STERLING, Va. — The U.S. Marine Corps Program Manager for Training Systems has awarded Saab the Force-on-Force Training Systems – Next (FoFTS-Next) Single Award Task Order Contract (SATOC), the company said in a June 17 release. The contract has a potential value of $127.9 million. 

The FoFTS-Next SATOC will include U.S. Marine Corps Training Instrumentation Systems (MCTIS) equipment, logistics, and training exercise support. 

Through this framework agreement with future task orders exercised, Saab will provide a full turnkey live training capability to include equipment deliveries for individual Marine weapons and vehicles, as well as logistics and maintenance support and training exercise support at all major U.S. Marine Corps installations worldwide. 

“Ensuring the readiness of our Armed Forces is the foundation of all Saab training systems. The Saab Live MCTIS Training System is a proven solution that will provide interoperability training to prepare our U.S. Marines for combat effectiveness across multi-domain operations,” said Erik Smith, president and CEO of Saab in the U.S. 

The Saab next-generation Live MCTIS Training System will replace the U.S. Marine Corps’ current Instrumentation and Tactical Engagement Simulation System (ITESS) equipment. 

WASHINGTON — Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday hosted Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy Vice Adm. Rob Kramer and his relief Rear Adm. René Tas at the Pentagon June 17 to discuss maritime security issues and reaffirm their commitment to continued cooperation between the two navies, the Navy said in a June 17 release. 

This meeting marked the second in-person discussion between the two heads of navy. 
 
“Our bilateral relationship with the Royal Netherlands Navy is one of our oldest,” said Gilday. “The Dutch are an important ally and play a vital role in global maritime security. I look forward to working alongside Vice Adm. Kramer and Rear Adm. Tas to enhance our navies’ cooperation far into the future.” 
 
Kramer echoed Gilday’s sentiments. 
 
“Our deep friendship enables an inclusive and very valuable collaboration on both global maritime security issues and illicit trafficking in the Caribbean region,” said Kramer. 

From operations in the Middle East to the Caribbean, and from the Atlantic to counter piracy operations off Africa, the U.S. Navy and Royal Netherlands Navy operate regularly together around the globe.  

Most recently, both navies participated in the recent NATO exercise Steadfast Defender and At-Sea Demo/Formidable Shield, where USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) and the Royal Netherlands Navy’s frigate HNLMS De Zeven Provinciën (F802) engaged a live medium-range ballistic target using a Standard Missile-3 together. 

In the groundbreaking engagement, HNLMS De Zeven Provincien employed its advanced combat system suite to provide an early warning ballistic track to the maritime task group. Upon receipt of the track information, Paul Ignatius calculated a firing solution to launch an SM-3 Blk IA. 

Both navies also have ships that are operating as part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth Carrier Strike Group, USS The Sullivans (DDG-68) and HNLMS Evertsen (F805). 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Five sealift ships are now in various stages of recycling now that they have been retired from the Ready Reserve Force (RRF), which provides sealift ships when mobilized in support of the Navy’s Military Sealift Command, a component of U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). 

The RRF, administered by the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD), now keeps 41 ships — down from 46 — in a reduced operating status available for activation within five days for national emergencies or other mission assignments.  

“Five ships have been removed from the RRF, following a determination from DoD/USTRANSCOM/Navy that there no longer existed a requirement for these ships,” said a DoT Spokesperson. “This is a fairly common occurrence. For example, in 1993 we had 102 ships in the RRF, today there are 41. As to the vessel disposition, they will all eventually be relocated to one of MARAD’s reserve fleet sites and later recycled. 

Two auxiliary crane ships — SS Flickertail State on the East Coast and SS Grand Canyon State on the West Coast — have been withdrawn from service, leaving two crane ships available on each coast. 

The RRF’s only two heavy lift ships — SS Cape May on the East Coast and SS Cape Mohican on the West Coast — have been retired. 

Also retired on the West Coast was the SS Petersburg, an offshore petroleum distribution system tanker. 

ARLINGTON, Va.— Lockheed Martin celebrated the keel-laying of the future littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Cleveland in June 17 ceremonies at the Fincantieri Marinete Marine shipyard in Wisconsin. 

A welder authenticated the keel of LCS 31, the future USS Cleveland, by welding the initials of the ship’s sponsor, Robyn Modly, wife of Thomas B. Modly, a Clevelander and former U.S. Navy secretary. 

“I am humbled and honored to be the sponsor of a ship that bears the name of the great city of Cleveland, with its rich and storied history of support to our armed services,” Modly said. “I look forward to a lifelong relationship with the ship and her crew as they proudly serve the Navy and our nation.” 

The laying of the keel celebrates an important milestone in the life of the future USS Cleveland (LCS 31) and marks a significant event for the construction of the nation’s 31st LCS. The USS Cleveland will be the fourth commissioned ship in naval service, since World War I, named after Cleveland, the second-largest city in Ohio and home to countless Navy and Marine Corps veterans. With the city’s deep ties to maritime service since the turn of the 20th century, LCS 31 will honor Cleveland’s longstanding naval history. 

“We are proud to build another proven warship that allows our Navy to carry out missions around the world,” said Steve Allen, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Small Combatants and Ship Systems. “All of us at Lockheed Martin, including our hardworking team in Marinette, Wisconsin, look forward to working with the U.S. Navy to continue delivering highly capable and adaptable Freedom-variant littoral combat ships to the fleet.”  

“Our team at Fincantieri Marinette Marine is proud to celebrate the keel laying of the LCS 31 with the gracious citizens of Cleveland,” said Jan Allman, CEO of Fincantieri Marinette Marine. “This milestone is a testament to the power of cooperation and forward thinking by the entire Freedom team and our customer, the United States Navy. It also bears witness to all the dedicated craftsmen and women working in our FMG system of shipyards.” 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Department of the Navy (DoN) is producing an after-action review of the U.S. Pacific Fleet-led Unmanned Integrated Battle Problem 21 (IBP21), an exercise held April 19-26 in San Diego, California, the Office of Naval Research said in a June 17 release. 

“Advancements in technology have created the opportunity to provide our military with an operational advantage by developing improved manned/unmanned command and control capabilities,” said Dorothy Engelhardt, director of unmanned systems for the deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Ships. “This enables our military to be more agile, lethal and decisive.” 

During IBP21, numerous multi-domain unmanned platforms — including unmanned aerial, surface and underwater vehicles (UAVs, USVs and UUVs, respectively) — were put into real-world, “blue-water” environments, working in sync with manned platforms in actual combat drills designed to support Pacific Fleet objectives in the Indo-Pacific region. 

“Large-scale exercises such as IBP21 are critical for the Navy and Marine Corps to make the transition to a hybrid manned-unmanned force in the future,” said Chief of Naval Research Rear Adm. Lorin C. Selby. “These demonstrations ensure what works in theory will work in the fleet—in an environment that is messier, dirtier and wetter than a lab. They also allow us to get valuable feedback from the Sailors and Marines themselves.” 

Many of the platforms tested in IBP21 were supported by the Naval Research Enterprise (NRE), which Selby commands. Comprising the Office of Naval Research (ONR), ONR Global (the command’s international arm) and the Naval Research Laboratory, the NRE is tasked with providing the capabilities and long-term vision ensuring U.S. naval dominance today and into the future.  

The purpose of IBP21 was to explore a variety of questions about how unmanned systems can be incorporated into fleet operations. For example: How can unmanned and manned systems work together effectively in diverse warfighting scenarios? How can you integrate unmanned systems seamlessly into existing platforms? What is the best way to train Sailors and Marines to use such complex, evolving technologies? 

So far, major takeaways from IBP21 include: Unmanned systems are resilient, enable better beyond-line-of-sight targeting, and improve battlespace awareness and command and control. They also provide significant advantages in ISR (intelligence, survival, reconnaissance) and Targeting and Fires capabilities, without creating additional risks to the mission or warfighters. The result—more effective offensive and defensive postures. 

The testing of new unmanned technologies reflects the Navy and Marine Corps’ commitment to rethinking concepts of operations, as noted in the widely publicized naval document “Unmanned Campaign Framework,” which was recently released by the DoN.  

The Unmanned Campaign Framework notes autonomy will complement, not replace, manned assets, and will provide warfighters far more options in combat. 

Since the completion of IBP21, naval leaders, scientists and engineers have assessed what worked, what didn’t and future actions for accelerating unmanned capabilities to the fleet and force. 

These future steps include: 

Continuing to leverage fleet experimentation exercises to execute the DoN Unmanned Campaign Plan

Creating a more iterative experimentation process to tighten the “test fast, operate, learn fast” concept 

Improving industry partnerships and participation in fleet experiments and exercises 

Improving the integration of secure communication networks to maximize effectiveness of manned-unmanned teaming 

Developing concepts of operation and employment to quickly operationalize unmanned systems. 

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — The Royal New Zealand Navy has placed the first international order for four REMUS 300 unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), Huntington Ingalls Industries announced in a June 21 release. 

“We are pleased New Zealand is upgrading their fleet with new REMUS 300 UUVs,” said Duane Fotheringham, president of the Unmanned Systems business group in HII’s Technical Solutions division. “Technology has progressed significantly over the past few years, and the REMUS 300 represents one of the most advanced man-portable UUVs on the market today. We look forward to continuing our long-standing relationship with the Royal New Zealand Navy.” 

New Zealand has a fleet of six REMUS 100 UUVs that are used for mine countermeasures and underwater survey operations. The Royal New Zealand Navy has also used its REMUS vehicles for search and recovery, including locating the wreck of the Princess Ashika ferry in 2009 and assisting with the White Island volcano search effort in 2019. 

“We have a fleet of six REMUS 100 UUVs we have been using consistently for the past 14 years,” said Captain Garin Golding, Royal New Zealand Navy. “The flexibility and modularity of the REMUS 300 will allow us to tailor the vehicles to specific missions, further augmenting our capabilities.” 

Designed for modularity and portability, the REMUS 300 can be reconfigured with a range of sensors and payloads to meet mission requirements. In addition to the four vehicles, New Zealand acquired high-definition camera modules and additional swappable battery modules. The sale was facilitated through New Zealand Ocean Technology, HII’s REMUS sales and in-country support partner. Delivery of the four REMUS 300s is expected by summer 2022. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced June 17 that the President has made the following nominations:  

Vice Adm. William R. Merz, U.S. Navy, has been nominated for reappointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as deputy chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy, N3/N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Merz is currently serving as commander, Seventh Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan.   

Rear Adm. Francis D. Morley, U.S. Navy, has been nominated for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as principal military deputy assistant secretary of the Navy (Research, Development, and Acquisition), Washington, D.C. Morley is currently serving as director, Navy International Programs Office, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. Darse E. Crandall, Judge Advocate General Corps, U.S. Navy, for appointment to the rank of vice admiral and assignment as Judge Advocate General of the Navy, Washington, D.C. Crandall is currently serving as deputy Judge Advocate General of the Navy/commander, Naval Legal Service Command, Washington, D.C.  
    
Capt. Max G. McCoy, Jr., has been nominated for appointment to the rank of rear admiral (lower half). McCoy is currently serving as commander, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, Fallon, Nevada.  

WASHINGTON – Adm. Charles W. Ray was relieved as vice commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard by Adm. Linda L. Fagan during a military change-of-command ceremony held June 18 at U.S. Coast Guard Headquarters, the service said in a release. 

Ray served as the vice commandant since May of 2018 and led the Service’s recapitalization of its legacy fleet of ships and aircraft while ensuring the Coast Guard’s 81,000 active duty, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary members were “Always Ready” to answer the nation’s call. Ray retired from the Coast Guard after 40 years of service and received the Department of Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal from the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas. 

“I am extremely proud of the dedication and resiliency I have seen throughout our service and throughout my career,” said Ray. “It has been an honor to serve with the men and women of the Coast Guard and it is my privilege to pass the reigns of vice commandant to Adm. Fagan, a true trailblazer and inspiration to so many.” 

Adm. Fagan most recently served as the commander of the Coast Guard Pacific Area, overseeing all Coast Guard operations in the Pacific, covering more than 74 million square miles of ocean, from the U.S. Western States to Asia, and from the Arctic to Antarctica. 

“Thank you, Adm. Ray for your service and your extraordinary leadership. You have made a tremendous, and long-lasting impact on our great service and we will strive to build upon your extraordinary work,” said Adm. Karl L. Schultz, commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. “Adm. Fagan, it is an honor to welcome you as the first woman to serve as a four-star admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, and I congratulate you as you assume the duties as our 33^rd vice commandant. I am proud to be part of this historic moment and look forward to leading the Coast Guard alongside of you.” 

A change-of-command is a time-honored ceremony that signifies the absolute transfer of responsibility, authority, and accountability from one person to another.

ARLINGTON, Va. — On Friday, June 18, the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) successfully completed the first scheduled explosive event as part of Full Ship Shock Trials (FSST), the Navy said in a release. The first-in-class aircraft carrier was designed using advanced computer modeling methods, testing, and analysis to ensure the ship is hardened to withstand battle conditions, and these shock trials provide data used in validating the shock hardness of the ship. 

The U.S. Navy has conducted FSSTs over several decades, most recently for the littoral combat ships USS Jackson (LCS 6) and USS Milwaukee (LCS 5) in 2016; as well as for the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Mesa Verde (LPD 19) in 2008, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) in 1990, and the guided missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG 53) in 1987. The last aircraft carrier to execute FSST was USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) in 1987. 

The Navy is conducting the shock trial testing in accordance with Office of the Chief of Naval Operations Instruction 9072.2, and as mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act of 2016. 

Ford’s shock trials are being conducted off the East Coast of the United States, within a narrow schedule that complies with environmental mitigation requirements, respecting known migration patterns of marine life in the test area. The Navy also has employed extensive protocols throughout FSST to ensure the safety of military and civilian personnel participating in the testing evolution. 

Ford is the newest and most advanced aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy. The ship closed out a successful 18-month Post Delivery Test & Trials period in April, during which the crew completed all required testing, accomplished planned improvements and maintenance ahead of schedule, and learned valuable lessons to increase the reliability of Ford-Class systems. At the same time, the ship also served as the sole East Coast platform for conducting carrier qualifications. 

Upon completion of FSST later this summer, Ford will enter a Planned Incremental Availability for six months of modernization, maintenance, and repairs prior to its operational employment. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The top commanders of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps say increased deployment of unmanned air and maritime systems will help extend the reach and intelligence capabilities of the fleet and the force, while sowing uncertainty among peer competitors.

“We intend to use our fleet in a distributed manner, so unmanned obviously will give us volume, more ships, and will allow us to come at, let’s say China or Russia, at many vectors across many domains,”  Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday told a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing. In effect, forcing adversaries to spread their resources and be on guard everywhere, all the time.

The Navy and Marine Corps released their Unmanned Campaign Plan in March, but some in Congress have said it was short on details. At the June 14 HASC hearing on the Navy Department’s fiscal 2022 budget request, Chairman Rep. Adam Smith (D-Washington) asked Gilday and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger to explain how unmanned systems will help their mission.  

For unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), “the vision you’re talking about probably has four different parts,” Berger said. They include intelligence collection; logistics, lethality and command and control, “the ability to fuse and move information laterally and back to the joint force.

“Beginning last year, we started our transition to a mixed capability of long range ship and ground-based unmanned aerial systems including the MQ-9 Reaper,” Berger said. “This will significantly expand our ISR capabilities and will enable us to better support the fleet and the joint force operational commander, including anti-submarine warfare.”

The Marines have initiated a partnership with industry to develop a future autonomous, long range, unmanned surface vessel. “That will extend the reach of our MEUs [Marine Expeditionary Units]. That vessel will give us a new tool for maritime gray zone competition. It will help thicken what we call the C5ISR network. It will add to our conventional naval deterrent using loitering munitions,” Berger said.

Gilday said the two biggest challenges unmanned systems presented the Navy are reliability on vessels that would have to operate for months at a time, and command, and control. “We feel like we’re on a good path on both, but we don’t have any intentions of scaling any of these efforts until we get to a place where we’re comfortable with both of those aspects.”

He noted the Navy recently completed its largest unmanned exercise on the West Coast with unmanned undersea, surface and air systems operating with manned surface ships; had the first successful refueling of an F/A-18 Super Hornet from an MQ-25 drone; and had the third unmanned surface vessel make a transit of more than 4,000 miles from the Gulf Coast, through the Panama Canal to California, operating autonomously 98% of the time.

“We are making strides,” Gilday said, but widespread use of unmanned craft is “a big step though. I think it’s going to be phased with respect to minimal manning before we ever get to a point where we use an unmanned completely unattended.”