FMD Acquires AMMCON
Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD), a portfolio company of Arcline Investment Management (Arcline), has acquired AMMCON Corp., a Jacksonville- based fittings and assembled components manufacturer. The defense contractorâs acquisition continues its expansion and commitment to providing critical components to the U.S. Navy and other marine defense customers.âFairbanks Morse Defense is working to build fully integrated products and services that will meet every need of maritime defenseâŚ
Newport News Begins Topside EMALS Testing on John F. Kennedy (CVN 79)
HII announced today that its Newport News Shipbuilding division (NNS) recently began topside testing of the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) on aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79).EMALS, first integrated into USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), replaces the existing steam catapults currently in use on the U.S. Navyâs Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.Following successful âno-loadâ testing on catapults one and two, known as the âbow cats,â the NNS team, alongside the John F. Kennedy crew, has now started âdead-loadâ testing.
Littoral Combat Ship USS Kingsville Complete Acceptance Trials
Last week, on January 31, the future USS Kingsville (LCS 36) returned pier side after successfully completing acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico for the U.S. Navy, Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA announced.During acceptance trials, comprehensive testing is conducted on the shipâs major systems and equipment in order to demonstrate their successful operation and mission readiness. The U.S. Navyâs Board of Inspection and Survey participates throughout the trials to validateâŚ
Newport News Shipbuilding Opens Additional Site in Norfolk
HII announced its Newport News Shipbuilding division has begun production at an additional campus in Norfolk, Va. to support the shipyardâs continued progress toward more effective and efficient shipbuilding.The Newport News Shipbuilding Norfolk Campus is located on land leased from Fairlead in the Lambertâs Point area, at a development known as Fairwinds Landing. NNS shipbuilders have worked at the site for several months constructing steel panels that will eventually make up units of Gerald R.
Repairs to Carrier's Anchor Windlass Completed in Record Time
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility employees and shipâs force worked together to repair the anchor windlass on USS Nimitz (CVN 68) in about a third of the time it took previously.The anchor windlass is comprised of motors, gears and other parts responsible for the controlled lowering and raising of the chain and anchor, which can weigh up to 200,000 pounds on a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. It's a difficult job that requires much planning and complicated execution.According to Shawn Carragher and Zac MaloneâŚ
Tom Cruise Visits Aircraft Carrier USS George H.W. Bush
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 shipâs hangar bay and took time to visit with sailors aboard the ship, which has been deployed since departing Naval Station Norfolk in August 2022.âI know our sailors will never forget that night in the hangar bayâŚ
Brazil Scuttles Decommissioned Aircraft Carrier Despite Environmental Concerns
Brazil sank a decommissioned aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Ocean off its northeast coast, the Brazilian Navy said, despite warnings from environmentalists that the rusting 1960s French-built ship would pollute the sea and the marine food chain.The 32,000-tonne carrier had been floating offshore for three months since Turkey refused it entry to be scrapped there because it was an environmental hazard and the ship was towed back to Brazil.The carrier was scuttled in a "planned and controlled sinking" late on FridayâŚ
Brazilian 'Ghost' Aircraft Carrier Gets a Reprieve
A decommissioned 32,000-ton 1960's aircraft carrier has been floating off Brazil's shore for three months since Turkey refused it entry to be scrapped there because the rusting ship is an environmental hazard.The Brazilian Navy's Sao Paulo carrier had been towed by tugs to Europe but did not get past the Gibraltar straits, and was returned across the Atlantic.The Navy has acknowledged the ship is a risk to the environment and could sink, so it has not been allowed into BrazilianâŚ
Chief of Naval Operations Visits Austal USA
Austal USA welcomed U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Admiral Michael Gilday at the companyâs Mobile, Ala. shipyard. The CNO toured the shipyardâs facility and discussed the companyâs growing diversity of design and shipbuilding contracts. During his tour, the CNO witnessed the production of both steel and aluminum ships in the companyâs 867,000-sq. ft. module manufacturing facility, including operations supporting the submarine industrial base.Austal USA leadership briefed the CNO on the companyâs involvement in several autonomous surface vessel programsâŚ
USS Farragut Deploys with George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group
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 SurveyâŚ
U.S. Navy: Constellation-class Brings Frigates Back to the U.S. Fleet
Introducing a new class of warship can be fraught with pain, and the first ship is always the hardest â almost always behind schedule and over budget. And trying something new and transformational is even harder.The U.S. Navy knows this from experience. Thatâs one reason why the Navy is opting for a lower risk design for its next class of guided missile frigates (FFGs).Just about every new class has experienced a rough start. Although the USS Arleigh Burke-class of guided missile destroyers (DDGs) today represent the largest and most successful class of warshipsâŚ
Video: First Steel Cut for Aircraft Carrier Doris Miller
A steel cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday for the U.S. Navyâs newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Doris Miller (CVN 81).Slated to be the fourth Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier, CVN 81 is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries' Newport News Shipbuilding shipyard in Newport News, Va. Doris Millerâs keel is scheduled to be laid in 2026 and delivered to the Navy in 2032.Doris Miller is the second ship of the two-carrier contract award HII received in January 2019 for the detail design and construction of the Gerald R.
Video: USS Gerald R. Ford Completes Shock Trials
The U.S. Navy's new aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) on Monday underwent its third explosive event off the coast of Jacksonville, Fla., rounding out the shipâs Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST) and validating its shock hardness and ability to sustain operations in a simulated combat environment using live ordnance. During the four-month testing evolution, the first-in-class aircraft carrier withstood the impact of three 40,000-pound underwater blasts, released at distancesâŚ
Fit for Fight: Navies challenged by COVID at sea, ashore
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, navies adjusted how they operate at home and while deployed, to keep their forces ready for any missions as they keep their Sailors, families, communities, as well as allies and partners safe from the coronavirus.Navies have taken a number of prudent preventative measures to limit outbreaks, mitigate cases of infection and reduce the community spread of the virus.Speaking during his May 29 âOn The Horizon: Navigating the European and African Theatersâ podcast, Admiral James G. Foggo III, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, said The U.S.
Iran Deploys Mock-up U.S. Aircraft Carrier for Target Practice
Iran has moved a mock-up U.S. aircraft carrier to the strategic Strait of Hormuz, satellite images show, suggesting it will use the look-alike vessel for target practice in war games in a Gulf shipping channel vital to world oil exports.The use of dummy American warships has become an occasional feature of training by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and its naval forces, including in 2015 when Iranian missiles hit a mock-up resembling a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier.Tehran, which opposes the presence of U.S.
USS Theodore Roosevelt Returns to Sea Following COVID-19 Outbreak
U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) is underway for the first time since being sidelined by an onboard coronavirus outbreak that infected hundreds of sailors and led to the firing of the ship's commander.Theodore Roosevelt was in the Asia-Pacific region when a number of its sailors began falling ill with COVID-19, forcing the aircraft carrier to eventually dock in Guam on March 27. One sailor who was infected died, and more than 1,110 out of the roughly 4âŚ
Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy Launched
The U.S. Navyâs newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was launched Monday at Huntington Ingalls Industries' (HII) Newport News Shipbuilding yard in Virginia.Following the launch, the Ford Class aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), was guided with help from six tugboats down the James River about a mile from Newport News Shipbuildingâs Dry Dock 12, where it has been under construction, to the shipyardâs Pier 3. There, the ship will undergo additional outfitting and beginâŚ
HMS Prince of Wales Goes for Maiden Voyage
Britain's newest aircraft carrier has sailed out of Rosyth dockyard for the first time. The GBP3bln, 65000 ton HMS Prince of Wales will sit at anchor in the River Forth for around 2-7 days following departure from the dockyard to complete Initial Sea Safety Training.The vessel is the sister ship of HMS Queen Elizabeth."Cammell Laird is proud to have played a key role in the construction of this magnificent vessel â one of the most powerful surface warships ever constructed in the UK," said a press release from the British shipbuilding company.Following Cammell Lairdâs successful completion of nine units for the first Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier, the companyâs block building expertise was called upon once again in 2013.
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 shipâs new main mastâthe 34-foot upper mast sectionâthat raises the shipâs 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.âLanding the upper mast is one of the most visible construction milestones in the mid-life refueling overhaul and maintenance availability of an aircraft carrierâŚ
US Navy: Our 'Running Fix' Has Us Firmly in the Channel
An interview with Rear Admiral Ronald A. Boxall, Director, Surface Warfare (N96), conducted by Capt. Edward Lundquist, U. S. Navy (Ret.)The theme of the recent SNA West Coast Symposium was âTake a Running Fix.â So whatâs your âfixâ right now about where we are regarding surface warfare?The SWO Boss is thinking about that from a man/train/equip standpoint, and being able to ensure that weâre trained to the best we can, that weâre manned properly, and have the equipment we need.
US Navy: 3D Printing is the Way of the Future
On August 24, 2018, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) faced a problem that didnât have a quick solution: A bolt from a hangar bay door roller assembly was stressed to the point of breaking, rendering the door unable to perform its basic task of opening and closing. In order for Chung-Hoon to get this one bolt, they would need to order a whole new roller assembly, which would take time Chung-Hoon didnât have.Underway as part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 3, Chung-Hoon was in close proximity to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C.
US Aircraft Carrier in Arctic after Three Decades
A US aircraft carrier strike group has entered in the frigid waters north of the Arctic Circle for the first time since the Soviet Union collapsed to join a massive NATO naval drill close to Russian border.According to a press communication from the United States Navy, for the first time in nearly 30 years, a U.S. aircraft carrier entered the Arctic Circle Oct. 19 to conduct operations in the Norwegian Sea.Accompanied by select ships from Carrier Strike Group Eight (CSG-8), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) traveled north to demonstrate the flexibility and toughness of U.S. naval forces through high-end warfare training with regional allies and partners.
One-on-One with Suzanne Beckstoffer
One-on-one with Suzanne Beckstoffer, an accomplished engineering leader and business woman, the first woman president in SNAMEâs 125 year history.As the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2018, it will celebrate another historical milestone at the start of 2019 when Suzanne M. Beckstoffer takes the helm of SNAME as president, the first woman to hold this position in the associationâs history. We met recently with Beckstoffer to discuss her distinguished shipbuilding careerâŚ