Release from U.S. Fleet Forces Command. 

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By LT Sarena Padilla & ENS Garner Fleming, U.S. National Ice Center

22 February 2023 

WASHINGTON, D.C. - First in a two-part series on how the Navy and its partners are working to improve Arctic operations as the sea ice melts due to warming temperatures. 

The Arctic is the next frontier for U.S. military operations, where the physical environment poses a major threat to achieving strategic dominance, managing assets and ensuring freedom of the seas. 

The importance of the Arctic will only increase each year as the decline of the perennial sea ice continues and the ice edge shifts. It is imperative to strengthen the ability to operate there in order to gain a strategic advantage. Effective operations will hinge on reliable environmental intelligence in a region where conditions can be severe. 

The U.S. most recently Updated Its Strategy For The Arctic Region Last October with a new 10-year scope that seeks a peaceful, stable, prosperous and cooperative Arctic at the same time acknowledging strategic competition with Russia and China. Ongoing efforts include investing in technology that detects and tracks potential threats and improves our own capabilities to maneuver in the region. This is not a simple task due to the dominant role that Russia has in the Arctic, as well as the growing concern for China’s desire to be an influential nation there. 

ARCTIC ENVIRONMENT PRESENTS CHALLENGES FOR THE NAVY   

The Arctic Ocean is in many ways an uncharted domain for conducting military operations. It will be no easy feat to operate effectively because the Arctic is a hostile environment for modern vessels within ice-infested waters. 

Currently, the U.S. has a limited icebreaking capability that is completely reliant on the U.S. Coast Guard, with the Coast Guard cutters Healy and Polar Star handling all pathfinding needed to ensure safe transit. This shortfall is driving the production of the next generation of Polar Security Cutters, a joint Navy and Coast Guard program to address the dire necessity for increased icebreaking operations in the near future. The first new Polar Security Cutter is expected to be delivered in 2025. 

Along with an updated force, any future naval conflict will require leveraging technological advancements made in the past 80 years since the naval challenges of World War II, when the U.S. was last fully tested as a strategic force implementing older-era warfighting tactics. The  Arctic presents conditions and challenges far different from those encountered in earlier eras. 

The future of warfighting will demand means beyond globally deployed strike groups and a prominent physical presence. Information warfare will be of greater importance as the challenges facing battlespace awareness, assured command and control and integrated fires are heightened in the austere environment of the Arctic. 

Successful intelligence preparation of the operational environment, mastery of the electromagnetic spectrum and solid communications could very well be deciding factors for any conflicts in the high latitudes. Any future conflict will be settled in large part by how well information, including environmental intelligence, is gained, exploited and disseminated. 

Technology that implements artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) methods could yield a warfighting advantage in predicting the physical battlespace. Current projects are underway across the fleet, many led by Office of Naval Research and Naval Research Laboratory, to address the need for advanced data assimilation to improve high-latitude environmental models for weather and conditions forecasting and predictions. 

A variety of environmental data collected through in situ or remote means is necessary for these modeling efforts to be successful. The sea ice edge can vary by hundreds of miles overnight when faced with the dynamic meteorology present in the region. 

Many analytical intelligence challenges can be partially to fully automated AI/ML, but even these innovative efforts require substantial data, among other resources, as a driving mechanism. It will be essential to fill the current environmental data gaps in the Arctic if the U.S. is to harness the technical advances made in computing and successfully exploit technologies such as more sophisticated models and innovative AI/ML projects. Some small but highly effective naval commands have started paving a path forward to meet these shortfalls. 

HOW THE U.S. NATIONAL ICE CENTER PLAYS A MAJOR ROLE 

The U.S. National Ice Center (USNIC) is a tri-agency organization of the Navy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Coast Guard with a mission to provide global to tactical scale ice and snow information, ice forecasting and related environmental intelligence services for the U.S. government. 

Fewer than 50 uniformed, civilian and contract personnel comprise the USNIC on a daily basis with only a dozen of those individuals creating a variety of routine ice analyses for the Arctic, Antarctic, Great Lakes and other geostrategic locations where ice may form; a daily analysis of U.S. Northern Hemisphere snow and ice information to directly support assets and personnel in the field. 

With such a small team, providing environmental intelligence to ensure safety of navigation in treacherous polar waters and economic prosperity within and along high latitude commercial routes and port regions is a vital task. Indeed, providing environmental intelligence in particular about sea ice proliferating in the Arctic Ocean is essential. 

Several portions of the Arctic Ocean that have historically been covered with sea ice through at least parts of the winter will become increasingly ice-free in the coming years. This decrease in ice can result in shorter maritime trade routes, or completely new transpolar routes, becoming available, significantly decreasing maritime Arctic transit. 

The Arctic is still largely unfamiliar in its delicate environmental complexities. The need for increased and enhanced observations continuously grows as the sea ice left behind year after year becomes more fragile, thin and diminishes in extent, losing an equivalent area the size of South Carolina annually. 

Characterizing the ice in the region requires various input sources whether it be satellite-derived data, sensing platforms like high-tech buoys or occasionally deployed personnel feedback while onboard icebreaking operations in the region. The limited in situ observations help increase near-real time environmental knowledge in the Arctic, but at current numbers, they form an incomplete picture and are not enough for fully forecasting and safely operating within such a complex, harsh domain. 

In the next installment, we discuss how USNIC is bolstering sensor and analysis abilities in the Arctic. 

Release from Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet 

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21 February 2023 

CANBERRA, Australia — Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday travelled to Canberra, Australia, Feb. 19-21, to meet with Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Chief Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, AM to discuss their shared commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

 
Gilday met with other members of the Royal Australian Navy and discussed the two navies’ shared focus on interchangeability, innovation, and combined operations. 

The CNO had the opportunity to meet with U.S. Ambassador to Australia Caroline Kennedy, where they talked about the importance of advancing our bilateral and Navy-to-Navy relationships. 
 
Additionally, Gilday met with Chief of the Australian Defence Force Gen. Angus Campbell, AO, DSC, and Commander of the Australian Defence College Air Vice Marshal Steve Edgeley. 
 
“Australia is one of our oldest friends and most enduring Allies,” said Gilday. “There is no daylight between how we see threats — we share a commitment of protecting and defending a free and open Indo-Pacific. 
 
“I’m grateful to Admiral Hammond for his partnership and teamwork as we continue to strengthen our navies’ interchangeability,” he added. “Our Sailors operate together around the globe, sailing together and participating in high-end maritime exercises—demonstrating our shared commitment to ensuring peace and prosperity throughout the Indo-Pacific.” 
 
The CNO visited the Australian Defence College, where he spoke with Royal Australian Navy, Army, and Air Force service members about the strategic importance of the enduring Alliance between Australia and the U.S.; the two navies working together to uphold the rules-based order; and strengthening partnership, advancing from interoperability to interchangeability. 
 
Gilday and his wife Linda Gilday visited the Australian War Memorial, where the CNO laid a wreath during the time-honored Last Post Ceremony. 
 
“I’m truly humbled by the opportunity to participate in such a meaningful ceremony,” said Gilday. “Reflecting upon the sacrifices of servicemen and women who came before us serves as a reminder that our security and prosperity—and our friendships that uphold them—must never be taken for granted.” 
 
The U.S. and Australian navies share a mutual interest in maintaining freedom of navigation and adherence to the rules-based international order. They conduct frequent cooperative deployments, and regularly operate together during flagship theater exercises like Pacific Partnership, Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) and the Australian-led Kakadu. This year, the U.S. and RAN will participate in numerous exercises, to include: ANNUALEX, Sea Dragon, Pacific Partnership, Talisman Sabre, and Malabar, as well as many others. 
 
This trip marked Gilday’s third face-to-face meeting with Hammond, and his first visit to Canberra, Australia, as CNO.

Release from the Department of Defense

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The secretary of the Navy and chief of naval operations announced today the following assignments: 

Rear Adm. Peter A. Garvin will be assigned as president, Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island.  Garvin is currently serving as commander, Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, Florida. 

Rear Adm. William C. Greene will be assigned as commander, Navy Regional Maintenance Center; and director, Surface Ship Maintenance and Modernization, NAVSEA 21, Washington, D.C.  Greene is currently serving as fleet maintenance officer, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. John V. Menoni will be assigned as director, Programming Division, N80, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Menoni is currently serving as assistant deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy, N3/N5B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. Milton J. Sands III will be assigned as chief of staff, U.S. Special Operations Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.  Sands is currently serving as commander, Special Operations Command Africa, U.S. Special Operations Command, Naples, Italy. 

Rear Adm. Paul J. Schlise will be assigned as director, Warfare Integration, N9I, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Schlise is currently serving as director, Warfare Development, N72, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. Douglas C. Verissimo will be assigned as commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia.  Verissimo is currently serving as director, Maritime Operations, U.S. Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Joseph F. Cahill III, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as commander, Naval Surface Force, Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia.  Cahill is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Fifteen, San Diego, California. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Jeffrey J. Czerewko, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as commander, Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, Florida. Czerewko is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Four, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Brian L. Davies, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as special assistant to director, Navy Staff for Learning to Action Board, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Davies is currently serving as commander, Submarine Group Two, with additional duties as deputy commander, Second Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael P. Donnelly, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, Air Warfare Division, N98, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Donnelly is currently serving as commander, Task Force Seven Zero; and commander, Carrier Strike Group Five, Yokosuka, Japan. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kenneth W. Epps, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command; and chief of the Supply Corps, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.  Epps is currently serving as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Rick Freedman, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as deputy chief, Bureau of Medicine and Surgery; deputy surgeon general of the Navy; and director, Medical Resources, Plans and Policy Division, N0931, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Falls Church, Virginia.  Freedman is currently serving as deputy assistant director, Operations, Strategy, and Education and Training, Defense Health Agency, with additional duties as chief of the Dental Corps, Falls Church, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Casey J. Moton, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as program executive officer for Aircraft Carriers, Washington, D.C.  Moton is currently serving as program executive officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard E. Seif Jr., selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as commander, Submarine Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.  Seif is currently serving as commander, Submarine Group Seven; commander, Task Force Seven Four; and commander, Task Force Five Four, Yokosuka, Japan. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Paul C. Spedero Jr., selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as vice director of operations, J-3, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C.  Spedero is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Dennis Velez, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, Plans and Policy, J-5, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland.  Velez is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Ten, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Christopher D. Alexander will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Nine, San Diego, California.  Alexander is currently serving as commander, Naval Surface and Mine Warfighting Development Center, San Diego, California. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Sean R. Bailey will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight, Norfolk, Virginia.  Bailey is currently serving as deputy commander, U.S. Naval Forces, U.S. Central Command; and deputy commander, Fifth Fleet, Manama, Bahrain. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Mark D. Behning will be assigned as director, Undersea Warfare Division, N97, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Behning is currently assigned as commander, Submarine Group Nine, Silverdale, Washington. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Heidi K. Berg will be assigned as assistant deputy chief of naval operations for Operations, Plans, and Strategy, N3/N5B, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Berg is currently serving as director, Plans and Policy, J5, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael A. Brookes will be assigned as director, National Maritime Intelligence Integration Office/commander, Office of Naval Intelligence, Washington, D.C.  Brookes is currently serving as director, J2, U.S. Southern Command, Doral, Florida. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Christopher J. Cavanaugh will be assigned as commander, Submarine Group Seven; commander, Task Force Seven Four; and commander, Task Force Five Four, Yokosuka, Japan.  Cavanaugh is currently serving as director, Maritime Headquarters, N03, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Jennifer S. Couture will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Eleven, Everett, Washington.  Couture is currently serving as commander, Naval Service Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) William R. Daly will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Fifteen, San Diego, California.  Daly is currently serving as deputy director, Policy, Plans, Strategy, Capabilities and Resources, J5/8, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart, Germany. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Dion D. English will be assigned as director, Supply, Ordnance and Logistics Operations Division, N4L, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  English is currently serving as vice director, J4, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Erik J. Eslich will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Twelve, Norfolk, Virginia.  Eslich is currently serving as deputy commander, Seventh Fleet, Yokosuka, Japan. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Ronald A. Foy, will be assigned as commander, Special Operations Command Africa, U.S. Special Operations Command, Naples, Italy.  Foy is currently serving as deputy director, global Operations, J39, J3, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Patrick J. Hannifin will be assigned as commander, Task Force Seven Zero; and commander, Carrier Strike Group Five, Yokosuka, Japan.  Hannifin is currently serving as deputy director for Political-Military Affairs (Asia), J5, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Oliver T. Lewis will be assigned as director, Strategic Integration, N2N6T, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Lewis is currently serving as director, Plans and Operations, U.S. Naval Forces Europe – Sixth Fleet; deputy commander, Sixth Fleet; and commander, Submarine Group Eight, Naples, Italy. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Stephen G. Mack will be assigned as director, Plans and Operations, U.S. Naval Forces Europe – Sixth Fleet; deputy commander, Sixth Fleet; and commander, Submarine Group Eight, Naples, Italy.  Mack is currently serving as deputy chief of staff, Submarines, Maritime Command Headquarters, Northwood, Great Britain; commander, Submarines, NATO; and deputy commander, Submarine Group Eight, United Kingdom. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Wesley R. McCall will be assigned as commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia.  McCall is currently serving as commander, Navy Region Southeast, Jacksonville, Florida. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Max G. McCoy Jr. will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Four, Norfolk, Virginia.  McCoy is currently serving as commander, Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center, Fallon, Nevada. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Martin J. Muckian will be assigned as commander, Submarine Group Two with additional duties as deputy commander, Second Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia.  Muckian is currently serving as commander, Undersea Warfighting Development Center, Groton, Connecticut. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Benjamin R. Nicholson will be assigned as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Two, Norfolk, Virginia.  Nicholson is currently serving as U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Representative, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of Palau; commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Marianas; and commander, Joint Region Marianas, Apra, Guam. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Matthew N. Ott III will be assigned as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Ott is currently serving as deputy chief of staff for fleet ordnance and supply/Fleet Supply Officer, N41, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Randall W. Peck will be assigned as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Three, San Diego, California.  Peck is currently serving as president, Board of Inspection and Survey, Virginia Beach, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Benjamin G. Reynolds will be assigned as deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for Budget; and director, Fiscal Management Division, N82, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Reynolds is currently serving as director, Operations and Plans, N3, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael S. Sciretta will be assigned as director, Warfare Development, N72, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Sciretta is currently serving as commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group Two, Naples, Italy. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Ralph R. Smith III will be assigned as deputy director, Operations, National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Maryland.  Smith is currently serving as vice director for intelligence, J2, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Philip E. Sobeck will be assigned as commander, Military Sealift Command, Norfolk, Virginia.  Sobeck is currently serving as director, Strategy, Policy, Programs, and Logistics, J5/4, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Jonathan T. Stephens is assigned as lead special trial counsel, Office of Special Trial Counsel, Washington, D.C.  Stephens previously served as interim lead special trial counsel, Office of Special Trial Counsel, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Nicholas R. Tilbrook will be assigned as commander, Submarine Group Nine, Silverdale, Washington.  Tilbrook is currently serving as deputy director, Strategy, Plans and Policy, U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Robert D. Westendorff will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group Ten, Norfolk, Virginia.  Westendorff is currently serving as director, Fleet Integrated Readiness and Analysis, N02R, U.S. Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Release from Lockheed Martin 

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Company will integrate weapon system onto U.S. Navy surface ships 

LITTLETON, Colo., Feb. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) is partnering with the U.S. Navy to integrate hypersonic strike capability onto surface ships. 

The U.S. Navy awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth more than $2 billion, if all options are exercised, to integrate the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system onto ZUMWALT-class guided missile destroyers (DDGs). CPS is a hypersonic boost-glide weapon system that enables long range missile flight at speeds greater than Mach 5, with high survivability against enemy defenses. 

“Lockheed Martin continues to advance hypersonic strike capability for the United States through this new contract,” said Steve Layne, vice president of Hypersonic Strike Weapon Systems at Lockheed Martin. “Early design work is already underway. Our team looks forward to supporting the warfighter by providing more options to further protect America at sea.” 

Under this contract, prime contractor Lockheed Martin will provide launcher systems, weapon control, All Up Rounds (AURs), which are the integrated missile components, and platform integration support for this naval platform. The company, along with industry partners including subcontractors Northrop Grumman and General Dynamics Mission Systems, is on track to provide the CPS surface-launched, sea-based hypersonic strike capability to sailors by the mid-2020s. The contract also provides for additional AURs plus canisters for the U.S. Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW) testing, training and tactical employment. 

A Shared Missile

CPS shares a common AUR with the Army LRHW and can be launched from multiple platforms including surface ships, submarines, and land-based mobile launchers. 

Lockheed Martin is the prime systems integrator for the CPS and LRHW weapon systems. The company leads a team of industry, government, and academic partners to make critical progress in design and development to meet this urgent warfighter need in both land and sea domains. 

A National Imperative

Hypersonic vehicles or hypersonic missiles can travel faster than five times the speed of sound and are highly maneuverable. The combination of the CPS capability, and the stealth and mobility of the ZUMWALT-class destroyer, will provide the nation’s first sea-based hypersonic strike capability. 

Fielding CPS on the ZUMWALT-class destroyer will be a necessary and important step toward equipping the warfighter with a capability that embodies Lockheed Martin’s 21^st Century Security vision in support of our customers. 

Lockheed Martin is leveraging its corporate history of system integration on naval platforms and our more than 60 years of hypersonic strike experience to accelerate development on an unprecedented timeline. 

Release from U.S. Navy 

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WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro announced today that the formerly named Maury Hall, at United States Naval Academy (USNA), has been renamed Carter Hall. 

This renaming honors former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president from 1977 to 1981.  

  

The decision arrived after a congressionally mandated Naming Commission outlined several military assets across all branches of service that required renaming due to confederate ties. In September 2022, Secretary of Defense Austin Lloyd accepted all recommendations from the naming commission and gave each service until the end of 2023 to rename their assets. 

  

“When Secretary Austin directed us to implement the recommendations of the Naming Commission, he instructed us to give proud new names. Names that echo with honor, patriotism, and history. Names that will inspire generations of service members to defend our democracy and our Constitution,” Secretary Del Toro said during a renaming ceremony. “Today, on the Friday before Presidents Day weekend, that is exactly what we are doing. I can think of no one more worthy of this renaming than President Jimmy Carter.” 

  

Carter was born in 1924 and grew up in Georgia. After briefly attending college, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy in the Class of 1947. After graduation 1946 (his class graduated early to support the Fleet following World War II), he spent the next seven years as a submarine officer. In 1962, he returned to Georgia, entered state politics, and was ultimately elected as Governor of Georgia where he focused on government efficiency and human rights efforts regarding racial barriers. During Carter’s tenure as President of the United States he continued his efforts regarding equal rights for all, promoted economic and social development, and later received a Nobel Peace Prize for his work on peaceful solutions to international conflicts. 

  

“As part of our mission here at the Naval Academy, we strive to graduate leaders with the potential to assume the highest responsibilities of command, citizenship, and government.  Among all of our institution’s thousands of graduates, only one has assumed the one office that most wholly embodies each of these responsibilities, the office of the President of the United States. That graduate is, of course, our 39th President, President James Earl Carter, Naval Academy Class of 1947,” said U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent Vice Adm. Sean Buck. “We are here today to honor his legacy as one of our institution’s most distinguished graduates. By naming this building in his honor we not only recognize his great contributions, but ensure that his legacy will forever inspire our nation’s future leaders. For generations to come, when midshipmen walk the corridors of Carter Hall, I have no doubt that they will be reminded of President Carter’s example and his legacy of lifelong service, and reinvigorated with the call to serve we all answered when we took our first oath.” 

  

Family members of the Carter family, military and USNA leadership, and USNA students were present for the renaming ceremony. 

  

“It would be impossible to overstate what this Academy and the Navy has meant to my grandfather, and by extension to my family,” said Josh Carter. “It was life on the farm that gave my grandfather his work ethic and his ability to enjoy getting up at 5:30 every morning. But it was this school that taught him discipline, the value of expertise, and the importance of service. It is my hope that every student that comes through this great hall will learn the same foundational values that my grandfather learned here and through his career in the Navy.” 

  

Maury Hall was built and named in the early 1900s after Matthew Fontaine Maury. Maury was a leader in science and oceanography, nicknamed “pathfinder of the seas,” resigned his commission to serve in the Confederate Navy. 

Release from the U.S. Department of Defense 

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Feb. 17, 2023 

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced that the president has made the following nominations: 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Stephen D. Barnett for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Barnett is currently serving as commander, Navy Region Hawaii, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael W. Baze for appointment to the grade of rear admiral. Baze is currently serving as commander, Navy Personnel Command; and deputy chief of naval personnel, Millington, Tennessee. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard T. Brophy Jr., for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Brophy is currently serving as chief of Naval Air Training, Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Joseph F. Cahill III, for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Cahill is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Fifteen, San Diego, California. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Jeffrey J. Czerewko for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Czerewko is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Four, Norfolk, Virginia.  

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Brian L. Davies for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Davies is currently serving as commander, Submarine Group Two, with additional duties as deputy commander, Second Fleet, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael P. Donnelly for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Donnelly is currently serving as commander, Task Force Seven Zero; and commander, Carrier Strike Group Five, Yokosuka, Japan.   

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Kenneth W. Epps for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Epps is currently serving as commander, Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons Systems Support, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Rick Freedman for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Freedman is currently serving as deputy assistant director, Operations, Strategy, and Education and Training, Defense Heath Agency, with additional duties as chief of the Dental Corps, Falls Church, Virginia. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Daniel P. Martin for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Martin is currently serving as director, Maritime Operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Casey J. Moton for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Moton is currently serving as program executive officer, Unmanned and Small Combatants (PEO USC), Washington, D.C. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard E. Seif Jr., for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Seif is currently serving as commander, Submarine Group Seven; commander, Task Force Seven Four; and commander, Task Force Five Four, Yokosuka, Japan. 
  
Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Paul C. Spedero Jr., for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Spedero is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Eight, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Stephen R. Tedford for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Tedford is currently serving as program executive officer for Unmanned Aviation and Strike Weapons, Patuxent River, Maryland.  

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Derek A. Trinque for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Trinque is currently serving as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group Seven; commander, Task Force Seven Six; and commander, Amphibious Force, Seventh Fleet, Okinawa, Japan. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Dennis Velez for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Velez is currently serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group Ten, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Darryl L. Walker for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Walker is currently serving as commander, Combined Joint Task Force, Cyber, Tenth Fleet, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Navy Rear Adm. (lower half) Jeromy B. Williams for appointment to the grade of rear admiral.  Williams is currently serving as commander, Special Operations Command Pacific, U.S. Special Operations Command, Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii. 

Release from Textron Aviation 

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February 16, 2023 

WICHITA, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Textron Aviation today announced it has been awarded the Multi-Engine Training System (METS) contract by Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) through a full and open competition. 

Beechcraft King Air 260 Multi-Engine Training System (METS) T-54A for the U.S. Navy (Photo: Business Wire) 

The contract award is for up to 64 King Air 260 aircraft, which will be known as the T-54A. The initial Lot I award will procure 10 new Beechcraft King Air 260 commercial aircraft and associated support. Lot II and Lot III, if the options are exercised, would each procure up to 27 aircraft. Aircraft deliveries are planned from 2024 to 2026. 

The Beechcraft King Air 260 aircraft acquired under the METS contract will replace the Chief of Naval Air Training (CNATRA) fleet of T-44C Pegasus aircraft. The T-44C Pegasus aircraft is a variant of the twin-engine and pressurized Beechcraft King Air 90. The T-44 has been in service since 1977. 

“We are honored the U.S. Navy has again selected the Beechcraft King Air to fulfill its training needs,” said Bob Gibbs, vice president, Special Missions Sales for Textron Aviation. “METS will modernize multi-engine aircraft training at CNATRA, providing an intermediate and advanced training platform for U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Coast Guard aviators into the P-8, EP-3, KC-130, E-6, E-2, CMV-22, CV-22 and MV-22 aircraft.” 

METS specific capabilities include factory options for TACAN (Air to Air), angle of attack (AOA), V/UHF radio, digital audio system, engine trend monitoring, condition-based maintenance plus, observer/jump seat, passenger mission seats, and full-face oxygen masks. 

“With its advanced technology, the new METS platform will be more representative of fleet aircraft,” said Capt. Holly Shoger, Naval Undergraduate Flight Training Systems Program Office (PMA-273) program manager. “The T-54A will include an updated avionics suite, automation qualities, and virtual reality and augmented reality devices to better prepare students for the advanced aircraft they will fly in the fleet.” 

The King Air 260 METS aircraft will be delivered in a fully compliant, METS mission ready configuration from Textron Aviation’s King Air production line in Wichita, Kansas. 

Endless Special Missions Possibilities 

When government, military and commercial customers want airborne solutions for critical missions, they turn to Textron Aviation. The company’s aviation solutions provide the high performance and flight characteristics required to address the unique challenges of special missions operations. With unparalleled quality, versatility and low operating costs, Textron Aviation products are preferred for air ambulance, ISR, utility transport, aerial survey, flight inspection, training and a number of other special operations. 

King Air Leadership 

More than 7,700 Beechcraft King Air turboprops have been delivered to customers around the world since 1964, making it the best-selling business turboprop family in the world. The worldwide fleet has surpassed 62 million flight hours in its 58 years, serving roles in all branches of the U.S. military and flying both commercial and special missions roles around the world. 

About the King Air 260 

The King Air 260 brings state-of-the art technology to the cockpit and offers greater ease of flight. The cockpit features the Innovative Solutions & Support (IS&S) ThrustSense Autothrottle system, which supports pilots in their critical mission of delivering people or cargo by automatically managing engine power from the takeoff roll through the climb, cruise, descent, landing, and go-around phases of flight. This enhancement reduces pilot workload and is designed to prevent over-speed or under-speed, over-temp and over-torque conditions. 

The King Air 260 cockpit also features a digital pressurization controller, which automatically schedules cabin pressurization during both climb and descent, reducing pilot workload and increasing overall passenger comfort. The pressurization gauges have been integrated with the powerful Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fusion flight deck. 

The aircraft includes the Collins Multi-Scan RTA-4112 weather radar, providing pilots with a fully automatic system that is optimized to detect short, mid and long-range weather.

Release from Commander Task Force 71 

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16 February 2023 

From Commander, Task Force 71/Destroyer Squadron 15 Public Affairs 

YOKOSUKA, Japan - USS Barry (DDG 52) departed Commander, Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan Feb. 17, as part of a scheduled homeport shift following six years of service forward-deployed to U.S. 7th Fleet. 

Barry operated in the Indo-Pacific while assigned to Commander, Task Force (CTF) 71/Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest forward-deployed DESRON and the 7th Fleet’s principal surface force. 

“Barry and her crew stood the watch in the Western Pacific for nearly seven years,” said Capt. Walt Mainor, commodore, CTF 71/DESRON 15. “She leaves with an incredible legacy of being the Navy’s oldest destroyer who still accomplished the mission. She held the line and provided incredible firepower to our team without fail. We will miss the fight and determination of the Barry Bulldogs, but look forward to seeing her provide that same fire power to her new squadron-mates in DESRON 31.” 

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer will move to Everett, Washington — where the ship will undergo routine maintenance, joining the U.S. 3rd Fleet. Barry will be part of the Ke Koa O Ke Kai of DESRON 31 after her transit across the International Date Line. Barry arrived in Yokosuka in 2016 and successfully participated in numerous multilateral maritime exercises such as MALABAR, Maritime Counter Special Operations Exercise (MCSOFEX), Bilateral Advanced Warfare Training (BAWT), working alongside Allies and partners from Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Great Britain, and the Philippines, to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

Barry’s performance during Integrated Ship and Air Team Training (ISATT), Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT), and presence and Carrier Strike Group Operations with USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), resulted in Barry’s receipt of the Meritorious Unit Commendation Award during the COVID-19 pandemic while assigned to Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 5 during the 2020 deployment. 

Barry’s list of accolades continues, as she was the first ship to be awarded the Spokane Trophy and the Battenberg cup in 2020, the Battle Efficiency “Battle E”, the Unit Tactics Award, and Bloodhound Anti-Submarine Warfare award in 2021. 

“The ship and crew got the job done. Barry is leaving the 7th Fleet family on a high note.” said Cmdr. Grant Bryan, commanding officer, USS Barry. “Our families will miss Japan, and our Sailors will miss sailing alongside our nation’s strongest Allies.” 

While assigned to CTF 71, USS Barry participated in seven Allied and coalition exercises, 12 foreign port visits, and sailed nearly 3.8 million miles across the Pacific. 

“There’s nothing quite like serving alongside so many friends and partners in such a dynamic region of the world,” said Bryan. “Only 7th Fleet can provide the unique and unforgettable experiences to our Sailors that they will carry with them for the rest of their careers.” 

Boatswains Mate 3rd Class Jonathan Perezbaez has served onboard Barry for five of the six years in Japan, and said, “This ship has been through a lot, but every single challenge we met them head-on and we came out on top. Attitude reflects leadership, and every one of us onboard knows that our team is the greatest of all time.” 

7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with Allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region. 

Release from Austal USA 

***** 

FEBRUARY 16, 2023 

MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA delivered Expeditionary Fast Transport USNS Apalachicola (EPF 13) to the U.S. Navy, today. This is the 2nd Navy ship named after the coastal Florida city; both ships were built in Mobile. 

EPF 13 is now the largest surface ship in the U.S. Navy fleet with autonomous capability. EPF 13 went to sea five times over a several-month duration allowing Austal USA and their industry partners, L3Harris and General Dynamics Mission Systems, to test and analyze not only her typical ship systems but those resulting from autonomous design and construction contract modifications required by the Navy to establish EPF 13 as an autonomous prototype.  

“Austal USA is proud to deliver this ship to our Navy – it’s innovative and is going to be a critical asset as unmanned capabilities continue to push boundaries and redefine how missions are achieved,” commented Austal USA President Rusty Murdaugh. “Apalachicola will also be the first EPF with the ability to conduct V-22 flight operations, and launch and recover 11 meter Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs). A lot of capability is being delivered to our warfighters with this ship and I’m incredibly proud of our team of shipbuilders.” 

With a shallow draft and high-speed, the EPF’s agility provides a positional advantage in the littorals and makes it an ideal candidate to prototype large vessel autonomous operations, including logistics, tendering and adjunct magazine mission profiles. 

Fundamental to the autonomy effort was Austal USA’s highly automated in-house designed machinery control system (MCS), which allows the ship to be minimally manned by centralizing machinery operations to the bridge. All Spearhead-class EPFs built to date incorporate the Austal USA MCS design which is secure, scalable, distributive and reconfigurable for multiple propulsion configurations. 

Combined with the already highly automated hull, mechanical & electrical systems installed on EPF class ships, Austal USA added automated maintenance, health monitoring, and mission readiness to provide EPF 13 with the capability to conduct up to 30 days of operation without human intervention. 

EPF 13 is also the first Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel to be delivered to the Navy with enhanced capabilities to support V-22 flight operations and launch and recover 11 meter RHIBs. These upgrades along with EPF’s speed, maneuverability and shallow water access are key enablers for support of future Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations around the world. 

Autonomous vessel capability has been identified as an area of strategic importance by the Navy. Austal USA is working to advance autonomous capability and is partnered with L3Harris on the MCS upgrade of Overlord vessel, Mariner (OUSV 3), and construction of Vanguard (OUSV 4), and with Saildrone, Inc. on the manufacture of Surveyor unmanned surface vehicles. Combined with investments from academia in uncrewed technology, south Alabama is quickly becoming the epicenter of autonomous naval architecture.

Release from United States Navy 

***** 

From Petty Officer 1st Class Abigayle Lutz, Naval History and Heritage Command 

WASHINGTON - Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) confirmed the identity of a wreck site off the coast of Hokkaido, Japan, as USS Albacore (SS 218) Feb. 16. 

NHHC’s Underwater Archaeology Branch (UAB) used information and imagery provided by Dr. Tamaki Ura, from the University of Tokyo, to confirm the identity of Albacore, which was lost at sea Nov. 7, 1944. 
 
“As the final resting place for Sailors who gave their life in defense of our nation, we sincerely thank and congratulate Dr. Ura and his team for their efforts in locating the wreck of Albacore,” said NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, U.S. Navy rear admiral (retired). “It is through their hard work and continued collaboration that we could confirm Albacore’s identity after being lost at sea for over 70 years.” 
 
Japanese records originating from the Japan Center for Asian Historical Records (JACAR) covering the loss of an American submarine on Nov. 7, 1944, guided Dr. Ura’s missions. The location mentioned in the records matched a separate ongoing effort by UAB volunteers to establish the location of the shipwreck. 
 
Dr. Ura’s team collected data using a Remotely Operated Vehicle to confirm the historical data. Strong currents, marine growth, and poor visibility on site made it challenging to fully document the wreck or obtain comprehensive images. However, several key features of a late 1944 Gato-class submarine were identified in the video. 
 
Indications of documented modifications made to Albacore prior to her final patrol such as the presence of an SJ Radar dish and mast, a row of vent holes along the top of the superstructure, and the absence of steel plates along the upper edge of the fairwater allowed UAB to confirm the wreck site finding as Albacore. 
 
The wreck of Albacore is a U.S. sunken military craft protected by U.S. law and under the jurisdiction of NHHC. While non-intrusive activities, such as remote sensing documentation, on U.S. Navy sunken military craft is allowed, any intrusive or potentially intrusive activities must be coordinated with NHHC and if appropriate, authorized through a relevant permitting program. Most importantly, the wreck represents the final resting place of Sailors that gave their life in defense of the nation and should be respected by all parties as a war grave. 
 
Albacore was constructed by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, CT and commissioned on June 1, 1942. Before being lost in 1944, she conducted 11 war patrols and is credited with 10 confirmed enemy vessel sinkings, with possibly another three not yet confirmed. Albacore earned nine battle stars and four Presidential Unit Citations during her career. Six of the ten enemy sinkings were enemy combatant ships, ranking her as one of the most successful submarines against enemy combatants during World War II. 
 
For more information on Albacore, please visit our website.

 
NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC comprises many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, 10 museums, USS Constitution repair facility, and the historic ship Nautilus.