Month: July 2024

Source: United States Navy

The hull swap between Ronald Reagan and George Washington was planned in coordination with the government of Japan, and as a part of the 50-year lifespan of the U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.

“USS Ronald Reagan has served exceptionally as America’s forward deployed aircraft carrier for nearly a decade, projecting credible combat power while sailing and flying where international law allows and doing so with allies and partners throughout the Indo-Pacific,” said Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander of Task Force 70 and Carrier Strike Group 5. “Reagan’s crew and those who have served aboard over the past several years should be tremendously proud of what they accomplished.”

George Washington relieving Ronald Reagan marks the second time the ship will serve as the FDNF-J aircraft carrier. In 2008, George Washington became the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier to serve as FDNF-J and was relieved by Ronald Reagan seven years later after a historic tri-carrier hull swap.

“For the last nine years, Ronald Reagan Sailors upheld the international rule of law and maintained a free and open Indo-Pacific alongside our allies and partners through their diligence and dedication towards our common goals,” said Capt. Daryle Cardone, Ronald Reagan’s commanding officer. “Their commitment has left a mark on the 7th Fleet area of responsibility and the impact we made will be continued as George Washington makes their way to Yokosuka, Japan. I know 7th Fleet is in good hands and as Ronald Reagan left behind a legacy of ‘peace through strength,’ George Washington will embody the ‘spirit of freedom’ in the Indo-Pacific once again.”

George Washington’s return to Japan continues the long-standing alliances and partnerships, and consistent U.S. presence in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Now is also an exciting time for the men and women of the USS George Washington, who are building on that ship’s history as Reagan’s predecessor in Yokosuka and re-establishing ‘GW’ as America’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier – a tangible and enduring sign of our nation’s commitment to peace, stability and freedom in the region,” said Newkirk. “Over its previous years as our forward-deployed carrier, George Washington built a reputation for professionalism, confidence and true excellence in Japan across the Indo-Pacific. I know today’s GW Sailors are trained and ready to retake the mantle, make their own mark in this consequential theater.”

Prior to arriving in San Diego, the George Washington Carrier Task Group completed Southern Seas 2024, circumnavigating South America, and the Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Group completed its final patrol as the FDNF-J aircraft carrier in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility.

“Having the George Washington back in Yokosuka is a new and exciting adventure for the crew, but it more importantly ensures the United States remains best positioned to meet common goals in the region,” said Capt. Tim Waits, George Washington’s commanding officer. “This nuclear aircraft carrier was a huge part of the foundation of trust between the U.S. and Japan, and that trust is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.”

George Washington and crew are in the process of completing the hull swap, replacing USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) as the forward-deployed U.S. Naval Forces Japan aircraft carrier at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. As part of the transition, the embarked Air Wing and Staffs, which include Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW 5) and Destroyer Squadron 15 (DESRON 15) will all cross deck to USS George Washington (CVN 73) bringing with them their vast operations experience operation on one of the most advanced and capable warships in the world. About 350 Sailors, 13 percent of the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) crew, will swap with USS George Washington (CVN 73) Sailors. With them, these Sailors will bring their Indo-Pacific and forward deployed experience to George Washington.

Source: United States Navy

The award recognized the commands for their outstanding performance during the period from October 19, 2023 to May 30, 2024.

Commands include:

Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet (COMFIFTHFLT); Commander, Task Force (CTF) 53; CTF 54 Bahrain Team; CTF 54 Japan Team; CTF 55 / Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 50; CTF 56, Task Group (TG) 56.1 Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), TG 56.9 Intelligence Exploitation Team (IET), TG 56.3 Expeditionary Reload Team (ERT); CTF 57; Task Force (TF) 3; Commander, Submarine Squadron (CSS) 21; Commander, Submarine Group (COMSUBGRU) 7; COMSUBGRU 7 NCCS; Anti-Submarine Warfare Forces; TF 51 / 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade; Amphibious Ready Group (COMPHIBRON) 8; 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable); Antiterrorism Security Team Company-Central Command (FASTCENT); 1st Battalion, 6th Marines (BLT 1/6); Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 162; Combat Logistics Battalion 22; Tactical Air Control Squadron (TACRON) 21; Fleet Surgical Team (FST) 8; Naval Beach Group (NBG) 2; Beachmaster Unit 2; Assault Craft Unit 2; Assault Craft Unit 4; USS Laboon (DDG 58); USS Mason (DDG 87); USS Florida (SSGN 728) (Blue Crew); USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116); USS Bataan (LHD 5); USS Carter Hall (LSD 50); USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB-3); USS Stethem (DDG 63); USS McFaul (DDG 74); USS Gravely (DDG 107); USNS Alan Shepard (T-AKE-3); USNS Amelia Earhart (T-AKE-6); USNS Kanawha (T-AO-196); USNS Supply (T-AOE-6); Detachment, Deployable Joint Command and Control (DJC2) Rotation 23.2; DJC2 Rotation 24.1; Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (CRC) 40; Tactical Operations Control Squadron (TOCRON) 10; Patrol Squadron (VP) 5; VP 9; VP 10; VP 40; Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron (VQ) 1; Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 26.

Established by the Secretary of the Navy on Dec. 18, 1944, and awarded by the secretary with the approval of the President, a unit commendation is conferred on any ship, aircraft, detachment or other unit of the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps that distinguished itself for extremely meritorious service in support of military operations, which were outstanding when compared to other units performing similar service.

The U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations encompasses approximately 2.5 million square miles of water space and includes the Arabian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, Red Sea, parts of the Indian Ocean and three critical choke points at the Strait of Hormuz, Suez Canal and Strait of Bab al-Mandeb.

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti, Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Vice Adm. Mark Hammond, and Royal Navy Adm. Sir Ben Key, First Sea Lord and Chief of Naval Staff spoke on a panel at the Indian Ocean Defense and Security (IODS) Conference, discussing AUKUS and security in the Indian Ocean and naval cooperation and security in the Indo-Pacific in Perth, Australia, July 24, 2024.

Source: United States Navy

Several U.S. entities participated, including the Department of Defense, Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), U.S. Army Pacific (USARPAC), 94th Army Air and Missile Defense Command (AAMDC), Pacific Fleet (PACFLT), NSA Weapons, Space and Cyber Security, U.S. Space Forces – Indo-Pacific, Joint Counter-small Unmanned Aerial Systems (C-sUAS) Office, and the Joint Ballistic Missile Defense Training & Education Center (JBTEC). The academy focused on enhancing ROK-U.S. IAMD expertise through hands-on defense design planning and modeling using the International Simulations (I-SIM) program.

KTTA 24 was primarily a bilateral hybrid (in-person/virtual) IAMD event. It provided a classified platform for open collaboration, exchange of views, and regional dialogue on IAMD operations between the United States and the ROK. The event aimed to foster theater security cooperation while identifying combined IAMD capabilities and challenges within a multilateral environment, aligned with the U.S. INDOPACOM vision.

A highlight of this year’s KTTA was the integration of trilateral participation from the ROK, Japan, and the U.S. On Aug. 18, 2023, President Biden welcomed ROK President Yoon and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to a historic trilateral summit at Camp David. During the summit, the three leaders affirmed ongoing progress in regularizing defensive exercises that strengthen trilateral responses to Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) threats (Fact Sheet: Trilateral Summit, Aug. 18, 2023).

In the spirit of this summit, the ROK Air and Missile Defense Command approved the U.S. Planner’s invitation for Japan to observe portions of the event and share national IAMD presentations among the ROK, U.S., and Japan. This was the first KTTA enabling the trilateral nations to share their operational IAMD national briefs, strengthening trilateral cooperation in support of a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

“The training was beneficial due to the inclusion of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force,” said ROK Air Defense Capt. Choi Jongwon. “It enabled our nations to share ballistic missile knowledge.” Additionally, KTTA focused on IAMD observations and lessons learned from theater-wide exercises, making real progress toward ROK joint IAMD academics with both the ROK Navy and Air Force.

​This academy reflects the United States’ commitment to strengthening the national defenses of the U.S. and its allies while demonstrating the significance of international partnerships in addressing complex security threats. By fostering collaboration and sharing expertise, the U.S. and the ROK work toward enhancing their collective defense capabilities and promoting stability in the Indo-Pacific region.