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.” 

The Combined Joint Operations from the Sea Centre of Excellence (CJOS COE) is conducting a virtual Maritime Security Regimes round table (MSR RT) Nov. 3-4.

With an international staff representing 13 nations, the CJOS COE is led by Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer — who is also Commander, U.S. SECOND Fleet and Commander, Joint Forces Command Norfolk — and is one of 27 NATO-accredited COEs, which serve as hubs for innovation and expertise.

The 2021 MSR RT theme is “Challenges and Threats in Global Maritime Security.” 

“As the host, CJOS COE aims to enhance knowledge and raise awareness on important issues in maritime security and, by doing so, support and preserve the interests of NATO Allies and partner nations,” said Royal Navy Commodore Thomas Guy, deputy director of CJOS COE.

Guy said the round table will bring maritime security stakeholders — military experts, academics, and representatives of the industry — together to exchange experiences, knowledge, and concerns in the field of Maritime Security. “Their participation and that of the greater community of interest will serve as an enriching forum to advance the achievement of a safer maritime domain within which everyone will be better prepared to face future challenges,” Guy said.

According to Cmdr. Nathaniel Hathaway, the MSR RT project officer, the round table is intended to bring about a better understanding of some of NATO’s most pressing geographical hot spots in terms of maritime security, the issues found there, and the challenges they pose. That includes understanding the most influential actors within those hot spots, their motivations, and how they are affected by the interests and actions of external global actors, as well as the international legal aspects of maritime activity, the intersection of naval activity and commercial shipping, and new more complex threats faced by the international community. 

“We want to share awareness across the community of some current at-sea operations, discuss technical and operational challenges, breakthrough technologies, and knowledge gaps to facilitate future research and collaboration across the community, and inform the maritime security community of the spectrum of work accomplished through the MSR RT working groups,” Hathaway said.

“Through a series of expert panels, the MSR RT will delve deeply into several of the most relevant and important issues in Maritime Security,” Hathaway said. “Challenges of the present will go hand in hand with opportunities for the future, as the MSR RT explores how the maritime security community of interest is addressing today’s threats while examining potential for future advantages.”

“We started the MSR roundtable in 2012 as a forum for sharing best practices and mutual education,” Guy said. “At that time,  NATO was more focused on maritime security instead of warfighting. Since then, NATO has focused much more on high-end warfare, but there still is a demand signal for global maritime security issues, and we’ve got a good pedigree in facilitating that.”

For more information, visit http://www.cjoscoe.org/?p=2083.  

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.

One of the America’s most iconic ships, which sailed the high seas in the Revenue Cutter Service, Coast Guard and Navy from the Arctic to Antarctica, has been found on the bottom of the ocean. The  U.S. Revenue Cutter (USRC) Bear served for nearly 80 years before sinking in the North Atlantic in 1963, and now has been found.

“Today, I’m pleased to announce that with a reasonable degree of certainty, we found the final resting place of the historic revenue cutter Bear, a steamer ship purchased by the United States government in 1884. They went on to patrol the Arctic for 41 years,” said Rear Adm. Nancy Hahn, deputy director for operations of the NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and deputy director of the NOAA commissioned officer corps.

“After nearly two decades of searching, NOAA Ocean Exploration, the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ Maritime Heritage Program, the U.S. Coast Guard, and a number of academic research partners have located with reasonable certainty the final resting place of U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear,” said Brad Barr, expedition coordinator in the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Maritime Heritage Program. 

The search for the location of the famous ship was conducted from Sept. 14 to 28, and located it approximately 260 miles due east of Boston and 90 miles south of Cape Sable, Nova Scotia.

The Oct. 14 announcement was made pierside next to the Coast Guard’s medium icebreaker USCGC Healy in Boston, which has just transited the Northwest Passage from the West Coast.

“Having served for nearly 80 years, including in the U.S. Revenue Cutter Service, the U.S. Navy, and as a ship of exploration in the Antarctic, Bear is considered one of the most historically significant ships in U.S. history for its long and meritorious service,” said Barr.

“Knowing where the wreck of Bear is located provides an opportunity to preserve what remains. Given its location in Canadian waters, whatever preservation of this significant historic site is deemed necessary and appropriate will be another story yet to be written,” Barr said.

The 198-foot, 700-ton ship was built by Alexander Stephen & Son of Dundee, Scotland, for the sealing trade in 1874. Bear entered government service and was deployed extensively in some of the most inhospitable waters on Earth. It was acquired by the U.S. government in 1884 for the Navy’s rescue mission to save the starving men of an Arctic expedition led by Army Lt. Adolphus Greeley.

The following year the Treasury Department placed it into service as a revenue cutter, spending more than four decades patrolling the Bering Straits and Arctic.

In 1897, under the command of Capt. “Hell Roaring” Mike Healy, Bear crewmembers conducted the famous “overland rescue of 1897.” Led by executive officer, Lt. Davis Jarvis and a rescue team that included 2nd Lt. Ellsworth Bertholf, U.S. Public Health Service Surgeon Samuel Call and three enlisted men, they drove a herd of 450 reindeer 1,600 miles to rescue the men of eight whaling ships stuck in the ice at Barrow, Alaska.

Alaska was a far more dangerous maritime frontier in the late 1800s than it is today. According to Coast Guard Historian Dr. By William H. Thiesen, “Bear secured witnesses for a murder case; transported Alaska’s governor on a tour of Alaska’s islands; shipped a U.S. Geological survey team to Mount Saint Elias; carried lumber and supplies for school construction in remote locations and the Arctic; delivered teachers to their assignments; carried mail for the U.S. Postal Service; enforced seal hunting laws in the Pribilof Islands; supported a Coast & Geodetic Survey team; provided medical relief to native populations; served life-saving and rescue missions; and enforced federal law throughout the waters and shorelines of Alaska.”

Bear reverted back to the Navy during World War I, and the supported relief operations in the in and around Alaska during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. It served until 1929, when it became a museum ship in Oakland, California.  But it didn’t stay in port for long.  Adm. Richard Byrd purchased the ship to support the 1933-35 and 1939-1941 Antarctic expeditions. When World War II broke out, Bear served again under a Navy commissioning pennant, patrolling the waters around Greenland.  After the war, the ship was sold with the intent it be returned to commercial service as a sealer, but the fur market was such that its owners abandoned it.  Eventually, a promoter saw a future for the storied ship as a restaurant and attraction and had it towed on a final voyage to Philadelphia in 1963, but it never arrived.

”At the time of the loss of Bear, it was already recognized as a historic ship,” said Joe Boyd, maritime heritage program coordinator for the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

The story the Bear doesn’t end with its loss in 1963. Instead, a new chapter in the Bear story opened when the search for the historic ship began in 1979 with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dr. Harold Edgerton, inventor of the side-scan sonar. He deployed his revolutionary technology from a Coast Guard buoy tender near the last known position of the Bear before it left the surface. They were unsuccessful in finding the Bear, but that effort launched a 40-year quest that included not only MIT, but the Canadian government, U.S. Navy, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Coast Guard District One, the Chief Historians Office, Coast Guard Research and Development Center, the Coast Guard Academy and NOAA.

“Identifying the final resting place of the Revenue Cutter Bear is just another example of knowing that Coast Guard joining forces to do more collectively than either of us could do individually, and showing how we work together to advance our collective missions. What makes this effort to locate the Bear special is the partnership that made it possible and incredibly valuable experience we both gained during the search for the historic vessel,” said Hahn. 

“Each moment of the surveys that led to this exciting discovery was put to use to improve crew readiness, enhance skills essential to searching for sunken vessels, including adapting existing Coast Guard ships to deploy and recover remotely operated vehicles. NOAA has been in the shipwreck survey business for a very long time,” Hahn said. “And we can tell you that we are profoundly impressed by the Coast Guard’s ability to adapt to this new challenge and apply what they’ve learned throughout this project.”

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Resolute returns home to St. Petersburg, Florida, Oct. 16, following a successful 56-day Joint Interagency Task Force-South (JIATF-S) and Coast Guard District Seven (D7) Patrol in the Caribbean Sea, the Coast Guard 7^th District said in a release. 

During the patrol, Resolute interdicted multiple suspected smugglers on a go-fast vessel obtaining 279.5 kilograms of cocaine and rescued 260 Haitian migrants.  

Resolute, with the assistance from a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) maritime patrol aircraft, tracked and pursued a drug smuggling vessel for eight hours, culminating in a successful intercept and seizure. The suspected smugglers were detained and later transferred for case disposition in the United States. 

Due to increased political instability in Haiti, Resolute’s tasking shifted to Alien Migration Interdiction Operations in the Windward Pass, specifically to overtly patrol and discourage unsafe maritime migration voyages. On Sept. 24, Resolute conducted one of the largest single-unit repatriations into Cap Haitien, Haiti in recent history. Small-boat crews conducted 78 consecutive transfers safely returning all 260 migrants and their personal belongings back to Haitian authorities.     

On Sept. 22, Resolute interdicted an overcrowded sail freighter with 183 Haitian migrants including 17 children and infants aboard. Bound for the United States, the 55-foot vessel was dangerously overloaded and lacked sufficient navigation and safety equipment to make the journey. All 183 migrants were transferred safely to the cutter where they were provided food, water, shelter, and medical attention. In less than 24 hours, Resolute received an additional 77 migrants from another Coast Guard asset, raising the total count to 260. 

“The migrant interdiction mission is always unique; while the migrants are attempting to escape the poor living conditions in Haiti, their unsafe voyages risk the lives of innocent people, including children,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Wooley, a maritime enforcement specialist. “It is unfortunate to see, but it makes us feel good knowing that we potentially saved 183 people from capsizing and drowning at sea.” 

After a long and successful patrol, the crew is eager to return home and spend the holiday season with friends, family and loved ones. 

“The crew’s actions during this patrol were heroic and inspiring. I am especially impressed with their professional dexterity and ability to shift from counter-drug operations to humanitarian missions in a moment’s notice, embracing our service motto: Semper Paratus-Always Ready,” said Cmdr. Justin Vanden Heuvel, commanding officer of Resolute. 

Resolute is a 210-foot Reliance-class medium-endurance cutter and has a crew of 72. Resolute was commissioned on December 8, 1966, and is homeported St. Petersburg, Florida. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Recent ship transfers have added capability to the Forward-Deployed Naval Force of the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific in recent months.  

Ships are occasionally transferred to or swapped out with the Japan-based fleet to modernize its capabilities or to replace ships that are rotated to receive maintenance at U.S. shipyards. 

The most recent addition to the 7th Fleet is the Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary staging base ship USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5), which was commissioned on March 8 as the third ship of its class. Its sister ships, USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) and USS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), are assigned to the U.S. 5th Fleet and U.S. 6th Fleet, respectively. 

The Miguel Keith, nominally based in Saipan, has two mixed crews of Sailors and Civilian Mariners designed to rotate, keeping the ship deployed for longer periods. The ship is designed with a large flight deck and extensive command-and-control facilities to support expeditionary operations and can host helicopters, small boats, special operations forces, unmanned vehicles, mine countermeasures forces. It can support humanitarian and disaster-relief operations as well.   

The new Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114), arrived at Yokosuka, Japan, on Oct. 4, commander, Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron 15 Public Affairs said in a release. 

“Ralph Johnson comes over as one of the newest and most capable destroyers in the U.S. Navy,” said Capt. Chase Sargeant, commander, Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron 15. “The addition of Ralph Johnson demonstrates our unwavering commitment to maintain maritime security in the Indo-Pacific alongside our alliances and partnerships.” 

The Flight IIA Arleigh Burke-class DDG USS Dewey (DDG 105) arrived in Yokosuka on Sept. 8, to join the FDNF. 

“Dewey is an excellent addition to our forward-deployed team,” Sargeant said in a release. “Dewey brings capability and lethality that enables U.S. 7th Fleet to defend U.S. and like-minded nation’s interests and supports a rules-based international order and free and open Indo-Pacific.” 

Earlier, on Aug. 16, the Arleigh Burke-class DDGs USS Higgins (DDG 76) and USS Howard (DDG 83) arrived in Yokosuka. These ships are Flight II and Flight IIA DDGs, respectively, with ballistic-missile defense capability. 

“These destroyers are some of the most capable ships our Navy has to offer,” added Sargeant. “Adding them to our forward deployed forces is a clear signal of our continuing commitment to our partners and allies, and our mutual commitment to maintaining stable regional maritime security.” 

One of the Navy’s oldest destroyers, the Flight I Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John McCain, departed Yokosuka on Sept. 17, the ship’s public affairs officer said in a release, for assignment to the 3rd Fleet and a new homeport of Naval Station Everett, Washington. The John McCain had been a unit of the FDNF for 24 years, arriving in 1997. In addition to its operations for the 7^th Fleet, the John McCain “also participated in several surge deployments to U.S. 5th Fleet in support of the USS Independence battle group in 1998 and USS Kitty Hawk strike group in 2002 and again in 2003 supporting Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom,” the release said. 

“It is definitely a changing of the guard with USS John S. McCain and her crew departing the 7th Fleet after over 24 years in Japan,” Sargeant said. “The contributions of the current and all previous crews in defending peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific cannot be overstated, and the entire forward-deployed fleet wishes John S. McCain fair winds as she transfers to her new homeport of Everett, Washington.” 

Earlier, on Aug. 18, the Flight I Arleigh Burke DDG USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) departed Yokosuka after 25 years with the FDNF, the ship’s public affairs officer said in a release. The destroyer is now homeported with the 3rd Fleet in San Diego. 

In addition to its 7th Fleet operations, the Curtis Wilbur deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operation conducting maritime interception operations in the Arabian Sea in support of U.N. resolutions in the region, and later supported Operation Enduring Freedom with the Kitty Hawk Battle Group. 

“As the first Aegis destroyer forward-deployed to Japan, Curtis Wilbur leaves behind a legacy of warfighting excellence and operational performance that set the standard for every destroyer that followed,” Sargeant said. “For the last 25 years, the ‘Steel Hammer of the Fleet’ boldly sailed the Indo-Pacific as part of the long grey line of warships of Destroyer Squadron Fifteen that maintained the freedom of the seas and protection of our national interests.” 

USS Mustin (DDG 89), a Flight IIA DDG, departed Yokosuka on June 22 after 15 years with the FDNF. The destroyer now is a unit of the 3rd Fleet and is homeported in San Diego.  

Also ending its FDNF tour was the Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42), which departed its homeport of Sasebo, Japan on Sept. 15 after more than a decade with the FDNF, said Amphibious Squadron 11 Public Affairs in a release. 

“Germantown and the Sailors who have sailed with her have made an incredible impact across the entire 7th Fleet theater,” said Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 7. “Whether strengthening alliances and partnerships during a myriad of amphibious operations or conducting humanitarian assistance when people of the Indo-Pacific region needed it most, Germantown has always set the standard in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. A great ship and crew comes to replace them, but they will be missed.” 

Germantown will be replaced at Sasebo later this year by sister ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47). 

CANBERRA — Three crewmembers of a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) MH-60R Seahawk helicopter are safe after ditching their helicopter in the Philippine Sea during a routine flight overnight, the Australian Department of Defence said in an Oct. 14 release. 

The aircraft was operating from HMAS Brisbane as part of a regional presence deployment with HMAS Warramunga, when the crew conducted an emergency landing in the water. 

HMAS Brisbane deployed sea boats and rescued the crew approximately 20 minutes later. The crew received first aid for minor injuries upon their return to HMAS Brisbane. 

Commander of the Australian Fleet, Rear Adm. Mark Hammond, commended the crews of both ships involved for their quick response to the emergency. 

“The successful rescue is credit to the devotion to duty and skill of the officers and sailors of HMAS Brisbane,” Hammond said. “Their immediate actions ensured the survival of the aircrew, validating the significant training undertaken in the event an emergency of this nature occurs.” 

Both ships continue to search the area for any debris, which will aid in determining the cause of the incident. 

“With the aircrew safe, investigating the circumstances that led to the helicopter ditching is the priority at the moment,” Hammond said. “As a precaution, we have temporarily paused flying operations of the MH-60R Seahawk fleet.” 

The Department of Defence is reviewing the impact of the incident on Brisbane’s and Warramunga’s current deployment. Australia is planning on procuring 12 MH-60Rs to supplement the 24 already procured and delivered by 2016.