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24 Jul 2023

The Need for [U.S. Navy Shipbuilding] Speed

The world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) steams in the Adriatic Sea, June 23, 2023.
(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jackson Adkins)

The Navy wants, and needs, more ships; but it can’t build them fast enough.While the U.S. Navy aims to achieve a 355-ship fleet, it is decommissioning older (and some not so old) ships at about the same rate it's adding new ones.A Congressional Research Service report stated that, as of April 17, 2023, the Navy included 296 battle force ships. "The Navy projects that under its FY2024 budget submission, the Navy would include 293 battle force ships at the end of FY2024 and 291 battle force ships at the end of FY2028."But there is progress…

13 Mar 2023

Tom Cruise Visits Aircraft Carrier USS George H.W. Bush

Tom Cruise addresses the crew on the 1MC during a visit to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), March 3, 2023. (Photo: Samuel Wagner / U.S. Navy)

One of Hollywood's biggest stars recently paid a visit to U.S. Navy sailors aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77).Top Gun: Maverick producer and star Tom Cruise was joined by writer and producer Christopher McQuarrie, and editor Eddie Hamilton, along with Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham, for the stop. The team led a Top Gun: Maverick viewing in the ship’s hangar bay and took time to visit with sailors aboard the ship, which has been deployed since departing Naval Station Norfolk in August 2022.“I know our sailors will never forget that night in the hangar bay…

09 Aug 2022

USS Farragut Deploys with George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group

Credit: US Navy

US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) deployed as part of the George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (GHWBCSG) from Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Aug. 6.According to the U.S. Navy, this is a routine deployment for Farragut and the first after a dry-dock maintenance period in 2021.Farragut returned to operational capability in the summer of 2021 and has completed a rigorous training cycle, including a visit from the Congressional Board of Inspection and Survey…

14 Mar 2022

Newport News' Apprentice School Graduates 170

Chris Rose (Homer L. Ferguson Award Recipient) speaking during the 2022 Apprentice School Commencement ceremony held March 12, 2022.  (Photo: Ashley Cowan / HII)

Global engineering and defense technologies provider Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) hosted commencement exercises for 170 graduates of the company’s Apprentice School at Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS). The ceremony was held at Liberty Live Church in Hampton.Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin began the event by addressing the graduates as the shipyard’s newest leaders. “I want you to know how proud I am of each of you for everything that you've accomplished,” Boykin said.

15 Jan 2021

Wolfson Takes the Helm at Norfolk Naval Shipyard

Captain Dianna Wolfson took the helm January 15 as the 110th commander of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and first female leader in its 253-year history. (Photo: Shelby West / Norfolk Naval Shipyard)

Captain Dianna Wolfson took the helm Friday as the 110th commander of Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) and first female leader in its 253-year history.Wolfson also holds the distinction of becoming the first female commander of any of the nation’s four public shipyards when she assumed command in June 2019 of Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF).This marks her third NNSY tour, with previous assignments as Operations Officer and Project Superintendent for the USS Newport News (SSN 750) Engineered Overhaul.NNSY…

01 Jun 2020

USS George Washington Overhaul 75% Complete

USS George Washington (CVN 73) is undergoing refueling complex overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipyard. RCOH is a nearly four-year project performed only once during a carrier's 50-year service life that includes refueling the ship's two nuclear reactors, as well as significant repairs, upgrades, and modernization. (U.S. Navy photo by Marlan Sawyer)

The U.S. Navy's nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) reached the 75% completion point of the ship’s force work package.The warship entered dry dock at Newport News Shipbuilding in Virginia in August 2017 to start her fueling complex overhaul (RCOH) period, the sixth Nimitz-class carrier to undergo this major mid-life milestone. In the 34 months since, her sailors have contributed more than 1.3 million work-hours out of the 2,306,996 planned work-hours in the completion of over 196…

31 Jul 2019

Ship Paint: NRL Pigment Package Slows Discoloration

NRL is currently working with Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Systems Engineering Directorate, Ship Integrity & Performance Engineering (SEA 05P) to transition the new pigment combination into a military specification. The most recent vessel to receive it was USS George Washington (CVN 73). (Image: U.S. Navy)

A pigment package designed by the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to slow discoloration of the exterior coating on surface ships has started to make its way into the fleet and is producing early, positive results.NRL researchers created the pigment combination to satisfy the fleet requirement for the Navy standard "haze gray" paint that will remain color stable for longer than current coatings. While many paint manufacturers had produced new coating technologies that solved a variety of other problems…

18 Mar 2019

HII Installs Mast on USS George Washington

America's largest military shipbuilding company Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced the installation of the mast on the aircraft carrier USS George Washington, part of a $2.8 billion overhaul of the ship.The shipyard installed the final piece of the ship’s new main mast—the 34-foot upper mast section—that raises the ship’s distinctive profile 123 feet above the flight deck, said a press release from the Fortune 500 shipbuilding company.The  refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) is now 50 percent complete at ewport News Shipbuilding division, it said.“Landing the upper mast is one of the most visible construction milestones in the mid-life refueling overhaul and maintenance availability of an aircraft carrier…

14 Nov 2018

Former U.S. Navy Captain Pleads Guilty in Corruption, Fraud Probe

File Image: AdobeStock / © Renaschild

A retired U.S. Navy captain pleaded guilty to criminal conflict of interest charges and a former U.S. Navy master chief was sentenced to 17 months in prison today on corruption charges. The defendants are among the latest U.S. Navy officials to plead guilty and be sentenced in the expansive corruption and fraud investigation involving foreign defense contractor Leonard Glenn Francis and his Singapore-based ship husbanding company, Glenn Defense Marine Asia (GDMA).Assistant Attorney General Brian A. Benczkowski of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Adam L.

30 Jul 2018

USS Doyle Sails to the Scrapyard

USS Doyle (FFG-39) has concluded her final voyage from Philadelphia to New Orleans, where she will now be disassembled and recycled. (Photo: EMR)

The decommissioned USS Doyle (FFG-39) has concluded her final voyage from Philadelphia to New Orleans, where she will now be disassembled and recycled after 28 years of service in the U.S. Navy.The retired 4,050-ton Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate will be dismantled by Southern Recycling, part of EMR. Work to recycle the 453-foot-long and 47-foot-wide vessel will take approximately six months to complete.The decommissioned USS Doyle, also nicknamed the Valiant Mariner, was the 30th vessel to be constructed in her class and received her namesake from Vice Admiral James Henry Doyle…

21 Feb 2018

Huntington Ingalls Industries Announces Leadership Changes

Michael Smith (Photo: HII)

Huntington Ingalls Industries announced changes to its senior leadership team. Michael Smith, executive vice president, strategy and development, is moving to HII’s Technical Solutions division, where he will serve as president of the SN3 business and report to Michael Lempke, president of the Nuclear & Environmental group, effective immediately. Scott Stabler, executive vice president, internal audit, is moving into a new role as HII’s executive vice president and chief transformation officer, reporting to Mike Petters, HII’s president and CEO.

15 Feb 2018

Huntington Ingalls Industries Q4 Revenue up 3.9%

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss., in June 2017 (Photo: Lance Davis/HII)

U.S. military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries reported fourth quarter 2017 revenues of $2 billion, up 3.9 percent from the fourth quarter of 2016. Operating income in the quarter was $227 million and operating margin was 11.4 percent, compared to $268 million and 13.9 percent, respectively, in the fourth quarter of 2016. Diluted earnings per share in the quarter was $1.41, compared to $4.20 in the same period of 2016. Diluted earnings per share in fourth quarter 2017 included a one-time expense related to the early extinguishment of debt…

22 Jun 2017

Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy Half Complete

John F. Kennedy’s lower stern was lifted into place at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, where the second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier is now 50 percent structurally complete. (Photo: John Whalen/HII)

U.S. shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) said the structure of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is now 50 percent complete. The second Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier CVN 79 grew about 70 feet in length with the addition of the lower stern, which was recently lifted into place at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division. Like Ford, which was delivered to the Navy earlier this month, Kennedy is being built using modular construction, a process where smaller sections of the ship are welded together to form larger structural units (called “superlifts”)…

14 Jun 2017

US Navy: Bigger is Better, but at What Cost?

U.S. Navy forces and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force routinely train together to improve interoperability and readiness to provide stability and security for the Indo-Asia Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Z.A. Landers)

The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.

02 Jun 2017

Future USS Gerald R. Ford Delivered

Huntington Ingalls Industries delivered the first-in-class aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) to the U.S. Navy on May 31, 2017. (Photo by Matt Hildreth/Huntington Ingalls Industries)

The U.S. Navy has accepted delivery of its newest warship, a state-of-the-art aircraft carrier to be named in honor of the 38th president of the United States. The product of years of construction, planning and design, the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) was delivered from Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division to the Navy in Newport News, Va., on May 31, following the ship's completion of acceptance trials May 26. Ford will be commissioned into the fleet this summer, formally placing the ship into active service.

27 Mar 2017

George H.W. Bush CSG Conducts OIR Missions Against ISIS

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG) is currently launching missions against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR) from the Arabian Gulf. Rear Adm. Kenneth R. Whitesell, commander, CSG 2, said the missions are part of the key to accelerating the fight against ISIS. "The superb efforts made by the men and women of this strike group will be critical to continuing this fight," said Whitesell. "The George H.W. Whitesell credited the strike group's readiness on the extensive training leading up to deployment. "This is what we've been training for," said Whitesell. "We're ready to support the mission wherever and whenever we're needed.

24 Jan 2017

Superlift: Ford Class Aircraft Carrier Taking Shape

On January 17, Newport News shipbuilders lifted a 704-metric-ton unit into Dry Dock 12, where the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is taking shape. (Photo by Chris Oxley/HII)

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division lifted a 704-metric ton unit into Dry Dock 12, where the aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) is taking shape. The superlift is part of an improved build strategy implemented on the second ship of the Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) class, resulting in superlifts erected at a higher state of outfitting completion. “For Kennedy, increased preoutfitting puts into practice one of many lessons learned from Gerald R. Ford,” said Mike Shawcross, Newport News’ vice president, CVN 79 construction.

13 Sep 2016

Superlift on Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79)

Huntington Ingalls Industries (NYSE:HII) announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division placed a 900-ton superlift into dry dock, continuing construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). As Kennedy begins to take shape in the dry dock, the ship’s cost and construction schedule continue on track with significant improvement over its predecessor, the first-of-class Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). “We continue to focus on reducing cost, and we are pleased with our progress,” said Mike Shawcross, Newport News’ vice president, CVN 79 carrier construction. Like Ford, Kennedy is being built using modular construction, a process where smaller sections of the ship are welded together to form larger structural units (called “superlifts”).

09 Jun 2016

This Day In Naval History: June 9

Mrs. R. Anderson christens the George Washington (SSBN-598) at Electric Boat Division of General Dynamics on June 9, 1959 (Photo: Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum)

1813 - During the War of 1812, the frigate, President, commanded by John Rodgers, is en route between the Azores and England when it begins a series of captures of British vessels that include the brig Kitty, the packet brig Duke of Montrose, the brig Maria, and the schooner Falcon. 1869 - Secretary of the Navy Adolph E. Borie, orders the construction of the first torpedo station on Goat Island, Newport, R.I. Cmdr. Edmund O. Matthews is the first Commanding Officer. During the establishment, the station experiments with torpedoes and trained sailors in the use of the weapons.

26 Apr 2016

This Day In Naval History: April 26

USNS Soderman (T-AKR-317) launching ceremony (Photo: NASSCO)

1860 - The screw steamship Mohawk captures the slaver Wildfire with 530 slaves on board in the Bahama Channel, taking them to a camp in Key West guarded by Mohawks Marines until returned home. 1869 - As a post-Civil War push for re-enlistments, the Good Conduct Medal, then called Good Conduct Badge, is authorized by Secretary of the Navy Adolphus E. Borie. 1918 - USS Stewart (DD 13) collides with an unidentified steamer near Brest, France. Just days earlier, Stewart crew members attacked a German submarine and saved the SS Florence H crew when she exploded internally.

19 Apr 2016

Shipbuilding: John F. Kennedy 17% Complete

Newport News shipbuilders added a 965-ton structure comprising two pump rooms to the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) earlier this month. This is the 21st superlift that has been placed in the dry dock since the ship’s keel was laid in August 2015. (Photo by John Whalen/HII)

Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding division has placed a 965-ton structure called a superlift into dry dock, continuing the construction of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79). The superlift was made with more than twice the amount of outfitting accomplished as compared to the same superlift on Kennedy’s predecessor, Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78). The superlift, comprising two pump rooms, is 80 feet long and about 100 feet wide.

27 Mar 2016

2015 USFFC Fleet Sea, Shore Sailors of the Year

Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Adm. Phil Davidson announced the 2015 USFFC Fleet Sea and Shore Sailors of the Year during a ceremony hosted by the Hampton Roads Navy League at the Sheraton Waterside in Norfolk, March 24. Aviation Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (AW/SW) Tinisha Franklin, a native of Brooklyn, New York, stationed aboard aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was announced as the 2015 Sea Sailor of the Year and Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 1st Class (AW/SW) Brian McGarrigle, a native of Clearwater, Florida, stationed at Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 40 (HSM-40) as the Shore Sailor of the Year. "For the Shore Sailors of the Year standing behind me…

21 Jan 2016

This Day In US Naval History - January 21

Nautilus (SSN-571) launching on 21 January 1954, at the Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut. Submarine sponsor Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower, on board the Presidential Train arrives at the ceremonies. (Photo:  National Museum of the U.S. Navy)

1862 - Navy ship USS Ethan Allen, commanded by acting-Lt. William B. Eaton, captures the schooner Olive Branch at sea off the Florida coast. 1943 - Submarines USS Pollack (SS 180) and USS Gato (SS 212) attack and cause the sinking of two Japanese ships. 1945 - TF 38 aircraft attacks Japanese shipping and airfields on Formosa and in the Pescadores, sinking approximately 15 vessels. 1954 - The world's first nuclear submarine, USS Nautilus (SSN-571) is christened and launched at Groton, Conn.

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