ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s official most heavily engaged in the development of directed-energy (DE) weapons said the service is focused on fielding the sea service’s family of laser systems to warfighters but is also working to improve the systems’ power and beam control. “We’ve been working…
France Cleared for Possible E-2D Procurement
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of Northrop Grumman-built E-2D Advanced Hawkeye command-and-control aircraft to the government of France, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency said in a release. If concluded, France would become the third nation to…
Eleventh National Security Cutter Named for Elizebeth Smith Friedman
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard is naming the 11th Legend-class national security cutter in honor of pioneering code-breaker Elizebeth Smith Friedman, the sea service said in a July 7 release. Friedman was a code-breaker for the Coast Guard during the Prohibition Era and World War II, serving within Cryptanalytic Unit-387. She’s been dubbed…
Navy Will Inactivate 9 Ships in 2021
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy plans to inactivate nine ships in fiscal 2021, the service said in a message to the fleet. According to a June 30 message from the chief of naval operations, four littoral combat ships (LCS),…
Fitzgerald Returns to San Diego Two Years After Fatal Collision
SAN DIEGO — The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald arrived back at its homeport in San Diego on July 2 following more than two years of restoration and modernization after the warship was damaged in a collision in 2017. “Returning Fitzgerald to the fleet has truly been a team effort,”…
Navy Prepping More Prospective Minority Students for NROTC
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy is expanding its program to prepare more minority students for the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps, a senior Navy admiral said, to increase officer accessions of more black officers. Speaking at a July 2…
Coast Guard Interdicts, Repatriates Migrants to Dominican Republic
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The U.S. Coast Guard repatriated 86 of 87 migrants to the Dominican Republic navy between June 30 and July 1 following the interdiction of three illegal migrant voyages in the Mona Passage off the west coast of Puerto Rico, the…
Task Force One Navy Established to Combat Discrimination, Racism
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy stood up a special task force on June 30 to address the issues of racism, sexism and other destructive biases and their impact on naval readiness, the chief of naval personnel public affairs office said in a release. “Task Force (TF) One Navy” will be led by Rear…
Coast Guard, Columbian Navy Interdict Suspected Drugs
MIAMI — The U.S. Coast Guard and partner agencies interdicted about 1,500 packages testing positive for cocaine on a 72-foot motor vessel approximately 46 miles northeast of Panama on June 8, the Coast Guard 7th District said. While on routine patrol, a Coast Guard HC-130…
Navy Orders Four F-35C Strike Fighters
ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy has ordered four F-35C Lightning II joint strike fighters from Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., the Defense Department said in a release. Naval Air Systems Command awarded Lockheed Martin a $360.8 million not-to-exceed undefinitized contract modification to previously…
