NAPLES, Italy — In a historic moment for the region, a Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Sioux City (LCS 11), deployed to U.S. 6th Fleet’s area of operations, supporting U.S. and NATO ally and partner interests in Europe and Africa,…
Navy Awards Austal $230.5 Million Contract for EPF 16
MOBILE, Ala. — Austal USA has been awarded a $230.5 million contract for the detail design and construction of EPF 16, the Navy’s newest expeditionary fast transport ship, the company said May 3. Austal USA has successfully delivered 12 EPFs,…
USNS John Lewis Conducts Acceptance Trials
WASHINGTON — USNS John Lewis (T-AO 205), the Navy’s lead ship of its new class of fleet replenishment oilers, conducted acceptance trials on April 25, Team Ships Public Affairs said May 2. Acceptance trials consist of a series of in-port…
U.S. 4th Fleet and USNS Burlington Conduct Fleet Experimentation in Key West
ATLANTIC OCEAN — The Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport vessel USNS Burlington (T-EPF-10) completed U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet 2022 Fleet Experimentation events in Key West, Florida, April 22-27, 2022, said U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th…
HII Awarded Tactical Training Systems Contracts by the Naval Air Warfare Center
MCLEAN, Va. — HII has been awarded two tactical training systems contracts by the Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake, the company said May 2. The first contract, for aircrew electronic warfare tactical training, is a multiple-award, indefinite quantity/indefinite delivery…
Surge Deployment of U.S. 2nd Fleet Destroyers Seen as OFRP, Agile C2 Success
ARLINGTON, Va. — The recent surge of several guided-missile destroyers from the U.S East Coast to the North Atlantic Ocean and Baltic and North Seas was a successful demonstration of the flexibility of geographic command relationships and of the value…
CNO: Thinking on Unmanned Systems Changed by Experimentation
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy’s top officer said his thinking about integrating unmanned systems into the fleet has been changed by the observations of the service’s recent experimentation during fleet exercises. “We are learning so fast in fielding these capabilities…
Aboard USS Jackson, MQ-8C Fire Scout Returns to Flight
PHILIPPINE SEA — The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) completed underway return to flight operations of the Navy’s unmanned helicopter, the MQ-8C Fire Scout, in the Philippine Sea on April 20, commander Destroyer Squadron 7 public affairs…
Navy to Adjust F/A-18 Service Life Modernization as Needed to Address Strike Fighter Shortfall
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy is planning to use a “rheostat” approach to adjust the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet strike fighter Service Life Modernization (SLM) program to mitigate the strike fighter shortfall in the fleet, a senior service official said. The…
Navy Proposes Divestment of Special Ops Helicopter Squadron
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is proposing to retire its only expeditionary helicopter squadron dedicated to support of special operations forces with the service’s 2023 budget request. Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 85 (HSC-85), a reserve squadron based at Naval…
