Mil News USA, Canada & Caribbean Nations Military News & Discussion Thread

[BravoZulu]

US Marines: 18/05/2018
A recipient of the Navy Cross and Marine behind one of the most iconic photographs from the Iraq War retired from the Corps after 34 years of service.

Sgt. Maj. Bradley Kasal handed over the reigns as sergeant major of I Marine Expeditionary Force to Sgt. Maj. James Porterfield at a ceremony held at Camp Pendleton, California, on May 18.

“I want every Marine and sailor to understand they enlisted for a reason and a purpose,” said Kasal in a command release. “That purpose was to do something better, to swear to support and defend the constitution, and to be a part of something greater. I ask the Marines and sailors to always be proud of that.”

Kasal was awarded the Navy Cross in 2006 for his heroic actions during one of the Corps’ most hallowed battles in Fallujah, Iraq, Operation Phantom Fury on Nov. 13, 2004.

Freelance photographer Lucian Read snapped one of the most iconic pictures of the war showing a blood-soaked Kasal still gripping a pistol and Ka-bar exiting a house under the aid of fellow Marines.

Kasal, then a first sergeant with 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, had entered the house after learning Marines were pinned down inside.

The first sergeant and another Marine were severely wounded in the legs from enemy fire. Insurgents threw hand grenades to finish off the wounded Marines but Kasal “rolled on top of his fellow Marine and absorbed the shrapnel with his own body,” according to the award citation.

Kasal refused medical attention until other Marines were treated.

A statute of Kasal’s storied heroics and the famous photograph was unveiled at the Wounded Warrior Battalion-West aboard Camp Pendleton in November 2014.

“The monument is a symbol of camaraderie that’s important to Marines, not only in combat but in the healing process as well,” Robin Kelleher, president of Hope for the Warriors, which contributed to constructing the monument, said in a news release. “There’s a saying, ‘Never leave a Marine behind’, and I think the monument exemplifies that. It gives wounded warriors hope, and hope is important for them to be able to recover.”

With Kasal’s retirement, Porterfield has taken over as the sergeant major for I Marine Expeditionary Force.

“I am both honored and humbled to continue to lead the legacy of I MEF,” Porterfield said in a command release. “Throughout our history I MEF has been the warfighting organization that our country and nation has leaned on.”

Kasal was appointed I MEF sergeant major in February 2015.

The Wounded Warrior Battalion-West held a ceremony Nov. 12 to unveil a monument honoring service members wounded during combat. The sculpture is based on the Operation Phantom Fury photograph 'Hell House' of then 1st Sgt. Bradley Kasal being carried out of a house by two lance corporals after a firefight where Kasal sustained injuries. (Cpl. Shaltiel Dominguez/Marine Corps)

 

[BravoZulu]

USMC:
The US Marine Corps on May 16 received their first CH-53 King Stallion helicopter from Sikorsky.

The aircraft is the first of an expected 200 helicopters for the Marine Corps’ fleet.

The CH-53K is the new build replacement for the US Marine Corps’ aging CH-53E Super Stallion fleet. The CH-53E first flew in 1974 and entered service with the USMC in 1981.

This first CH53K heavy lift helicopter will be stationed at Marine Corps Air Station New River in Jacksonville, North Carolina.

There the helicopter enters into the Supportability Test Plan. U.S. Marines will conduct a logistics assessment on the maintenance, sustainment and overall aviation logistics support of the King Stallion. This assessment also will validate maintenance procedures with Marine Corps maintainers conducting hands-on care/upkeep of the aircraft. The Supportability Test Plan will ensure readiness and support on the flightline when CH-53K helicopters enter into service with the USMC.

Sikorsky expects to deliver its second CH-53K helicopter to the USMC in early 2019.

“Our first delivery of a CH-53K to the Marine Corps marks the start of a new generation of true heavy lift helicopter deliveries by Sikorsky that bring unsurpassed and expanded capability across the modern battlefield to provide tremendous mission flexibility and efficiency in delivering combat power, humanitarian assistance or disaster relief for those in need,” said Dan Schultz, Sikorsky President and former CH-53 pilot. “With 18 additional aircraft in various stages of production already, the entire Sikorsky team, in partnership with our suppliers, is looking forward to additional deliveries to delight our customer.”

The CH-53K test program recently demonstrated a series of milestones including a maximum weight single-point cargo hook sling load of 36,000 pounds (16,329 kilograms), forward flight speed of over 200 knots, altitude of 18,500 feet mean sea level (MSL), 12-degree slope landings and takeoffs, external load auto-jettison and gunfire testing.

Sikorsky is preparing its manufacturing facility in Stratford, Connecticut, to house CH-53K production beginning this summer.

https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/18/us-marines-receive-first-ch-53-king-stallion/?uid=5430

 

[BravoZulu]

US disinvites China from exercise RIMPAC 2018
The US defense department has decided to withdraw its invitation for China to take part in the upcoming large-scale exercise Rim of the Pacific in Hawaii.

This was announced by Pentagon spokesman Marine Lt. Col. Christopher Logan who said the decision was part of the US response to China’s actions in the South China Sea and its militarization of artificial islands.

“We have strong evidence that China has deployed anti-ship missiles, surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems, and electronic jammers to contested features in the Spratly Islands region of the South China Sea. China’s landing of bomber aircraft at Woody Island has also raised tensions,” Logan said.

The People’s Liberation Army Navy took part in the previous two iterations of the exercise in 2014 and 2016, joining submarine-rescue and non-warfighting portions of the exercise.

China’s participation in the largest international maritime drill was also disputed in 2016 according to media reports which said US officials called on Barrack Obama to ban China from participating in military exercise. Despite the reports, China took part in RIMPAC 2016 with one missile destroyer, a missile frigate, a supply ship, a hospital ship and a submarine rescue vessel.

Pentagon’s decision to exclude China from the 2018 edition of the drill was described as “unconstructive” by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi who spoke to reporters after meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Washington. Yi defended China’s actions in the South China Sea saying his country was only building civilian and necessary defense facilities on its own islands.

Spy ships during RIMPAC

Despite being invited to the 2016 and 2014 edition of the exercise, China sent spy ships to observe US Navy and other ally ships during the maneuvers. Russia was not invited to RIMPAC 2016 after it annexed Crimea in 2014. Despite this, Russia deployed navy ships off Hawaii to observe the exercise.

Chinese People's Liberation Army (Navy) (PLA(N) Luang II class guided-missile destroyer Xian (153) flies a US flag as it arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016. Photo: US Navy
https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/24/us-disinvites-china-from-exercise-rimpac-2018/?uid=5430

 

[BravoZulu]

USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor Closed Indefinitely
Damage to the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu was worse than expected and it will remain closed indefinitely, officials said.

Boat transportation to the attraction was suspended May 6 after one of the vessel operators noticed a crack on the outside of the memorial, Hawaii News Now reported.

Tourists were allowed to disembark at the memorial after crews completed interim repairs. But the cracks reappeared hours later, indicating a more serious issue.

"There is a brow or an edge where the visitor ramp meets the memorial, and at that point, there's been some fissures located on the exterior," said Jay Blount, a spokesman for the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument. "After further investigation on the interior, it was determined that the structure is not supporting the loading ramp the way that we need."

Engineers are working to figure out possible long-term solutions.

"The amount of time needed to implement the repairs is unknown, but the (National Park Service) will continue to provide information to the public as our team of specialists works together to restore access as soon as possible," memorial staff said Friday in a news release.

Other areas of the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center remain open.

https://www.military.com/daily-news...-closed-indefinitely.html?ESRC=navy_180529.nl

 

[rtomedic]

Lockheed Martin F-35 Fighter Poised To Become One Of America's Biggest Exports
The Pentagon’s F-35 fighter has completed its development program and begun deploying overseas. About 300 have been delivered, and that number will double by the end of 2020. The U.S. military plans to buy 2,443 of the stealthy aircraft in three distinct variants tailored to the needs of the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps.
To date, public discussion of F-35 has focused mainly on what the fighter can do for U.S. warfighters, and at what cost. But there is another dimension to the F-35 story, and that is the positive impact the plane will have on America’s trade balance as overseas friends and allies acquire well over a thousand of the fighters, mainly to replace aging F-16s bought during the Cold War.

The F-35 program from its inception has had eight partner countries that helped pay for its development and now are poised to purchase over 600 of the planes. But that is just the beginning of the program’s trade impact. An additional 800 planes are expected to be bought by other countries through the Foreign Military Sales program. That process has already begun, with Israel, Japan and South Korea signing on before development was even completed.

Israel’s military has already used the stealthy F-35A to conduct operations in Iranian and Syrian air space.

Other potential customers currently include Belgium, Finland, Germany ...MORE

https://inhomelandsecurity.com/lock...-martin-f-35-fighter&utm_campaign=20180531IHS

 

[BravoZulu]

Ship husbanding firm Inchcape to pay $20m for US Navy fraud case settlement
Ship husbanding company Inchcape Shipping Services Holdings Limited and its subsidiaries have agreed to pay $2o million to settle a US case in which they were accused of knowingly overbilling the US Navy for their services, the US Department of Justice announced May 29.

Inchcape is a UK-headquartered marine services contractor which operates in over 60 countries.

Inchcape provided goods and services to US Navy ships at ports in several regions throughout the world, including southwest Asia, Africa, Panama, North America, South America and Mexico.

The lawsuit alleged that from 2005 to 2014, Inchcape knowingly overbilled the Navy for these services by submitting invoices that overstated the quantity of goods and services provided, billing at rates in excess of applicable contract rates, and double-billing for some goods and services.

“Federal contractors may only charge the government for costs allowed by their federal contracts,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A. Readler, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will take action against contractors that knowingly submit inflated claims to the armed forces—or any other agency of the United States—as those inflated claims wrongfully divert taxpayer dollars.”

The lawsuit was brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by three former employees of Inchcape, Noah Rudolph, Andrea Ford and Lawrence Cosgriff. Under the act, a private citizen may bring suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in any recovery. The government may intervene in the case, as it did here. The False Claims Act allows the government to recover treble damages and penalties from those who violate it.

As part of the resolution, the whistleblowers will receive approximately $4.4 million.

“This settlement demonstrates that the Department of the Navy will continue to hold contractors accountable for the agreements they make to supply our fleet,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. “The department expects strict adherence to higher standards within the Department and expects the same from its contractors.”
https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/30/s...m-for-us-navy-fraud-case-settlement/?uid=5430

NB: I wish we had whistleblower legislation like that in Australia, I would be a very rich man

 

[BravoZulu]

Newly-commissioned USS Portland in Pearl Harbor for combat system qualifications
The US Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock ship, USS Portland (LPD 27), arrived in Pearl Harbor May 29 for combat systems ship qualification trials.

During its time in the 3rd Fleet, the ship is also scheduled to take part in the large international exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC).

Portland started the transit from San Diego to Hawaii on May 21, exactly one month after entering service at the Port of Portland, Marine Terminal 2 in Portland, Oregon.

Since commissioning, the ship’s crew has engaged in various training exercises to ensure the ship’s weapon systems are properly installed, function correctly, and can be operated safely.

Portland performed her first underway replenishment (UNREP), employing the standard tensioned replenishment alongside method, May 22. Steaming approximately 200 feet alongside the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Henry J. Kaiser (T-AO 187), Portland received more than 175,000 gallons of marine diesel fuel and JP-5 jet fuel from the oiler.

“UNREP was well executed by the crew,” said Lt. David Youker, Portland’s operations officer. “We were able to assess material condition and watchstander readiness, while increasing our operational capability.”

In addition to the UNREP, Portland performed deck landing qualifications with three MV-22B Ospreys from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadrons 163, 165 and 363, as well as one CH-53E Super Stallion from Marine Heavy Helicopter Squadron 465.

These flight operations marked a few firsts for Portland, the navy said—it was the ship’s first night landing operation with an Osprey and the ship’s first time conducting flight operations with a CH-53. This is the largest number of aircraft in the ship’s airspace to date.
https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/30/n...or-for-combat-system-qualifications/?uid=5430

 

[BravoZulu]

Raytheon upgrading Mississippi radar production facility
Illustration. Photo: Raytheon
US defense contractor Raytheon Company on May 30 announced it is expanding the footprint of its Forest-based manufacturing center.

The company said a new building in Forest, Mississippi, will be a hub for test, integration and production of s-band radars – including the US Navy’s next generation SPY-6, Air and Missile Defense Radar program.

“Construction of a new radar production facility is the next step in our decades-long partnership with the state of Mississippi and its highly skilled workforce,” said Wes Kremer, president of Raytheon’s Integrated Defense Systems business. “Together we will integrate, test and deliver the most technologically advanced military radar systems to our U.S. and international customers.”

Raytheon is investing $100 million in the new 50,000 square foot Leadership in Environmental Design, or LEED, certified facility that will provide future growth opportunities across the company’s diverse product portfolio.

Governor Phil Bryant said, “Raytheon recognizes the value of continued investment in the state of Mississippi. Together, along with Raytheon’s outstanding employees, we will continue supporting the US military and strengthening our national defense through the innovative, high-tech radar systems developed in East Mississippi.”

The facility will become the newest addition to Raytheon’s existing Consolidated Manufacturing Center campus in Forest, which will continue uninterrupted delivery on critical commitments across the airborne radar and electronic warfare markets.
https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/31/raytheon-upgrading-mississippi-radar-production-facility/?uid=5430

 

[BravoZulu]

Four newcomers joining 26-nation naval drill RIMPAC 2018 off Hawaii
U.S. Navy file photo of ships and submarines participating in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise 2012

The world’s largest international naval exercise – Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) – will be hosting 26 nations, 47 surface ships, five submarines, 18 national land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel for maneuvers, the US Navy has announced.

The exercise is scheduled to take place between June 27 and August 2, in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California.

This year’s exercise includes forces from Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Peru, the Republic of Korea, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Tonga, the United Kingdom, the United States and Vietnam.

This is the first time Brazil, Israel, Sri Lanka and Vietnam are participating in RIMPAC. Brazil was expected to join RIMPAC 2016 but canceled shortly before the exercise started, citing “unforeseen scheduling commitments”.

Additional firsts include New Zealand serving as sea combat commander and Chile serving as combined force maritime component commander.

The theme of RIMPAC 2018 is “Capable, Adaptive, Partners.” Participating nations and forces are taking part in activities ranging from disaster relief and maritime security operations to sea control and complex warfighting.

The training program includes amphibious operations, gunnery, missile, anti-submarine and air defense exercises, as well as counter-piracy operations, mine clearance operations, explosive ordnance disposal, and diving and salvage operations.

RIMPAC firsts

This year’s edition of the exercise will be the first time a non-founding RIMPAC nation (Chile) will hold a component commander leadership position. This year will also feature live firing of a Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) from a U.S. Air Force aircraft, surface to ship missiles by the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force, and a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) from a launcher on the back of a Palletized Load System (PLS) by the U.S. Army.

This marks the first time a land based unit will participate in the live fire event during RIMPAC. RIMPAC 18 will also include international band engagements and highlight fleet innovation during an Innovation Fair.

Additionally, for the first time since RIMPAC 2002, US 3rd Fleet’s Command Center will relocate from San Diego to Pearl Harbor to support command and control of all 3rd Fleet forces in 3rd Fleet’s area of responsibility to include forces operating forward in the Western Pacific. The Fleet Command Center will be established at a deployable joint command and control on Hospital Point for the first part of the exercise and then transition to USS Portland (LPD 27) for the remainder of the exercise.

Hosted by Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, RIMPAC 2018 will be led by Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet, Vice Adm. John D. Alexander, who will serve as combined task force (CTF) commander.

Royal Canadian Navy Rear Adm. Bob Auchterlonie will serve as CTF deputy commander, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Rear Adm. Hideyuki Oban as CTF vice commander.

Fleet Marine Force will be led by U.S. Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Mark Hashimoto. Other key leaders of the multinational force will include Commodore Pablo Niemann of Armada de Chile, who will command the maritime component, and Air Commodore Craig Heap of the Royal Australian Air Force, who will command the air component.

RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971.
https://navaltoday.com/2018/05/31/f...-naval-drill-rimpac-2018-off-hawaii/?uid=5430

 

[BravoZulu]

US:
Lockheed Martin successfully hit a moving vessel with two Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles launched from a US Air Force B-1B bomber.

The test over the Sea Range off NAS Point Mugu, California on an unspecified date in May 2018 was the second time the company demonstrated hitting a ship with two of its long range missiles at once, Lockheed Martin said. The missiles flew through a series of pre-designated waypoints before using their sensors to identify and impact the intended target.

The LRASM is designed to detect and destroy specific targets within groups of ships using its sensors, encrypted communications and a digital anti-jamming GPS, according to Lockheed Martin. It is designed to be used in battle against the surface ships of advanced foes, such as China or Russia – adversaries who could disrupt and attack traditional means of targeting including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance platforms, network links and GPS navigation.

The anti-ship standoff missile is based on the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile – Extended Range. It is to be integrated on board the B-1B in 2018 and on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in 2019.

https://www.flightglobal.com/news/a...hed-lrasms-hit-moving-ship-for-second-448916/

 

[AAR Galileo]

Could Trump's trade war cripple the U.S. defence industry's dominance of the Canadian market?

If you read Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan's briefing notes, and all of the internal warnings he has received over the last year, you'd know that the current trade fight with the U.S. over steel and aluminum is his nightmare come true.

For European defence contractors, long frustrated with Canada's penchant for buying American, it could be a dream come true.

Multi-billion dollar defence procurement programs — building everything from fighter jets to warships to armoured vehicles — are all heavily dependent on the price of steel.

Canada's military has a long list of equipment needs, which the Liberal government set down in writing this week at the annual Ottawa arms expo known as CANSEC.

Higher prices on already sky-high equipment are a given, in light of the fact the U.S. is imposing tariffs of 25 per cent on steel and 10 per cent on aluminum — and Canada is countering them with tariffs of its own.

Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough said the federal government has "contingency plans" in place to absorb the impact.


http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/procurement-military-trump-tariffs-1.4686839?cmp=FB_Post_News

 

[BravoZulu]

US Navy selects NSM for LCS over-the-horizon anti-ship missile
The Kongsberg-developed Naval Strike Missile is the weapon of choice for the US Navy’s littoral combat ship over-the-horizon (OTH) missile, a Pentagon contract has unsurprisingly revealed.

According to a May 31 defense department announcement, US defense contractor Raytheon has been awarded a $14.8 million contract to “manufacture and deliver over-the-horizon weapon systems”. The contract is potentially worth $847 million, should all options be exercised.

The OTH systems will consist of encanistered missiles loaded into launching mechanisms and a single fire control suite.

The system in question is the Naval Strike Missile, an anti-ship missile developed by the Norwegian company Kongsberg.

In July 2016, Raytheon and Kongsberg announced they were finalizing plans to assemble, integrate and test the Naval Strike Missile at Raytheon’s missile plants in Tuscon, United States. They also evaluated plans to produce NSM launchers in the US. The majority of work under this contract (75 percent) will take place in Norway.

The other two competitors for the US Navy OTH contract were Boeing, with their Harpoon block II missile, and Lockheed Martin, with the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM). Both companies withdrew their offerings from the competition in 2017.

The NSM is a 3.96m long missile capable of targeting enemy ships at distances up to 100 nautical miles away. The sub-sonic missile weighs 407 kilograms and has a combined blast and fragmentation warhead. It is in service with the Royal Norwegian Navy and was recently selected by Poland (on their coastal artillery installations) and Malaysia for their their six new Littoral Combat Ships.

The missile was also tested by the US Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado in 2016.

https://navaltoday.com/2018/06/01/u...-over-the-horizon-anti-ship-missile/?uid=5430

 

[rtomedic]

GD Completes Critical Testing for US Navy Knifefish UUV
The General Dynamics Mission Systems team has successfully completed all stages of formal Sea Acceptance Testing (SAT) of Knifefish, the U.S. Navy’s Surface Mine Countermeasure (MCM) Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (UUV) system.

The tests were conducted off the coast of Boston using Navy mine test targets and included a variety of undersea, MCM operational scenarios in multiple simulated mine fields.

Following the successful SAT, the Knifefish system will begin Developmental Tests and Operational Assessment evaluations.

The successful sea acceptance tests are the result of strong collaboration and teamwork between the General Dynamics and U.S. Navy Knifefish team,” said Carlo Zaffanella, a vice president and general manager of General Dynamics Mission Systems.

“These tests prove the Knifefish system can detect, classify and identify undersea mines in high-clutter ...MORE WITH VIDEO

https://americansecuritytoday.com/gd-completes-critical-testing-us-navy-knifefish-uuv-multi-videos/

 

[BravoZulu]

USN:
BAE Systems has received a contract to produce payload tubes for two of the US Navy’s new Virginia-class submarines to support increased firepower on the Block V version of the attack subs.

Under the contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat, a builder of the Virginia class, BAE Systems will deliver two sets, each consisting of four tubes, for the Virginia Payload Modules on the SSN 804 and SSN 805.

The Virginia Payload Module (VPM) extends the length of the Block V submarines over previous versions of the Virginia-class by adding an additional mid-body section to create more payload space for greater firepower.

Each large-diameter payload tube can store and launch up to seven Tomahawk cruise missiles. The VPM offers exceptional flexibility as well for the integration of future payload types, such as unmanned systems or next-generation weapons.

“The Virginia Payload Module is critical to the Navy’s undersea presence,” said Joe Senftle, vice president and general manager of Weapon Systems at BAE Systems. “With the VPM, the Navy is adding significant capability to the Virginia-class by increasing the firepower of these subs and tripling their payload capacity.”

BAE Systems, which is also providing payload tubes for the SSN 803 under a previously awarded VPM contract, has a long history of supporting the Navy’s submarine fleet as the leading provider of propulsors and other submarine systems. The company was selected to provide propulsors, spare hardware, and tailcones for Block IV Virginia-class vessels and stands ready to provide the same support for the Block V subs.

Under this most recent contract, BAE Systems will also develop the processes and tooling necessary for the Block V payload tube production. Work will be performed at the company’s facility in Louisville, Kentucky, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2020.

US Navy photo of Virginia-class attack submarine USS Illinois (SSN 786)
https://navaltoday.com/2018/06/06/b...r-block-v-virginia-class-submarines/?uid=5430

 

[bdpopeye]

More Chinese hacking news....follow the link for the full Monty...

China hacked a Navy contractor and secured a trove of highly sensitive data on submarine warfare

By Ellen Nakashima and Paul Sonne June 8 at 3:04

Chinese government hackers have compromised the computers of a Navy contractor, stealing massive amounts of highly sensitive data related to undersea warfare — including secret plans to develop a supersonic anti-ship missile for use on U.S. submarines by 2020, according to American officials.

The breaches occurred in January and February, the officials said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The hackers targeted a contractor who works for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, a military organization headquartered in Newport, R.I., that conducts research and development for submarines and underwater weaponry.

The officials did not identify the contractor.

Taken were 614 gigabytes of material relating to a closely held project known as Sea Dragon, as well as signals and sensor data, submarine radio room information relating to cryptographic systems, and the Navy submarine development unit’s electronic warfare library.

The Washington Post agreed to withhold certain details about the compromised missile project at the request of the Navy, which argued that their release could harm national security.

 

[Chazman]

For the record, Sea Dragon is the sub launched anti-ship version of the cruise missile. It's already appeared in various public stories. Someone's head should roll over this!

 

[rtomedic]

US Marine Corps News

Marine Corps Systems Command awarded a contract to produce Amphibious Combat Vehicles–a much-needed modernization to the Marine Corps' ground combat element.

Following a successful Milestone C decision by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, the contract options worth $198 million will allow BAE Systems to build 30 low rate production vehicles, which will start delivering in the fall of next year. These vehicles will begin the transition of a portion of the Assault Amphibious Vehicle fleet

The Assault Amphibious Vehicle has been in service for more than 40 years, and many of its components and parts are obsolete and no longer manufactured. Because of this, the vehicles are becoming increasingly costly and difficult to maintain. That, and the changing environment in which Marines find themselves plagued by the improvised explosive device threat, has produced a need for a new, more survivable combat vehicle that can maneuver from ship to shore and beyond.

"In order to be a step ahead of our adversaries in the future, the Marine Corps needed to find a modern vehicle at an affordable price range that provided significant capability enhancement and performance over the AAV," said Col. Kirk Mullins, ACV 1.1 product manager in Program Manager Advanced Amphibious Assault in the Program Executive Officer Land ...MORE

https://www.globalsecurity.org/mili...620-mcn01.htm?_m=3n.002a.2321.ph0ao0037n.24xk


.

 

[AAR Galileo]

1st Canadians hit the ground ahead of perilous Mali mission

A small advance team for Canada's first substantial peacekeeping mission since the 1990s has arrived in Mali.
......

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/arsenault-minusma-1.4719915?cmp=FB_Post_News

 

[AAR Galileo]

USA:

Dry Dock Collapse In San Diego Floods Expeditionary Sea Base Under Construction

“On July 11, General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (GD-NASSCO) reported a flooding incident in its graving dock where Miguel Keith (ESB 5) is currently under construction... The ship floated off the docking blocks and took on water through hull cuts that were made to support the ship’s construction and outfitting.

The extent of damage to the ship will not be known until NASSCO and Navy personnel can fully assess the situation. Miguel Keith is currently in a safe and stable condition and all personnel are safe and accounted for.”



http://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zon...ods-expeditionary-sea-base-under-construction

 

[bdpopeye]

Press Statement on Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group Operations

Release Date: 7/16/2018 6:00:00 PM

By Adm. Christopher Grady, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command

NORFOLK (NNS) -- The National Defense Strategy directs us to be operationally unpredictable while remaining strategically predictable. As such, select units from the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) Carrier Strike Group (CSG) will return to Norfolk, Virginia, this week - a direct reflection of the dynamic force employment concept and the inherent maneuverability and flexibility of the U.S. Navy.

The Truman CSG has had an incredibly successful three months in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility. The ship accomplished every objective established for its crew, from striking ISIS in Syria to expanding partnerships and exercising with our friends and allies.

Let me be clear - all returning units are 100 percent mission capable and will remain in the sustainment phase of the Optimized Fleet Response Plan, which means they will sustain warfighting readiness and be ready to surge forward or redeploy when called upon.

As with any in-port period, routine maintenance will be conducted on ships, aircraft and equipment, and Sailors will take the opportunity to continue advanced training, maintain warfighting certifications, as well as spend time with their families.