ARLINGTON, Va. — Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced Nov. 10 that a future U.S. Navy Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) class ship will honor Medal of Honor Recipient Marine Corps Sergeant Major (Retired) John L. Canley. 

Canley was awarded the nation’s highest honor 50 years after his actions serving as Company Gunnery Sergeant, Company A, First Battalion, First Marines, First Marine Division in the Republic of Vietnam from Jan. 31 to Feb. 6, 1968, during the Battle of Hue City. 

“To honor the remarkable Vietnam generation on this 245th birthday of the United States Marine Corps, ESB-6 will be named USS John L. Canley to honor a man who has exemplified all that has made our service strong, and our Nation thrive,” Braithwaite said. “Then-Gunnery Sergeant Canley led his men through the Battle of Hue City, going above and beyond the call of duty as he carried wounded Marines to safety and drove the enemy from a fortified position. His courageous actions resulted in the award of the Medal of Honor, as well as the enduring gratitude of our Nation.” 

While serving as Company Gunnery Sergeant, Canley fought off multiple enemy attacks as his company moved along a highway toward Hue City to relieve friendly forces who were surrounded. On several occasions, despite his own wounds, he rushed across fire-swept terrain to carry wounded Marines to safety.  

When his commanding officer was severely wounded, he took command and led his company into Hue City. While in command of the company for three days, he led attacks against multiple enemy-fortified positions while exposing himself to enemy fire to carry wounded Marines to safety. On Feb. 6, at a hospital compound, he twice scaled a wall in full view of the enemy to aid wounded Marines and carry them to safety.  Canley’s heroic actions saved the lives of his teammates. 

“Sgt. Maj. Canley embodies the spirit of honor, courage and commitment,” said Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David H. Berger. “Sgt. Maj. Canley represents a generation of Marines who have sacrificed and fought for our way of life. His actions in Vietnam forever changed the lives of so many Marines around him. His legacy will continue to live on.” 

Canley was originally awarded the Nation’s second highest honor, the Navy Cross, for his action during the Battle of Hue City, but this was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which was presented Oct. 17, 2018, during a ceremony at the White House. 

Canley was born in Caledonia, Arkansas, and enlisted in the United States Marine Corps in Little Rock. He retired from the United States Marine Corps in 1981 and continues to serve his community and Marine Corps family today. 

“ESB vessels will deploy Marines of the future carrying the name of Marines of the past,” Braithwaite said. “They are leaders who truly embodies our core values of honor, courage and commitment, and the future crew of USS John L. Canley, both Sailors and Marines, will carry on his legacy, character and professionalism throughout the lifespan of this vessel.” 

The ESB ship class is highly flexible that may be used across a broad range of military operations supporting multiple operational phases, similar to the Expeditionary Transfer Dock (ESD) class. Acting as a mobile sea base, they are part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces and supplies to provide prepositioned equipment and sustainment with flexible distribution. 

USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3), the first Expeditionary Sea Base delivered, along with follow ships Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4) and Miguel Keith (ESB 5), are being optimized to support a variety of maritime-based missions, including special operations forces and airborne mine countermeasures. 

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. – The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) recently acquired a logistics Unmanned Air System (UAS) prototype to demonstrate long-range naval ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore cargo transport at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, NAWCAD said in a Nov. 9 release. 

Delivered in late October, NAWCAD engineers, testers and military test pilots are now evaluating the commercially procured air vehicle – dubbed Blue Water Maritime Logistics UAS – and tailoring it to requirements set by Military Sealift (MSC) and Fleet Forces Command (FFC). 

“The Blue Water logistics UAS will be further developed and tested by the Navy, for the Navy,” said NAWCAD Commander Rear Adm. John Lemmon. “NAWCAD has organic talent and facilities you can’t find anywhere else. Combined with increased acquisition freedom granted by Congress, this effort shows how we’re doing business differently.” 

“This requirement is unlike other cargo requirements that online retailers like Amazon are exploring,” said Blue Water’s project lead, Bill Macchione. “Naval cargo transport requires vehicles that can successfully operate through difficult environments that include heavy winds, open water and pitching vessels at sea.” 

Historic data from Navy casualty reports show that warships that move to non-mission capable or partially mission capable status often do so due to logistics-related issues like electronics parts or assemblies – 90% of which are logistical deliveries weighing less than 50 pounds. Currently, tactical aircraft like the H-60 helicopter and V-22 tilt-rotor aircraft fly these missions. 

Recognizing the cost and inefficiency of using these aircraft in missions that could be completed by Group-3 size UAS, MSC tapped NAWCAD to demonstrate an ability for an autonomous vehicle to fly these logistics missions. 

The warfare center solicited industry to demonstrate potentially viable platforms that existed commercially. Industry was required to prove its UAV could autonomously transport a 20-pound payload to a moving ship 25 miles away without refueling. Of over 65 UAS platforms that were analyzed, two systems were technically advanced enough to partially meet the difficult requirements. 

“We planned the demo during NAWCAD’s first Advanced Naval Technology Test Exercise in 2019 because we wanted to test the systems in a realistic and simulated forward-deployed environment,” said Macchione. “NAWCAD engineers and pilots observed and provided honest naval assessment based on which system was easiest to operate and maintain, had solid design, and required least modification for the mission.” 

Based on the systems’ performance at the Pax River demonstration in 2019, NAWCAD selected the Group-3 Skyways platform as the Texas-based company’s small UAS has the necessary size, payload capacity, and range potential to function in a maritime environment and allow incremental test by NAWCAD with supporting technologies that might ultimately meet the needs of MSC. 

The platform’s arrival to NAWCAD’s unmanned Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24 is the start of civilian and military training, and subsequent system development will better meet MSC’s requirement. 

“NAWCAD intends to work with the contractor to create a better fit with the environment where it could potentially operate,” said Macchione. “We’re excited to get to work on such innovations as folding wings for better handling and ship storage, a dual propulsion system that runs on both electricity and JP-5 [fuel], an internal versus external cargo capacity, and an automatic dependent surveillance broadcast identification system.” 

Once NAWCAD fine-tunes the system, Blue Water will head to the Atlantic for experimentation with the fleet through most of 2021. 

“Results of the technical feasibility and technology demonstration efforts conducted will be shared and used to discuss transition to support fleet initiatives,” said James Tomasic, Blue Water’s co-lead and experimentation engineer. “Culmination of the effort with the Fleet during a Naval Warfare Development Command experiment later this year will provide pertinent information for the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, which determines requirements and future force structures for the Department of the Navy.” 

BELOIT, Wis.—Fairbanks Morse will supply the Ship Service Diesel Generator (SSDG) sets for the electric power generation system aboard the U.S. Navy’s newest America-class amphibious assault warship, LHA-9, the company said in a Nov. 10 release. Construction of the SSDGs will begin in 2021 and delivery to the shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Miss. will start in 2023. 

The LHA ships, the largest of all amphibious warfare ships, take more than five years to build and are 844 feet long with a 106-foot beam displacing more than 44,000 tons. The U.S. Navy depends on Fairbanks Morse’s battle-tested diesel engines for marine propulsion and mission-critical ship electrical services whether on routine, humanitarian or belligerent missions. 

“Marine engines and power generation for today’s high-tech armed forces requires manufacturing excellence and technical innovation that never fails,” said George Whittier, chief executive officer of Fairbanks Morse. “In a globalized world with growing demand for energy, we are proud to continue our partnership with the U.S. Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries to ensure the highest standards of critical power support at sea and to help America’s service men and women carry out their missions at home and abroad.” 

The Navy currently has a requirement for 38 amphibious ships, including 12 amphibious assault ships such as the America-class LHAs. With tight budgetary constraints and an even more dire need for submarines, the production of the LHA-9 represents a critical addition to the nation’s global fleet.  

Like other ships in the fleet, including its predecessors, USS America (LHA 6), USS Tripoli (LHA 7), and USS Bougainville (LHA-8), LHA-9 will be equipped with a diesel engine-driven electrical power generation system, which provides ship service power and also drives two induction-type auxiliary propulsion motors which power the ship’s propeller drive shaft. The hybrid-electric propulsion systems use a gas turbine engine as well as an electric motor powered by the diesel generators. The electric motors propel the ship at speeds up to around 12 knots and the generators also produce power for the ship’s electrical services. 

Today, Fairbanks Morse engines are installed on approximately 80% of U.S. Navy ships that have a medium-speed power application. The U.S. Navy has turned to Fairbanks Morse for more than seven decades to provide quality diesel engines for marine propulsion and ship service systems. 

NEW ORLEANS — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Decisive (WMEC-210) returned to their homeport of Pensacola, Florida, Nov. 3, after completing a 40-day counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and offloading $20.3 million worth of cocaine and marijuana in southern Florida, the Coast Guard 8th District said in a Nov. 10 release.  

The crew began their deployment in late September, partnering with Joint Interagency Task Force South and Tactical Law Enforcement Team-South, Law Enforcement Detachment 403.  

In the Eastern Pacific Ocean, the crew of the Decisive interdicted two go-fast vessels and a low-profile vessel, carrying a combined total of approximately 900 pounds of cocaine and 2,735 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value of $20.3 million of illegal narcotics 

Decisive’s law enforcement team detained nine suspected smugglers aboard the three interdicted vessels and transferred them to federal partner agencies for prosecution.  

“Overcoming Hurricane Sally destruction at home, team Decisive set sail and performed exceptionally down range,” said Cmdr. John McWhite, Decisive’s commanding officer. “Counter narcotic operations and tactics are ever evolving, and our time in the operational area was short but we were highly efficient, relying heavily on each other and remaining adaptable. We maintained our ready posture with a continued focus on team over self; the key to our success.”  

To ensure the safety of Decisive’s crew during the COVID-19 global pandemic, the crew conducted pre-deployment COVID-19 testing, followed by a 14-day monitoring period. Throughout their patrol, Decisive’s crew maintained strict health precautions during all interactions with the public, including wearing N95 masks at all times and undergoing intensive health screenings prior to each boarding. 

WASHINGTON — The State Department has approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Canada of Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IIIC missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $500 million, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a release.  

The Government of Canada has requested to buy 100 Standard Missile 2 (SM-2) Block IIIC missiles and 100 Mk13 Vertical Launch System canisters modified to employ the SM-2 Block IIIC missile.  

The proposed also would include “obsolescence engineering; integration and test activity associated with production of subject missiles; canister handling and loading/unloading equipment and associated spares; training and training equipment/aids; technical publications and data; U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support; and other related elements of logistical and program support, the release said. 

This proposed sale will provide Canada with SM-2 Block IIIC missiles for installation on its planned 15 Canadian Surface Combatant ships, ensuring its ability to operate alongside U.S. and Allied naval forces against the full spectrum of naval threats.  

The principal U.S. contractor will be Raytheon Missiles and Defense, Tucson, Arizona. 

The U.S. Navy Department’s Education for Seapower Strategy is on track to roll out its first major project in 2021, a community college to improve intellectual development and military professionalism among enlisted personnel.

The U.S. Naval Community College (NCC), aimed at turning enlisted members of the sea services into critical thinkers as well as better warfighters, is preparing to launch a pilot program in January with upwards of 500 Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen.

The pilot will work with civilian universities and colleges to deliver distance learning in subjects such as nuclear engineering, cybersecurity, data analytics, ethics and leadership. Eventually, the NCC will offer a common core of Naval/Maritime studies to provide participants with a similar grounding to the standardized naval science courses taught at the U.S. Naval Academy and Naval ROTC programs, according to NCC President Randi Cosentino.

“The idea is that we will deliver the naval and warfighting components of our academic programs, and we will partner with top colleges and universities that deliver exceptional online programs and outcomes in the program areas in which they excel,” Cosentino explained in a recent email exchange with Seapower.

More than 100 institutions have expressed interest in working with the NCC. The goal is to narrow that down to six to 10 core college and university partners, explained Cosentino, who was appointed NCC’s first president in April. Prior to that, she was chief academic officer at Guild Education, which works with Fortune 500 companies like Disney and Walmart to provide college-level education and training to their workforces.

Cosentino, who has a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A from Harvard University, said the pilot has two purposes, first to place naval students in the best online programs in the country delivered over modern learning systems. Secondly, to learn about successful course and program completion as the USNCC matures.

A second pilot, with as many as 5,000 students, is planned for 2022, with classes to begin in the Summer/Fall timeframe. That pilot will enroll students in targeted associate degree programs at several partner institutions. Feedback from that pilot will help finalize NCC’s approach to student support, partnerships with colleges and universities and delivery mechanisms to make sure the new school can achieve its mission.

That mission “is to produce graduates steeped in naval traditions and values, who have sound ethical decision-making abilities, possess improved critical thinking skills, and possess a deeper understanding of the complex global maritime environment in which they operate,” Cosentino told Seapower.

Following the lead of the 2018 National  Defense Strategy, which declared professional military education has “stagnated,” both Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger’s Planning Guidance and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday’s January 2019 Frago (fragmentary change) order  stressed the need for learning as a warfare enabler.

OTTAWA – General Dynamics Mission Systems–Canada announced today it has been awarded the Halifax-class Combat Systems (HCCS) in-service support contract, valued at $182 million over six years.

General Dynamics will support the Royal Canadian Navy’s operational readiness and sustainment objectives, providing support to six Combat Systems on 12 Halifax-class ships, RCN Fleet Schools, Fleet Maintenance Facilities and the Naval Electronic Systems Test Range Atlantic and Pacific.

“General Dynamics has a long and proud history of working closely with the Canadian Armed Forces and the Royal Canadian Navy – building on 30 years of support to the Halifax-class ships,” said David Ibbetson, vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems–International. “With this contract, we are proud to maintain technology-driven careers from Halifax to Ottawa and Victoria for years to come.”

This ISS contract will help ensure the RCN’s HCCS Equipment Group, which largely includes radar systems, are ready for any mission. General Dynamics is also upgrading and maintaining underwater sensors on the Halifax-class ships via the Underwater Warfare Suite Upgrade contract, further contributing to technologies that generate economic impact for Canada.

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, supporting the U.S. Air Force, has awarded L3Harris Technologies an order for nearly 1,000 Falcon IV AN/PRC-163 two-channel handheld tactical radios that will provide Air Force personnel with Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) airmen with advanced communications capabilities, the company said in a Nov. 9 release. The order is part of a five-year Navy Portable Radio Program IDIQ contract received in 2017. 

The AN/PRC-163 is a multi-channel, software-defined radio that meets the Air Force’s requirements for a small, multiband, multifunction and multi-mission tactical radio. The radio’s enhanced interface is easy-to-use, and the flexible software-defined architecture enables users to quickly add new waveforms and capabilities such as Mesh ONE. The addition of mission modules allow tailored applications for specific missions such as ISR full-motion video.  

L3Harris’ Falcon IV radios are integrated network systems that can simultaneously communicate over multiple channels and crossband between those channels. They are capable of satellite communications, VHF/UHF/L/S-band and multiple mobile ad-hoc networking waveforms including ANW2, WREN and U.S. Army tactical waveforms. 

Air Force TACPs can now access mission-critical information at a glance via interface with the Special Warfare Assault Kit, which enables blue force tracking and supports coordination of air-to-ground and ground-to-ground fires using multiple NSA type 1 waveforms. Situational awareness is advanced through the ISR mission module’s full motion video capabilities. 

“L3Harris’ AN/PRC-163 provides the TACP community with the most advanced, interoperable handheld radios for the Joint Terminal Attack Controller mission,” said Dana Mehnert, president, Communication Systems, L3Harris. “The radios deliver maximum flexibility in the joint domain and are a critical enabler of the future of the Advanced Battle Management System communications network. The AN/PRC-163 is being fielded by USSOCOM and the U.S. Army, which provides critical networking capability to the JADC2 architecture.” 

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Airborne Tactical Advantage Co. (ATAC), part of the Textron Systems segment of Textron Inc., has been selected to continue to provide the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps with fleet fighter jet training support services under the Fighter Jet Services (FJS) program, the company said in a Nov. 9 release.  

ATAC will provide up to 8,500 flight hours per year of fleet support air training services for approximately five years under the indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, worth up to $441 million. The training will be provided by ATAC’s fleet of Mirage F1, F-21 Kfir, and Mk58 Hawker Hunter fighter aircraft and is expected to commence in the spring of 2021.  

“ATAC is proud to continue providing tactical flight training support services to the U.S. Navy and its allies and partners, further cementing the company as the leader in the contracted air services industry,” said Scott Stacy, ATAC General Manager. “We look forward to adding additional years to our two decades of established Navy and Marine Corps support of fleet exercises, ship services, fleet replacement squadron syllabi, fleet squadron adversary requirements, Joint Terminal Attack Controller training and Research, Development, Test and Evaluation flights. With additional ATAC aircraft and pilots coming online, we are well positioned to continue to expand our flight operations.”  

In addition to the Navy Fighter Jet Services program, an ATAC-led team trains Joint Terminal Attack Controllers (JTACs) under the U.S. Navy’s Terminal Attack Controller Trainer (TACT) program. ATAC has also recently won significant contracts to provide adversary air training for three U.S. Air Force bases and JTAC training services to U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command under the U.S. Air Force Combat Air Forces Contracted Air Support (CAF CAS) program.  

ATAC is the global leader of tactical airborne training, having pioneered much of what are now contracted air services industry standards with a fleet of over 90 aircraft, over 65,000 flight hours, and 20 years of operating experience. ATAC has provided a wide range of contracted air support capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense in locations world-wide, including the Continental United States, Hawaii and the Western Pacific region. ATAC has helped train crews from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Marine Corps and regularly operates out of as many as 25 different air bases per year. 

SAN DIEGO — General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) recently completed the first phase of a maintenance and operational support contract awarded by the Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division (NAWCWD), the company said in a Nov. 6 release.  

The first phase of the contract provided for the maintenance of Navy NMQ-1B remoted piloted aircraft (RPA) located at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, California. The second phase will involve operational training support for pilots to operate the NMQ-1s, which will be used as targets in Navy training scenarios.  

“We look forward to further collaboration opportunities with the U.S. Navy,” said Barton Roper, GA-ASI senior vice president of Strategic Development. “Our Predator-series RPA have a proven record of success as assets for military training and real-world operations.” 

Phase 2 of the contract is expected to be executed in early 2021, culminating with a Navy NMQ-1B operational evaluation flight.