ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy and civilian firefighters combatting the blaze on the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard in San Diego have isolated the fires to two separate locations, the Navy said. 

In an 11 a.m. Pacific time July 14 news conference streamed on Facebook, Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, said that two fires remained on the ship, one forward and the other aft. 

“We have investigated the four main engineering spaces and found no major damage,” Sobeck said. “There is no threat to the fuel tanks, which [are] well-below any active fires or heat sources. The ship is stable and the structure is safe.” 

He said the firefighters are “combatting from both within and outside the ship from multiple access points.”  

He said that so far 61 personnel — 38 Sailors and 23 civilian firefighters — had been treated for minor injuries and smoke inhalation. None remained hospitalized. 

The admiral praised the MH-60S helicopter crews of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3, who have dropped more than 1,000 large buckets full of water on the fires in the ship’s superstructure, “cooling the superstructure and flight deck, enabling fire crews to get onboard internally to fight the fire.”  

Tugs also continue to provide water streams to assist the firefighters. 

Sobeck thanked “the people of San Diego, National City, Coronado, and all the other communities in San Diego County for their continued support. For more than 48 hours brave Sailors from commands all across San Diego have been working tirelessly alongside Federal Fire San Diego to get this fire under control.” 

“I’d like to also thank our partners from state and county as well as the Coast Guard for monitoring the potential impacts to the environment,” he added. “As we continue to fight the fire, we remain cognizant of environmental concerns regarding the water and air quality.”  

“Going forward, the Navy will do a thorough investigation of the incident to include assessing the cause of the fire and damage to the ship, but right now our focus remains on putting out the fire and keeping people safe,” the admiral said.  

The fire broke out at about 8:30 a.m. Pacific time on July 12 while the Bonhomme Richard was pierside at Naval Base San Diego for a maintenance availability. About 160 Sailors of the crew of about 1,000 were on board at the time, according to the Navy, which has not officially linked the fire to a cause, though several media outlets have reported there was an explosion aboard Bonhomme Richard.

ARLINGTON, Va. — An official of the Navy League of the United States has delineated what the organization considers five key policy points for the sea services going forward in fiscal 2021. 

Sinclair Harris, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral and current national vice president of military affairs for the Navy League, spoke in a July 13 webinar co-sponsored by the organization, NatSec 2020: Coronavirus and Beyond. It also was sponsored by the Association of the United States Army and Government Matters. 

“The Navy must — I repeat, must — maintain a position of dominance in the undersea domain,” Harris said, underscoring the need for the second Virginia-class attack submarine in fiscal 2021 (the budget only calls for one), the Columbia-class ballistic-missile sub, and other undersea platforms, manned and unmanned. “We can’t drop away from undersea dominance.” 

He said that sealift is critical for the nation’s ability to project power and influence in times of war or peace. “The [Marine Corps] commandant’s guidance is bold, innovative and creative and has to be supported going forward in order to meet the ever-evolving challenges that we see our global strategic environment.”  

Harris also stressed the need for allies and partners as an important part of the National Defense Strategy. 

He also emphasized the need for transparency in future force structure planning.  

“Transparency between the Pentagon and Congress builds trust,” he said. “And between government and industry, that allows industry to make proper plans so the industrial base can respond with what is needed. The industrial base is very fragile right now. 

Harris commented on the issue of the legislated goal of a battle force size of 355 ships.  

“We can see that when you don’t have a sufficient-sized fleet, you run the risk of over-burdening the fleet and the personnel that are operating it,” he added. “I served in the Navy 34 years. I’ve been there.”

At least two U.S. Marine Corps bases on Okinawa are reporting clusters of COVID-19 infections, leading Marine leaders to reinstitute stringent protective measures on the Japanese island, home to numerous U.S. military installations.

“After months with no confirmed COVID-19 infections on Okinawa, this week the Marine Corps experienced two localized clusters of individuals who tested positive for the virus,” Okinawa-based Marine Corps Installations Pacific (MCIPAC) announced.

The installations where personnel tested positive were identified as Camp Hansen and Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, both on the southern part of the island. All personnel who tested positive for the novel coronavirus are in isolation, the announcement stated.

In keeping with Defense Department policy, the Marine Corps did not disclose how many Marines and Sailors were infected, but media outlets, quoting local officials, placed the number in the 90s.

On July 10, Marine Forces Japan — also known as III Marine Expeditionary Force (MEF)  — reintroduced Health Protection Condition “Charlie” to limit the spread of the virus by further restricting off-base activities, including prohibiting personnel from using non-military public transportation, eating in off-base restaurants and going off base for nonessential services.

In response to the increased health protection directive, the next day MCIPAC ordered an enhanced lockdown at all Marine installations across Okinawa. This included closing all nonessential facilities. Dining will be take-out only at mess halls, exchanges, commissaries, base restaurants and food courts. Personnel will have to get permission from a Marine colonel or a Navy commander for off-base activities. The new restrictions apply to all uniformed and civilian III MEF and MCIPAC personnel.

U.S. Air Force Brigadier Gen. Joel Carey, commander of the 18th Air Wing at Kadena Air Base, ordered the base to transition from Health Protection Condition Bravo back to the more rigorous Charlie, effective immediately. The U.S. COVID-19 cases have primarily been Marines assigned to MCAS Futenma and Camp Hansen, Carey said.

“Patients have been a mix of both travel-related and those with origins we’ve yet to be able to identify, indicating the potential of a re-emergence of community spread,” he said. COVID-19 may already be spreading. “We have confirmed the presence of COVID-19 aboard the air station,” Col. Lance Lewis, commander of Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, announced July 12 on the facility’s Facebook page. He added there was no risk to the base.

“COVID was brought here from overseas travelers. As we planned, the positive travelers were contained within their quarters, and our social distancing and strict adherence to [restriction on movement] worked.” The air base is still operating under HPCON Bravo and all liberty policies remain the same, Lewis said.

ARLINGTON, Va. — In what may be a first, the U.S. Navy is using water carried by helicopters to combat a shipboard fire. 

At least two MH-60S helicopters assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 3 have hoisted water in large buckets on their external hoists to assist the firefighters who are working to extinguish the blaze on the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard at Naval Base San Diego. The helicopters began their runs at 10:30 p.m. Pacific time on July 12. 

Firefighting efforts on the ship were ongoing as of 6:30 a.m. Pacific time on July 13, according to a release from commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet.  

According to a photo taken about 7 p.m Pacific Time by Civilian Mariner Denis Bondarenko and posted by the blogger CMDR Salamander, the fire had spread to the island superstructure and the ship’s mast had tilted.

At latest report, “57 personnel, both U.S. Navy Sailors and civilians, have been treated for minor injuries, including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation,” the release said. “Of those, five remain hospitalized for observation and are currently in stable condition.” 

The civilians treated included fighters from Federal Fire San Diego Division at Naval Base San Diego.

As reported on National Public Radio, Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, said during a local press conference on the morning of July 13 that the ship had no ammunition on board but that he was concerned about the large amount of fuel on the ship.

“The superstructure and the upper decks continue to burn and have sustained damage,” Sobeck said. “The forward mast has collapsed, and the ship is listing. However, dewatering is in process and we’re keeping a good balance.” 

“Currently there are two firefighting teams fighting the fire aboard the ship,” Federal Fire San Diego Division Chief Rob Bondurant said in a Navy release. “Federal Fire is rotating their crews aboard the ship with U.S. Navy firefighting crews from the waterfront to fight the fire in order to find the seat of the fire and extinguish it. Also, Navy Region Southwest tugs are continuously combatting the fire from the bay.” 

The fire broke out at about 8:30 a.m. Pacific time on July 12 while the Bonhomme Richard was pierside at Naval Base San Diego for a maintenance availability. CNN and other media outlets were reporting that the blaze resulted from an explosion, but the Navy has not confirmed that information. About 160 Sailors of the crew of approximately 1,000 were on board at the time, according to the Navy. 

Two destroyers berthed nearby, the USS Fitzgerald and the USS Russell, were moved to other piers after the fire broke out. All Navy ships in port were directed to provide fire parties to assist the firefighting efforts aboard the Bonhomme Richard. 

“Today, we suffered a terrible tragedy aboard USS Bonhomme Richard when a fire broke out aboard the ship while in port San Diego,” Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said in a release. 

“At this point, 17 Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital. The remainder of the crew is accounted for. We are grateful for the quick and immediate response of local, base, and shipboard firefighters aboard USS Bonhomme Richard. Our thoughts and prayers are with our BHR Sailors, their families, and our emergency responders who continue to fight the fire. Godspeed.” 
 
Navy helicopters based at Naval Air Station North Island, California, have been used before to combat wildfires in Southern California. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of 105 F-35 Lightning II strike fighters, including 42 F-35B short takeoff/vertical landing versions that Japan could deploy onboard ships to significantly expand its naval aviation capabilities.  

Under a potential $23.11 billion deal, Japan would procure 63 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing versions and 42 F-35Bs, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a July 9 release. 

The F-35B is operated off of aircraft carriers or amphibious assault ships by the U.S. Marine Corps, U.K. Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, and the Italian Navy. The F-35 is built by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. of Fort Worth, Texas. The aircraft’s F135 engine is built by Pratt and Whitney Military Engines of East Hartford, Connecticut. 

The F-35As would replace the legacy F-4 Phantom II fighters in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.   

In addition to the 105 aircraft, the planned procurement also would include 110 F135 engines (including five spares) as well as mission systems, logistics support, spare parts, engineering and technical support, and other services

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Mk54 lightweight antisubmarine torpedoes to Germany and Belgium, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in two July 9 releases. The procurement of the torpedoes, built by Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems, would be conducted as foreign military sales. 

Under a deal with an estimated value of $130 million, Germany plans to procure 64 Mk54 All-Up-Round lightweight torpedoes and 10 Mk54 conversion kits to be used with fleet exercise sections as Mk54 exercise torpedoes. Also included in the proposed sale “are torpedo containers; Recoverable Exercise Torpedoes (REXTORP) with containers; Fleet Exercise Section and fuel tanks to be used with Mk54 conversion kits; air launch accessories for fixed wing; torpedo spare parts; training, publications, support and test equipment; U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support,” the DSCA said in a release.   

The DSCA also said that Belgium requests to buy 29 All-Up-Round Mk54 Mod 0 torpedoes. Also included in the potential $33.3 deal are two Fleet Exercise Section conversion kits; torpedo support equipment, training and publications; U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support.   

Germany would arm its P-3C maritime patrol aircraft with the torpedoes. The Belgian Navy, which is phasing out its inventory of Mk46 lightweight torpedoes, would deploy the Mk54s on its fleet of NH-90 helicopters and a new generation of multi-mission frigates.   

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department is taking another Defense Production Act Title III action to shore up the nation’s shipbuilding industrial base in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The action is one of seven announced July 10 by the Defense Department “to help sustain and strengthen essential domestic industrial base capabilities and defense-critical workforce. … These actions will help to retain critical workforce capabilities throughout the disruption caused by COVID-19 and to restore some jobs lost because of the pandemic,” the release said. 

DoD is investing $56 million in ArcelorMittal Inc. to sustain critical domestic industrial base shipbuilding capability and capacity. ArcelorMittal, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a steel and mining company with a major facility in Coatesville, Pennsylvania. 

“This investment will expand ArcelorMittal’s plate processing footprint and heat-treating capability, subsequently increasing its alloy steel plate production and ensure the U.S. Government gets dedicated long-term industrial capacity to meet the needs of the nation,” the release said, noting that the investment “will protect jobs in a region hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and ensure critical capabilities are retained in support of U.S. Navy operational readiness.” 

SAN DIEGO — The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt returned to San Diego on July 9, marking the end of its deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, the commander of 3rd Fleet public affairs said in a release. 

More than 6,000 Sailors from Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 deployed Jan. 17 to conduct operations in the Indo-Pacific and maintain security and stability in the region. 

“I am incredibly proud of the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group and all they’ve accomplished over the deployment,” said Rear Adm. Doug Verissimo, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9. “They operated in a variety of complex environments ranging from how to respond to an international pandemic to operating safely throughout the Indo-Pacific, including the South China Sea.” 

Theodore Roosevelt sailed over 31,835 nautical miles, deploying dynamically to support dual-carrier operations, expeditionary strike force operations, air defense exercises, and joint-service interoperability exercises. 

Theodore Roosevelt made a historic port visit to Da Nang, Vietnam, only the second time a U.S. carrier has visited the country since the Vietnam War, to commemorate 25 years of U.S.-Vietnam diplomatic relations. 

Theodore Roosevelt had an outbreak of coronavirus in early March and pulled into Guam ahead of a scheduled port visit. The carrier responded and moved more than half of the crew off ship to quarantine at various locations on Guam, leaving enough Sailors aboard to stand critical watches and to clean and sanitize the ship. The crew members who met rigorous ‘operational units’ return to work criteria set forth by U.S. Pacific Fleet returned to the ship and were able to get underway and back to their mission on June 4. 

“The crew of TR persevered displaying uncommon fortitude and tenacity in the face of uncertainty to meet expectations in a crisis,” said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, the commanding officer of Theodore Roosevelt. “This recovery of the ship and the crew on deployment is a testament to the professionalism of the young men and women of the TR who turned a potentially demoralizing downward spiral into a symbol of inspiration and hope against adversity.” 

To ensure the success of the deployment extends beyond their return to homeport, Theodore Roosevelt conducted a variety of training classes promoting sound decisions and safety. The information provided in the classes helps individual Sailors and their families know what to expect after returning to homeport. Topics covered included drinking and driving, returning to children, traffic safety, motorcycle safety, car buying, and money management. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s official most heavily engaged in the development of directed-energy (DE) weapons said the service is focused on fielding the sea service’s family of laser systems to warfighters but is also working to improve the systems’ power and beam control.  

“We’ve been working hard for the last five to seven years to try to bring directed energy forward in a meaningful sense to the warfighter and the operational community while at the same time advancing the technology,” said Frank Peterkin, senior technologist for directed energy at the Office of Naval Research, speaking July 7 at a Directed Energy Summit webinar sponsored by Booz Allen Hamilton. 

Peterkin said that lasers primarily would be installed on surface combatants, particularly Flight II Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers but also, potentially, amphibious transport dock ships and littoral combat ships.  “There have been discussions [about] even putting lasers on aircraft carriers,” he added. 

The Navy’s initial mission sets lasers will be dazzling sensors on enemy platforms and engaging and defeating unmanned aerial vehicles. Future missions likely include defeating incoming missiles, including swarms. 

Peterkin said the “exquisite optics” of a laser’s beam director system will augment situational awareness and better direct other weapons as well. 

He said the installation of the laser weapon on the amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland last October has gone well, with the ship’s crew accommodating of Navy engineers amidst the difficulties of working during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Portland’s laser weapon demonstrated its ability to defeat a drone earlier this year. He said the amphib’s crew is quickly learning how to operate and sustain the weapon, with which the ship will deploy in 2021. 

The Navy will install the ODIN [Optical Dazzling Interdictor, Navy] laser weapon system on eight ships over the next three years, Peterkin said. An ODIN already is installed on the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Dewey. 

He also stressed the need for more electrical power as the Navy develops its laser weapons to take on more than one target simultaneously. It was not just a matter of a more powerful beam, he said, but also of directing the weapon to more rapidly respond to incoming threats, such as swarms. “Power will get you faster kills,” he said, noting also that beam control also needed significant improvement.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Northrop Grumman-built E-2D Advanced Hawkeye command-and-control aircraft to the government of France, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a release.  

If concluded, France would become the third nation to procure the E-2D after the United States and Japan. 

The French navy operates E-2C Hawkeyes from its aircraft carrier, the Charles De Gaulle. 

The estimated $2 billion sale includes three E-2Ds and their engines and avionics, including spares. Major components include Rolls-Royce T-56-427A turboprop engines, Lockheed Martin APY-9 radars and ALQ-217 electronic surveillance systems. 

The sale also would include the Joint Mission Planning System as well as “air and ground crew equipment; support equipment; spare and repair parts; publications and technical documentation; transportation; training and training equipment; U.S. government and contractor logistics, engineering and technical support services; and other related elements of logistics and program support,” the release said. 

“The proposed sale will improve France’s capability to meet current and future threats by providing its naval air forces with a sustainable follow on capability to their current, legacy E-2C Hawkeye aircraft,” the release said. 

“The E-2D aircraft will continue and expand French naval aviation capabilities and maintain interoperability with U.S. naval forces. As a current E-2C operator, France will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment and support into its armed forces. 

The prime contractor for the E-2D is Northrop Grumman Systems Corp. Aerospace Systems in Melbourne, Florida.