ARLINGTON, Va. — Former chief of naval operations Adm. Thomas B. Hayward died March 3.  

CNO Adm. Mike Gilday issued the following statement on Hayward, the 21st CNO: 

“Today, the Navy grieves alongside the family and friends of Adm. Thomas B. Hayward as we celebrate his legacy and service to our nation.  He was a Sailor, a warfighter, a man of honor and integrity, who served as the chief of naval operations from 1978 to 1982. As CNO, he expertly led the Navy during challenging times after the end of the Vietnam War and the transition to an all-volunteer force. Facing both the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis and renewed Soviet competition in the midst of the Cold War, he rebuilt the combat readiness of the Navy through significant personnel and material investments and restored ‘Pride in the Navy.’ Focused on operational superiority, he prioritized building sophisticated capabilities to support a global, offensive-minded maritime strategy. He enlisted in the Navy during World War II and as a naval aviator flew combat missions in Korea and Vietnam. We truly lost a great leader and shipmate. We are grateful for your leadership, mentorship and commitment to our Navy and nation. Fair winds and following seas, Sir.” 

Below is the biography of Hayward:  

Hayward was born in Glendale, California, on May 3, 1924, the son of Mr. and Mrs. E. Payson Hayward. A native Californian, Admiral Hayward attended Glendale Junior College and Occidental College at Los Angeles, and in 1943 was appointed a Naval Aviation Cadet in the V-5 Program of the U. S. Naval Reserve. He entered the U.S. Naval Academy in 1944 on appointment from the State of California and upon graduation was commissioned Ensign in the U. S. Navy on June 6, 1947.  

Following graduation from the U. S. Naval Academy, he served in the aircraft carrier USS Antietam until detached in September 1948 for flight training at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. Designated a Naval Aviator on July 26, 1950, he was assigned to Fighter Squadron 51. While with that squadron, he participated in combat operations in Korea, embarked in the carrier USS Essex (CV 9), and later in USS Valley Forge (CVA 45).  

In January 1954, he reported for test pilot training at the Naval Air Test Center, Patuxent River, Maryland, and upon completion of training remained there as a test pilot and project coordinator. He next attended the Aviation Safety Officers School at tile University o£ Southern California at Los Angeles, after which he served with All-Weather Fighter Squadron Three. In August 1958 he reported for instruction at the Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island, and in December 1959, joined Fighter Squadron 211 as executive officer. In July 1961, he became administrative aide to the secretary of the Navy. He was next attached to Fighter Squadron 103 in December 1963, serving as executive officer and later as commanding officer. In July 1965, he assumed command of Attack Carrier Air Wing 10 which was deployed to the Mediterranean aboard the carrier USS Shangri-La (CVA 38), and later to Southeast Asia in the Vietnam conflict aboard the carrier USS Intrepid. (CVS 11).

From August 1966 to August 1967, he was a student at the National War College in Washington, D.C., and in 1967 he received a Master of Science degree in international affairs from George Washington University. He was next commanding officer of the USS Graffias (AF 29) operating off the coast of Vietnam. In August 1968, he reported as executive assistant and aide to the under secretary of the Navy.  

In December 1969, he assumed command of the attack carrier USS America (CVA 66), deploying to the 7th Fleet as the flagship of commander Task Force 77. Promoted to rear admiral in November 1970, he reported to Hawaii as commander, Sea Frontier and commandant of the 14th Naval District. He was assigned additional duty as commander Fleet Air, Hawaii, and commander Manned Spacecraft Recovery Forces, Pacific. He became director of the Office of Program Appraisal, Navy Department in December 1971, and on April 26, 1973, was promoted to vice admiral and reported as director, Navy Program Planning in the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. On June 14, 1975, he assumed command of the U.S. 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific and was embarked in the guided-missile cruiser USS Oklahoma City. Promoted to the rank of admiral, he assumed duties as commander in chief, U. S. Pacific Fleet on August 12, 1976.  

Hayward became the 21st chief of naval operations on July 1, 1978 and continued in this assignment until 30 June 1982. He retired from active duty on 1 July 1982.  

NEW LONDON, Conn. ­­— Cadets from the Class of 2022 received their first duty assignments during Billet Night at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, March 3, the Academy said.

One of the most anticipated events of the 200-week cadet program, Billet Night is a night of energy and excitement as the cadets are less than three months away from commencement when they commission as officers in the U.S. Coast Guard on May 18, 2022.

This year’s class is made up of 257 cadets, including nine international cadets. After graduation, more than 200 newly commissioned officers will report to cutters as near as Coast Guard Cutter Eagle homeported near the Academy in New London, Connecticut, to the Coast Guard Cutter Sequoia, homeported nearly 8,000 miles away in Apra Harbor, Guam.

Twenty others will report to flight school in Pensacola, Florida, to begin pilot training before reporting to Coast Guard Air Stations across the country.

Cadets will engage in a variety of Coast Guard operations at their new units upon graduation. Coast Guard units throughout the nation routinely conduct domestic missions as well as joint exercises with partner nations in which the Coast Guard assists fellow coast guards and navies to adapt or expand their maritime security capabilities.

The remaining graduates will report to various shore units, including the first graduates of the Academy’s Cyber Systems program. The newly established Cyber Systems degree provides graduates with the skills and ability to defend cyberspace, enable operations, and protect critical maritime infrastructure.

The Coast Guard protects America’s vast Maritime Transportation System as a ready, relevant, and responsive force engaging in defense operations, maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, marine safety, and environmental protection operations.

“Every day our graduates are leading vital missions across the globe,” said Rear Adm. Bill Kelly, Coast Guard Academy superintendent. “I’m excited that the members of the class of 2022 will soon take their places in the Coast Guard fleet and join our service’s efforts to address the nation’s complex maritime challenges.”

Founded in 1876, the Coast Guard Academy is one of the five U.S. service academies that emphasizes leadership, physical fitness and professional development leading to a guaranteed job upon graduation as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today the president has made the following nomination:

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Gregory N. Todd for appointment to the grade of rear admiral, with assignment as the chief of chaplains of the Navy, Washington, D.C. Todd is currently serving as chaplain of the Marine Corps and deputy chief of chaplains of the Navy, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Retention of Sailors in the fleet is going well but the demographics trend for recruiting is getting tougher, said the vice chief of naval operations, who also explained the efforts to reduce the shortage of Sailors on the Navy’s surface ships.  

“We’re very focused on retention, and it’s strong right now,” said VCNO, Adm. William K. Lescher, testifying March 3 before a joint hearing of the Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee and Readiness subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee. “It’s at a very strong level. 

“Part of the reason we’re focusing on it is because recruiting is becoming increasingly difficult for all the services and even more broadly,” Lescher said. “The last data I [saw] showed that that portion of the U.S. population that’s eligible to serve, their propensity to serve from 2018 was 13% and to 2021 is now 10%. All of the service recruiters are seeing symptoms of the ‘great resignation’ and/or a labor market that is so tough that at our new-construction shipyards, our repair shipyards, our aviation depots, all are struggling to bring in — we’re all competing for — the same talented group. So, we’re laser-focused on that.” 

During the hearing, Rep. Sara Jacobs (D-California) cited a Government Accountability Office report that found the surface fleet is 15% undermanned compared with required levels, since under-manning was part of the reason for the 2017 collisions involving the destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John McCain.  

In response, Lescher pointed out the Navy has increased its end-strength by 23,000 personnel since those incidents and is “getting very much after it [the under-manning]. Part of the reason that it remains under-manned is because we have been adding billets as well. … As we add billets to address the overwork issue and make sure the crew is sized for everything that is expected of it, we’re then chasing that with our accessions. So, we’re closing the gaps across the Navy.” 

The VCNO said “the other element is strong certification and focus on the manning that we deploy our ships with. The remaining work we have to get after with a strong sense of urgency is across the full OFRP [Optimized Fleet Readiness Plan] cycle as well.”

Also testifying was Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, commander, Naval Surface Forces, who spoke on the use of data for the last year in a program involving tracking expertise and proficiency in six shipboard rates, or Sailor job specialties, in engineering and combat systems. 

“We track each individual and what their proficiency and experience are, and then we are able to put them where we think we need them,” Kitchener said. “For example, if a ship is down in a number of years of experience in an engineering work center or an Aegis fire control system, we can actually make sure we send the right person there that increases the proficiency. It’s a much better measure of fit. … Right now, it’s part of the manning process. We’re using it extensively to fill those gaps at sea … making sure that we have the right people to go there.” 

Kitchener said the results to date are “very encouraging” and “it’s a metric that we’re going to continue to go after to allow us to make sure we have that manning right on the ship.”      

YOKOSUKA, Japan — U.S. 7th Fleet’s Task Force 75 and Naval Sea Systems Command on March 2 successfully retrieved the F-35C Lightning II aircraft which crashed earlier this year in the South China Sea, 7th Fleet Public Affairs said March 3. 

The F-35C Lightning II, assigned to Carrier Air Wing 2, crashed while USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) was conducting routine flight operations in the South China Sea on Jan. 24.  

The wreckage was recovered from a depth of approximately 12,400 feet by a team from CTF 75 and the NAVSEA’s Supervisor of Salvage and Diving embarked on the diving support construction vessel Picasso.  

“The task force’s expertise in rapid, scalable command, control, and communications, agile logistics, organic security, and explosive ordnance disposal was the most flexible choice for the fleet commander to respond in a timely manner,” said CTF 75 Commodore Capt. Gareth Healy.  

“Ultimately, this deliberate approach resulted in the correct capabilities conducting recovery operations within 37 days of the incident. Given the unique challenges of this problem and the unique technical capabilities that NAVSEA delivered, this was an aggressive and achievable timeline.” 

The aircraft was recovered using a CURV-21 remotely operated vehicle, which attached specialized rigging and lift lines to the aircraft. The ship’s crane lifting hook was then lowered to the seafloor and connected to the rigging, and then lifted the aircraft to the surface and hoisted it onboard Picasso. 

The aircraft will be delivered to a nearby military installation to aid in the ongoing investigation and evaluated for potential transport to the United States.  

ARLINGTON, Va. — A second Cyclone-class coastal patrol ship has been retired from the fleet in the Persian Gulf. USS Typhoon (PC 5) was decommissioned in Manama, Bahrain, on Feb. 28 after 28 years of service, a few days after its sister ship, USS Firebolt (PC 10), was decommissioned on Feb. 23. 

The event drops to eight the number of Cyclone-class PCs forward deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet. Three PCs based in the United States were decommissioned last year, leaving the rest of the class in the Persian Gulf. 

The 174-foot-long, 375-ton Typhoon was built by Bollinger Shipyards in Lockport, Louisiana, and commissioned in Tampa, Florida, Feb. 12, 1994.  

During the late 1990s and early 2000s, the Typhoon deployed to the Mediterranean and Baltic seas. It was forward to the 5th Fleet in 2004. In the Persian Gulf and Arabian Sea, the Typhoon conducted maritime security patrols, including anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations, security patrols for offshore oil rigs and terminals, and shipping escort. 

The Typhoon and its sister ships will be replaced in the Persian Gulf by forward-deployed littoral combat ships beginning in 2022. 

GROTON, Conn. — The submarine force’s newest attack submarine, the future USS Oregon (SSN 793), was delivered to the U.S. Navy on Feb. 26, Team Ships Public Affairs said Feb. 28.

PCU Oregon is the 20th Virginia-class submarine that are co-produced at General Dynamics Electric Boat and Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding through a long-standing teaming agreement. Oregon is the 11th Virginia Class delivered by GDEB and the second Block IV configured submarine.   

“Oregon is in excellent condition and the captain and crew have expertly taken the ship through her paces,” said Capt. Todd Weeks, the Virginia-class program manager who rode the boat during its sea trials. Delivery of a Virginia-class submarine is the culmination of almost 10 million work hours by the shipbuilders under the exacting standards imposed by Naval Sea Systems Command and Naval Reactors under the direct oversight of the Supervisors of Shipbuilding at both company locations. “Each organization works tirelessly with the others focused on getting ships to sea as the first step in ultimately arriving at its squadron and homeport where it becomes a vital asset to the Nation.” 

Virginia-class submarines are built to operate in the world’s littoral and deep waters while conducting antisubmarine warfare, anti-surface ship warfare, strike warfare, special operations forces support, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, irregular warfare and mine warfare missions. Their inherent stealth, endurance, mobility and firepower directly enable them to support five of the six maritime strategy core capabilities — sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. 

The submarine’s sponsor is Dana Richardson, wife of former Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson. 

Oregon is the third U.S. Navy ship to honor the state. The first USS Oregon was a brigantine ship purchased in 1841 and used for exploration until 1845. The second Oregon (BB 3) was commissioned on July 15, 1896. While decommissioned in 1906, she was later recommissioned in 1911 and remained in the reserve until stricken from the Navy list in 1942. 

PATUXENT RIVER, Md. — The Navy is working to develop a new mine countermeasure sensor suite for the MQ-8C Fire Scout that that will enable the unmanned helicopter to detect and localize mines and obstacles on land and at-sea, Naval Air Systems Command said March 2. 

The Fire Scout program office, in conjunction with the Office of Naval Research and Program Executive Office Unmanned and Small Combatants, have partnered with the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division’s AIRWorks, Aircraft Prototype Systems Division, Webster Outlying Field and Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Two Four (UX-24) to execute the final phase of the Single System Multi-Mission Airborne Mine Detection Future Naval Capability Program, or SMAMD. 

SMAMD will be the first mine countermeasure system flown onboard the MQ-8C Fire Scout as well as the airframe’s heaviest payload carried to date. The SMAMD system, developed by BAE Systems, uses an airborne optical sensor suite that will have the ability to have real-time onboard processing coupled with low false alarm rates, enabling the warfighter to respond swiftly to detected threats. Current mine countermeasure technologies require post-mission analysis that lengthens the threat detection and mitigation timeline. 

“This capability is extremely important as we see future fights occurring in the littoral waters where mine warfare is prevalent,” said Capt. Thomas Lansley, Fire Scout program director. “A mine warfare capability will greatly reduce risk for LCS and other vessels in the littoral.”  

In February, UX-24 conducted flying qualities and performance testing with the MQ-8C using mass equivalency models in place of the prototype system pods, which mimic the size and weight of the SMAMD System.  The testing is performed to collect data to allow for the evaluation of air vehicle performance and handling to assess safety of flight assessment and airworthiness. 

This spring, the joint team will hold a land-based demonstration of the mine countermeasure prototype at the Naval Surface Warfare Center in Panama City, Florida. The demo will stretch from the beach zone, drifting mines and moored mines both in shallow water and deep water up to 10 kilometers offshore. The objective of the demonstration is to gather performance data for both the MQ-8C Fire Scout and SMAMD to inform future integration efforts. 

The SMAMD will prove that a podded MCM system can operate as intended on the MQ-8C without causing adverse effects to the vehicle or significantly diminish its time on station.   

“The program office will continue to gather information to inform future integration efforts of the COBRA Block II System onto the MQ-8C,” said Lansley. 

The MQ-8C Fire Scout is currently deployed aboard USS Milwaukee (LCS-5) to support operations in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rep. Rob Wittman (R-Virginia), ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee’s Seapower and Projection Forces subcommittee, released the following statement in response to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michael Gilday’s recent assertion the Navy needs a 500-ship Navy to meet the Biden Administration’s forthcoming National Defense Strategy:

“We are at a critical junction in our nation’s history: We must decide if the United States will retain its global primacy or concede to the Chinese. Presently, China has the largest navy in the world and if we do nothing to change our fleet trajectory, China will fully modernize its military and outpace the United States militarily.

“I am supportive of Chief of Naval Operations Gilday’s affirmation of the previous administration’s force structure objectives, and I am incredibly supportive of a larger, more robust naval fleet that will position the United States to maintain presence necessary to dissuade conflict and if necessary, win in war. However, we have heard these calls for a larger fleet before without any substantive follow through. CNO Gilday’s call for a 500-fleet navy is a welcomed aspiration, but it must be backed by President Biden’s budget request to ensure our Navy and entire military has what it needs to maintain readiness, improve our systems, and outpace our competitors. In my estimation, real world dynamics require at least 5% real growth in our national security in fiscal year 2023.

“I continue to be concerned as to how CNO Gilday’s plan aligns with the Biden Administration’s forthcoming National Defense Strategy. Last year, this administration did not even provide Congress with a five-year investment vision. Without a credible 30-year shipbuilding plan, the industrial base has no real map to invest for the future. Additionally, the ‘divest to invest’ approach of this administration presumes a benign China response in the short term. We need to be ready for conflict in five years, not in some fairy tale Battle Force 2045. The administration needs to be forthright with Congress in the fiscal year 2023 budget request and their intent to dissuade future conflict now.”

SAN DIEGO — General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems announced March  2 it has delivered to the U.S. Navy the first of two Bearing Support Structures for installation in the first Columbia-class ballistic-missile submarine currently under construction.

GA-EMS has been under contract with Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division since 2019 to fabricate and deliver the support structures according to exacting Navy specifications and construction schedules.  

“For a project involving the size and complexity of a BSS, we brought the technical strength of our manufacturing engineering, machining, welding and quality expertise together to successfully execute the deliverable on spec and on time,” stated Scott Forney, president of GA-EMS. “We are extremely proud of our team as we continue to manufacture and deliver these critical structures to support the Navy’s Columbia-class submarine program.” 

GA-EMS was awarded the second BSS delivery order in September 2021. Manufacturing activities have started at GA-EMS’ facilities in Tupelo, Mississippi. GA-EMS will deliver the second BSS at the end of 2023 to support the full construction start date of the Navy’s second Columbia-class submarine in fiscal 2024. The Navy intends to build 12 Columbia-class submarines over the next 20 years.  

“The Navy has stated that the BSS is the largest nickel-copper weldment built to such exacting specifications ever created in the U.S.,” said Forney. “The BSS is indeed one of the most significant projects we’ve undertaken and demonstrates our extensive technical expertise and unique manufacturing capabilities to meet the needs of the Navy for a variety of complex components.”