ARLINGTON, Va. — The admiral in charge of the Navy’s surface warships said a littoral combat ship (LCS) soon will deploy with a laser weapon system on board. Vice Adm. Rich Brown, commander of Naval Surface Forces, in a Jan. 6 media…
Navy Awards BAE $175 Million for Vicksburg Modernization
NORFOLK, Va. — BAE Systems has received a $175 million contract from the U.S. Navy to modernize the guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg, the company said in a Jan. 6 release. The Vicksburg will undergo about 18 months of work at…
Future USS St. Louis Completes Acceptance Trials
MARINETTE, Wis. — The future USS St. Louis has completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan, Lockheed Martin said in a release. Now that trials are complete, the ship will undergo final outfitting and fine-tuning before delivery. LCS 19 is the tenth Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by the…
Navy Accepts Delivery of 11th EPF, USNS Puerto Rico
MOBILE, Ala. — The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of its 11th Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF), the future USNS Puerto Rico, from Austal USA on Dec. 10. Delivery marks the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the Navy. EPF 11 will be owned and…
Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy Christened
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — In a ceremony celebrating the U.S. Navy’s newest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the American hero for whom the ship is named, Huntington Ingalls Industries’ christened John F. Kennedy on Dec. 7 at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division,…
Gilday: Fleet Commanders Ought to ‘Drive the Fight’
WASHINGTON — The new chief of naval operations (CNO) is planning on a return to large fleet exercises and plans to hold them annually, part of an initiative to conduct fleet-level naval warfare in an era of great power competition. …
Acting SECNAV Modly: Force Structure is Top Focus
WASHINGTON — The Navy’s force structure — “gray hulls” — is the current top focus for the acting secretary of the Navy as the service nears completion of a new force structure assessment and plans its 2021 budget proposal. “We…
Navy, Marines Single Integrated Naval Force Means Sweeping Changes
The two senior officers who are leading the drive to design the future naval forces said they are directing a closely integrated Navy and Marine Corps force structure assessment and plan to review the initial findings on a rolling basis…
Navy to Christen Littoral Combat Ship Mobile
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy will christen its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Mobile (LCS 26), during a 10 a.m. Central Time ceremony Saturday, Dec. 7, in Mobile, Alabama, the Defense Department said in a Dec. 4 release. …
New Gerald R. Ford-Class Aircraft Carrier John F. Kennedy to be Christened Dec. 7
ARLINGTON, Va. —The Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), will be christened on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, during an 11 a.m. ceremony at Newport News, Virginia, the Defense Department said in a Dec. 4…


