WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy will christen its newest Zumwalt-class guided missile destroyer, the future USS Lyndon B. Johnson (DDG 1002), during a 10 a.m. EST ceremony Saturday, April 27, at General Dynamics-Bath Iron Works shipyard in Bath, Maine, the…
Lack of Well Deck Seen as a Wash for LHA USS America
ARLINGTON, Va.— The transfer of the new amphibious assault ship USS America to the Forward-Deployed Naval Force (FDNF) next fiscal year will bring a change in capabilities to the 7th Fleet’s amphibious ready group, but the Marines that will go…
Polar Security Cutter Contract Awarded to Replace Aging Icebreakers
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard and Navy have awarded VT Halter Marine Inc. of Pascagoula, Mississippi, a contract for the detail, design and construction of the Coast Guard’s first polar security cutter (PSC), which will replace the nation’s aging…
Bell Announces Navy Training Helo Replacement Will Be Built in Ozark, Alabama
Fort Worth, Texas — Bell Helicopter, a Textron Inc. company, announced in an April 18 release that, should the Bell 407GXi be selected for the U.S. Navy Advanced Helicopter Trainer program, the company plans to conduct final assembly of the…
John C. Stennis, Charles de Gaulle Conduct Maritime Exercise in Red Sea
RED SEA (NNS) — Maritime forces from France’s Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group and the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group participated in a naval passing exercise in the Red Sea on April 15. The Charles de Gaulle Carrier…
U.S., Indian Navies Practice Submarine Hunting in Indian Ocean
DIEGO GARCIA, British Indian Ocean Territory (NNS) — P-8 aircraft from the U.S. and Indian navies conducted cooperative activities in the Indian Ocean on April 15, the U.S. 7th Fleet said in a release. The U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS…
USS Fitzgerald Leaves Dry Dock, Continues Repairs Pierside in Pascagoula
PASCAGOULA, Mississippi — The guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) has taken another step toward returning to the fleet as a fully ready, combat-capable ship, Naval Sea Systems Command said in a release. The destroyer achieved a milestone in its complex…
VCNO Moran: Surface Warriors Need Better Simulators, More Training from COs
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Navy’s surface warriors need more and better simulators to hone their skills, the vice chief of naval operations said April 16, also noting that crews would benefit from more attention from their commanding officers. “Commanding officers…
VCNO Moran: Strike Fighter Readiness Highs and Lows Getting Higher
WASHINGTON — The Navy’s vice chief of naval operations said that readiness of the strike fighter community is improving and is approaching the 80% goal set by former Defense Secretary James Mattis. “The highs are getting higher and the lows…
Experts Voice Concerns at Forum Over Navy’s 30-Year Shipbuilding Plan
The Navy’s current 30-year plan to achieve a 355-ship fleet may be unworkable because it does not account for the rapidly growing cost of manning and sustaining the force, the almost certain cost overruns for new ship classes it plans…


