ARLINGTON, Va. —Two U.S. Navy nuclear-powered attack submarine (SSNs) have arrived at the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut, this week in a change of homeports for both. 

According to images on the Defense Department’s DVIDS imagery website, the Los Angeles-class SSN USS Newport News arrived on Aug. 31, and the Virginia-class SSN USS Texas arrived on Sept.1. 

The Newport News was commissioned in 1989. It was built as the last of the basic Los Angeles class which is not equipped with vertical launch tubes. It can launch torpedoes and Tomahawk cruise missiles from its four torpedo tubes. 

The Texas is the second built of the Block I of the Virginia class. It can launch torpedoes and Tomahawk missiles from its four torpedo tubes and Tomahawks from its 12 vertical launch tubes. The Texas was commissioned in 2006 and was homeported in Groton and then Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, before its return to Groton. 

HOUSTON — KBR has been awarded a $75 million recompete contract by Naval Facilities Engineering Command Europe Africa Central to enhance infrastructure at multiple bases in Djibouti, Africa, the company said in a release. 

Under this five-year, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract, KBR will provide engineering, design, construction, renovations, repairs, maintenance, demolition and other services at both Camp Lemonnier, and its associated Chabelley Airfield. 

This work complements KBR’s premier base operating support throughout Africa. Notably, the company has provided base operating support services at Camp Lemonnier since 2013, with work in the region dating back to 2002. 

While performing key services in Africa, the KBR team has achieved more than 25 million hours without a lost-time safety incident, a salute to KBR’s commitment to sustainability and safety. 

“KBR will continue its legacy of delivering trustworthy results and expertise to the U.S. Navy through this award,” said Byron Bright, KBR Government Solutions president. “We are proud to be a part of strengthening these bases for our troops and allies.” 

KBR provides solutions for base and contingency operations, asset management, prepositioned stocks and operations maintenance for U.S. and allied forces globally. 

BOSTON — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Seneca departed Coast Guard Base Boston on Sept. 2, en route to their new homeport in Portsmouth, Virginia, the Coast Guard 1st District said in a release. 

After 33 years homeported in Boston, Seneca will continue service with six other 270-foot, medium-endurance cutters, homeported at Coast Guard Base Portsmouth. This will allow the Coast Guard to better leverage efficiencies gained by clustering vessels of the same class. 

Seneca was formally commissioned in Boston on May 9, 1987. Since then, Seneca’s crew has conducted nearly all of the Coast Guard’s missions throughout New England, the Caribbean Sea, and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, all while calling Boston home. 

In the late 1990s, Coast Guard Cutter Seneca, along with Coast Guard Cutter Galatin, was part of Operation New Frontier, a counter-narcotics operation that tested the use of high-speed pursuit boats and armed helicopters. The operation was successfully completed March 13, 2000, and lead to the creation of the Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron in Jacksonville, Florida. 

More recently, Seneca’s crew assisted in the rescue of 187 Haitian migrants approximately 17 miles southwest of Turks and Caicos Islands on December 22, 2019. The Coast Guard, Royal Bahamas Defense Force, and Turks and Caicos Islands Police worked together to rescue all 187 people after they were spotted onboard a single 30-foot vessel. 

Seneca shares its name with the Revenue Cutter Seneca, the first cutter to engage in official ice patrol duties after the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912, and one of five Coast Guard cutters that made up Squadron 2 of Division 6 of the Atlantic Fleet Patrol Forces during World War I. 

Despite the COVID 19 pandemic, Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2) is on the move, participating in exercise Dynamic Move 20-2.

Even though the exercise had fewer participants this year in order to reduce risk in the training rooms, 11 nations are involved in the event, planned and executed by the NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM).

“Dynamic Move is the principal biannual computer assisted exercise aimed at building international staff capabilities in conducting a full range of mine countermeasures operations,” said MARCOM press officer Vitnija Saldava.

This phase of Dynamic Move is being hosted by the Italian Mine Warfare Forces Command at La Spezia, Italy. Participating nations include Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Turkey, and the US.  The exercise will run until September 11.

According to Saldava, the exercise is controlled by naval mine warfare experts and other subject matter experts including maritime scientists, NATO Shipping Centre officers, legal advisors and media experts as well as personnel from École de Guerre des Mines, the NATO Naval Mine Warfare Centre of Excellence, the Italian Mine Warfare Training Centre (MARICENDRAG) and the NATO Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE).

SNMCMG2 is one of four standing forces that comprise the maritime component of the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), which is part of the NATO Response Force (NRF). These forces can be augmented by additional forces in contingencies to provide timely support to NATO operations.

“Dynamic Move 20-2 is an excellent opportunity to cooperate and train with officers from Allied nations in the field of mine countermeasures operations and thus developing and maintaining highly trained forces that can integrate seamlessly,” said Hellenic Navy Commander Dimitrios Katsouras, Commander of SNMCMG2.

ALHAMBRA, Calif. — EMCORE Corp. has been awarded a contract by Raytheon Technologies valued at $3.6 million to deliver SDI500 IMUs (Inertial Measurement Units) for the MK 54 lightweight torpedo program, the company said in an Aug. 31 release. The units are expected to be delivered by September 2021. 

The Mk54 is an advanced anti-submarine torpedo designed and developed by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems in collaboration with the U.S. Navy. It can be launched from surface ships, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters for use in both deep and shallow waters and in various acoustic environments. The Mk54 can track, classify, and attack underwater targets using sophisticated processing algorithms to analyze information, edit out false targets or countermeasures, and then pursue identified threats. 

EMCORE’s COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) SDI500 IMU delivers true tactical grade performance with <1º/hr bias stability across a full temperature range with class leading 0.02º/hr angle random walk and 1 mg accelerometer bias performance. The compact, low power, high-quality SDI500 IMU enables superior guidance and control of the Mk54 torpedo during in-water maneuvers, plus improves system cost-effectiveness, reduces obsolescence, and increases sustainability for Raytheon and its customers. 

“We have a long, proud history supporting Raytheon’s important defense programs at EMCORE, and previously at Systron Donner Inertial. Raytheon played a big part in helping Systron deliver 5,000 SDI500 tactical grade IMUs to customers globally,” said David Hoyh, director, Sales & Marketing for EMCORE. “EMCORE’s mission for its innovative and growing line of tactical grade products is to deliver superior inertial bias and noise performance under environmental conditions with smaller, lighter, more reliable and cost-effective product solutions than traditional tactical grade technologies or competitors.” 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The crash of a U.S. Navy E-2C Hawkeye battle management aircraft on Aug. 31 was only the third lost in a crash since 2001, according to unofficial records, demonstrating the aircraft’s excellent safety record. 

The E-2C, assigned to  Airborne Command & Control Squadron (VAW) 120, a Fleet Replacement Squadron based at Naval Station Norfolk, crashed in the vicinity of Wallops Island, according to a Navy release. 

“The E-2 crashed at approximately 4:05 p.m.,” the release said. “The two pilots and two crew members bailed out of the aircraft safely. At the time of the crash, the E-2 was conducting a training flight. Initial reports indicate no structures or personnel on the ground were damaged or injured in the mishap. The cause of the mishap is under investigation.” 

In August 2007, an E-2C assigned to VAW-120 crashed 150 miles southeast of the Virginia Capes after launch from the USS Harry S. Truman. All three crew members were killed. 

In March 2010, an E-2C assigned to VAW-121 crashed in North Arabian Sea while returning to USS Dwight E. Eisenhower after a mission in support of Operation Enduring Freedom over Afghanistan. The crew bailed out, with three of the four crew members being rescued. 

During the two decades, three E-2Cs were extensively damaged in landing mishaps, with no injuries. 

MOBILE, Ala. — A small audience of dignitaries celebrated the Aug. 29 christening of the future littoral combat ship USS Savannah (LCS 28) at Austal’s advanced ship manufacturing facility. Savannah is the 14th of 19 small surface combatants Austal USA has under contract with the U.S. Navy. 

“Austal is honored to christen today what will be the sixth Navy ship named after the great city of Savannah,” said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. “Savannah and Mobile have much in common both being major U.S. shipping ports but we also share the distinction of being cities where the infamous World War II Liberty ships were built. These were the last Navy ships built in Mobile prior to the littoral combat ships we are building here now. 

“Manufacturing complex small surface combatants efficiently at the fast pace we have established is no small feat,” explained Perciavalle. “We have one of the most talented manufacturing workforces employed today and I am proud to work side-by-side with each and every member of our awesome team as we christen the 25th surface ship since 2011.” 

The ship’s sponsor, Dianne Isakson, is the daughter of a World War II naval aviator and sister to two brothers who both served in the Navy. A graduate of the University of Georgia, Isakson is married to the Rep. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., former U.S. Senator from Georgia. Dianne is active in community and volunteer organizations and boards. She took up watercolor painting late in life and has been fortunate to be able to show and sell her paintings through two art galleries in Georgia.  After raising three children, she now enjoys the time she spends with her nine grandchildren. 

“We are honored to host Mrs. Isakson as the ship’s sponsor,” continued Perciavalle. “Her ties to the Navy through her father and brothers along with the time she has committed to raising a family and supporting her husband, U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, is commendable and makes her the perfect choice as sponsor of this awesome combat ship.” 

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship is the most recent step in the small surface combatant evolution. A high-speed, agile, shallow draft, focused-mission surface combatant, the LCS is designed to conduct surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, and mine countermeasures missions in the littoral near-shore region, while also possessing the capability for deep-water operations. With its open-architecture design, the LCS can support modular weapons, sensor systems and a variety of manned and unmanned vehicles to capture and sustain littoral maritime supremacy.  

In addition to being in full-rate production for the LCS program, Austal USA is also the Navy’s prime contractor for the Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) program. Austal has delivered 12 EPF, with a total of 14 under contract. Austal USA is also leading the evolution of connector and auxiliary ships as Austal EPF designs for dedicated medical, maintenance, logistics, and command and control ships. 

POTTSTOWN, Pa. — The U.S. Navy has placed another multi-million-dollar order for Defender remotely operated vehicle (ROV) systems built by VideoRay, the company said in an Aug. 31 release. 

The purchase is under VideoRay’s existing $49 million contract to deliver the Navy’s Next-Generation ROV. The systems will be assembled and tested in VideoRay’s Pottstown, Pennsylvania, facility prior to being shipped to the Navy for worldwide operations. 

“This order is the culmination of years of tight integration with many Navy units in San Diego,” said Scott Bentley, CEO of VideoRay. “It will result in additional hiring and significant spend in the Pottstown region, and with our development partners throughout the U.S. and beyond.” 

The procurement process was facilitated through the Defense Innovation Unit, which provided open communications and a competitively awarded production contract which allows further scaling within the Navy based on requirements set forth by the Navy’s program office, PMS-408, allowing VideoRay to collaborate on a solution. As a result, the VideoRay Defender systems have been optimized to best support the U.S. Navy explosive ordnance disposal technician and warfighter. 

The VideoRay Defender is a highly capable remotely operated vehicle and is also becoming a standard in other markets beyond defense, most notably in offshore energy and infrastructure industries. The VideoRay Defender systems will be used by the Navy for defense and security operations including very shallow water, littoral mine counter measures, port security missions and hull and pier inspection. 

The systems will be delivered with solutions from Greensea, Blueprint Subsea, Nortek and Eddyfi. These best-in class sensors, tooling and software are integrated onto the Defender ROV platform. 

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard, Navy and U.S. law enforcement partners seized 225 kilograms of cocaine and apprehended three suspected smugglers following the interdiction of a drug smuggling go-fast in the Caribbean Sea on Aug. 24, the Coast Guard 7th District said in an Aug. 29 release. 

Two suspected smugglers are Dominican Republic nationals, and one is Colombian, while the seized cocaine has a wholesale value of approximately $6 million. 

The interdiction is the result of an international, multi-agency law enforcement effort in support of Operation Unified Resolve, Operation Caribbean Guard, Campaign Martillo (a joint, interagency, 20-nation collaborative counter narcotic effort), and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force (CCSF), will be prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico. 

“The strong relationship and collaboration between the Coast Guard and the U.S. Navy continuously yields positive outcomes as evidenced by this case,” said Rear Adm. Eric Jones, commander of Coast Guard Seventh District. “The shared unwavering resolve and daily interaction between our Department of Defense and local and federal law enforcement partners in the region help safeguard and strengthen the Caribbean region against this threat. We are committed to the protection of our nation’s southernmost maritime border and of our fellow citizens in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.” 

During a routine patrol in support of Joint Interagency Task Force – South’s mission to detect attempts to transport contraband into the U.S. and partner nations, the USS Kidd’s (DDG 100) helicopter crew sighted a suspicious go-fast vessel in the Caribbean Sea. The USS Kidd, an Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer operating with U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) 401 onboard, coordinated with the Coast Guard Seventh District to interdict the suspect vessel. 

The helicopter crew observed the suspected smugglers jettison multiple bales into the water as the go-fast continued to evade capture. The USS Kidd successfully interdicted and boarded the go-fast with the assistance of the CG LEDET 401. The USS Kidd’s crew and CG LEDET 401 apprehended the suspected smugglers and recovered eight jettisoned bales from the water. The seized contraband tested positive for cocaine. 

The Coast Guard Cutter Resolute (WMEC-620) embarked and transported the suspected smugglers and seized contraband to San Juan, Puerto Rico Saturday, where awaiting U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)-HSI, and DEA special agents received custody. 

Cutter Resolute is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg Fla. 

The USS Kidd is homeported in Naval Station Everett, Washington. 

NEW ORLEANS — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Reliance (WMEC-615) arrived Monday at the cutter’s new homeport in Pensacola, Florida, following a dry dock period and Caribbean patrol, the Coast Guard 8th District said in an Aug. 31 release. 

The Reliance crew oversaw repairs to the cutter followed by migrant repatriation efforts in the Windward Pass supporting Coast Guard 7th District operations. 

The cutter and crew departed their former homeport at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, on July 6, 2020, sailing for the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore, Maryland, to effect repairs to the propulsion shafts. On Aug. 5, the crew sailed from the Coast Guard Yard to begin a patrol of the Windward Pass between Cuba, the Bahamas and Haiti, alongside interagency and international partners to prevent dangerous, illegal maritime migration. 

The patrol included the repatriation of 16 Haitian migrants, participation in a search for survivors of a capsized Haitian vessel, shipboard training and storm avoidance. 

“Reliance’s departure from Kittery, Maine, brings an end to 31 years of faithful service in the North Atlantic,” said Cmdr. Robert Hill, commanding officer of the cutter Reliance. “The crew has performed exceptionally during our patrol amidst the challenges faced by COVID-19 and multiple tropical storms that arose. I could not be prouder of this crew and know that we are ready to continue our service in Pensacola, where the Coast Guard has strategically clustered part of its 210-foot cutter fleet for logistical support and proximity to our mission area of responsibility.” 

The homeport shift to Pensacola marks the second time Reliance has been homeported in Florida; Reliance was homeported in Port Canaveral from 1982 until 1987. 

The Reliance is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter. It is the first of the 210-foot medium-endurance cutter fleet and the fourth Revenue Cutter/Coast Guard cutter to bear the name Reliance. The cutter’s primary missions are counter drug operations, migrant interdiction, enforcing federal fishery laws, and search and rescue in support of Coast Guard operations throughout the Western Hemisphere.