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Pacific Fleet News

08 Feb 2024

Littoral Combat Ship USS Kingsville Complete Acceptance Trials

(Photo: Austal USA)

Last week, on January 31, the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) returned pier side after successfully completing acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico for the U.S. Navy, Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA announced.During acceptance trials, comprehensive testing is conducted on the ship’s major systems and equipment in order to demonstrate their successful operation and mission readiness. The U.S. Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey participates throughout the trials to validate…

21 Sep 2023

U.S. Revives Cold War Submarine Spy Program to Counter China

Credit: noraismail/AdobeStock

On a windswept island 50 miles north of Seattle sits a U.S. Navy monitoring station. For years, it was kept busy tracking whale movements and measuring rising sea temperatures. Last October, the Navy gave the unit a new name that better reflects its current mission: Theater Undersea Surveillance Command.The renaming of the spy station at the Whidbey Island naval base is a nod to a much larger U.S. military project, according to three people with direct knowledge of the plans:…

14 Sep 2023

Wicker Urges Navy Nominee to Focus on Shipbuilding

© Joseph Creamer / Adobe Stock

Roger Wicker, a U.S. Senator from Mississippi, urged Acting Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa M. Franchetti to focus on shipbuilding and the expansion of the nation's naval forces.Wicker, the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, on Thursday led a full committee hearing examining the nomination of Franchetti to become the next Chief of Naval Operations.In his remarks, Wicker observed that China’s naval buildup and the United States’ shrinking Navy leave our…

07 Sep 2023

Four Former US Navy Officers Cleared in Fat Leonard Case Due to Prosecutor Misconduct

© de Art / Adobe Stock

Four former U.S. Navy officers charged in a massive bribery scandal linked to the man known as Fat Leonard were cleared of felony charges on Wednesday by a judge citing prosecutor misconduct.U.S. District Judge Janis Sammartino said in a sentencing hearing that prosecutors' conduct "can only be described as outrageous," the San Diego Union-Tribune reported from the courthouse. After the felony charges were cleared, the four former officers each pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor with only a $100 fine as punishment…

24 Jul 2023

Biden Nominates Admiral Lisa Franchetti to be First Woman to Lead US Navy

Admiral Lisa Franchetti (Photo: U.S. Navy)

President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Admiral Lisa Franchetti to lead the Navy, an historic step that would break a gender barrier in the U.S. military by making her the first woman to command the service and to become a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.The decision by Biden is a surprise. Pentagon officials had widely expected the nomination to go to Admiral Samuel Paparo, who leads the Navy in the Pacific and who has experience grappling with the growing challenge from China.Still…

07 Jul 2023

Inside the Subsea Cable Firm Secretly Helping America Take on China

On Feb. 10 last year, the cable ship CS Dependable appeared off the coast of the island of Diego Garcia, an Indian Ocean atoll that’s home to a discreet U.S. naval base.Over the next month, the ship’s crew covertly laid an underwater fiber-optic cable to the military base, an operation code-named “Big Wave,” according to four people with direct knowledge of the mission, as well as a Reuters analysis of satellite imagery and ship tracking data.The new super-fast internet link to Diego Garcia, which has not previously been reported, will boost U.S. military readiness in the Indian Ocean, a region where China has expanded its naval influence over the last decade.The CS Dependable is owned by SubCom…

29 Jun 2023

Keel Laying for Future USNS Point Loma (EPF 15)

Ship sponsor Mrs. Elizabeth Asher, with the assistance of Perry Sullivan, a 17-year Austal USA veteran A-class welder, authenticated the keel by welding her initials into a keel plate that will be welded to the hull of the ship. Image courtesy Austal USA

Austal USA celebrated the official start of construction of the future USNS Point Loma (EPF 15) with a keel laying ceremony in its Mobile, Ala. shipyard. Ship sponsor Mrs. Elizabeth Asher, with the assistance of Perry Sullivan, a 17-year Austal USA veteran A-class welder, authenticated the keel by welding her initials into a keel plate that will be welded to the hull of the ship.The future USNS Point Loma was named after the San Diego seaside community which has a long-standing naval presence and is home to Naval Base Point Loma…

30 Mar 2023

Austal USA Launches EPF14 and LCS 36

The USNS Cody, which was christened last month, is the Navy’s first Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) Flight II vessel. Image courtesy Austal

Austal USA launched two Navy ships this past week, USNS Cody (EPF 14) and the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36).With both ships in the water, production efforts will transition to final outfitting and system activation to support the ships getting underway for sea trials. The USNS Cody, which was christened last month, is the Navy’s first Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) Flight II vessel. As the first EPF Flight II, the ship represents enhanced Naval medicine afloat capabilities and will provide critical combat care in austere and contested operating environments.

23 Mar 2023

Uncrewed Boats Are Changing the Way Wars Are Fought at Sea

An L3 Harris Arabian Fox MAST-13 unmanned surface vessel sails behind Royal Bahrain Naval Force missile corvette RBNS Al Muharraq (P 51) during a vessel boarding drill in the Arabian Gulf during exercise Neon Defender, Jan. 22. (Photo: Anita Chebahtah / U.S. Navy)

When Ukraine successfully deployed self-driving “drone” boats for a major attack on the Russian navy at Sevastopol in Crimea in September 2022 it was a defining moment that changed the future of naval warfare. Uncrewed surface vessels (USVs) have been used before, but this was the first instance of multiple, armed USVs, used simultaneously in combination with aerial drones for a successful, offensive naval operation on a military target.Several Russian ships were damaged in the attack…

13 Mar 2023

$2.8 Billion Contract Awarded for New Concrete Dry Dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard

(File photo: Michael B. Zingaro / U.S. Navy)

The U.S. Navy's engineering systems command has awarded a $2.8 billion contract for the construction of a new concrete dry dock at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF).The $2,839,880,250 firm-fixed-price task order, which falls under a previously awarded multiple award construction contract, was awarded by Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific to a joint venture between Dragados, Hawaiian Dredging and Orion. Four…

18 Jan 2023

Russia's Newest Nuclear Submarine Heads to the Arctic

© Vyacheslav / Adobe Stock

Russian navy’s newest nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine Generalissimo Suvorov is on its way to a temporary base for the Northern Fleet in the Arctic, the TASS news agency reported on Tuesday, citing an unidentified defence source.“Recently, the submarine cruiser Generalissimo Suvorov has started moving from Severodvinsk, where it was located at the Sevmash shipyard, to a temporary base for the Northern Fleet,” the state agency cited its source as saying.The strategic submarine was officially included into the Russian navy at the end of 2022 by President Vladimir Putin.It is set to ev

29 Dec 2022

Russia and China Hold Naval Drills, Practice Submarine Capture

(Photo: Russian Defense Ministry)

Russia and China have completed naval drills in the East China Sea, after a week of joint exercises which included practicing how to capture an enemy submarine with depth charges and firing artillery at a warship, Russia's defense ministry said.The Dec.

05 Sep 2022

Fat Leonard is on the Lam

© zapper / Adobe Stock

A Malaysian businessman at the center of a major U.S. Navy bribery scandal has escaped house arrest ahead of his impending sentencing by cutting off his monitoring anklet, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported on Monday.Leonard Glenn Francis, popularly known as "Fat Leonard," cut off his GPS anklet some time Sunday morning, and when police went to his home they found it empty, the newspaper reported, citing Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Omar Castillo.Prosecutors said that in exchange for contracts Francis plied Navy officers with cash…

14 Feb 2022

US Denies Its Submarine Entered Russian Territorial Waters

(File photo: Ian Zagrocki / U.S. Navy)

The United States on Saturday denied that it had carried out military operations in Russian territorial waters, after Moscow said a Russian naval vessel chased away a U.S. submarine in Russian waters in the Pacific.Russia accused Washington of breaking international law and creating a national security threat over the incident at a time of high tensions between Moscow and Washington over a Russian military buildup near Ukraine.Interfax news agency cited the Russian Defense Ministry as saying a Russian naval vessel chased away a U.S.

20 Jan 2022

Russia to Hold Major Navy Drills Involving All Its Fleets

© alexhitrov / Adobe Stock

Russia announced on Thursday its navy would stage a sweeping set of exercises involving all its fleets this month and next from the Pacific to the Atlantic, the latest show of strength in a surge of military activity during a standoff with the West.The drills will take place in the seas directly adjacent to Russia and also feature maneuvers in the Mediterranean, the North Sea, the Sea of Okhotsk, the northeast Atlantic Ocean and the Pacific, it said.They will draw on 140 warships and support vessels…

19 Oct 2021

China, Russia Navy Ships Jointly Sail Through Japan Strait

(File photo: Russian Defence Ministry)

A group of 10 naval vessels from China and Russia sailed through a strait separating Japan's main island and its northern island of Hokkaido on Monday, the Japanese government said, adding that it is closely watching such activities.It was the first time Japan has confirmed the passage of Chinese and Russian naval vessels sailing together through the Tsugaru Strait, which separates the Sea of Japan from the Pacific.While the strait is regarded as international waters, Japan's ties with China have long been plagued by conflicting claims over a group of tiny East China Sea islets.

14 Oct 2020

USS Mobile (LCS 26) Completes Acceptance Trials

(Photo: Austal USA)

The future USS Mobile (LCS 26) completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico on September 25, Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA announced. 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,” said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle.

17 Sep 2020

Fit for Fight: Navies challenged by COVID at sea, ashore

Fit for the COVID Fight: Sailors stand in ranks before manning the rails of Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Photos: U.S. Navy Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christian Huntington

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, navies adjusted how they operate at home and while deployed, to keep their forces ready for any missions as they keep their Sailors, families, communities, as well as allies and partners safe from the coronavirus.Navies have taken a number of prudent preventative measures to limit outbreaks, mitigate cases of infection and reduce the community spread of the virus.Speaking during his May 29 “On The Horizon: Navigating the European and African Theaters” podcast, Admiral James G. Foggo III, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, said The U.S.

13 Jul 2020

Fire Breaks Out on US Navy Ship in San Diego

 U.S. Navy photo by Lt. John J. Mike/Released

U.S. Navy ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) caught fire on Sunday morning while it was moored pier side at Naval Base San Diego.According to the U.S. Navy, 21 people were being treated for light injuries on Sunday.The Navy said in a statement: "Today, we suffered a terrible tragedy aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) when a fire broke out aboard the ship while in port San Diego. At this point, 17 Sailors and four civilians are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries at a local hospital."The remainder of the crew is accounted for.

23 Jun 2020

USS Kansas City (LCS 22) Commissioned

 The Navy's newest littoral combat ship, USS Kansas City (LCS 22), at its new homeport at Naval Base San Diego. (U.S. Navy photo by Woody Paschall)

The U.S. Navy commissioned Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Kansas City (LCS 22) Saturday, June 20.The Navy commissioned Kansas City administratively via naval message due to public health safety and restrictions of large public gatherings related to the coronavirus pandemic and transitioned the ship to normal operations. The Navy is looking at a future opportunity to commemorate the special event with the ship’s sponsor, crew and commissioning committee.“This Independence…

16 Jun 2020

USS Fitzgerald Exits Shipyard 3 Years After Fatal Collision

USS Fitzgerald prepares to depart the Ingalls shipyard to return to her homeport in San Diego. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of Derek Fountain/Huntington Ingalls Industries)

The USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62), which suffered heavy damage and nearly sank off the coast of Japan after a fatal collision with a containership in 2017, departed Huntington Ingalls Industries' Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. Saturday following two years of extensive repairs and upgrades. Seven U.S. Navy sailors died when the guided-missile destroyer collided with the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal on June 17, 2017. USS Fitzgerald was damaged on her starboard side above and below the waterline during the collision…

08 Jun 2020

US Agencies Ink MOU for Hawaii Emergency Harbor Assessments

The containership Sofie Maersk is escorted by tugs into Honolulu Harbor. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Amanda Levasseur)

The U.S. Coast Guard signed a memorandum of understanding in June with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Office of Coast Survey, State of Hawaii Department of Transportation, and United States Army Corps of Engineers regarding maritime emergency harbor assessments within federal waterways in Hawaii.This agreement means the partners can work more efficiently and effectively to assess the State's harbors following disasters, such as severe weather events, to restore…

26 May 2020

USS Oakland Completes Acceptance Trials. Delivery Set for June

USS Oakland acceptance trials - Credit: Austal

The Independence-class littoral combat ship - the future USS Oakland (LCS 24) - has completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico, shipbuilder Austal has informed.The LCS 24 is the 12th Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama for the United States Navy (USN).Austal Chief Executive Officer David Singleton said the successful completion of acceptance trials for LCS 24 during the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated Austal USA’s capability and reliability to deliver vessels on time…

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