HII Hosts Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday at Newport News Shipbuilding
NEWPORT NEWS, Va., March 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE: HII) hosted Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday for a visit to the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division on Thursday during a scheduled visit to Hampton Roads. While in Newport News, Gilday met with NNS leadership and toured the shipyard.
“We are always grateful to have Adm. Gilday spend time at the shipyard,” NNS President Jennifer Boykin said. “We understand the Navy’s national security mission starts right here, in our dry docks, at our piers and on the design tools. We value each opportunity to showcase our commitment to safety, innovation and continuous improvement by the thousands of dedicated shipbuilders and suppliers who are working hard to deliver the highest-quality aircraft carriers and submarines to our Navy partner.”
During the visit, Gilday toured construction progress on Columbia– and Virginia-class submarines and received updates on the three Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers under construction at NNS: John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), Enterprise (CVN 80) and Doris Miller (CVN 81). Additionally, he received briefings on the latest advances in the shipyard’s infusion of digital technology to improve efficiencies and the investments HII is making at NNS, including the recent groundbreaking on the Multi-Class Submarine Production Facility.
With a workforce of 25,000 people, NNS is the largest industrial employer in Virginia. The shipyard is the nation’s sole designer, builder and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear- powered submarines for the U.S. Navy.
Marine Corps releases Talent Management Update
Release from Headquarters, U.S. Marine Corps 6 March 2023
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA – The U.S. Marine Corps released the Talent Management Update which details the progress made since the release of Talent Management 2030. The release of TM2030 marked the Marine Corps’ initial step to transition from an industrial-era model of personnel management to a 21st century talent management system that better harnesses each Marine’s unique talents to improve our readiness and extend our advantage over competitors.
Marine Corps talent management efforts that recruit, develop, and retain the right Marines are critical to the success of the modern Marine Corps operational concepts, as described in Force Design 2030.
To date, the Marine Corps enacted the following talent management initiatives:
Commandant’s Retention Program. The CRP provided pre-approved reenlistments for top-performing Marines along with priority access to duty station and assignment options. This effort resulted in a 72% increase of first-term reenlistment submissions by top-performing Marines, with the average reenlistment approval accomplished in 24 to 48 hours – a fraction of the average reenlistment approval time.
Staff Non-Commissioned Officer (SNCO) Promotion Board Realignment. Staff non-commissioned officer promotion boards were realigned, effective for the fiscal year 2024 boards, to more effectively sequence the assignments and reenlistment processes, while reducing billet gaps throughout the Marine Corps, and decrease reenlistment processing time.
Recruiting Station Commanding Officer Selection Board (RSCO). Commissioned officers eligible for recruiting station command consideration were offered two opportunities to increase career flexibility: volunteer and request removal. This change allowed officers to volunteer for command, including those not scheduled for consideration; and to request removal from consideration for one year, without penalty, to complete a deployment, personal or professional obligation.
Special Duty Assignment (SDA) Volunteer Incentives. The Special Duty Assignment Volunteer Incentives provided Active and Reserve Component Marines who volunteer for Special Duty Assignment to receive their preferred duty station. This incentive resulted in an increase of volunteers by 62%, minimizing disruption to Marines, families, and Fleet Marine Force units, while also reducing SDA school attrition.
MarineView 360-Degree Leadership Review. The Marine Corps launched the MarineView360 Leadership Review pilot, a program designed to assess Marines by polling their supervisors, peers, and subordinates to identify strengths and areas of improvement for emerging future leaders. The MarineView360 pilot began with sitting commanders and will expand to all commanders and senior enlisted leaders in the future.
Officer Promotion Opt-Out. The Officer Promotion Opt-Out initiative allows certain Active and Reserve Component in-zone officer populations to opt-out of consideration for promotion once, without penalty, to pursue unconventional career experiences or formal education, to increase the flexibility in career paths for officers. The potential for offering this same flexibility to enlisted Marines is being explored.
Digital Boardroom 2.0 (DBR 2.0). The Digital Boardroom 2.0 increases the functionality and accuracy of information presented to board members, safeguards data, and improves this critical talent management process. The Enlisted Career Retention and Reserve Aviation Boards were successfully executed using the DBR 2.0. As DBR 2.0 use is expanded, the Marine Corps will assess outcomes, cost and time savings, and professional depth and breadth of board members to benchmark with our legacy process.
Separate Competitive Promotion Categories. To meet the demands of the future, the Marine Corps must retain the highest quality officers with the necessary skill sets at all ranks. We are conducting detailed analysis on options to reorganize the unrestricted officer population into separate competitive categories to better meet the Marine Corps’ need for the diverse expertise and experience at all ranks by competing for promotion with peers having similar skill sets, training, and education. We intend to conduct a pilot program during the 2025 field grade officer promotion boards.
Career Intermission Program (CIP). The Career Intermission Program allows Marines to temporarily pause active duty service and later resume their careers without penalty to enable career flexibility and encourage retention of experienced, talented Marines. CIP payback was reduced by half to just one month of obligated active service for each month of intermission. Analysis will be completed to ensure the program is balanced with the need to sustain our professional fighting force and prevent loss of skill and familiarization.
Future talent management initiatives and developments are nested within the following four mutually supporting lines of effort:
LOE 1: Rebalance recruiting and retention to accelerate the shift from our legacy, high turnover “recruit and replace” personnel model toward one characterized by a greater emphasis on investment in, and retention of, our most capable Marines.
LOE 2: Optimize the employment of talent to maximize our warfighting capabilities by increasing the effectiveness and transparency of the assignments process to better utilize and retain our most talented Marines.
LOE 3: Multiple pathways to career success through career initiatives that account for evolving interests and personal development over the course of a Marine Corps career.
LOE 4: Modernize talent management digital tools and data systems to synthesize personnel information and requirements across the force via a transparent, commander-focused, collaborative system to better align the individual abilities, skills, and aspirations of our Marines to our warfighting requirements.
Reorienting and reconfiguring our human resources enterprise into a talent management system is a work in progress, but one that is well underway. The actions we have taken, and those we will take, ensure we will remain the Nation’s premier expeditionary force-in-readiness within the rapidly evolving world we face.
USCGC MAURICE JESTER is the THIRD of Six FRCs to be homeported in Boston, MA
Release from Bollinger Shipyards
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LOCKPORT, La., — (March 2, 2023) – Bollinger Shipyards LLC (“Bollinger”) has delivered the USCGC Maurice Jester to the U.S. Coast Guard in Key West, Florida. This is the 178th vessel Bollinger has delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard over a 35-year period and the 52nd Fast Response Cutter (“FRC”) delivered under the current program.
“We’re incredibly proud to deliver another Fast Response Cutter to be homeported in Boston, the birthplace of the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Bollinger President & C.E.O. Ben Bordelon. ”We’re confident that pound for pound, the quality and capabilities of the FRC platform is unmatched, and that this vessel will outperform its mission requirements and expectations in the challenging conditions where it will operate in the North Atlantic. Our unique experience building for the Coast Guard is unparalleled and has shown time and time again that we can successfully deliver the highest quality vessels on a reliable, aggressive production schedule. We look forward to continuing our historic partnership with the U.S. Coast Guard.”
The USCGC Maurice Jester will be the third of six FRCs to be homeported in Sector Boston, which is known as “The Birthplace of the Coast Guard.” The sector is responsible for coastal safety, security, and environmental protection from the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border southward to Plymouth, Massachusetts out to 200nm offshore. Sector Boston directs over 1,500 Active Duty, Reserve, and Auxiliary members whose mission is to protect and secure vital infrastructure, rescue mariners in peril at sea, enforce federal law, maintain navigable waterways, and respond to all hazards impacting the maritime transportation system and coastal region.
Each FRC is named for an enlisted Coast Guard hero who distinguished themselves in the line of duty. Maurice Jester enlisted in the Coast Guard as a Surfman in 1917, working his way up to Chief Boatswain’s Mate by 1935 while serving on five cutters. Commissioned as a Lieutenant and promoted to Lieutenant Commander, he was the first Coast Guardsman to earn the Navy Cross in World War II, and the first Coast Guard Officer to receive the award for a combat action in direct confrontation with enemy forces. During World War II, Coast Guard cutters battled Nazi submarines in an area off the North Carolina Coast termed “Torpedo Junction.” Jester commanded the Coast Guard Cutter Icarus in the sinking of a German U-352 off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. This historic event resulted in the war’s second U-boat sinking by U.S. forces and the first U.S. capture of German combatants.
ABOUT THE FAST RESPONSE CUTTER PLATFORM
The FRC is an operational “game changer,” according to senior Coast Guard officials. FRCs are consistently being deployed in support of the full range of missions within the United States Coast Guard and other branches of our armed services. This is due to its exceptional performance, expanded operational reach and capabilities, and ability to transform and adapt to the mission. FRCs have conducted operations as far as the Marshall Islands—a 4,400 nautical mile trip from their homeport. Measuring in at 154-feet, FRCs have a flank speed of 28 knots, state of the art C4ISR suite (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance), and stern launch and recovery ramp for a 26-foot, over-the-horizon interceptor cutter boat.
ABOUT BOLLINGER SHIPYARDS LLC
Bollinger Shipyards LLC (www.bollingershipyards.com) has a 76-year legacy as a leading designer and builder of high performance military patrol boats and salvage vessels, research vessels, ocean-going double hull barges, offshore oil field support vessels, tugboats, rigs, lift boats, inland waterways push boats, barges, and other steel and aluminum products from its new construction shipyards as part of the U. S. industrial base. Bollinger has 11 shipyards, all strategically located throughout Louisiana with direct access to the Gulf of Mexico, Mississippi River and the Intracoastal Waterway. Bollinger is the largest vessel repair company in the Gulf of Mexico region.
USCGC Decisive decommissioned after 55 years of service
USCGC Decisive decommissioned after 55 years of service
PENSACOLA, Fla. — The Coast Guard decommissioned USCGC Decisive (WMEC 629) during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Thursday.
Vice Adm. Kevin E. Lunday, commander of Coast Guard Atlantic Area, presided over the ceremony honoring the 55 years of service Decisive and its crews provided to the Coast Guard.
Commissioned in 1968, Decisive was the 15th of 16 Reliance-class medium endurance cutters built for search and rescue, drug and migrant interdiction. It is the first 210-foot cutter to be decommissioned since USCGC Courageous (WMEC 622) and USCGC Durable (WMEC 628) in 2001.
“Decisive is a special ship that has served many districts throughout its history,” said Cmdr. Aaron Delano-Johnson, commanding officer of Decisive. “With a variety of high-performing Coast Guard members with distinguished careers, Decisive boasted some of the finest crews throughout its tenure. Decisive has been a fixture in all four of its homeports, remaining durable and dependable throughout history. I personally want to thank the crew for their dedication and service to our great nation as they were instrumental to upholding the cutter’s motto of being dedicated to duty.”
Decisive’s keel was laid on May 12, 1967, at the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland. Decisive was launched Dec. 14, 1967, and commissioned Aug. 23, 1968. Following its commissioning in 1968, the ship was homeported in New Castle, New Hampshire. The cutter moved homeports several times during its tenure, including St. Petersburg, Florida and Pascagoula, Mississippi before its final assignment to Pensacola.
During the cutter’s last year of service, the sunset crew of 12 officers and 62 enlisted members conducted high profile operations including assistance in the repatriation of over 400 migrants in a week’s time while patrolling the South Florida Straits. Decisive’s crew assisted with a 200 person mass migrant transfer, the largest single repatriation effort at the time since the 1980 Mariel Boatlift.
“I am immensely honored being the final commanding officer of Decisive,” said Delano-Johnson. “As I pause and reflect, remembering the first time I saw the ship as a junior officer aboard a patrol boat in the Straits of Florida, the pride I feel commanding this ship is indescribable. To lead this sunset crew and watch them grow over the past year has been humbling and rewarding. I am grateful for their dedication and service and look forward to staying in touch and following their careers. While our business here is done, we will proudly carry on Decisive’s legacy of hard work and reliability.”
Decisive was one of the Coast Guard’s 14 remaining 210-foot, Reliance-class medium endurance cutters. As part of the Coast Guard’s acquisition program, the 360-foot Heritage-class. offshore patrol cutters will replace the Coast Guard’s 270-foot and 210-foot medium endurance cutters. The offshore patrol cutters will provide the majority of offshore presence for the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, bridging the capabilities of the 418-foot national security cutters, which patrol the open ocean, and the 154-foot fast response cutters, which serve closer to shore.
AMPHIBIOUS CONSTRUCTION BATTALION TWO (ACB2) HOLDS DECOMMISSIONING CEREMONY AFTER NEARLY 80 YEARS SERVICE TO THE NAVY AND MARINE CORPS
Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO (ACB2) Commanding Officer, Capt. Atiim Senthill, salutes as he passes through sideboys to close out the ACB2 decommissioning ceremony, March 2, 2023.
JOINT EXPEDITIONARY BASE LITTLE CREEK-FORT STORY, Va. – On March 2, Amphibious Construction Battalion TWO (ACB2) held a decommissioning ceremony at the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek (JEBLC) chapel after nearly 80 years of service to the Navy and Marine Corps team and our nation.
ACB2 Commanding Officer, Capt. Atiim Senthill, presided over a ceremony that included several previous commanding officers, family, prior command members, and the crew, dressed in blues. Established as the 105th Naval Construction Battalion on July 14, 1943 and re-designated ACB2 in 1950, throughout its run the non-kinetic unit allowed combat units to maintain a forward sustained presence through ship-to-shore logistics in support of Maritime Prepositioning Forces as well as Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) operations. On July 18, a CNO message ordering its deactivation marked the beginning of the end for ACB2. Operating on a $2.5 million disestablishment budget, within eight months all command assets had to be inventoried and reapportioned across the fleet. It was an emotionally-taxing job that inspired Senthill to praise the hard work of the crew. “These Sailors worked tirelessly and delivered,” he said. “All assets arrived at their destination early and under budget.”
Despite the look of a final nail being driven into the command’s coffin, the doors at ACB2 will remain open a few more weeks before officially shutting down March 31. Some Sailors will make the trip across country to begin new, yet familiar chapters at ACB1. Other ACB2 Sailors will remain nearby. Wherever they go, they will remain part of a proud heritage. With a history that began in the middle of U.S. involvement in World War II, ACB2 participated in the 1958 Lebanon crisis, the 1983 American citizen rescue in Grenada, Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm, the TWA Flight 800 disaster recovery, and Operation Iraqi Freedom as well as the 2017 cleanup efforts for Hurricane Maria. This broad scope of missions demonstrates capabilities spanning a wide variety of missions and environments.
Rear Adm. Dean VanderLey, Commander of Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command and guest speaker, emphasized this to the ACB2 Sailors in attendance. “While this has the appearance of a funeral, it should be a celebration of life,” VanderLey said. “You helped accomplish so much and are part of an incredible legacy.”
HII AND OCEAN AERO TO PARTNER ON ADVANCED UNMANNED MARITIME CAPABILITIES
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HII and Ocean Aero to Partner on Advanced Unmanned Maritime Capabilities
MCLEAN, Va. and GULFPORT, Miss., March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII (NYSE: HII) and Ocean Aero initiated a strategic agreement to advance the combined capabilities of their respective unmanned maritime platforms and autonomy software solutions. The unmanned solution providers recently commenced multiple, simultaneous efforts to enhance the operational reach and duration of the platforms, collaborative autonomy behaviors, shared sensor fusion and perception capabilities, and accelerated seabed-to-shore data transmission methods.
“We are pleased to partner with Ocean Aero to further expand the operational capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces, partner nations and other maritime-focused commercial institutions,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems business group at HII’s Mission Technologies division. “We are excited to combine the best of our individual products to deliver an exceptional suite of solutions to our customers.”
Kevin Decker, Ocean Aero chief executive officer, added: “This is the perfect time for us to partner with HII. With rising maritime challenges increasing worldwide, we need new capabilities to meet them. Incorporating our two firms’ autonomous vehicle value propositions will unlock new tools for our customers at home and abroad.”
HII and Ocean Aero are involved in several unmanned maritime systems initiatives and exercises across the globe. Ocean Aero recently completed Digital Horizon, the U.S. Fifth Fleet Maritime Domain Awareness exercise in the Arabian Gulf, where HII’s REMUS vehicles (MK18 Mod 1 and MK18 Mod 2) have been deployed continuously since 2013. The HII-Ocean Aero team is already planning to demonstrate their combined capabilities at an upcoming event in the region, in addition to other planned events and exercises for U.S. and international partners.
HII is the preeminent unmanned underwater vehicle manufacturer and a pioneer in the UUV industry, continuously producing REMUS vehicles since the early 2000s. HII manufactures a full range of REMUS UUVs, from small to extra-large, with endurance ranging from several hours to months at depths down to 6,000 meters. More than 600 REMUS UUVs have been sold across the globe, with a majority of those still in operational use today. Additionally, HII’s Odyssey autonomy software solution offers scalable autonomy aligned with open architecture standards, including Unmanned Maritime Autonomy Architecture.
Ocean Aero pioneered the world’s first and only environmentally powered Autonomous Underwater and Surface Vehicle, the TRITON, which collects data both above and below the ocean’s surface and relays it to users from anywhere at any time. Dual modalities allow users to integrate a variety of sensor payloads and communications capabilities, expanding the ocean data collection possibilities and breaking paradigms created by manned platforms. Persistent collections and real-time data transmissions are feeding the most complex models for weather, climate and ocean health and creating transformational change in the maritime space.
HII Hosts Congressional Delegation and USMC Officers at Ingalls Shipbuilding
PASCAGOULA, Miss., March 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division hosted U.S. Reps. Trent Kelly, R-Miss.; Joe Courtney, D-Conn.; and Jerry Carl, R-Ala. who were accompanied by U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl and Lt. Gen. Christopher Mahoney today for a meeting with Ingalls Shipbuilding leadership and a shipyard tour visit.
“It is always a privilege to host members of the House and our Marine Corps partners,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. “We make the best decisions and investments as collaborative partners aligned in our understanding of the opportunities to forward our common mission of providing for our service men and women.”
For 85 years, Ingalls has designed, built and maintained amphibious ships, destroyers, and cutters for the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard. During this official visit, the Ingalls Shipbuilding team lead their guests on a shipyard tour including visits aboard amphibious transport dock ship Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) and large deck amphibious assault ship Bougainville (LHA 8).
“It’s always great to be back at Ingalls Shipbuilding, and I remain impressed with the talent, dedication and teamwork of Ingalls shipbuilders as they construct the next generation of ships for our Navy and Marine Corps,” Kelly said. “Congress has been clear about the requirement for amphibious warships, including the establishment of a minimum 31 amphibious warships in our Navy fleet in last year’s NDAA. I was especially pleased to visit and see construction progress on both LPD 29 and LHA 8 today, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on HASC to provide for the future of amphibious warships in the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act.”
“The work being done by Mississippi’s shipbuilders and engineers at the Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula is absolutely critical to the mission of our U.S. Navy, and the national security of America and its allies,” Courtney said. ”What I saw at the shipyard should inspire confidence in every American focused on the success of our Marine Corps and Navy — this workforce is sharp, highly skilled and has taken full advantage of the investments Congress made into LPD 32 and LHA9 procurement. Our 2023 NDAA authorized full funding for both programs while also providing advance procurement for the next ships in both classes, all in support of the statutory floor for 31 amphibious ships authorized by the Seapower subcommittee. The volume, pace and capability of what is being built at HII’s Pascagoula shipyard is a huge achievement, and I’m grateful to Chairman Kelly for organizing this opportunity for us to see their impressive workforce in action.”
“It’s an honor to visit and engage industry on how best I can support our Mississippi and Alabama shipbuilders and Marine Corps,” Carl said. “The volume, pace and capability of what is being built at this shipyard is impressive. The workforce should be very proud of building these amphibious ships that are critical to the Navy and Marine Corps who protect our security interests around the globe.”
Ingalls Shipbuilding is the sole builder of the entire San Antonio class of ships and has delivered 12 San Antonio-class ships to the Navy and has three more under construction, including Richard M. McCool, Harrisburg (LPD 30) the first Flight II LPD, and Pittsburgh (LPD 31). The shipyard is also building large-deck amphibious ships for the Navy and Marine Corps, delivering a total of 15 ships, and the production remains online and efficient with the ongoing construction of Bougainville and Fallujah (LHA 9), which started fabrication in December 2022.
“It is great to be able to see the level of construction taking place on amphibious ships currently being built at Ingalls,” Mahoney said. “These amphibious ships are crucial to our national security.”
Heckl echoed the sentiments of Mahoney on the critical need for amphibious ships. “The reality is that the diverse set of missions our amphibs are most likely to execute are very real, occur fairly regularly, and could occur anywhere on the globe,” Heckl said. “The naval force must advocate for a larger Department of the Navy budget. This will enable congressionally authorized multi-ship buys, provide cost savings through industrial base stability, and improve current maintenance and readiness levels.”
HII recently invested nearly $1 billion in infrastructure, facility and toolsets at Ingalls Shipbuilding enabling shipbuilders to improve product flow and process and efficiency, and enhancing product quality. Ingalls is supported by over 1,200 suppliers across 49 states and is the largest manufacturing employer in Mississippi and a major contributor to the economic growth of Alabama.
Admiral: Navy Reserve Needs 32 C-130J Transports by 2030
MISAWA, Japan (July 12, 2021) A C-130T Hercules, assigned to the Condors of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VR) 64, recovers at Naval Air Facility (NAF) Misawa. NAF Misawa provides aviation and ground logistic support and services to all permanent and transient U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps forces in Northern Japan. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Benjamin Ringers)
WASHINGTON — The recapitalization of the Navy Air Reserve’s fleet of C-130 Hercules transport aircraft with modern C-130J Super Hercules aircraft remains the top procurement priority of the Navy Reserve, the Chief of Navy Reserve said, pointing out the challenge of sustaining high mission-capable rates for the existing fleet of C-130s.
The Navy Air Reserve’s C-130T and KC-130T Hercules, “are in every theater around the globe right now and they are the most responsive intra-theater lift capability of any service,” said Vice Adm. John B. Mustin, speaking March 1, 2023, in an online conversation with retired Rear Adm. Frank Thorp IV, president and CEO of the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington in one of the memorial’s SITREP Speaker Series events.
“And that’s a Reserve-only mission,” Mustin said. “There are no active-duty [fleet logistics] C-130s. Mine are on average over three decades old, which means the mission-capable rates are low [and] the pressure on the supply chain is challenging. Lockheed doesn’t make them anymore because they’ve transitioned to C-130J/KC-130J; I’m flying [C-130T] ‘Tangoes.’ Every other service that flies Hercs — active and reserve — has transitioned to Juliets. I’m the only one flying Tangoes.”
Five Navy Air Reserve fleet logistics squadrons operate a total of 16 C-130Ts and 11 KC-130Ts. Five other KC-130Ts are operated by the two Navy test wings to support test and evaluation activities. The KC-130Ts were transferred from the Marine Corps Reserve when its two reserve Marine aerial refueler/transport squadrons upgraded to the KC-130J, a process completed in April 2021.
“We are in the process now — and the CNO [chief of naval operations] has identified this as a priority in his Navigation Plan — to recapitalize the Navy Reserve Herc fleet by 2030. So, I need 32 of these by 2030,” he said. “But they’re not cheap. So, we’re pursuing the first on the Navy’s Unfunded Priority List to kick-start in [fiscal 2024] the procurement of those new airplanes.”
Last June, Mustin testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Defense subcommittee Congress that a fleet of “[m]odern KC-130Js will realize an additional $200 million in annual transportation cost savings.”
Increased Maritime Capacity Important Factor for AFRICOM
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Arlington, Va. — The United States has an enduring commitment to Africa, said U.S. Marine Corps General Michael Langley, commander of the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) in a March 2 digital press briefing sponsored by the U.S. Department of State. AFRICOM represents a partnership of 53 African nations, all working toward the joint goal of security and stabilization across the continent.
Increased maritime capacity is an important factor in that overall strategy.
Gen. Langley stated that, from a U.S. national security standpoint, Africa is a geopolitical force that will require a strong U.S./Africa relationship today that will serve as an “important foundation” for our shared future. AFRICOM takes a “whole nation” perspective to security challenges in the region, said Langley. This includes a “3D” approach that includes diplomatic efforts from the Department of State, development efforts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and defense efforts from the Department of Defense.
The focus on the importance of diplomacy was reiterated throughout the briefing. Langley stated that AFRICOM applauds the efforts of both the Department of State and USAID as U.S. diplomats, and development teams work with leaders in both the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda to address the M23 terrorist crisis — a key example of how collaboration can influence the ultimate goals of stability and security in Africa.
Langley also touched on several joint exercises that address both interoperability and capacity building throughout the continent, such as Cutlass Express, a “U.S. Naval Forces Africa-led, all-domain exercise in East African coastal regions and the West Indian Ocean,” and Obangame Express, the “largest multinational maritime exercise in Western and Central Africa.”
AFRICOM will continue to develop partnerships in coordination and cooperation with African partners to tackle shared challenges such as violent extremist organizations, illegal fishing, piracy, and transnational crime, said Langley. Identifying and building on the capacities of local governments in an important step in the right direction to solve complex problems and prevent terrorist from spreading across the continent, he added.
SAN DIEGO – The Navy accepted delivery of USNS John L. Canley (ESB 6), March 1.
ESB-class ships are highly flexible platforms that support various military operations such as Airborne Mine Counter Measures (AMCM), Special Operations Force (SOF) operations, Crisis Response Sea-basing (e.g., Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force), Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) operations. The ships are part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces.
“Today’s delivery highlights the strengths of the Navy and our industry partners, working together to bring ESB 6 and its range of capabilities to the fleet,” said Tim Roberts, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office, Ships. “Sergeant Major Canley nobly served his country, and his namesake ship will help provide the warfighter with capability and access.”
The ESB ship class has a flight deck with four aviation operating spots capable of supporting MH-53E helicopters; accommodations; workspaces; and ordnance storage for embarked forces, enhanced command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence. These ships also feature a reconfigurable mission deck area to store equipment, including mine sleds and Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats.
Construction of the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) is ongoing at General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego.
As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, Program Executive Office, Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft.
