ALAMEDA, Calif. — The Coast Guard seized approximately 3,350 pounds of marijuana in mid-May with an estimated value of approximately $6 million from a go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a May 29 release. 

A maritime patrol aircraft spotted a suspected smuggling vessel and diverted the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter James (WMSL-754) to the go-fast vessel’s position. 

Once on scene, James’ crew initiated a pursuit of the suspected smugglers, who attempted to evade while throwing contraband overboard. 

The James’ Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron (HITRON) MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew disabled the boat’s engines and a Coast Guard crew boarded the vessel, discovering four suspected smugglers and approximately 3,350 pounds of marijuana aboard. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Kenneth J. Braithwaite was sworn in as the 77th secretary of the Navy on May 29, the Navy said in a release.

At the May 29 ceremony at the Pentagon, officiated by Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, Braithwaite was joined by his family, the chief of naval operations and the commandant of the Marine Corps. 

The secretary is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Pennsylvania. He began his military service as a naval aviator, later transitioning to public affairs officer. His military career culminated in service as the U.S. Navy’s vice chief of information. As a civilian, Braithwaite worked in both public- and private-sector leadership roles. Prior to his current position he served as the 31st U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway. 

Below is a message released on that date to the men and women of the Department of the Navy. It has been edited for grammar: 

“To Sailors, Marines, and all men and women of the Department of the Navy serving across this great world: Today marks the honor of my life, taking the oath of office to become the 77th but, more importantly, your Secretary of the Navy. 

I am incredibly humbled to stand before you, the greatest Navy and Marine Corps in the world to accept this responsibility. For nearly 35 years, I, like you, have served our country, first as a U.S. naval officer deploying around the world to include sailing into harm’s way, and most recently as our U.S. ambassador to Norway, a nation important to our national security. Never have I ever doubted why we serve — to protect and defend the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America.

For more than two centuries, the department has exemplified the strength and resilience of the nation we represent. Through tragedy and triumph, in both peace and in war, the source of our strength has been three simple but extremely powerful words: honor, courage and commitment. 

As each of you know, they must be our guide stars as we navigate challenges around the globe. We can never forget that they are written in the blood of those who sailed before us: from John Paul Jones to Doris Miller, from Grace Hopper to Jason Dunham, all part of a formidable anchor chain of service through which each of you is an important part. 

Make no mistake, we face significant challenges today. Our nation is up against perhaps the greatest test of our commitment to the ideals we hold dear than at any time in our history, surely since the end of World War II. We must recognize this challenge for all it is and all it presents, lurking in the shadows of deceit or the depths of dishonesty. However, our Navy and Marine Corps have faced tough times before. Each time we have prevailed, and we will persevere again. It is our sacred duty, and we shall do so by relying on our core values, the bedrock of our service and the key to our success: honor, courage and commitment. 

The object of success for our service is simple: American sea power. America always has been and always will be a maritime nation. America and our principles of freedom rely on sea power delivered by a strong and capable Navy and Marine Corps. Each of you provides that power through your actions each day — actions that demonstrate our resolve to place service above self. 

I look forward to the days ahead to do all I can on your behalf, ensuring that you have the opportunity to thrive and succeed in your service to our nation. American sea power will continue to defend our nation, and American sea power will continue to preserve peace while deterring any and all that would challenge our way of life. And when or if we find it necessary, American sea power will decisively win in battle, which is our solemn duty because there can be no alternative. 

Please accept my personal appreciation, which I sincerely send to every one of you for your selfless service; your devotion to duty; and for your honor, courage and commitment. I am privileged to stand with you, the greatest Navy and Marine Corps the world has ever known in your service to the people of America. Godspeed to you and us all in this great endeavor!” 

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy and Royal Canadian Navy signed a five-year strategic plan Tuesday, laying the foundation for future coordination and joint operations, the Coast Guard Pacific Area said in a May 28 release. 

Vice Adm. Linda Fagan, commander Coast Guard Pacific Area; Vice Adm. Scott D. Conn, commander Navy 3rd Fleet; Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. Bob Auchterlonie, commander Maritime Forces Pacific; and a small delegation of their staffs participated in a Three-Party Staff Talks (TPST) meeting via videoconference, which culminated in the signing of the strategic plan. 

“Whether it’s combating criminal activity by international drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific or strengthening maritime governance and the rule of law to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific, we rely on our Navy and Canadian partners to maximize success,” Fagan said. “This strategic plan improves interoperability and coordination across our sea services, allowing us to more effectively secure our countries’ shared maritime safety, security and economic interests.” 

Staff from the three services collaborated in February ahead of Tuesday’s TPST during a multi-day working group, where the teams focused on joint operations, exercise planning and communications. 

The TPST meetings and working groups provide a face-to-face forum for discussions and planning opportunities for improving defense readiness, homeland security, fisheries enforcement, counter-drug law enforcement and search-and-rescue operations between the services. 

“We routinely operate together across many different mission sets,” said Conn. “However, we are always looking at ways to improve our interoperability and strengthen our partnership. Our staff talks provide a valuable forum to discuss and plan how we will continue working together to defend the homeland while ensuring a secure and stable maritime environment.” 

LOCKPORT, La. — Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the fast-response cutter (FRC) Myrtle Hazard to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida, the company announced on May 28. 

The Myrtle Hazard is the 162nd vessel that Bollinger has delivered to the Coast Guard in 35 years and the 39th FRC delivered under the current program. 

The cutter is the first of three FRCs to be homeported in Apra Harbor, Guam, increasing the presence for the Coast Guard in the Indo-Pacific. Later this year, Bollinger will deliver the first of six FRCs to be homeported in Manama, Bahrain, replacing Island-class patrol boats supporting the Patrol Forces Southwest Asia, the Coast Guard’s largest unit outside the United States. 

“Our latest delivery of the … Myrtle Hazard is an important milestone in the FRC program as it is the first of several vessels that will expand and support the Coast Guard’s operational presence and enhance the U.S.’s mission in the Indo-Pacific region — a focal point emphasized by both President Trump and [Coast Guard Commandant] Adm. [Karl L.] Shultz,” said Ben Bordelon, Bollinger’s president and CEO. “Building ships for the U.S. Coast Guard provides critical assets to bolster our national security interests, both domestic and abroad. We are proud and humbled to be partners in the FRC program.” 

The homeporting of three FRCs in Guam is part of the Coast Guard’s “doubling down on Oceania,” allowing more frequent and longer patrols in an area where the sea service has increased its presence over the past 18 months, aligning with priorities set in the 2018 National Defense Strategy to counter competitors such as China and Russia. 

Schultz stressed the strategic importance of the service’s presence in the region saying, “We’re on a trajectory where the geostrategic importance of the Oceania region has not been higher here in decades, and it’s a place that the Coast Guard’s looking to be part of the whole-of-government solution set.” 

Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished himself or herself in the line of duty. A young mother in 1918, Myrtle Hazard answered a help-wanted ad for a qualified radio operator after graduating from a radio and telegraphy class at the Baltimore YMCA. 

Skilled in telegraphy and Morse code, the Coast Guard enlisted Hazard in January 1918, and she became the sea service’s first female electrician. Hazard worked at Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C., as an electrician’s mate third class and was promoted to electrician first class before being demobilized after the war ended. 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutters Paul Clark and Joseph Tezanos crews recovered 11 bales of cocaine about 10 miles southwest of Desecheo Island on May 22, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a May 27 release. 

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located a debris field about 10 miles southwest of Desecho Island. The cutter Paul Clark crew arrived on scene and recovered 10 bales of cocaine weighing about 1,000 pounds from the debris field. The cutter Joseph Tezanos crew recovered an additional bale of cocaine in the vicinity weighing about 100 pounds the following day. 

All 11 bales of cocaine were transferred to the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force personnel. 

“The recovery of the 11 bales of cocaine offshore from Puerto Rico highlights the excellent work of the cutter Paul Clark, deployed to Puerto Rico from Miami and the MH-60 crew as well as the Puerto Rico based cutter Joseph Tezanos,” said Cmdr. Beau Powers, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. 

“The Coast Guard could not complete the interdiction cycle of success were it not for the outstanding interagency coordination of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force who supported the drug offload on a holiday weekend.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 3,100 pounds of cocaine in mid-May with an estimated value of $53.5 million from a low-profile go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, the Coast Guard 11th District said in a release. 

A maritime patrol aircraft spotted a suspected smuggling vessel and diverted the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter James to the vessel’s position. 

Once on scene, the James crew boarded the vessel to find four suspected smugglers and initially discovered a small amount of cocaine aboard the vessel. 

The boarding team members later discovered an area of the ship that had been closed off, where they discovered the majority of the 3,100 pounds of cocaine. 

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives. 

Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and Immigration and Customs Enforcement along with allied and international partner agencies play a role in counter-drug operations.

PITTSBURGH — RE2 Robotics has received $2.5 million in funding from the Office of Naval Research to continue the development and commercialization of its technology under the Dexterous Maritime Manipulation System (DM2S) program, the company said in a May 27 release. 

RE2’s DM2S technology will provide U.S. Navy personnel with the ability to autonomously perform mine countermeasure (MCM) missions. 

In this next phase of the program, RE2 will upgrade its dual-arm prototype, known as the Maritime Dexterous Manipulation System (MDMS), for deep ocean use; apply computer vision and machine-learning algorithms to enable autonomous manipulation capabilities; and integrate with underwater vehicles that can autonomously navigate. 

“In the first phase of this project, we successfully developed a dexterous underwater robotic system that was capable of teleoperation in an ocean environment,” said Jorgen Pedersen, president and chief executive officer of RE2 Robotics. “This additional funding enables our team to further expand and upgrade the capabilities of our underwater robotic arms to perform MCM tasks in deeper water through the use of autonomy. In addition, this advanced technology will allow us to pursue commercial opportunities, such as underwater inspection and maintenance in the oil and gas industry.” 

Unlike other underwater robotic systems that are hydraulic-driven, MDMS uses an energy-saving, electromechanical system. This allows the system to perform longer-duration subsea inspection and intervention tasks while reducing system maintenance and downtime. 

“With the development of our first MDMS prototype, we created a compact, lightweight system with a sealed, neutrally buoyant design that was successfully tested in the Pacific Ocean,” said Jack Reinhart, vice president of project management. “We’re now looking forward to improving upon that proven design by adding even greater functionality in deep water, including integration with new underwater vehicles and computer-vision-based autonomy.”

MEDITERRANEAN SEA — For the third time in two months, Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft in the U.S. Sixth Fleet on May 26, the 6th Fleet said in a release. 

“On May 26, a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft was flying in the eastern Mediterranean over international waters and was intercepted by two Russian Su-35 aircraft over a period of 65 minutes,” the release said. “The intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional due to the Russian pilots taking close station on each wing of the P-8A simultaneously, restricting the P-8A’s ability to safely maneuver. 

“The unnecessary actions of the Russian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules and jeopardized the safety of flight of both aircraft. 

“While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible. We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). Actions‎ like these increase the potential for midair collisions. 

“This incident follows two unsafe interactions in April, over the same waters. 

“In all cases, the U.S. aircraft were operating in international airspace, consistent with international law, with due regard for safety of flight, and did not provoke this Russian activity.”

HOUSTON — The technology group Wärtsilä has completed replacement of the Ship Analytics simulator solution at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Ship Control and Navigation Training System (SCANTS) facility, the company said in a release. 

The original simulator system was installed at the academy in the 1990s, and the replacement work was carried out primarily by, and in partnership with, NavSim Services Inc., the prime contractor. 

The upgrade was accomplished in two stages to accommodate the operational training schedule of the academy and to fit within the academic breaks. The primary purpose of SCANTS is bridge training for academy cadets and officers preparing to take command of their own cutters. The training emphasis is on navigation, piloting and collision avoidance. 

However, the inclusion of specialty modules within the Wärtsilä simulator solution also enables highly advanced training in naval operations, search and rescue, and other operational activities unique to the mission of the U.S. Coast Guard. 

The advanced Wärtsilä system consists of two full mission navigation and ship-handling bridges, three additional part task bridges and five separate yet interconnected instructor stations, designed to provide the instructors and operators with the maximum flexibility in accomplishing their training missions.

Designed to provide trainees with a realistic perception of operating in a real-life shipboard environment, the simulator complex uses an advanced physics engine and high-fidelity hydrodynamic vessel modelling capabilities to replicate the behavior of vessels in various sea states, and at all speeds and environmental conditions.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations announced the following assignments in a May 22 release: 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Bradley J. Andros will be assigned as deputy director of plans and policy for countering weapons of mass destruction, U.S. Special Operations Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Andros previously served as Navy Expeditionary Combat Branch head, N957, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark D. Behning is serving as deputy director, strategic targeting and nuclear mission planning, J5, U.S. Strategic Command, Omaha. Behning previously served as chief of staff/deputy director for Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kevin P. Byrne is serving as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center, and commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Washington, D.C. Byrne previously served as major program manager, surface ships, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Joseph F. Cahill III is serving as deputy director for resources and acquisition, J8, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. Cahill previously served as executive assistant, N9, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Lawrence F. Legree will be assigned as assistant chief of staff, J-3, Joint Forces Command, Naples, Italy. Legree previously served as senior adviser for nuclear security affairs, Office of the Secretary, Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.   

Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark A. Melson is serving as deputy director, joint force development and design integration, J7, Joint Staff. Melson previously served as executive assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy, N3N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Marc J. Miguez is serving as deputy director for operations, National Joint Operations Intelligence Center, Operations Team Two, J3, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. Miguez previously served as executive assistant, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kurt J. Rothenhaus is serving as program executive officer for command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego. Rothenhaus previously served as major program manager for tactical networks, San Diego. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael S. Sciretta will be assigned as deputy commander, Joint Interagency Task Force-South, U.S. Southern Command, Key West, Florida.  Sciretta previously served as director, Navy Senate Liaison, Office of Legislative Affairs, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard E. Seif Jr. will be assigned as commander, Undersea Warfighting Development Center, Groton, Connecticut. Seif is serving as deputy commander for Task Force One Four/Three Four and Task Group 114.3, U.S. Strategic Command, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Darryl L. Walker is serving as deputy director, operations, J3, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. Walker previously served as executive assistant to the chief of naval operations, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Robert D. Westendorff will be assigned as chief of naval air training, Corpus Christi, Texas. Westendorff previously served as chief of staff, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego. 

Capt. Susan BryerJoyner, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as Navy Cyber Security Division director, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. BryerJoyner is serving as Cyber Security Division chief, N2N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 

Capt. Matthew J. Burns, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as assistant commander, Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida. Burns is serving as commander, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia Beach, Virginia.   

Capt. Brian L. Davies, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as special assistant to commander, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. Davies previously served as director, submarine/nuclear power distribution (PERS 42), Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. 

Capt. Dion D. English, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, logistics, fleet supply and ordnance, N4, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. English is serving as deputy director, supply and distribution, J44, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.   

Capt. Rick Freedman, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, medical systems integration and combat survivability, N44, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Freedman is serving as executive assistant to the Surgeon General of the Navy, Falls Church, Virginia. 

Capt. Thomas M. Henderschedt, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as naval attaché, Beijing, China. 

Capt. Cynthia A. Kuehner, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as commander, Navy Medical Forces Support Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Kuehner is serving as head, Commander’s Action Group, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Falls Church, Virginia. 

Capt. Jason M. Lloyd, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as deputy commander for ship design, integration and engineering, SEA-05, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Lloyd previously served as commanding officer, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia. 

Capt. Howard B. Markle, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as deputy commander, logistics, maintenance and industrial operations (NAVSEA 04), Naval Sea Systems Command. Markle previously served as executive assistant, Naval Sea Systems Command. 

Capt. Elizabeth S. Okano, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as program executive officer for integrated warfare systems, Washington, D.C. Okano is serving as executive assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy (research, development and acquisition), Washington, D.C. 

Capt. Matthew N. Ott III, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as special assistant for audit readiness, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), Washington, D.C. Ott is serving as chief of staff, Naval Supply Systems Command, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. 

Capt. Carlos A. Sardiello, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, joint/fleet operations, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. Sardiello is serving as commanding officer, USS Theodore Roosevelt, San Diego, and previously served as special assistant to commander, naval air forces/commander, naval air force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. 

Capt. Derek A. Trinque, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as assistant commander for career management, PERS-4, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. Trinque previously served as director, Surface Warfare Officer Distribution Division (PERS 41), Millington, Tennessee.   

Capt. John A. Watkins, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy commander, 10th Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. Watkins is serving as chief of staff, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Capt. Thomas R. Williams II, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, global integration and engagement, N5I, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Williams previously served as executive assistant to the chief of naval operations.