USS Jack H Lucas (DDG 125) Commissioned
DDG 125 is named for Pfc. Jack Lucas, who served in the U.S. Marines during World War II, earning the Medal of Honor for his heroism at Iwo Jima, when he was just 17 years old. He is the youngest Marine, and the youngest service member in World War II, to be awarded the United States' highest military decoration for valor. In 1961, he returned to military service as a captain in the U.S. Army and trained younger troops headed for Vietnam. Lucas passed away on June 5, 2008, in Hattiesburg…
America's Sea Services Building Large Fleet of Small Ships and Craft
Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs. They are procured and managed by two Naval Sea Systems Command program offices—PMS 300 and PMS 325.Compared to warships and auxiliaries…
Marine Forces Reserve Eyes a New Small Craft Mission
Aligned with its Campaign Plan 2030 strategic themes, “relevant, ready and responsive,” Marine Forces Reserve (MFR) is pursuing the rapid acquisition of small expeditionary watercraft to provide capacity and platforms in support of Service-level Force Design 2030 experimentation efforts.By partnering with the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and leveraging their Commercial Solutions Opening (CSO) solicitation process, which is an iterative and competitive phased approach that includes vendor presentations and extensive review of materials…
RIMPAC Naval Exercise Brings Together 'Capable Adaptive Partners' from 28 Nations
The 2022 biennial, multi-national Rim of the Pacific's (RIMPAC) exercise has come to a close.This year’s exercise with the theme of “Capable Adaptive Partners,” featured 26 participating nations and 38 surface ships, three submarines, more than 30 uncrewed systems, approximately 170 aircraft, and more than 25,000 personnel.RIMPAC 2022 featured a wide range of capabilities--projecting the inherent flexibility of maritime forces and helping to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, and took place in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California, June 29 to Aug.
NSWC Crane, Hydronalix Sign CRADA for AISUM Prize Challenge Hardware Support
Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division (NSWC Crane) and Hydronalix, Inc. of Green Valley, AZ, signed a Cooperative Research And Development Agreement (CRADA) entitled AISUM Prize Challenge Hardware Support. Agreement number: NCRADA-NSWCCD-21-419. NSWC Crane is hosting an Artificial Intelligence for Small Unit Maneuver (AISUM) Prize Challenge with contestants from industry and academia. With the strategic goals of developing software that can be supported by a variety of hardware, non-proprietary robotic autonomy baseline component architecture and software were required.
Leadership Development in the Merchant Marine: The Growing Significance for the Future
How many times have you heard someone say, “Oh, that person is a born leader; I could never do what they do as I am not a born leader”? That train of thought has recently come under increased scrutiny and debate as the U.S. Merchant Marine enters the 21st century. As part of this focus, the International Maritime Association (IMO) updated the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) with the 2010 Manilla Amendments.
BAE Systems Wins U.S. Navy Contract
British multinational company BAE Systems has secured a contract worth $113.5 million to supply an additional 26 amphibious combat vehicles (ACV) to the US Marine Corps (USMC).The company will supply the ACVs under the low-rate initial production (LRIP) phase of the program. The deal will now bring the total ACV order from the USMC to 116, moving the programme closer to full-rate production.The ACV is a highly mobile, survivable and adaptable platform for conducting rapid ship-to-shore operations and brings enhanced combat power to the battlefield. BAE Systems has been in low-rate production since 2018 on the personnel carrier variant in the ACV family, which is envisioned to consist of additional variants including command and control, 30mm medium caliber turret, and recovery versions.
Surface Navy Association to Hold Annual Symposium
The Surface Navy Association will hold its 31st National Symposium January 15-17, 2019 at the Crystal City Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Va.The symposium will feature senior Navy leaders delivering keynote remarks, focused on the theme of “Ready, Agile, Focused: Own the Fight!”Featured speakers include Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran; Commander, Naval Surface Forces/Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, USN; Director, Surface Warfare (N96) Rear Adm. Ronald A. Boxall; and Director, Expeditionary Warfare (N95) Maj. Gen.
US to Commission USS Lewis B. Puller
The Navy will commission the Expeditionary Sea Base USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) during a 5 p.m. AST ceremony Thursday, August 17, at Khalifa bin Salman Port in Al Hidd, Bahrain. The future Lewis B. Puller - currently USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3 )- is the second ship to bear the name of Lt. Gen. Lewis Burwell "Chesty" Puller, a distinguished combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War. Puller is the only Marine to have been awarded the Navy Cross on five separate occasions and is the most decorated individual in the history of the USMC. The first Lewis B. Puller (FFG 23), an Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided-missile frigate, served from 1982-1998, and was then transferred to the Egyptian Navy and renamed Toushka (F.906). Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan, commander, U.S.
This Day In Naval History: July 28
1861 - During the Civil War, the frigate, USS St. Lawrence, spots a schooner flying English colors and gave chase. Some four hours later, as she is overhauling the schooner, the fleeing vessel runs up the Confederate flag and fires three shots. Firing with her forecastle battery, St. Lawrence hits the vessel twice, once in her bow. Survivors from the sunken vessel reveal it had been the Confederate privateer, Petrel. 1926 - USS S-1 surfaces and launches a Cox-Klemin (XS 2) seaplane flown by Lt. D.C. Allen.
This Day In Naval History: April 15
1912 - The scout cruisers USS Chester (CL 1) and USS Salem (CL 3) sail from Massachusetts to assist RMS Titanic survivors, and escort RMS Carpathia, which carried the survivors of the Titanic, to New York. 1914 - USS New York (BB 34) is commissioned. 1918 - First Marine Aviation Force, under the command of Capt. Alfred A. Cunningham, USMC, is formed at Marine Flying Field, Miami, Fla. 1943 - USS Yorktown (CV 10) is commissioned. 1945 - USS Frost (DE 144) and USS Stanton (DE 247) join to attack and sink German submarine U 880 and then German sub U 1235, north of the Azores.
Today in U.S. Naval History: July 28
Today in U.S. 1916 - Navy establishes a Code and Signal Section which initially worked against German ciphers and tested the security of communications during U.S. naval training maneuvers. 1945 - USS Callaghan (DD-792) is last ship sunk by a Japanese kamikaze attack, off Okinawa. 1973 - Launch of Skylab 3, the second manned mission to the first U.S. manned space station, was piloted by Major Jack R. Lousma, USMC with Capt. Alan L. Bean, USN as the Commander of the mission and former Navy electronics officer, Owen K. Garriott as Science Pilot.
Today in U.S. Naval History: February 20
Today in U.S. 1962 – Lt. Col. John Glenn, USMC becomes first American to orbit Earth. His flight in Friendship 7 (Mercury 6) consisted of 3 orbits in 88 minutes at a velocity of 17,544 mph with the highest altitude of 162.2 statute miles. Recovery was by USS Noa (DD-841). 1962 - USS Dixie (AD-14) rescues lone crewman aboard a sailing yawl adrift for four days. 1974 - S-3A Viking ASW aircraft (carrier jet) introduced officially, given to VS-41. For more information about naval history, visit the Naval History and Heritage Command website at history.navy.mil.
Top Brass Due at Upcoming SNA Symposium
The first big naval professional development event of the year, the Surface Navy Association’s 2014 Symposium, kicks off in Crystal City, Virginia, with the theme, “Surface Warfare…Warfighting First.” Leaders in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard will speak at the symposium and associated events starting Tuesday, January 14, 2014. The symposium kicks off with the SNA annual meeting and, focusing on the warfighters of today and the future, there will be a series of roundtables for junior officers, enlisted surface warriors and midshipmen from NROTC units and the Naval Academy.
Today in U.S. Naval History: November 20
Today in U.S. 1856 - Cdr. Andrew H. Foote lands at Canton, China, with 287 Sailors and Marines to stop attacks by Chinese on U.S. military and civilians. 1917 - USS Kanawha, Noma and Wakiva sink German sub off France. 1933 - Navy crew (Lt. Cdr. Thomas G. W. Settle, USN, and Maj. Chester I. Fordney, USMC) sets a world altitude record in balloon (62,237 ft.) in flight into stratosphere. 1943 - Operation Galvanic, under command of Vice Adm. Raymond Spruance, lands Navy, Marine, and Army forces on Tarawa and Makin. 1962 - President John F. Kennedy lifts the Blockade of Cuba.
Today in U.S. Naval History: October 1
Today in U.S. 1800 - U.S. Schooner Experiment captures French Schooner Diana. 1844 - Naval Observatory headed by Lt. Matthew Fontaine Maury occupies first permanent quarters. 1874 - Supply Corps purser, Lt. J. Q. Barton, given leave to enter service of new Japanese Navy to organize a Pay Department and instruct Japanese about accounts. He served until October 1, 1877 when he again became a purser in the U.S. Navy. In 1878, the Emperor of Japan conferred on him the Fourth Class of Rising Sun for his service.
Inspired Youth
The City of Indianapolis and the Indiana SeaPerch regions were the ideal combination to host the Third National SeaPerch Challenge at the Natatorium on the campus of Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) on May 17 – 19, 2013. On Friday evening, May 17, 83 top robotic teams from middle and high schools, after school and out-of-school programs in 23 states and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico convened at the IUPUI Natatorium for a weekend of competition and fun-filled activities.
Today in U.S. Naval History: July 12
Today in U.S. 1836 - Commissioning of Charles H. Haswell as first regularly appointed Engineer Officer. 1921 - Congress creates Bureau of Aeronautics to be in charge of all matter pertaining to naval aeronautics. 1953 - United Nations Fleet launches heavy air and sea attack on Wonsan; Major John Bolt, USMC becomes first jet ace in Marine Corps. 1988 - SECDEF approves opening Navy's Underwater Construction Teams, fleet oiler, ammunition ships, and combat stores ships to women. 1990 - Commander Rosemary B. Mariner becomes first woman to command an operational aviation squadron (VAQ-34).
Navy Announce Sequestration Response
Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announces the Navy will go ahead with spending reductions to meet fiscal constraints imposed by sequestration. a. Shut down carrier air wing two (cvw-2) in april. f. Return USS Thach (FFG 43) to homeport early from deployment to SOUTHCOM. a. Begin negotiating contract modifications to de-obligate efforts for any investment programs for which the remaining unobligated balance will be insufficient after the sequestration reduction is applied. e.. f. Cancel march navy recruiting media support and reduce the majority of advertising contracts as much as possible under contractual conditions. These actions are being taken to preserve support for those forces stationed overseas and currently forward-deployed.
Surface Warriors to Meet at Annual Symposium
The Surface Navy Association (SNA) National Symposium will be held January 15-17, 2013, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Crystal City, VA. The association was incorporated in 1985 to promote greater coordination and communication among those in the military, business and academic communities who share a common interest in Naval Surface Warfare and to support the activities of Surface Naval Forces. SNA provides for its members support, programs and activities which enable professional growth, personal satisfaction and camaraderie.
BAE Systems Contracted to Evaluate USMC Amphibious Vehicles
BAE Systems to help U.S. Marine Corps determine the future of its amphibious vehicle fleet under two contracts. The contracts are in regard to the Assault Amphibious Vehicle (AAV) and Marine Personnel Carrier (MPC). The work includes conducting a trade study to evaluate improvements to the AAV and delivering MPC sample vehicles and hulls to be used for demonstrations of water mobility, blast protection and Human Factors Engineering. The AAV trade study will allow BAE Systems to…
Naval Amphibious Operations Subject of London Conference
Senior militiary officers from 15 nations to meet with leading industry experts to examine role of amphibious operations. The subject of the conference is: "Delivering an Agile, Multirole and Powerful Amphibious Capability". "Amphibious Operations 2012 is an opportunity to meet with the USMC's partners from around the world, not only to share our experiences from Bold Alligator-12, but more importantly to describe how we might collectively consider exploiting them with a view toward developing even more robust amphibious capabilities in the near future" says Colonel Vince Goulding (ret'd), Director, Experiment Division, of the USMC Warfighting Lab.
This Day in Navy History
1813- Capt. David Porter claims Marquesas Islands for the United States. 1943 - Carrier force attacks bases on Tarawa and Makin begun. 1943 - USS Nautilus (SS-168) enters Tarawa lagoon in first submarine photograph reconnaissance mission. 1961 - At the request of President of Dominican Republic, U.S. Naval Task Force sails to Dominican Republic to bolster the country's government and to prevent a coup. 1969 - Navy astronauts CDR Charles Conrad Jr. and CDR Alan L. Bean are 3rd and 4th men to walk on the moon. They were part of Apollo 12 mission. CDR Richard F. Gordon, Jr., the Command Module Pilot, remained in lunar orbit. During the mission lasting 19 days, 4 hours, and 36 minutes, the astronauts recovered 243 lbs of lunar material. Recovery by HS-4 helicopters from USS Hornet (CVS-12).