GROTON, Conn. — General Dynamics Electric Boat, a wholly-owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, has been awarded a $327.8 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract modification for fiscal year 2020 for lead yard support, development studies and design efforts for Virginia-class submarines, the company said in an Oct. 13 release.   

Under the contract modification, Electric Boat will undertake development studies and other work related to Virginia-class submarine design improvements, including incorporation of new technologies. The work will engage Electric Boat’s engineering and design organization, which comprises more than 5,000 employees. These employees work on all facets of the submarine life cycle from concept formulation and design through construction, maintenance and modernization, and eventually to inactivation and disposal.  

“Over the life of the Virginia program, the shipbuilders of Electric Boat have made improvements to the design of each ship,” said Kevin Graney, president, General Dynamics Electric Boat.  “This lead yard services contract will fund critical research and development work to further advance the stealth, capability and superiority of the Virginia class, providing our sailors with a greater advantage in the undersea domain.” 

MOBILE, Ala. – The future USS Mobile (LCS 26) successfully completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico Sept. 25, Austal USA said in an Oct. 12 release. LCS 26 is the third Austal-built ship for the U.S. Navy to complete acceptance trials in 2020. 

“I am proud of how the Austal team has come together again, in the middle of this pandemic, only a week after a Cat 2 hurricane made landfall in our backyard, completing another major milestone for one of our Navy ships – especially one so near and dear to us, named after our great city of Mobile, Alabama,” Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle said. “This is proof of what happens when we work together with our Navy teammates to form an incredibly strong team that just gets the job done and done the right way!”   

Acceptance trials involve the execution of intense comprehensive tests by the Austal USA-led industry team while underway, which demonstrate to the Navy the successful operation of the ship’s major systems and equipment. This is the last significant milestone before delivery of the ship.  

The Independence-variant LCS is a high-speed, shallow-draft, focused-mission ship capable of operating independently or in a group. These ships are designed to defeat growing littoral threats and provide access and dominance along coastal waters, yet capable of open-ocean operation. A fast, maneuverable and networked surface-combatant, LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute focused missions such as surface warfare, mine warfare and anti-submarine warfare. USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) recently completed a successful deployment with the Pacific fleet and ten other Independence-variant LCS are homeported in San Diego. 

The LCS program is at full-rate production and continuing its momentum at Austal USA, with five ships currently under construction including Mobile. The future USS Savannah (LCS 28) has launched and is preparing for trials. Final assembly is underway on the future USS Canberra (LCS 30) and USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32). Modules for the future USS Augusta (LCS 34) are under construction in the module manufacturing facility.  

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) Disposition Services will recycle five retired U.S. Navy ships as part of a new scrap sales contract to save taxpayer money and protect the environment, Jeff Landenberger, DLA Disposition Services, wrote in an Oct. 5 article on the DLA website. 

The five ships are: the ex-USS Charles F. Adams (DDG-2), the ex-USS Barry (DD 933), -the ex-USS Stephen W. Groves (FFG-29), the ex-USS Hawes (FFG 53), and the ex-USS Ticonderoga (CG47). 

The winning bid for recycling the ships was $240, according to DLA Disposition Services Public Sales Division Chief Carlos Torres. The important takeaway for taxpayers is that the contract allows the U.S. Navy to avoid per-ship disposal costs that can add up to millions of dollars. 

Torres said DLA and the Navy partnered in writing the contract. Navy officials then reviewed technical proposals and ensured that companies bidding could meet the requirements. 

The ships’ final destination will be Brownsville, Texas, where full dismantling will commence and 98% of all removed materials are expected to be recycled.  

Thousands of sailors served on the five ships while they were part of the active fleet. Ron Tucker was new to the Navy in 1982 when he joined USS Ticonderoga’s crew. It was still under construction in the shipyards of Pascagoula, Mississippi, awaiting commissioning, designating him a “plank owner.”  

“Looking back, we were the center of attention with regards to the Navy and DoD,” Tucker said. “The Washington Post carried some articles, they called the ‘Star Wars’ ship.” 

Tucker said that, at the time, he did not understand the significance of his new ship being the first to deploy the Aegis weapons system. Today, that system is a standard in the fleet. 

After ships are decommissioned, the Navy places them in reserve, or, what is often referred to as the “Mothball Fleet.” Some are retained in case they are needed in an emergency. But as newer ships are moved into the reserve fleet, the older ones are released to make room and reduce the Navy’s maintenance costs. 

“It’s part of the Navy experience to have to say goodbye to a ship, they don’t last forever,” said Tucker. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy has exercised a contract option for more production DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) systems. 

The Naval Surface Warfare Center’s Panama City Division has awarded Arete Associates an $18 million contract option for additional COBRA Block 1 systems, the Oct. 8 Defense Department contract announcement said. The quantity of systems to be ordered was not announced. Work on the option is expected to be completed by September 2021. 

The COBRA is a mine- and obstacle-detection multispectral sensor that is a modular component of the mine warfare mission package for the Navy’s littoral combat ships. It is designed to detect mines from the beach through the surf zone. In March 2009, COBRA Block I was rated mature enough to enter Low-Rate Initial Production. The COBRA was successfully tested on an MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle in October 2010. Initial Operational Capability was achieved in July 2017. Operational testing was completed in April 2018.  

Two upgrades to the COBRA are planned. Block II will add night operation capability and full-detection capability in the surf zone. Block III will add buried-mine line-detection capability and near-real-time on-board processing capability.  

STUART, Fla. — SeaRobotics Corp. has been awarded a contract to supply multiple SR-Surveyor M1.8 Autonomous Surface Vehicles (ASVs) to the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to help the Department of the Navy develop its advanced autonomy research program, the company said in an Oct. 8 release.  

The SR-Surveyor M1.8 is a tightly integrated, 1.8-meter long ASV designed to streamline logistics and optimize data acquisition in shallow and hard-to-navigate waters. The platform is specifically purposed to be versatile and rapidly deployable for users that require high quality, reliable data capture in remote and restricted waters.  

Leveraging the highly reliable SR-Surveyor M1.8 ASV, SeaRobotics optimized the platform for multi-vehicle collaborative behavior development. This custom configuration provides an innovative and cost-effective system for various research activities. 

“While we have developed a number of unmanned systems for marine defense application in the past, this is the first truly man-portable asset for multi-vehicle deployment,” said SeaRobotics president Don Darling. “This contract award supports the continued commitment to the advancement of autonomy research for naval operations and we are excited that the SR-Surveyor M1.8 will play an instrumental role.” 

The first SR-Surveyor M1.8 is scheduled for delivery in the fourth quarter of 2020, with staged deliveries bi-weekly to follow and scheduled to be completed early in the first quarter of 2021. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy apparently had deployed the Infrared Search and Track (IRST) sensor pod on F/A-18F Super Hornet strike fighters currently deployed in the Persian Gulf region. 

An Aug. 16 photograph of an F/A-18F of Strike Fighter Squadron 94, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 17 on board the USS Nimitz, was posted on the Navy’s website, clearly showing the IRST pod mounted on the centerline pylon of the aircraft. 

The AN/ASG-34 IRST is a passive, long-wave infrared sensor mounted in the forward section of a centerline fuel tank that detects and tracks aerial targets at extended ranges. Its high angle accuracy allows it to passively track closely spaced targets at maximum ranges, enabling the Super Hornet to track without using its APG-79 radar. The aft section of the pod contains fuel for the aircraft. 

The IRST system began flight testing on F/A-18E/F Super Hornets in February 2014 and was approved for Low-Rate Initial Production (LRIP) in December 2014. However, Full-Rate Production was deferred in favor of development of an improved version, IRST Block II, which is under development by contractors Boeing and Lockheed Martin and planned for fleet service in late 2021. 

SAN DIEGO, Calif. — General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) announced Oct. 7 that a milestone of 4,492 catapult launches and landing arrestments using the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) system has been successfully and safely achieved aboard the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78).  

“CVN 78 passed the half-way mark of its PDT&T, and we are well underway toward achieving the cats and traps milestones by the end of this rigorous testing phase,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “In addition to the demanding system shakedown testing, the ship, and EMALS and AAG, are providing valuable capacity to meet the Navy’s certification and training requirements for today, with an eye toward the future as the next Ford class carriers begin to enter the fleet. We are extremely proud of our dedicated team supporting the ship’s crew as they continue to qualify naval aviators as well as demonstrate the systems capabilities under combat operations tempo.” 

During CVN 78’s at sea periods, which involve night and day, all weather, and various sea state operations, EMALS and AAG successfully launch and recover a range of aircraft, including F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, E-2C/D Hawkeyes and Advanced Hawkeyes, C-2A Greyhounds, EA-18G Growlers, and T-45C Goshawks. In addition to CVN 78, GA-EMS is delivering EMALS and AAG for the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) and USS Enterprise (CVN 80). EMALS and AAG will provide greater flexibility over legacy systems to not only accommodate aircraft in the current air wing, but also future aircraft, including unmanned aerial vehicles.  

BALTIMORE – Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced USS Constellation (FFG 62) as the name for the first ship in the new Guided Missile Frigate (FFG(X)) class of ships Oct. 7 while aboard the museum ship Constellation in Baltimore Inner Harbor, the Navy said in a release. 

The name was selected in honor of the first U.S. Navy ships authorized by Congress in 1794 — heavy frigates named United States, Constellation, Constitution, Chesapeake, Congress, and President. These ships established the Continental Navy as an agile, lethal and ready force for the 19th century. This will be the fifth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name Constellation. 

“As the first in her class, these ships will now be known as the Constellation Class frigates, linking them directly to the original six frigates of our Navy, carrying on the traditions of our great service which have been passed down from generation to generation of Sailors,” said Braithwaite. “While providing an unmatched capability and survivability for the 21st Century, Constellation Class Frigates will honor our Navy’s historic beginnings as we continue to operate around the world in today’s era of Great Power Competition.” 

As the next generation of small surface combatants will contribute to meeting the goal of 355 battle force ships. With the ability to operate independently or as part of a strike group, it will deliver an Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR), Mk 41 Vertical Launching System, and Baseline 10 (BL 10) Aegis Combat System capabilities. The ships’ lethality, survivability, and improved capability will provide Fleet Commanders multiple options while supporting the National Defense Strategy across the full range of military operations. 

Constellation is a historic name with a long Naval history. The original name was submitted to President Washington in 1795 to represent the ‘new constellation of stars’ on the United States flag.  The first Constellation was a 38-gun frigate with a crew of 340 personnel. The ship was built in Baltimore in 1797 and remained in service until 1853. 

The second Constellation was a sloop-of-war launched in 1854 and was the last sail-only warship designed and built by the U.S. Navy. The ship currently stands as a museum in Baltimore. 

The keel for a third ship named Constellation was laid, but the ship was never completed in the peace years following WWI. 

The most prominent Constellation is the Kitty Hawk-class conventional aircraft carrier that commissioned in 1961. It had a storied history to include overcoming several catastrophic fires on board, supporting operations during the Vietnam War, the first Persian Gulf War, and Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom before decommissioning in 2003. 

Constellation-class Frigates will be built at Marinette Marine Corporation in Marinette, Wisconsin, with the first ship scheduled for delivery in 2026. 

NORWICH, Conn. — Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Connecticut, chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Seapower and Projection Forces, issued on Oct. 6 the following statement regarding Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper’s Oct. 6 comments on submarine shipbuilding during a preview of future Navy Force Structure Plan. 
 
“Today, Secretary Esper previewed a long-overdue force structure plan that begs for more detail and explanation,” Courtney said. “Notably, the Secretary shared the predictable outcome of these months of review and study — that we need a bigger and more capable submarine force. After four long years of stonewalling Congress’s commitment to enlarging our nation’s submarine fleet — including submitting a budget this year that proposed a 19% cut to the submarine budget and eliminated a planned Virginia class submarine — the Trump administration today acknowledged what has long been blindingly obvious: Our undersea fleet is dangerously small. 
 
“If Secretary Esper is serious about boosting production, he could direct his department to support the House-passed authorization and funding levels for a second Virginia-class submarine in 2021 that reverses the Administration’s anemic shipbuilding budget in the House-Senate conference process happening right now,” Courtney added. 

WASHINGTON — Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday conducted a video teleconference Oct. 6, with Rear Adm. Aaron Beng Yao Cheng, Republic of Singapore Chief of Navy, the CNO’s public affairs office said in a release. 

The two leaders discussed engagement between the two navies this past year, which included RIMPAC 2020, as well as ways to further deepen cooperation between the two navies going forward. 

“I am grateful to Republic of Singapore for their partnership and friendship – and we greatly value the contributions their Navy brings to the maritime domain,” Gilday said. “I am excited to work closely with Rear Adm. Beng and the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) for years to come to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.” 

Gilday also thanked Beng for continuing to host commander, Logistics Group Western Pacific in Sembawang and supporting the forward-deployment of Destroyer Squadron 7 and littoral combat ships, like USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10). 

Beng said the Republic of Singapore Navy and the United States Navy share a unique and long- standing relationship underpinned by mutual trust and shared values. 

“We have maintained a steady cadence of professional interactions over the last few months, which further underscores the strength of this partnership,” Beng said. “Our navies conducted a passage exercise in May, the RSN frigate RSS Supreme (73) deployed to RIMPAC 2020, and ships from both navies will conduct a bilateral CARAT exercise in December. We will continue to seek opportunities to strengthen cooperation, including resuming face-to-face interactions when the situation allows.” 

The U.S. and Singaporean navies recently exercised bilateral interoperability in the South China Sea and jointly participated in a virtual Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) symposium. The two navies operate together during exercises like Pacific Griffin 2019, the most advanced naval training between the two nations to date. 

This VTC was the first between the two leaders since Beng took office in March 2020.