.6 million, the company said in a June 24 release. 

“Rolls-Royce is proud to support the U.S. Navy through an extensive portfolio of engines and propulsion system components, as well as service agreements,” said Leo Martins, program director of U.S. Naval & Coast Guard Platforms at Rolls-Royce Defense. “Rolls-Royce propulsion equipment is in service around the globe on nearly all U.S. Navy ships and the new agreements reflect continued confidence from the Navy in Rolls-Royce products.” 

The engine contract, for $34.4 million, is a follow-on production agreement for 16 new MT7 gas-turbine engines for Navy ship-to-shore connector landing craft. Rolls-Royce is the exclusive provider of gas-turbine engines installed on the landing craft, which is produced by Textron. The MT7 engine is produced in Indianapolis in the U.S. and is a variant of the Rolls-Royce AE 1107C engine powering V-22 aircraft and a member of the proven and reliable Rolls-Royce AE family of engines. 

The propulsion components contract, valued at $10.9 million, will include production of main propulsion monobloc propellers, propeller hubs, blades and other components. The ship components will be produced at Rolls-Royce facilities in Walpole, Massachusetts.  

The services agreement, valued at up to $70.3 million, covers maintenance and repair services of controllable pitch propeller hubs and oil distribution boxes for multiple Navy ship classes including DDG 51 destroyers. The ship components will be serviced at Rolls-Royce facilities in Walpole and work is expected to be completed in 2026. 

Rolls-Royce is nearing completion of $400 million in improvements in its advanced manufacturing capabilities in Indianapolis as part of a total $600 million investment program announced in 2015. Rolls-Royce is also investing in upgrades in Walpole to enhance production and service facilities.

ARABIAN SEA — As of June 25, the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower and its escort ship, the guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto, have been continuously at sea for 161 days, setting a new record for the U.S. Navy, Carrier Strike Group 10 said in a release. 

Both ships departed their homeport of Norfolk, Virginia, on Jan. 17, for the strike group’s composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) and follow-on deployment to the U.S. 6th and 5th Fleet areas of operation.  

Although Naval History and Heritage Command does not track continuous days underway for naval vessels, it has two modern documented days-at-sea records, both of which are now broken.  

In February 2002, the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt operated for 160 days straight in support of post-9/11 response. And it was again the Ike that held the record of 152 straight days underway during the Iran hostage crisis in 1980. 

“Our ships remain undeterred in the face of adversity and this monumental feat will only make our crews and the Navy stronger,” said Capt. Kyle Higgins, the Ike’s commanding officer. “I’m so proud of the young men and women I see on the deck plates each and every day. Their dedication to the mission is what makes our Navy the greatest fighting force the world has ever seen.” 

Due to the novel coronavirus, Ike and its accompanying strike group have remained at sea to minimize the crews’ exposure to COVID-19.  

“In March, I suspended liberty port visits to reduce the chance of spreading and contracting the virus across the fleet,” said Vice Adm. Jim Malloy, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. 5th Fleet, and Combined Maritime.  “Throughout this pandemic, maintaining the fleet’s warfighting readiness while ensuring the safety and well-being of our Sailors has been my top priority.” 

Both the Ike and the San Jacinto’s crews have maintained mission readiness and effectiveness despite restrictions related to COVID-19. 

“San Jacinto and Eisenhower have proven their ability to remain a flexible, adaptable and persistent force while staying on station in the Arabian Sea,” said Capt. Edward Crossman, commanding officer of the San Jacinto. “Both crews have been resupplying and refueling, performing repairs and upkeep, and maintaining overall readiness while continuously at sea. The two ships have spent the last five months conducting operations and exercises with foreign partners, other U.S. service branches, and U.S Navy ships in the region.” 

The ships also participated in a “rest and reset” period at sea, coming off-station for a short period of time to allow the crew to relax and reenergize with morale events such as swim calls and steel beach picnics.  

While all deployments bring challenges, especially ones of record-breaking duration, they also bond Sailors together through shared memories that last a lifetime. 

“We’ve made it this far and I’m incredibly proud of the crew for all their hard work,” Crossman said. “The fact of the matter is our work isn’t done. We aren’t headed home yet, and we’re on path to blow the previous record out of the water. The San Jacinto Gunslingers are the most motivated, professional Sailors I have ever served with.” 

The Ike and San Jacinto remain at sea, deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the Western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints for the free flow of global commerce. 

“Ike and San Jacinto, along with the rest of the Ike CSG, have continued to stand the watch in this critical region of the world, conducting routine operations and maintaining constant readiness and I couldn’t be prouder,” Malloy said. 

An interesting fact, the first USS San Jacinto was also underway during a yellow fever epidemic during the Civil War. On May 5, 1862, under the orders of President Lincoln, that San Jacinto and other Union warships bombarded Sewell’s Point, Virginia. On August 1, 1862, it was reported that yellow fever had broken out on the ship, so San Jacinto sailed north, laid anchor and quarantined for four months.

NAVAL AIR STATION PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The CH-53K King Stallion completed a two-week period of sea trials in the Atlantic earlier this month, the Naval Air Systems Command said in a June 24 release. This was the first opportunity to see the aircraft working in a modern naval environment. 

Testing took place on the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp.  

“I’m very pleased with how the ship tests went,” said Col. Jack Perrin, H-53 helicopters program manager. “We were able to assess the K taking off and landing day, night and with night-vision goggles, and it performed extremely well.” 

According to the CH-53K integrated test team, the sea trials are a series of tests to evaluate the performance of the aircraft at sea. Tests performed during the two weeks included: launch and recovery; rotor start and shutdown; blade fold; and shipboard compatibility testing — all in increasing wind speed and varying wind directions relative to the aircraft. 

“The bulk of the testing was in launch and recovery,” said Perrin, “and we nailed it every time, no matter what the wind/sea conditions were. The 53K is now a ‘feet-wet’ warrior from the sea.”  

Ship compatibility testing includes towing the aircraft around the deck and in the hangar, performing maintenance while aboard the ship, ensuring the aircraft fits in all the locations it needs to around the ship deck and hangar, and evaluating chain/tie-down procedures.  

The CH-53K King Stallion continues to execute within the reprogrammed CH-53K timeline, moving toward completion of developmental test, leading to initial operational test and evaluation in 2021 and first fleet deployment in 2023-2024. 

EVENDALE, Ohio — GE Marine has received a contract from Sefine Shipyard to provide two LM2500 marine gas turbines to power the Turkish Naval Forces’ new fleet replenishment ship, GE said in a release. 

Known as the DIMDEG project, this new-generation ship will satisfy the fuel, water transport and supply needs of Turkey’s surface combatants in the open seas around the world. 

“The LM2500 is GE’s most popular marine gas turbine and we are excited it was selected for the DIMDEG project,” said Kris Shepherd, vice president and general manager, GE Marine. “The powerful LM2500 brings quick start capabilities, easy on-board maintenance, and an outstanding worldwide fleet performance of greater than 99% reliability and more than 98% availability.” 

GE has long been a trusted supplier to the Turkish Naval Forces. In fact, all four of Turkey’s Ada-class MILGEM multipurpose corvettes are powered by a GE LM2500 and two diesel engines in a combined diesel and gas turbine configuration. Total propulsion power is 31,000 kilowatts, allowing each ship to reach maximum speed in excess of 29 knots. Each corvette has an overall length of 99 meters with a displacement of 2,300 tons. Additionally, 24 LM2500s operate aboard the Turkish Navy’s Barbaros- and Gabya-class frigates. 

With a GE gas turbine, navies have worldwide support whether onshore or at sea, and interoperability benefits with other allied ships. GE has delivered gas turbines onboard 646 naval ships serving 35 navies worldwide and provides 97% of the commissioned propulsion gas turbines in the United States Navy fleet. With GE’s split casing compressor and power turbine design, in-situ maintenance is allowed, often making a gas turbine removal unnecessary; navies save millions of dollars a year and weeks/months of ship unavailability. 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant crew returned home to Cape Canaveral on June 24 following a 40-day counter-drug patrol in the western Caribbean, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. 

During their patrol, the Vigilant’s crew participated in a four-day multinational counter narcotics joint operation with the Honduran armed forces and later worked with the Colombian navy in the interdictions of three suspected drug-smuggling vessels around the Colombian Basin. 

The cutter was augmented by a Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron armed helicopter crew capable of disabling drug-smuggling vessels. The aircrew assisted in the interdiction of two suspected drug-smuggling vessels in a period of less than 24 hours, which resulted in interdiction of about 6,800 pounds of cocaine with an estimated wholesale value of $118.3 million. 

The Vigilant’s patrol efforts were in direct support of the president’s enhanced counter-narcotics surge announced in early April. The U.S. Coast Guard, working with U.S. Southern Command, began this surge effort in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, putting increased pressure on the drug trafficking organizations operating in Central and South America. 

Before returning home, the crew conducted the narcotics offload in Port Everglades, Florida, on June 23.  

The Vigilant is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter. The cutter crew’s primary missions include search and rescue, illegal drug interdictions, alien migrant interdictions ensuring safety of life at sea and enforcing international and domestic maritime laws. 

BELOIT, Wis. – Fairbanks Morse has been awarded a purchase order by Huntington Ingalls Industries to build and deliver the four main propulsion diesel engines that will power the U.S. Navy’s newest landing platform/dock (LPD) ship, LPD 31, Fairbanks Morse said in a release. The ship is the second of 13 in the LPD Flight II class of ships. 

“We are proud to carry on our tradition of supplying the U.S. Navy with the critical components of our fleet,” said George Whittier, CEO of Fairbanks Morse. 

“We make every engine with care, knowing that our service members rely on them to perform their duty. The LPD Flight II ships will be a critical part of the Navy’s expeditionary warfare mission set, which includes opposed landings, and we take great pride in making engines that may go in harm’s way.” 

Based on the existing San Antonio-class hull, the LPD Flight II design has been modified with several additional features including an improved flight deck, a well deck, hospital facilities and defensive features. The LPD Flight II ships also have sufficient vehicle and cargo capacities to support and sustain more than 500 combat-equipped Marines for up to 30 days. 

The four sequentially turbocharged 16-cylinder FM | Colt-Pielstick PC 2.5 diesel engines feature common rail fuel injection technology and will deliver over 31 MW of propulsion power. The common rail system technology uses a high-pressure fuel header, high-pressure pumps, electronically controlled fuel delivery, an electronic governing system and a new control system to deliver the optimal amount of fuel. 

Among the largest medium-speed diesel engines manufactured in the U.S., they will allow the LPD 31 to cruise at speeds over 22 knots. The engines will be delivered to Huntington Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where Fairbanks Morse will support the installation, testing and sea trials for the LPD 31.