Month: August 2022

Source: United States Navy

After returning from Japan in November of 2019, Wasp was on call for humanitarian relief while they conducted anti-submarine warfare (ASW) operations and deck landing qualifications (DLQ) for various squadrons until early 2021. Wasp then entered BAE Systems Shipyard for a comprehensive refurbishment.

During the availability, a number of restorations were completed, including a renovation of the ship’s galley, major upgrades to electrical and weapons systems and an overhaul of the ship’s boilers, steering components and navigation systems.

“Today is a huge milestone for the crew of the ship,” said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Salsgiver, weapon’s department head and DSRA coordinator. “This was an extensive availability that had severe impact on the habitability of the ship.”

Maintenance availabilities are crucial to extending the life of Naval vessels, but require a massive amount of work and collaborative effort from the crew and civilian contractors.

“Wasp is an integral part of our nations war fighting capability, and we’re ecstatic to be back where we belong: back with the Fleet,” said Capt. Nakia Cooper, Wasp’s commanding officer. “Now starts the rewarding work of training to execute whatever tasking we receive. We are truly happy to be back.”

While in Naval Station Norfolk, the ship will enter a continuous maintenance availability to complete more repairs and prepare for future deployments.

Source: United States Navy

Exercise PANAMAX 2022 is a U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) sponsored exercise that provides important training opportunities for nations to work together and build upon the capability to plan and conduct complex multinational operations. The exercise scenario involves security and stability operations to ensure free flow of commerce through the Panama Canal.

U.S. forces participating in this year’s exercise include staff elements from USSOUTHCOM, U.S. Army South, U.S. Marine Forces South, Special Operations Command South, 12th Air Force (Air Forces Southern), and U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, along with participants from 23 partner nations.

Approximately 300 Sailors, Marines, and public security forces will serve on the CFMCC staff under the leadership of Argentine Rear Adm. Marcelo Fernandez, who serves as Commander, Atlantic Naval Area for the Argentine Navy.

“PANAMAX demonstrates our ability to ensure regional security and stability through multi-national maritime operations in support of the Panama Canal,” said Fernandez. “I look forward to the opportunity to work together with the U.S. and our other partner nations during this important exercise.”

Under the exercise scenario, a multinational force has formed to execute a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for defense of the Panama Canal. The force includes air, land and special-forces components, in addition to the maritime component, which will plan and conduct simulated operations in and around the canal and its surrounding waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

There are no live forces in this year’s PANAMAX. Instead, component staffs will work through a computer-aided scenario in support of the Multinational Forces South (MNFS) Commander, Maj. Gen. William Thigpen, Commanding General, U.S. Army South.

Forces will participate in the training at various U.S. locations including Joint Staff Exercise Directorate at Suffolk, Va.; U.S. Southern Command, Doral, Fla.; Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas; Homestead Air Reserve Base, Homestead, Fla.; Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Tucson, Ariz.; and Naval Station Mayport, Fla.

For the fifth straight PANAMAX, the air, land, and maritime component commanders for the exercise are partner nation flag/general officers.

“PANAMAX provides an important opportunity to build on those lasting relationships we have developed with our partners,” said Rear Adm. Doug Sasse, Reserve Vice Commander for U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, and the CFMCC Deputy Commander. “It also serves as invaluable platform for multinational forces to enhance capability, improve interoperability, and strengthen partnerships.”

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command, the exercise host, supports U.S. Southern Command’s joint and combined military operations by employing maritime forces in cooperative maritime security operations in order to maintain access, enhance interoperability, and build enduring partnerships in order to enhance regional security and promote peace, stability, and prosperity in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions.

Source: United States Navy

In a simulated scenario, Australian Army soldiers and United States Marines lift off from the Landing Helicopter Dock HMAS Canberra (L02), in U.S Marine Corps CH-53 Super Stallions. Before their mission even begins, they are challenged with the insertion method called helicopter casting (helo-casting), jumping from a low flying helicopter into the ocean.

“Helo-casting for the first time was an experience, it was very exciting. It was a fresh way of looking at how we can apply ourselves. Yes, it was fun, but most importantly it exposed to everyone different methods of inserting into an environment,” said Lt. Joel Scarramella, 2nd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment’s newest platoon commander.

Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, Lt. Col. Mark Tutton knows this is an important opportunity for the Australian Army.

“Inserting onto a beach from a United States aircraft is something that we must practice. Developing our interoperability makes us stronger and more adaptive as a force,” said Tutton.

What makes this helo-casting exercise more unique is the Zodiac F470 bundle that they dispatch from the helicopter then has to be inflated in the ocean. Responsible for carefully packaging the zodiacs is Australian Army Air Dispatcher Cpl. Jesse Ablett’s team.

“How it works is we put all the equipment is put inside the deflated boat and into a bundle,” said Ablett. “Once it is dispatched from the rotary wing aircraft, it uses a gas bottle to inflate so the boat crew can set it up once they are in the water.”

Having jumped into the deep end, soldiers boarded their Inflated Small Craft F470 Zodiac to push onto the beach.

Together, with 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion Marines, the teams make their way to land where they will spend the next few days conducting reconnaissance on a fictional village at Marine Corps Training Area Bellows. They have the task of silently capturing intelligence and planning pathways to remain unnoticed by the enemy before calling in a company of infantry soldiers to secure the site.

Twenty-six nations, 38 ships, three submarines, more than 170 aircraft and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 29 to Aug. 4 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security on the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2022 is the 28th exercise in the series that began in 1971.

Source: United States Navy

Repairs to Berths 40 and 41 and the accompanying Dry Dock 8 upgrades will directly support the mission of NNSY to perform maintenance on Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers and are part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP).

The award of this contract is a crucial step to ensuring that NNSY has the infrastructure needed to service future fleet platforms and demonstrates the importance of the SIOP program for the Navy. SIOP remains committed to improving fleet operational availabilities at the nation’s four public shipyards to ensure they can effectively continue to serve the national defense.

SIOP is a holistic investment plan that integrates infrastructure investments at the Navy’s four public shipyards to meet fleet maintenance requirements and improve Navy maintenance capabilities by expanding shipyard capacity and optimizing shipyard configuration.

The work to be performed provides for repairs to Berths 40 and 41 structural components by replacing deteriorated pile systems, cast-in-place concrete systems, pile caps, concrete beams, and fender pile systems.

 This contract was competitively procured via www.SAM.gov, with three offers received.

 NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic provides facilities engineering, public works and environmental products and services across an area of responsibility that spans from South Carolina to Maine, and as far west as Indiana. As an integral member of the Navy Region Mid-Atlantic team, NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic provides leadership through the regional engineer organization to ensure that the region’s facilities and infrastructure are managed efficiently and effectively.

For additional information about SIOP, go to https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Home/Shipyards/SIOP/

Source: United States Navy

Spearman reported to Arleigh Burke in April following training at Surface Warfare Engineering School Command, Great Lakes, Ill.

“This bright, young man made an oversized positive impact on Arleigh Burke.  My entire crew’s thoughts and prayers are with Seaman Recruit Spearman’s family and friends.  We offer our most sincere condolences for their loss,” said Cmdr. Pete Flynn, commanding officer, USS Arleigh Burke. “Thank you to the Swedish and German navies, the U.S. Air Force, and the Sailors from Arleigh Burke for their extensive efforts to search for our shipmate.”

For more information, media may contact the U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa Public Affairs Office at CNE-C6FPAO@eu.navy.mil.