Combat Information Center News

Naval Group has launched the seventh multi-mission FREMM frigate for the French Navy from a specialist facility in Lorient.Known as Alsace, the vessel is the first of the two air defence frigates under the FREMM programme  – Multi-Mission European Frigates – for the French Navy and the ninth multi-missions FREMM frigate.Thirteen months after the keel laying of the first block, the FREMM DA Alsace is released from the construction form of the Naval Group site of Lorient. Ninth multi-missions FREMM frigate, it is also the seventh one for the French Navy, ordered by the OCCAr on behalf of the DGA..In order to answer the operational requirements…

A series of mishaps at sea has prompted the U.S. Navy to examine the way it conducts business. The accidents shared some similar contributing causes such as fundamental watchstanding and seamanship, and each of these incidents were preventable. The four incidents involved surface combatants in the Seventh Fleet area of responsibility. • On January 31, 2017, the Yokosuka-based Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Antietam, while anchored in high winds, dragged anchor and ran aground in Tokyo Bay. 1,100 gallons of hydraulic fluid spilled into Tokyo Bay.

Commanders of U.S. warship removed after cargo ship collision; seven sailors killed in June collision. The U.S. Navy has removed the two senior officers and the senior enlisted sailor on a U.S. warship that almost sank off the coast of Japan in June after it was struck by a Philippine container ship, the Navy said on Friday. Multiple investigations have yet to apportion blame for the accident that killed seven U.S. sailors aboard the guided missile destroyer the USS Fitzgerald. However, the punishments are the first public admission by the U.S. Navy that mistakes by the crew contributed to the deadliest incident on a U.S. warship since Islamist extremists bombed the USS Cole in Yemen's Aden harbour in 2000. "The collision was avoidable and both ships demonstrated poor seamanship.

On a chilly April 4, day, Sailors from USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) boarded a bus to Princess Nadejda Orphanage in Varna, Bulgaria, paint brushes in hand, for an afternoon with local children excited to spend time with their new American friends. The children could barely contain their curious excitement as Sailors filed inside the facility with paining supplies in hand. Sure they were happy their home was about to receive a fresh coat of paint, but what they were really buzzing about was the exclusive tour of the American warship that awaited them later that day. Princess Nadejda Orphanage is home to 31 children and was opened more than 100 years ago for orphans of the First World War.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert receives a system update brief in the combat information center aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Bainbridge (DDG 96) before holding an all-hands call. Greenert briefed the ship's officers and crew on the current status of the Navy and answered questions about current events, Navy programs and policies.

The forward deployed guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) welcomed aboard Romanian President Traian Bsescu while the ship was in port in Constanta, April 14. Bsescu was met by members of the U.S. Embassy and Donald Cook's Commanding Officer Cmdr. Scott Jones. He was then given a tour of the ship, including the Navigation Bridge, Combat Information Center and Engineering Control. "Operating in the Black Sea has been an incredible opportunity for us to further strengthen our ties and improve our interoperability with an important strategic partner…

SeaFox: a quicker, cheaper, safer mine-hunting capability for the Navy when it comes to keeping sea-lanes open. Mine hunting is the mission, identification and neutralization is the method; maintaining open, safe sea lanes is the goal. In the past, these tasks were accomplished by explosive ordnance disposal divers or the antiquated SLQ-48 Mine Neutralization Vehicle. While these units fit the bill and accomplished the mission, the Navy is always looking to complete tasks and missions quicker, cheaper and safer. Enter the SLQ-60 SeaFox Mine Neutralization System.

Imtech Marine signed a contract to be involved in the execution of the capability upkeep program Walrus-class submarines (IP-W) of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The Dutch Defense Materiel Organization granted Imtech Marine Netherlands the assignment to carry out the mechanical, engineering and electrical upgrade works on board the submarines. The assignment will be carried out at the Naval base in Den Helder and will run from 2013 until 2020. IP-W includes a large number of modifications, such as disassembly, assembly and installation of a variety of equipment and systems.

Naval Sea Systems Command awarded a $49,435,634 firm-fixed price contract contract for the maintenance, modernization and repair of USS Porter to BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. The fiscal year 2013 chief of naval operations (CNO) extended dry-docking selected restricted availability (EDSRA) was competed on a coast-wide basis to maximize competitive pricing and best-value to the government. The scope of work includes damage repairs resulting from the Aug. 12, 2012, collision in the Straits of Hormuz as well as previously planned maintenance and modernization.

Many commercial marine products evolve from military roots. At Euronaval last month in Paris, contractors large and small from around the globe showcased new and emerging technologies. According to General Electric, there is a new era dawning for naval engineering and propulsion. “I’ve seen the future of naval propulsion, and it’s electrifying,” said GE Power Conversion’s Captain Mark Dannatt Royal Navy (retd.), speaking at Euronaval. Capt. Dannatt’s comments came as he outlined the latest advances in advanced naval electrical technology from a GE perspective.

Raytheon Anschütz has developed an innovative system solution for OPV’s, smaller Naval and Coast Guard vessels. At Euronaval, the Synapsis Command Bridge is launched as a combination of commercial-off-the-shelf navigation with Command & Control capabilities to a new, homogeneous bridge system. The Synapsis Command Bridge aims to provide a solution that not only includes the Synapsis Integrated Navigation capabilities but also transfers enhanced Command & Control (C2) capabilities from the Raytheon Anschütz’ SmartBlue surveillance system to a new sea-based application.

Navy destroyer 'USS Porter' and a Japanese-owned tanker collide near the Strait of Hormuz. The impact tore open the destroyer’s starboard side but left both crews unharmed, 5th Fleet said in a news release. The circumstances of the collision — whether the collision was in the channel, the relative speeds at impact, or which ship had right of way — remain unclear. Porter had just completed an inbound transit through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf, said 5th Fleet spokesman Lt. Greg Raelson.

Riverine Group 1 is testing its first Riverine Command Boat, which gives Riverine squadrons the ability to travel not only in rivers, but also out to bays and coastal regions, expanding the capabilities of command and control and the Riverine squadrons' maritime security reach. RCB-1, which the command received in October, has a primary mission of improving maritime security. With its versatility, the boat offers the ability for use as a primary boat in combat missions, patrolling missions, as a combat information center and can even be configured as an ambulance boat. It is designed to land on a variety of shorelines, including solid rock, to drop off and extract personnel from any area.

Fire Controlman 2nd Class Andrew Jackson, a native of Ray Town, Mo., launches a Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) from the Combat Information Center aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70). Lake Erie fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) and successfully impacted a non-functioning National Reconnaissance Office satellite approximately 247 kilometers (133 nautical miles) over the Pacific Ocean, as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. U.S. By Gerry J. The missile fired from a U.S.

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jeremy L. The multi-purpose amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) moved out of dry dock to her new berth at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Feb. 7 as part of her depot planned maintenance availability (DPMA). The movement is part of the DPMA plan, which is to refurbish spaces and install new components and systems aboard the ship. "It was a race to the finish," said the ship's Repair Officer, Lt. Cmdr. David Wuestewald. Bataan has been at NNSY since September, and contractors and Bataan's crew have been working on various modifications and habitability projects, such as the MV-22 Osprey modification in the hangar bay, and installation of a compensating fuel system.

The Honorable Donald C. Winter, Secretary of the Navy, and several reporters visited the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (CSG) Jan. 26 to observe how the Navy conducts Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) training using mid-frequency, active sonar while protecting marine life. The strike group is off the coast of Southern California conducting the training under the terms of a preliminary injunction that was partially and temporarily stayed in federal district court. The strike group was participating in a Joint Task Force Exercise (JTFEX) to prepare it for an overseas deployment. "It is incredibly important for me to stay current on what is happening and see the changes that are implemented," Winter said.

Lockheed Martin's advanced hullform ship Sea SLICE will participate as a littoral warfare ship in the Navy's Fleet Battle Experiment Juliet (FBE-J) this summer. Sea SLICE, designated as a High Speed Vessel (HSV) for the exercise, will demonstrate the flexibility achievable by "modularity" in a small, fast, highly maneuverable platform. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems (NE&SS)-Marine Systems has overall responsibility for developing Sea SLICE. Systems, NE&SS-Surface Systems, Missiles and Fire Control, Mission Systems and Information Systems, are contributing technologies that will be included in the ship. During FBE-J…

Next generation technology used to wage wars of the future will be on display for two weeks off the coast of California later this month. The upcoming Fleet Battle Experiment-Juliet (FBE-J) will offer the military an unprecedented glance at how established and emerging technologies work in sync. Sea SLICE will participate as a littoral warfare ship in FBE-J, as a High Speed Vessel (HSV) for the exercise. Lockheed Martin Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems (NE&SS)-Marine Systems — which has overall responsibility for developing Sea SLICE — shared with MR/EN some of the secrets behind its success. As the military evolves increasingly toward the collection…

As first reported in the July edition of Maritime Reporter & Engineering News, Lockheed Martin's Sea SLICE advanced technology demonstration vessel recently provided the Navy a sneak peak of a small, fast, stable ship with multi-mission modularity in its role as a Littoral Combat Ship surrogate in the Navy's Fleet Battle Experiment - Juliet, which took place along the San Diego coast from July 24 - August 7. Arriving in San Diego with no combat systems aboard in early June, the ship was transformed in less than a month into a bristling littoral combatant complete with: the 35-mm Millennium Gun; NetFires missile launching system; FLIR Systems Inc.

U.S. Navy, Air Force and Army forces, along with British and German forces, concluded the four-day Fleet Synthetic Training-Joint Exercise (FST-J) March 29. This fleet exercise simulated at-sea war fighting conditions without involved units actually being underway. FST-J employs the Navy Continuous Training Environment and Joint Training and Experimentation Network infrastructure to provide the training to the participating units in their respective homeports around the world. “Augmenting live exercises and deployments with the quality of training that synthetic technology is making possible, better prepares participants for actual deployments,” said Capt. Mark Nesselrode, commanding officer, Tactical Training Group Atlantic.

The U.S. Navy anti-submarine warfare (ASW) team aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) attended the single-ship ASW qualification course at Yokosuka Naval Base on March 6. “The single-ship ASW qualification course provides ASW teams procedural and tactical training, and evaluation in a multithreat environment for conventional and data-equipped ships,” said Lt. Daryl Adamson, Center for Surface Combat Systems Detachment Yokosuka (CSCS Det. Yokosuka) officer in charge. The detachment provides this opportunity to the U.S. 7th Fleet during a two-week course of classroom instruction and different battle scenarios.

The Navy will field the first Shipboard Protection System (SPS) aboard a naval surface combatant this month. The SPS equips the ship’s commander with organic tools to rapidly assess asymmetric threats and defend against terrorist attacks like the one that severely damaged the USS Cole in 2000. Ultimately, most U.S. naval surface vessels will have an SPS onboard to provide integrated anti-terrorism/force protection capabilities while operating in littoral waters, such as foreign or domestic ports, restricted waterways, and coastal areas, where naval ships might be attacked by terrorist. To transition the technology as rapidly as possible to the fleet…