Month: June 2023

Source: United States Navy

The principal speaker will be the Honorable Erik Raven, Under Secretary of the Navy. Remarks will also be provided by the Honorable Senator Richard Blumenthal; Vice Adm. Frank Morley, principal military Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Research, Development and Acquisition); Mr. Kevin Graney, president of Electric Boat; Mr. Bryan Caccavale, vice president, Huntington Ingalls Newport News Shipbuilding; U.S. Representative, Iowa’s 3rd District, Zach Nunn; and U.S. Representative, Connecticut’s 2nd District, Joe Courtney

In a time-honored Navy tradition, the submarine’s sponsor, Mrs. Christie Vilsack, will christen the boat by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow. Vilsack, an Iowa native, most recently served as the education advisor to the chancellor of Colorado State University. She also served as the senior advisor for International Education at USAID during the Obama Administration. As Iowa’s First Lady, she led a focus on education and advocacy for Iowa’s public libraries. She and her husband Mr. Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture, live in rural Iowa.

The future USS Iowa (SSN 797) is the fourth U.S. Navy vessel and first submarine named in recognition of the state. Previous ships named after the state were battleships, as well as, a converted merchant ship that was never activated.

Virginia-class submarines are built to operate in the world’s littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface ship warfare; strike warfare; special operations forces support; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. Their inherent stealth, endurance, mobility, and firepower directly enable them to support five of the six maritime strategy core capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security and deterrence. These capabilities allow the submarine force to contribute to regional stability and preservation of future peace while operating everywhere international law allows, so everyone else can too.

Media may direct queries to the Navy Office of Information at (703) 697-5342. More information about the Virginia-class attack submarines is available online at https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2169558/attack-submarines-ssn/.

Source: United States Navy

The port visit in Busan reflects the United States’ commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, and compliments the many exercises, training, operations and other military cooperation activities conducted by U.S. submarine forces with our ROK allies.

This port call marks the first visit to Busan that Michigan has made since 2017.

Michigan is one of four Ohio-class guided-missile submarines. The Navy’s guided-missile submarines provide strike and special operation mission capabilities from a stealthy, clandestine platform. Armed with tactical missiles and equipped with superior communications capabilities, guided-missile submarines are capable of launching missile strikes and supporting Special Operation Forces missions. Measuring more than 560 feet long and weighing more than 18,000 tons when submerged, Michigan is one of the largest submarines in the world.

Michigan is the second submarine of the Ohio-class of ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) and guided missile submarines (SSGNs), and the third U.S. Navy ship to bear the name. Michigan is homeported in Naval Base Kitsap, Washington, and is operating under Commander, Submarine Group (CSG) 7 in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.

CSG 7 directs forward-deployed, combat-capable forces across the full spectrum of undersea warfare throughout the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

For more news from Commander, Submarine Group 7, visit www.csp.navy.mil/csg7

Source: United States Navy

The exercise consisted of mission planning, a ground link exchange and aircraft rider exchanges between nations. The RAAF No. 11 Squadron “Black Cat” equipped with two P-8A aircraft, the JMSDF Air Patrol Squadron 2 “Odin” with one P-3C aircraft, and the USN Patrol Squadron (VP) 26 “Tridents” with one P-8A aircraft, worked as one team to enhance coordination and communication between the three countries’ maritime patrol forces. The participants also familiarized themselves with the maritime environment regarding maritime patrol during the exercise.

“It has been a great opportunity to host the Royal Australian Air Force in Japan and conduct trilateral exercises demonstrating the interoperability of the global maritime patrol force,” said Cmdr. Curtis White, executive officer of VP-26. “It’s important that we refine our maritime patrol techniques, tactics and procedures to remain proficient alongside our partners and allies.”

The Trident’s P-8A Poseidon is a multi-mission patrol and reconnaissance aircraft. It is capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations, and search and rescue. The Odin Squadron’s P-3C Orion shares similar capabilities. During the exercise the squadrons worked together to improve USN-JMSDF-RAAF data-link connectivity and enhanced interoperability.

VP-26 also hosted a barbeque for the participants providing an opportunity for the RAAF and USN to socialize between flight activities.

“This exercise contributed, not only to the interoperability among the three nations, but also allowed us to further strengthen the Japan-U.S.-Australia security and defense cooperation relationship,” said Cmdr. SAITO Keiichirou, senior officer of JMSDF’s 21st Air Squadron. “We would like to continue to improve our tactical skills in future trilateral exercises.”

The lessons learned from the trilateral exercise included a deeper mutual understanding maritime patrol processes, which will improve real-world integration between the three countries.

The VP-26 Tridents are based in Jacksonville, Florida, and are currently forward deployed to Misawa Air Base, Japan. The squadron conducts maritime patrol and reconnaissance as part of a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. 

U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Source: United States Navy

A total of 14 firefighters from NSA Panama City and three from Naval Station Mayport attended the 40-hour course. The training offered a comprehensive understanding of the priorities to focus on when dealing with a shipboard fire. Firefighters learned to be mindful of compartmentalizing fires and using fire protection systems in place to try and extinguish them or cool the area to ensure that it is safe enough for them to make entry.
 
Instructors accompanied the students to each of the different types of vessels onboard NSA Panama City. They talked specifically about how to preplan and implement best practices in a worst-case scenario. With shipboard fires being some of the most difficult fires to combat, the training covered the use of thermal image cameras to guide firefighters to and from the fire safely.
 
“Shipboard fires are confined space fires that are extremely hot, and the smoke makes it impossible to see,” said Thad Mapledoram, Fire Chief, NSA Panama City. “This training was fantastic in providing us ways to use the thermal image cameras to guide us to and from the fire safely.”
 
The course is only offered twice a year at Alabama Fire College, and the mobile training site has visited the installation only once before. However, all firefighters gave the course five-star reviews, with instructors known for teaching from their real-world experience of fighting shipboard fires.
 
“NSA Panama City Fire & Emergency Services is the FIRST installation in the South East Region to be 100% qualified and certified in accordance with our Scope of Service,” said Chief Mapledoram. “We are now better prepared and have increased knowledge on how to combat a Shipboard fire if one occurs at our Wharf.”
 
This highly specialized training provided by Alabama Fire College has increased the readiness and capability of NSA Panama City Fire & Emergency Services personnel to respond to shipboard fires and onboard emergencies successfully.