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Dwight D Eisenhower News

18 Sep 2024

US Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Robert E. Simanek

San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO delivered the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7) to the U.S. Navy, on September 12.The Lewis B. Puller-class expeditionary mobile base ship is named for Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shielding fellow Marines from a grenade at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Korean War. The Medal of Honor was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a White House ceremony in 1953.“From christening in May 2024 to delivery…

24 Jun 2024

US Says It Destroyed Three Houthi Vessels in Red Sea

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Photo: U.S. Navy)

U.S. forces destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea in the past 24 hours, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Saturday.Separately, the Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Gulf of Aden but there were no injuries or significant damage reported by U.S., coalition, or merchant vessels, CENTCOM added.The U.S. military's Central Command also dismissed as "categorically false" recent claims about a successful attack by Houthi forces on the aircraft carrier Dwight D.

23 Jun 2024

Houthi Claim of Attack on US Aircraft Carrier False, US Officials Say

Components of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Group. Photo by: MC2 Kade Bise (US Navy)

A claim by Yemen's Houthi group on Saturday that its forces had attacked the U.S. aircraft carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower in the Red Sea is false, two U.S. officials told Reuters."That is incorrect," one of the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity.The Iran-aligned Houthis first launched drone and missile strikes in the key waterway for trade in November in what they say is solidarity with Palestinian militants in Gaza, where Israel has waged a more than eight-month war.In more than 70 attacks, the Houthis have sunk two vessels, seized another and killed at least three seafarers.

16 Jun 2024

Houthis Say they Attacked Two Ships and American Destroyer

Sailors from the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group render assistance to distressed mariners at sea in the Red Sea, June 15. (Official U.S. Navy photo)

Yemen's Houthis said on Sunday that they had attacked two civilian ships along with an American destroyer in the Red Sea and Arabian Sea, their latest effort to disrupt shipping in what they say is support for Palestinians in Gaza.In a statement, the Houthi military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said the militant group fired ballistic missiles at the American destroyer, naval missiles at a ship called the Captain Paris, and drones at a ship called the Happy Condor. It was not clear…

23 May 2024

Help Wanted: US Maritime Industry Struggles to Fill Key Gaps

(Credit: Joseph DeLuco / U.S. Army)

A shortage of U.S. mariners presents a major threat to the United States’ national and economic security, and the problem is growing day by day.According to a 2017 study prepared by the Maritime Workforce Working Group and released by the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), the estimated pool of U.S. mariners actively sailing with unlimited tonnage credentials was comprised of 11,768 mariners. Assuming that all these mariners would be both willing and available to sail as needed…

13 May 2024

NASSCO Christens Fifth Ship in US Navy's ESB Program

(Photo: General Dynamics NASSCO)

San Diego shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO recently christened USNS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7), the fifth ship for the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) program.The ESB ship class is a highly flexible platform designed to support multiple maritime-based missions. ESB ships are mobile sea-based assets and are a part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces, equipment, supplies, and warfighting capability. These 784-foot ships are configured with a 52…

25 Apr 2024

Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck: MSC Needs More Mariners, New Ships

Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck (right) Commander of U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) explains the tradition of the Navy ‘looping ceremony’. Lt. Robert P. Ellison assumes the title of MSC's Flag Aide during the ceremony. The looping ceremony took place aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) during MSC’s change of command ceremony held aboard the ship on Sept. 8, 2023. (U.S. Navy photograph by Brian Suriani/Released)

Founded as the Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS) and renamed Military Sealift Command in 1970, MSC today not only support the Navy, but we are the Department of Defense's provider of all sealift. Maritime Reporter & Engineering News recently interviewed Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, U.S. Navy, for insights on the service today and it’s needs to grow in the future.What makes MSC so vital to the Navy’s fleet and our military forces around the world?When we  look at the history of contested logistics in World War II…

13 Nov 2023

Will the Effort to Reach Zero Emissions Go Nuclear?

© Ezume Images / Adobe Stock

On December 8, 1953 President Dwight D. Eisenhower addressed the 470th Plenary Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. The speech he delivered is often recognized as his effort to introduce “Atoms for Peace”, a program to move nuclear fission and technology away from weapons development and into clean energy.As a result of that effort and program, the NS Savannah was built and delivered as the first nuclear-powered merchant ship. She was built in the late 1950s at a cost of $46.9 million and launched on July 21, 1959.

21 Jun 2023

USS Nimitz Records 350,000th Arrested Landing

U.S. Navy Capt. Craig Sicola, commanding officer of the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), front seat, and Cmdr. Luke Edwards, commanding officer of the “Fighting Redcocks” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 22, make an arrested landing in an F/A-18F Super Hornet from VFA-22 marking the 350,000th time the carrier has landed a fixed-wing aircraft on its flight deck. (Source: US Navy)

USS Nimitz (CVN 68), the oldest-serving U.S commissioned aircraft carrier in the world, successfully completed its 350,000th arrested aircraft landing recently while sailing in the South China Sea, a milestone nearly 48 years in the making.Nimitz’s first arrested landing was conducted in 1975, the same year of the ship’s commissioning. Since commissioning, Nimitz has sailed 30 deployments and served in countless operations and missions. It serves as the flagship of the Nimitz Carrier Strike Group (NIMCSG) which is currently on a regularly-scheduled deployment in the U.S.

28 Nov 2022

Newport News Authenticates Keel for US Navy Sub Arkansas

(Photo: HII)

HII’s (NYSE: HII) Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division hosted a keel authentication ceremony for Virginia-class submarine Arkansas (SSN 800).The ship’s sponsors are the six women of the historic group known as the Little Rock Nine, the first African American students to attend all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas during desegregation. NNS honored all nine members, including the three men, during Saturday’s ceremony.The Little Rock Nine made history in 1957 with their response to the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v.

12 Feb 2021

MARAD Seeking Comments on the Future of Nuclear Ship Savannah

Photo: Joe Haupt (CC BY-SA 2.0)

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is seeking the public's help in determining the future of the world's first nuclear-powered merchant ship.The NS Savannah was built by New York Shipbuilding Corp. and launched in 1959 as part of President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace Program to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The ship was removed from service in 1971 and the reactor was defueled. Registered as a National Historic Landmark since 1991, the ship is currently part of the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF) in retention status.

29 Sep 2020

USS Ticonderoga (CG 47) to be Recycled in Texas

A contract to recycle an out-of-service U.S. Navy guided-missile cruiser has been awarded to International Shipbreaking Limited, LLC., one of the world’s largest green ship recycling companies.The USS Ticonderoga (CG 47), decommissioned in 2004, concluded her final voyage last week to the Port of Brownsville, Texas, where full dismantling will commence with 98% of all removed materials being recycled. The recycling work, which requires complete demilitarization of the entire ship…

17 Sep 2020

Fit for Fight: Navies challenged by COVID at sea, ashore

Fit for the COVID Fight: Sailors stand in ranks before manning the rails of Nimitz-class nuclear aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). Photos: U.S. Navy Photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Christian Huntington

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 “On The Horizon: Navigating the European and African Theaters” podcast, Admiral James G. Foggo III, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, said The U.S.

25 Jun 2020

US Navy Ships Set Record for Longest Stretch at Sea

The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) transits the Arabian Sea, June 12, 2020. (U.S. Navy photo by Aaron Bewkes)

Two warships kept away from shore to minimize crew exposure to COVID-19 have set a new U.S. Navy record for most consecutive days at sea. As of Thursday, aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) and its escort ship, guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56) have been at sea for 161 days, besting the previous mark of 160 days set by aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in February 2002.Ike and San Jacinto departed their homeport of Norfolk, Va., in mid-January for the strike group’s Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) and follow-on deployment to the U.S.

09 Jan 2018

WWII Museum’s PT-305 Sails Again

(Photo: National World War II Museum)

Commercial workboat philanthropy on display on PT-305: WWII Museum’s PT-305 sails again after a far reaching donor-funded restoration. In March, the National WWII Museum in New Orleans launched its reconstructed PT-305, built locally by Higgins Industries in 1943. The museum acquired the boat known as the USS Sudden Jerk in 2007, restoration began in 2009, and it now sails Lake Pontchartrain as an interactive exhibit. PT-305, with a fifteen-man crew, belonged to a 12-ship squadron operating in the Mediterranean from 1944 until the war ended in 1945.

23 Jul 2017

President Trump Commissions USS Gerald R. Ford

President Donald J. Trump commissioned the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) at a commissioning ceremony July 22. A commissioning is a day of celebration, and honors the dedication, team work, and collaboration of Sailors, legislators, shipbuilders, program managers, and the ship's sponsor in delivering the ship to the fleet. Trump landed on the flight deck in Marine One and was greeted by Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Acting Secretary of the Navy Sean Stackley, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, and USS Gerald R. Ford Commanding Officer Capt. Rick McCormack. Over 10,000 friends and family members attended the event, watching the festivities from the hangar bay, the pier and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69).

21 Jul 2017

Truman Departs for Sea Trials

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) departed Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for Sea Trials July 21 following a 10-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA). Truman's Commanding Officer, Capt. Ryan B. Scholl, praised ship forces, NNSY and civilian contractors for working together to stay on schedule and making an on-time departure from the shipyard. "The number one goal for this ship over the last year was making it better than when it arrived here," said Scholl. "This excitement, enthusiasm and teamwork is what propelled us out of the shipyard. Critical work during the availability, which began last September, included upgrades to the ship's internal and external communication network…

14 Jun 2017

US Navy: Bigger is Better, but at What Cost?

U.S. Navy forces and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force routinely train together to improve interoperability and readiness to provide stability and security for the Indo-Asia Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Z.A. Landers)

The U.S. Navy has a balanced fleet, but it wants to grow bigger and better. Will the budget allow both? Maritime Reporter's March 2017 cover story on the U.S. Navy was all about the numbers. There exists several plans to grow the fleet beyond the current number of 308 ships, the Mitre recommendation of 414 ships, the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment 340-ship proposal, and the Navy’s decision to grow the fleet to 355 ships, and the Trump administration’s 350. With so many numbers being bandied about, there are even more suggestions on how to get there.

08 Jun 2017

WCI Applauds Trump's Cincinnati Visit

Mike Toohey, WCI President/CEO

Waterways Council, Inc. "WCI applauds President Trump’s visit to the heartland and for his speech today that will surely bring heightened attention to the investment needs of the inland waterways system. Our country has not seen this kind of leadership on infrastructure since President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1930s New Deal to build our locks and dams, or since the 1950s by President Dwight D. Eisenhower to construct the National Defense and Interstate Highway system. Today, Presidential…

10 Apr 2017

Eisenhower Strike Group Ready for Action

Approximately 6,000 Sailors from the Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group (Ike CSG) are conducting a sustainment exercise (SUSTEX) to maintain their readiness and capability to deploy anywhere in the world on short notice should the need arise. "Ike CSG is doing a great job on SUSTEX. Sustaining the readiness of this strike group--so it is ready to respond to a crisis anywhere on the planet--is a bargain and an important part of what our Navy's Optimized Fleet Response Plan does for the nation," said Adm. Phil Davidson, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces. SUSTEX is designed to test and train the carrier strike group's ability to perform and effectively respond as an integrated team during scenarios the group may encounter while deployed or during high-end warfare.

21 Nov 2016

US Navy Aids Stranded Iranian Mariners

Sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94) render assistance to a distressed Iranian vessel. (U.S. Navy photo by Casey J. Hopkins)

The U.S. Navy’s Guided-missile destroyer USS Nitze (DDG 94), currently deployed to the Arabian Gulf in support of maritime security operations, assisted three Iranian mariners in distress, November 18. Nitze received notification from aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) (Ike) of a small fishing vessel in distress. Once Nitze's crew identified the distressed vessel, the ship took immediate action to render assistance. After confirming the distressed vessel's mariners were safe, they discovered the vessel had a dead battery.

03 Jul 2016

U.S. Accuses Russian Warship of Aggressive Maneuvers

A Russian warship carried out aggressive and erratic maneuvers close to a U.S. Navy ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, the second such Cold War-style incident there in a matter of weeks, the U.S. military said on Saturday. The U.S. European Command said the Russian frigate, Yaroslav Mudry, came unnecessarily close to the guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto on June 30 and maneuvered in its wake. In a statement, EUCOM said the U.S. ship had not been threatened and it maintained course and speed. There have been several similar incidents - reminiscent of Cold War confrontations between the rival superpowers - at sea and in the air in recent months, with the U.S. and Russian militaries accusing each other of dangerous approaches in international waters and airspace. U.S.

02 Jul 2016

Russian Warship made 'unprofessional' Maneuver-U.S. Official

A Russian warship carried out "unprofessional" maritime operations in close proximity to a U.S. Navy ship in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, a U.S. Defense official said on Friday. This is the second time the same Russian vessel has come within close proximity of a U.S. Navy ship this month. On June 17, the Yaroslav Mudryy came within 315 yards (288 meters) of the USS Gravely, an incident U.S. officials called "unsafe and unprofessional," but which the Russian Defense Ministry disputed. Recent months have seen a number of similar Cold War-style incidents at sea and in the air, with each country's military accusing the other of dangerous approaches in international waters and airspace. The U.S.