NEW LONDON, Conn. — The U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Class of 2020 is the largest and most inclusive graduating class and includes the largest number of female graduates in the institution’s history, the academy said in a May 21 release.  They also became the first class to hold a virtual commencement ceremony due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Commencement day activities began at 1 p.m. with recorded congratulatory messages from a host of flag officers, elected officials and celebrities, including TV weatherman and producer of the Coast Guard TV series Al Roker, as well as actors Gary Sinise and Kevin Costner, who referenced his portrayal of a Coast Guard swimmer in the film “The Guardian.” 

The five international students from the class were also sent congratulatory messages from officials representing their respective home countries of Haiti, Mexico, the Philippines and the Federated States of Micronesia.  

The official ceremony consisted of a combination of live streamed footage from the official party on Cadet Memorial Field at the Academy, along with a mix of pre-recorded videos that closely followed the traditional run of past events. The event ended with recorded messages from the graduates to the rest of their classmates. 

As the distinguished honor graduate of the Class of 2020, Ensign Alaric Stone gave an address that touched on the successes of his classmates despite the unprecedented circumstances they found themselves in and the bonds that hold them together. 

“It is a testament to our resilience in the face of adversity and our ability to take failure in our stride,” Stone said. “With 2020 vision we’ve been able to look beyond hardship and see what is truly important. Each other. Through trials and tribulations both big and small we have always remained a team. A family.” 

In his remarks, Rear Adm. Bill Kelly, the Coast Guard Academy’s superintendent, reminded the audience of the inclusive nature of the class. 

“This year, we graduate the largest number of African-Americans, Native-Americans and Alaska natives and we continue to graduate more Hispanic officers than ever before,” Kelly said. 

“The hard work to be more representative of the nation we serve is paying dividends, and while the demographic profile of this class is the most diverse ever, it’s the perspective, the skills and abilities each and every graduate brings to the service that makes them uniquely qualified to serve and lead during these unprecedented times.” 

Standing on the stage alongside the official party at Cadet Memorial Field, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Karl Schultz made brief remarks before introducing a prerecorded message from U.S. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

Milley told the graduates that, as leaders, they would be counted on during difficult circumstances. 

“Honor, respect and devotion to duty,” Milley said. “These words can’t be abstract to you. In our profession, you must develop a bond of trust like no other occupation in the world. You have to trust each other. You have to trust the chain of command. You have to trust the petty officers and the seamen, and they must trust you.” 

In his recorded remarks, Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolfe welcomed the graduates into the U.S. Department of Homeland Security team and reminded them what it takes to serve in the current environment. 

“As frustrating as it may be, the unorthodox situation in which we find ourselves today is emblematic of what you will all find when you are on the front lines defending this country, and that is the need to be prepared for the unexpected,” Wolfe said.

“Put simply, life is going to look a lot different out there than it did inside your classrooms at the academy, and that is why I expect you to always keep learning. It is the best way to prepare yourself for the challenges that lie ahead.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Marine Corps’ KC-130J Super Hercules tanker/transport aircraft is getting an infrared countermeasures system at last. 

The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s Aircraft Prototyping Systems Division has awarded BAE Systems a prime position on a $26.7 million task order to install, integrate and test the Large Aircraft Infrared Countermeasures (LAIRCM) system on KC-130Js. 

The LAIRCM system, built by Northrop Grumman, is a tail-mounted pod with a turreted laser system that “improves aircraft capability and survivability by countering advanced infrared missile system threats,” according to a BAE Systems release. 

The LAIRCM uses laser beams to detect and disable the seekers of incoming infrared-seeking missiles. 

Until now, Marine Corps KC-130Js have operated in combat zones such as Afghanistan and Iraq but without a defensive countermeasures system. Some KC-130Js have operated in direct combat with the Harvest HAWK system, which includes Hellfire, Griffin and Viper Strike missiles for close air support missions.  

David Nagy, director of flight solutions for BAE, told Seapower that the LAIRCM systems procured from Northrop Grumman will be provided by the government to BAE for installation on the aircraft. BAE will install the LAIRCM systems in up to 19 KC-130Js under the contract over the next five years, if all options are exercised. 

The work will be performed in Crestview, Florida, in partnership with Vertex Aerospace Aircraft Integration and Sustainment Division. Under previous contracts, the BAE-Vertex team has installed LAIRCM systems on Air Force and foreign military aircraft,  

“The BAE Systems turnkey solution provides program management, inventory control, engineering support, installation, and system testing of the DoN [Department of the Navy] LAIRCM upgrade,” the release said. “Aircraft maintenance and support activities will also be provided as required. This is the second task order awarded to BAE Systems under the Prototyping and Limited Production indefinite delivery indefinite quantity contract.” 

 “The program office looks forward to working with BAE Systems on the DoN LAIRCM installations,” said Navy Capt. Steven Nassau, program manager for Naval Air Systems Command’s PMA-207, as noted in the BAE Systems release.

“This competitive award will allow the Marine Corps to move from government depot installation to industry without a gap in services. It is a great reflection on the dedication of the KC-130J Mission Systems Team and the contracts office. It also speaks to the flexibility of both the Navy and industry.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has issued a formal notice that it is setting a standoff distance of 100 meters for other ships approaching its vessels — and the sea service is warning armed adversaries that it could consider crossing that line as a threat. 

In a May 20 “notice to mariners” broadcast to shipping, the Navy said that “due to recent events, in order to enhance safety, minimize ambiguity and reduce opportunities for miscalculation, all vessels are advised to maintain a safe distance of at least 100 meters from U.S. naval vessels in international waters/straits. 

“Armed vessels approaching within 100 meters of a U.S. naval vessel may be interpreted as a threat and subject to lawful defensive measures.” 

The maritime area affected by the notice includes the Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf.  

The formal notice was published following incidents near the Strait of Hormuz on April 15, when 11 Iranian navy (IRGCN) armed small craft “repeatedly conducted dangerous and harassing approaches of the USS Lewis B. Puller, USS Paul Hamilton, USS Firebolt, USS Sirocco, USCGC Wrangell and USCGC Maui while the U.S. vessels were conducting joint integration operations with U.S. Army AH-64E Apache attack helicopters in the international waters of the North Arabian Gulf,” the U.S. 5th Fleet said in a release. 

“The IRGCN vessels repeatedly crossed the bows and sterns of the U.S. vessels at extremely close range and high speeds, including multiple crossings of the Puller with a 50-yard closest point of approach and within 10 yards of Maui’s bow,” the release added.  

“The U.S. crews issued multiple warnings via bridge-to-bridge radio, five short blasts from the ships’ horns and long-range acoustic noise maker devices but received no response from the IRGCN. After approximately one hour, the IRGCN vessels responded to the bridge-to-bridge radio queries, then maneuvered away from the U.S. ships and opened distance between them.”   

The Iranians occasionally have used their highly maneuverable boats in swarms to harass naval and merchant ships in the Persian Gulf and last year captured merchant ships flagged in the United Kingdom and other nations.  

Many U.S. ships are armed with Mk38 25 mm chain guns and M2 .50-caliber machine guns — in addition to larger-caliber guns on some ships — for countering fast attack craft, while many helicopters based on American ships are armed with Hellfire and Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guided missiles that are effective against such craft.  

In January 2016, Iranian boats seized two U.S. Navy riverine command boats and detained the crews after the U.S. boats strayed into Iranian waters off Farsi Island in the Persian Gulf. The crews and boats later were released.  

The notice also said that “mariners are reminded to operate in accordance within international law and with due regard for the safe navigation of other vessels. All vessels operating in the vicinity of U.S. naval vessels are advised to clearly communicate intentions, respond to queries concerning course and speed, exercise principles of prudent seamanship required under international and remain at maximum distance from U.S. naval forces.”

Note: This post was updated May 19, 2020 at 6 p.m.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Despite 14 crewmembers testing positive for COVID-19 a second time, the virus-stricken aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt is running a pier-side simulation to prepare for eventual return to sea after months sidelined at Naval Base Guam.

The first deployed Navy warship to suffer a COVID-19 outbreak, the TR has been docked in Guam since March 27, undergoing a bow-to-stern intensive cleaning while most of the nearly 5,000 crewmembers were disembarked and quarantined or isolated on Guam. After 14 days under observation ashore and twice testing negative for the virus, crewmembers began returning to the ship by the hundreds in late April.

See: Hospital Ship Mercy Bids Farewell to Los Angeles

The returning crew are conducting a simulation called “Fast Cruise,” that recreates normal underway conditions, while still moored in Guam.

“Fast Cruise is the culmination of all systems being online and operationally checked as the crew executes major at sea evolutions while being pier side. The crew will simulate normal underway conditions and test the critical systems required to sustain the ship away from the pier,” Pacific Fleet spokesperson Cmdr. J, Myers Vasquez said in a statement March 19. “As TR prepares to return the ship to sea their way forward is conditions-based and is dependent on the recovery of the crew,” the statements added. It was not clear whether the most recent re-infections would slow the carrier’s return to its mission. “Due to operational security concerns, the U.S. Navy does not address future ship movements or operations,” Vasquez’s statement noted.

Nine more Sailors have joined five others who tested positive for COVID-19 last week, a Navy official said May 18. All were among more than 1,100 crew members who were diagnosed with the virus and taken off the ship and isolated or quarantined for 14 days. To return to the carrier after two weeks of observation, Sailors had to test negative two straight times. The initial five who were re-infected were among hundreds of crewmembers who have returned to the Roosevelt since late April.

“Fast cruise is a major milestone for the ship and for the crew,” said Capt. Carlos Sardiello, commanding officer of the Teddy Roosevelt. “Our Sailors have tested all of the ship’s systems individually, but this is our opportunity to integrate all of that together and show that Theodore Roosevelt is ready and able to go back to sea.”

Following a successful fast cruise, the ship will commence underway training and carrier qualifications to support the air wing’s return to operational readiness.

Sardiello, who previously commanded the ship, took over again in early April when his replacement, Capt. Brett Crozier, was relieved of his command. A fleetwide investigation is looking into how the COVID-19 outbreak on the Theodore Roosevelt was handled by the chain of command and whether Crozier should be restored as the carrier’s commander.

During the ship’s infection surveillance, a single active case of tuberculosis also was identified and diagnosed. The diagnosed individual was removed from the ship, isolated and will remain under the direct care of the Navy’s health system until cleared by doctors, according to a March 14 statement from the Navy. A thorough contact investigation has been conducted, and those Sailors have been medically evaluated and cleared. There are no other active cases pending.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Information gleaned from the iPhones of a Saudi gunman who killed three Sailors and wounded eight others at a Florida naval base last December links him to an al-Qaida affiliate, FBI and Justice Department officials disclosed on May 18.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr announced that the FBI had recently succeeded in unlocking the phones of 2nd Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani of the Royal Saudi Air Force, who was killed by security officers during the Dec. 6, 2019, rampage at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, where he was an aviation cadet.

‘’The phones contained important, previously unknown information that definitively established Alshamrani’s significant ties to al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula [AQAP], not only before the attack, but before he even arrived in the United States,” said Barr, adding “the FBI now has a clearer understanding of Alshamrani’s associations and activities in the years, months and days leading up to the attack.”

Investigators received court authorization to search the contents of Alshamrani’s iPhones the day after the 2019 attack. But they were unable to unlock the phones’ security features and approached Apple Inc., manufacturer of the iPhone, for assistance in early January. However, the technology company declined to assist, officials said, and it took FBI technicians months to access the phones’ contents, which ended up showing that Alshamrani and his AQAP associates communicated using apps that featured end-to-end encryption to evade law enforcement.

Additional information stored in the phones revealed Alshamrani had been radicalized by 2015, had connected and associated with AQAP operatives and joined the Royal Saudi Air Force to carry out a “special operation.” In the months before the attack, Alshamrani had specific conversations with overseas AQAP associates about plans and tactics. The FBI maintained he was communicating with AQAP right before the attack and conferred with his associates up until the night before the December shootings.

Ensign Joshua Watson, Airman Mohammed Haitham and Airman Cameron Walters were killed in the attack and eight others were severely wounded. Alshamrani was armed with a locally obtained 9 mm Glock handgun.

The incident prompted the Pentagon to order a stop to all International Military Student (IMS) training at U.S. installations and directed a review of all vetting and security procedures. Defense Secretary Mark Esper later approved an extensive list of recommendations and directed immediate implementation across all the military services.

The added background checks and new physical security procedures included restrictions on IMS possession and use of firearms and ammunition. New control measures also limited IMS access to military installations and U.S. government facilities and set new standards for training and education on detecting and reporting insider threats.

Barr said Saudi Arabia “gave complete and total support for our counter-terrorism investigation and ordered all Saudi trainees to fully cooperate. There was no evidence of assistance or pre-knowledge of the attack by other members of the Saudi military training in the United States, officials said.

SAN DIEGO — Naval Air Systems Command has awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems a contract for engineering and logistics sustainment of Gerald R. Ford-class Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) systems, the company announced May 18. 

General Atomics will provide engineering, technical, configuration management and program support for EMALS and AAG systems installed aboard Ford-class aircraft carriers. 

“We are proud to continue our working relationship with the Navy and extend our support for these critical technologies as the program advances into a new phase,” said Scott Forney, president of General Atomics. 

“This contract signals the program is now moving from the design and development phase and into concurrent production and sustainment phase, providing sustaining engineering, material and maintenance support for all Ford-class aircraft carriers. Our in-depth knowledge, expertise and commitment to providing a full range of lifecycle support services will ensure these systems meet or exceed mission requirements for as long as these first-of-kind launch and recovery systems remain in service to the fleet.” 

At-sea test periods are ongoing for the first carrier of the class, the USS Gerald R. Ford. In February, EMALS and AAG were cleared for shipboard launch and recovery of all currently deployed naval aircraft types aboard the Ford. 

More than 2,300 successful day and night aircraft launches and recoveries using EMALS and AAG onboard have been completed. In addition, the Ford has finished flight-deck certification, aircraft compatibility testing and fleet replacement squadron training exercises for pilots to earn their qualifications on specific aircraft. EMALS and AAG continue to perform and execute according to specifications with the objective of reaching the sortie generation rates required for combat readiness. 

General Atomics is delivering EMALS and AAG for the future USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise. Significant cost savings are being realized through multiple ship production contracts, which minimize gaps in production while maximizing planning, scheduling and delivery to support all three Ford-class carriers.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S Navy has issued request for information (RFI) to the defense industry, looking at options for a new training jet that could possibly complement or replace the current Boeing T-45C Goshawk starting in 2028. 

The RFI, posted May 14, is exploring options for a version of an existing design that would be land-based but also capable of field carrier landing practice and touch-and-go landings on an aircraft carrier but not arrested landings or catapult launches. 

The T-45 is fully carrier capable and has been in service since the mid-1990s. All existing Goshawks are T-45C configurations. A new trainer to supplement the T-45C could reduce the number of landings for the T-45C, extending its remaining service life. However, the RFI says the T-45 system “is anticipated to be re-capitalized by replacement, during the 2028 timeframe” or sooner.  

The Navy’s requirements include a two-pilot cockpit with ejection seats; a helmet-mounted or heads-up display; an angle-of-attack indexer; two weapon pylons for Mk76 practice bombs and pods of 2.75-inch rockets; and a precision-landing system; and an automatic ground collision avoidance system. 

The new aircraft must be able to simulate mission systems including radar, electro-optical/infrared sensors, electronic attack sensors, radar warning receivers and weapons employment in the air-to-air or air-to-ground modes.  

The Navy wants the new aircraft to have a service life of 14,000 flight hours and 43,200 landings. Each aircraft would be required to fly 400 hours per year and conduct 1,200 FCLPs and 45 carrier touch-and-goes per year.  

The new aircraft must be capable of flying in all types of weather, day or night. 

Ground-based training systems, including simulators, also are part of the RFI provisions. Reponses to the RFI are due to the Navy by July 13. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt has arrived at its new homeport, Naval Station Rota, Spain, the U.S. 6th Fleet said in a May 18 release. 

The destroyer arrived May 16 after participating in a regional patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. The ship departed its previous homeport, Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on March 21. 

“The Roosevelt is replacing USS Carney in the first of several scheduled homeport shifts to occur in support of the U.S. Navy’s long-range plan to gradually rotate the four Rota-based destroyers,” the release said. 

The Roosevelt will join USS Ross, a Flight I destroyer, USS Donald Cook, and USS Porter, a Flight II DDG, as part of the Forward-Deployed Naval Force-Europe in the 6th Fleet. The four ships perform ballistic-missile defense patrols in the Mediterranean among other missions for the fleet. 

The Roosevelt is a Flight IIA DDG that brings the Aegis Baseline 9/Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) 5.1 Advanced Capability Build upgrade to the Aegis Combat System. 

The system “integrates its weapons and sensors to include Cooperative Engagement Capability; Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile; Mk15 Close-In Weapons System Block 1B; and the Mk41 Vertical Launching System, capable of supporting Standard Missile (SM) 3 and newer variants. These capabilities vastly increase the sea-based BMD force structure and contribute to NATO’s robust integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) architecture,” the release said. 

Another arrival with the Roosevelt were two embarked MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from Detachment 7 of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 48.   

“Having the MH-60R on board provides Roosevelt with an organic asset that enhances situational awareness in the areas of [anti-submarine warfare] and [surface warfare],” Lt. Cmdr. Benjamin T. Harris, air operations officer of HSM-48 Detachment 7, said in the release. “Additionally, the MH-60R provides the ship an [organic] asset capable of performing [search and rescue], logistics support and a variety of other missions without having to rely on outside entities.” 

“Roosevelt and her crew add increased lethality with the Navy’s most advanced sensors, weapons, and communication systems, to include our embarked MH-60R [helicopter] teams,” said Cmdr. Matthew Molmer, commanding officer of the Roosevelt. “Our ability to integrate with 6th Fleet, joint players in Europe, and the nation’s allies and partners adds capabilities that we are just beginning to leverage.” 

The Navy plans to station a full MH-60R squadron in Rota by the time the three remaining Flight I/II DDGs are replaced. 

“Roosevelt has already proven she is a great asset to 6th Fleet, enhancing the capabilities of our Forward Deployed Naval Forces-Europe Aegis destroyers in Rota, Spain,” said Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, commander of the 6th Fleet. “Her arrival, hosted by our long-standing ally, Spain, enhances our combined commitment to a stable and secure Europe and further reinforces our ironclad commitment to our allies and partners.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — A major factor in the power of special operations forces (SOF) — stealth — is becoming increasingly threatened by advances in sensors and other capabilities of adversaries and needs to be protected by additional measures, SOF leaders said.   

Speaking May 13 in a component commanders roundtable at the Virtual Special Operations Forces Industrial Conference, Rear Adm. Collin Green, commander, Navy Special Warfare Command, and Maj. Gen. Daniel Yoo, commander, Marine Corps Special Operations Command — the Raiders, said that ways need to be found to reduce the signature of their SEALs and Raiders while they are operating in the field. 

The capabilities of adversaries, including terrorists and insurgents, is becoming increasingly sophisticated as they adopt the increasingly smaller but highly capable technologies once the province of major militaries. 

For example, some adversaries have been using small unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with optical and infrared sensors to make it increasingly difficult for SEALs and Raiders to remain covert during clandestine operations.  

Green said that his command has a resource strategy with lines of effort to strengthen the SEALs and special boat units as they focus on sustaining a competitive advantage in the maritime domain: “signature reduction, lethality and survivability of our maritime combatant craft” as well as “developing and expanding our undersea capability” now underway with the new Mk11 SEAL Delivery Vehicle and Dry Combat Submersible. 

Yoo noted the emerging technology on low observables, digital material and uniforms, but said that “true full-spectrum signature reduction” is needed “in the information environment that we’re going to fight in. 

“Being able to stay in the shadows and having freedom of movement for our people on the ground or platforms in the air … or using cyber tools to move around freely, to be able to have full-spectrum signature management, that’s an area that everybody is shooting around the target but haven’t developed where you have some kind of assurance that you are going to be able to do that.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — Five more Sailors from the sidelined aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt have tested positive for COVID-19, despite 14 days in isolation on Guam, according to the U.S. Navy.

The five, who previously tested COVID positive and were taken off the carrier, retested positive after returning to the carrier, despite “rigorous recovery criteria, exceeding [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines,” Navy spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Megan Isaac said on May 15.

See: Hospital Ship Mercy Bids Farewell to Los Angeles

Meanwhile, the Pentagon inspector general’s office announced on May 11 that it had launched an evaluation of the Navy’s policies to “prevent and mitigate” the spread of infectious diseases on ships and submarines and whether “mitigation measures that are effective in preventing the spread of COVID-19 were implemented across the fleet.”

Despite the latest setback, the Defense Department and the Navy “have learned much over the last few weeks on how to confront outbreaks on ships,” Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Rath Hoffman told a press briefing, noting that only two warships — the Roosevelt and the destroyer USS Kidd — out of 90 Navy vessels at sea have confronted the virus. He noted the Navy was able to respond more quickly and limit the outbreak on the Kidd because of lessons learned with the Roosevelt.

Hoffman also cited Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley’s frequent claim that “’the TR could be at sea tomorrow if called upon and would be able to fight through this outbreak.”

The new COVID-positive results aboard the Roosevelt come as the carrier, docked in Guam since March 27, prepares to return to sea after a bow-to-stern deep-cleaning process by about 700 crew members. The rest of the ship’s crew, more than 4,000 in total, are disembarked on Guam and either isolated or quarantined. More than 1,100 Sailors from the Roosevelt tested positive for COVID. To return to the carrier after 14 days observation, Sailors had to test negative in two successive tests. The infected five were among hundreds of crew members who have returned to the Roosevelt since late April.

“While onboard, these five TR Sailors self-monitored and adhered to the strict social distancing protocols established by the Navy,” Isaac said in a statement. However, they developed flu-like symptoms “and did the right thing reporting to medical for evaluation,” the statement added.

The five Sailors were immediately removed from the Roosevelt and placed back into isolation. Their close contacts were mapped, and they are receiving the required medical care. “A small number of other Sailors who came in close contact with these individuals were also removed from the ship and tested. They will remain in quarantine pending retest results,” the statement said.

“A process has been put in place to quickly address the issue,” Hoffman told the briefing. “We do want to get to a place where there is zero infections on the ship and the entire ship’s complement is back at sea, but that may take little bit more time,” he said.

After becoming the first Navy ship to suffer a COVID-19 outbreak at sea, the Roosevelt was caught in a controversy that led to Capt. Brett Crozier’s removal from command and the resignation a week later of then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who had ordered Crozier ousted.

Following a first preliminary inquiry, the Navy initiated a probe into Crozier’s actions that was widened by Modly’s successor, acting Navy Secretary James McPherson, to include the entire Pacific Fleet chain of command. Some, including reportedly Chief of Naval Operations Mike Gilday, recommended Crozier be reinstated after the preliminary probe ended.