Southcom News

The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) has been decommissioned after less than eight years of naval service.The U.S. Navy has been scrapping its fleet of littoral combat ships—including both its Freedom and Independence variants. The latest to get the axe, USS Milwaukee, was decommissioned in Mayport, Fla. on September 8.During the ceremony guest speaker, Vice Adm. Dirk Debbink (USN, Ret), former chairman of Milwaukee’s commissioning committee wished…

Brunswick Commercial & Government Products (BCGP) said it has been awarded a multi-year, multi-unit contract valued at $72 million. The single-award, indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract is for both 32-foot and 37-foot Boston Whaler Justice boats and will include spare parts, maintenance and training support for The United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of responsibility, which includes Central America, South America and Caribbean nations. BCGP was awarded the initial contract for Boston Whaler Justice boats to support the SOUTHCOM in 2011.

Austal USA was awarded a $53.4 million contract to procure long-lead materials for the 11th Expeditionary Fast Transport for the U.S. Navy. The award covers materials including main propulsion engines, generators, water jets, main reduction gears, and other long-lead time items. “We are excited that the Navy is building on the momentum and the maturity of the original contract and extending it beyond the first ten ships,” said Austal USA President Craig Perciavalle. “We look forward to building on Austal’s relationship with the U.S. Austal’s EPF program is steadily maturing with five ships delivered and three more under construction at its Mobile, Ala. facility.

Patrol And Combat Builders Fret About Budget Cuts But See Bright Spots. So far; so good. U.S. companies building patrol and combat craft aren’t happy about federal, state and city budget cuts but say they do see positive, demand-side factors. Much of their overseas business depends on the U.S. Foreign Military Sales program. The FMS, which transfers defense equipment and services to other nations, is retrenching now, however. Here at home, states and municipalities have fewer funds, grants and matching grants to pay for patrol vessels, builders say.

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.

The Navy's first littoral combat ship, USS Freedom (LCS 1), left Naval Station Mayport Feb. 16 for her maiden operational deployment to the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) and U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) areas of focus. During the independent deployment, Freedom will participate in counter-illicit trafficking (CIT) operations off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of Central and South America and the Caribbean Sea. A U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) is embarked aboard Freedom to facilitate CIT operations.

More than 4,500 personnel from 20 countries began a 12-day exercise in Panama City on Sept. 11 to train in a joint, multinational effort to ensure the security of the Panama Canal. U.S. and Panamanian officials held a formal opening ceremony Friday for Fuerzas Aliadas (Allied Forces) Panamax 2009, co-sponsored by U.S. Southern Command and the Government of Panama, in Panama City, Panama. Representatives of the 20 participating nations joined Jose Raul Mulino, Panama's Minister of Government and Justice, and U.S. Army National Guard Brig. Gen. Gerald W. Ketchum, Director of Stability for U.S. Southern Command, at the ceremony. FA Panamax 2009 is one of the largest multinational training exercises in the world, and is taking place in the waters off the coasts of Panama from Sept.

Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (NAVSO)/ U.S. 4th Fleet Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan joined Dominican Republic representatives in a ceremony to mark the beginning of this cooperative endeavor with Dominican Republic. MSSIS is an international system, developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in partnership with NATO and the U.S. Navy to provide a way for global partners to share AIS information. There are currently 52 nations participating in MSSIS, which collects and displays AIS data from multiple mobile and stationary platforms for real-time MDA to multiple users through a web-based, password-protected system.

U.S. Navy combat stores ship USNS Saturn (T-AFS 10) aided a stranded fishing vessel about 53 nautical miles south of Aug. 24. Saturn's watchstanders on the bridge noticed two crew members of the fishing vessel Triple Suerte waiving distress flags. After receiving permission from Joint Interagency Task Force South (JIATF-S), who had tactical control of the ship, Saturn launched a rigid-hull inflatable boat (RHIB) to begin a search and rescue investigation. Once the RHIB crew arrived on-scene, Triple Suerte's master, Edward Jiminez, explained the crew had been stranded for four days due to the vessel's lifeless battery. Saturn's crew of about 120 civil service mariners and 40 Sailors were happy to help the stranded mariners. Saturn's engineers rendered assistance by providing a new battery.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class J.T. The guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) and the frigate USS Kauffman (FFG 59), assets assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40, transited the Panama Canal July 9-11 en route Mayport, Fla. The transit from the Pacific to Atlantic Ocean via the was the final evolution of the first half of Partnership of the Americas 2008 (POA 08), an operation sponsored by U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). The exercise strengthens regional partnerships and improves multinational interoperability, while enhancing the operational readiness of all units assigned to participate. This was the first transit for Farragut and a major evolution of her maiden deployment. Capt.

Admiral James G. Stavridis, USN, Commander, U.S. Southern Command, will deliver the keynote address at commencement exercises on June 16 for the 213 members of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy’s class of 2008. Admiral Stavridis assumed command of the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) in October 2006. SOUTHCOM is responsible for contingency planning, operations and security cooperation for Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the . SOUTHCOM is also responsible for ensuring the defense of the and the canal area. Located in , SOUTHCOM is comprised of more than 1,200 military and civilian personnel representing the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and several federal agencies.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead announced today the reestablishment of U.S. 4th Fleet and assigned Rear Adm. Joseph D. Kernan, currently serving as Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command, as its first commander. 4th Fleet will be responsible for U.S. Navy ships, aircraft and submarines operating in the U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) area of focus, which encompasses the Caribbean, and Central and and the surrounding waters. Located in , , and dual-hatted with Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (COMUSNAVSO), 4th Fleet reestablishment addresses the increased role of maritime forces in the SOUTHCOM area of focus, and demonstrates commitment to regional partners.

The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (GW) (CVN 73) with its crew of approximately 3,200 Sailors departed , April 7, to begin its journey to , to replace USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) as the ' only permanently forward-deployed aircraft carrier. Commanded by Capt. Dave Dykhoff, the carrier will be the flagship for the George Washington Strike Group, commanded by Rear Adm. Phil Cullom and comprised of: Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17; guided-missile frigate USS Kauffman (FFG 59); homeported in Norfolk, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 40 and the guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99); homeported in Mayport, Fla. "Our Sailors, our families and the Navy have put together a tremendous effort to prepare GW for all aspects of this transition…

U.S. efforts in areas affected by Hurricane Felix. The redeployment of the U.S. Nicaragua and in close coordination with the U.S. the U.S. Agency for International Development's Office of U.S. Disaster Assistance. approaching the Panama Canal as a command and control vessel for a fleet of more than 30 multinational ships participating in exercise Fuerzas Aliadas PANAMAX. It is expected to arrive off the coast of Nicaragua Thursday. As part of its mission, U.S. in times of crisis. U.S. and alcohol- poisoning victims in 2006. U.S. to assess recovery needs in the affected areas and identify additional U.S. military units that may be able to provide assistance.

U.S. Navy High Speed Vessel Swift (HSV 2) enters Naval Station Mayport. Swift has two water jets that can move the ship to speeds greater than 45 knots and bring it into port without using tugboats. Swift pulled into Naval Station Mayport to prepare for its participation in the pilot program Global Fleet Station (GFS). U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Patrick J. By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW) Cynthia Clark, Commander, U.S. Global Fleet Station (GFS) pilot deployment to the Caribbean is one step closer to starting, with the arrival of High Speed Vessel (HSV) 2 Swift at Naval Station Mayport, April 6. GFS pilot 2007 is a U.S. Southern Command-directed operation implemented by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and carried out by HSV-2 SWIFT.

U.S. USS Carney (DDG 64) hosted members of the Jamaican Coast Guard for a one-day training opportunity March 16 in Jamaican coastal waters as the ship patrolled the Caribbean. Carney is deployed to support U.S. Southern Command�s (SOUTHCOM) theater engagement strategy with regional partners to support hemispheric stability, security and regional prosperity. Training with the Jamaican Coast Guard is one aspect of this strategy. "The Jamaicans play a key part in all kinds of security operations in the Caribbean and we thought the training would be mutually beneficial,� said Carney�s Weapons Officer Lt. Rob Pudney. Two Jamaican officers and five enlisted sailors worked side-by-side with Carney Sailors in visit, board, search and seizure training while on board. The U.S.

USS George Washington (CVN 73) (GW) and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 17 departed Naval Station Norfolk April 4 as part of U.S. Southern Command’s (SOUTHCOM) “Partnership of the Americas” deployment. The two-month underway period marks GW’s first deployment since leaving the Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipyard in December. “Partnership of the Americas is designed to foster goodwill among partner nations through communications, operations and training,” said Vice Adm. Mark Fitzgerald, commander, U.S. 2nd Fleet. More than 6,500 Sailors from the GW Carrier Strike Group (GWCSG) ships will deploy to the Caribbean Sea to enhance regional maritime security and strengthen ties through operations and exercises with Caribbean and Latin American partner nations.

Navy representatives from Chilé and the United States met recently in Florida to discuss action plans and share ideas to enhance cooperative activities between the two navies, according to a Naval Newsstand report. Known as Operational Naval Committees (ONC), the meetings facilitate planning and successful execution of combined maritime operations in the region. Topics discussed included ship rider and subject matter expert exchanges, mobile training teams, foreign liaison officer assignment, and optimizing resources. With much worldwide focus on the Middle East, U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), headquartered in Miami, Fla., is actively engaged in Latin America and Caribbean regions.

A U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier went to the rescue of a sinking tugboat off the Florida coast, dispatching a repair team that helped pump seven ft. of water from the vessel's hull, the U.S. Military's Southern Command said. It was the second rescue by a U.S. aircraft carrier off Florida's Atlantic coast in three weeks. USS John F. Kennedy rescued eight crewmen of a sinking tug from the Atlantic Ocean in mid-September. USS George Washington responded to a distress call from Norfolk, Virginia-based Coastal Sun, which was taking on water as it towed a barge to Jacksonville, Fla. Two damage control specialists from the carrier were lowered from a helicopter onto the tug's pitching deck along with a submersible pump.

Northrop Grumman Corporation's Electronic Systems sector has appointed Martin P. Simoni site director of its electronics integration facility located on Baltimore, Md. The Ocean Springs organization, part of the Advanced Naval Platforms group within Electronic Systems, designs, integrates and tests ship electronic systems and primarily serves the Gulf Coast shipbuilding industry as a ship electronic systems integrator. The Ocean Springs facility currently has 50 employees, including systems and software engineering personnel, and maintains a limited manufacturing capability for shipboard spares and repairs. Simoni, who joined the company in 1987 as an engineer…