JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Boeing has delivered the first Super Hornet test aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel flight demonstration squadron, the company said in a June 3 release. 

The unpainted aircraft now enters the flight test and evaluation phase at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. Boeing expects to deliver a total of 11 aircraft for the squadron this year. 

“The Super Hornet is an iconic representation of excellence in naval aviation,” said retired Adm. Pat Walsh, vice president of U.S. Navy & Marine Corps Services for Boeing. Walsh flew with the Blue Angels from 1985 to 1987 as the Left Wingman (No. 3) and Slot Pilot (No. 4). “As Boeing continues to support the operational fleet of Navy Super Hornets, we are excited to see this platform enter a critical phase of its journey to joining the team.” 

The flight demonstration squadron has flown Boeing or Boeing-heritage aircraft for more than 50 years, starting with the F-4J Phantom II in 1969, and then moving to the A-4F Skyhawk. The team operates the F/A-18A-D Hornet today. 

Boeing converts F/A-18 Hornets and Super Hornets into Blue Angels at the company’s Cecil Field facility in Jacksonville, Florida. 

Major modifications include the addition of an oil tank for the smoke-generation system, fuel systems that enable the aircraft to fly inverted for extended periods of time, civilian-compatible navigation equipment, cameras and adjustments for the aircraft’s center of gravity. 

ARLINGTON, Va. — The U.S. Navy’s Advanced Aerial Sensor (AAS) has been deployed to the western Pacific, according to a release from the squadron that deployed the AAS on its P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol reconnaissance aircraft. 

Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45), based out of Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida, returned May 29 from an eight-month deployment to the western Pacific in support of the U.S. 7th Fleet. In a June 2 release announcing the return, the squadron noted its role in deploying the new radar system. 

“VP-45 had the task of being the Navy’s first global force-managed squadron to deploy the [AAS] aircraft for theater [anti-submarine warfare],” the release said. 

“Aircrew and maintenance accelerated the timeline on AAS’ role in the theater, helping operational planners prepare future deployments,” VP-45 Cmdr. Paul Nickell said in the release. “VP-45 maintainers executed over 13,000 man hours, ensuring every mission succeeded.” 

The APS-154 AAS is a development of the P-3C’s APS-149 Littoral Surveillance Radar System for the P-8A Poseidon. The AAS is solid-state, wide-aperture, active electronically scanned array radar housed in a long pod under the fuselage. The sensor is designed to provide standoff detection and tracking of moving targets and high-resolution ground mapping. Flight tests on the first P-8A test aircraft began in April 2014. 

During its deployment, VP-45 conducted maritime intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), theater security cooperation and anti-submarine warfare missions. The squadron flew more than 5,000 flight hours during more than 875 sorties. The squadron operated from Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean to northern Japan, down to southern Australia and across several Asia-pacific nations, the release said. 

The squadron also received aerial refueling on some flights, including on one that allowed for the first long-range, persistent ASW event that spanned half the 7th Fleet’s area of operations.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy secretary and chief of naval operations on June 2 announced these assignments: 

Rear Adm. James S. Bynum is serving as director, warfare development, N72, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Bynum was director, Assessment Division, N81, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. Charles B. Cooper II will be assigned as commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia. Copper served as chief of legislative affairs, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. Marc H. Dalton is serving as director, Assessment Division, N81, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Dalton was director, maritime operations (DMOC/N04), U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. Roy I. Kitchener will be assigned as commander, Naval Surface Forces, and as commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, San Diego. Kitchener is serving as commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. John F. Meier is serving as commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic, Norfolk, Virginia. Meier served as commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. Lorin C. Selby is serving as chief of naval research, Arlington, Virginia. Selby served as deputy commander for ship design, integration, and naval engineering, SEA-05, Naval Sea Systems Command, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. John B. Skillman will be assigned as director, Programming Division, N80, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C. Skillman is serving as director, enterprise support, N1, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Arlington, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Daniel W. Dwyer, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as director, plans and policy, J5, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. Dwyer is serving as chief of naval air training, Corpus Christi, Texas. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Peter A. Garvin, selected for promotion to rear admiral, will be assigned as commander, Naval Education and Training Command, Pensacola, Florida. Garvin is assigned as commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, Norfolk, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Fred I. Pyle, selected for promotion to rear admiral, is serving as commander, Navy Warfare Development Command, Norfolk, Virginia. Pyle previously served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 3, Bremerton, Washington. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) James A. Aiken is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 3, Bremerton, Washington. Aiken served as deputy director for resources and acquisition, J8, Joint Staff, Washington, D.C. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Thomas J. Anderson will be assigned as program executive officer for ships, Washington, D.C. Anderson served as commander, Regional Maintenance Center, Washington, D.C.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Michael E. Boyle will be assigned as director, maritime operations (DMOC/N04), U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Boyle served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 12, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Richard J. Cheeseman Jr., is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 2, Norfolk, Virginia. Cheeseman served as assistant commander for career management, PERS-4, Navy Personnel Command, Millington, Tennessee. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Craig A. Clapperton is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 12, Norfolk, Virginia. Clapperton served as deputy director, operations, J3, U.S. Cyber Command, Fort Meade, Maryland. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Kristen B. Fabry will be assigned as commander, Defense Logistics Agency-Land and Maritime, Columbus, Ohio. Fabry is serving as director, logistics, fleet supply and ordnance, N4, U.S. Pacific Fleet, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Sara A. Joyner is serving as chief of legislative affairs, Washington, D.C. Joyner previously served as commander, Carrier Strike Group 2, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Robert D. Katz is serving as commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 2, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Katz served as director, joint/fleet operations, U.S. Fleet Forces Command, Norfolk, Virginia. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) James A. Kirk is serving as commander, Carrier Strike Group 11, Everett, Washington. Kirk served as deputy commander/chief of staff, Joint Warfare Center, Allied Command Transformation, Stavanger, Norway. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) Timothy J. Kott will be assigned as commander, Carrier Strike Group 1, San Diego. Kott is serving as assistant chief of staff, operations, Allied Joint Forces Command, Naples, Italy.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Frederick R. Luchtman is serving as commander, Naval Safety Center, and lead for the Physiological Episodes (PE) Effort, Norfolk, Virginia. Luchtman served as lead for the PE Effort, Arlington, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Lance G. Scott will be assigned as commander, Patrol and Reconnaissance Group, Norfolk, Virginia. Scott is serving as chief, Global Operations Center, U.S. Transportation Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. 

Rear Adm. (lower half) John D. Spencer will be assigned as commander, Submarine Group Ten, Kings Bay, Georgia. Spencer is serving as director, Nuclear Support Directorate, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Fort Belvoir, Virginia.  

Rear Adm. (lower half) Eric H. Ver Hage is serving as commander, Regional Maintenance Center, Washington, D.C. Ver Hage served as commander, Naval Surface Warfare Center, and as commander, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Washington, D.C. 

BAE Systems announced June 2 that it had completed test shots of its APKWS laser-guided rockets from a tactical configuration ground-based weapon system for the first time. The proof-of-concept testing demonstrated the APKWS rockets’ ability to deliver standoff precision-strike capabilities for ground forces, providing a solution for warfighters engaging targets with greater range than small arms fire and without the need for air support.

BAE Systems tested the APKWS rockets at the U.S. Army’s Yuma Proving Ground, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy and Arnold Defense, a manufacturer of rocket launchers. The team used Arnold’s Fletcher 2.75-inch/70 mm Weapon System concept – a purpose-built laser-guided rocket launcher for ground vehicles – to fire several shots.

“Our customers see the value in low-cost, precision-strike capabilities that reduce the risk of collateral damage, and they want the flexibility to deliver them from the platform of their choice,” said Greg Procopio, director of Precision Guidance and Sensing Solutions at BAE Systems. “Demand is growing for ground-to-ground precision munitions that provide a safe standoff distance for small ground units. We’re working closely with our customer and partners to deliver that capability.”

Ground-launched APKWS rockets could provide mounted and dismounted units with a unique way to engage soft and lightly armored targets from a variety of platforms, according to the company. The low size, weight and power requirements of ground-launched APKWS rockets make them useful for tactical lightweight vehicles, remote weapon stations, non-standard tactical vehicles and stationary platforms.

“We designed Fletcher specifically as a ground launcher for precision-guided 70 mm rockets,” said Jim Hager, president and CEO at Arnold Defense. “Fletcher-launched APKWS rockets enable our military customers to engage targets from more than just airborne platforms. We envision Fletcher being used on everything from trucks and tracked vehicles to marine platforms in the future.”

APKWS laser-guided rockets are the only U.S. government program of record for precision-guided 70 mm rockets. All four U.S. armed forces use APKWS rockets, and it is available to U.S. allies via foreign military sales.

ARLINGTON, Va. — The carrier air wing assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford is working up on its flight deck and conducting air operations with inert ordnance, the wing commander said. 

Speaking June 1 to reporters by teleconference while operating off the Virginia Capes, Capt. Joshua Sager said his seven squadrons assigned to Carrier Air Wing 8 (CVW-8) are on board the carrier for the first time, beginning a lengthy training cycle of catapult launches and arrested landings and working up to ordnance loads and dropping inert ordnance on targets. 

The Ford’s commanding officer, Capt. J.J. Cummings, also speaking in the teleconference, said the ship has unloaded 40,000 pounds of inert ordnance for CVW-8 to expend during its training. He said the newly operational aft lower Advanced Weapons Elevator (AWE) is getting a workout servicing the air wing. 

Sager said the AWE “gives us a lot of flexibility to access what is normally deeper in the magazine” — especially to make changes to ordnance loads in real time, as the mission set might change before aircraft are launched. 

“We’re actually testing that out while we’re out here,” he said. “We’re actually taking the carrier qualification mission to a mission that focuses on combat operations and executing that capability. It’s been an absolute an honor to be a part of that trajectory that we’re on.”      

The Ford has achieved 167 arrested landings in one day so far with the Advanced Arresting Gear, and Sager plans to show that the ship/air wing team can beat that number. 

Cummings said the reliability of the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System is climbing.  

James F. Geurts, assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition, also in the teleconference, said the Ford’s current at-sea period is serving to “exercise the equipment hard.”  

Sager said the air wing would not need recovery tanking during this at-sea period because of the availability of divert airfields within easy range. Mission tanking would be conducted for practice strikes into North Carolina. 

With more than 1,000 air wing personnel embarked, the ship’s galleys all are fully operating, Cummings said. The ship and air wing are free of any cases of COVID-19 among the personnel embarked, he said. 

CVW-8 includes four strike fighter squadrons flying F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, one carrier airborne early warning squadron flying E-2 Hawkeyes, one helicopter maritime strike squadron operating MH-60R Seahawks and one helicopter sea combat squadron flying MH-60S Seahawks. 

Sager declined to comment on plans for an electronic attack (VAQ) squadron flying EA-18G Growlers to join the air wing in the future. The VAQ squadron formerly assigned to the wing is assigned an expeditionary role.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Kenneth J. Braithwaite was sworn in as the 77th secretary of the Navy on May 29, the Navy said in a release.

At the May 29 ceremony at the Pentagon, officiated by Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper, Braithwaite was joined by his family, the chief of naval operations and the commandant of the Marine Corps. 

The secretary is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Pennsylvania. He began his military service as a naval aviator, later transitioning to public affairs officer. His military career culminated in service as the U.S. Navy’s vice chief of information. As a civilian, Braithwaite worked in both public- and private-sector leadership roles. Prior to his current position he served as the 31st U.S. Ambassador to the Kingdom of Norway. 

Below is a message released on that date to the men and women of the Department of the Navy. It has been edited for grammar: 

“To Sailors, Marines, and all men and women of the Department of the Navy serving across this great world: Today marks the honor of my life, taking the oath of office to become the 77th but, more importantly, your Secretary of the Navy. 

I am incredibly humbled to stand before you, the greatest Navy and Marine Corps in the world to accept this responsibility. For nearly 35 years, I, like you, have served our country, first as a U.S. naval officer deploying around the world to include sailing into harm’s way, and most recently as our U.S. ambassador to Norway, a nation important to our national security. Never have I ever doubted why we serve — to protect and defend the greatest nation on earth, the United States of America.

For more than two centuries, the department has exemplified the strength and resilience of the nation we represent. Through tragedy and triumph, in both peace and in war, the source of our strength has been three simple but extremely powerful words: honor, courage and commitment. 

As each of you know, they must be our guide stars as we navigate challenges around the globe. We can never forget that they are written in the blood of those who sailed before us: from John Paul Jones to Doris Miller, from Grace Hopper to Jason Dunham, all part of a formidable anchor chain of service through which each of you is an important part. 

Make no mistake, we face significant challenges today. Our nation is up against perhaps the greatest test of our commitment to the ideals we hold dear than at any time in our history, surely since the end of World War II. We must recognize this challenge for all it is and all it presents, lurking in the shadows of deceit or the depths of dishonesty. However, our Navy and Marine Corps have faced tough times before. Each time we have prevailed, and we will persevere again. It is our sacred duty, and we shall do so by relying on our core values, the bedrock of our service and the key to our success: honor, courage and commitment. 

The object of success for our service is simple: American sea power. America always has been and always will be a maritime nation. America and our principles of freedom rely on sea power delivered by a strong and capable Navy and Marine Corps. Each of you provides that power through your actions each day — actions that demonstrate our resolve to place service above self. 

I look forward to the days ahead to do all I can on your behalf, ensuring that you have the opportunity to thrive and succeed in your service to our nation. American sea power will continue to defend our nation, and American sea power will continue to preserve peace while deterring any and all that would challenge our way of life. And when or if we find it necessary, American sea power will decisively win in battle, which is our solemn duty because there can be no alternative. 

Please accept my personal appreciation, which I sincerely send to every one of you for your selfless service; your devotion to duty; and for your honor, courage and commitment. I am privileged to stand with you, the greatest Navy and Marine Corps the world has ever known in your service to the people of America. Godspeed to you and us all in this great endeavor!” 

ARLINTON, Va. — Naval Air Systems Command is looking at options for an aircraft to replace the T-44C Pegasus multi-engine training aircraft, but the ultimate choice may not be “new.” The Navy is exploring options for adapting an existing aircraft design to the service’s Multi-Engine Training System (METS). 

According to a draft request for information (RFI) posted May 26, the Navy is looking at existing twin-engine aircraft to replace the service’s fleet of 54 T-44Cs used to train Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard pilots to fly aircraft such as the V-22 Osprey, E-2C/D Hawkeye, P-8 Poseidon, P-3 and EP-3 Orion, C-130/KC-130/HC-130 Hercules, E-6 Mercury, C-40 Clipper, HC-27 Spartan and HC-144 Ocean Sentry. 

The T-44A, a variant of the Beech King Air 90 business aircraft, first entered service in 1980. The existing T-44As all have been modified to the T-44C configuration.  

The Navy said the METS should have an FAA type certification for single- and dual-pilot operations under day and night visual flight rules and under instrument flight rules. It shall cruise at speeds greater or equal to 195 knots and shall be able to operate at a minimum of 20,000 feet above sea level. The aircraft also should have an endurance of 3.5 or more flight hours. 

The pressurized aircraft cockpit will have side-by-side seating, as well as a jump seat for an instruct. The cockpit will be equipped with multifunction displays with digital moving map; redundant VHF and UHF radios; an integrated GPS/inertial navigation system; Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast; flight management system; weather radar, radar altimeter, and a cockpit data recorder.  

The METS aircraft also shall have tricycle landing gear and a reconfigurable cargo bay in the cabin.

ARLINGTON, Va. — Following “intense investigation,” the FBI says concerns that a second person may have assisted the gunman in the thwarted attack May 21 on Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas, have been allayed.

One member of the Navy Security Force (NSF) was injured and the gunman was slain by other NSF personnel in the attempt to breach the North Gate of the naval base, which the FBI has said was “terrorism-related.”

See: Active Shooter Thwarted at NAS Corpus Christi

“While there was initial concern about a potential second person of interest, intense investigation leads us now to believe there was not,” the FBI’s Houston office, which is heading the investigation, said in a Twitter post on May 26, adding that the shooting “remains an active investigation.”

Officials identified the gunman as Adam Alsahli, 20, of Corpus Christi, a former student at a local community college. The FBI said Alsahli was a Syrian-born U.S. citizen, but have not explained why they are calling the attack terrorism-related.

The FBI is working with Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) agents as well as the Corpus Christi Police Department and personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) headquarters in Washington. A sweep of the incident area found no explosives.

According to reports, the gunman tried to force his way onto the base while driving a pickup truck but was stopped at a checkpoint by an NSF member. The gunman began shooting, striking the Sailor, who was wearing an armored vest. The Sailor was able to hit a switch that raised a barrier blocking vehicle access. The gunman was shot and killed by other guards.

The wounded NSF member, who was not identified, was treated for minor injuries and released from the hospital, the Navy said. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said May 22 on NBC’s “Today Show” that she was “doing well.” The attack sparked a bizarre hoax on social media that purported to show a photo of the NSF member who was shot with details of the incident that officials have not confirmed. The photo of a female officer and her military working dog is of another Sailor, not the one involved in the shooting incident, the Navy said.

The Corpus Christi attack took place six months after a Saudi gunman killed three Sailors and wounded eight others at NAS Pensacola, Florida, and just three days after the FBI and Justice Department said information gleaned from the gunman’s iPhone linked him to an al-Qaida affiliate.

“I am very concerned about both cases,” Esper said on the “Today Show,” although he did not say they were linked. “We’re looking at additional measures we will take to ensure that foreign-inspired terrorists don’t have access to our posts, bases, installations and, of course, our country,” he added.

Esper also noted that the Corpus Christi shooter had no military affiliation, while the Pensacola gunman was a Saudi Air Force lieutenant training at the American flight school.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA — For the third time in two months, Russian pilots flew in an unsafe and unprofessional manner while intercepting a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft in the U.S. Sixth Fleet on May 26, the 6th Fleet said in a release. 

“On May 26, a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft was flying in the eastern Mediterranean over international waters and was intercepted by two Russian Su-35 aircraft over a period of 65 minutes,” the release said. “The intercept was determined to be unsafe and unprofessional due to the Russian pilots taking close station on each wing of the P-8A simultaneously, restricting the P-8A’s ability to safely maneuver. 

“The unnecessary actions of the Russian Su-35 pilots were inconsistent with good airmanship and international flight rules and jeopardized the safety of flight of both aircraft. 

“While the Russian aircraft was operating in international airspace, this interaction was irresponsible. We expect them to operate within international standards set to ensure safety and to prevent incidents, including the 1972 Agreement for the Prevention of Incidents On and Over the High Seas (INCSEA). Actions‎ like these increase the potential for midair collisions. 

“This incident follows two unsafe interactions in April, over the same waters. 

“In all cases, the U.S. aircraft were operating in international airspace, consistent with international law, with due regard for safety of flight, and did not provoke this Russian activity.”

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii — Amphibious transport dock ship USS Portland disabled an unmanned aerial vehicle with a Solid State Laser-Technology Maturation Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD) Mk 2 Mod 0 on May 16, the U.S. Pacific Fleet said in a release. 

LWSD is a high-energy laser weapon system demonstrator developed by the Office of Naval Research and installed on the Portland for an at-sea demonstration. LWSD’s operational employment on a Pacific Fleet ship is the first system-level implementation of a high-energy class solid-state laser. The laser system was developed by Northrup Grumman, with full system and ship integration and testing led by NSWC Dahlgren and Port Hueneme.   

“By conducting advanced at-sea tests against UAVs and small craft, we will gain valuable information on the capabilities of the Solid-State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator against potential threats,” said Capt. Karrey Sanders, commanding officer of the USS Portland. 

The U.S. Navy has been developing directed-energy weapons (DEWs), to include lasers, since the 1960s. DEWs are defined as electromagnetic systems capable of converting chemical or electrical energy to radiated energy and focusing it on a target, resulting in physical damage that degrades, neutralizes, defeats, or destroys an adversary. 

Navy ships face an increasing number of threats in conducting their missions, including UAVs, armed small boats and adversary intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems. The Navy’s development of DEWs like the LWSD, provide immediate warfighter benefits and provide the commander increased decision space and response options. 

“The Solid-State Laser Weapons System Demonstrator is a unique capability the Portland gets to test and operate for the Navy, while paving the way for future weapons systems,” Sanders said. “With this new advanced capability, we are redefining war at sea for the Navy.”