Month: March 2024

Source: United States Navy

A U.S. Air Force investigation began following the tragic loss of eight Airmen during the November 29, 2023, mishap off Yakushima, Japan. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the fallen.

In response to the preliminary investigation indicating a materiel failure of a V-22 component, the V-22 grounding was initiated on December 6, 2023. The grounding provided time for a thorough review of the mishap and formulation of risk mitigation controls to assist with safely returning the V-22 to flight operations.

In concert with the ongoing investigation, NAVAIR has diligently worked with the USAF-led investigation to identify the materiel failure that led to the mishap. Close coordination among key senior leaders across the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force has been paramount in formulating the comprehensive review and return to flight plan, and this collaboration will continue.

Maintenance and procedural changes have been implemented to address the materiel failure that allow for a safe return to flight. The U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and U.S. Air Force will each execute their return to flight plans according to service specific guidelines.

NAVAIR remains committed to transparency and safety regarding all V-22 operations. The V-22 plays an integral role in supporting our Nation’s defense and returning these vital assets to flight is critical to supporting our nation’s interests. NAVAIR continuously monitors data and trends from all aircraft platforms, so service members are provided the safest, most reliable aircraft possible. 

The safety of our pilots, aircrew and surrounding communities remains of paramount importance.

Public Affairs Officer Contact: 301-757-1487

Source: United States Navy

Well, Jim, thank you. And thanks for the opportunity to be here. It is great to be here at my very first McAleese Defense Program Conference. I really am honored to join all of you and be amongst the exceptional mix of civilians and military leaders that are part of this year’s agenda and it’s really an incredible honor to lead our Navy team, of over 600,000 active and reserve sailors, our Navy civilians as the 33rd Chief of Naval Operations.

Let me start by saying that I could not be more proud of our Navy team or more focused on delivering the Navy that our nation needs to get after our critically important mission. You know, it’s a mission that the 2023 NDAA adjusted, to more fully reflect what the nation needs us to do, both in peacetime, when we are to promote the national security interests and prosperity of the United States, and in wartime, when we are to carry out prompt and sustained combat incident to operations the sea.

This is a mission that we don’t do alone. Thanks to the work of our great team of our Marine Corps teammates of our Coast Guard teammates and the work done by many of you here. Our Navy is the most powerful Navy in the world. Together with the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard, we operate far forward around the clock, around the world, from seabed to space, in cyberspace, and in the information environment, to promote prosperity and security, to deter aggression, and provide options every day to our nation’s decision makers. You know nearly 90% of the global economy moves by sea each day, roughly 95% of international communications and $10 trillion worth of financial transactions transit via undersea fiber optic cables. In the U.S. alone seaborne trade carries more tonnage and value than any other mode of transportation, generating $5.4 trillion annually and supporting 31 million American jobs.

As we meet today, the rules based international order is under threat in every ocean and as America relies on the sea, the role of our Navy is growing and it’s more consequential every day. Just look at the last six months, our Navy is forward and we are operating in situations that are dynamic and often kinetic. In the Middle East the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian, a defensive coalition of more than 20 nations continues to provide international maritime security in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It’s our Navy team that’s leading the way. It includes our destroyers like Carney, Laboon, Mason, and Gravely and fighter squadrons from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, who have worked tirelessly to ensure the free flow of commerce. Together, they have downed over 200 UAVs, as well as many cruise missiles, and for the first time in history, anti-ship ballistic missiles.

Many of those same forces are working alongside several Allies and partners, and they’re launching strikes that are designed to degrade and diminish Houthi capability to continue these attacks.

If you look further abroad in the eastern Mediterranean, the Bataan Readiness Group and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit and the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group before them, have sent a clear message of deterrence to those who may seek to escalate the conflict beyond Gaza, and in Europe for the last two years plus, the Navy has been part of the unified response to Russia’s horrific and unjustifiable aggression against the sovereign nation of Ukraine.

In the Indo-Pacific, the Carl Vinson and the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Groups, along with ships from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force have just recently conducted a multi-large deck event in the Philippine Sea. And today, the America Amphibious Readiness Group with the 31st MEU embarked is wrapping up Exercise Iron Fist with Japan, working ashore in the waters near their southwest islands. Our Navy is definitely in high demand but as Secretary Austin has said, “the United States is the most powerful country on Earth. We can walk and chew gum at the same time.” And that is true for the U.S. Navy. No other Navy operates at this scale, or can build, train, deploy and sustain such a lethal distributed maritime force. I think all of this is a testament to the hard work and commitment to excellence over time by many people in this room those online and the teams that you all represent.

But as good as this story is, I know that we cannot rest on our laurels. The threats are real and they are growing. We need to move with purpose and urgency. It’s a message that I made clear in January when I released a paper “America’s Warfighting Navy.”

The paper talks about who we are, what we do and where we’re going and it lays out my three priorities of Warfighting, Warfighters, and the Foundation that supports them. The first is Warfighting, that’s about delivering decisive combat power. The second is Warfighters and that’s about strengthening our Navy team. And the third is the Foundation. It’s the Foundation that supports them, the warfighters and the warfighting by investing in our infrastructure by building relationships, aligning our resources, and quite simply, always being ready.

When I think about who we are, we are the sailors and the civilians who have answered our nation’s call to service. And we lead every day with honor, courage and commitment. And when I think about what we do, we’re here to preserve the peace, to respond in crisis, and win decisively in war if called to do so. When I think about where we’re going, I know that we must move rapidly to stay ahead, the battlefields of tomorrow will be incredibly complex, and they demand that we view everything we do today through a warfighting lens. Our adversaries are adapting new technology and developing novel operational concepts. They are working to undermine our critical strengths and develop their own warfighting advantage. To stay ahead, our Sailors alongside our Marines and Coast Guardsmen must be the very best warfighters in the world. And we must develop and deliver to those warfighters the best systems, weapons and platforms that will deter and defeat any adversary, anytime, anywhere. And there’s no time to waste. To get where we need to go we’ve got to put more players on the field. And when I talk about more players, I’m not just talking about numbers of platforms, although the numbers do matter. And every single study since 2016 has said that we need a larger Navy and we do but it’s also about the broader warfighting ecosystem that we’re part of that will fight and win as a joint force alongside our Allies and partners.

When I talk about more players on the field, it’s about getting the platforms we’ve contracted for delivered on time and on cost. It’s about getting our ships and our submarines in and out of maintenance, on time and on cost. It’s about stewardship. The Navy that we have today will largely be the Navy that we’re going to have for the next 10 years. We’ve got to be good stewards, and we’ve got to keep our platforms serving as long as possible with decisive combat power and all the capabilities that they need. It’s also about using what we have in new ways. So, we’ve got to think, act and operate differently with the fleet that we have today. I think if you look at Ukraine and you look at all the battlefield innovation, we need to think about how do we do the battlefield innovation, but now, before the battle.

More players is also about accelerating the design, the development and the delivery of the Navy’s future hybrid fleet.

We’re focusing on expanding the reach, the depth and the lethality of our conventionally manned fleet through disruptive and emerging technologies, and that includes unmanned systems. These systems have enormous potential to multiply our combat power by complementing our existing fleet of ships, submarines and aircraft. Through manned unmanned teaming, especially in areas like maritime surveillance and reconnaissance in mine countermeasures, seabed exploration and carrier airwing support.

One of the other ways we’re working to quickly identify and get new technology into the hands of our warfighters is through our recently stood up Disruptive Capabilities Office, an office which reports directly to me and the Secretary of the Navy. And finally, it’s about how we’re increasing interoperability and information sharing with Allies and partners.

But more players is not enough. They must be ready players. More ready players on the field means platforms with the right capabilities, the right weapons, the right sustainment, and it means people with the right skills, tools, training and a winning mindset.

During the last year and a half, I’ve had a really great opportunity to get out and meet and visit with many stakeholders across our Navy team, our warfighters, as well as folks in industry, people who are making real and lasting contributions to our Navy’s mission.

Our Navy partners with over 18,000 contractors across approximately 200,000 contract actions, totaling more than $150 billion each year.

In the past few months I’ve been out to visit industry in California, up in Rhode Island and Connecticut, in Philadelphia, and on Monday I had the chance to visit the Gulf Coast. It’s great to get out and see firsthand the critical link between industry and our warfighting advantage.

The investments that we make in these partnerships from our traditional industrial base as well as with new partners are essential to putting more players on the field and ensuring that we are ready to fight and win our nation’s wars in this decade and beyond.

I ask for your partnership, your energy, your passion, your expertise, and your focus in this effort.

It’s clear that our Navy plays an outsized role in achieving America’s security objectives. The decisions we make and the actions we take today will determine the global maritime balance of power for decades to come.

The stakes are high and the time is short. We must act with urgency. The Navy recognizes that speed matters and the pace at which we design, procure, maintain and sustain our force must accelerate.

Taking a page from the interwar period, we need to unleash the creative power of the American Sailor and of American industry. We must accelerate change now and rise to the challenge of this increasingly competitive environment. We need your ideas, your partnership, and most of all your commitment. As we work to put more ready players on the field. We need to be agile and innovative in how we do business. And we need adequate, predictable and reliable funding from Congress. And in all cases, we need to be flexible in our application of funding, to keep pace with rapid technological advancements and operational needs.

None of what I described happens on its own. Keeping our Navy the most powerful Navy in the world requires an all hands on deck effort. And as I said earlier, we view everything through a warfighting lens. And I’ll ask that you keep this in mind as we work together to solve our most pressing challenges.

So as I wrap up today, let me just say thank you. Thank you for your exceptional partnership. Thank you for helping us create and sustain warfighting advantage and thank you for the teamwork that makes all of this possible.

Source: United States Navy

Good afternoon, everyone!  

It is wonderful to be here with you all today for the Fiscal Year 2025 McAleese Defense Programs Conference.  

Thank you, Jim, for that kind introduction, for the opportunity to discuss the challenges our Navy and Marine Corps face today, and to highlight how our major acquisitions programs support our mission. 

As your 78th Secretary of the Navy, my mission is to provide combat ready forces and capabilities to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, and our Combatant Commanders. 

As a former career Surface Warfare Officer and a former small business owner in the defense ecosystem, I fully understand and appreciate what the people in this room bring to the high-end fight.   

Former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Ernest King once said, “Nothing remains static in war or military weapons, and it is consequently often dangerous to rely on courses suggested by apparent similarities in the past.” 

I implore you to assume this mindset and refuse the temptation to accept the status quo; transformation and innovation are key to our success in the world today. 

We face incredible challenges in every corner of the globe—from Europe to the Red Sea to the Indo-Pacific region. 

In the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, we are working alongside our NATO allies and Middle East partners to ensure the safety of innocent, civilian mariners and protect our commercial shipping against the Iranian-aligned Houthi attacks. 

In Europe, Russia continues the third year of its illegal and unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. And this war is no longer a stalemate—Russia has made ground—capturing the Ukrainian city of Avdiivka last month. 

And while the threat of President Vladimir Putin’s reign has always hovered in the background of public consciousness, the death of Alexei Navalny is a stark reminder of Vladimir Putin’s tyrannical and unjust regime. 

This is a critical moment in history. Congress must pass the national security supplemental funding bill to resupply Ukrainian forces so they may continue to fight for their freedom and sovereignty.  

In the Indo-Pacific, North Korea has publicly abandoned its long-term goal of reunification with South Korea and, in fact, now views them as the “main enemy.” 

North Korea continues the creation and testing of new and dangerous military capabilities, including numerous ICBMs. It now aligns itself with Russia and poses an incredible threat to South Korea and Japan. 

Kim Jong Un has even bestowed President Putin the concerning title of the “Korean people’s closest friend.” 

And while the world’s focus has shifted to other parts of the globe, the People’s Republic of China continues to enforce excessive maritime claims through their navy, coast guard, and maritime militia.  

To effectively face these mounting challenges and threats, we must commit to a whole-of-nation effort to support the Navy and Marine Corps. 

In response to the attacks on innocent commercial mariners, our Navy and Marine Corps Team has resoundingly responded.  

In the Red Sea, our ships and aircraft have deterred the missiles and drones which threaten innocent maritime shipping: Carney, Mason, Gravely, Laboon, Thomas Hudner, and Eisenhower—their engagements call back to their warfighters’ namesakes and legacies. 

We are working in concert with our allies and partners in the region who have engaged drones and missiles—including United Kingdom Royal Navy destroyer HMS Diamond, German frigate Hessen, and Italian Navy destroyer Caio Duilio. 

We have engaged Houthi targets in Yemen alongside Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, the Netherlands, the U.K., and New Zealand. 

Operation Prosperity Guardian remains a collective effort. When the Houthis struck Marshall Islands-flagged Motor Vessel Marlin Luanda with an anti-ship ballistic missile in January, USS Carney, French Navy Frigate FS Alsace, and Indian Navy Destroyer INS Visakhapatnam responded and assisted with fire-fighting efforts.  

Interoperability matters. Just last month, NATO assumed command of United States and British Forces in the Eastern Mediterranean. Naval Striking Forces NATO executed a Transfer of Authority, assuming command of more than 5,000 Sailors and Marines assigned to the Bataan Amphibious Readiness Group, which includes USS Mesa Verde, USS Arleigh Burke, and Royal Fleet Auxiliary Argus.  

We are indeed a unified fighting force, and our network of partners and allies around the globe is a critical advantage that we have over our potential adversaries. 

In order to maintain our warfighting advantage, we must continue looking forward to new innovations, adapting to the threats of today while anticipating the threats of tomorrow. 

Last year, I spoke about my three enduring priorities which continue to serve as the basis of all we do in the Department of the Navy. They are: 

• Strengthening Maritime Dominance, 

• Building a Culture of Warfighting Excellence, and 

• Enhancing Strategic Partnerships. 

“Enhancing Strategic Partnerships” incorporates not only naval diplomacy across our oceans and the aforementioned relationships in the sea, and our relationships with our lawmakers in Congress, but crucially, our partnerships with those within the defense ecosystem. 

We are fundamentally reliant on industry to ensure our ability to maintain our warfighting edge. 

And industry is building and delivering mission-ready ships to our Navy and Marine Corps, strengthening maritime dominance in a time when the world looks to the United States for leadership and guidance.  

Just last month, in San Diego, we commissioned USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) into the world’s finest Navy. This expeditionary sea base ship increases our fleet’s capability and overall lethality, allowing our maritime forces the ability to stage troops wherever they are needed in the world. 

It is an exciting time for new technologies in our Navy and Marine Corps. 

We are pushing the bounds of tactics and capability with the future USS Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29). Earlier this year, she was fitted with the Enterprise Air Surveillance Radar (EASR) antenna, marking the first US Navy installation and activation of the SPY-6(V)2, rotating variant S-Band radar. 

The EASR will integrate into the Ship Self Defense System and revolutionize our amphibious fleet, enabling them to detect, track, and engage the enemy.  

Our amphibious ships play a crucial role in testing and validating our newest directed energy weapons technology, including the Laser Weapon System Demonstrator (LWSD). USS Portland (LPD 27) was fitted with LWSD and successfully engaged a marine target in the Gulf of Aden. 

And while I was in San Diego last month, I visited USS Preble (DDG 88), fitted with the HELIOS laser weapon system. 

Directed energy weapons, including high-energy lasers, are the future of warfare—offering a lower cost-per-shot against air and missile defense engagements. 

While our hard kill successes are making the news every day, we are also strengthening our “non-kinetic” shield.  

USS Pinckney (DDG 91) was the first to receive the new AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block III, refining and improving the Arleigh Burke class’s overall electronic warfare capabilities. 

The kinetic events in the Red Sea highlight the necessity for quick rearming of our ships’ vertical launch systems to maximize our on-station time. 

And we are seeking out new ways to accomplish missile onloads, including the Transportable Re-Arming Mechanism (TRAM) which is developing in Port Hueneme.  

I have directed an at-sea demonstration of TRAM no later than this summer, and I look forward to both its successful demonstration and subsequent implementation in the fleet. 

And our innovation includes not only material technologies, but also structural changes within our Navy.  

Last month, we introduced the Robotics Warfare Specialist, or “RW” rating. 

Our RWs will enable Robotics and Autonomous System (RAS) operations and accelerate advances in our autonomous technologies. 

The era of uncrewed has begun, and we are rising to achieve a truly hybrid fleet 

At Harvard University last fall, I announced my vision for a new Maritime Statecraft, a call for a whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval, to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition. 

One of my many priorities as Secretary of the Navy has included finding gaps in our infrastructure, particularly the gaps in our shipbuilding infrastructure.  

Last month, in my remarks at WEST in San Diego, I said that we cannot ask the American taxpayer to make greater public investments while some in the industry conduct stock buybacks and prioritize executive compensation over investments to the industrial base. 

I stand by my statements. 

Industry must deliver platforms and capabilities on time and on budget for the sake of our warfighters who are in harm’s way. 

I recognize the give-and-take nature of the relationship between the Department of the Navy and private industry. 

And as the CEO of the Department of the Navy, I am in the business of taking care of my Sailors and Marines. 

My primary responsibility includes ensuring we have the essential tools—ships and weapons—they need to fight and win our nation’s wars. 

The People’s Republic of China boasts almost fifty percent of the global shipbuilding market while the United States’ capacity for shipbuilding stands at a mere 0.13 percent. 

A few days ago, I returned from a visit to the Indo-Pacific, where I toured shipyards in South Korea and Japan and learned about their shipbuilding infrastructure and modernization. 

And what I took away from this visit was that we must explore any and all opportunities to expand our own shipbuilding capabilities through competition, innovation, and industrial capacity.  

It is impossible to operate a fighting force without ships or equipment, and it is also impossible to run a Navy and Marine Corps under a month-to-month or even week-to-week budget. For the past six months, the government has been funded by continuing resolution stopgaps, severely impeding our ability to effectively plan for the future. 

There exist far too many malign external threats for distractions by our own self-imposed internal problems—we cannot continue operating at maximum capability and capacity under short-term funding. 

I maintain that the government and industry must work together to develop the shipbuilding industrial base. 

And we simply cannot build, maintain, and repair a fleet without proper funding. 

Just as innovation drove victory for the United States during World War II, innovation continues to drive victory at sea today. 

I look forward to the future of Navy and Marine Corps innovation, and I look forward to what you in this audience will provide for our service men and women. 

At his change of command address in 1961, then-Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Arleigh Burke stated: “[I]n this modern world, the instruments of warfare are not solely for waging war. Far more importantly, they are the means for controlling peace.”  

As I mentioned at the beginning of my remarks—we are at a turning point. The world is teeming with strife and conflict. 

But our Navy and Marine Corps Team continues to train and demonstrate its lethality every day. 

And our Sailors and Marines are equipped with the best materials and technology because of the foundational support created by industry. 

I remain committed to a fully integrated team comprised of our Sailors and Marines on sea, land, and air, our DoD civilians and contractors, and our industry partners—working together to ensure mission accomplishment. 

Thank you for your support, and may God bless our Sailors, Marines, civilians, and their families. 

 

Source: United States Navy

WASHINGTON – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro spoke at the McAleese Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C., March 7. 

The conference, now in its 15th year, brings together top leaders related to the Department of Defense including defense service chiefs, secretaries, and members of Congress. 

Secretary Del Toro focused his remarks on enhancing strategic partnerships and strengthening maritime dominance.  

“My primary responsibility includes ensuring we have the essential tools—ships and weapons—our Sailors and Marines need to fight and win our nation’s wars,” said Del Toro.  

The Secretary opened his remarks by alluding to the work the Navy is doing in the Red Sea, and how the service is working alongside allies and partners from all over the world to protect maritime shipping in the region.  

He further stressed the need for allied forces to be interoperable. “We are, indeed, a unified fighting force, and our network of partners and allies around the globe is a critical advantage that we have over our potential adversaries,” he said. 

In discussing his vision for strengthening maritime dominance, the Secretary spoke about a new Maritime Statecraft, what he describes as a whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power – both commercial and naval – to prevail in an era of strategic competition. 

Secretary Del Toro closed his remarks by calling for a proper budget. 

“There exist far too many malign external threats for distractions by our own self-imposed internal problems,” said Secretary Del Toro. “We cannot continue operating at maximum capability and capacity under short-term funding.” 

##

Source: United States Navy

In Seychelles, the heart of the exercise takes place in the Regional Coordination Operations Centre (RCOC) in Victoria, on Mahé Island. The RCOC, along with the Regional Maritime Information Fusion Center (RMIFC) in Madagascar, forms part of a Regional Maritime Security Architecture for the Western Indian Ocean under the EU-funded Maritime Security in Eastern & Southern Africa & Indian Ocean (MASE) program, led by the Indian Ocean Commission.

“There’s an old quote in Africa: If you want to go fast you go alone; if you want to go far, you go together,” said CAPT. Sam Gontier, the RCOC’s Regional Director.

That idea is the foundation for the program, Gontier said. The RCOC and RMIFC were established in 2018 following the signing of two regional agreements (MASE agreements) focused on information exchange and sharing and joint operations at sea. Seven states signed the MASE agreements – Comoros, Djibouti, France (Reunion Island), Kenya, Madagascar, Mauritius and Seychelles. Each signatory country has an international liaison officer (ILO) in each regional center and links with their respective national center. Working closely with its sister center, the RCOC coordinates regional operations to combat illegal maritime activities with the support of assets contributed by regional signatories to the mechanism. The EU-MASE program also supports the deployment of assets for regional maritime operations. Integral to this Maritime Security Architecture is the RMIFC based in Madagascar.

The RMIFC focuses on deepening maritime awareness and facilitating the exchange and sharing of maritime information with national centers and international Information fusion centers, while the RCOC uses the information provided by the Fusion Center to initiate and coordinate operations at sea.

Integral to this regional coordination is the RMIFC in Madagascar. The RMIFC helps deepen maritime awareness and facilitate the exchange and sharing of maritime information, while the RCOC uses the information provided by the Fusion Center to help coordinate operations at sea.

“The RMIFC’s primary role is to analyze and detect vessels of interest and send that information to RCOC so we can take actions against them,” Gontier said. “For example, if there is a vessel that we suspect or know is carrying narcotics coming this way, and the closest resources are from Seychelles and Mauritius, we’ll ask them for their support and coordinate the operations from here.”

If the RMIFC finds information that the RCOC needs to take action on, they send that info to the RCOC. The RCOC will look at the situation and determine the actions that need to be taken, what assets are available in the area and what assets will best support that operation. The RCOC sends a support request to the countries that own the assets, and the countries reply with their ability to support. The RCOC then coordinates operations from its location in the Seychelles. At the conclusion of the operation, the country deploying the asset invoices the RCOC for its asset’s use in the operation and RCOC authorizes payment as per the funding mechanism set aside to support these operations.

The RCOC Director worked with Cutlass Express planners to integrate the RCOC into Cutlass Express 2023, the first time the RCOC was integrated in this fashion. The RCOC, however, had been participating in the exercise since its establishment, Gontier said, but the planners had been creating an artificial maritime operations center to send exercise injects to participating countries.

“The existing regional Architecture already has the task of carrying out this type of mission, so why not use it for the exercise to train countries in the right way,” Gontier said. “Through Cutlass, we have the medium to do a major exercise with all of the countries in the region, and at the same time we try to improve knowledge on the MASE Architecture and foster ownership.”

Two countries that have expressed an interest in signing the MASE agreements – Tanzania and Mozambique – are also participants in Cutlass Express. Regional participation like this continues to strengthen bonds and deepen interoperability, and paves the way for enhanced coordination as well.

As planners throughout the region and globally continue to leverage the capabilities of the RCOC for exercises and real-world operations, Gontier and others involved in this Architecture see the continued growth potential of the RCOC and what it means for maritime security and stability throughout East Africa.

“The center is getting recognized by the international community,” Gontier said. “And as the RCOC is also now taking on the role of the Regional Disaster Response Coordination Center, it’s essential for partner nations to test and improve their interoperability and response capabilities.”

The U.S. shares a common interest with African partner nations in ensuring security, safety, and freedom of navigation on the waters surrounding the continent, because these waters are critical for Africa’s prosperity and access to global markets.

For over 80 years, U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) has forged strategic relationships with allies and partners, leveraging a foundation of shared values to preserve security and stability.

Headquartered in Naples, Italy, NAVEUR-NAVAF operates U.S. naval forces in the USEUCOM and USAFRICOM areas of responsibility. U.S. Sixth Fleet is permanently assigned to NAVEUR-NAVAF, and employs maritime forces through the full spectrum of joint and naval operations.

For more information on Cutlass Express, visit https://www.c6f.navy.mil/, https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/cutlassexpress2024, & https://twitter.com/usnavyEurope/