Joint Force News

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. on Thursday announced new amphibious transport dock ship Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) it is building for the U.S. Navy has completed builder’s sea trials. The San Antonio-class ship spent time in the Gulf of Mexico testing all systems in preparation for the remaining events that will occur prior to delivery of the ship, expected to occur in the spring.“Our shipbuilders have worked hard to get LPD 29 to sea,” Ingalls Shipbuilding Ship Program Manager Davianne Stokes said.

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division delivered the first Flight III Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), to the U.S. Navy on Tuesday. Delivery of DDG 125 represents the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy.“Delivering the first Flight III ship reflects the relentless efforts of our shipbuilders and those of our Navy and supplier partners,” said Kari Wilkinson, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding. “We are committed to maintaining…

HII announced Friday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Pascagoula, Miss. has received a $1.3 billion modification to a previously awarded contract from the U.S. Navy for the procurement of the detail design and construction of amphibious transport dock LPD 32. The resulting fixed-price-incentive contract totals $1.54 billion. The ship will be the 16th in the San Antonio class and the third Flight II LPD.In June 2022, Ingalls Shipbuilding was awarded a $240 million advance…

HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division started fabrication of the U.S. Navy’s newest San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Pittsburgh (LPD 31) on Wednesday. The start of fabrication signifies that the first 100 tons of steel have been cut for the ship.“The start of fabrication on LPD 31 demonstrates our ability to continue manufacturing quality ships for our Navy and Marine Corps partners,” said Mike Pruitt, Ingalls Shipbuilding LPD program manager. “Our shipbuilders are excited…

San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) departed from HII’s (HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division on Monday, en route to its commissioning site in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the shipbuilder announced.Fort Lauderdale was delivered to the U.S. Navy in March following acceptance sea trials and is the 12th San Antonio-class ship delivered by HII. Additional San Antonio-class ships are under construction at Ingalls, including Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) and the first Flight II amphibious ship in the San Antonio class, Harrisburg (LPD 30).

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced Friday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has delivered amphibious transport dock Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) to the U.S. Navy.Fort Lauderdale is the 12th San Antonio-class ship delivered by HII. Amphibious transport docks are a major part of the Navy’s 21st century expeditionary force, deployed with a U. S. Marine Corps Air-Ground Task Force for amphibious and expeditionary crisis response operations that range from deterrence and…

Chinese shipyard CIMC Raffles on Monday announced it has secured an order to build up to six liquefied natural gas (LNG)-powered car carriers for Swedish shipping company Wallenius Lines.The order is for two initial ships, plus a pair of options—each for two additional vessels. The ships will be built at CIMC Raffles' Longkou yard in Yantai, China.Designed by Danish naval architect Knud E. Hansen, the Swedish flagged vessels will be 200 meters long, 37 meters wide with capacity of 6,500 car equivalent units (CEU).

The U.S. Navy launched its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Cooperstown (LCS 23), on January 19 and then christened the new warship during a ceremony on February 29, in Marinette, Wis."The christening of the future USS Cooperstown marks an important step toward this great ship's entry into the fleet," said Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly. “The dedication and skilled work of everyone involved in the building of this ship has ensured that…

The Surface Navy Association will hold its 31st National Symposium January 15-17, 2019 at the Crystal City Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel in Arlington, Va.The symposium will feature senior Navy leaders delivering keynote remarks, focused on the theme of “Ready, Agile, Focused: Own the Fight!”Featured speakers include Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran; Commander, Naval Surface Forces/Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, USN; Director, Surface Warfare (N96) Rear Adm. Ronald A. Boxall; and Director, Expeditionary Warfare (N95) Maj. Gen.

One of the U.S. Navy’s newest Freedom variant littoral combat ships (LCS) completed its final significant milestone before its scheduled summer delivery with the conclusion of acceptance trials at the end of May.On May 25, the future USS Sioux City (LCS 11) wrapped up a series of graded in-port and underway demonstrations on the Great Lakes for the Navy's Board of Inspection and Survey. During the trial, the Navy conducted comprehensive tests intended to demonstrate the performance of the propulsion plant…

The Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony May 5 in Mobile, Alabama. The principal speaker will be Cincinnati Councilmember David Mann, also a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio. Former Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker will serve as the ship's sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. "The future USS Cincinnati is a symbol of the strong connection between the people of Cincinnati and the Navy and Marine Corps team," said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. The future USS Cincinnati is the fifth U.S. Navy ship to honor Ohio's third largest city.

The United States Navy is re-establishing its Second Fleet, responsible for the northern Atlantic Ocean, nearly seven years after it was disbanded as the Pentagon puts countering Russia at the heart of its military strategy.“Our National Defense Strategy makes clear that we’re back in an era of great power competition as the security environment continues to grow more challenging and complex,” Chief of U.S. Naval Operations Admiral John Richardson said on Friday.“Second Fleet will exercise operational and administrative authorities over assigned ships…

The US Navy will christen its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Indianapolis (LCS 17), during a 10 a.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, April 14, in Marinette, Wisconsin. The future USS Indianapolis, designated LCS-17, honors Indianapolis, Indiana's state capital. She will be the fourth ship to bear the name. The principal speaker will be former U.S. Senator Richard Lugar of Indiana. Mrs. Jill Donnelly, wife of U.S. Senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana, will serve as the ship's sponsor. In a time-honored Navy tradition, she will christen the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. "The future USS Indianapolis honors more than a city…

The United States Navy will commission its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Omaha (LCS 12), during a 10 a.m. PST ceremony Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Broadway pier in San Diego. The future USS Omaha, designated LCS 12, is the 11th littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the sixth of the Independence-variant design. It is the fourth warship named for the Nebraska city. The first ship was a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. The second ship was a light cruiser and the third Omaha was an attack submarine. Former U.S. Senator from Nebraska, 35th Governor of Nebraska and Medal of Honor recipient, the Honorable Bob Kerrey will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Mrs.

The World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) has today announced a key strategic partnership with the International Windship Association (IWSA) in order to further promote the uptake of wind technology by the global shipping fleet. WWEA is a not-for-profit organisation with over 600-member organisations across 100 countries. The Association promotes the deployment of wind energy technology around the world, and, as founding member of the REN Alliance and the Global100%RE Platform, is working towards full substitution of all polluting and hazardous waste causing energies. IWSA, also a not-for-profit organisation, unites over 30 commercial wind propulsion technology providers and projects supported by numerous universities, research and testing organisations and other associates.

Staff from Brisbane-based 1st Division/Deployable Joint Force Headquarters joined other Defence representatives for an amphibious force staff exercise in Townsville in October. Conducted by the Amphibious Task Group, the exercise provided an opportunity for personnel representing the key enablers of Australia’s amphibious capability to discuss the future. Joining in were personnel from HMA Ships Canberra, Adelaide and Choules, Army's Forces Command and 3rd Brigade, Director General – Land, Maritime Operations, 5th Aviation Regiment and Combat Training Centre. Colonel Terence Dunne, United States Marine Corps, who is posted to the Joint Force Headquarters and in charge of amphibious capability and development…

The world is closely watching several contentious flash points that have potential to ignite. The behavior and rhetoric of China and Russia regarding vital shipping lanes in international waters have been alarming. Disputed sovereignty claims and efforts to enforce them have the maritime world on edge. China’s nine-dash line claims about owning the entire East and South China Sea have created a dilemma for themselves and the other nations in the region. The Philippines v. China case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague commenced on Jan.

Russia is building an “arc of steel” from the Arctic to the Mediterranean Sea said a NATO commander, in the same vein as Winston Churchill’s Iron Curtain metaphor. Navy Adm. Mark Ferguson, who commands NATO’s Allied Joint Force Command in Naples, Italy, and U.S. Navy forces in Europe and Africa, spoke at the Atlantic Council here. The alliance also faces threats from the south, and both threats argue for more attention from the United States, NATO members and allied states, Ferguson said. From the North Atlantic to the Black Sea, Russia is fielding an increasingly capable navy, he added, unveiling a new maritime strategy and demonstrating new equipment and capabilities at sea.

Australia’s newest military capability, the Amphibious Ready Element, has demonstrated its capacity in waters off the North Queensland coast during the Sea Series of exercises. Conducted by the Brisbane-based Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, under command of Major General Stuart Smith, the Sea Series of exercises enabled the amphibious force to achieve an interim operational capability. The Sea Series of exercises involved about 1100 embarked forces and crew on board HMAS Canberra with medium lift helicopters, landing craft and small boats, trucks, troop carriers and other vehicles. The embarked force included major elements from the 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, and 5th Aviation Regiment supported by HMAS Stuart, Air Force assets as well as other government agencies.

The Australian Defence Force is testing its newest amphibious capability ahead of the upcoming cyclone season. Exercise SEA RAIDER in Far North Queensland involves some 1400 troops embarked in HMAS Canberra with medium lift helicopters, landing craft and small boats, trucks, troop carriers and other vehicles. Conducted by the Brisbane based Deployable Joint Force Headquarters, under command of Major General Stuart Smith, Exercise SEA RAIDER is supported by HMAS Stuart, Air Force assets and Commando forces as well as other Government agencies. The ADF works closely with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade as the lead agency for Australian Government responses to overseas emergencies.

An increase of incidents of piracy and armed robbery in SouthEast Asia has prompted Malaysian and Indonesian law enforcement to form a joint rapid deployment team in response, says a report in Reuters. According to reports, the joint force will deploy three helicopters to secure the Strait of Malacca, two of which will be supplied by Indonesia and one of which will be supplied by Malaysia. First Admiral Maritime Zulkifili bin Abu Bakar, director of maritime matters in the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA)'s crime investigations department told Reuters that they would deploy a helicopter-equipped special task and rescue (STAR) team at Johor Bahru. He added that Malaysian and Indonesian navies would form a similar rapid reaction force in the area.

Australia’s newest military capability, the Amphibious Ready Element, is preparing to demonstrate its capacity in waters off the North Queensland coast. Townsville-based 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment with MRH-90 helicopters from the 16th Aviation Brigade will combine with the Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS Canberra and Air Force assets to conduct a series of amphibious training activities from August through to October. Conducted by the Deployable Joint Force Headquarters under the command of Major General Stuart Smith, the 'Sea Series' of exercises will enable the amphibious force to achieve an interim operational capability.

CMRE participates in the annual NATO-led Coalition Warrior Interoperability eXploration, eXperimentation, eXamination, eXercise (CWIX), ongoing at the Joint Force Training Center (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz (Poland). From June 9-25, 2015, NATO STO CMRE (Center for Maritime Research and Experimentation) scientists and engineers are at the Joint Force Training Center (JFTC) in Bydgoszcz (Poland) to take part in the annual NATO-led Coalition Warrior Interoperability eXploration, eXperimentation, eXamination, eXercise (CWIX) for the third time in a row. This year CWIX hosts participants from 15 NATO and 4 Partnership for Peace (PfP) Nations working on system interoperability before operational use to improve the effectiveness of the Alliance.