WASHINGTON – The
U.S. Coast Guard has selected Charleston, South Carolina, as the home of the service’s
newest National Security Cutter, Coast Guard Headquarters announced in a June
26 release.

“I am pleased to
announce that Charleston, South Carolina, will be the home of the Coast Guard’s
11th National Security Cutter,” said Adm. Karl L. Schultz, commandant of the
Coast Guard. Construction on the 11th National Security Cutter is scheduled to
begin by spring of 2020. Charleston is already home to two of the Coast Guard’s
National Security Cutters, the James and Hamilton. In 2017, the Coast Guard
announced that the ninth and 10th National Security Cutters, currently under
construction at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, will
join the Charleston-based National Security Cutter fleet in the coming years.
Schultz further noted, “I am confident that the Charleston community is the
right place for our Coast Guardsmen and their families to base these highly
capable National Security Cutters with the global reach to respond to complex
maritime threats and challenges.”

National Security
Cutters are the most technologically advanced vessels in the Coast Guard. They
are capable of supporting maritime homeland security and defense missions. They
safeguard the American people and promote our security in a complex and
persistently evolving maritime environment.

Grouping cutters
of the same class is one critical variable in selecting homeports. Grouping
cutters in the same location improves maintenance proficiency, streamlines
logistics, and provides increased personnel flexibility.

The cutter is
scheduled to arrive in 2024; its name has not yet been selected. This will be
the fifth National Security Cutter assigned to Charleston.

WASHINGTON —
Sailors aboard Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82), in
partnership with Program Executive Office Integrated Warfare Systems (PEO IWS) 5.0,
Undersea Systems, successfully tested the Virtual Laboratory on Ship (VLOS), a
virtualized Undersea Warfare Combat System (AN/SQQ-89 A(V)15), during a recent
weeklong underway period, the PEO announced in a June 26 release. VLOS
represents another important step forward in the U.S. Navy’s efforts to speed
combat system element development and software upgrades. 

During the
past year, IWS 5.0 developed VLOS in close collaboration with Applied Research
Laboratory – University of Texas (ARL-UT) and Naval Undersea Warfare Center
(NUWC) Division Newport to meet the Department of the Navy’s demand to speed
the development of cutting-edge weapon systems with industry’s advancements in
software virtualization and virtual machine applications. VLOS is a virtualized
sonar sensor subset of the tactical AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 system and operates
alongside the ship’s AN/SQQ-89 system via passive receipt of acoustic and
navigation data from the tactical system. For rapid installation and removal
purposes, VLOS is packaged and installed as a roll-on/roll-off temporary change
to the ship it is installed aboard and incorporates the Naval Sea Systems
Command flexible technology demonstration processes.

The VLOS was
installed on board USS Lassen alongside the existing AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 tactical
system to evaluate new advanced sensor capabilities in an operationally
relevant environment against live submarine targets and weapons. During the
weeklong underway period, PEO IWS 5.0, ARL-UT and NUWC engineers demonstrated
the ability to transmit a software fix from a shore site to a ship at sea using
VLOS.  The successful transmission of
software supports the Navy’s initiatives to speed the delivery of new software
capabilities to combat systems at sea via the existing networks ships use to
send and receive data. 

Additionally,
VLOS operated the latest Advanced Capability Build (ACB) software, ACB 15,
while the ship’s AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 system operated its older certified software
build, ACB 9. The ship’s Sailors performed the undersea warfare exercise with
ACB 9 while the VLOS engineers were utilizing ACB 15, which allowed Sailors to
see what additional combat capability exists within ACB 15 while performing
high-end undersea warfare events.

“This
progression of virtualizing the SQQ-89 system represents the team’s efforts to
rapidly plan and execute demonstrations to take advantage of existing industry
technology and align it with Navy technology,” said PEO IWS 5.0 Major Program
Manager Capt. Jill Cesari. “These efforts will make a real difference in our
ability to deliver more capability faster.”

In 2018, PEO
IWS 5.0 tested VLOS on USS Nitze (DDG 94). During the Nitze trials, VLOS was
tested pier side and at sea over a two-week period. The test results
demonstrated satisfactory performance of a virtualized version of the tactical
AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 advanced capability build software, operating in a relevant
at-sea environment, and supported the decision to proceed with the most recent
underway period on USS Lassen.

The VLOS test
results will be used to evaluate advanced AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 sensor capabilities
prior to fielding, demonstrate the feasibility of transmitting large and
complex software upgrades and fixes for ships at sea, and support future
efforts to virtualize the tactical AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 system. Additionally, VLOS
efforts have assisted the progression of virtualized training systems at the
Fleet Anti-Submarine Warfare Training Center in San Diego, where the majority
of training occurs for shipboard officers and Sailors operating and maintaining
the AN/SQQ-89(A)V15 sonar suite.

MARINETTE,
Wis. — Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 17, the future USS Indianapolis, completed acceptance
trials in Lake Michigan, Lockheed Martin said in a June 26 release. This is the
ship’s final significant milestone before the ship is delivered to the U.S.
Navy. LCS 17 is the ninth Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by the
Lockheed Martin-led industry team and is slated for delivery to the Navy this
year.

“LCS 17
is joining the second-largest class of ships in the U.S. Navy fleet, and we are
proud to get the newest Littoral Combat Ship one step closer to delivery,” said
Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager, Small
Combatants and Ship Systems. “This ship is lethal and flexible, and we are
confident that she will capably serve critical U.S. Navy missions today and in
future.”

Unique among
combat ships, LCS is designed to complete close-to-shore missions and is a
growing and relevant part of the Navy’s fleet.

•        It is flexible — with 40 percent of the
hull easily reconfigurable, LCS can be modified to integrate capabilities
including over-the-horizon missiles, advanced electronic warfare systems and
decoys.

•        It is fast — capable of speeds in excess
of 40 knots.

•        It is lethal — standard equipped with
Rolling Airframe Missiles (RAM) and a Mark 110 gun, capable of firing 220
rounds per minute.

•        It is automated — with the most
efficient staffing of any combat ship.

The trials
included a full-power run, maneuverability testing, and surface and air
detect-to-engage demonstrations of the ship’s combat system. Major systems and
features were demonstrated, including aviation support, small boat launch
handling, and recovery and machinery control and automation.

“I am
extremely proud of our LCS team including our shipbuilders at Fincantieri
Marinette Marine,” said Jan Allman, Fincantieri Marinette Marine president
and CEO. “These are complex vessels, and it takes a strong team effort to
design, build and test these American warships.”

MOBILE, Ala. — Austal USA delivered its 10th
Independence-variant littoral combat ship to the U.S. Navy, the company
announced in a release, as the future USS Cincinnati(LCS 20) will be
the 18th LCS to enter the fleet.

“It’s so exciting to deliver another great warship to the
U.S. Navy,” Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said. “I’m so proud of our
incredible team here at Austal USA, our industry and Navy partners for achieving
this major milestone for the future USS Cincinnati.”

Five small surface combatants are presently under various
stages of construction at Austal’s Alabama shipyard. The future USS Kansas City
(LCS 22) is preparing for sea trials. Assembly is underway on the future USS
Oakland (LCS 24) and the future USS Mobile (LCS 26), and modules are under
construction for the future USS Savannah (LCS 28) and the future USS Canberra
(LCS 30) with four more under contract through LCS 38.

“The shipbuilding momentum here is second to none, led by
the most talented shipbuilding professionals I’ve ever worked with,”
Perciavalle said. “This momentum and efficiency continue to result in
incredible cost savings ship over ship, enabling us to provide highly capable
but very cost-effective solutions to our Navy.”

More than 700 suppliers in 40 states contribute to the
Independence-variant LCS program. This supplier base supports tens of thousands
of small business to large business jobs.

LCS is a highly maneuverable, lethal and adaptable ship
designed to support focused mine countermeasures, anti-submarine warfare and
surface warfare missions. The Independence-variant LCS integrates new
technology and capability to support current and future mission capability from
deep water to the littorals.

Austal is also under contract to build 14 Expeditionary
Fast Transport vessels (EPF) for the Navy. The company has delivered 10 EPFs
while an additional two are in various stages of construction.

STAFFORD, Va. — BAE Systems along with teammate Iveco Defence Vehicles has been awarded a $67
million contract modification by the U.S. Marine Corps to develop new variants
for the Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV) Family of Vehicles, BAE announced in a release.

“The ACV has proven to be a versatile platform capable of numerous
configurations to meet current and future mission requirements,” said John
Swift, director of amphibious programs at BAE. “With this award, BAE Systems
will be able to develop a family of vehicles that will deliver the technology
and capability the Marines require to accomplish their mission in support of
our national security.”

The contract calls for the design and development of command
(ACV-C) and 30 mm medium caliber cannon (ACV-30) variants. The ACV-C variant incorporates
seven workstations to provide situational awareness and control of the battle
space. The ACV-30 integrates a 30 mm cannon to provide the lethality and
protection Marines need while leaving ample room for troop capacity and
payload.

BAE Systems was previously awarded a low-rate initial production
contract last June 2018 for the personnel variant (ACV-P). The Marine Corps
announced the ACV had successfully completed anticipated requirements testing
and would no longer be pursuing an envisioned incremental ACV 1.1 and ACV 1.2
development approach. The program is now known as the ACV Family of Vehicles,
which encompasses the breadth and depth of the vehicle’s capabilities and
multiple variants.

ANDOVER,
Mass. — Mercury Systems Inc. has received an $16 million more orders against
its $152 million five-year agreement to deliver advanced Digital RF Memory
(DRFM) jammers to the U.S. Navy, the company announced in a release.

The orders
were received in the fourth quarter of the company’s fiscal 2019 year and are
expected to be delivered over the next several quarters.

Mercury DRFM
jammers are size-, weight- and power-optimized to meet the requirements of
airborne pod-based solutions and incorporate decades of DRFM technology
development, validated electronic attack techniques and custom RF components.

“Our design
and manufacturing teams remain committed to meeting the growing demands for
mission-critical components for the U.S. military’s electronic warfare (EW)
test and training program,” said Brian Perry, president of Mercury Defense
Systems.

“In addition
to satisfying current requirements for DRFM technology, Mercury is focused on
developing the innovative solutions essential for the next generation of
advanced DRFM capabilities to address broader system requirements and a more
complex [electronic warfare] concept of operations.”

ARLINGTON,
Va. — The Marine Corps’ first operational squadron to fly the F-35C
carrier-capable version of the Lightning II joint strike fighter has retired
its last F/A-18 Hornet strike fighter.

In ceremonies
held June 21 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, Marine Fighter
Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) retired its last Hornet, an F/A-18A++ version.
The Black Knights, as the squadron is known, are now in transition to the F-35C
at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California, under the tutelage of the Navy’s
F-35C replacement training squadron, VFA-125.

The Marine
Corps flies both the short-takeoff/vertical landing F-35B version and the F-35C
aircraft carrier version. The Corps currently fields three operational F-35B
squadrons, VMFA-121, -211, and -122.

The Corps is
procuring 67 F-35Cs to equip squadrons that will deploy with Navy carrier air
wings. In recent years the Corps has assigned two VMFA F/A-18 squadrons to
deploy with carrier air wings.

KEY WEST,
Fla. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC-913) returned to their
homeport in Key West following a 90-day counter-smuggling patrol in support of
Joint Interagency Task Force-South and operations in the Eastern Pacific Ocean,
the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

The Mohawk
crew, along with Coast Guard crews from Tactical Law Enforcement Team-South,
Coast Guard Helicopter Interdiction Tactical Squadron and multiple partner
agencies, interdicted more than 16,500 pounds of cocaine and more than 1,500
pounds of marijuana to counter and disrupt the illegal smuggling operations of
transnational criminal organizations.

The cutter
crew also conducted joint operations with crews from the Costa Rica Servicio
Nacional de Guardacostas, in which they assisted in the rescue of four Costa
Rican mariners. The Mohawk crew also rescued four sea turtles entangled in
fishing gear.

The Coast
Guard increased U.S. and allied presence in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and
Caribbean Basin, which are known drug transit zones off Central and South
America. During at-sea interdictions in international waters, a suspect vessel
is initially located and tracked by allied, military or law-enforcement
personnel coordinated by JIAFT-S. The interdictions, including the actual
boarding, are led and conducted by U.S. Coast Guardsmen. The law-enforcement
phase of counter-smuggling operations in the Eastern Pacific is conducted under
the authority of the Coast Guard 11th District headquartered in Alameda,
California.

The cutter Mohawk is a
270-foot medium-endurance cutter, whose missions include search and rescue,
maritime safety and security, and maritime law enforcement operations, such as
illegal migrant and drug interdiction operations.

PORTSMOUTH,
Va. — The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Dependable returned on June 22 to Little
Creek, Virginia, after completing a 62-day Mid-Atlantic fisheries patrol, the
Coast Guard 5th District said in a release.

From New
Jersey to South Carolina, the Dependable’s boarding teams conducted 39
boardings and inspected the catch, gear and lifesaving equipment of U.S.
fishing vessels to ensure they met all required federal laws and regulations.

During the
patrol, the Dependable’s boarding team members identified a variety of
lifesaving equipment concerns on board several commercial and recreational
fishing vessels. The boarding team members helped those mariners fix their
issues on the spot and educated them on the importance of maintaining their
equipment.

“Living
marine resource patrols are vital to ensuring the continued stability of the
multibillion-dollar U.S. seafood industry as well as the stewardship and
sustainability of living marine resources, such as fish, turtles and marine
protected species,” said Cmdr. Rula Deisher, commanding officer of Coast Guard
Cutter Dependable.

“Our boarding
team members ensured that the mariners’ safety and fishing gear were fully
operational and that they were operating within U.S. fishing regulations. We
enjoyed the opportunity to serve the public so close to our homeport.”

The
Dependable is a 210-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Little Creek and
routinely deploys in support of counter-drug and alien migrant interdiction,
living marine resources and search-and-rescue missions.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Vigilant returned home June 23 to Cape Canaveral after a two-month Caribbean patrol, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

The crew’s
patrol focused on enforcing U.S. federal laws by conducting boardings of U.S.
and international vessels throughout the Caribbean basin while working with
other government agencies and international partners to maintain national
security.

While on
patrol, the crew ensured the safe return of 50 Haitian migrants to their home
country after their illegal and dangerous voyage was disrupted by the crew of
the Coast Guard Cutter Robert Yered, a fast-response cutter homeported in
Miami. The crew was also involved in a search for a person reported to be in
the water after falling overboard from his sailing vessel.

The Vigilant
crew interdicted a go-fast vessel illegally smuggling 7,800 pounds of garlic
from Haiti to the Dominican Republic. Garlic smuggling is a global issue on the
rise and has had negative impacts on the agricultural industry in the Dominican
Republic in the last few years.

Upon hearing
of the interdiction, the Dominican navy sent a ship to meet the Vigilant to
take over the case for the prosecution. The contraband was valued at about
$30,000 and was the largest Coast Guard seizure of its kind.

During their
59-day patrol, the crew worked with agencies such as the Jamaican Defense
Force, Royal Bahamian Defense Force, Dominican navy, U.S. Drug Enforcement
Agency and the U.S. Navy.

The Vigilant
is a multimission 210-foot medium-endurance cutter whose missions include
illegal drug and migrant interdiction as well as search and rescue. The
Vigilant patrols throughout the Caribbean basin and Atlantic seaboard to ensure
safety of life at sea and enforce international and domestic laws.