Month: July 2024

Source: United States Navy

WARREN, Michigan – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative (M3), a federal, state and local partnership to help rebuild the maritime industrial base workforce the Navy needs, July 22. 

M3 will focus initially on submarine production skillsets before it expands to other types of ships.  Secretary Del Toro announced M3 at Macomb Community College, one of many academic partners throughout Michigan committed to developing the future maritime workforce.

M3 will establish training pipelines and programs to meet the Navy’s need for thousands of new workers and jobs across the state and the broader Great Lakes region.  The initiative will implement a training curriculum focused on maritime welding and machining with the scale and speed needed to fill manufacturing and engineering gaps in the maritime workforce.  The effort will also connect the next-generation workforce to the Navy’s enduring maritime mission, and the need to increase its competitive advantage from the industrial base out to sea. 

“I’m thrilled to be in Michigan today to launch an investment of over $50 million for this critical effort to help rebuild our nation’s maritime manufacturing workforce,” said Secretary Del Toro. “This initiative underpins our Navy’s commitment to strengthen maritime dominance by enhancing strategic training partnerships across federal, state and local entities while leveraging Michigan’s long-standing reputation as a manufacturing powerhouse.” 

Michigan’s manufacturing industry remains a top producer of semiconductor chips, electric vehicle batteries, and clean energy and the state is well-positioned to lead manufacturing efforts into the future.  The schools and industry partners that shaped the country’s automotive and transportation industries will help build and sustain the Navy’s fleet.  The M3 initiative will also help place graduates from these programs with maritime suppliers to meet their hiring demands.

Leveraging Department of Defense (DoD) Industrial Base Policy assessments and innovative veteran programs like SkillBridge—which connects transitioning service members with real-world job experiences in their last 180 days of service—the M3 initiative will also capitalize on Michigan’s strong veteran population and legendary strength in labor.

“We are making investments to nurture and develop the skillsets that are vital to our national security; investments which will enable us to achieve the strategic priorities laid out in the National Defense Industrial Strategy,” said Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy. “By partnering with Michigan’s auto manufacturing industry to grow the SIB, we are reimagining what is possible for manufacturing communities not just throughout Michigan, but across the country.”

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Senator Gary Peters, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, Mr. James Rodriguez, and Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy, Dr. Laura Taylor-Kale.

“As we invest in training the next generation of workers, we send a clear message to manufacturers across the nation: come to Michigan,” Governor Whitmer said. “Here, we make stuff—whether it’s ships, semiconductor chips, or potato chips. We have the grit and know-how to produce anything America needs. Our defense industry contributes $30 billion to our economy, supporting more than 166,000 jobs and nearly 4,000 businesses. We produce more military vehicles than any other state and are home to major defense companies including General Dynamics, BAE, and GM Defense. With our growing veteran population—over 500,000 strong—Michigan is primed to remain a manufacturing powerhouse.” 

With investments exceeding $50 million and collaboration from various partners, the M3 Initiative will implement tailored and accelerated training and educational programs focused on maritime manufacturing. 

Read Secretary Del Toro’s full remarks here and fact sheet with details on this initiative here.

Source: United States Navy

Good morning, everyone!

It’s truly wonderful to be here with you today in the state capitol and middle of the lower of Michigan’s “pleasant peninsulas.”

It’s an honor to be standing here on the steps of one of the most beautiful and storied capitol buildings in our Nation.

Governor Whitmer, thank you for joining us today, and for your steadfast support and partnerships on issues critical to the success of our Navy, Marine Corps, and indeed our Nation.

Mayor Schor, state and city officials, thank you for joining us.

The ties between the Navy and Michigan date back more than 200 years.

For centuries, the sons and daughters of the “Great Lakes State” have answered the call to serve in our Nation’s military, with their stories of courage and heroism captured in our Navy’s legacy.

We recall how, on the morning of December 7th, 1941, a Lansing-area native—Ensign Francis Charles Flaherty, from just twenty minutes West of here in Charlotte—was serving aboard the USS Oklahoma (BB 37) stationed in Pearl Harbor.

Oklahoma was one of the first casualties of World War Two—it was struck by multiple torpedoes and began capsizing just minutes after the first bombs fell.

Ensign Flaherty sacrificed his life to allow the rest of his turret crew to escape the sinking ship.

He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his sacrifice.

Men and women like Ensign Flaherty have been born and raised all over this city, this state, and indeed the Nation—and the names of our ships record many of their names and the places they hailed from.

The first naval warship to bear the name “Michigan” was commissioned in 1844 for service on the Great Lakes—and was in fact the first iron-hulled ship in the U.S. Navy.

In all, thirty-two ships have been named after this beautiful state, its cities, places, and people.

There have been five Detroits, three Michigans, two Flints, and one Grand Rapids, for example.

The courage and dedication to our Nation of the people and communities of this state have been recognized from the earliest days of our Navy.

And, yet, there has never been a ship in the U.S. Navy named after the city of Lansing—maybe it’s because this city was just a “hole in the woods,” according to historians, when it became your state capitol in 1847.

But I don’t know for sure why there hasn’t been a ship named after this city.

I do know, however, that this city is a testament and monument to American ingenuity and our democratic ideals.

And now it is my deepest honor to announce that the next expeditionary fast transport, T-EPF 16, will be named USNS Lansing.

Our EPFs are truly force multipliers for our combat logistics fleet.

They allow for quicker responses to crises, strengthen our ability to conduct humanitarian and disaster relief operations, and provide logistical support for special forces missions.

Their agility gives our fleet commanders greater flexibility and strategic options on the ever-changing global stage.

It will be manned by dedicated crews, comprised of both civilian mariners from the Military Sealift Command and embarked military personnel.

Their expertise and teamwork will ensure it operates at peak efficiency, delivering critical resources and services exactly when and where they’re needed.

And I’m pleased to announce that supporting that crew as the ship’s sponsor will be one of your own—Governor Gretchen Whitmer.

Governor, please join me at the podium.

The role of a ship’s sponsor is to serve as the connection between a ship, her crew, and her namesake.

I can think of no better liaison for this state and this city than a governor who was born here and who has dedicated her life and her career in service to the Great Lakes State.

I know you will certainly be a guiding light to the crew of USNS Lansing wherever she may sail—and I cannot thank you enough for your service to our nation and your steadfast partnership to our Navy-Marine Corps Team.

Thank you, everyone, for joining us this morning for this momentous occasion, and for your support of our Fleet, our Marine Corps, and our Nation.

May God bless our Sailors, Marines, civilians, and their families with fair winds and following seas.

Now, it is my great pleasure to introduce the 52nd Mayor of this wonderful city—Mayor Schor. Mr. Mayor, the floor is yours.

Source: United States Navy

LANSING, Michigan (July 22, 2024) – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that a future Expeditionary Fast Transport, EPF 16, will be named USNS Lansing on July 22.

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement during a press conference at the Michigan State Capitol.

The future USNS Lansing is the first ship named in honor of Michigan’s capital city, Lansing. A previous USS Lansing (DE 388) was named for Aviation Machinist Mate First Class William Henry Lansing and decommissioned in 1965.

“This city is a testament and monument to American ingenuity and our democratic ideals,” said Secretary Del Toro. “It is my deepest honor to announce that the next expeditionary fast transport, EPF 16, will be named USNS Lansing.” 

Secretary Del Toro made the announcement alongside Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Mayor Andy Schor of Lansing, Michigan. Both spoke about the honor and meaning behind the naming of the Navy’s newest EPF.

“On behalf of the City of Lansing and our residents, I am truly grateful that the Navy has decided to name this new vessel in honor of our city. Lansing, in addition to being Michigan’s capital, is a manufacturing hub that has proudly supplied and supported those serving this country in every conflict since the Civil War,” said Mayor Schor. “Knowing that this great tradition lives on in this new vessel is a testament to the work our residents have done to support our military throughout the years.”

Along with the ship’s name, Secretary Del Toro also announced that Governor Whitmer will serve as sponsor of the future USNS Lansing. In her role as sponsor, she will represent a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.

“Lansing has something for everyone and everyone has a place in Lansing,” said Governor Whitmer. “This is a diverse, inclusive city where people from around the world have come to build better lives for themselves and their loved ones.”

Lansing, the capital of Michigan, is located primarily in Ingham County in central Michigan’s Lower Peninsula on the Grand River at its confluence with the Red Cedar River. With a population of more than 112,000, Lansing is the sixth-largest city in Michigan.

A provision of the Michigan constitution moved the state capital from Detroit to Ingham County’s unsettled Lansing Township in 1847. Initially called the Village of Michigan, the new capital took the name of the township it had been in in 1849.

In the late 1850s, the state legislature began financing the construction of roads running from Lansing to larger cities like Detroit. This was a significant step towards the city’s future development. In the 1870s, railroads connected the capital to out-of-state destinations, further enhancing its connectivity. At the end of the nineteenth and beginning of the twentieth centuries, Lansing experienced an industrial boom with the establishment of several automobile manufacturers, a period that shaped the city’s identity and economic landscape.

Over the next several decades, the city became a central American hub producing motor vehicles.

However, the decline of the automotive industry in the late 2000s was a turning point for Lansing. Instead of succumbing to the crisis, the city diversified its economy, engaging in a broader range of industries including healthcare, education, government service, insurance, banking, and information technology. This resilience and adaptability are a testament to Lansing’s strength and potential.

The Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) is a shallow draft, all aluminum, commercial-based catamaran capable of intra-theater personnel and cargo lift, providing combatant commanders high-speed sealift mobility with inherent cargo handling capability and agility to achieve positional advantage over operational distances. Bridging the gap between low-speed sealift and high-speed airlift, EPFs transport personnel, equipment and supplies over operational distances with access to littoral offload points including austere, minor and degraded ports in support of the Global War on Terrorism/Theater Security Cooperation Program, Intra-theater Operational/Littoral Maneuver and Sustainment and Seabasing. EPFs enable the rapid projection, agile maneuver and sustainment of modular, tailored forces in response to a wide range of military and civilian contingencies such as Non-Combatant Evacuation Operations, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.

More information on our expeditionary fast transport ship programs can be found here.

Read Secretary Del Toro’s full remarks here.

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Spokesperson Navy Cmdr. Desiree Frame provided the following readout: 

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met with Vice President of the Federated Sates of Micronesia (FSM) Aren Palik, FSM Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs Lorin Robert, and the Lt. Gov. of Chuuk, FSM, Hon. Mekioshy William, July 21-22.  

During these engagements, she emphasized how the U.S. and FSM’s shared commitment to their longstanding defense and security ties, underpinned by the Compact of Free Association, support freedom, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. 

The leaders discussed new prospects for defense posture cooperation, including in Yap State, and talked about enhanced exercise opportunities as the U.S. – FSM partnership grows stronger. They also underscored the importance of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Partnership 2024-2 – the largest maritime humanitarian and civic assistance mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific – to the people of FSM. 

The CNO highlighted how the United States military serves as a defense force for the freely associated states, including Micronesia, and how America’s all-volunteer force draws strength from Freely Associated States citizens. Franchetti said she was grateful for the military service of Micronesian citizens, who serve at a higher rate per capita than any other U.S. state. 

This was Franchetti’s first meeting with FSM leadership. 

Source: United States Navy

PEGASE, an annual French Air and Space Force-led deployment in the Indo-Pacific, spans the globe while exercising operational cooperation actions with air forces from many nations. This year’s marks the fifth itineration since its inception in 2018.

This phase of the exercise includes multiple aircraft, as: U.S. Navy E/A 18-G Growler and 1 P-8A, Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-2, two French Rafale and French Airbus A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).

“The stopover in Japan will be the occasion of an exceptional and unique opportunity to demonstrate the interoperability between our joint and combined armed forces and the layers of complexity we continue to build as we exercise together,” said Cmdr. Yann Soulard, France liaison officer to U.S. 7th Fleet. “The ability to have multiple countries provide different aircraft from different branches, with the ability to rely on each other in order to complete the mission, will be key ​in the years to come (or to be able to operate together).”

PEGASE provided opportunities to conduct formation flying, practice targeting, and train air-to-air refueling on the French MRTT.

Deployments such as PEGASE allow the opportunity for integration of all branches of service, as well as allied forces, to improve all our military skills in the air domain and demonstrate the strength and versatility of the joint forces and our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

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.