MOBILE, Ala. – Austal USA was awarded a $3.6 million contract by the U.S. Navy for the functional design of the Navajo-class Towing, Salvage and Rescue Ship (T-ATS) May 28, the company said in a June 7 release. This marks the first steel new construction contract for the company after breaking ground on a new steel manufacturing line in March. The line will be operational in April 2022. 

Austal will define detailed requirements to construct, test, and deliver T-ATS ships in accordance with government ship specifications. T-ATS is a 263-foot (80 meter) steel hulled multi-mission platform scheduled to replace the capabilities of both the retiring Rescue and Salvage Ship (T-ARS 50) class and Fleet Ocean Tug (T-ATF 166) class mission requirements. The ships are able to support towing, salvage, rescue, oil spill response, humanitarian assistance, and wide area search and surveillance.  

T-ATS can also embark containerized systems including cyber, electronic warfare, and decoy and surveillance packages. The work will be performed in Mobile, Alabama. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Office of the Secretary of Defense Strategic Capabilities Office (SCO), in partnership with the U.S. Navy, recently conducted a second long-range autonomous transit with a Ghost Fleet Overlord Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) from the Gulf Coast, passing through the Panama Canal, to the West Coast. 

The unmanned vessel, named Nomad, traveled 4,421 nautical miles, 98% of which was in autonomous mode. The first Ghost Fleet Overlord vessel, Ranger, completed a similar transit in October 2020. Both USVs passed through the Panama Canal while in manual mode. 

The Nomad transit provided an opportunity for extended testing of vessel endurance, autonomous operations, and interoperability of government command, control, communications, computers and intelligence systems with vendor autonomy, hull mechanical and hull electrical systems. Remote mission command and control for the Nomad transit was conducted from an ashore Unmanned Operations Center operated by U.S. Navy Sailors from Surface Development Squadron One. 

“This is another significant milestone for SCO’s Ghost Fleet Overlord program and supports the Navy’s Unmanned Campaign Framework by adding a second Overlord vessel to the West Coast. The SCO Ghost Fleet Overlord program serves to inform Navy prototype efforts by integrating mature technologies to accelerate Service priorities and is a key piece of the build a little, test a little, and learn a lot philosophy articulated in the Navy Unmanned Campaign Framework,” said SCO Director Jay Dryer. 

The NomadUSV is joining the Ranger USV to participate in fleet experimentation exercises to further mature the autonomy systems, demonstrate system reliability, and explore employment concepts for coordinated operations with manned combatants while stressing our command-and-control systems. Both vessels will continue to provide key system data, enable fleet operator feedback, and demonstrate capabilities essential to continued maturation and development of USV concepts of operation. 

The Ghost Fleet Overlord program is currently in its second phase, which began in September 2019 and focuses on the integration of government-furnished command-and-control systems and payloads and more complex and challenging naval operations experimentation. Phase II is being conducted with the same vessels and industry teams that took part in Phase I and will conclude in early 2022, at which point both Ghost Fleet Overlord vessels will transition to the Navy for further experimentation. 

The Ghost Fleet Overlord program, executed by SCO in partnership with Program Executive Office – Unmanned and Small Combatants, is playing a central role in informing the Navy’s new classes of USVs and serving as part of extensive technical risk-reduction efforts. 

“Our close partnership with SCO on the Overlord program is accelerating the technology demonstration, CONOPs [concept of operations] development, and operational command and control of unmanned surface vessels in direct alignment with the Navy’s plans,” said Capt. Pete Small, Navy program manager for USVs. 

Two additional Ghost Fleet Overlord prototype USVs are currently under construction and will be used to expand and accelerate the Navy’s experimentation and testing. 

FAIRFAX, Va. — General Dynamics Mission Systems announced June 7 it was awarded a $72.8 million contract from the U.S. Navy to retrofit five Block 0 Knifefish surface mine countermeasure unmanned underwater vehicle (SMCM UUV) systems, which comprises 10 Knifefish SMCM vehicles. The retrofit requirements will enhance Knifefish operations at deeper depths, identify more complex target environments and provide more precise localization.

Once complete, all 10 Knifefish Block 0 UUVs will be upgraded with the new requirements integrated and redelivered in the Block 1 configuration. 

Knifefish SMCM is a medium-class mine countermeasure UUV intended for deployment from the Navy’s littoral combat ship and other Navy vessels of opportunity. Knifefish SMCM will reduce risk to personnel by operating within minefields as an off-board sensor while the host ship stays outside the minefield boundaries. 

“General Dynamics Mission Systems is honored to extend our support to the U.S. Navy with this increased capability on all five Knifefish SMCM systems,” said Carlo Zaffanella, vice president and general manager at General Dynamics Mission Systems. “We are proud to provide the Navy with advanced, state-of-the-art unmanned underwater vehicles, and we are dedicated to delivering this technology safely and quickly to our sailors.” 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Canberra (LCS 30), during a 12 p.m. CDT ceremony Saturday, June 5 in Mobile, Alabama, the Defense Department said in a June 4 release. 

The Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Senator the Honourable Marise Payne, serves as the ship’s sponsor. As she is unable to attend, His Excellency the Honourable Arthur Sinodinos, Australian Ambassador to the United States, will deliver the christening ceremony’s principal address. Todd Schafer, acting assistant secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations, and Environment) and Vice Adm. Ricky Williamson, deputy chief of naval operations for Fleet Readiness and Logistics (N4) will also provide remarks. In a time-honored Navy tradition, the Australian Ambassador’s wife, Elizabeth Anne Sinodinos, will break a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow on behalf of Foreign Minister Payne. 

“Tomorrow we christen the second USS Canberra named for the great capital city of Australia, our stalwart ally and superb naval partner,” said acting secretary of the Navy Thomas Harker. “In so doing we move one step closer to welcoming a new ship to Naval service and transitioning the platform from a mere hull number to a ship with a name and spirit. There is no doubt future Sailors aboard this ship will carry on the same values of honor, courage and commitment upheld by crews from an earlier vessel that bore this name.”   

LCS is a fast, agile, mission-focused platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, winning against 21st-century coastal threats. The platform is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence. 

The LCS class consists of two variants, the Freedom-variant and the Independence-variant, designed and built by two industry teams. The Freedom variant team is led by Lockheed Martin in Marinette, Wisconsin (for the odd-numbered hulls). The Independence-variant team is led by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama, (for LCS 6 and the subsequent even-numbered hulls). 

LCS 30 is the 15th Independence-variant LCS and 30th in class. It is the second ship named in honor of the city of Canberra. The first USS Canberra (CA 70) was laid down as USS Pittsburgh on Sept. 3, 1941, and renamed Canberra on Oct. 15, 1942. She was named in honor of the Australian heavy cruiser HMAS Canberra, which sank after receiving heavy damage during the Battle of Savo Island. 

CA 70 was the first U.S. Navy cruiser named for a foreign capital. USS Canberra (CA 70) received seven battle stars for her service in World War II. In May 1958, Canberra served as the ceremonial flagship for the selection of the Unknown Serviceman of World War II and Korea. Canberra was decommissioned in a ceremony on Feb. 2, 1970, at the San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard. One of her propellers is preserved at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum, while the ship’s bell was donated to the Australian National Maritime Museum in 2001. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — A June 4, 2021, ceremony marked the U.S. Navy’s official establishment a program office for the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG(X)), the ship that will follow the Flight III Arleigh Burke-class DDG in Navy service.  

The program office, designated PMS 460, is now part of the Program Executive Office (PEO) – Ships. Its stand-up was approved on April 22 through a memo by the acting secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition approving the establishment of the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG(X)) program office, said Alan Baribeau, a spokesman for the PEO. 

The DDG(X) program office includes “16 headquarters billets supporting PMS 460, including 11 incumbent billets from PMS 320 focusing on Integrated Power Systems and other Electric Ships initiatives.  

Below is the Navy’s statement on the establishment of PMS 460: 

“The Acting Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition has approved the establishment of the Guided Missile Destroyer (DDG(X)) program office within Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. Capt. David Hart is assigned as the Major Program Manager and Katherine Connelly as the Deputy Program Manager. DDG(X) leadership is tasked with developing an acquisition strategy, a design/technical data package and ship construction, testing, fleet introduction and sustainment plans. 

“The Guided Missile Destroyer will provide the flexibility and margins necessary to succeed the DDG-51 class as the Navy’s next enduring large surface combatant combining the DDG 51 FLT III combat systems elements with a new hull form, an efficient Integrated Power System and greater endurance reducing the fleet logistics burden. 

“In conjunction with this establishment, PEO Ships’ Electric Ships program office will transition into the DDG(X) program office. Electric Ships was established to generate and execute an integrated power system development and transition plan. DDG(X) is the embodiment of that vision. This integration will further utilize the expertise that has been cultivated within the Electric Ships portfolio.”  

The Navy said a further statement that a “formal acquisition strategy for DDG(X) is being developed to ensure a smooth transition between Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) Class and DDG(X). Preliminary through Detail Design for DDG(X) will be accomplished through a collaborative, multi-disciplinary Navy-industry effort composed of the surface combatant shipbuilders, suppliers, ship design agents and other subject matter experts. Through FY21, Navy continued Conceptual Design efforts for DDG(X) and began collaboration with DDG 51 shipyards to achieve the Chief of Naval Operations cost, schedule and performance targets. These collaborative efforts will continue into FY22 with the start of Preliminary Design. The PB22 budget request funds transition from Conceptual Design to Preliminary Design, brings industry teams fully onboard, and continues Integrated Power System and hull form land-based test activities to ensure program risk reduction. FY22 preliminary design will lead to FY26 Detail Design and FY28 construction start.” 

WASHINGTON — The Navy accepted delivery of the next-generation landing craft, Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC), Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) 102, June 3, the Navy’s Program Executive Office – Ships said in a release. 

Delivery follows successful completion of Acceptance Trials with the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey to test the readiness and capability of the craft and to validate requirements. 
 
“SSC provides the Navy and Marine Corps team with the capability and capacity needed to execute a range of complex missions with agility and speed,” said Capt. Cedric McNeal, program manager, Amphibious Warfare Programs, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “With increases in performance and reliability, this next generation craft will meet the needs of the fleet for years to come.” 
 
LCACs are built with similar configurations, dimensions, and clearances to legacy LCAC, ensuring the compatibility of this next-generation air cushion vehicle with existing well deck equipped amphibious ships, as well as the Expeditionary Transfer Dock. 
 
The SSC program is now in serial production with LCACs 103-115 making progress on the production lines at Textron Systems in Slidell, Louisiana.   
 
SSC training craft, LCACs 100 and 101 are in the initial operator training pipeline and are in post-delivery test and trials at Naval Surface Warfare Center Panama City Division. 

WASHINGTON – U.S. senators and House members representing Mississippi sent President Joseph Biden a letter opposing his recent budget request for the U.S. Navy, which would reduce the number of ships in the fleet and cut a destroyer from the Navy’s procurement plan for Fiscal Year 2022.  

The letter was spearheaded by Republican Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and signed by House Reps. Bennie Thompson, Steven Palazzo, Trent Kelly and Michael Guest. Thompson is a Democrat and the other signers are Republicans.

“We were deeply troubled by the shipbuilding portion of the Navy’s recently released budget request for Fiscal Year 2022, which reduced the number of planned ships from 12 to just eight. This sends the exact wrong message to our global competitors — particularly China, which now boasts the world’s largest Navy fleet and is continuing to build modern warships at a breakneck pace,” the members wrote.  

In 2018, the Navy embarked on a five-year contract to procure a minimum of 10 Arleigh Burke-class DDG 51 Flight III destroyers, which are built in Pascagoula, Mississippi, and Bath, Maine. The president’s budget request would procure only one destroyer, down from the planned rate of two. The lawmakers emphasized this would have adverse consequences to both the shipbuilding industry and its thousands of employees. 

“There is simply no shortcut to building the naval fleet that America needs. We urge you to intervene by restoring a second destroyer to the budget request and prioritizing reaching a 355-ship fleet,” the lawmakers concluded. 

Read the full letter here. 

TOULON, France – U.S. Navy Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday met with Chief of the French Navy Adm. Pierre Vandier June 4, in Toulon, France, to discuss ways to advance high-end interoperability between both navies as well their recently released naval strategies (CNO’s Navigation Plan and Adm. Vandier’s Mercator: Acceleration 2021), the CNO’s public affairs office said in a June 4 release. 
 
“France is our oldest ally, and I am encouraged that the bond of friendship forged between our navies centuries ago continues to grow stronger today with Adm. Vandier at the helm,” said Gilday. “Our maritime forces operate jointly across the globe, including the Indo-Pacific and Middle East, and together, we are where it matters, when it matters.” 
 
French and U.S. Naval forces have participated in a number of exercises and operations together since April, including Steadfast Defender, Jeanne D’Arc (ARC) 21, La Perouse and Dual Carrier operations in 5th Fleet. 
 
“The French navy remains firmly committed to deepening interoperability with our U.S. allies,” said Vandier. “Over the past 20 years, we have seen significant growth in this area, and I look forward to continuing that trajectory in the face of common challenges. To do so, we must work together to ensure our people, processes and technology are able to operate side-by-side, now and in the future.” 

During the discussion, Gilday also thanked Vandier for the Charles de Gaulle Strike Group assuming command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 50 this past spring. 

This was Gilday’s first visit to France as CNO. 

COPENHAGEN – Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday travelled to Denmark June 2 to meet with his Navy counterpart as well as other senior Danish leadership to discuss areas for continued mutual cooperation, the Navy said in a release. 

During his visit, Gilday met with the Danish Minister of Defence, Trine Bramsen, Permanent Secretary of State for Defence, Morten Bæk, Chief of the Royal Danish Navy Rear Adm. Torben Mikkelsen, and Joint Arctic Commander RADM Martin La Cour-Andersen, among others. 

“Denmark is a key maritime partner and I am grateful that our navy-to-navy relationship has expanded the past several years,” said Gilday. “This visit was an important opportunity for us to build upon our solid foundation, discuss ways to strengthen our navies’ partnership, particularly in the area of maritime domain awareness, as well as reinforce our commitment to the region and the NATO alliance.” 

The U.S. Navy and the Royal Danish Navy routinely operate together throughout the globe, specifically in anti-submarine warfare and integrated air and missile defense (IAMD). Royal Danish Navy Air Defense Frigate HDMS Iver Huitfeldt (F361) is one of fifteen ships from ten countries participating in the on-going Exercise At-Sea Demo/Formidable Shield 2021. This is the first time that a Danish air defense frigate has participated in this exercise. 

“The United States Navy is one of our closest maritime partners, and there is a strong working relationship and friendship between our navies,” said Mikkelsen. “Throughout the years the US-Danish naval cooperation has grown stronger and stronger, and I am sure that we can continue to widen our cooperation in the future to the benefit of both our navies and the NATO alliance.” 

This trip marked the second time Gilday has met with Mikkelsen, and his first visit to Denmark as CNO. 

EVERETT, Wash. – Naval Station Everett was designated as the Navy’s future homeport for the initial ships of the next generation of guided missile frigates, a new and improved class of small surface combatant ships, the commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a June 2 release. 

As an important homeport for Navy ships, Naval Station Everett will continue to support the fleet, its service members, and their families. 
 
Everett will serve as the homeport for 12 Constellation-class Frigates, with a future Navy homeport decision planned for the following ships. The Navy’s homeporting plan will ensure forces are optimally postured to support national security. 
 
The new Constellation-class frigates will be built with improved capability to support the National Defense Strategy goal of achieving a resilient and agile force more quickly and affordably. 
 
This new class of frigate are designed to be agile, multi-mission warships, capable of operations in both blue-water and littoral environments, within a strike group or independently, to provide increased combat-credible forward presence.  
 
Specifically, Constellation-class frigates will include an Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar, Baseline Ten Aegis Combat System, Mk41 Vertical Launch System, enhanced C4ISR capabilities, Mk110 57mm Gun, countermeasures, and added design flexibility for future growth.  
 
Last year the Navy awarded a contract to build the first new frigate, the USS Constellation (FFG 62), scheduled to be delivered in 2026. 
 
The previous Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates entered service between 1977 and 1989. They were decommissioned between 1994 and 2015. The last Everett homeported frigate, USS Rodney M. Davis, was decommissioned in 2015. 
 
The Navy’s Surface Force is the preeminent means available for our nation to protect its interests and sustain its prosperity around the globe. The Navy remains focused on building and deploying combat ready, battle-minded teams capable of carrying out their missions today and tomorrow, at home and abroad.  Constellation-class frigates will help us do that and enable us to maintain our advantage at sea.    
 
As a shore installation, Naval Station Everett supports the fleet so that active and reserve military are ready to operate in the interest of national defense. The Navy plans to increase capabilities across the enterprise. For shore installations, that includes improvements that offer greater capacity for support to a growing number of Navy ships in the fleet.