ARLINGTON, Va. — Defense Secretary Mark Esper has directed that U.S. military personnel assignments in some Middle East countries be unaccompanied, with families now in place ordered gradually withdrawn by 2022. The Pentagon policy, however, does not affect U.S. Navy crews forward-deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, a Navy official said. 

In a June 2 announcement, Esper directed that tours under control of combatant commanders in the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq be unaccompanied and set at 12 months — except for Navy personnel in Bahrain, whose tour lengths will be 18 months. Families in Bahrain will be withdrawn as tours end, with withdrawal completed by August 2022. 

“This step is a byproduct of the department’s continuous reassessment of personnel policies worldwide, not just in the Middle East,” the announcement’s fact sheet said. “It is intended to ensure the operational readiness and deployment flexibility of U.S. forces’ mission support to operations in the region. A gradual drawdown of personnel will ensure mission-critical elements of the force continue to execute training and operations in the region with little disruption.” 

“Over the next two years, DoD military personnel who fall under Title 10 authority will transition to one-year unaccompanied tours, with some exceptions,” the fact sheet said. “This will be a gradual drawdown of dependents over two years as people regularly rotate in and attrite out of duty assignment in the Arabian Peninsula.” 

In a June 3 e-mail response to Seapower, Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, said that the policy change would affect Navy personnel on shore duty in Bahrain but not the crews of the ships forward-deployed there. 

The crew members of the 10 coastal patrol ships and four mine-countermeasures ships operating from Bahrain already serve 18-month unaccompanied tours. The civilian mariners assigned to the expeditionary base ship USS Lewis B. Puller and other ships of the Military Sealift Command already serve unaccompanied tours and are not entitled to dependents in Bahrain. 

U.S. Coast Guard patrol boat crews of the Patrol Force Southwest Asia based in Bahrain also are rotational. 

Rebarich said that the “policy does not impact DoD civilians” and that sponsored U.S. military dependents currently in the region will be able to remain through the end of [their] sponsors’ tour and the Bahrain school will remain open.” 

“The change will not hinder deployed U.S. forces and capabilities to support missions, trainings and operations in the region, especially for U.S. 5th Fleet,” she said. “The Kingdom of Bahrain has been a gracious host to U.S. 5th Fleet for three decades. The U.S. Navy appreciates the support of our friendship and partnership with Bahrain.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department has named seven U.S. military installations as the latest sites where it will conduct 5G communications technology experimentation and testing, the department said in a release. 

The installations are Naval Base Norfolk, Virginia; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii; Joint Base San Antonio, Texas; the National Training Center at Fort Irwin, California; Fort Hood, Texas; Camp Pendleton, California; and Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma. 

This second round, referred to as Tranche 2, brings the total number of installations selected to host 5G testing to 12. Tranche 2 builds on DoD’s previously announced 5G communications technology prototyping and experimentation and is part of a 5G development roadmap guided by the Pentagon’s 5G Strategy. 

5G technology, the fifth generation of cellular network technology, is vital to maintaining America’s military and economic advantages. Pentagon’s efforts focus on large-scale experimentation and prototyping of dual-use (military and commercial) 5G technology that will provide high speeds, quicker response times and the ability to handle many more wireless devices than current wireless technology. 

Last year, the department announced the selection of the Tranche 1 bases: Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Naval Base San Diego, California; and Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia, as the first U.S. installations to host testing and experimentation of 5G. In May, the Pentagon announced Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, had also been chosen. 

The bases were selected for their ability to provide streamlined access to site spectrum bands, mature fiber and wireless infrastructure, access to key facilities, support for new or improved infrastructure requirements and the ability to conduct controlled experimentation with dynamic spectrum sharing. 

DOD recognizes industry will play a key role in the development of leap-ahead 5G technology for both military and civilian uses. In the coming weeks, the department will issue requests for prototype proposals from industry partners. The new round of opportunities will focus on the following areas: 

•        Shipwide/Pier Connectivity at Naval Station Norfolk 

•        Enhancing Aircraft Mission Readiness at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam 

•        Augmented Reality Support of Maintenance and Training at Joint Base San Antonio 

•        Wireless Connectivity for Forward Operating Bases (FOB) and Tactical Operations Centers (TOC) at the NTC at Fort Irwin and Fort Hood, Texas   

•        Wireless Connectivity for FOBs and TOCs at Camp Pendleton 

•        DOD 5G Core Security Experimentation Network at Joint Base San Antonio and multiple remote locations 

•        Bi-directional Spectrum Sharing-DOD/Commercial at Tinker AFB

SAN DIEGO — More than 3,000 catapult launches and landings using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) have been completed aboard USS Gerald R. Ford, said the systems’ manufacturer, General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS). 

The milestone is significant for the carrier and its crew, as the Navy moves toward a goal of 8,000 launches and landings at sea scheduled through the end of 2020. 

“EMALS and AAG continue to perform as expected as the ship ramps up evolutions towards achieving combat operational readiness,” said Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “Both systems’ capabilities are being rigorously exercised to meet the daily objectives for cats and traps in support of the various squadrons undergoing carrier qualification and training aboard CVN 78. In addition to marking the 3,000 milestone, on May 19, the ship performed 167 successful launches and recoveries in a single day, breaking the previous record of 135.”  

“Since January, CVN 78 has multiplied the total expected number of launch and landing evolutions by a factor of four,” Rolf Ziesing, vice president of programs at GA-EMS, added. “We’ve seen EMALS and AAG put through the paces day and night on CVN 78, utilizing a range of aircraft, including F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes, C-2A Greyhounds, EA-18G Growlers and T-45C Goshawks.”  

GA-EMS is building the launch and landing systems for two future carriers, USS John F. Kennedy and USS Enterprise. Cost savings are realized through multiple ship production contracts, which minimize production gaps while maximizing planning, scheduling and delivery to support all three Ford-class carriers.

WASHINGTON — Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday recorded a video message on June 2 to Sailors regarding the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the resulting unrest across the country. 

The Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck was charged on June 3 with a new, more serious count of second-degree murder, and the three other officers on scene during Floyd’s May 25 apprehension and killing were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder. 

The U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet also issued a “letter from leadership” about “respect, dignity and inclusion” on June 3. The text of the 6th Fleet statement is here.

And Marine Corps leadership, the commandant and the sergeant major of the Corps, are out with a joint message, also dated June 3, which is here.

In part, the Marine leadership message reads: “Only as a unified force, free from discrimination, racial inequality, and prejudice can we fully demonstrate our core values, and serve as the elite warfighting organization America requires and expects us to be.”

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Boeing has delivered the first Super Hornet test aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel flight demonstration squadron, the company said in a June 3 release. 

The unpainted aircraft now enters the flight test and evaluation phase at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Boeing expects to deliver a total of 11 aircraft for the squadron this year. 

“The Super Hornet is an iconic representation of excellence in naval aviation,” said retired Adm. Pat Walsh, vice president of U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Services for Boeing. Walsh flew with the Blue Angels from 1985 to 1987 as the Left Wingman (No. 3) and Slot Pilot (No. 4). “As Boeing continues to support the operational fleet of Navy Super Hornets, we are excited to see this platform enter a critical phase of its journey to joining the team.” 

The flight demonstration squadron has flown Boeing or Boeing-heritage aircraft for more than 50 years, starting with the F-4J Phantom II in 1969, and then moving to the A-4F Skyhawk. The team operates the F/A-18A-D Hornet today. 

Boeing converts F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets into Blue Angels at the company’s Cecil Field facility in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Major modifications include the addition of an oil tank for the smoke-generation system, fuel systems that enable the aircraft to fly inverted for extended periods of time, civilian-compatible navigation equipment, cameras and adjustments for the aircraft’s center of gravity. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s Advanced Aerial Sensor (AAS) has been deployed to the western Pacific, according to a release from the squadron that deployed the AAS on its P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft. 

Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45), based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, returned May 29 from an eight-month deployment to the western Pacific in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet. In a June 2 release announcing the return, the squadron noted its role in deploying the new radar system. 

“VP-45 had the task of being the Navy’s first global force-managed squadron to deploy the [AAS] aircraft for theater [anti-submarine warfare],” the release said. 

“Aircrew and maintenance accelerated the timeline on AAS’ role in the theater, helping operational planners prepare future deployments,” VP-45 Cmdr. Paul Nickell said in the release. “VP-45 maintainers executed over 13,000 man hours, ensuring every mission succeeded.” 

The APS-154 AAS is a development of the P-3C’s APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System for the P-8A Poseidon. The AAS is solid-state, wide-aperture, active electronically scanned array radar housed in a long pod under the fuselage. The sensor is designed to provide standoff detection and tracking of moving targets and high-resolution ground mapping. Flight tests on the first P-8A test aircraft began in April 2014. 

During its deployment, VP-45 conducted maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), theater security cooperation and anti-submarine warfare missions. The squadron flew more than 5,000 flight hours during more than 875 sorties. The squadron operated from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to northern Japan, down to southern Australia and across several Asia-pacific nations, the release said. 

The squadron also received aerial refueling on some flights, including on one that allowed for the first long-range, persistent ASW event that spanned half the 7th Fleet’s area of operations.

LONDON — Babcock International has been awarded a multimillion-pound contract extension to manufacture a further 18 tactical Missile Tube Assemblies (MTAs) for General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB), Babcock said in a June 2 release. 

It is part of the Common Missile Compartment (CMC) project for the U.K. Dreadnought-class and U.S Columbia class-submarine programs and will support more than 200 advanced manufacturing jobs at Babcock’s Rosyth and Bristol facilities in the U.K. 

This highly specialized, internationally significant work reinforces Babcock’s position as a critical supplier of MTAs, utilizing its digital manufacturing skills and expertise to support the future deterrent sub programs for both the U.K. Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy. 

“This is a prime example of the capability of our defence industry to deliver specialized and complex manufacturing in support of an internationally significant program,” U.K. Defence Minister Jeremy Quin said. “The contract extension will support 200 highly-skilled jobs in Bristol and Rosyth, building next-generation technology for our vital nuclear deterrent.” 

Since 2014, Babcock has secured competitive contracts with GDEB to manufacture 57 MTAs. The latest of these contracts included an option to supply an additional 18 MTAs, resulting in the recent contract extension. 

This brings the total number of tactical MTAs that will be manufactured by Babcock for Electric Boat to 75 and will see Babcock’s work transition from the U.K. Dreadnought to the U.S. Columbia SSBN program. 

RESTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy awarded SAIC Corp. a contract worth about $60 million to continue providing mission engineering support by testing heavyweight and lightweight torpedoes for Naval Sea Systems Command, SAIC said in a release. 

In support of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Newport (NUWC), SAIC will handle testing and data collection for Mk48 heavyweight torpedoes, and Mk54 and Mk46 lightweight torpedoes. 

“For more than 13 years, SAIC has supported the testing of approximately 150 torpedoes as part of the engineering, technical, and management services we provide to the NUWC’s Propulsion Test Facility in Newport, Rhode Island,” said Jim Scanlon, executive vice president and general manager of the Defense Systems Group of SAIC. “We look forward to continuing to support NUWC with testing of torpedoes and torpedo components over the next five years.” 

As part of the single-award contract, SAIC will prepare the test facility and test torpedoes, interface the test torpedo, execute the test, and collect and process test data. Additionally, SAIC will support preparing torpedoes for testing at off-site test ranges and locations. SAIC will also provide maintenance, upgrades, and operational support for test torpedo assembly and turnaround, system and subsystem testing, data reduction, test equipment operation, and data and configuration management. 

The cost-plus-fixed-fee and firm-fixed-price contract has a one-year base period of performance with four option years. 

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A Coast Guard cutter in mid-May seized about 1,090 pounds of suspected cocaine with an estimated value of $18.7 million from a go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a June 2 release. 

A maritime patrol aircraft spotted a suspected smuggling vessel and diverted the crew aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Confidence to the go-fast vessel’s position.  

Once on scene, Confidence’s crew initiated a pursuit of the suspected smugglers who began throwing contraband overboard. Once the suspected smugglers complied with orders to stop their boat, the Coast Guard crew boarded the vessel and discovered the cocaine. Three suspected smugglers were detained.  

On April 1, U.S. Southern Command began enhanced counter-narcotics operations in the Western Hemisphere to disrupt the flow of drugs in support of Presidential National Security Objectives. Numerous U.S. agencies from the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security cooperated in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, play a role in counter-drug operations.  

The law enforcement phase of counter-smuggling operations in the eastern Pacific is conducted under the authority of the 11th Coast Guard District, headquartered in Alameda. The interdictions, including the actual boardings, are led and conducted by members of the U.S. Coast Guard.  

The Confidence is homeported out of Cape Canaveral and was commissioned in 1966.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy secretary and chief of naval operations on June 2 announced these assignments: 

Rear Adm. James S. Bynum is serving as director, warfare development, N72, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Bynum was director, Assessment Division, N81, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. Charles B. Cooper II will be assigned as commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia. Copper served as chief of legislative affairs, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. Marc H. Dalton is serving as director, Assessment Division, N81, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Dalton was director, maritime operations (DMOC/N04), U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. Roy I. Kitchener will be assigned as commander, Naval Surface Forces, and as commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego. Kitchener is serving as commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. John F. Meier is serving as commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia. Meier served as commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. Lorin C. Selby is serving as chief of naval research, Arlington, Virginia. Selby served as deputy commander for ship design, integration, and naval engineering, SEA-05, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. John B. Skillman will be assigned as director, Programming Division, N80, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Skillman is serving as director, enterprise support, N1, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Arlington, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Daniel W. Dwyer, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, plans and policy, J5, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. Dwyer is serving as chief of naval air training, Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Peter A. Garvin, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as commander, Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, Florida. Garvin is assigned as commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, Norfolk, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Fred I. Pyle, selected for promotion to rear admiral, is serving as commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, Norfolk, Virginia. Pyle previously served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 3, Bremerton, Washington. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) James A. Aiken is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 3, Bremerton, Washington. Aiken served as deputy director for resources and acquisition, J8, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Thomas J. Anderson will be assigned as program executive officer for ships, Washington, D.C. Anderson served as commander, Regional Maintenance Center, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael E. Boyle will be assigned as director, maritime operations (DMOC/N04), U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Boyle served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 12, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard J. Cheeseman Jr., is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 2, Norfolk, Virginia. Cheeseman served as assistant commander for career management, PERS-4, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Craig A. Clapperton is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 12, Norfolk, Virginia. Clapperton served as deputy director, operations, J3, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kristen B. Fabry will be assigned as commander, Defense Logistics Agency-Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio. Fabry is serving as director, logistics, fleet supply and ordnance, N4, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Sara A. Joyner is serving as chief of legislative affairs, Washington, D.C. Joyner previously served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 2, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Robert D. Katz is serving as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Katz served as director, joint/fleet operations, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) James A. Kirk is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 11, Everett, Washington. Kirk served as deputy commander/chief of staff, Joint Warfare Center, Allied Command Transformation, Stavanger, Norway. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Timothy J. Kott will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group 1, San Diego. Kott is serving as assistant chief of staff, operations, Allied Joint Forces Command, Naples, Italy.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Frederick R. Luchtman is serving as commander, Naval Safety Center, and lead for the Physiological Episodes (PE) Effort, Norfolk, Virginia. Luchtman served as lead for the PE Effort, Arlington, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Lance G. Scott will be assigned as commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, Norfolk, Virginia. Scott is serving as chief, Global Operations Center, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) John D. Spencer will be assigned as commander, Submarine Group Ten, Kings Bay, Georgia. Spencer is serving as director, Nuclear Support Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Eric H. Ver Hage is serving as commander, Regional Maintenance Center, Washington, D.C. Ver Hage served as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center, and as commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Washington, D.C.