Battle Force News

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…

Austal USA welcomed U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Michael Gilday at the company’s Mobile, Ala. shipyard. The CNO toured the shipyard’s facility and discussed the company’s growing diversity of design and shipbuilding contracts. During his tour, the CNO witnessed the production of both steel and aluminum ships in the company’s 867,000-sq. ft. module manufacturing facility, including operations supporting the submarine industrial base.Austal USA leadership briefed the CNO on the company’s involvement in several autonomous surface vessel programs…

Tom Perrine, Austal USA vice president of engineering, was recognized by the University of Michigan as the 2022 Rosenblatt-Michigan Award recipient. The award is presented annually by the University of Michigan College of Engineering’s Department of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering in recognition of outstanding professional achievement, integrity and devotion to excellence and innovation in ship design.The award honors the name of its first recipient, Lester Rosenblatt…

The U.S. Navy sees its future fleet comprised of more than 350 manned ships and about 150 unmanned ships hoping technology means lower operating costs as it prepares to counter a growing Chinese fleet, according to a Navy report released Tuesday.The plan for the 2040s and beyond underscored "the need to address long-term competition with China and sustain military advantage against Russia". It forecasts fleet numbers up slightly from a 2021 Navy long-range shipbuilding plan which…

While the December 2021 edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News examines 'Great Ships' delivered this calendar  year, Edward Lundquist takes a look back into U.S. Navy history and America's first aircraft carrier —CV 1, the USS Langley.Most people think of USS Langley as America’s first aircraft carrier — CV 1. While that’s true, and being the first flattop in the fleet is an honorable distinction, Langley began life as a collier — USS Jupiter, which itself was a relatively new concept of delivering fuel to the afloat forces where they need it. Today, the U.S.

Initial appropriations discussions are underway for Fiscal Year 2022, with a continued focus on federal shipbuilding programs. It has been rough going for the Navy as Congress raised questions about the President’s commitment to the Navy’s long-term shipbuilding program. Meanwhile, House appropriators are seemingly focused on continuing shipbuilding successes at the Maritime Administration and Coast Guard. With billions of dollars in the balance, the U.S. shipbuilding industry…

Thrustmaster of Texas, Inc. said it has been awarded a contract from Fincantieri Marinette Marine (FMM) for the design, development and manufacture of the auxiliary propulsion unit (APU) on the U.S. Navy’s future guided missile frigate (FFG 62). Thrustmaster will be supplying the complete APU package consisting of the 1MW retractable azimuthing thruster, controls, prime mover electric motor, variable frequency drive and steering and retraction power unit. The APU package will…

The name of the first ship in the U.S. Navy's new guided missile frigate (FFG(X)) class will be USS Constellation (FFG 62), Secretary of the Navy Kenneth J. Braithwaite announced Wednesday while aboard the museum ship Constellation in Baltimore.The warship will be the fifth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name Constellation. Braithwaite said the name was selected in honor of the first U.S. Navy ships authorized by Congress in 1794: six heavy frigates named United States, Constellation, Constitution, Chesapeake, Congress and President.

The U.S. Navy on Monday awarded a $34,999,948 to L3 Technologies, Inc. for the development of a single medium unmanned surface vehicle (MUSV) prototype, with options to procure up to eight additional MUSVs. The award follows a full and open competitive procurement process.Funding is in place on this contract for the initial prototype. With all options exercised, the contract is valued at $294,508,976 if additional funding is provided in future budget years.“The award of Medium USV is the culmination of a great dialogue with industry to right-size the requirements for a capable…

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of its first Zumwalt-class destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) on April 24 following Combat Systems Activation.The ship will transition to the next phase of developmental and integrated at-sea testing. This event marks a major milestone of the dual delivery approach for USS Zumwalt, which achieved Hull Mechanical & Electrical delivery from shipbuilder General Dynamics' Bath Iron Works in May 2016. Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems was the prime contractor for the Zumwalt Combat System…

According to a blog by Rear Admiral Randy Crites posted on the Navy Live, the official blog site of the U.S. Navy, the Department of the Navy Fiscal Year 20 Budget request submitted to Congress is $205.6 billion, a 4.8% increase from the FY19 enacted budget. Specifics of the budget are focused on six specific dimensions:The FY20 budget requests funding for more ships – as the navy continues to progress toward a 355-ship fleet – submarines, aircraft and people, and highlights include…

The U.S. Navy could build its strength to 355 ships over a decade earlier than previously thought due to an increased shipbuilding budget and tempo as well as extending the service for some ships in the current fleet, a Pentagon official told a Congressional panel on Thursday. The goal of a larger Navy, one of President Donald Trump's signature issues from the campaign trail, could be achieved in the 2030s instead of the 2050s, the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development & Acquisition, James Geurts told the U.S.

Following the release of new national security and defense strategies, the Navy is undertaking a new Fleet Structure Assessment that could alter its stated goal of a 355-ship fleet, senior service officials told Congress this week. A new FSA would take a look at the mix of surface ships and submarine in the service and could change assumptions on the look and size of the future fleet, Vice Adm. Bill Merz, deputy chief of naval operations for warfare systems (OPNAV N9), told the House Armed Services seapower and projection forces subcommittee on Tuesday. “We intend to do another FSA with the new National Defense Strategy. There’s a series of events that have to happen before we do the FSA…

1860 - Screw frigate USS San Jacinto, commanded by Capt. William M. Armstrong, captures the American slaver Storm King with 619 slaves on board, off the Congo River. A prize crew from the steam frigate sailed the captured slaver to Monrovia and turned 616 freed Negroes over to the United States agent there before proceeding to Norfolk with the prize. 1861 - During the Civil War, the frigate USS Santee commanded by Capt. Eagle captured the schooner C.P. Knapp in the Gulf of Mexico. 1863 - During the Civil War, the screw steam gunboat, USS Sagamore, commanded by Lt. Cmdr.

The Shipbuilders Council of America (SCA), a national trade association representing the nation’s shipbuilding and repair industry is hosting a fly-in beginning today. More than 85 members of SCA will participate to share the strength of America’s shipbuilding and repair industry, outlining the critical role our nation’s shipyard industry plays in sustaining jobs and protecting national and economic security. Currently U.S. shipyards are experiencing dramatic growth as a result of the shale oil revolution, which has produced record levels of new vessel construction, orders and deliveries.

"Commonly referred to as the 30-year shipbuilding plan, we have highlighted a path forward that captures the required number of ships by type, as outlined in the FY12 Force Structure Assessment (FSA). Our FSA identified those forces that most efficiently execute the missions and priorities of the Department of Defense (DoD) Defense Strategic Guidance (DSG) and meets requirements in the 2014 Quadrennial Defense Review. This report builds and maintains a battle force inventory of near or above 300 ships, and ultimately shows that we can achieve the FSA objective of 306 battle force ships. As we have done with previous submissions our plan assesses Department of the Navy (DoN) investments in battle force ships in three 10-year periods — near-, mid-, and far-term.

Commander, Task Force (CTF) 70; Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15; and Republic of Korea navy (ROKN) Maritime Task Flotilla (MTF) 7 held a Composite Warfare Committee (CWC) to improve combined warfighting skills and strengthen the U.S. and ROKN alliance, Feb. 17-20. Air defense, ballistic missile defense, antisubmarine warfare (ASW), surface warfare, tactical data links, and communications were discussed during the summit exploring the integration of ROKN's Maritime Task Squadron (MTS) 71 and MTS 72 ships with the U.S. Navy's only forward-deployed strike group.

The U.S. Navy's forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) hosted Hong Kong government officials and media for a daylight embark, Nov. The 20 representatives visited the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier to gain a general orientation of the ship's mission in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. "We greatly value this visit and hope we can continue to work together as partners," said Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, commander, Battle Force U.S. 7th Fleet, as he welcomed the guests aboard the ship. Tom Cooney, acting consul general, U.S. Consulate General; and Maj. Gen.

Vice-Admiral Tom Copeman pronounces on 'Surface Forces Priorities in an Ever-Changing Maritime Environment', sees LCS playing crucilal Navy role. "Twenty-five years ago, then CNO Admiral Trost looked into the future and began our shift from a Cold War focus to dealing with regional and littoral conflicts in the years to come. So we started down the path to where we are now—working through various iterations, starts and stops, and plenty of ideas on ship types and classes to deal with unknown future threats.

Science Applications International Corporation announced it was awarded a prime contract by the U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) to produce the Battle Force Tactical Network (BFTN) system. The contract has a one-year base period of performance, four one-year options, and a contract value of approximately $57 million, if all options are exercised. Work will be performed in Sterling, Va. As the Navy's Information Dominance Systems Command, SPAWAR designs, develops and deploys advanced communications and information capabilities. The BFTN system provides secure connectivity to the maritime operational environment for Navy and joint forces.

President Barack Obama sent Congress a proposed defense budget of $613.9 billion for fiscal 2013, Feb. 13. The request for the Department of Defense (DoD) includes $525.4 billion in discretionary budget authority to fund base defense programs and $88.5 billion to support Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO), primarily in Afghanistan. Of the discretionary budget, $155.9 billion represents the Department of the Navy's budget request. This is a decrease of $1.4 billion from last year's baseline appropriation. Rear Adm.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW) Jennifer S. Tactical Training Group Pacific (TTGP) led international military forces positioned around the world through a Fleet Synthetic Training-Joint (FST-J) exercise headquartered in San Diego, Feb. 25-29. The training strengthens strike group decision makers' proficiency at disseminating information, making sound decisions and executing them. "Our objectives are to increase our effectiveness in a joint, coalition environment," said Cmdr. John Clausen, Ronald Reagan Strike Group surface operations officer. Sailors, Airmen, Soldiers and Marines communicated through a network to carry out simulated missions on bases spanning from Orange, Conn., to Osan, South Korea.

Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren's Combat Direction Systems Activity (CDSA) in Dam Neck, Va. and USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) achieved several significant new milestones in computer simulation support of live exercises during the recent Exercise Foal Eagle. training support to shore-based air and missile defense units in the Korean peninsula. ability to train in other warfare areas during the exercise. Defense Exercise Network (CAMDEN) -- designed to present user systems with a realistic depiction of the aircraft and missiles expected in an area of conflict. developing tactical situation. In the case of joint exercises such as Foal Eagle, units must also learn to operate with units from other services, thereby enhancing interoperability among the services.