ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy admiral in charge of procuring and sustaining the Navy’s ballistic-missile submarines (SSBNs) said the Navy is studying possible short service-life extensions of some Ohio-class SSBNs and even the Ohio-class guided-missile submarines. 

The Ohio-class SSBNs are scheduled to be replaced by the Columbia-class SSBNs now under construction. The first Columbia SSBN is scheduled to be on patrol in fiscal 2031 in order to maintain the undersea leg of the nation’s nuclear deterrent force. The margin available in the schedule for the Columbia program is tight. 

“Because it is the prudent thing to do, we are evaluating potential — not class extensions — but individual hull extensions for up to five of our Ohio-class SSBNs,” said Rear Adm. Scott Pappano, the program executive officer for strategic submarines, speaking May 12 in a webinar of the Advanced Nuclear Weapons Alliance Deterrence Center. 

The Ohio-class SSBNs were built for 30-year service lives, which were lengthened to 42 years through an extension program. 

“It’s very hard to get past 42 years,” Pappano said. “We’re going to at least evaluate that in the background. The first time we’d actually have to start thinking about doing that — to actually do one — would be in the FY29 time frame. So, we’re doing the evaluations right now on what it would take to do a ‘shortish’ repair availability to extend those ships for a couple of years as a risk mitigator, if need be. My goal is to not have to do that, but we want to understand the opportunities and risks associated with that short extension of the Ohio if we need to go do that, depending on what the world situation looks like at the end of the ‘20s and into the ‘30s.” 

The admiral said the Ohio class has been upgraded with a modernized Strategic Weapon System and COTS [commercial-off-the-shelf] systems and sensors. 

“That class is doing very, very well,” he said. 

Pappano also said that “as part of that we’ll also evaluate the SSGNs [Ohio-class guided-missile submarines] right now. That’s a bit more of a challenge because those ships are operated vigorously than the SSBNs are in the current roles they have right now, but we will continue to look forward to doing that.  

“Eventually, the Virginia-class [SSN] VPM [Virginia Payload Module] capability will supplant much of that [SSGN] missile inventory,” he said. “Until that comes online, we want to make sure we have the missile shooter capability in the SSGNs for as long as we can, but it’s going to be a delicate balancing act of maintaining the current SSBN fleet versus extending the SSGN fleet. One of the things we’re looking at right now as we go forward is to make sure we provide as much capability to the warfighters as we can at the right amount of risk.”

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy will commission the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), the newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, during a 10:00 a.m. EDT ceremony on Saturday, May 14, in Charleston, South Carolina, the Defense Department said in a release. 

The future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. is the first ship to honor Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen, Jr., the first Black Marine Corps aviator and the first Black Marine Corps officer promoted to brigadier general. When Petersen retired in 1988 after 38 years of service, he was, by date of designation, the senior-ranking aviator in the Department of the Navy. 

The principal speaker is The Honorable Carlos Campbell, Naval aviator and former Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. Additional speakers include The Honorable Nancy Mace, U.S Rep. from South Carolina’s 1st District; The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy; Gen. David Berger, Commandant of the Marine Corps; Adm. Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations; The Honorable John Tecklenberg, Mayor of Charleston, South Carolina; Mr. George Nungesser, Vice President of Program Management, Ingalls Shipbuilding; and Ms. Gayle Petersen, daughter of the ship’s namesake.  

The ship’s sponsors are Mrs. D’Arcy Ann Neller, wife of former Commandant of the Marine Corps, retired Gen. Robert “Bob” Neller, and the late Dr. Alicia J. Petersen, Lt. Gen. Petersen’s wife at the time of his passing in 2015. Dr. Petersen passed away in September 2021. Both sponsors participated in the keel laying, mast stepping, and christening ceremonies. Mrs. Neller will give the order to “man our ship and bring her to life.” 

“This ship honors the life and legacy of Lt. Gen. Frank E. Petersen, Jr., a pioneer not just for Marine Corps aviation but for our entire naval force,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. “I have no doubt the crew will be a cornerstone of the Surface Force carrying his legacy forward and strengthening the bond between our Navy and Marine Corps team.” 

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet providing protection to America around the globe. These highly capable, multi-mission ships conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface domains. These elements of seapower enable the Navy to defend American prosperity and prevent future conflict abroad. 

The nearly 9,500-ton USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. is 509.5 feet in length, has a waterline beam of 59 feet, and a navigational draft of 31 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots. USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. will homeport at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.  

The ceremony will be live streamed at: USS Frank E. Petersen, Jr. Commissioning. The link becomes active approximately ten minutes prior to the event (9:50 a.m. EST). 

Additional information on a history of the ship and its namesake can be found at: https://www.history.navy.mil/news-and-events/multimedia-gallery/infographics/heritage/history-of-u-s–marine-corps-pioneer–frank-e–petersen.html 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced on May 11 that the president has made the following nominations: 

Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Brian W. Cavanaugh for appointment to the grade of lieutenant general, with assignment as commander, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command; commanding general, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic; and commander, Marine Corps Forces North, Norfolk, Virginia. Cavanaugh is currently serving as commanding general, 1st Marine Aircraft Wing, Okinawa, Japan. 

Navy Rear Adm. Michael E. Boyle for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, and assignment as commander, Third Fleet, San Diego, California. Boyle is currently serving as director, Maritime Operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  

Navy Rear Adm. Frank M. Bradley for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, and assignment as commander, Joint Special Operations Command; and commander, Joint Special Operations Command Forward, U.S. Special Operations Command, Ft. Bragg, North Carolina. Bradley is currently serving as commander, Special Operations Command Central, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. 

Navy Rear Adm. Richard A. Correll for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, and assignment deputy commander, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Correll is currently serving as director, Strategic Integration, N2/N6T, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Navy Capt. Aaron C. Rugh for appointment to the grade of rear admiral (lower half), and assignment as chief prosecutor for military commissions. Rugh is currently serving as division director, Criminal Law Division, Office of the Navy Judge Advocate General, Washington, D.C. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Ingalls Shipbuilding, HII’s builder of surface warships, has the industrial facilities and workforce to add to the capacity of its portfolio, a senior Ingalls official said. 

“We have the ability to take on more work that we do today,” said George Nungesser, vice president for program management at Ingalls, speaking May 11 to reporters at the Modern-Day Marine Expo in Washington. 

Ingalls’ 11,500 workers are building Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, Legend-class national security cutters, America-class amphibious assault ships (LHAs), and Flight I/II San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships (LPDs). They also are activating the combat system of the third Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer. 

Nungesser said that Ingalls has three LPDs under construction. LPD 28, the future USS Fort Lauderdale, will sail away from the shipyard for commissioning in July. Nungesser said this LPD represented the best cost and schedule performance to date in the LPD 17 program. 

LPD 29, the future USS Richard M. McCool Jr., was launched in January and is 75% complete. Nungesser said it would be delivered to the Navy by the end of 2023. 

LPD 29 and LPD 30 are transition ships to the Flight II version of the class. 

LPD 30, the future USS Harrisburg, is 25% complete.  

Fabrication of LPD 31, the future USS Pittsburgh, is scheduled to begin in September. 

LPD 32 has been requested by the Navy in the 2023 budget. However, the budget plan would truncate the LPD 17 program with LPD 32 being the last to be procured. The Marine Corps has listed advance procurement funding of an additional ship, LPD 33, in its Unfunded Priorities List for 2023. 

Nungesser said the Navy did a good job with the technology transition to the Flight II ships, including accommodation of the SPY-6(V)2 active electronically scanned array radar and the CH-53K helicopter. 

Ingalls completed the post-shakedown availability of the America-class LHA USS Tripoli (LHA 7), work which including modifying the ship to operate F-35B Lightning II strike fighters.  

LHA 8, the future USS Bougainville, is 50% complete. 

LHA 9 was authorized and funded in fiscal 2021.  

Nungesser said that Ingalls has a solid backlog of work in the short term and is working to modernize its facilities and is working closely with its vendors to sustain the industrial base. Ingalls is in discussion with its vendors to get price quotes for LPD 32. 

He said that it would be ideal for the workforce to have the LPD production centered on building one every two years and LHA production every four years. 

Ingalls wants to be the builder of the future Light Amphibious Warship, Steve Sloan, Ingalls’ LPD program manager, also speaking in the roundtable.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Raytheon Intelligence & Space’s (RI&S’s) pre-production APG-79(V)4 radar system was successfully flown on a U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet earlier this year, at Naval Air Weapons Station in China Lake, California. This is the radar system’s first flight on the aircraft since RI&S delivered the prototype radar in 2021.

The APG-79(V)4 is an APG-79 radar derivative that employs the first airborne GaN-AESA fire-control radar to help pilots detect and track enemy aircraft from greater distances with greater accuracy and meets the power and cooling requirements of legacy aircraft.

“Following successful ground testing and the delivery of the prototype radar, this flight test was critical to observe performance in the air,” said Thomas Shaurette, vice president of F/A-18 & Global Strike Radars for RI&S. “It allowed our partners to see the V4 radar’s enhanced detection and tracking abilities in real-time.”

The U.S. Marine Corps pilot demonstrated the radar’s seamless integration with the legacy Hornet avionics. The APG-79(V)4 radar is common in parts and technology with the legacy AN/APG-79 radar used in the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornet, thus optimizing cost and sustainment. Flight tests will continue to support weapons system integration on the fleet.

The Naval Air Systems Command recently awarded additional contract modifications to equip the Hornet fleet with more radars in 2021, and the total production value for domestic and foreign military sales customers is over $300 million.

WASHINGTON — The Navy’s top officer did not request any funds for procurement of the Sea-Launched Cruise Missile – Nuclear (SLCM-N) in the 2023 budget proposal but would like to fund a small amount of research and development to keep the industrial base in place should the missile be funded in the future. 

Testifying May 11 before the House Armed Services Committee, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday said that “having served on a nuclear-capable surface ship in the late 1980s, that mission does not come without a cost. There is a significant amount of attention that has to be paid to any platform that carries that type of weapon in terms of training, in terms of sustainability, in terms of reliability, in terms of the force’s readiness to be able to use them and be able to conduct that mission. I’m not convinced yet that we need to make a $31 billion investment in that particular system to close that particular gap.  

“It makes sense to me that we keep a small amount of money against R&D to keep that “warm,’ if you will, within the industrial base, while we get a better understanding of the world we live in with two nuclear-capable peer competitors,” Gilday said. “At the same time, the fact that we’re about to put hypersonics into play this year with the Army, in 2025 with the Navy, that’s also a deterrent we should factor in the conversation in terms of the investments that we’re going to make, in my opinion.” 

Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colorado, addressed the CNO and reminded the officials present that this year the HASC had heard testimony from Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff Adm. Christopher Grady, U.S. Strategic Command Commander Adm. Charles Richard and U.S. European Command Commander Gen. Todd Wolters that “their best military advice was to continue with the SLCM-N program. 

“Do you believe that we should continue the program or at least the research so that we don’t lose that capability in the workforce and in our labs that’s actually proceeding apace right now and, then, from that, make informed decisions about whether or not we want to invest a significant amount of money in that capability understanding what both of those nuclear-powered peers bring to the table?” he said.  

Lamborn said that opponents of SLCM-N say the Navy did not have the bandwidth to handle a nuclear cruise missile aboard ships, but he pointed out that the Navy deployed a nuclear-armed version of the Tomahawk cruise missile on ships and submarines during and after the Cold War. 

He asked the CNO if “given the mission of certifying and carrying a SLCM-N, are you confident that the Navy would be up to the task, given that assigment?”  

Gilday affirmed that “given the assignment, we would, sir,” while again noting the cost. “I think it deserves some study in terms on how we’re going to balance that, given other things that we’re doing.” 

Lamborn told Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro, who also testified at the hearing, that Del Toro’s predecessor, “promised certain documents and emails related to the then-rumored cancellation of the SLCM-N program. Last year’s NDAA [National Defense Authorization Act] fenced a large amount of money until these documents and the analysis of alternatives for SLCM-N were provided to Congress. We have yet to receive any of this information.  

“Despite the proposal in the Nuclear Posture Review to cancel SLCM-N and its being zeroed out of this year’s proposed budget request, when can we expect the Navy to comply with our directives and produce these documents?” Lamborn asked. 

Del Toro responded that he “was not aware that those documents had not been provided to the Congress, however I will promise you that I will go back and ensure that we do provide necessary required documents that you have requested.”      

WASHINGTON — U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday met with the Italian Chief of Defense Staff Adm. Giuseppe Cavo Dragone at the Pentagon May 10, the CNO’s Public Affairs Office said in a release.

Gilday and Cavo Dragone discussed the long-lasting and vital maritime partnership between Italy and the United States, as well as the importance of global security.

“The very nature of our operating environment requires common values and a collective alliance,” said Gilday. “You have been a strong partner and gracious host to U.S. naval forces and our joint efforts in Europe. Working together is critical to regional security and stability.”

“We are ready to make further commitments in all domains, in what we consider an important portion of allied areas of responsibility, namely the wider Mediterranean region,” said Cavo Dragone.

Gilday and Cavo Dragone also spoke about strategic competition, China and Russia.

They both affirmed the close relationship of the U.S. and Italian navies and expressed appreciation for their partnership as NATO allies and as friends.

The U.S. and the Italian navy regularly operate together around the globe. In addition to conducting real-world tri-carrier operations, earlier this year the two navies also participated in exercises and activities such as Neptune Strike 2022, Obangame Express, and assorted bilateral drills. These exercises highlight NATO’s ability to integrate high-end maritime warfare capabilities to support the defense of the alliance.

Italy hosts American Sailors at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples, Naval Air Station Sigonella and NSA Naples Detachment Gaeta.

Gilday previously met with Cavo Dragone in February 2020 and October 2021, when he served as the chief of the Italian navy.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The new Naval Safety Command intends to hold no-notice and short-notice safety inspections of Navy commands to identify and understand risk and assess the safety posture of the fleet, the new command’s first commander said.   

One-star Rear Adm. Fredrick “Lucky” Luchtman, speaking May 5 in a session of the U.S. Navy Memorial’s SITREP Speaker Series, also said the new command will become a two-star billet soon, filled by a former carrier strike group or expeditionary commander, thereby giving greater perspective “on all things safety throughout the fleet.” 

The Naval Safety Command was established from the old Naval Safety Center on Feb. 7, 2022, to elevate the attention to safety, assessment of it and accountability for it in the fleet. All of the former directors of the Naval Safety Center since it was established in 1951 have been aviators, as is the first current commander of the Naval Safety Command, Luchtman. During the 1950s the mishap rate of naval aviation as it upgraded from piston-engine aircraft to jets skyrocketed and the Navy launched the center to assess the causes and propose solutions. 

Luchtman reports directly to the chief of naval operations, a reflection of the Navy’s increased emphasis on safety, especially in the wake of the fire that destroyed the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard. 

The admiral estimates that mishaps cost the Navy $1 billion per year in loss of aircraft, steaming time for ships and personnel costs, among other costs. The year 2020 was even more costly with the loss of the Bonhomme Richard. 

The Naval Safety Command will be sending assessment teams out to the fleet to determine the effectiveness of the safety management systems. The command is developing “a cadre of professionals who can truly assess compliance.” Luchtman said one of his goals is to streamline and simplify the safety management system by identifying risk, communicating it and holding accountability at the right level.  

“The accountability piece is absolutely key,” he said. Referring the Bonhomme Richard incident, he said, “the system isn’t healthy as it could be.” 

Luchtman mentioned one demographic that has a bearing on automotive safety in the Marine Corps, a service that makes heavy use of motor transport. He said 25% of Marine Corps recruits did not have a driver’s license, a percentage far large than a generation ago. 

Luchtman’s successor will be a surface warfare officer, Rear Adm. Christopher M. Engdahl, currently commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2 and commander, Amphibious Force, U.S. 7th Fleet.  

WASHINGTON — Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday released an update to the CNO Professional Reading Program, May 6, the CNO’s public affairs office said in a release.     

The CNO-Professional Reading Program consists of 12 books, and is a mix of writing genres including fiction, non-fiction, military, strategy, management, and technology, among others.    

“A learning mindset is essential to accelerating our warfighting advantage,” said Gilday. “A Navy that learns, adapts, and improves the fastest will be the most successful. Knowledge sharing is essential to creating a learning culture.”    

The goal of the program is to contribute to a culture dedicated to warfighting and learning, while simultaneously supporting the personal and professional development of Sailors beyond that of their primary designator or rating.    

“We are driving a fleet-wide campaign of self-improvement,” said Gilday. “We must foster an organization that supports and empowers Sailors to have an independent quest for knowledge through reading and information sharing. What you know and how fast you learn is relevant in this era of strategic competition.”   

The following books are included in the newly released update:   

1. “To Rule the Waves” by Bruce Jones     
2. “A Brief Guide to Maritime Strategy” by James Holmes     
3. “China as a 21st Century Naval Power” by Michael. A. McDevitt     
4. “Not One Inch” by Mary E. Sarotte     
5. The Sailor’s Bookshelf: Fifty Books to Know the Sea” by Admiral James G. Stavridis    
6. “Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War” by Paul Scharre     
7. “Fortune Favors Boldness” by Barry Costello     
8. “The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy’s Finest Hour” by James Hornfischer     
9. “World War II at Sea: A Global History” by Craig Symonds     
10. “Ashley’s War: The Untold Story of a Team of Women Soldiers on the Special Ops Battlefield” by Gayle T. Lemmon    
11. “Dare to Lead” by Brene Brown     
12. “Mindset: The New Psychology of Success” by Carol Dweck   
13. Link to CNO’s Professional Reading Program website:  https://www.navy.mil/CNO-Professional-Reading-Program/.     

Most of the books are available at no cost to Sailors in both e-Book and digital audio format from the Navy MWR digital library collection.  Eligible patrons can download the books through: https://www.navymwrdigitallibrary.org.    

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy will christen its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Beloit (LCS 29), during a 10:00 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, May 7, in Marinette, Wisconsin, the Defense Department said May 6. 

The Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) will be the principal speaker. Also providing remarks are Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wisconsin), Vice Adm. John Fuller, Naval Inspector General, Vice Adm. Francis Morley, principal military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, Lori Curtis Luther, city manager of Beloit, Wisconsin, as well as shipbuilders Steve Allen, vice president, Small Combatants and Ship Systems, Lockheed Martin Integrated Warfare Systems and Sensors, and Mark Vandroff, CEO, Fincantieri Marinette Marine. 

In a time-honored Navy tradition, the ship’s sponsor, Beloit native and retired Army Maj. Gen. Marcia Anderson, will break a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. 

“The future USS Beloit will be the first U.S. Navy ship honoring the proud naval contributions of Beloit, Wisconsin,” said Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro. “I have no doubt the Sailors of USS Beloit will stand the watch with pride and be ready to respond to any mission, wherever, and whenever, there is a need.” 

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom and the Independence, designed and built by two industry teams. Lockheed Martin leads the Freedom-variant team, or odd-numbered hulls, constructed in Marinette, Wisconsin. Austal USA leads the Independence-variant team in Mobile, Alabama, for LCS 2 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls. 

LCS 29 is the 15th Freedom-variant LCS and 29th in the LCS class. It is the first ship named in honor of the city of Beloit, Wisconsin.