MAYPORT, Fla. — The U.S. Navy commissioned the Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS St. Louis on Aug. 8, Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 2 said in a release. Due to public health safety concerns and restrictions of large public gatherings related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Navy…
Coast Guard Offloads $12 million in Seized Cocaine
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. Coast Guard transferred custody of two suspected smugglers and 430 kilograms of seized cocaine to federal law enforcement at Sector San Juan on Aug. 5 following the interdiction of a go-fast boat in…
Cutter Legare Offloads Nearly 5,000 Pounds of Interdicted Drugs
MIAMI — Coast Guard Cutter Legare’s crew offloaded nearly 5,000 pounds of interdicted contraband, worth an estimated $25.7 million, on Aug. 5 at Port Everglades, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release. The Coast Guard Cutter Winslow Griesser…
Navy Escorts Army Logistics Support Vessels Out of 5th Fleet after 20 Years of Duty
BAHRAIN — U.S. Navy warships assigned to U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT), escorted two U.S. Army Frank S. Besson-class logistics support vessels (LSV), assigned to U.S. Army Central Command (ARCENT), as they transited out of the U.S. 5th Fleet area…
More COVID-19 Infections Pop on Okinawa, on Another Carrier, Within President’s Helicopter Squadron
ARLINGTON, Va. — Another person has tested positive for COVID-19 at a U.S. Marine Corps installation on Okinawa, bringing to 16 the number of new cases since Aug. 1 at two installations on the Japanese island with novel coronavirus clusters,…
Marine Corps Identifies Personnel Killed in AAV Mishap
MARINE CORPS BASE CAMP PENDLETON, Calif. — Officials with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, I Marine Expeditionary Force, have identified the one Marine who was killed and seven other Marines and one Sailor who are presumed dead after an amphibious assault vehicle mishap on July 30. Lance…
USNS Newport Completes Integrated Sea Trials
MOBILE, Ala. — The U.S. Navy’s 12th expeditionary fast transport vessel, USNS Newport, successfully competed integrated sea trials on July 30, the Program Executive Office-Ships said in an Aug. 3 release. Integrated trials combine builder’s and acceptance trials, allowing for the shipyard to demonstrate to the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey the operational…
STRATCOM Commander: Number of SSBNs Needed Depends on Threat
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is planning to build 12 Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs) to replace its 14 legacy Ohio-class SSBNs, but the number could change if the threat to the United States changes. With the increasing concern about…
Tiered COVID-19 Testing System Exceeding Weekly Goal, Pentagon Says
ARLINGTON, Va. — The tiered system for testing of U.S. military personnel for COVID-19, considered a key element in defeating the novel coronavirus, has exceeded the goal of 56,000 tests per week, Defense Department officials told Pentagon reporters on July 30….
Geurts: Navy Focused on Preserving Shipbuilding Industrial Base
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s top acquisition official said the service is focused on sustaining its shipbuilding industrial base and the shipyard workers, critical to avoiding the pain of losing the services of any yard and its highly trained work force. …
