KEY WEST, Fla. — The U.S. Coast Guard interdicted six Cuban
migrants on June 6 about 39 miles east of Islamorada, the Coast Guard 7th
District said in a release.

Coast Guard 7th District watchstanders received a report from another vessel on the scene with a wooden rowboat that carried with six people who were asking for water. The watchstanders diverted the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Charles David Jr. (WPC-1107) to assist.

The cutter’s crew arrived on scene and embarked the six people, who
claimed Cuban nationality, due to safety of life at sea concerns with the
unsafe vessel.

“The Coast Guard continues to maintain a focused and coordinated effort with multiple agency assets to interdict any attempt to dangerously and unlawfully immigrate by sea to the United States,” said Cmdr. Michael Vega of the Coast Guard 7th District’s enforcement branch. “Those who are interdicted at sea attempting to illegally immigrate will be repatriated to their country in accordance with existing U.S. immigration policy.”

A total of 308 Cuban migrants have attempted to illegally enter the U.S. by sea in fiscal year 2019 compared to 384 in fiscal 2018. These numbers represent the total number of at-sea interdictions, landings and disruptions in the Florida Straits, the Caribbean and the Atlantic. Once aboard a Coast Guard cutter, all migrants receive food, water, shelter and basic medical attention.

CHERBOURG, France — Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer named a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, DDG 132, in honor of Coast Guard Capt. Quentin Walsh, who was awarded the Navy Cross for his service during World War II, the secretary’s public affairs office announced in a June 6 release.

“Capt.
Walsh was a hero whose efforts during World War II continue to inspire, and his
leadership in securing the French port of Cherbourg had a profound effect on
the success of the amphibious operations associated with Operation Overlord,”
Spencer said.

“For over
two centuries, the Navy and Marine Corps team and the Coast Guard have sailed
side by side, in peacetime and war, fair weather or foul. I am honored the
future USS Quentin Walsh will carry Capt. Walsh’s legacy of strength and
service throughout the world, and I am proud that for decades to come, this
ship will remind friends and adversaries alike of the proud history of our
services and the skill and professionalism of all those who stand the watch
today.”

Spencer
made the announcement alongside Adm. Karl Schultz, the commandant of the U.S.
Coast Guard, in a ceremony aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Eagle in
Cherbourg, France.

“We
are grateful to the U.S. Navy and Sec. Spencer for honoring one of our Coast
Guard heroes, Capt. Quentin Walsh,” Schultz said. “Naming a future
Navy destroyer after Capt. Walsh, the first Arleigh Burke-class ship to be
named after a Coast Guard legend, highlights not only his courageous actions
but the bravery of all U.S. service members involved in the D-Day Invasion of
Normandy.

“The
U.S. Navy and Coast Guard legacies are interwoven as reflected in the heroic
actions of Capt. Walsh and the Navy Sailors under his command during the
liberation of Cherbourg,” the commandant continued. “We will remain
always ready to stand with our brothers and sisters in the U.S. Navy and Marine
Corps.”

During
World War II, while serving on the staff of the commander, U.S. Naval Forces,
Europe, then Cmdr. Walsh was given command of a 53-man special task force
assigned to capture the vital port of Cherbourg. Despite heavy casualties, his
small force seized the port facilities and took control of the harbor the day
after they entered the city.

After he
discovered that the remaining German garrison at Fort du Homet held 52 U.S.
Army paratroopers as prisoners, Walsh, under a flag of truce, exaggerated the
strength of the forces under his command and persuaded the commanding officer
of the remnants of the German garrison to surrender. These actions earned him
the Navy Cross and, all told, he accepted the surrender of over 700 German
soldiers. Walsh died May 18, 2000.

MIAMI — The
Coast Guard Cutter Hamilton (WMSL-753) crew is scheduled to offload about 26,000
pounds of seized cocaine and about 1,500 pounds of seized marijuana June 6 at
Port Everglades, the Coast Guard 7th District said in a release.

The drugs
were interdicted in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the
coasts of Mexico and Central and South America, including contraband seized and
recovered in more than a dozen interdictions of suspected drug smuggling
vessels by U.S. Coast Guard and Royal Canadian Navy ships:

Hamilton was
responsible for four cases, seizing about 1,400 pounds of marijuana and some
9,000 pounds of cocaine.

Cutter
Resolute (WMEC-620) was responsible for four interdictions seizing approximately
7,550 pounds of cocaine.

Her Majesty’s
Canadian Ship Whitehorse with a U.S. Coast Guard law-enforcement detachment
aboard interdicted two suspected smuggling boats and seizing more than 2,000
pounds of cocaine.

HMCS
Yellowknife, also with a Coast Guard law-enforcement detachment aboard, was
responsible for one interdiction, seizing more than 50 pounds of marijuana.

The Coast
Guard Cutter Mohawk (WMEC-913) was responsible for five cases, seizing nearly
8,600 pounds of cocaine.

“The crew of
Hamilton has shown the utmost commitment and dedication to the Coast Guard and
to the United States over the course of the last three months,” said Capt.
Mark Gordon, commanding officer of the Hamilton.

“It is
incredibly difficult for our crew to be separated from family and loved ones
for such an extended time, but their perseverance and enthusiasm to conducting
this mission was fundamental to our success. Without their determination these
criminal organizations would continue to spread fear and violence throughout
the Americas.”

Hamilton is a
418-foot national security cutter homeported in Charleston, South Carolina. Resolute
is a 210-foot medium endurance cutter homeported in St. Petersburg, Florida.
HMCS Whitehorse and Yellowknife are Royal Canadian Navy Kingston-class
coastal-defense vessels homeported in Esquimalt, British Columbia. Mohawk is a
270-foot medium-endurance cutter homeported in Key West, Florida.

BOSTON — U.S.
Coast Guard Cutter Campbell returned to its homeport in Kittery, Maine, on June
4 after an 87-day patrol in the North Atlantic, the Coast Guard 1st District
said in a release.

Campbell’s
crew executed a fast-paced patrol, including search-and-rescue missions,
enforcement of federal fisheries regulations, international training exercises
with the U.S. and Canadian navies and Fleet Week in New York City.

During the
patrol, Campbell’s crew safely towed two disabled vessels. The 72-foot fishing
vessel Sea Rambler, carrying more than 25,000 pounds of fish, was adrift 40
miles southeast of Portland, Maine. The crew also towed sailing vessel Reflection,
in distress 280 miles off the coast of Nantucket after suffering a rudder
casualty, to Buzzard’s Bay, Massachusetts.

The Campbell’s
crew also conducted 57 living marine resources boardings and identified nine
vessel safety and fishing violations.

As part of
Operation Frontier Sentinel, Campbell conducted joint military operations in
Canadian waters with the USS Jason Dunham and HMCS Ville De Quebec.

Near the
end of the patrol, the cutter and crew participated in New York City’s Fleet
Week celebration. Campbell led the Parade of Ships into New York Harbor and
provided tours for more than 1,000 visitors during a three-day visit to Staten
Island.

“I am
incredibly proud of the crew for their outstanding performance during our
87-day patrol in the North Atlantic Ocean,” said Cmdr. Mark McDonnell,
commanding officer of Campbell. “They safeguarded mariners and protected our
vital New England fisheries. We thoroughly enjoyed participating in Operation
Frontier Sentinel and Fleet Week in New York City.”

The
Campbell crew navigated 10,039 nautical miles throughout the patrol.

Campbell is a 30-year-old
Famous-class medium-endurance cutter homeported with a crew of 100.

ARLINGTON,
Va. — The U.S. Navy has reduced the number of F/A-18C Hornet strike fighters it
is modernizing to the F/A-18C+ configuration from 25 to 19, only enough to field
one squadron for the U.S. Marine Corps, according to Michael Land, a spokesman
for the Naval Air Systems Command.

As an upgrade
to the F/A-18C, the F/A-18C+ is equipped with an upgraded APG-73 radar, Link
16, color cockpit displays, a moving-map display, ALE-47 infrared
countermeasures, the Naval Aircrew Common Ejection Seat and the Joint
Helmet-Mounted Cueing System. The service life of the airframes is being
extended from 6,000 flight hours to 8,000 hours.

Originally
the C+ program was to include 30 aircraft, enough to field two squadrons. The
number later was reduced to 25.

The aircraft
are being upgraded by Boeing at its facility at Cecil Field in Jacksonville,
Florida.

As of early May, three of the C+ versions had been completed. Two had been delivered to Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 (VMFA-115), one of which had been lost in a mishap. The third has been delivered to reserve squadron VMFA-112 at Naval Air Station Fort Worth in Texas in May. That squadron is scheduled to receive most of the C+ Hornets.

The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) took initial steps June 4-5 toward passing a fiscal 2020 National Defense Authorization, with the HASC’s six subcommittees approving the “chairmen’s marks.” But a partisan dispute broke out over the Strategic Forces panel’s language that would block or restrict several new nuclear weapons programs called for in last year’s Nuclear Posture Review.

The full House Armed
Services Committee will take up the subcommittees’ recommendations and other
issues next week.

Other than the partisan controversy in the
Strategic Forces committee over nuclear issues, the recommendations from the
six subcommittees contained generally bipartisan provisions such as a 3.1% pay
raise, added support for service members and their families and approval of
most of the major aircraft, ground equipment and shipbuilding procurement
programs.

The
Seapower and Projection Forces panel, for example, would authorize construction
of 11 battle force ships, including three Virginia-class attack submarines,
three Arleigh Burke destroyers, one new frigate and two towing, salvage and
rescue vessels, which the U.S. Navy had requested. But it cut one of the two
John Lewis-class fleet oilers requested and replaced it with incremental
funding for the second of the Flight II amphibious transport docks that the U.S.
Marine Corps seeks.

The
Seapower mark formally barred the Navy from retiring the aircraft carrier USS Harry
S. Truman early and restored $17 million in advanced procurement for the
carrier’s refueling and overhaul. And it reauthorized the Maritime Security
Program, which subsidized operations of commercial sealift ships and
recommended creation of a tanker security fleet of 10 commercial tankers
supported by that program. The panel also moved to force the Navy to act on the
congressionally mandated program to start building new or buying used vessels
to modernize the aged reserve sealift fleet.

Seapower’s
mark expressed anger that the cost caps imposed on the Gerald R. Ford-class
carriers prevented the Navy from including the capability for Ford to support F-35C
Lightning II fighter. It orders the Navy to include F-35C capabilities before
accepting delivery of the John F. Kennedy, the second ship in the class.

The
subcommittees did not provide details on the numbers of aircraft they were
authorizing, leaving that for the full committee. But Seapower’s ranking member,
Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Virginia), said its mark increased the buy of V-22s, P-8As,
E-2Ds and C-130Js. Tactical Air and Land Forces adopted “economic order
quantity” language allowing purchase of parts and material for future F-35s to
help reduce cost. The panel ordered an independent study of the procurement and
lifecycle costs and sustainability of the multiservice F-35 and the latest
Block 4 software.

The
panel restricted half of the authorized funding for the Marine Corps’ CH-53K
until the Navy provides briefings on the technical problems that have delayed
operation of the heavy-lift helicopter. It also demanded detailed plans on
modernization and sustainment of the Navy’s MH-53E helos.

The
Personnel subcommittee increased efforts to stop the epidemic of sexual
assaults and harassment by adding counseling support and protection for
victims, but did not make sexual harassment a crime, which Senate Armed
Services did. The panel authorized personnel increases of 5,100 for the Navy,
3,700 Air Force and 100 Marines and a cut of 7,500 for the Army. It barred the
Pentagon from cutting 18,000 uniformed medical personnel pending an independent
analysis of the impact on medical care.

The
Intelligence and Emerging Threats panel called for “comprehensive and robust”
science and technology and research and development efforts to stop the erosion
of technological advantage, requiring action of 56 specific areas including
artificial intelligence and hypersonics. It also required additional programs
to increase cybersecurity for government and defense industry systems. And it
ordered an independent assessment of the roles, missions and force structure of
the Special Operations Forces, which are shifting from counter-extremism to
great power competition.

The
HASC subcommittees’ proposals traditionally are bipartisan documents crafted by
the majority and minority staffs and passed with minimal discussion, reserving
major debate and conflict for the full committee process, which is set for next
week.

But
the Strategic Forces subcommittee’s mark clearly showed the strong opposition
of HASC Chairman Adam Smith (D-Washington) to the expansion of nuclear weapons
programs advocated by the Trump administration. That included blocking
development of a “low-yield” nuclear warhead for submarine-launched ballistic
missiles and restricting the accelerated production of the plutonium “pits”
that are the explosive core of atomic arms. The mark also prevents the Navy
from developing a hypersonic “conventional prompt strike” missile designed
solely for submarines but leaves open work on a missile for surface warships.

The
partisan nature of the proposed authorization was shown by only the name of
subcommittee chairman, Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tennessee) appearing on the draft,
without the ranking Republican’s name, which was on all the other
subcommittees’ proposals. That was amplified by a statement from the HASC’s top
Republican, Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) and subcommittee ranking member, Rep.
Mike Turner (R-Ohio), who called it “a partisan and irresponsible” mark “that
makes us less safe, hinders our ability to defend ourselves.” That ensures a
prolonged fight in next week’s full committee markup.

Because
of the strong partisan dispute, the subcommittee had to engage in a prolonged
debate over a Republican amendment that would have removed the language banning
the submarine-launched low-yield weapon, opposing building a second plant to
produce plutonium pits and maintaining participation in the Open Skies Treaty,
which allows the United States and Russia to fly over each other’s countries to
confirm compliance with arms control treaties.

The
amendment was defeated on an 8-10 party line vote. The Republicans then
demanded unprecedented votes on adopting the mark and on sending it to the full
committee, both of which passed by 10-8 party line votes. The fight will be
repeated next week.

The
Readiness Subcommittee completed its markup June 5, calling for action to
address the recent crisis in privately managed family housing, including
adopting a “tenants bill of rights.” The panel also ordered assessments and
long-term plans to mitigate the threat to military installations from the
extreme weather and rising oceans caused by climate change. Because of the risk
to off-base water supplies, the mark would ban the use of fluoride-based
firefighting foam except in actual emergencies and ordered the Navy secretary
to develop requirements for nonfluoride foam by 2025. And it ordered action to
improve the supply of parts for the F-35 and other actions to address the
readiness impact of supply line problems.

Subcommittee
Chairman Rep. John Garamendi (D-California) made a short statement opposing the
president’s use of military funds for the Mexican border wall, while the ranking
member, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado), supported the action because of the
“crisis” on the border. But to maintain the bipartisan nature of the mark, the
panel deferred any action of the border wall money until the full committee
acts next week.

ARLINGTON,
Va. — A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft was intercepted in
international airspace on June 4 by a Russian SU-35 fighter over the
Mediterranean Sea, the U.S. 6th Fleet reported in a release.

The P-8A was
intercepted “three times over the course of 175 minutes,” the release said. “The
first and third interaction were deemed safe. The second interaction was
determined to be unsafe due to the SU-35 conducting a high-speed pass directly
in front of the mission aircraft, which put our pilots and crew at risk. The
crew of the P-8A reported wake turbulence following the second interaction. The
duration of the intercept was approximately 28 minutes.”

The 6th Fleet
called the interaction “irresponsible.”

“We expect them to behave 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),” the release said. “Unsafe actions‎ increase the risk of
miscalculation and potential for midair collisions. The U.S. aircraft was
operating consistent with international law and did not provoke this Russian
activity.”

ARLINGTON,
Va. — The U.S. Navy has awarded a contract for 34 ScanEagle unmanned aerial
vehicles for four partner nations adjacent to the South China Sea.

The Naval Air
Systems Command awarded a $47.9 million contract on May 31 to Boeing’s Insitu
in Bingen, Washington, for the UAVs as well as “spare payloads, spare and
repair parts, support equipment, tools, training, technical services and field
service representatives,” according to a Defense Department announcement.

The UAVs will
be built for the governments of Malaysia (12 UAVs), Indonesia (8), the
Philippines (8) and Vietnam (6).

The ScanEagle
is a small Group 2 UAV that can be launched from a pneumatic rail launcher
ashore or from ship and recovered by a line that intercepts a hook on the wing
of the UAV. It can carry sensor payloads such as electro-optical imaging,
infrared imaging and millimeter wave radar. The UAV can stay aloft for 18
hours.

Deliveries are expected to
be completed by March 2022.

TEWKSBURY, Mass. — Raytheon Co.
and the U.S. Navy completed the final developmental test of the latest
generation of the Ship Self-Defense System, or SSDS, Integrated Combat System
for the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), the company announced in a release.

The test was conducted off the
coast of California from the Navy’s unmanned Self-Defense Test Ship simulating
a scenario CVN-78 may encounter once deployed.

During the raid scenario
exercise, two anti-ship missile surrogate targets were located, classified,
tracked and engaged using the SSDS Integrated Combat System adapted for Gerald
R. Ford.

“This successful
dual-target test demonstrates the maturity of the Ship Self Defense System ICS
and paves the way for operational testing to begin,” said Mike Fabel,
Raytheon’s SSDS program manager. “SSDS is a critical capability that
enables CVN-78 to defend herself and her crew against current and emerging
threats.”

The Raytheon Ship Self-Defense
System ICS includes:

• Dual Band Radar: This technology searched for,
  located and tracked the targets. DBR then provided uplink and radar
  illumination to the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile to support missile guidance.
• Cooperative Engagement Capability, or CEC: The
  capability validated and processed the Dual Band Radar data for SSDS. CEC is
  responsible for providing a single, integrated air picture by fusing data from
  multiple sensors to improve track accuracy.
• Ship Self-Defense System: SSDS processed the CEC
  data, classified the targets, determined the appropriate engagement ranges,
  passed launch commands to the interceptor missiles, and scheduled Dual Band
  Radar support for the engagements.
• Evolved SeaSparrow Missile and Rolling Airframe
  Missile: Successfully engaged and defeated both targets using live and
  simulated interceptors.

The Ship Self-Defense System
ICS for CVN-78 has now successfully engaged three of three targets over the
course of its first two test exercises.

Proven and deployed, SSDS is
an open, distributed combat management system in service on U.S. carriers and
amphibious ships, including CVN, LSD, LPD, LHA and LHD classes. SSDS Mk2 is the
premier self-defense system for the Navy. SSDS is integrated with Raytheon’s
Cooperative Engagement Capability for the seamless extraction and distribution
of sensor-derived information. This further enhances each ship’s anti-air
warfare capability through sharing of available data to all participating CEC
units, improving situational awareness, increasing range, and enabling
cooperative, multiple, or layered engagement strategies.

LONDON — HMS Queen Elizabeth, Britain’s future
flagship, will deploy in late summer for the eastern seaboard of the United States,
including a port visit in the Washington, D.C., area, where she will host the
Atlantic Future Forum, the U.K. Ministry of Defence announced.

The aircraft carrier, United Kingdom’s largest and
most advanced warship ever built, will make the transatlantic journey for the
second consecutive year to train alongside the U.K.’s closest ally. She will
also make several port calls while deployed before returning home before Christmas.

While in the Washington area she will host the Atlantic Future Forum, which aims at bringing the U.S. and U.K. defense industry and military together to address the changing nature of warfare and shared threats both allies face at home and abroad.

“HMS Queen Elizabeth represents the best of British innovation and is a true embodiment of our international ambition,” said British Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt.

“The fact that this important ship will have visited
the U.S. twice within her short service thus far is testament to our enduring
transatlantic defense relationship. In the week that we commemorate the 75th anniversary
of the D-Day landings, it is only right that we continue to look at how we can
deepen our global partnerships to promote peace and deter future conflict.”

The deployment, known as WESTLANT 19, will see Queen Elizabeth and her crew conduct deck and warfare trials with U.K. F-35 jets from 17 Test and Evaluation Squadron based in the United States and 617 Squadron based at RAF Marham as well rotary wing training with Merlin and Wildcat helicopters.

While stateside, she will also welcome U.S. Marine Corps vertical-lift F-35s on deck.

HMS Queen Elizabeth remains set to be deployed on global operations from 2021 and when Prince of Wales joins her in the fleet in the near future, the United Kingdom will have one carrier available at very high readiness at all times.

Britain’s prime minister also announced June 4 that
the Royal Navy will ready the HMS Queen Elizabeth to join allies in forming
part of NATO’s major “readiness initiative” when she becomes operational.

“I’m pleased to announce that NATO will soon be able
to call on the U.K.’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers and F-35 fighter
jets to help tackle threats around the world,” Prime Minister Theresa May said.

NATO’s “readiness initiative” aims to improve the
readiness of the alliance’s forces to deploy and move within Europe and across
the Atlantic to safeguard international security. Britain will look to make its
aircraft carrier a key part of those plans as the country continues to play a
leading role in the alliance which has been the cornerstone of its defense for
70 years.

“Be it projecting influence for peace, standing ready
to fight, or delivering vital aid around the world, HMS Queen Elizabeth and her
sister ship HMS Prince of Wales will fly the flag of a Global Britain,”
Mordaunt said. “Nothing symbolizes the leading role that we play in NATO more
than our nation’s future flagship being ready to respond to any challenge that
the Alliance may face.”

At the Defence Ministers’ meeting in June, allies
committed, by 2020, to having 30 battalions, 30 air squadrons and 30 naval
combat vessels ready to use within 30 days. This was reinforced by allied heads
of state and government at the NATO summit in July.