Release from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs 

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By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs | June 12, 2023 

MANAMA, Bahrain — The Egyptian Navy turned over command of a multinational Red Sea task force to the U.S. Navy, June 12, six months after Egypt began leading the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) operational staff for the first time. 

U.S. Navy Capt. Anthony Webber relieved Egyptian Navy Rear Adm. Mahmoud Abdelsattar as the commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 153 during a ceremony in Bahrain where CMF his headquartered. 

Established in April 2022, CTF 153 is one of five CMF task forces responsible for conducting maritime security and training operations across the Middle East. The multinational staff supporting CTF 153 specifically focuses on international maritime security efforts in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandeb and Gulf of Aden. 

“It was a great honor to be the commander of CTF 153,” said Mahmoud. “For the last six months, we have worked closely with partner nations, maintained stability in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait and Gulf of Aden, and proved once again that Egypt is committed to maintaining maritime security and enhancing our capabilities through trust, training and working together.” 

Webber assumes command of CTF 153 while still serving as commander for Task Force 55, U.S. 5th Fleet’s operational staff overseeing U.S. Navy surface assets employed in the Middle East. 

“It takes all of us working together to make a winning team, and I have all the confidence in the world that we will do just that in carrying out our duties with honor and commitment,” Webber told the CTF 153 team. “Your achievements are vast and I am honored in having this remarkable opportunity to serve with you.” 

With 38 nations, CMF is the largest naval partnership in the world. Other task forces include CTF 150, focused on maritime security in the Gulf of Oman, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden; CTF 151, which leads regional anti-piracy efforts; CTF 152, dedicated to maritime security in the Arabian Gulf; and CTF 154, established in May to enhance maritime security training throughout the region. 

Release from Curtiss-Wright 

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DAVIDSON, N.C. – June 12, 2023 – Curtiss-Wright Corporation (NYSE: CW) today announced that it has been awarded a $24 million contract from Nellis Air Force Base to provide Flight Test Instrumentation (FTI) equipment in support of the F-35 Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3) program. Technology Refresh 3 represents a series of critical upgrades to the F-35′s hardware and software meant to improve its displays, memory and computer processing capability and support future modernization capabilities. 

“We are proud to have been selected by Nellis Air Force Base to provide our aerospace instrumentation technology for use on critical flight tests of the F-35 TR-3 program,” said Lynn M. Bamford, Chair and CEO of Curtiss-Wright Corporation. “The receipt of this contract reflects our long-standing relationships and ongoing collaboration with the F-35 Joint Program Office and U.S. Flight Test Range engineers and personnel, and demonstrates the trust and confidence that customers place in Curtiss-Wright’s advanced and reliable integrated high-speed flight test instrumentation systems.” 

Curtiss-Wright has worked closely over the past three years with U.S. Flight Test Ranges, including Nellis AFB and the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, as well as the F 35 Joint Program Office, to define and architect the Distributed Flight Test Instrumentation (DFTI) system that enables the test and evaluation of F-35 TR-3 configured aircraft. Curtiss-Wright’s FTI technology forms part of the DFTI system, where products and subsystems that enable the acquisition, collation, processing, recording, and telemetry of flight test data support the seamless transport of that data. Because it is networked, DFTI enables the distribution of flight test instrumentation equipment closer to the measured parameters, resulting in increased test accuracy. 

Since 1998, Curtiss-Wright has successfully supported Nellis AFB with FTI solutions that meet the highest standards. As a total systems provider for FTI, Curtiss-Wright provides products and services that collect, collate, process, record, transmit via RF links, and analyze and display flight test data.  

Curtiss-Wright is performing the work at its TTC facility in Newtown, Pa., within its Defense Solutions division in the Defense Electronics segment. For more information about Curtiss-Wright’s Defense Solutions division products, please visit www.curtisswrightds.com.  

Release from U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs  

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By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs | June 09, 2023 

MANAMA, Bahrain — Maritime forces from Iraq, Kuwait and the United States completed a joint patrol in the Arabian Gulf, June 6, marking the third time in less than a year the three nations sailed together to promote regional maritime security. 

U.S. Navy mine countermeasures ship USS Gladiator (MCM 11) operated with patrol boat P-312 from Iraq as well as Kuwait’s missile-attack craft Failaka (P3715). The three nations previously conducted similar exercises in the Arabian Gulf in December and August last year. 

Gladiator is a mine countermeasures ship designed to clear mines from vital waterways. The ship is forward-deployed to Bahrain where U.S. 5th Fleet is headquartered. 

The U.S. 5th Fleet operating area includes 21 countries, the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Bab al-Mandeb and Suez Canal. 

Release from U.S. Fleet Forces Command 

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By U.S. Fleet Forces Command And U.S. Marine Forces Command Public Affairs 

09 June 2023 

NORFOLK, Va. – U.S. Fleet Forces Command and U.S. Marine Forces Command will conduct Fleet Battle Problem 2023 (FBP 23-1) June 9-13 on land and off the coast of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina and the Virginia Capes to further develop integrated maritime capabilities with the II Marine Expeditionary Force and U.S. 2nd Fleet. 
 
FBPs occur multiple times a year to practice and assess new warfighting concepts that culminate in large and complex events, such as Large Scale Exercise (LSE). FBP 23-1 will focus on integrated naval capabilities, distributed logistics, and capabilities in support of Expeditionary 
Advanced Base Operations (EABO). 
 
“Across the spectrum of the Navy’s operational level of war learning continuum, Fleet Battle Problems employ real-world equipment and conditions to create challenging and realistic environments designed to enable our Navy and Marine Corps team to assess innovative capabilities and explore new operational concepts,” said Adm. Daryl Caudle, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. “These Battle Problem events are an investment toward developing an integrated maritime force ready to keep pace with the latest technologies, innovative tactics, and 
warfighting concepts needed to overmatch our adversaries.” 
 
FBP 23-1 allows the Navy and Marine Corps to maintain and improve EABO and Littoral Operations in a Contested Environment (LOCE). Both LOCE and EABO contribute to naval operating concepts, such as Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), that place a growing emphasis on Navy-Marine Corps integration. 
 
“The Navy-Marine Corps team continues to innovate and adapt to current and potential threats,” said Lt. Gen. Brian Cavanaugh, the commanding general of Marine Forces Command. “Working together in events like Fleet Battle Problem strengthens our warfighting team, builds on our 
integration and simply makes us a better Naval force ready to answer our Nation’s call.” 
 
Events like Fleet Battle Problem 23-1 improve how the Navy and Marine Corps work together to form a strong and cohesive Maritime Force capable of projecting American power from sea to shore at home and around the world. 

Release from Northrop Grumman

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – June 8, 2023 – The U.S. Navy awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) a production contract for the new AN/WSN-12 Inertial Sensor Module (ISM). Northrop Grumman’s AN/WSN-12 ISM is a next-generation sensor that significantly improves maritime navigation in Global Positioning System (GPS) denied environments for surface ships and submarines. 

“The new AN/WSN-12 Inertial Navigator System will deliver more precision and performance for the warfighter while occupying the same footprint as its predecessor.” said Todd Leavitt, vice president, naval and oceanic systems, Northrop Grumman. “This allows upgrades to be made on existing systems where space is at a premium.” 

The new AN/WSN-12 ISM is a key component of the U.S. Navy’s AN/WSN-12 Inertial Navigator System (INS), upgrading the Northrop Grumman built AN/WSN-7 INS. The WSN-7 is on nearly every ship in the U.S. Navy and has been the program of record for more than two decades. Surface ships and submarines rely heavily on the positioning data provided by GPS for navigation, for safety at sea and to fire weapons. The AN/WSN-12 ISM provides highly accurate positioning data with or without GPS, a key component to establishing  Assured Position, Navigation, and Timing (A-PNT) maritime solutions. The first ISM will be fielded later this year. 

Release from SENEDIA

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SENEDIA Releases Economic Impact Report   

Details the Economic Strength and Growth in the Region  

MIDDLETOWN, RI – SENEDIA, the alliance for Defense tech, talent, and innovation, today released a new report that highlights the importance of the New England Defense Cluster to U.S. economic growth. The term “Defense Cluster” encompasses all defense-related activities including both the private Defense Industry (defense contractors) and the Military Defense Infrastructure, which includes civilian employees working for the Department of Defense (DoD), active-duty military personnel (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force), and U.S. Coast Guard and National Guard personnel.  

In addition to state-level impacts for all six New England states, the report provides a comprehensive look at the New England region’s impact. In 2022, the cluster accounted for $119.1 billion in economic output, representing 9.2 percent of the region’s GDP. It also accounted for 407,523 jobs, generating more than $40 billion in income for households.  

“The Defense Cluster is an engine of innovation nationwide, and especially here in New England, where billions of dollars in economic activity are generated and hundreds of thousands of military and civilian employees have high-wage, high-tech, high-demand careers,” said Molly Donohue Magee, SENEDIA executive director. “A robust Defense Cluster is essential to national security and this report demonstrates that it is equally critical for our economy.”   

New England’s Defense contracts are growing at a faster rate than the national average, making it a major contributor to the U.S. defense industry and regional economy. The cluster significantly impacts job creation, income, and output across every New England state, and has a strong multiplier effect and economic linkages with other sectors in the region.  

“From small, advanced manufacturing businesses and start-up tech companies to major defense contractors and military installations, the Defense Cluster represents tremendous opportunities for the workforce and for our economy,” said Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-RI). “Across New England, we are developing new technologies and capabilities, modernizing our military, building next-gen submarines, and driving broader economic growth today and for the future.”  

High-level findings from the report are summarized on the SENEDIA website, with a full version and state-level highlights available for download.  

“Today’s report provides a timely, comprehensive look at the power and potential of the Defense Cluster and we look forward to seeing how policymakers, employers, and military leaders can make use of this important information,” said Magee.  

To learn more and to download the report, visit the SENEDIA website.

Release from Kongsberg

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We have received an order from Raytheon Missiles & Defense for Naval Strike Missiles to the US Navy Over-The-Horizon Weapon System (OTH WS) program worth MNOK 1 345. 

Raytheon is prime contractor to the US Navy. 

The order is related to the OTH WS framework agreement announced 31 May 2018. We have signed orders for MNOK 3 110 under this framework agreement. 

“This is the largest Naval Strike Missiles-order from US Navy so far. This generates jobs and demand for increased production capacity, both for us and our suppliers. As announced at our CMD in June 2022, we have started a significant investment in a new missile production facility that will be finished in June next year,” says Eirik Lie, President of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. 

 
NSM 
The NSM provides superior operational performance and high survivability against all enemy defence systems. 

High resolution imaging infrared seeker provides ATR and precise hitpoint for each ship class. Thrust to weight ratio above 1 and high-g programmable endgame maneuvers provide unsurpassed defence penetration capabilities. 

 
Over-The-Horizon Weapon System 
The Over-The-Horizon Weapon System is a long-range, surface-to-surface missile employed by either the Littoral Combat Ship or the planned guided-missile frigate, intended to engage maritime targets both inside and beyond the firing unit’s radar horizon. 

The OTH-WS is a stand-alone system consisting of an operator interface console, naval strike missile, and a missile launching system, requiring minimal integration into the host platform. 

The OTH-WS receives targeting data via tactical communications from combatant platforms or airborne sensors and requires no guidance after launch. 

Release from Naval Air Systems Command

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Published: June 8, 2023 

NAVAL AIR SYSTEMS COMMAND, PATUXENT RIVER, Md.–The U.S. Navy awarded General Atomics a $1.204-billion contract modification June 12 to build the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for the future USS Doris Miller (CVN 81). 

The contract includes AAG and EMALS production, shipset deliveries, engineering change orders, production incorporation of obsolescence mitigations, program support, installation, and certification support for CVN 81 through 2032. 

Capt. Mike Kline, program manager for the Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment Program Office (PMA-251) said the contract award is an important evolution in the future of launch and recovery for U.S. Naval warfare. 

“As the fourth Ford-class aircraft carrier to enter the fleet, CVN 81 can lean on CVN 78’s experience, and the lessons learned while advancing EMALS and AAG for the next generation of Sailors,” he said. 

EMALS and AAG certification on USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is currently underway, and system production on USS Enterprise (CVN 80) is near completion. Production work for EMALS and AAG on the CVN 81 will begin immediately, with support planned through 2032. 

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ARLINGTON. Va. — The U.S. Navy needs a non-provocative but purposeful presence in the seas around China to deter challenges to international rules and the security interests of the United States, the chief of naval operations said. 

CNO Admiral Michael Gilday, speaking June 7 to an audience at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank, remarked on the recent incidents in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, particularly the unsafe maneuvers of the PLAN(N) destroyer Luyang III last week in the vicinity of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Chung-Hoon and Canadian frigate HMCS Montreal. 

“We’re handling that, I think, very well, very professionally,” Gilday said. 

“I am encouraged by the most recent turn in dialogue by senior leaders with the toning down of, I would say, militaristic tone,” the CNO said. “I think that’s been helpful. We need to continue to operate out there, and we need to continue to operate forward. We need to assure allies and partners. At the same time, we need to deter anybody, any nation that tends to challenge those international rules, challenge the security interests of not only the United States but our allies and partners and put our economic interests in jeopardy.  

“So, I think we need to be out there, and we need to be in the way,” the admiral said. We can’t just be milling about. It has to be purposeful, and it has to be non-provocative. Let me just underscore that.” 

Gilday said he was concerned about the “lack of transparency” of the Chinese military and “their intentions with respect on how they intend to use their navy to reach President Xi’s goals are concerning with respect on military expansion.”   

Gilday also noted the positive contribution of the Chinese PLAN Navy in anti-piracy operations in recent years off the coast of East Africa.  

“They have been good partners with combating piracy, thwarting it, and keeping those sea lanes open for all,” he said. “That should be a model for the behavior that we should expect from the PRC. I would encourage more of those types of collaborative operations at sea that benefit all of us.”  

Gilday noted that “mil-to-mil [military-to-military] relationships are intended to be a shock absorber. No matter the political climate, those mil-to-mil relationships have to be steady, predictable, and they have to be very measured.” 

Also speaking in the seminar was Peter Levesque, president of CMA CGN shipping company and of American President Lines, who remarked on the tensions in the South China Sea. 

“The major challenge for us is, obviously, what happens in the South China Sea,” Levesque said. “Five trillion dollars of goods flow through the South China Sea every year. It’s a major shipping lane, obviously, for CMA and for the other carriers. We’re worried about what everybody’s worried about, that two planes go bump in the night, or two ships go bump in the night accidentally and spiral into something bigger, and all of a sudden, we can’t use those trade lanes or insurance companies won’t insure our ships to go through those trade lanes.  

“It’s a real concern, and I don’t think we fully comprehend how big of an impact that would be not only to the global supply chain but the U.S. supply chain in particular if tensions get to the point where that’s an unusable space,” he said. 

Release from Coast Guard 5th District 

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June 7, 2023 

PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard held a special status ceremony at Station Oak Island, N.C. Wednesday morning to signify the beginning of it being decommissioned after 69 years of active Coast Guard service. 

The Bayberry was built by Reliable Welding Works in Olympia, WA, and spent its first 17 years in the San Francisco area, with a three year stay in Rio Vista CA, before returning to Seattle in 1971. When it returned to Washington, it was retrofitted with a 60-foot barge for operations and was the only one of its kind. The cutter also became a primary deployer of the Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System, an oil spill recovery system. The Bayberry’s operations in Seattle spanned from 1971 until 2009 when it was relocated to Oak Island.  

The Bayberry’s recent accomplishments include post-hurricane Dorian operations, where the crew led a waterways reconstitution mission, completed a complex voyage correcting 40 aids to navigation discrepancies, enabling the rapid resumption of ferry service, and facilitating the delivery of emergency supplies to 700 residents stranded on Ocracoke Island. In 2021, when extensive shoaling suddenly compromised Oregon Inlet Channel and no other capable asset was available to respond, the cutter led a 400-mile mission to the Outer Banks to retrieve and relocate five buoys that dangerously misled mariners, significantly enhancing the safety of this busy waterway, preserving search and rescue capabilities, and sustaining the local economy.