By U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs, Aug. 5, 2024 

NAPLES, Italy  –  The Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Georgia (SSGN 729), assigned to Commander, Task Force 69, concluded a series of interoperability training events with Force Reconnaissance Marines from the 2nd Reconnaissance Battalion and special operations forces (SOF) in the Mediterranean Sea, August 5, 2024. 

The series of events between joint partners and allied countries demonstrates the ability of Task Force 69 to seamlessly integrate amphibious and special warfare into existing Navy missions in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. 

“As our submarine force continues to develop its diverse mission sets, we strengthen our ability to deter threats and ensure global access, security, and stability in the maritime domain,” said Capt. Benjamin Selph, Commander, Task Force 69. “Integration with joint and allied partners enhances our lethality as apex predators against hard targets in the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations.” 

The purpose of the training was to improve U.S. Marine Corps and SOF integration with conventional naval forces in order to develop and improve tactics, techniques and procedures. Early in the series, Marines from the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company launched and recovered small craft aboard USS Georgia in order to develop capabilities to execute combined arms attacks, advanced personnel recovery, and expeditionary theater undersea warfare deployments. 

“Several of our Marines worked alongside Sailors aboard USS Georgia to facilitate joint operational planning at a level not executed before between the U.S. Marine Corps and the submarine force,” said Major W. Connor Smithson, 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company commander. “Collaboration at this level only acts as a force multiplier to bring out the best of both forces’ capabilities.” 

Later in the series, East Coast-based U.S. Naval Special Warfare Operators conducted Submarine-Special Operations Forces interoperability training with USS Georgia, which can host up to 66 SOF personnel, and included participation from the Royal Navy’s Special Boat Service, Norwegian Marinejegerkommandoen, and Italian Gruppo Operativo Incursori. 

The training iterations with SOF sought to expand and reinforce SOF interoperability with combined partners and provided a valuable opportunity to build combined SUBSOF communication and control architecture while also conducting critical undersea training and qualifications. 

“The scale and importance of the accomplishments made by the teams onboard USS Georgia cannot be over-stated.” said Capt. Selph. “Integration with joint and allied SOF enhances our undersea forces’ ability to respond to any threat with increased speed and lethality.” 

USS Georgia is homeported in Kings Bay, Georgia, and is on a routine deployment to the U.S. Sixth Fleet area of operations. While in U.S. Sixth Fleet, Commander, Task Force 69 is responsible for submarine warfare operations in Europe and Africa. 

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) operates U.S. naval forces in the U.S. European Command and U.S. Africa Command areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations. 

From the U.S. Navy Office of Information, 9 August 2024

Mobile, Ala. — The Navy will christen the future USNS Point Loma (EPF 15), the second of the Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) Flight II configurations, during a 10:00 a.m. EDT ceremony on Saturday, August 10, in Mobile, Alabama. 

The Honorable Nickolas Guertin, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition will deliver the principal address. Remarks will also be provided by Vice Adm. Scott Gray, Commander Navy Installations Command; Ms. Michelle Kruger, President of Austal USA; and Mr. Stan Kordana, Vice President of Program Execution, General Dynamics Mission Systems. 

In a time-honored Navy tradition, ship sponsor Elizabeth Asher will christen the ship by the breaking of a bottle of sparkling wine across the ship’s bow. 

The ship is named in honor of the community of Point Loma and its decades long relationship with the Navy, beginning with the establishment of the Naval Coaling Station, La Playa, in 1901, and later the Naval Supply Center San Diego in 1943. 

This is the second ship to honor the Point Loma community. 

As a Flight II ship, EPF 15 is configured to deploy as a fast transport, or with Role 2 Enhanced medical capability, or both. The medical mission capability includes an embarked medical unit, two operating rooms, and the ability to support 147 medical patients and 38 civilian crew that operate and maintain the ship. Flight II EPFs will also have an 11M Rigid Inflatable Boat and MV-22 capability. 

From U.S. Central Command 

Aug. 7, 2024 

TAMPA, Fla. - In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed two Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles, one Houthi ground control station, and three Houthi anti-ship cruise missiles in Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen. 

These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security. 

By Richard R. Burgess, Senior Editor 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Houthi forces who have been attacking shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden lack a center of gravity, making for deterrence by U.S and partner forces difficult, the commander of U.S. naval forces in the Middle East said in a webinar. 

Since November, a few weeks after the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas terrorists, the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, with cooperation from the navies of several allies and partners, has been engaged in protecting commercial shipping through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from attacks by ballistic missiles, anti-ship cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, unmanned surface craft, and unmanned underwater vehicles launched by the Houthi rebels in Yemen. 

“We have certainly degraded their capability,” said Vice Admiral George Wikoff, commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, commander, U.S. 5th Fleet, and commander, Maritime Forces, speaking in an August 7 webinar sponsored by the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the U.S. Naval Institute and funded by HII.  

“However, have we stopped them? No,” Wickoff said, noting Houthi recent attacks on shipping, one of which damaged a commercial ship. “But our mission remains to disrupt their ability and try to preserve some semblance of maritime order while we give an opportunity for policy to be developed against the Houthis. 

“The challenge of the deterrence is, obviously, you have to have a center of gravity to hold at risk, and one thing we don’t really know that much about—and we find this through history—is it is very difficult to find a centralized center of gravity that we can hold at risk over time and use that as a potential point of deterrence,” he said. “So, to apply a classic deterrence policy in this particular scenario is a bit challenging.” 

Wickoff said the continuing naval operations in the BAM (Bab-el-Mandeb) Strait region will act as a “shock absorber.”  

He noted an almost 50% drop in commercial shipping through the BAM region in the September through December time frame, with a large drop until the beginning of February. 

“The reflected the maritime industry’s ability to re-calibrate and re-initiate their routes,” he said. “It’s a couple-months process to take transit patterns that go through the Red Sea and re-route them around the Cape of Good Hope, etc.” 

Since the beginning of February there has been a stabilization, with approximately 1,000 ships going through the BAM per month, compared with approximately 2,000 ships per month prior to the Israel-Hamas war, Wickoff noted. 

“Right now, the idea is to continue to maintain that decision space, try to preserve where we are right now … to allow other levers of government, other levers of the international community to pressurize the Houthis to stop what they’re doing in the maritime,” the admiral said. 

From U.S. Central Command 

Aug. 6, 2024

TAMPA, Fla. - In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle and two Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missiles launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Red Sea. 

These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security. 

Aug. 5, 2024

TAMPA, Fla. - In the past 24 hours, U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) forces successfully destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) launched from Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen over the Gulf of Aden. 

Additionally, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed one Iranian-backed Houthi UAS in a Houthi-controlled area of Yemen. 

Separately, USCENTCOM forces successfully destroyed one Houthi uncrewed surface vessel (USV), one Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) and one Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) in the Red Sea. 

These weapons presented a clear and imminent threat to U.S. and coalition forces, and merchant vessels in the region. This reckless and dangerous behavior by Iranian-backed Houthis continues to threaten regional stability and security. 

From KBR, Aug. 5, 2024 

KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced it has been awarded an estimated $153 million cost plus fixed fee recompete contract to support Naval Test Wings Atlantic and Pacific Aircrew Services over a five-year period. The work will be performed primarily at Naval Air Station (NAS) Patuxent River, Maryland, but also at NAS Pt. Mugu, California, and NAS China Lake, California. 

Under the terms of the contract, KBR will provide aircrew services, engineering technical services, independent analysis and technical support to the Naval Test Wing air vehicles test mission. This unit includes seven developmental test squadrons, their platform coordination offices and local commands, including the United States Naval Test Pilot School. Services under the contract include application of knowledge and expertise in the fields of test and evaluation, air vehicle operation and ground operations. 

“KBR builds upon our more than forty-five years of aircrew services and flight test support to the U.S. Navy,” said Byron Bright, President of Government Solutions U.S. “This strategic win solidifies KBR’s commitment to bring unmatched capability and expertise to naval aviation.” 

Undersea Warfare Systems Market – Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2019-2029F 

By Type (Weapon Systems, Communication and Surveillance Systems, Sensors and Computation Systems, Countermeasure Systems and Payload, Unmanned Underwater Vehicles), By Mode of Operation (Manned Operations, Autonomous Operations, Remotely Operations), By Application (Combat, C4ISR, Others), By Region, Competition, 2019-2029F 

KBR operates one of the most extensive independent flight test organizations in the United States, both in scale and capabilities. The company has the unique ability to provide Test Pilot School graduates with developmental test experience to enhance aircrew services and flight test support within the Department of Defense. 

From Austal USA, Aug. 5, 2024 

MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA has successfully launched future USS Pierre (LCS 38), the last ship of the Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) program. Following launch, Austal USA’s test and activation team will spend the next several months preparing her for sea trials later this year. 

This is the 23rd LCS launched at Austal USA using the modern, safe and efficient multi-step method of rolling the ship onto a moored deck barge and then transferring the ship from the barge to a floating dry dock.  The dry dock is submerged enabling the ship to float for the first time and then removed from the dry dock and moored pier side to get ready for engine light-off and trials. 

“Meeting this ship milestone in such a safe and timely manner demonstrates how well our Austal USA launch team, transporter operators and tug pilots have learned to work together over the last 13 years, seamlessly executing this technical launch process,” stated Austal USA Vice President of New Construction, Dave Growden. “Our industry teams work methodically alongside our Navy partners to improve this innovative process with each launch evolution, guaranteeing the Navy a quality product delivered on time and on budget.” 

Pierre, christened in May, is the Navy’s 19th and final Independence-variant LCS, and will be deployed to the Pacific fleet area of responsibility supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence. She is the second U.S. Navy ship launched at Austal USA this year. 

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti reviewed Quality of Service initiatives with Navy and shipyard leadership at HII Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, July 31, 2024. 

Last year, the Navy signed a Joint Memo “Setting a New Course for Navy Quality of Service,” to ensure Sailors have the support and resources they require. During her second visit to Newport News, Franchetti received updates on the shipyard’s major programs, infrastructure investments and QoS improvements. 

“It’s great to hear from our Sailors here in the Newport News Shipbuilding that our Quality of Service initiatives are making a difference,” said Franchetti. “I appreciate the candid conversations and hard work to remove barriers that has occurred this past year as a result of the Cross Functional Team’s efforts to work with our industry partners and other stakeholders to transform Fleet feedback into results.” 

Franchetti visited the triad of the USS Columbus (SSN 762) to get their perspective on QoS initiatives and improvements to safety and security outside of the shipyard. They also discussed a new contract incentive that has enabled HII to construct two new buildings on the pier where Engineering Overhauls of Columbus and then USS Boise (SSN 764) will take place. One building will house berthing and a galley, and the other a work center to improve the quality of life of the service members on board these submarines.  

While touring the facilities CNO was briefed on the design and planning underway for a new parking garage that will create more than 2,000 new spaces at NNS once it is complete in 2026, as well as the plans for the construction of a Carrier Refueling Overhaul Workcenter (CROW) facility, which will provide approximately 80,000 square feet of multi-use space for Sailors and HII-NNS shipyard workers. She also saw the 24/7 micro market, designed to provide Sailors with access to more quality food options. 

The trip included a tour of Huntington Hall, where renovations are currently ongoing. The updates include refurnished furniture and improvements such as upgraded televisions, kitchen equipment, and an upgraded air conditioning system in the gym, which will soon be available for 24/7 access. 

“These upgrades to our existing facilities are making Newport News a better place to work and live for our Sailors,” said Franchetti. “This is just the beginning of Quality of Service improvements, and I am committed to ensuring this work continues here – and then scales out to other Fleet concentration areas – for the next generation of Sailors.” 

Vice Admiral Scott Gray serves as the chair of the QoS Cross Functional Team that reports directly to Admiral James Kilby, Vice Chief of Naval Operations, on the CFT’s efforts to establish standards and measures for QoS and bring them to life at Newport News Shipbuilding.  

From Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Alston, 1 August 2024 

KINGS BAY, Ga. — Ohio-class guided-missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) returned to Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia, following a 727- day deployment to 5th, 6th, and 7th fleet areas of operations, July 31.

Assigned to Commander, Submarine Group Ten, USS Florida departed in August 2022 and conducted five crew swaps, before returning to Kings Bay. 

“We have demonstrated the versatility of SSGN platform to operate anywhere at any time,” said Capt. Peter French, blue crew commanding officer. “We operated in several different oceans. It’s very uncommon for East Coast submarines to deploy to the west coast, but we managed to do an exceptional job completing the mission.” 
 
During their deployment, the crews conducted vital missions crucial to national security, enhancing operational capabilities and reinforcing deterrence effort, while traveling more than 60,000 nautical miles. The crews also had the opportunity to visit Greece, Guam, Diego Garcia and the United Kingdom, as part of routine port calls. 
 
“Our Sailors are the true strength for our boat and the Navy,” said Master Chief Electronics Technician Submarine, Navigation Christopher L. Martell, gold crew chief of the boat. “They consistently impress me with their unwavering dedication to the submarine force. We train and we fight as a family, and I’m excited to get the crews back home to the actual families and enjoy some much needed time off.” 
 
USS Florida entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in July 2003 to undergo a refueling and conversion from an SSBN to an SSGN. The conversion was completed in April 2006 and is homeported in Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay, Georgia. 

On May 25, 2006 the boat had a return to service ceremony at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. 

Submarine Group Ten is the nation’s preeminent provider of sea-based strategic deterrence, Tomahawk Land Attack Missile strikes, and unique submarine-based special operations capabilities. The base is home to all east coast Ohio-class submarines. 
 
For more news from Commander, Submarine Group 10, visit Commander, Submarine Group 10 (navy.mil) and http://www.facebook.com/submarinegroupten 

By David Hall, NOAA Communications, August 2, 2024 

The U.S. Senate confirmed on Thursday President Biden’s nomination of NOAA Rear Adm. Chad Cary to lead the NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps) and NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO). 

“Supporting the nation’s environmental and economic security is one of the Biden-Harris Administration’s top priorities and the NOAA Corps, NOAA’s fleet, and the dedicated professionals who operate these critical components of our infrastructure are vital in fulfilling that mission,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “Rear Adm. Cary’s leadership will ensure that we can continue to provide essential services to the public — from hurricane forecasts to nautical charts. I congratulate him on his confirmation to serve as the next director of OMAO and the NOAA Corps and thank him for his service to our nation.” 

In addition to leading the NOAA Corps — one of the nation’s eight uniformed services — Cary will oversee NOAA’s fleet of 15 research and survey ships and 10 specialized aircraft, including the agency’s “hurricane hunters,” all of which are operated by a combination of NOAA Corps officers and civilians. 

“Rear Adm. Cary is a proven leader who has the skills, experience and dedication needed to advance NOAA’s science, service and stewardship mission,” said NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. “I am confident he will lead the NOAA Corps and NOAA fleet both capably and effectively as we work together to meet the challenges of a dynamic world.” 

Cary has served in many operational and management assignments with NOAA, most recently as deputy director of the NOAA Corps and OMAO’s deputy director for operations. In that capacity, he oversaw the day-to-day operations of OMAO’s marine, aviation and uncrewed systems operations, as well as OMAO’s health and cyber services. 

He has held command positions aboard NOAA ships Reuben Lasker and John N. Cobb. He has also served as the director of the NOAA Corps Commissioned Personnel Center and applied his at-sea and shoreside operational experience and expertise to support NOAA Fisheries, NOAA’s National Weather Service and NOAA headquarters. 

“I am grateful for this opportunity to continue serving the nation alongside our highly skilled and dedicated workforce,” said Cary. “I would also like to thank my predecessor, Vice Adm. (select) Nancy Hann, for her vision, courageous leadership and service to the nation.” 

Cary was born and raised in Alaska. He earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with an emphasis in marine sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill before joining the NOAA Corps in 2001. He also holds a master’s degree in geography from Portland State University and a graduate certificate in legislative studies from Georgetown University.