ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s new organization for warfighting development (N7) is now fully organized for its role in developing strategy and warfighters, its director said, and has joined with the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard to develop a new maritime strategy.  

The deputy chief of naval operations (DCNO) for warfighting development, Vice Adm. Stuart Munsch, said that N7 is making progress in fulfilling its roles and is hitting its stride and, in conjunction with the Marine Corps and Coast Guard, expects to field the new maritime strategy by late summer or early fall.  

“Our North Star is warfighting advantage,” Munsch said during a June 5 teleconference with reporters, noting the Navy’s focus on the current climate of Great Power Competition and the need to outpace increasingly sophisticated adversaries, renewing a focus on sea control.  

The Navy directive addressing the organizational changes defined the role of N7 “with ensuring the Navy’s warfighting advantage in order to deter, dissuade and deny or defeat adversaries by engaging in three broad, interrelated lines of effort: warfighter development, warfare development and warfighter corps development. It further established that CNO N7’s mission and functions will be supported by a digital platform to enhance its ability to achieve a warfighting edge for the Navy.”    

The N7 now has four divisions: director, warfighter development; director, warfare development; director, strategic warfighting innovation cell; and director, warfare integration.  

N7 is responsible for developing the strategic framework for the Navy, looking forward at longer range than N3/5, the DCNO for operations, plans and strategy, which focuses on the short term. N7 has now absorbed the functions and billets of the now disestablished Strategy Division, Naval Strategy Panel, and some billets from the Naval Warfare Group from N3/5. The Naval Analytics Office also now is aligned within N7.  

Munsch said that N7 is to identify the key operational problems facing the Navy and to develop solutions.  

N7 also is responsible for force employment and force development, working with the Joint Chiefs of Staff to develop the Joint Warfighting Concept and an influencing the DCNO for warfare systems (N9) with the characteristics of the capabilities needed to implement strategy.  

Munsch also said his office has the role of adapting the Navy to changing circumstances, instilling adaptability into the institutional behavior of the Navy, and instilling a lifelong habit of learning to enable that adaptability.  

To enhance that learning, Munsch said that the Naval War College, Naval Postgraduate School and U.S. Naval Academy are now under the N7 umbrella, having been shifted from the chief of naval personnel (N1) organization.  

Also now aligned within N7 are certain billets from the Resource Management Division and Total Force Manpower, Training, and Education Requirements Division from the N1 organization.  

The admiral said that N7 will craft a wargaming schedule for the War College that will be the “most advanced and significant war gaming we’ve done since the 1930s.”  

He was referring to the innovative wargaming by the Navy in the inter-war period in which the Navy developed many of the concepts that enabled the Navy to achieve victory in World War II.  

Vice Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti, commander of the U.S. 6th Fleet, has been confirmed to succeed Munsch as the head of N7 this summer. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Senate Armed Services Committee’s $740.5 billion version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act includes a billion-dollar boost in shipbuilding to $21.3 billion, signaling support for the 355-ship U.S. Navy “as soon as practicable.”

The legislation, approved June 10 by a 25-2 bipartisan vote, authorizes $1.4 billion more than the Navy’s budget request for shipbuilding. The legislation shifts to the full Senate for debate.

“The FY21 NDAA ensures the United States fields a force of the optimal size, structure and strategy, capable of supporting conflict as envisioned by the [National Defense Strategy],” which refocused U.S. attention on a “Great Power Competition” with China and Russia, according to an executive summary of the Senate bill. The House Armed Services Committee is slated to begin marking up its own version of the 2021 NDAA on June 22.

The fiscal 2021 NDAA also establishes the Pacific Deterrence Initiative (PDI) “to send a strong signal to the Chinese Communist Party that America is deeply committed to defending our interests in the Indo-Pacific.” The initiative would focus resources on military capability gaps, reassure U.S. allies and partners and bolster the credibility of American deterrence in the Indo-Pacific, the summary stated.

The bill authorizes $1.4 billion for the PDI in fiscal 2021, including $188.6 million above the Pentagon’s budget request for Indo-Pacific requirements such as missile defense, enhanced forward posture and improved interoperability with allies and partners. The bill also authorizes a PDI topline of $5.5 billion for fiscal 2022 and directs the secretary of defense to create a spending plan for these resources.

The increased shipbuilding authorization calls for procurement of seven battle force ships, one less than the Navy’s budget request, due to an amphibious transport dock ship previously authorized by Congress. It also includes multiship contracting authority for up to two Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, three San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships and one America-class amphibious ship. It also authorizes $500 million for long lead time material for two other amphibious ships.

The Senate panel’s bill provides for an increase of $472 million for Virginia-class attack submarine advance procurement to preserve the option to procure 10 Virginia-class boats between fiscal years 2019 and 2033. Also authorized is $350 million to improve sub and surface ship supplier stability. The measure also authorizes $260 million for long-lead time material for Arleigh-Burke-class guided missile destroyers.

The authorization bill establishes a Navy-U.S. Department of Labor joint shipbuilding industrial base working group and requires the comptroller general to review shipbuilding and ship repair as well as the Supervisor of Shipbuilding organization.

In aviation, the bill authorizes $9.1 billion to procure 95 joint strike fighters, including $2.4 billion for 23 carrier-based F-35Cs and $1.2 billion for 12 short takeoff/vertical landing F-35Bs for the U.S. Marine Corps.

The Senate bill also requires the Navy to create an acquisition strategy for the fighter aircraft force and report on carrier air wing composition and carrier-based strike fighter squadrons “to better prepare for potential conflicts envisioned by the National Defense Strategy.”

MINNEAPOLIS — The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a contract to produce multiple types of Vertical Launching System (VLS) canisters with a total lifetime maximum value of $955 million, the company said in a June 11 release.  

The initial contract was awarded in February with $24 million funded, followed by contract modifications of $99 million and $43 million received in March and May, respectively. Options on the contract include additional canister types for future Navy production requirements. 

“These canisters are a key element of the Navy’s Vertical Launching System, and our experience includes 30 years of VLS production, integration and testing to support this world-class capability,” said Brent Butcher, vice president and general manager of the Weapon Systems product line at BAE Systems. 

“The Navy will continue to benefit from our high-quality canisters and lean, efficient operations, which translate into the best possible value for our customers.” 

VLS canisters serve in a multifaceted role as containers for missile shipping and storage as well as launch tubes when loaded into the VLS. They also provide identification and firing support to multiple missile types, including the Tomahawk Land Attack Missile, Standard Missile-2, Standard Missile-3, Standard Missile-6, and the Evolved SeaSparrow Missile. 

Under this latest contract, BAE Systems will produce canisters not only for the U.S. fleet but also for allied nations under a foreign military sales program. Deliveries for the initial order are expected to begin in early 2021, and if all options are exercised, the contract could support the production of canisters over a five-year period, with deliveries extending into 2025.  

Work on the new contract will be performed at the BAE Systems production facility in Aberdeen, South Dakota, with engineering and program support in Minneapolis. 

EVENDALE, Ohio — GE Marine has delivered its first new lightweight LM2500 composite gas turbine module to Austal USA for the future USS Santa Barbara, the company said in a release. 

This new module, which was fully certified by the U.S. Navy last year after receiving MIL-S-901D shock qualification, provides a 5,500-pound weight savings (50% wall weight reduction) and 60% quieter enclosure.  

Austal USA recognized the attributes of this new composite module design by bestowing GE Marine with its 2018 Supplier Innovation Award. 

GE is supplying 38 LM2500 gas turbines to Austal USA for Independence-class variants of littoral combat ships up to LCS 38. Like all Austal USA-built littoral ships, the Santa Barbara will be powered by two GE LM2500 gas turbines arranged in a combined diesel and gas turbine configuration with two diesel engines. 

The Module Modernization Program was a four-year collaborative effort with the Navy, Bath Iron Works of Bath, Maine, and GE. GE’s strategic partners in this effort included: RL Industries of Fairfield, Ohio, for help in developing and qualifying the carbon fiber enclosure; and DRS Power Technology of Fitchburg, Massachusetts, which helped satisfy all first article inspection quality requirements and package assembly.  

Changes to the LM2500 system include the composite module, components, and fewer shock mounts for weight reduction, all while leveraging the experience and loadings from previous LM2500 shock tests with running units. Components such as sensors, transducers, ice and flame detectors and the heater also were updated.

HURLBURT FIELD, Fla. — Bell-Boeing has delivered the 400th V-22 Osprey to the Defense Department. U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command received the 400th Osprey, a CV-22, on June 2, marking a milestone for the world’s first production tilt-rotor aircraft. 

“The delivery of the 400th V-22 represents the demand for this platform’s unique capabilities,” said Kurt Fuller, Bell V-22 vice president and program director for Bell-Boeing. “It is a testament to the diligence of the men and women from Bell, Boeing and our entire supply chain who build and deliver this incredible aircraft to our customers. For over 30 years, the people who support the Bell Boeing V-22 have been the foundation in bringing tilt-rotor capabilities to the world.” 

The CV-22 is the Special Operations forces variant of the V-22. Its primary mission is to conduct long-range infiltration, exfiltration and resupply missions. 

“It’s been over 20 years since the first production V-22 was delivered, and we are proud to reach another milestone in our 400th delivery,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Matthew Kelly, program manager for the V-22 Joint Program Office (PMA-275). “V-22s continue to be in high demand, protecting our country and our allies around the world through combat operations, international training partnerships and humanitarian missions. This platform’s impact can’t be overstated.” 

The Marine variant, the MV-22B, provides transportation of personnel, supplies and equipment for combat assault, assault support and fleet logistics. Since 2007, it has been continuously forward-deployed in a range of combat, humanitarian and special operations. The Navy variant, the CMV-22B, is the replacement for the C-2A Greyhound for the carrier onboard delivery mission. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Defense Department has announced five Defense Production Act Title 3 actions that will help sustain defense-critical workforce capabilities in body armor, aircraft manufacturing, and shipbuilding, Lt. Col. Mike Andrews, a Pentagon spokesman, said in a release.   

“These actions will help to retain critical workforce capabilities throughout the disruption caused by COVID-19 and to restore some jobs lost because of the pandemic,” Andrews said. 

The Pentagon signed a $19.5 million agreement with Steel America to sustain critical industrial base capability and capacity for U.S. Navy shaft repair and manufacturing during the pandemic. 

Using funds authorized and appropriated under the CARES Act, this investment at Steel America’s Norfolk, Virginia, headquarters will expand its domestic production capability and capacity to support the Navy and U.S. Coast Guard. 

Steel America will increase core machine shop peak capacity by 200%, build a “rotatable pool” of spare equipment and help reduce dry-dock times, driving time and facilitate cost savings for the government. This will enable Steel America to retain its workforce throughout the pandemic and restore some jobs. 

The Pentagon also has signed a $500,000 agreement with Allied Systems to sustain industrial base capability for manufacturing and service provisioning for cranes and davits for the Navy and Coast Guard during the pandemic. 

This investment at Allied Systems headquarters in Sherwood, Oregon, will address COVID-19 impacts caused by a significant shortfall in CO2 available for welding as well as provide funds to offset disruptions to operations and company orders. DoD and Allied Systems anticipate that it will take three months for initial set-up and support two years of ongoing operations to sustain this capability and capacity. 

DoD also signed a $15 million with Bethel Industries Inc. to increase industrial capacity for specialized laser cutting of laminated nylon fabrics for soldier protective systems. 

The Pentagon also signed a $20 million contract with GE Aviation on June 5 to sustain the industrial base for highly specialized engineering resources. GE Aviation is one of two U.S. suppliers capable of producing large advanced combat engines. 

DoD also allocated $80 million to Spirit AeroSystems Inc. to expand its domestic production capability and capacity for advanced tooling, composite fabrication and metallic machining at Spirit and the supporting lower level supply chain. Spirit AeroSystems designs, develops and manufactures complex structures for the commercial and defense industries. Spirit also makes high-temperature carbon/carbon materials for the Pentagon and defense prime contractors.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy is mobilizing 1,629 Reservists to support aircraft carrier and submarine maintenance at its four public shipyards starting in July, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) said in a release. This mobilization will help reduce the maintenance backlog that has developed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

NAVSEA authorized weather and safety leave for shipyard personnel who fell under the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) “high risk” category for extreme complications tied to the COVID-19 virus. With up to 25% of the production workforce unable to report to their duty location, the shipyards have not been able to execute all their work and have built a backlog of work that, if left unchecked, would result in delays in returning ships to the fleet.  

The Reservists are all part of the Navy’s Surge Maintenance, or SurgeMain, program. Established in 2005, SurgeMain has 2,200 enlisted Reserve Sailors and 240 Reserve officers across 75 units and was created to augment the Navy’s organic civilian shipyard workforce in times of need. 

SurgeMain Sailors have technical and trade backgrounds that allow them to have an immediate impact at the shipyards. 

“Our Sailors are electricians, pipe fitters, sheet metal workers, plumbers, hydraulic technicians, mechanics, machinists, carpenters, welders and more,” said Capt. Michael P. MacLellan, SurgeMain’s national director. “Many of our people have prior experience at the shipyard where they’re being sent, down to the specific shop where they will be working alongside the shipyard’s organic civilian workforce.”  

This is the first time SurgeMain has activated this many Reservists at one time. 

“We’re excited to mobilize and execute the mission for which we’ve been training,” MacLellan said. “This deployment presents a valuable opportunity for our Sailors to hone their skills, contribute to our national defense and allow us to gain valuable lessons you can only learn during mass mobilization.” 

SurgeMain Reservists will start arriving at their respective shipyards in phases starting in early July, with all 1,629 Sailors onsite by September. They will be functioning on one-year mobilization orders that may be extended or curtailed should circumstances change. 

Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine, will receive 267 Reservists; Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, will receive 486; Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton, Washington, will receive 676; and Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, will receive 200. 

“We have been methodical in how we planned this mobilization,” said Vice Adm. Tom Moore, NAVSEA’s commander. “We did not mobilize anyone who already works in the ship maintenance or construction field, and we worked to place people into shipyards where they have previously drilled so there was a built-in comfort factor for both the Reservist and the shipyard personnel.” 

Once mobilized, the Reservists will abide by all Defense Department travel restrictions and protocols tied to minimizing the spread of COVID-19. Sailors are being assigned to their designated Reserve duty location, which is usually the shipyard closest to where they live. 

Once at their designated shipyard, Sailors will abide by all COVID-19 policies. These include conducting a daily self-screening and undergoing a temperature check prior to accessing the shipyard, wearing all required personal protective equipment and following the same social distancing measures as the rest of the shipyard workforce.

ARLINGTON, Va. — President Trump has ordered a review of the U.S. Coast Guard’s icebreaking polar security cutter (PSC) program, with a focus on exploring options for nuclear power, heavy armament and leasing stopgap icebreakers. 

In a June 9 memorandum from the White House to several federal departments, titled “Safeguarding U.S. National Interests in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions,” Trump ordered “a review of requirements for a polar security icebreaking fleet acquisition program to acquire and employ a suitable fleet of polar security icebreakers, and associated assets and resources, capable of ensuring a persistent United States presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions in support of national interests and in furtherance of the National Security Strategy and the National Defense Strategy, as appropriate.” 

“Separately, the review shall include the ability to provide a persistent United States presence in the Antarctic region, as appropriate, in accordance with the Antarctic Treaty System,” the memo said. 

The Coast Guard awarded a $745 million contract to VT Halter Marine in 2019 to build the lead PSC and has requested funds to construct a second PSC in the 2021 budget. The lead PSC is scheduled for delivery in 2024. The sea service has a requirement for six new icebreakers, including at least three PSCs. 

The Coast Guard has only one serviceable heavy ice breaker, the Polar Star, which was commissioned in 1976, available. The Polar Star makes an annual voyage to Antarctica to help resupply U.S. facilities on that continent. 

Trump also directed officials to study “the comparative operational and fiscal benefits and risks of a polar security icebreaking fleet that consists of at least three heavy [PSCs].” 

The study is to use the full range of missions that may be executed by medium PSCs so that the optimal number and type of PSCs needed to ensure a persistent presence in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.  

The study also will assess expanded capabilities for the PSCs, including unmanned systems, space systems and sensors to achieve maritime domain awareness; secure communications and data transfer systems; and intelligence-collection systems.  

The study also will evaluate “defensive armament adequate to defend against threats by near-peer competitors” such as China and Russia. 

The PSC is slated to be armed with .50-caliber machine guns for close-in defense, but the Coast Guard has in the past said it is open to the idea up-gunning the armament to include heavier weapons, including cruise missiles. 

The study also will look at the “potential for nuclear-powered propulsion” for the PSC fleet. The study also will identify at least two optimal basing locations and at least two international basing locations for the future icebreaker fleet. 

In recognition of the Polar Star’s condition, the study also will look at options to bridge a potential gap between the end of the Polar Star’s worthiness and the commissioning of the PSC fleet, considering leasing options of commercial icebreakers from partner nations. 

“Further, and in advance of any bid solicitation for future polar security icebreaker acquisitions, the Secretary of State shall coordinate with the Secretary of Homeland Security to identify partner nations with proven foreign shipbuilding capability and expertise in icebreaker construction,” the memo said. 

In the memo, the president directed that the secretary of Homeland Security and the director of the Office of Management and Budget shall ensure that the Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter acquisition program “is not adversely impacted.”

ARLINGTON, Va. ― FLIR Systems Inc. has received orders for more than 160 of the company’s Centaur unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) for the U.S. Navy and Army, the company announced. The two contracts totaling $23.5 million include related spares and accessories and are being sourced through the Army’s Man Transportable Robotic System Increment II (MTRS Inc II) program. 

Since March, FLIR has announced orders totaling more than $65 million for nearly 500 Centaur UGVs from the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and now Navy. Explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) teams will use the Centaur to assist in disarming improvised explosive devices, unexploded ordnance and similar hazardous tasks. Operators can attach different sensors and payloads to the robot to support other functions, such as chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear missions. 

“With the Navy joining the MTRS Inc II program, it means that all U.S. military forces will now use a common, medium-sized robotic platform for EOD and CBRN operations,” said Roger Wells, vice president and general manager of the Unmanned Systems and Integrated Solutions business at FLIR. 

“In an era of increased joint service operations in combat zones worldwide, having common equipment across EOD units can support more standardized tactics and techniques, plus add new efficiencies in sustainment and training for years to come.  

“Our team is incredibly proud to know all four branches of America’s armed services have chosen Centaur as their mid-sized EOD robot. And, more importantly, that our technology is helping so many warfighters keep out of harm’s way,” Wells said. 

In 2017, the Army selected Endeavor Robotics, acquired last year by FLIR, as its medium-sized robot provider for MTRS Inc II. The company designed Centaur as its MTRS solution. FLIR is delivering robots to the Army under that multi-year program of record, which upon award was valued at more than $150 million, including options. These latest orders fall under the current ceiling. 

Centaur is a medium-sized UGV that provides a standoff capability to detect, confirm, identify, and dispose of hazards. Weighing roughly 160 pounds, the open-architecture robot features an advanced EO/IR camera suite, a manipulator arm that reaches over six feet, and the ability to climb stairs. Modular payloads can be used for CBRNE detection and other missions.  

Deliveries are expected to begin in the third quarter of 2020.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy secretary and chief of naval operations on June 10 announced these flag officer assignments: 

• Rear Adm. Daniel L. Cheever will be assigned as director for plans, policy and strategy, J-5, U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. Cheever served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 4, Norfolk, Virginia. 
• Rear Adm. Thomas E. Ishee will be assigned as director, global operations, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. Ishee is serving as director, Undersea Warfare Division, N97, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.
• Rear Adm. Peter G. Stamatopoulos will be assigned as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command, and chief of Supply Corps, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  Stamatopoulos served as director of logistics, J-4, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) William J. Houston, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, Undersea Warfare Division, N97, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Houston served as director, plans and operations, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-6th Fleet; deputy commander, 6th Fleet; and commander, Submarine Group 8, Naples, Italy. 
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Anthony C. Carullo is serving as director, plans and operations, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-6th Fleet; deputy commander, 6th Fleet; and commander, Submarine Group 8, Naples, Italy. Carullo served as deputy director, strategic targeting and nuclear mission planning, J-5N, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. 
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard D. Heinz is serving as director of logistics, J-4, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. Heinz served as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons Systems Support, Philadelphia. 
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Andrew J. Loiselle is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 4, Norfolk, Virginia. Loiselle served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 8, Norfolk.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Joseph D. Noble Jr., is serving as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons Systems Support, Philadelphia. Noble served as special assistant for audit readiness, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Financial Management and Comptroller), Washington, D.C.  
• Rear Adm. (lower half) Ryan B. Scholl is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 8, Norfolk, Virginia. Scholl served as deputy director, plans, J-5, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.