ARLINGTON, Va. — Following “intense investigation,” the FBI says concerns that a second person may have assisted the gunman in the thwarted attack May 21 on Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, have been allayed.

One member of the Navy Security Force (NSF) was injured and the gunman was slain by other NSF personnel in the attempt to breach the North Gate of the naval base, which the FBI has said was “terrorism-related.”

See: Active Shooter Thwarted at NAS Corpus Christi

“While there was initial concern about a potential second person of interest, intense investigation leads us now to believe there was not,” the FBI’s Houston office, which is heading the investigation, said in a Twitter post on May 26, adding that the shooting “remains an active investigation.”

Officials identified the gunman as Adam Alsahli, 20, of Corpus Christi, a former student at a local community college. The FBI said Alsahli was a Syrian-born U.S. citizen, but have not explained why they are calling the attack terrorism-related.

The FBI is working with Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents as well as the Corpus Christi Police Department and personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) headquarters in Washington. A sweep of the incident area found no explosives.

According to reports, the gunman tried to force his way onto the base while driving a pickup truck but was stopped at a checkpoint by an NSF member. The gunman began shooting, striking the Sailor, who was wearing an armored vest. The Sailor was able to hit a switch that raised a barrier blocking vehicle access. The gunman was shot and killed by other guards.

The wounded NSF member, who was not identified, was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital, the Navy said. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said May 22 on NBC’s “Today Show” that she was “doing well.” The attack sparked a bizarre hoax on social media that purported to show a photo of the NSF member who was shot with details of the incident that officials have not confirmed. The photo of a female officer and her military working dog is of another Sailor, not the one involved in the shooting incident, the Navy said.

The Corpus Christi attack took place six months after a Saudi gunman killed three Sailors and wounded eight others at NAS Pensacola, Florida, and just three days after the FBI and Justice Department said information gleaned from the gunman’s iPhone linked him to an al-Qaida affiliate.

“I am very concerned about both cases,” Esper said on the “Today Show,” although he did not say they were linked. “We’re looking at additional measures we will take to ensure that foreign-inspired terrorists don’t have access to our posts, bases, installations and, of course, our country,” he added.

Esper also noted that the Corpus Christi shooter had no military affiliation, while the Pensacola gunman was a Saudi Air Force lieutenant training at the American flight school.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard Cutters Paul Clark and Joseph Tezanos crews recovered 11 bales of cocaine about 10 miles southwest of Desecheo Island on May 22, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a May 27 release. 

A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew located a debris field about 10 miles southwest of Desecho Island. The cutter Paul Clark crew arrived on scene and recovered 10 bales of cocaine weighing about 1,000 pounds from the debris field. The cutter Joseph Tezanos crew recovered an additional bale of cocaine in the vicinity weighing about 100 pounds the following day. 

All 11 bales of cocaine were transferred to the Coast Guard Investigative Service and the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force personnel. 

“The recovery of the 11 bales of cocaine offshore from Puerto Rico highlights the excellent work of the cutter Paul Clark, deployed to Puerto Rico from Miami and the MH-60 crew as well as the Puerto Rico based cutter Joseph Tezanos,” said Cmdr. Beau Powers, Coast Guard Sector San Juan chief of response. 

“The Coast Guard could not complete the interdiction cycle of success were it not for the outstanding interagency coordination of the Caribbean Corridor Strike Force who supported the drug offload on a holiday weekend.”

ALAMEDA, Calif. — The U.S. Coast Guard seized more than 3,100 pounds of cocaine in mid-May with an estimated value of $53.5 million from a low-profile go-fast vessel in international waters of the Pacific Ocean off Central America, the Coast Guard 11th District said in a release. 

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

Once on scene, the James crew boarded the vessel to find four suspected smugglers and initially discovered a small amount of cocaine aboard the vessel. 

The boarding team members later discovered an area of the ship that had been closed off, where they discovered the majority of the 3,100 pounds of cocaine. 

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.

PITTSBURGH — RE2 Robotics has received $2.5 million in funding from the Office of Naval Research to continue the development and commercialization of its technology under the Dexterous Maritime Manipulation System (DM2S) program, the company said in a May 27 release. 

RE2’s DM2S technology will provide U.S. Navy personnel with the ability to autonomously perform mine countermeasure (MCM) missions. 

In this next phase of the program, RE2 will upgrade its dual-arm prototype, known as the Maritime Dexterous Manipulation System (MDMS), for deep ocean use; apply computer vision and machine-learning algorithms to enable autonomous manipulation capabilities; and integrate with underwater vehicles that can autonomously navigate. 

“In the first phase of this project, we successfully developed a dexterous underwater robotic system that was capable of teleoperation in an ocean environment,” said Jorgen Pedersen, president and chief executive officer of RE2 Robotics. “This additional funding enables our team to further expand and upgrade the capabilities of our underwater robotic arms to perform MCM tasks in deeper water through the use of autonomy. In addition, this advanced technology will allow us to pursue commercial opportunities, such as underwater inspection and maintenance in the oil and gas industry.” 

Unlike other underwater robotic systems that are hydraulic-driven, MDMS uses an energy-saving, electromechanical system. This allows the system to perform longer-duration subsea inspection and intervention tasks while reducing system maintenance and downtime. 

“With the development of our first MDMS prototype, we created a compact, lightweight system with a sealed, neutrally buoyant design that was successfully tested in the Pacific Ocean,” said Jack Reinhart, vice president of project management. “We’re now looking forward to improving upon that proven design by adding even greater functionality in deep water, including integration with new underwater vehicles and computer-vision-based autonomy.”

MEDITERRANEAN SEA — For the third time in two months, Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft in the U.S. Sixth Fleet on May 26, the 6th Fleet said in a release. 

“On May 26, a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft was flying in the eastern Mediterranean over international waters and was intercepted by two Russian Su-35 aircraft over a period of 65 minutes,” the release said. “The intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional due to the Russian pilots taking close station on each wing of the P-8A simultaneously, restricting the P-8A’s ability to safely maneuver. 

“The unnecessary actions of the Russian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules and jeopardized the safety of flight of both aircraft. 

“While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible. We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). Actions‎ like these increase the potential for midair collisions. 

“This incident follows two unsafe interactions in April, over the same waters. 

“In all cases, the U.S. aircraft were operating in international airspace, consistent with international law, with due regard for safety of flight, and did not provoke this Russian activity.”

HOUSTON — The technology group Wärtsilä has completed replacement of the Ship Analytics simulator solution at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s Ship Control and Navigation Training System (SCANTS) facility, the company said in a release. 

The original simulator system was installed at the academy in the 1990s, and the replacement work was carried out primarily by, and in partnership with, NavSim Services Inc., the prime contractor. 

The upgrade was accomplished in two stages to accommodate the operational training schedule of the academy and to fit within the academic breaks. The primary purpose of SCANTS is bridge training for academy cadets and officers preparing to take command of their own cutters. The training emphasis is on navigation, piloting and collision avoidance. 

However, the inclusion of specialty modules within the Wärtsilä simulator solution also enables highly advanced training in naval operations, search and rescue, and other operational activities unique to the mission of the U.S. Coast Guard. 

The advanced Wärtsilä system consists of two full mission navigation and ship-handling bridges, three additional part task bridges and five separate yet interconnected instructor stations, designed to provide the instructors and operators with the maximum flexibility in accomplishing their training missions.

Designed to provide trainees with a realistic perception of operating in a real-life shipboard environment, the simulator complex uses an advanced physics engine and high-fidelity hydrodynamic vessel modelling capabilities to replicate the behavior of vessels in various sea states, and at all speeds and environmental conditions.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations announced the following assignments in a May 22 release: 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Bradley J. Andros will be assigned as deputy director of plans and policy for countering weapons of mass destruction, U.S. Special Operations Command, Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Andros previously served as Navy Expeditionary Combat Branch head, N957, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark D. Behning is serving as deputy director, strategic targeting and nuclear mission planning, J5, U.S. Strategic Command, Omaha. Behning previously served as chief of staff/deputy director for Strategic Systems Programs, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kevin P. Byrne is serving as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center, and commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Washington, D.C. Byrne previously served as major program manager, surface ships, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Joseph F. Cahill III is serving as deputy director for resources and acquisition, J8, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. Cahill previously served as executive assistant, N9, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Lawrence F. Legree will be assigned as assistant chief of staff, J-3, Joint Forces Command, Naples, Italy. Legree previously served as senior adviser for nuclear security affairs, Office of the Secretary, Department of Energy, Washington, D.C.   

Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark A. Melson is serving as deputy director, joint force development and design integration, J7, Joint Staff. Melson previously served as executive assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and strategy, N3N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Marc J. Miguez is serving as deputy director for operations, National Joint Operations Intelligence Center, Operations Team Two, J3, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. Miguez previously served as executive assistant, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kurt J. Rothenhaus is serving as program executive officer for command, control, communications, computers and intelligence, Naval Information Warfare Systems Command, San Diego. Rothenhaus previously served as major program manager for tactical networks, San Diego. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael S. Sciretta will be assigned as deputy commander, Joint Interagency Task Force-South, U.S. Southern Command, Key West, Florida.  Sciretta previously served as director, Navy Senate Liaison, Office of Legislative Affairs, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard E. Seif Jr. will be assigned as commander, Undersea Warfighting Development Center, Groton, Connecticut. Seif is serving as deputy commander for Task Force One Four/Three Four and Task Group 114.3, U.S. Strategic Command, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Darryl L. Walker is serving as deputy director, operations, J3, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. Walker previously served as executive assistant to the chief of naval operations, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Robert D. Westendorff will be assigned as chief of naval air training, Corpus Christi, Texas. Westendorff previously served as chief of staff, Naval Air Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego. 

Capt. Susan BryerJoyner, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as Navy Cyber Security Division director, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. BryerJoyner is serving as Cyber Security Division chief, N2N6, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. 

Capt. Matthew J. Burns, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as assistant commander, Joint Special Operations Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, Tampa, Florida. Burns is serving as commander, Naval Special Warfare Development Group, Virginia Beach, Virginia.   

Capt. Brian L. Davies, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as special assistant to commander, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. Davies previously served as director, submarine/nuclear power distribution (PERS 42), Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. 

Capt. Dion D. English, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, logistics, fleet supply and ordnance, N4, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. English is serving as deputy director, supply and distribution, J44, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.   

Capt. Rick Freedman, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, medical systems integration and combat survivability, N44, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Freedman is serving as executive assistant to the Surgeon General of the Navy, Falls Church, Virginia. 

Capt. Thomas M. Henderschedt, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as naval attaché, Beijing, China. 

Capt. Cynthia A. Kuehner, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as commander, Navy Medical Forces Support Command, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Kuehner is serving as head, Commander’s Action Group, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, Falls Church, Virginia. 

Capt. Jason M. Lloyd, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as deputy commander for ship design, integration and engineering, SEA-05, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. Lloyd previously served as commanding officer, Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia. 

Capt. Howard B. Markle, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as deputy commander, logistics, maintenance and industrial operations (NAVSEA 04), Naval Sea Systems Command. Markle previously served as executive assistant, Naval Sea Systems Command. 

Capt. Elizabeth S. Okano, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as program executive officer for integrated warfare systems, Washington, D.C. Okano is serving as executive assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy (research, development and acquisition), Washington, D.C. 

Capt. Matthew N. Ott III, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as special assistant for audit readiness, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), Washington, D.C. Ott is serving as chief of staff, Naval Supply Systems Command, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. 

Capt. Carlos A. Sardiello, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, joint/fleet operations, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. Sardiello is serving as commanding officer, USS Theodore Roosevelt, San Diego, and previously served as special assistant to commander, naval air forces/commander, naval air force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. 

Capt. Derek A. Trinque, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), is serving as assistant commander for career management, PERS-4, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. Trinque previously served as director, Surface Warfare Officer Distribution Division (PERS 41), Millington, Tennessee.   

Capt. John A. Watkins, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy commander, 10th Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. Watkins is serving as chief of staff, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/10th Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Capt. Thomas R. Williams II, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, global integration and engagement, N5I, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. Williams previously served as executive assistant to the chief of naval operations.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department has approved a possible foreign military sale to Taiwan of submarine-launched torpedoes, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) said in a release. 

DSCA said that Congress has been notified of the potential sale of torpedoes to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office (TECRO), which represents Taiwan’s interests in the United States. 

TECRO has requested to buy 18 Mk48 Mod 6 Advanced Technology Heavy-Weight Torpedoes, as well as spare parts, support and test equipment, shipping and shipping containers, operator manuals, technical documentation, training, U.S. government and contractor engineering, technical and logistics support services and other related elements of logistics support, the DSCA said, with a total estimated program cost of $180 million. 

“The proposed sale will improve the recipient’s capability in current and future defensive efforts,” the release said. “The recipient will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen homeland defense. The recipient will have no difficulty absorbing this equipment into its armed forces.”  

DSCA said that there are no prime contractors associated with this case because all material will be delivered straight from U.S. Navy stocks.  

The Mk48 torpedo is now back in production for the U.S. Navy after a gap in procurement.  

The Republic of China Navy in Taiwan operates two Chien-Lung diesel-electric submarines based on the Dutch Zwaardvis design as well as two old U.S. diesel-electric submarines for training. 

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland disabled an unmanned aerial vehicle with a Solid State Laser-Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) Mk 2 Mod 0 on May 16, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a release. 

LWSD is a high-energy laser weapon system demonstrator developed by the Office of Naval Research and installed on the Portland for an at-sea demonstration. LWSD’s operational employment on a Pacific Fleet ship is the first system-level implementation of a high-energy class solid-state laser. The laser system was developed by Northrup Grumman, with full system and ship integration and testing led by NSWC Dahlgren and Port Hueneme.   

“By conducting advanced at-sea tests against UAVs and small craft, we will gain valuable information on the capabilities of the Solid-State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator against potential threats,” said Capt. Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of the USS Portland. 

The U.S. Navy has been developing directed-energy weapons (DEWs), to include lasers, since the 1960s. DEWs are defined as electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical damage that degrades, neutralizes, defeats, or destroys an adversary. 

Navy ships face an increasing number of threats in conducting their missions, including UAVs, armed small boats and adversary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. The Navy’s development of DEWs like the LWSD, provide immediate warfighter benefits and provide the commander increased decision space and response options. 

“The Solid-State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator is a unique capability the Portland gets to test and operate for the Navy, while paving the way for future weapons systems,” Sanders said. “With this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy.”

MOBILE, Ala. — The future USS Oakland successfully concluded acceptance trials on May 22 following a series of in-port and underway demonstrations in the Gulf of Mexico, the U.S. Navy’s Program Executive Office-Unmanned and Small Combatants said in a release. 

During trials, the final milestone prior to the ship’s delivery, the Navy conducts comprehensive tests of systems, including those essential to a ship’s performance at sea such as the main propulsion, auxiliaries and electrical systems. 

The ship also performed critical capability tests, including a full-power demonstration, steering and quick reversal, anchor drop test and combat system detect-to-engage sequence. 

See: USS Kansas City Arrives at San Diego Homeport Before Commissioning

“I am impressed with the positive results achieved by the Navy and industry team during this acceptance trial of the future USS Oakland,” said Littoral Combat Ship Program Manager Capt. Mike Taylor. “We continue to see improvements in this class as we work to provide cost-effective warfighting capability to the fleet and the nation.” 

Following delivery and commissioning, USS Oakland will sail to California to be homeported in San Diego with sister ships USS Independence, USS Coronado, USS Jackson, USS Montgomery, USS Gabrielle Giffords, USS Omaha, USS Manchester, USS Tulsa, USS Charleston, USS Cincinnati and USS Kansas City. 

Four additional Independence-variant ships are under construction at Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. The future USS Mobile is undergoing final assembly. The modules for the future USS Savannah and future USS Canberra also are being erected, and modules for the future USS Santa Barbara are being fabricated. Additionally, Austal USA is preparing for construction of the future USS Augusta, USS Kingsville and USS Pierre. 

Littoral combat ships are highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable designed to support mine countermeasures, anti-submarine and surface warfare missions. The Independence-variant LCS integrates new technology and capability to affordably support current and future mission capability from deep water to the littorals. 

LCS is now the second-largest Navy surface ship class in production. In 2019, three LCSs were delivered to the fleet and five will be delivered in 2020 at a pace not seen since the 1990s.