Release from the Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs  

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Sept. 28, 2023

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro today announced the creation of the Navy’s Disruptive Capabilities Office (DCO), during remarks at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Centennial Exhibition at the Pentagon, Sept. 28. 

This new organization, said Secretary Del Toro, “will push the bounds of rapidly delivering warfighting capability though the innovative application of existing and new systems, and harnessing today’s exponential growth in technology.”   

For the full remarks, please visit https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Speeches/display-speeches/Article/3540853/secnav-delivers-remarks-at-nrl-100th-anniversary-ceremony/ 

Release from the U.S. Department of Defense 

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SEPT. 28, 2023 

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nomination: 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Heidi K. Berg for appointment to the grade of rear admiral. Berg is currently serving as assistant deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy, N3/N5B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Below is the official biography for Berg: 

Rear Adm. Berg is a native of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. She is a graduate of the U. S. Naval Academy. She studied Russian at the Defense Language Institute, and Arabic at the Kalimat Institute in Cairo, Egypt. Berg holds a Master’s degree in Modern Middle Eastern Studies and Arabic from Oxford University, UK. 

Operational tours include Navy Security Group Activity in Rota, Spain, where Berg flew over 1000 hours as a communications intercept evaluator onboard EP-3E aircraft in support of Operations Provide Promise/Sharp Guard. She deployed onboard the USS Kidd (DDG 993), Cruiser Destroyer Group 12 onboard the USS Saratoga (CV 60), and the USS Key West (SSN 722).  She served on the Sixth Fleet aboard the USS LaSalle (AGF 3) in Gaeta, Italy, where she participated in initial talks with the post-Soviet Russian Navy.  She supported global crisis response at Naval Security Group Menwith Hill in Harrogate, UK. In 2012, Berg deployed to Afghanistan as director of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Red Team at ISAF HQ in Kabul. As director, she led alternative analysis and provided strategic assessments to the ISAF Commander. 

She commanded the Navy Information Operations Command in Bahrain, where she was responsible for providing airborne and surface Signal Intelligence support to Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom, and Persian Gulf maritime operations. She also commanded the Navy Element of the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Joint Military Intelligence Training Center. 

Staff assignments include serving as the Airborne SIGINT Requirements Officer (N2N6) on the Chief of Naval Operations (OPNAV) Staff; Information Operations Strategy and Policy (N3IO) at OPNAV; deputy for Plans and Policy at Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. TENTH Fleet; deputy National Intelligence Officer for Military Issues at the National Intelligence Council; Military Advisor to the deputy director of National Intelligence, where she supported daily intelligence briefings to the President and National Security Council; Information Warfare and Foreign Area Officer Director (PERS-47) at Navy Personnel Command, Strategic Advisor (OOZ) to the Chief of Naval Operations; and Acting Director, Navy Digital Warfare Office. 

As a flag officer, Berg served as the director of Intelligence (J-2) at U.S. Africa Command, and as the director of Strategy, Plans and Policy (J-5) at U.S. Cyber Command. 

Release from U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area  

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Sept. 28, 2023 

EAST SIBEREAN SEA – U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy (WAGB 20) crew and embarked researchers completed the 2023 U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) mission, Saturday, servicing the Nansen and Amundsen Basins Observational System (NABOS). 

The month-long mission’s objective was to recover, service, and replace an array of nine long-term subsurface moorings that encircled the Siberian shelf from the Eurasian Basin to the East Siberian Sea.  

These moorings provide insight into how warm water from the Atlantic Ocean enters the Arctic, impacting the deep basin interior, upper ocean, and sea ice as it circulates in the region and beyond. 

In addition, Healy is specially equipped to execute Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) casts, sampling the water column in areas normally inaccessible due to pack ice. During this month-long mission, the cutter conducted 41 such casts. 

Since its beginning in 2002, the primary goal of the NSF-funded NABOS project has been to gain a better understanding of the circulation and transformation of Atlantic waters in the Arctic Ocean. Missions from 2021 to 2025 aim to quantify the role of freshwater as a regulator of heat transfer from Atlantic waters to the sea ice, according to project leader Igor Polyakov at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. 

With these observations, NABOS looks to inform the scientific community and public on the potential impacts to Arctic sea-ice coverage and marine ecosystems, and the expanding effect on the mid-latitudes. The success of NABOS since its earliest days has always been reliant on international partnerships, researchers of diverse backgrounds, and assets such as Healy achieving the results for which the project is known.  

Healy is the Coast Guard’s only research icebreaker, as well as the nation’s sole surface presence routinely operating in the Arctic Ocean.  The platform is ideally specialized for projects like NABOS; providing access to the most remote reaches of the Arctic Ocean; areas barricaded by pack ice and insurmountable by most research vessels.   

Commissioned in 1999, the Healy is one of two active polar icebreakers and is the largest and most technologically advanced icebreaker in the Coast Guard. The Healy’s crew compliment of 84 supports the ship’s primary mission of scientific support. 

Release from HII 

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PASCAGOULA, Miss., Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division, in partnership with Jackson County’s Passion, Purpose, Paycheck (P3) program and the Department of Defense’s (DOD) Project MFG, hosted an inaugural welding competition Sept. 22 at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Students from local career and technical training programs were invited to demonstrate their proficiency in a timed competition. 

Project MFG holds nationwide events that bring together partnerships of employers, educators and communities to inspire the next generation of highly skilled trade professionals. 

“Hosting events like Project MFG is an excellent opportunity to collaborate with our educational partners in raising awareness about careers at Ingalls,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Community Relations Manager Lisa Bradley said. “Connecting young students from the local community and showcasing their talents is an important part of our mission and one of the ways we promote the opportunities available right here in Pascagoula.” 

The collaborative effort drew 24 students from across four area schools and technical training programs to compete in the welding competition. 

Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-ingalls-shipbuilding-project-mfg-welding-competition-2023. 

Competitors were tested on welding skills required in today’s advanced manufacturing field, especially ones that are in high demand at Ingalls. Participants raced against a two-hour clock and were cheered on by school leaders and representatives from Ingalls Shipbuilding. After showcasing their skills, the top three welders were announced. 

First place – Jonathan Hardy, Moss Point High School 

Second place – Nicholas Tapper, Moss Point High School 

Third place – Ethan Williams, Pascagoula High School 

“I want to congratulate all of the students who participated in the Ingalls Project MFG welding competition and took the opportunity to learn more about the important careers available at Ingalls,” P3 Career Coach Supervisor David Fava said. “Connecting students to Project MFG and Ingalls is a win-win scenario for all: Students get to show off their skills to a potential employer; Ingalls is able to show their customer that they have a strong workforce pipeline in place, and DOD gets to celebrate and verify craft skills development in our area.” 

Following the competition, each of the participating students received a contingent offer from Ingalls pending successfully graduating from high school or their current technical training program. The students were also provided with over $200 worth of safety equipment including steel toed shoes, a hard hat, coveralls and a welding shield. 

Project MFG is a program of the Global Learning Accelerator Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit, funded in part by the Department of Defense, and operated and managed by RD Solutions LLC. The mission of the Global Learning Accelerator is to develop exciting and innovative learning opportunities that inspire students and participants to explore and pursue their passions for lifelong success. 

Release from HII 

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NEWPORT NEWS, Va., Sept. 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HII shared today (NYSE: HII) that its Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division has reached a significant milestone in the construction of Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800). 

Arkansas (SSN 800) is now “pressure hull complete,” meaning that all of the hull sections were joined to form a single, watertight unit. 

“It’s exciting to reach pressure hull complete, because it’s a visible sign that construction has progressed to the point where Arkansas really starts to take its final shape,” said Jason Ward, NNS vice president of Virginia-class submarine construction. “We absolutely understand the important mission ahead for Arkansas and are working with urgency to get this powerful national security asset to the Navy as soon as possible.” 

NNS is one of only two shipyards capable of designing and building nuclear-powered submarines. The advanced capabilities of Virginia-class submarines increase firepower, maneuverability and stealth. 

This milestone comes following the christening of Massachusetts (SSN 798) and keel authentication of Oklahoma (SSN 802) at NNS so far in 2023. 

Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-arkansas-ssn-800-newport-news-shipbuilding-pressure-hull-2023. 

Arkansas is the Navy’s 27th Virginia-class fast attack submarine. The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members, including the three men, during the November 2022 keel authentication ceremony. 

Producing state-of-the-art AI-driven technologies for autonomous systems  

September 2023, Global - Advanced Navigation, the world’s most determined innovator in artificial intelligence (AI) for robotic and navigation technologies, has unveiled a new high-tech robotics facility for autonomous systems based at UTS Tech Lab in Botany, New South Wales (NSW), Australia. 

The facility will scale up the manufacturing of Advanced Navigation’s world-first AI navigation systems for GPS-denied environments, including its digital fiber-optic gyroscope (DFOG) technology, Boreas. 

Advanced Navigation is one of only four companies in the world with the capability to manufacture strategic grade fiber-optic gyroscopes. This technology empowers reliable navigation for marine vessels, space missions, aerospace, defense, autonomous vehicles and flying taxis. The company deploys its unique AI-based physics algorithms to solve complex challenges earth-bound and beyond. 

Strengthening Australia’s sovereign capabilities 

Xavier Orr, Advanced Navigation CEO and co-founder, said, “There is a critical need to improve Australia’s economic complexity and sovereign capabilities. A key step is to build our industrial capacity in high-tech, as well as drive knowledge exchange and propel collaborative initiatives between government agencies, academic institutions and industry leaders.” 

State-of-art robotics manufacturing for autonomous systems 

There is a seismic shift across the landscape of sovereign manufacturing, driven by advanced technologies like AI, automation and precision engineering. In the context of autonomous systems, the importance of precision and reliability is non-negotiable. 

Adopting a vertical integration framework, the facility houses equipment and processes for automated manufacturing utilizing machine learning. This guarantees the delivery of reliable, durable and high-quality navigation systems. 

Collaborating with UTS academics and community 

In addition to the manufacturing capability, the facility will be home to extensive research collaborations between Advanced Navigation and the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). This will expedite the commercialization of several socially impactful technologies, including: 

• Light Detection, Altimetry and Velocimetry (LiDAV) system – LiDAV delivers precise three-dimensional velocity and altitude information relative to the lunar surface, enabling complex autonomous landing procedures and confident exploration on the moon. The technology is set to board US-based space systems company Intuitive Machines’ Nova-C lander as part of NASA’s ongoing Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. 
• Cloud Ground Control – A revolutionary cloud-based solution that allows pilots and mission planners to remotely command and control a swarm of uncrewed vehicles across air, land and sea through a web browser. By enabling real-time video feed, and telemetry, and easy access and management of captured data, Cloud Ground Control provides full remote visibility and situational awareness in search and rescue, emergency response and disaster relief operations. 
• Guiding visually impaired passengers – As part of the NSW Small Business Innovation and Research (SBIR) program, Advanced Navigation has developed an indoor positioning technology to support members of the visually impaired community navigate safely inside underground train stations. 

Professor Andrew Parfitt, Vice-Chancellor and President of UTS, said, “UTS is pleased to be working with Advanced Navigation to tap into critical growth areas, including AI, robotics and space technologies. 

The collaboration between UTS’s global research leaders in autonomous systems technology and Advanced Navigation’s exceptional team of scientists and engineers, utilizing UTS Tech Lab’s cutting-edge facilities, highlights our commitment to developing sovereign capabilities for defense and space. 

We look forward to deepening and expanding our collective capabilities with Advanced Navigation to accelerate the production of high-impact innovations.” 

Bolstering societal demand for STEM roles 

The facility appeals to the Federal Government’s ongoing commitment towards building a science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workforce. It is set to drive employment in robotics, manufacturing, photonics, mechatronics and mechanical engineering and other fields. 

Chris Shaw, Advanced Navigation CEO and co-founder, said, “Our new facility will help drive rapid growth in Australia’s STEM industry. Determined to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution, we are commercializing technologies that are key to addressing some of humanity’s biggest challenges. We are honored to partner with UTS, who has a reputation for supporting multidisciplinary research and opening access to next-generation technologies.” 

Advanced Navigation was founded on a culture of research and discovery. Powered by a deep curiosity to apply ground-breaking technologies to uncover and explore new frontiers, the company is ultimately extending human capabilities to build a more resilient and sustainable future with safer outcomes, on and off planet. 

Release from U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area 

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PORTSMOUTH, Va. – The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Forward (WMEC 911) returned to their homeport in Portsmouth, Tuesday, following a 78-day deployment in the North Atlantic Ocean. 

Throughout the deployment, Forward supported the U.S. Coast Guard’s Arctic Strategy and partnered with allied nations and agencies during Operation Nanook 2023, an annual Canadian-led military exercise to strengthen maritime objectives in the high northern latitudes. 

Alongside Canadian and French forces navigating the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, Forward’s crew performed training evolutions including towing and formation steaming, replenishment at sea, visual communications tactical signaling, and cross-deck exercises. In addition, an attached team from Coast Guard Tactical Law Enforcement Team Pacific conducted a boarding exercise with French Navy vessel BSAM Garonne to demonstrate at-sea capabilities and assist in enhancing partner training curriculums. 

During the deployment, Forward also completed two living marine resources enforcement patrols. The first was carried out in support of the First Coast Guard District’s living marine resources mission. The second, conducted alongside international partners, was focused on commercial fishing vessels inspections as part of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization. The NAFO fisheries patrol ensured compliance with international fishing norms while safeguarding natural resources and preserving fish stocks, all reinforcing U.S. dedication to combatting illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing. 

Forward collaborated with embarked U.S. Navy personnel from the Unmanned Undersea Vehicle Flotilla-1 team to launch their Razorback UUV. The undersea vehicle, equipped with mapping and sonar capabilities, deployed deeper than any U.S. Navy submersible and traveled to a depth of nearly 2,000 feet (600 meters). 

Members from the U.S. Navy’s Afloat Training Group Atlantic were also embarked aboard Forward to help build their service’s Arctic Vision Initiative, which will serve to inform U.S. Navy training entities of seamanship, navigation, engineering, and medical considerations necessary for operating naval vessels in the polar regions. 

Forward sailed more than 10,500 nautical miles while the crew liaised with international partners through a series of port calls. Forward visited Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, during their Natal Day celebration to observe the province’s birthday. Crew members then traveled to Nuuk, Greenland, and completed a short visit to St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada, before transiting back to the United States. 

Forward ended the deployment by hosting several Indo-Pacific heads of state who were participating in the 2023 U.S.-Pacific Island Country Summit in Baltimore, Maryland. Approximately 40 international guests joined Forward for a tour and reception ahead of the transfer of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) to a Pacific Ocean homeport. 

“We had the opportunity to advance objectives of the Arctic Strategy and support the IUU Fishing Strategic Outlook,” said Cmdr. Staci Rutsch, commanding officer of Forward. “Acting as true ambassadors, we represented the nation in diplomatic engagements with NATO partners, reinforcing U.S. interests and solidifying the USCG as being the partner of choice. This crew’s ability to shift to perform highly in our non-standard missions leaves me impressed and motivated every day.” 

For information on how to join the U.S. Coast Guard, visit www.GoCoastGuard.com to learn more about active duty and reserve officer and enlisted opportunities. Information on how to apply to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy can be found here. 

Release from HII 

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PASCAGOULA, Miss., Sept. 26, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125) departed HII’s (NYSE: HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division Tuesday. DDG 125 will be commissioned Oct. 7, 2023 at a ceremony in Tampa, Florida, before sailing to its homeport in San Diego. 

“Watching Jack H. Lucas sail away is a proud moment for our entire DDG shipbuilding team,” Ingalls Shipbuilding DDG Program Manager Ben Barnett said. “Our shipbuilders will follow this first Flight III destroyer with honor as it joins the fleet as one of the most highly capable destroyers we have delivered.” 

Ingalls has delivered 35 Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to the U.S. Navy including the Jack H.Lucas (DDG 125), in June of this year. Additionally, Ingalls has four other Flight III destroyers currently under construction including Ted Stevens (DDG 128), Jeremiah Denton (DDG 129), George M. Neal (DDG 131) and Sam Nunn (DDG 133). 

Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyers incorporate a number of design modifications that collectively provide significantly enhanced capability. DDG 125 includes the AN/SPY-6(V)1 Air and Missile Defense Radar (AMDR) and the Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System that are designed to keep pace with the threats well into the 21st century. 

Photos accompanying this release are available at: https://hii.com/news/hii-ingalls-shipbuilding-jack-h-lucas-ddg-125-sailaway-2023. 

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are highly capable, multi-mission ships and can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection. Guided missile destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. surface fleet and are capable of fighting multiple air, surface and subsurface threats simultaneously. 

Release from Secretary of the Navy Public Affairs 

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Sept. 26, 2023 

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro today called for a “new maritime statecraft” to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition, during remarks at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Sept. 26.  
 
During his speech, Secretary Del Toro stated that maritime statecraft, in a broad sense, encompasses not only naval diplomacy, but a national, whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval. 

Read the Full Release Here: 

https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/Speeches/display-speeches/Article/3538420/secnav-delivers-remarks-at-harvard-kennedy-school/

Release from Northrop Grumman 

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LOS ANGELES – Sept. 25, 2023 – Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) announced today the U.S. Air Force has awarded the company an approximately $705 million contract to deliver the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW), an air-to-ground weapon that accelerates the pivot to a new generation of air power. 

• Northrop Grumman’s SiAW leverages the company’s weapons systems design, development and production expertise to deliver on the Air Force’s digital engineering priorities and accelerate capability for the warfighter. 
• During the next 36 months, Northrop Grumman will further develop the weapon, conduct platform integration and complete the flight test program for rapid prototyping in preparation for rapid fielding. Work will be performed at the company’s Northridge, California facility and its factory of the future for missile integration at Allegany Ballistics Laboratory in West Virginia. 

Expert: 

Susan Bruce, vice president, advanced weapons, Northrop Grumman: “Northrop Grumman’s SiAW delivers on the Air Force’s desire for its first digital weapons acquisition and development program. With our expert digital engineering capabilities, this next-generation missile represents an adaptable, affordable way for the Department of Defense to buy and modernize weapons.” 

Details on SiAW and Phase 2 Development: 

SiAW is an air-to-ground weapon that will provide strike capability to defeat rapidly relocatable targets as part of an enemy’s anti-access/area denial environment. To adapt to ever-changing threats, the missile design features open architecture interfaces that will allow for rapid subsystem upgrades to field enhanced capabilities to the warfighter. 

Phase 2 development is a continuation of the Air Force requirement for this first-of-its-kind Middle Tier Acquisition large weapon program focused on digital engineering, Weapon Open System Architecture and agility. The Air Force is targeting an initial operational capability by 2026. Phase 2 consists of two primary increments: 

• Phase 2.1 concludes with a guided vehicle flight test. 
• Phase 2.2 concludes with three additional flight tests and the delivery of SiAW leave-behind prototype missiles and test assets. 

The development of SiAW is part of Northrop Grumman’s broad offerings in advanced weapons, including armaments, components, missiles, electronics and interceptors to defeat and deter threats.