By U.S. Naval Forces Central Command Public Affairs | July 25, 2024 

MANAMA, Bahrain — The Secretary of the Navy recently awarded the Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) to several units assigned to or operating within U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. 

The award recognized the commands for their outstanding performance during the period from October 19, 2023, to May 30, 2024. 

Commands include: 

Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet (COMFIFTHFLT); Commander, Task Force (CTF) 53; CTF 54 Bahrain Team; CTF 54 Japan Team; CTF 55 / Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50; CTF 56, Task Group (TG) 56.1 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), TG 56.9 Intelligence Exploitation Team (IET), TG 56.3 Expeditionary Reload Team (ERT); CTF 57; Task Force (TF) 3; Commander, Submarine Squadron (CSS) 21; Commander, Submarine Group (COMSUBGRU) 7; COMSUBGRU 7 NCCS; Anti-Submarine Warfare Forces; TF 51 / 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade; Amphibious Ready Group (COMPHIBRON) 8; 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable); Antiterrorism Security Team Company-Central Command (FASTCENT); 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (BLT 1/6); Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162; Combat Logistics Battalion 22; Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 21; Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 8; Naval Beach Group (NBG) 2; Beachmaster Unit 2; Assault Craft Unit 2; Assault Craft Unit 4; USS Laboon (DDG 58); USS Mason (DDG 87); USS Florida (SSGN 728) (Blue Crew); USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116); USS Bataan (LHD 5); USS Carter Hall (LSD 50); USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3); USS Stethem (DDG 63); USS McFaul (DDG 74); USS Gravely (DDG 107); USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3); USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6); USNS Kanawha (T-AO-196); USNS Supply (T-AOE-6); Detachment, Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2) Rotation 23.2; DJC2 Rotation 24.1; Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (CRC) 40; Tactical Operations Control Squadron (TOCRON) 10; Patrol Squadron (VP) 5; VP 9; VP 10; VP 40; Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26. 

Established by the Secretary of the Navy on Dec. 18, 1944, and awarded by the secretary with the approval of the President, a unit commendation is conferred on any ship, aircraft, detachment or other unit of the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps that distinguished itself for extremely meritorious service in support of military operations, which were outstanding when compared to other units performing similar service. 

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water space and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb. 

From U.S. Central Command, July 24, 2024

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations: 

Navy Vice Adm. Alvin Holsey for appointment to the grade of admiral, with assignment as commander, U.S. Southern Command, Doral, Florida. Holsey is currently serving as military deputy commander, U.S. Southern Command, Doral, Florida. 

Navy Rear Adm. Peter A. Garvin for appointment to the grade of vice admiral, with assignment as president, National Defense University, Washington, D.C. Garvin is currently serving as president, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island. 

From U.S. Central Command 

July 23, 2024

TAMPA, Fla. – In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi missile launchers in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. 

It was determined these weapons presented an imminent threat to U.S., coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. These actions were taken to protect freedom of navigation and make international waters safer and more secure. 

By Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor 

ARLINGTON, Va. — A global Information technology company has expanded its products in recent years to provide tailored digital enterprise software to shipbuilders, ship repair yards, air arms, and airlines.  

IFS is a global enterprise software company “working with some of the biggest, advanced shipbuilders in the world, across portfolio products,” said Matt Medley, IFS global industry director for Aerospace and Defense (A&D), during an interview with Seapower.  
 

“We focus on asset-centric and service-centric industries that tend to be highly regulated like aerospace and defense, one of our six core industries,” Medley said. “Shipbuilding here gets a special focus because we actually have two units that work on shipbuilding: the “gray” ships for defense that fall under Aerospace and Defense codes [and] the commercial — the “white ships” — under Engineering and Construction. 

“Shipbuilding is always complex, and of course when you add the defense angle onto it, with working with the federal government with all of the contracting rules, [it] becomes incredibly complex,” he said. 

IFS, a privately held company based in Sweden, has more than 6,000 employees. Topline revenues topped $1 billion in 2022, and are set to go to $2 billion in 2025, said Medley, a former Air Force C-130 pilot. The company’s North American headquarters is based in Chicago. The company’s products are used by more than 10,000 customer organizations. 

The IFS A&D sector is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. Medley said the company has been growing by a mixture of internal growth and acquisition of other companies, with the A&D sector formed by the 2017 acquisition of a company called MXI, which had developed an asset-management software product called Maintenix used by airlines such as Southwest Airlines. IFS A&D sells its products directly to government, militaries, and defense contractors. 

IFS is teamed with Lockheed Martin beginning in 2021 to provide digital transformation of U.S. Navy’s maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) legacy systems into “a single, fully modernized and responsive logistics information system,” according to a company release. IFS software enhances planning and execution of maintenance by using artificial intelligence, digital twins, and predictive analytics. 

IFS is now in the limited-deployment phase for introducing its solutions for the U.S. Navy’s aircraft fleet.  

“The Navy decided to start with one of IFS’s different applications for its first limited deployment,” Medley said. “The final solution will be an IFS product. They wanted to crawl before you walk before you run, because Maintenix is incredibly complex, and complex for a reason and that’s why it’s the Number One in the world in this market, because it has come very, very sophisticated guardrails to make sure that you don’t do things incorrectly.” 

The company’s core ERP (enterprise resource planning) IFS Cloud software is used by the shipbuilding and ship repair industry. 

“The prime OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] and the prime contractors are our biggest customers,” Medley said, noting that the list included the three General Dynamics shipbuilders — NASSCO, Bath Iron Works, and Electric Boat — and BAE Ship Repair, Vigor Shipyards, and Austal.  

IFS’s solutions for the ship industries include not only the core ERP functions such as accounting and management, but also materials management, subcontracting, project management, product development, engineering, procurement, constructed out-fit, operations, repair, and maintenance. 

“We code these solution sets across the breadth of the life cycle of the large asset — everything from design all the way out to sea trials and commissioning, integrating your operations out the entire value chain, forward and backward, and then internally as well with all of your processes all the way down to the shop floor,” Medley said. 

Medley said that the sale of a product is the beginning of a relationship, not the end, noting that it’s never “a sale and walk away.” 

Like most software companies, IFS uses an “evergreen model” to provide subscription-based ongoing updated software to its customers. The company issues major updates twice per year, in the spring and the fall. 

By From: Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC) Public Affairs, July 22, 2024 

HONOLULU, Hawaii  –  The U.S. Navy achieved a significant milestone at the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 exercise with the successful launching and testing of Poniard rockets from a Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV). The 12 July test is part of the Navy’s mission to continually enhance and expand its maritime capabilities and operational flexibility via security cooperation and innovation with allies and partners. 

Multiple Poniard rockets, low-cost guided munitions, were fired from the CUSV during a series of exercises conducted off the coast of Hawaii. The live-fire demonstration was the culminating event of an ongoing Foreign Comparative Test (FCT) project under the auspices of the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD R&E). This innovative capability test demonstrates the Navy’s commitment to integrating mature cutting-edge technology into its operations to maintain maritime superiority and readiness. 

“The successful live fire demonstration from the CUSV showcases our ability to rapidly deploy and use low-cost guided munitions from unmanned platforms,” Capt. Matthew Lehmann, program manager of the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Modules Office. “This capability enhances our operational reach and effectiveness, ensuring the Navy remains a dominant force in maritime operations.” 

This live fire demonstration was part of the RIMPAC exercise, held biennially in and around the Hawaiian Islands, which is the world’s largest international maritime warfare exercise hosted by U.S. Third Fleet. It provides a unique training opportunity for participating nations’ navies to foster and sustain cooperative relationships that are critical to ensuring the safety and security of the world’s oceans. This year’s exercise includes 29 nations, 40 surface ships, three submarines, more than 150 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel​. 

“The Rim of the Pacific exercise has grown over the years to be the world’s largest and premier joint combined maritime training opportunity,” said Vice Adm. John Wade, commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet and RIMPAC 2024 Combined Task Force (CTF) commander. “The exercise’s purpose is to build relationships, to enhance interoperability and proficiency and, ultimately, contribute to the peace and stability in the vitally-important Indo-Pacific region.” 

For more RIMPAC 2024 information and updates, visit https://www.cpf.navy.mil/rimpac/. Any additional questions or queries should be sent to [email protected]. 

The Navy’s LCS mission modules program is a part of the Program Executive Office, Unmanned and Small Combatants portfolio, which designs, develops, builds, and delivers the Navy’s unmanned maritime systems; mine warfare systems; special warfare systems; expeditionary warfare systems; and small surface combatants. 

July 22, 2024 | By C. Todd Lopez, DoD News 

The Defense Department today released its 2024 Arctic Strategy. The strategy acknowledges how environmental changes are affecting the Arctic region, details the implications for U.S. security and spells out how the department plans to be ready to meet new challenges there. 

“The Arctic region of the United States is critical to the defense of our homeland, the protection of U.S. national sovereignty and the preservation of our defense treaty commitments,” Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks said today during a briefing at the Pentagon. “Our Arctic strategy will guide the department’s efforts to ensure that the Arctic remains a secure and stable region.” 

Eight nations have a presence in the Arctic, including Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, the United States and Russia. All have interests there for both commerce and security.  

Climate changes have meant the melting of ice in the Arctic and the opening of new sea routes, which means new opportunities for commerce and resource exploitation, but also increased risk to nations whose borders were previously protected by the region’s inaccessibility.  

“Climate change is fundamentally altering the Arctic, and with it, geopolitics and U.S. defense missions,” Hicks said. “The readiness of our forces for those missions is always foremost on our minds, and that’s why for decades, across Republican and Democratic administrations, the department has been seeking to ensure our military capabilities can meet the mark, even in the face of a changing climate.”  

Climate change and the shifts in the operating environment, Hicks said, mean the U.S. must rethink how to protect warfighters and prevent conflict.   

The People’s Republic of China, not an Arctic nation, is increasing its presence in the Arctic. The PRC operates three icebreakers in the Arctic, for instance, and has a military presence there as well. The Chinese military has also demonstrated its ability to operate in the Arctic by conducting operations with the Russian navy, for instance.  

“While not an Arctic state, the PRC seeks greater influence in the region, greater access to the region, and a greater say in its governance,” Hicks said. “That’s concerning given that it’s the only strategic competitor with the will and increasingly the wherewithal to remake the international order.” 

Russia’s presence in the Arctic, including its military presence — the largest of all Arctic nations — can hold U.S. and allied territories at risk. At the same time, Russia is increasing its presence in the Arctic by reopening Soviet-era military installations.  

“Russia continues to pose an acute threat to security and stability in the region,” Hicks said. “Russia has continued to build up its military infrastructure in the Arctic and assert excessive claims over Arctic waters.”  

Russia is also partnering with China, Hicks said, and this presents additional concerns for U.S. defense.  

“We’ve seen growing cooperation between the PRC and Russia in the Arctic, commercially, with the PRC being a major funder of Russian energy exploitation in the Arctic, and increasingly militarily, with Russia and China conducting joint exercises off the coast of Alaska,” Hicks said. “All of these challenges have been amplified because the effects of climate change are rapidly warming temperatures and thinning ice coverage, and it’s enabling all of this activity.”  

The DOD’s 2024 Arctic Strategy addresses these concerns in the Arctic with three lines of effort, including enhancing the capabilities of the joint force, greater engagement with allies and partners and exercising U.S. presence in the Arctic.  

“Our Arctic strategy adopts a ‘monitor and respond,’ approach in the region,” Hicks said. “It is underpinned by robust domain awareness and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, cooperation with our allies and partners and deterrent power enabled by the agility of the joint force. The strategy focuses on enhancing our domain awareness and Arctic capabilities, engaging with our allies and partners and exercising calibrated presence in the region.” 

Iris Ferguson, the deputy assistant secretary of defense for arctic and global resilience, said mission enhancement includes, among other things, a focus on domain awareness in the Arctic.  

“We must improve our domain awareness and enhance our ability to detect and respond with our Canadian allies to threats to the homeland,” Ferguson said. “A key focus for my office is championing investments that will enhance our awareness of threats in the region. We want to make sure that we have the right sensing architecture and the right communications architecture for command and control.”  

Also, a target for operational enhancements in the Arctic are enhancements to communications and data architecture; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities; infrastructure; and cold weather equipment and mobility.  

With seven of the eight Arctic nations also members of NATO, the U.S. has great partnership opportunities in the region. The strategy directs the U.S. to take advantage of those partnerships and others, as a way to strengthen U.S. security.  

“Our strong network of partners, including Arctic allies, federal, state, local and tribal partners, are key stakeholders in securing the Arctic and our homeland,” Ferguson said. “From the communities that host our bases and troops in Alaska, to our colleagues in the U.S. Coast Guard and the Department of Homeland Security, we all have a role to play to maintain the stability of the Arctic Region.”  

Finally, the 2024 Arctic Strategy directs the department to enhance U.S. security through increased presence in the Arctic, including increased operations and military exercises.   

“Exercising tactics and equipment is a prerequisite not only for success but for survival in the unique Arctic environment,” Ferguson said. “To this end, one of my office’s key implementation priorities will be ensuring that the joint force is equipped and prepared to operate there.”  

The strategy calls for continued service-specific, joint, interagency and combined exercises as well as war games, simulations and tabletop exercises that focus on the Arctic. The strategy also calls for military services to conduct training in the Arctic to build experience operating there. 

U.S. Navy Rim of Pacific Exercise Is World’s Largest Maritime Exercise 

From General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. 

SAN DIEGO – 23 July 2024 – An MQ-9B SeaGuardian Unmanned Aircraft System from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) is once again supporting the U.S. Navy during its Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, this time for RIMPAC 2024. RIMPAC 2024, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, started on July 8, 2024, and continues operations through the month in areas throughout Hawaii. 

GA-ASI’s SeaGuardian is a maritime derivative of the MQ-9B SkyGuardian and remains the first UAS that offers multi-domain Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, and Targeting (ISR&T) as an internal payload that can search the ocean’s surface and depths in support of Fleet Operations. SeaGuardian is also providing real-time ISR data feeds to the U.S. Pacific Fleet Command Center using advanced long-range targeting capabilities, Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) parametrics, Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) acoustic and tracking data, and full-motion video to the watch floor and intelligence centers as well as to surface, air, and subsurface exercise participants for real-time dynamic tasking and targeting in support of cooperative kill-chain execution. 

SeaGuardian arrived at RIMPAC 2024 with more than 8,000 hours flown showcasing all operational payloads, which includes the SeaVue Multi-role radar from Raytheon, an RTX business, SNC’s Electronic Support Measures (EMS) solution, as well as an Automatic Identification System (AIS), and a self-contained ASW. This year, GA-ASI is introducing its Sonobuoy Dispensing System, demonstrating the deployment of A-size sonobuoys from a UAS for monitor and control. Additional SeaGuardian capabilities include a GA-ASI-developed Lynx Multi-mode Maritime Radar, a high-definition Electro-Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) imaging system, and Link 16.  

SeaGuardian’s multi-domain capabilities allows it to flex from mission to mission and pass real-time sensor data directly to the Fleet through Link 16 and satellite feeds to the shore-based command and intelligence centers. During RIMPAC, the MQ-9B is effectively passing ISR&T information to various surface and air units, such as the Nimitz-class carrier USS CARL VINSON, Guided Missile Destroyers (DDG), Littoral Combat Ships (LCS), frigates, patrol boats, P-8s, P-3s, and numerous other U.S. and foreign units taking part in the exercise. 

Funding for Tech and Talent to Secure Autonomous Systems Against Cyberattack

COLUMBIA, S.C. — July 23, 2024 — Benedict College and Integer Technologies announce that the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has awarded a $7.9 million contract to increase the cyber resilience of autonomous systems and enhance the workforce supporting the defense research enterprise.   

The two main components of the program, titled Resilient Autonomous Systems and Workforce Diversity, include: 1) research into automated cyber-physical security to improve the resilience of intelligent autonomous systems (IAS) against cyberattacks, and 2) enhancing the defense research capacity and STEM curriculum (science, technology, engineering, and math) at Benedict College to support the development of a highly skilled, technical workforce trained to meet the specialized technology needs of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD).   

Recruiting, educating, and retaining a world-class workforce is one of the strategic goals in the Navy’s IAS Science and Technology Strategy. Historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) represent a critical resource for STEM graduates, especially as they have a high percentage of students who are U.S. citizens, a key requirement for DoD projects. Both the industry and academic portions of the work will be performed in Columbia, SC. 

Funding from this contract will support the development of a master’s degree program in computer science and engineering at Benedict College, which would be the first graduate engineering degree of its kind at an HBCU in South Carolina.  

“ONR is proud to sponsor research on a unique opportunity like this that both enhances our cyber resilience and the diversity of our defense workforce,” said Dr. Thomas C. Fu, head of ONR’s Sea Warfare and Weapons Department. “Investing in research and workforce development at HBCUs is a priority for us to advance our national security objectives with a broad pipeline of highly trained, highly skilled men and women.” 

“Benedict College has been strategically investing in STEM and our research capacity for years, and this award is a result of that effort. As we will demonstrate in this work, HBCUs have an important contribution to make to America’s national security and workforce,” said Benedict College President and CEO, Roslyn Clark Artis, J.D., Ed.D. “Integer has been an incredible partner to help us navigate doing business with the Department of Defense, strengthening our STEM infrastructure, and connecting our students to the defense industry, and we’re looking forward to working with them on this exciting program.” 

“This program will enable Benedict College to increase our research capacity by recruiting highly skilled faculty for research and teaching in contemporary engineering disciplines, such as simulating cyberattacks against autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity engineering, machine learning, etc., and will provide our students with real-world experience to help launch them into great careers in the defense industry and other STEM fields,” said Godwin E. Mbamalu Ph.D., FAIC, Associate Vice President for Research at Benedict College, and Distinguished Professor. 

“Autonomous vehicles are no longer science fiction. They are on the road, in the air, and in the sea, impacting our lives today. While they have the potential to benefit society greatly, hackers are increasingly targeting them, and we need to invest in ensuring they are safe and secure against cyberattacks,” said Duke Hartman, CEO of Integer Technologies. “The research Benedict College has done in securing automotive vehicles against cyberattacks was excellent and applying that expertise to the maritime domain was a natural progression. This project will improve South Carolina’s competitiveness in this emerging industry, both in terms of academic research and workforce development at Benedict College, and in terms of technology development and commercialization at Integer Technologies.” 

“Providing South Carolinians with opportunities to thrive and succeed, especially those in rural and underserved communities, has always been my priority,” said Congressman James E. Clyburn (SC-06). “Academic-industry partnerships like this help grow South Carolina’s STEM workforce and build our technology infrastructure. This project will equip our aspiring STEM workers with valuable experience and put them at the forefront of technological research and innovation.” 

General Dynamics Mission Systems’ Containerized Tethered Elevated Mast (C-TEM) shipboard tethered unmanned aerial system solution will extend line-of-sight communication for U.S. Navy ships and unmanned surface vessels.

General Dynamics Mission Systems is a mission integrator for the Navy’s hybrid fleet of manned and unmanned platforms. The company is partnering with Dragonfly Pictures Inc. (DPI), a small business based in Essington, Pennsylvania, for the C-TEM program.

According to Scott Beauchemin, vice president for Surface Systems at General Dynamics Mission Systems, there are many advantages of a tethered drone to elevate a sensor, especially in contested environments. 

“C-TEM use cases are only limited by the warfighter’s imagination,” Beauchemin said.

“C-TEM extends sensor, network and communications capabilities on an as-needed basis. With all-weather, long-endurance mission support, automated flight control and a low visual signature in-flight, C-TEM is ideal for both manned surface platforms and unmanned surface vessels, which will become more and more prevalent in the U.S. Navy’s fleet,” Beauchemin said. “In addition to its encrypted high-bandwidth data exchange capability, C-TEM can also be outfitted with numerous capability packages, ranging from radar, electronic warfare, counter UAS, ISR [Intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance], and other missions.”

Beauchemin said C-TEM can be quickly deployed and retrieved for continuous sustained operations in all weather conditions. The containerized system is easy to install and requires minimal integration to existing systems.

“Terrestrial communications remain a critical tool for digital connectivity for manned and unmanned vehicles. Elevating antennas from moving platforms is no easy task as it requires a well-coordinated dance between air-sea platforms,” said Mike Piasecki, DPI’s president. “We believe C-TEM systems can have meaningful impact on future naval unmanned maritime missions around the globe.”

The aircraft weighs 55 pounds with a 15-pound payload installed and can fly as high as 500 feet above the launch platform. The system requires very little operator intervention. Station keeping and sensor direction is managed autonomously, and safe recovery protocols are automatic.

The C-TEM contract was awarded to General Dynamic Mission Systems in June 2022 via the Unmanned Surface Vehicle Family of Systems multiple award contract by the Naval Sea Systems Command in Washington, D.C. The contract, including options if exercised, has a cumulative value of $39.4 million.