Us Southern Command News

Not every vessel in the U.S. Navy is built for major combat operations on the high seas. There are large numbers of boats and service craft that provide essential services to the sea services, the nation and its partners.The U.S. Navy procures about 100 small boats per year. Some of these boats are based on commercial designs, procured to a Navy developed specification that tailors the requirements to the end user needs. They are procured and managed by two Naval Sea Systems Command program offices—PMS 300 and PMS 325.Compared to warships and auxiliaries…

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark has been awarded a contract  to establish fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023 pricing for Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) seven through 10, and accompanying outfitting, testing, spares, tools, travel, reactivation, crew familiarization, exportation and transportation, the U.S. Department of Defense announced.Awarded by the Naval Sea Systems Command, the deal is a $36,195,438 firm-fixed-price modification to previously awarded indefinite-delivery/indefinite…

Mobile, Ala. shipbuilder Austal USA, part of Australia's Austal Group, hosted a christening ceremony for the future USS Santa Barbara (LCS 32) Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship at the company’s Gulf Coast shipyard today. Ship sponsor Lolita Zinke performed the ceremonial bottle break over the bow of the Santa Barbara, the 16th LCS designed and constructed by Austal USA and the third U.S. Navy ship to be named after the California coast city.Zinke, wife of former U.S. Congressman and former U.S.

The Navy is known for its big ships. It has a lot of smaller boats and craft, too—3,200 of them.The three primary stakeholders for these craft are the Surface Fleet, Commander Navy Installations Command and Navy Expeditionary Combat Command. Other stakeholders include Submarine Forces; Air Forces (which own the aircraft carriers); Naval Special Warfare; the Coast Guard; Naval Facilities Command and the Naval Warfare Centers.Boats and craft are procured and managed by Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Program Executive Office for Ships (PEO Ships)…

The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship USS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) Saturday, at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado, Calif.Built by General Dynamics NASSCO, the 785-foot USS Miguel Keith is the third ESB variant of the Expeditionary Transfer Dock platform (ESD). Expeditionary Mobile Base was previously known as Afloat Forward Staging Base (AFSB) in the Mobile Landing Platform (MLP) program. ESBs are highly flexible platforms that provide logistics movement from sea to shore supporting a broad range of military operations.

Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 21, the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan ahead of final outfitting and fine-tuning before delivery to the U.S. Navy in 2021.LCS 21 is the 11th Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team that includes Fincantieri Marinette Marine and Gibbs & Cox."LCS 21 joins a fleet of sister ships delivering unique flexibility and capability to the U.S. Navy," said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager, Small Combatants and Ship Systems.

In response to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, the Congressional Research Service released a report that stated global economic growth has declined by 3% to 6% in 2020 with a partial recovery predicted for 2021. Also, the GDP of the U.S. has fallen by 5% in the first quarter 2020. According to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the maritime industry, and seafarers themselves, have not been able to escape the significant effects of this crisis.All sectors of the maritime industry have been adversely affected by the global pandemic.

Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 19, the future USS St. Louis, has completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan and will now undergo final outfitting and fine-tuning before delivery to the US Navy early next year.Christened and launched on December 15, 2018, LCS 19 was built by Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wis. The vessel is the seventh ship in naval service named after St. Louis, Mo. and the 10th Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team."The LCS fleet is growing in numbers and capability…

Adm. Philip S. Davidson, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), became the Navy’s newest “Old Salt” during an award presentation Oct. 22 at the Pentagon.The “Old Salt” award is given to the active duty officer who has held the Surface Warfare Officer (SWO) qualification for the longest amount of time."It is a tremendous honor to receive this award. I have been fortunate to be part of this organization for more than 35 years, serving alongside a number of amazing men and women.

Hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) will deploy to Central America and South America in late September to begin a two-month humanitarian mission with stops in Colombia and the region, the U.S. Navy said.The USNS Comfort support in Colombia was requested by the Colombian government to relieve the pressure of increased population flows from Venezuela on their national health system.During the deployment, military medical personnel will work alongside our partners to provide needed medical assistance…

The U.S. Coast Guard will offload more than 47,000 pounds of cocaine worth over $721 million Thursday at 9:30 a.m., which was seized in 23 separate interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean by U.S. and Canadian forces operating in international waters off the coast of Central and South America. Senior U.S. and Canadian officials will be at the offload to discuss new tactics used by transnational organized crime groups and to highlight international cooperation in combating the threat posed by these dangerous groups. U.S.

The Coast Guard Foundation, a nonprofit organization committed to the education and welfare of all Coast Guard members and their families, announced that its 13th Annual Tribute to the United States Coast Guard in Our Nation’s Capital will take place on Tuesday, June 6, 2017 at the National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. Secretary of Homeland Security John F. Kelly and Admiral Paul F. Zukunft, Commandant of the Coast Guard will deliver keynote remarks. Dinner chairs are Coast Guard Foundation board members Admiral Thad Allen, USCG (Retired) and Corrine Kosar. Secretary John F.

The Cyclone-class patrol coastal ship USS Zephyr (PC 8), its embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) personnel and coalition forces intercepted an immense amount of contraband while on patrol conducting Operation Martillo in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations April 19. Zephyr, along with Dutch Karel Doorman-class multi-purpose frigate HNLMS Van Amstel, pursued and boarded a small fishing vessel, called a panga, and interdicted 750 kilograms of cocaine with a total street value of $22.5 million. "Today's success was due to the high professionalism and cohesive integration of the Zephyr crew and USCG LEDET," said Lt. Cmdr. Cameron Ingram, Zephyr's commanding officer.

Naval experts from around the world are meeting in Cartagena, Colombia, for the Operations and Technology (OPTECH) South 2017 conference. The event is being conducted by the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School’s (NPS) Littoral Operations Center (LOC), supported by the Office of Naval Research-Global and the Colombian Naval Science and Technology Office and Swedish defense company Saab. The littoral is the complex “near shore” environment where hydrography, geography, commerce, fishing…

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.

In preparation for Hurricane Matthew, Commander, Navy Region Southeast (CNRSE) has ordered the mandatory evacuation for approximately 700 spouses and children on board Naval Station (NS) Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Navy Region Southeast is coordinating with U.S. Southern Command and U.S. Transportation Command for an airlift to transport family members via military aircraft to safe haven at Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Fla. Family members would remain in Pensacola until it is safe to return. NAS Pensacola has quarters to house the families, and the Fleet and Family Service Center counselors will be available to provide assistance. The remaining military and civilian personnel will shelter in place and be able to support recovery efforts once safe to do so following the storm's passage.

Raven Aerostar recently concluded a successful maritime operation in response to an urgent requirement from the Commander, U.S. Navy South for a maritime persistent surveillance solution aimed to enhance security in the Caribbean Basin. Quickly meeting the requirements provided by U.S. Navy South, Raven Aerostar deployed a turnkey Maritime Persistent Surveillance Solution featuring a Raven Aerostar Tethered Aerostat System integrated with a state-of-the-art Vista Smart Sensing Radar System…

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Adm. Paul Zukunft, and U.S. Southern Command Commander, Gen. John Kelly met at U.S. Southern Command Headquarters on Sept. 4, 2014 to discuss strategic objectives, mutual priorities and opportunities for collaboration in Latin America and the Caribbean. The meeting centered on the synchronization of existing efforts in ensuring safety and security along U.S. and regional borders in addition to outlining new initiatives, including the U.S. Coast Guard Western Hemisphere strategy to be released in late September.

The U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Forces Strategic Command (USASMDC/ARSTRAT) has awarded a $36 million contract to Brunswick Commercial and Government Products (BCGP) to supply up to sixty 32-foot and 37-foot Boston Whaler Justice models. The boats will support U.S. Southern Command’s counternarcotics assistance program within Central America and the Caribbean to counter transnational organized criminal networks in Latin America. The boats will be supplied over a four-year period.

USS Helena returns to Naval Station Norfolk after service in Central and South American sea areas The fast-attack submarine USS Helena is returning to Naval Station Norfolk from a regularly scheduled deployment. The Los-Angeles class submarine will arrive at its homeport shortly. USS Helena is returning from the U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility, which includes Central and South America. The Navy says the submarine traveled more than 8,600 nautical miles. The 360-foot ship is commanded by Cmdr. Paul L. Dinius, with a crew of 16 officers and 134 enlisted sailors.

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft and U.S. Southern Command Commander Gen. John Kelly will host a program titled “Emerging Challenges in the Western Hemisphere” at the Abraham Lincoln Hall Auditorium at Fort Lesley J. McNair on Oct. 7, 2014, at 1 pm. The recently signed Coast Guard Western Hemisphere Strategy addresses transnational threats and maritime challenges that threaten the security of our Nation, markets, and oceans over the next 10 years. Michael Miklaucic of the Institute for National Strategic Studies will moderate a discussion between Adm. Zukunft and Gen. Kelly. Michael Braun - Managing Partner, SGI Global, LLC, and Former Chief of Operations, U.S. Celina Realuyo - Professor of Practice, William J.

The Coast Guard and partner agencies seized 11,300 pounds of marijuana before it reached U.S. shores in May, breaking a single-month record set a decade ago. "The Coast Guard and our interagency partners have already interdicted more marijuana near the U.S. maritime border with Mexico in the first two quarters of fiscal year 2012 than it did in all of 2011,” said Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Bob Papp. The record-breaking month started May 6 with the interdiction of approximately 600 pounds of marijuana and hash with an estimated street value of $544,200 off the coast of Miami.

Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Ray Mabus completed a visit to Paraguay Jan. 29 during which he met with Republic of Paraguay President Horacio Cartes to discuss the relationship between the Department of the Navy and Paraguay's military. "We look forward to future opportunities for our forces to work together to strengthen our relations, build interoperability and increase regional security," said Mabus. Mabus also met with Paraguay's Minister of Defense Bernadino Soto to explore possible opportunities to increase the partnership between the U.S. military and Paraguay and to discuss security cooperation issues. "We appreciate and value our militaries' work together and hope to solidify the strength of our partnership in the future," Mabus said.