WASHINGTON — Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer announced a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will be named in honor of late Sen. Thad Cochran, a Navy veteran, the secretary’s public affairs said in a release. Cochran was commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Naval…

Navy Secretary Names Future Destroyer in Honor of Late Senator
WASHINGTON — Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer announced a future Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will bear the name of the late Sen. Richard G. Lugar, a Navy veteran, Spencer’s public affairs office said in a release. Lugar served in the Navy from 1957 to 1960 and represented…

Boeing Delivers First P-8A Poseidon to United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force
SEATTLE — Boeing has delivered the first of nine P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to the United Kingdom Royal Air Force, the company said in a release. The U.K. is acquiring the multimission aircraft through the foreign military sales process with the U.S. Navy. The P-8A Poseidon replaces…

Keel Authenticated for First Flight III Arleigh Burke-Class Destroyer
PASCAGOULA, Miss. — In a milestone for the DDG 51 program, the keel of the first Flight III destroyer, the future USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), was ceremoniously laid and authenticated at Huntington Ingalls Shipyard on Nov. 7. Ruby Lucas and Catherine…

Navy Strategic Systems Director Praises Trident Missile’s Motor Reliability
ARLINGTON, Va. — The admiral in charge of procuring and sustaining the U.S. Navy’s submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) has praised the reliability of the Trident missile’s rocket motor, a critical factor in the credibility of the U.S. strategic nuclear deterrent. See: Navy’s…

Navy to Christen Expeditionary Fast Transport Newport
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy will christen its newest expeditionary fast transport (EPF), the future USNS Newport, during a 10 a.m. CST ceremony on Nov. 9 at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, the Defense Department said. The principal speaker will be Rear Adm. Shoshana Chatfield, president of the Naval…

Keel Laid for First-in-Class T-ATS
HOUMA, La. — Gulf Island Shipyard held a keel laying ceremony on Oct. 30 for the future USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6), the lead ship of the Navy’s new class of towing, salvage and rescue vessels. The ceremony was held at…

Navy Awards Second Multi-Year Electronic Warfare Systems Contract to Lockheed-Martin for E-2D Carrier-based Early Warning Aircraft
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin is progressing with a second multi-year contract to upgrade electronic warfare (EW) systems on the Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye carrier-based early warning aircraft. The five-year, $50.9 million contract covers continued digital upgrading of AN/ALQ-217 Electronic Support Measure (ESM) systems for the Advanced Hawkeyes, including the remaining 75 E-2D aircraft the Navy is expected…

Navy, Marine Corps Readiness Questioned in Heritage Foundation Assessment
Despite some improvements in combat readiness, the U.S. military has “marginal” overall capability to meet the increasing global security challenges it faces because all four of the armed services are too small and much of their major combat systems are too old, according to the latest of the…

HII Finishes Acceptance Trials for Amphibious Assault Ship Tripoli
PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Huntington Ingalls Industries announced the successful completion of acceptance trials aboard the amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA 7) in an Oct. 30 release. The second ship in the America class spent three days at sea in the Gulf of…