ARLINGTON, Va. — Kenneth J. Braithwaite was sworn in as the 77th secretary of the Navy on May 29, the Navy said in a release.

At the May 29 ceremony at the Pentagon, officiated by Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, Braithwaite was joined by his family, the chief of naval operations and the commandant of the Marine Corps. 

The secretary is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Pennsylvania. He began his military service as a naval aviator, later transitioning to public affairs officer. His military career culminated in service as the U.S. Navy’s vice chief of information. As a civilian, Braithwaite worked in both public- and private-sector leadership roles. Prior to his current position he served as the 31st U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway. 

Below is a message released on that date to the men and women of the Department of the Navy. It has been edited for grammar: 

“To Sailors, Marines, and all men and women of the Department of the Navy serving across this great world: Today marks the honor of my life, taking the oath of office to become the 77th but, more importantly, your Secretary of the Navy. 

I am incredibly humbled to stand before you, the greatest Navy and Marine Corps in the world to accept this responsibility. For nearly 35 years, I, like you, have served our country, first as a U.S. naval officer deploying around the world to include sailing into harm’s way, and most recently as our U.S. ambassador to Norway, a nation important to our national security. Never have I ever doubted why we serve — to protect and defend the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America.

For more than two centuries, the department has exemplified the strength and resilience of the nation we represent. Through tragedy and triumph, in both peace and in war, the source of our strength has been three simple but extremely powerful words: honor, courage and commitment. 

As each of you know, they must be our guide stars as we navigate challenges around the globe. We can never forget that they are written in the blood of those who sailed before us: from John Paul Jones to Doris Miller, from Grace Hopper to Jason Dunham, all part of a formidable anchor chain of service through which each of you is an important part. 

Make no mistake, we face significant challenges today. Our nation is up against perhaps the greatest test of our commitment to the ideals we hold dear than at any time in our history, surely since the end of World War II. We must recognize this challenge for all it is and all it presents, lurking in the shadows of deceit or the depths of dishonesty. However, our Navy and Marine Corps have faced tough times before. Each time we have prevailed, and we will persevere again. It is our sacred duty, and we shall do so by relying on our core values, the bedrock of our service and the key to our success: honor, courage and commitment. 

The object of success for our service is simple: American sea power. America always has been and always will be a maritime nation. America and our principles of freedom rely on sea power delivered by a strong and capable Navy and Marine Corps. Each of you provides that power through your actions each day — actions that demonstrate our resolve to place service above self. 

I look forward to the days ahead to do all I can on your behalf, ensuring that you have the opportunity to thrive and succeed in your service to our nation. American sea power will continue to defend our nation, and American sea power will continue to preserve peace while deterring any and all that would challenge our way of life. And when or if we find it necessary, American sea power will decisively win in battle, which is our solemn duty because there can be no alternative. 

Please accept my personal appreciation, which I sincerely send to every one of you for your selfless service; your devotion to duty; and for your honor, courage and commitment. I am privileged to stand with you, the greatest Navy and Marine Corps the world has ever known in your service to the people of America. Godspeed to you and us all in this great endeavor!” 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Following “intense investigation,” the FBI says concerns that a second person may have assisted the gunman in the thwarted attack May 21 on Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, have been allayed.

One member of the Navy Security Force (NSF) was injured and the gunman was slain by other NSF personnel in the attempt to breach the North Gate of the naval base, which the FBI has said was “terrorism-related.”

See: Active Shooter Thwarted at NAS Corpus Christi

“While there was initial concern about a potential second person of interest, intense investigation leads us now to believe there was not,” the FBI’s Houston office, which is heading the investigation, said in a Twitter post on May 26, adding that the shooting “remains an active investigation.”

Officials identified the gunman as Adam Alsahli, 20, of Corpus Christi, a former student at a local community college. The FBI said Alsahli was a Syrian-born U.S. citizen, but have not explained why they are calling the attack terrorism-related.

The FBI is working with Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents as well as the Corpus Christi Police Department and personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) headquarters in Washington. A sweep of the incident area found no explosives.

According to reports, the gunman tried to force his way onto the base while driving a pickup truck but was stopped at a checkpoint by an NSF member. The gunman began shooting, striking the Sailor, who was wearing an armored vest. The Sailor was able to hit a switch that raised a barrier blocking vehicle access. The gunman was shot and killed by other guards.

The wounded NSF member, who was not identified, was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital, the Navy said. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said May 22 on NBC’s “Today Show” that she was “doing well.” The attack sparked a bizarre hoax on social media that purported to show a photo of the NSF member who was shot with details of the incident that officials have not confirmed. The photo of a female officer and her military working dog is of another Sailor, not the one involved in the shooting incident, the Navy said.

The Corpus Christi attack took place six months after a Saudi gunman killed three Sailors and wounded eight others at NAS Pensacola, Florida, and just three days after the FBI and Justice Department said information gleaned from the gunman’s iPhone linked him to an al-Qaida affiliate.

“I am very concerned about both cases,” Esper said on the “Today Show,” although he did not say they were linked. “We’re looking at additional measures we will take to ensure that foreign-inspired terrorists don’t have access to our posts, bases, installations and, of course, our country,” he added.

Esper also noted that the Corpus Christi shooter had no military affiliation, while the Pensacola gunman was a Saudi Air Force lieutenant training at the American flight school.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA — For the third time in two months, Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft in the U.S. Sixth Fleet on May 26, the 6th Fleet said in a release. 

“On May 26, a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft was flying in the eastern Mediterranean over international waters and was intercepted by two Russian Su-35 aircraft over a period of 65 minutes,” the release said. “The intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional due to the Russian pilots taking close station on each wing of the P-8A simultaneously, restricting the P-8A’s ability to safely maneuver. 

“The unnecessary actions of the Russian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules and jeopardized the safety of flight of both aircraft. 

“While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible. We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). Actions‎ like these increase the potential for midair collisions. 

“This incident follows two unsafe interactions in April, over the same waters. 

“In all cases, the U.S. aircraft were operating in international airspace, consistent with international law, with due regard for safety of flight, and did not provoke this Russian activity.”

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland disabled an unmanned aerial vehicle with a Solid State Laser-Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) Mk 2 Mod 0 on May 16, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a release. 

LWSD is a high-energy laser weapon system demonstrator developed by the Office of Naval Research and installed on the Portland for an at-sea demonstration. LWSD’s operational employment on a Pacific Fleet ship is the first system-level implementation of a high-energy class solid-state laser. The laser system was developed by Northrup Grumman, with full system and ship integration and testing led by NSWC Dahlgren and Port Hueneme.   

“By conducting advanced at-sea tests against UAVs and small craft, we will gain valuable information on the capabilities of the Solid-State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator against potential threats,” said Capt. Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of the USS Portland. 

The U.S. Navy has been developing directed-energy weapons (DEWs), to include lasers, since the 1960s. DEWs are defined as electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical damage that degrades, neutralizes, defeats, or destroys an adversary. 

Navy ships face an increasing number of threats in conducting their missions, including UAVs, armed small boats and adversary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. The Navy’s development of DEWs like the LWSD, provide immediate warfighter benefits and provide the commander increased decision space and response options. 

“The Solid-State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator is a unique capability the Portland gets to test and operate for the Navy, while paving the way for future weapons systems,” Sanders said. “With this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy.”

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO — The next ship to be commissioned and carry the Kansas City name arrived at its homeport in San Diego on May 24, the commander of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1 said in a release.  

The future USS Kansas City arrived for the first time at Naval Base San Diego, where the U.S. Navy will commission the Independence-variant littoral combat ship on June 20. 

See: USS Oakland Completes Acceptance Trials

“I am extremely proud of all the hard work the crew has done to complete the sail around and prepare us to officially join the fleet on commissioning day,” said Cmdr. RJ Zamberlan, Kansas City’s commanding officer. “We are honored and excited to represent the Navy, the nation and our namesake as well as to fulfill the ship’s motto, ‘United We Stand, Divided We Fall.’”  

Kansas City will be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Independence, USS Coronado, USS Jackson, USS Montgomery, USS Gabrielle Giffords, USS Omaha, USS Manchester, USS Tulsa, USS Charleston and USS Cincinnati. 

“The arrival of the Kansas City here today is exciting and the crew has worked incredibly hard to get to this point,” said Capt. Matthew McGonigle, commodore of Littoral Combat Ship Squadron 1. “We look forward to ‘bringing the ship to life’ next month on the day of commissioning.” 

Kansas City was built in Mobile, Alabama, by Austal USA in conjunction with General Dynamics. Prior to departing Mobile for San Diego, Kansas City’s crew conducted a 21-day restriction in movement in accordance with U.S. Navy pre-deployment guidelines because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

Kansas City is the 21st LCS to be delivered to the Navy, and the 11th of the Independence-variant to join the fleet. The KC is the second ship to be named for the largest city in Missouri. The name was assigned to a heavy cruiser during World War II. However, construction was canceled after one month due to the end of the war.

The name Kansas City was also assigned to the Wichita-class replenishment oiler AOR 3 in 1967. This ship saw service during the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm and was decommissioned in 1994.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Senate confirmed retired admiral and current ambassador Kenneth J. Braithwaite to be the 77th Secretary of the Navy. Braithwaite’s nomination was approved on a voice vote May 21 before the Senate left for a weeklong Memorial Day break.

Braithwaite, who was nominated to the top civilian job in the Navy Department by President Donald Trump in November, is a retired Navy rear admiral and current U.S. ambassador to Norway. A 1984 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Braithwaite is a former P-3 naval aviator who became a public affairs officer. He left active duty in 1993, resuming service in the Navy Reserve until 2011. He worked in the private sector and government after leaving active duty. 

At his May 7 confirmation hearing before the Armed Services Committee, Braithwaite pledged to restore good order and discipline in the Navy, which he said was in “troubled waters” after being rocked in recent years by the “Fat Leonard” corruption scandal, fatal at-sea collisions in 2017, recent judicial missteps and the COVID-19 crisis aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt. 

“It saddens me to say the Department of the Navy is in troubled waters due to many factors, primarily the failure of leadership,” Braithwaite told the panel. “Successful organizations have a strong culture, which always starts with leadership,” he said, adding that his No. 1 priority, if confirmed, would be ‘’to restore the appropriate culture in the United States Navy.” The Navy’s culture wasn’t broke, he noted, but “I think it’s been tarnished.”  

Trump tapped Braithwaite for the Navy job after Richard Spencer abruptly left last November following the president’s decision to intervene in the discipline of a Navy SEAL convicted in the military justice system of posing with the corpse of an ISIS fighter. Thomas Modly, who replaced Spencer, serving as acting Navy Secretary, resigned in the midst of the Roosevelt COVID-19 crisis, which grew into a political imbroglio after Modly relieved the aircraft carrier’s captain. Army Undersecretary James McPherson, a retired Navy admiral, was appointed acting Navy secretary until a permanent secretary could be confirmed. 

ARLINGTON, Va. – A lone gunman trying to crash security at the North Gate of Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, was stopped by Naval Security Forces, the Navy said May 21.

Early reports from the base on Twitter said Naval Security Forces responded to an active shooter at approximately 6:15 a.m. local time. That notice said the said shooter “has been neutralized.”

The latest information from the Navy Office of Information said, “The shooter no longer poses a threat.” One Sailor attached to Navy Security Forces at the air station sustained minor injuries and was released from a local hospital, according to the Navy statement.

The FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) are investigating with local law enforcement. FBI is the lead investigative agency.

The incident took place just three days after the Justice Department and FBI announced the Saudi gunman who killed three Sailors and wounded eight others at a NAS-Pensacola, Florida, last December had incriminating cell phone evidence linking him to an al-Qaida affiliate. Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman, at a press briefing on an unrelated matter May 21, said that since the NAS-Pensacola shootings, the department had increased security at installations, but he did not know the exact measures taken at the Texas facility.

FBI officials are saying the incident at Corpus Christi was terrorism-related. Authorities previously said a shooter had been “neutralized,” but there may be a second person of interest still at large, FBI Supervisory Senior Resident Agent Leah Greeves said during a short press briefing. The agent did not provide additional information but said the shooter is deceased.

The base, on the Gulf Coast of Texas, was on lockdown after the incident began, but the Navy said the installation was open with traffic flowing through the South Gate. The North Gate remained closed.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Sidelined pier-side for nearly two months after an outbreak of COVID-19 infected 1,100 crew members, hospitalized several and killed one, the USS Theodore Roosevelt sailed from Naval Base Guam on May 21 on a test run to ensure the carrier’s aircraft and personnel are ready to resume their mission.

The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier, the first Navy warship to endure an outbreak of the virus at sea, is underway to begin a 10- to 14-day “shakedown cruise type of activity” that includes recertifying Carrier Air Wing 11, the ship’s flight deck and the crew, Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman told media assembled there.

See: More Returning Theodore Roosevelt Sailors Test Positive for COVID-19

After the air wing completes carrier qualification flights, the Theodore Roosevelt will return to Guam to pick up remaining crew members who have been quarantined while recovering from the virus, Hoffman said, adding that there’s been no change in the carrier’s mission to the Indo-Pacific.

The Navy has learned a lot about social distancing, the wearing of face coverings, frequent testing and temperature surveillance since the first cases appeared aboard the carrier in March, Hoffman said, but “no one going into this believes this is the last we’ve seen of [the] coronavirus.”

Nevertheless, “We’re not going leave our ships in port. We’re not going stand down. We’re going to continue to sail, continue to patrol,” he added.

After moving nearly 4,000 crew members off the ship and cleaning the entire vessel from bow to stern, hundreds of crew, enough to operate the ship while it is underway, have returned from quarantine after passing rigorous return-to-work criteria. Scaled-back manning allowed the ship to bring on board the right makeup of personnel required to safely operate and complete a particular mission requirement, according to a Navy statement.

“We are scaling our manning on board based on our mission requirement,” said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, the Theodore Roosevelt’s commanding officer. “Carrier qualification requires fewer personnel than other missions and bringing fewer Sailors on board will enable enhanced social distancing while underway,” he added.

In addition to social distancing, Sailors aboard will execute Navy COVID-19 prevention and mitigation policies, including all required lessons learned from a safety stand down last week and a simulated underway earlier this week.

During the simulated underway, known as a “fast cruise,” the crew walked through routine and emergency procedures while executing COVID-19 mitigation measures, including wearing masks, medical surveillance of 100% of the crew, adjusted meal hours, minimizing in-person meetings, sanitizing spaces and a simulated medical evacuation.

“It feels great to be back at sea,” said Rear Adm. Stu Baker, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9.

“Getting Theodore Roosevelt and Carrier Air Wing 11 one step closer to returning to their mission in the Indo-Pacific is a great achievement for the crew,” Baker said.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s newest aircraft carrier is progressing through its post-shakedown workload and is preparing to integrate its assigned air wing, Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8). 

Although the Ford has conducted more than 3,000 catapult launches and arrested landings, those have been performed by test units, training squadrons, fleet replacement squadrons and other fleet squadrons. When CVW-8 comes aboard in early June, the ship and its air wing will be integrated as a warfighting team for the first time. 

The Navy and its industry partners have been working to ready the Ford to embark the 1,200 personnel and prepare for flight operations with CVW-8.  

James. F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, said in a May 20 teleconference with reporters that “the next thing with [Ford] will be embarking the air wing and going to cyclic ops.”  

On May 18, the carrier completed 167 launches and arrested landings — far greater than the ship’s previous record of 135, Geurts said. 

The Ford, built by Huntington Ingalls’ Newport News Shipbuilding, is equipped with the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), both built by General Atomics. Both, plus the Advanced Weapon Elevators (AWEs) designed for the Ford class, are key to achieving the sortie rate that will increase the carrier’s striking power over Nimitz-class carriers.  

The AWEs, 11 of which the Ford is to be equipped, are necessary to speed ordnance to the flight deck for arming of aircraft. The “bomb farm” that the Nimitz class had on the narrow part of flight deck on the starboard side of the island superstructure to temporarily park weapons carts is not a feature of the Ford class. The difficulties with equipping the Ford with the AWEs has played a significant part in the delays of the aircraft carrier becoming deployable. 

Geurts said the Navy/industry team has been steadily working through the AWE issues and recently certified the aft Lower Stage 5 AWE that lifts ordnance from the aft magazine to the flight deck. With this AWE operational, the carrier air wing can conduct some at-sea training with inert ordnance.   

Geurts also said that the forward lower AWE, Lower Stage 1, which “will give access to the forward ammo bay,” is set to be operational by the end of fiscal 2021. “The remaining elevators are really more about getting additional capacity and redundancy,” he said. 

Capt. Joshua Sager Sager assumed command of CVW-8 on March 5. He has accumulated more than 3,600 flight hours and has completed more than 900 carrier arrested landings. 

“It is an absolute honor and privilege to stand before you as the newest commander of Carrier Air Wing Eight,” Sager said at his change-of-command ceremony, as reported by the Navy News Service. “I look forward to continued service with the more than 1,700 outstanding men and women who comprise one of the finest organizations in this great Navy. We look forward to our upcoming integration with the USS Gerald R. Ford as we expand the capabilities of our service’s newest and most advanced nuclear-powered aircraft carrier.” 

CVW-8 consists of seven aircraft squadrons flying F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2C Hawkeyes, and MH-60S/R Seahawks. A squadron of EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft is expected to join the wing later.

PACIFIC OCEAN — Sailors aboard USS Zumwalt, working with engineers and technicians from Navy surface warfare centers, executed a “structural test fire” of the Mark 46 Mod 2 Gun Weapon System (GWS) at the Naval Air Weapons Center Weapons Division Sea Test Range, Point Mugu, on May 16, according to a U.S. 3rd Fleet release. 

“The privilege of being a ‘first-in-class’ ship includes having the opportunity to systematically conduct testing across the breadth of systems installed onboard the ship,” said Capt. Andrew Carlson, Zumwalt’s commanding officer. “The real plus is conducting those tests, such as today’s live fire with the Mark 46 GWS, which provide tangible evidence of combat capability maturation.” 

The Mark 46 GWS is a remotely operated naval gun system that uses a 30 mm high-velocity cannon, a forward-looking infrared sensor, a low-light TV camera and a laser rangefinder for shipboard self-defense against small, high speed surface targets. It is a program of record already successfully installed and operated on LPD-17- and LCS-class ships. The test firing aboard the Zumwalt was the first large caliber weapons firing event for the Zumwalt-class destroyer program and occurred only three weeks after the Navy officially accepted delivery of the combat system. 

Test fires assess structural and electrical components of the ship against shock and vibration of the weapon firing. They also measure potential hazards to personnel or degradations to adjacent equipment as a result of firing live ordnance. The tests are a coordinated effort between the Zumwalt Class Destroyer Program Office, the U.S. 3rd Fleet, Commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, and the Naval Sea Systems Command surface warfare centers in Dahlgren, Virginia, Port Hueneme, California, and Indian Head, Maryland. 

“Today’s event is the first in a chapter of live-fire test events over the next year that will prove the lethal capability that these ships will bring to the fight,” said Lt. Cmdr. Tim Kubisak, the Zumwalt test officer for the Program Executive Office for integrated warfare systems, embarked aboard the Zumwalt. 

The Zumwalt-class destroyer is designed and built to execute multiple maritime missions, including deterrence and power projection. The ships’ stealth and ability to operate in both the open ocean and near-shore environments creates a new level of battlespace complexity for potential adversaries.  

The Zumwalt is 100 feet longer and 13 feet wider than the Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, providing the space required to execute a wider array of surface, undersea and aviation missions.