Month: October 2024

Source: United States Navy

TUSCON, AZ (October 4, 2024) – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro visited Raytheon Technologies (RTX) to receive updates and provide feedback on advanced naval capabilities and programs today.  Discussions with Raytheon leadership addressed production timelines, industrial base health, and future technology development.

Secretary Del Toro met with Barbara Borgonovi, President of Naval Power at Raytheon, Gina Cunningham, Vice President for Naval Missile Systems, and Gerard Hueber, Vice President of Requirements and Capabilities.

During discussions, the Secretary emphasized the importance of continued investment in the defense industrial base to deliver cutting-edge solutions that strengthen maritime dominance amidst ongoing operations and in strategic competition.  He pointed to proven success of U.S. Navy weapons systems aboard carrier strike groups and guided-missile destroyers to defeat Houthi and Iranian attacks in the Red Sea and Mediterranean Sea.  He also noted competitors were watching those engagements closely and taking note of the Navy’s success.

“No one should doubt our Navy and Marine Corps team’s ability to deploy and operate the world’s most complex naval weapons systems in self-defense and in defense of our allies and partners,” said Del Toro.  “That is exactly why we invest so much to develop our maritime threats, but also to deter our strategic competitors from testing our resolve.  That is also why this important visit is timely before our Navy demonstrates the ability to rearm at sea for the first time next week. “

The Secretary received updates on several critical programs including, the Standard Missile family, the AN/SPY-6 radar, the Tomahawk missile system and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (cUAS) capabilities.  The Secretary also received updates on accelerating SM-6 Block IA production, including investments to increase production capacity, secure more sources for critical components, and modernize manufacturing processes.  Discussions also addressed the evolving threat of unmanned aircraft systems and the company’s ongoing efforts to develop and deploy effective countermeasures.

This visit reinforced the importance of a robust and resilient defense industrial base.  The Secretary expressed confidence in Raytheon’s commitment to delivering innovative and reliable solutions that support the Department of the Navy’s mission.

Source: United States Navy

Good morning, everyone! It’s wonderful to be here today with you.

Congressman Scott, thank you for welcoming us to your district, and for your incredible work on behalf of students, workers, and our Nation.

Secretary Su, thank you for joining us here in Hampton Roads—as you know, this area is one of the strongest industrial—and maritime-industrial—regions of our great Nation.

More importantly, thank you for your partnership on strengthening our national workforce.

Students—thank you for being here, and thank you for choosing a career in the maritime industry.

We have a growing need for a techno-industrial workforce to build and assemble the ships, munitions, parts, and pieces our Navy, Marine Corps, and indeed our Nation needs to promote peace around the world.

And all of you represent the next generation of that workforce.

The industry you’ve chosen a career in—the maritime industry—is critical to our economic security.

And as I’ve often said, economic security is national security.

90% of the world’s trade travels via the oceans.

99% of internet traffic travels via undersea cables.

And between:

the Houthis threatening innocent merchant mariners travelling through the Bab-al-Mandeb,

Iran’s periodic harassment of merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, piracy, narcotics and human trafficking, and Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. Challenges to the free flow of maritime commerce around the world are increasing.

But our Navy and Marine Corps—some operating aboard ships that are built and repaired right here in Hampton Roads—are deployed every day around the globe to counter those threats, defend innocent lives, and protect the rights of all nations to sail in the maritime commons.

Last fall, I announced a call for a new National Maritime Statecraft to prevail in an era of intense strategic competition.

Maritime Statecraft encompasses a national, whole-of-government effort to restore the maritime capabilities of the United States.

Securing America’s maritime prosperity is not a new mission—it is our founding mission.

That is why I have forcefully advocated to revive our Nation’s shipbuilding capabilities and capacity.

But integral to this revival of American shipbuilding is a strong workforce to support it.

The work you all are training for is integral to our ability to answer the nation’s call and for our Sailors and Marines to do their jobs with the greatest effectiveness possible.

And the trades you’re learning look much, much different than when I was in the Navy.

The shipyard I remember from my active-duty career is disappearing quickly.

Advances in modelling, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence are revolutionizing the work all of you will do in your careers—making you more effective and efficient and expanding your skillsets.

Our skilled trades—high-paying, high-skilled, “new-collar” jobs—are the latest in a long line and proud history of workers in our Nation who built the Liberty Ships in World War One, the Riveters who built our planes in World War II, and made America the strongest and greatest nation on Earth.

We were once a leading shipbuilding nation—and thanks to you and others like you, we will be again.

Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Good afternoon, everyone! Thank you, Rob, for that kind introduction. It is wonderful to be with you here in Newport, Rhode Island for the 10th annual SENEDIA Defense Innovation Days.

This is my fourth year in a row speaking and engaging with all of you—I’ll leave it the team at SENEDIA to tell you if this is a record for most appearances by a Secretary of the Navy—at least in three years!

During our time this morning, I’d like to spend a few minutes discussing challenges our Navy and Marine Corps faces, the progress our Department has made since we saw each other last year, and how you, as critical members of our defense and maritime industrial bases, can contribute to our enduring priorities.

Our World Today

And we rely on the talent and skill of those in this room today because we face tremendous challenges in every corner of the globe, and in every domain we operate in—below and on the sea, in the air, ashore, as well as in space and cyberspace.

Across the Atlantic, Russia continues in its third year of its illegal, unprovoked full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The Ukraine Compact, which was endorsed last month by President Biden, Canadian, Japanese, and several European leaders, rightfully characterizes Russia’s invasion as a threat to international peace and security, a flagrant violation of international law, and incompatible with our security interests.

We are proud to stand with our NATO allies in support of our Ukrainian partners as they fight to restore peace in their homeland and defend democracy for all free nations.

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

Immediately following the brutal attack on Israel on October 7th, our Navy and Marine Corps Team—represented by the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group and the Eisenhower Strike Group—was on station, the ready integrated force the world needed, capable of responding to any threat.

In March, we welcomed the Bataan ARG and its embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit after an eight-and-a-half month deployment, and last month, the Eisenhower Strike Group returned to port after nine months at-sea.

Our Sailors and Marines performed admirably, defending our ally Israel against Iranian attacks, conducting defensive strikes against Houthi infrastructure, and ensuring a sea lane critical to the international economy remained open.

Today, our personnel onboard the Wasp ARG is on station in the Mediterranean Sea, while the Theodore Roosevelt Strike Group and Abraham Lincoln Strike Group are operating in the Middle East.

In addition to our surface presence, earlier this month Secretary Austin ordered the USS GEORGIA (SSGN 729) to head to the region, providing a powerful deterrence message from below the ocean’s waves.

Our Sailors and Marines stand ready to respond to threats, reassuring our allies and partners of our commitment to the safety and security of all who travel those waters.

Finally, in the Indo-Pacific, we face a comprehensive maritime power for the first time since World War II.

The People’s Republic of China continues to assert its excessive maritime claims through its navy, coast guard, and maritime militia.

Earlier this month, Australia, Canada, the Philippines, and the United States upheld the right to freedom of navigation and overflight in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Together, our nations conducted a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, and the interoperability amongst our armed forces sends a strong signal that we are united in support of the rules based international order.

And we will continue to work with our international allies and partners to ensure that the Indo-Pacific remains free and open for all.

Three-Year Review

As you can see, there is no shortage of challenges we face around the world.

When I assumed office as the 78th Secretary of the Navy three years ago this month, I outlined three enduring priorities to guide our Department, in line with my responsibility to provide combat ready forces and capabilities to the President of the United States, Secretary of Defense, and our Combatant Commanders.

Our priorities are:

Strengthening Maritime Dominance,

Building a Culture of Warfighting Excellence, and

Enhancing Strategic Partnerships.

To fight and decisively win our Nation’s wars, we cannot rely on merely maintaining our seapower—we must strengthen our maritime dominance.

This means continuing to procure the advanced ships, submarines, aircraft, munitions, and systems our Sailors and Marines rely on to project power both from the sea and ashore.

And to support our forces operating around the globe, we have invested in innovative logistics capabilities to reduce reliance on shore-based installations for re-arming and refueling.

This is why I have prioritized fielding the Transportable Re-Arming Mechanism (TRAM), which will provide our surface combatants with a game-changing capability to reload their Vertical Launch Systems while underway in open ocean.

By enabling our warships to refill their magazines at-sea, TRAM offers us a powerful near-term deterrent that will disrupt the strategic calculus of those who would do us harm.

Likewise, the Modular CONSOL Adapter Kit, or MCAK, will enable commercial tankers to help sustain our fleet in forward areas.  And it can be installed on any tanker in the world in just 36 hours.

By leveraging our advantage in connected underway replenishment, these advances effectively increase the size and combat power of our fleet—a prospect that should give any would-be aggressor pause.

And while we continue to invest heavily in acquiring, fielding, and sustaining our crewed platforms, we recognize that a constant presence in the maritime domain will require a hybrid fleet.

Since I took office, we’ve demonstrated the power and reach that uncrewed platforms can provide to our Navy.

From Task Force 59 in the Middle East to operations and exercises across our Fourth and Seventh Fleets, we are working with our international allies and partners to see how we can best integrate uncrewed platforms into our fleets, providing us with flexibility and the ability to identify who is sailing in our respective waters.

But a strong Navy and Marine Corps is about more than just acquiring advanced systems and platforms.

Our people are the foundational strength of this Department, and they provide us competitive warfighting advantage over our adversaries.

Our priority of building a culture of warfighting excellence is founded on strong leadership that is rooted in treating each other with dignity and respect—creating an environment in which our Sailors and Marines can realize their inherent potential.

It includes not only taking care of our people, but also maximizing education opportunities, cultivating research, development, science, and technology.

For example, our Marine Corps launched the Marine Innovation Unit, which leverages the skillsets of our talented Marine reservists to find solutions and accomplish engagements integral to our warfighting future.

And this initiative directly supports the Marine Corps’ Force Design modernization efforts—ensuring our ability to fight a peer adversary on the modern battlefield.

To complement MIU, in December 2022, I directed the establishment of the Naval Innovation Center at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.

The NIC will tackle the hardest technology challenges our Fleet and Force face, leveraging the deep technical expertise of the NPS faculty, staff, and students to identify innovative solutions that can move rapidly through the stages of prototyping, experimenting, adoption, and transition to a fielded capability.

And last September, I stood up the Science and Technology Board, with the intent that the board provide independent advice and counsel to the Department of the Navy on matters and policies relating to scientific, technical, manufacturing, acquisition, logistics, medicine, and business management functions.

This year, I released our new Naval Science and Technology Strategy, guiding our Navy and Marine Corps’ innovation initiatives and science and technology research efforts during this decisive period.

While we are investing heavily in our people to identify technologies and capabilities our Fleet and our Force need to maintain their competitive advantages as they operate around the globe, we recognize that we cannot go at it alone.

To be the most effective fighting force, our Navy and Marine Corps is enhancing strategic partnerships across the Joint Force, industry, academia, and with our allies and partners around the globe.

Here at home, we are focusing our efforts with industry to expand our national shipbuilding capacity, and train the “new-collar” workforce—combining the cutting-edge technologies of today with traditionally blue-collar careers—that our nation requires to build the fleet of the future.

Last October, shortly after we met during SENEDIA Defense Innovation Days 2023, I was in Danville, Virginia, for the groundbreaking of a new facility for the Accelerated Training in Defense Manufacturing Regional Training Center.

Danville is an exemplar of the power of public-private partnerships, bringing together the Department of the Navy, the Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as industry and academia to tackle the workforce challenges our nation faces in a collaborative manner.

Since October, my team and I have traveled the country, developing new partnerships to ensure talented Americans are aware of the incredible opportunities to support our national defense as skilled tradesmen and women while also pursuing a career that will provide for them and their families.

Just last month, alongside officials from the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, we announced the Michigan Maritime Manufacturing Initiative (M3), a federal, state, and local partnership to help rebuild the maritime industrial base workforce that the Navy needs.

And with the “Submarine Capital of the World” located in this region at Groton, Connecticut, this community knows just how important it is to ensure we have the people necessary to build and maintain our Navy’s undersea fleet.

That is why I was so excited to learn that in May, our Navy Submarine Industrial Base program’s New England Talent Pipeline hosted its first-ever signing day, celebrating 394 individuals joining our SIB workforce.

We have indeed made incredible progress across all three of our enduring priorities, but there is still work to be done to ensure our competitive warfighting advantages, and, more importantly, restore our national maritime power.

Maritime Statecraft

A year ago, at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, I announced my vision for a new Maritime Statecraft to prevail during a point in our nation’s history defined by intense strategic competition.

Maritime Statecraft includes not only naval diplomacy, but a national, whole-of-government effort to build comprehensive U.S. and allied maritime power, both commercial and naval.

A key component of Maritime Statecraft is effectively leveraging the advantages we uniquely enjoy in innovation and technology, particularly in the maritime domain.

And while there are many things we in the federal government can do to advance Maritime Statecraft, it takes all of us here in this room to ensure its success.

From the large defense prime contractors to the fledgling defense-focused startups represented here today—you are critical to the “arsenal of democracy” that our nation needs, now more than ever.

You are world-class engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs, innovating at the edge of technology, pushing the bounds of the possible.

As we look to modernize our Fleet and our Force, and build out our national shipbuilding capacity, we welcome your ideas, your capabilities—your energy and enthusiasm—as we chart our course to restore our maritime power.

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

I am committed to doing everything in my power to remove barriers within my Department that slow down progress.

And I ask each of you in this room to root out inefficiency, increase production, and foster innovation. Not just for your shareholders, not just for your employees, but for the future of our nation.

We have a need for critical capabilities and technologies to be deployed at speed and scale throughout our fleet and our force, and we can no longer afford to wait.

Closing

For almost 248 years, our Navy and Marine Corps have relied on New Englanders to serve as Sailors, Marines, and civilians throughout our ranks.

We have called upon you to build the platforms and systems our personnel need to achieve their missions around the world.

And today, I am asking you to join us as we continue to advance our Department’s enduring priorities, and to lend your voices and ideas to ensure we field a modern, capable, and lethal Fleet and Force.

Again, it is a pleasure to be with you today, and I am ready to answer any questions you may have.

May God continue to grant our Nation with fair winds and following seas.

Thank you.

Source: United States Navy

Good morning, everyone! Thank you, Rear Admiral Garvin, for your kind introduction.

Senator Reed, Admiral Swift, distinguished guests, it is wonderful to be with all of you here in Newport to celebrate one of our Naval services’ time-honored traditions—the changing of command. 

As the only Secretary of the Navy in our Nation’s history who is a graduate of the Naval War College, I cannot over-emphasize how important this institution is to the success of our Navy and Marine Corps.

Education is indeed the foundation of our Fleet and our Force, ensuring that our Sailors, Marines, and civilians are prepared to meet the many evolving dynamic challenges that will test our determination, resolve, and skills.

It is critical to advancing our Department’s three enduring priorities of Strengthening Maritime Dominance, Building a Culture of Warfighting Excellence, and Enhancing Strategic Relationships.

And it is the key to realizing our vision for a new, national approach to Maritime Statecraft.

Since 1884, the Naval War College has educated the leaders our Fleet and our Force, as well as the leaders of the armed forces of our international allies and partners around the globe, preparing them for the challenges we face today and will face in the future as maritime nations.

NWC plays a unique and important role in our Naval University System.

We charge the leadership, faculty, and staff here in Newport with:

Educating and developing tomorrow’s naval and Joint Force leaders

Informing today’s decisionmakers

And engaging with our allies and partners around the world on matters of joint warfare in order to address the complex, global security challenges we face in all domains that we operate in, from below the ocean’s surface to the stars above.

RADM Garvin and NWC Accomplishments

Over the last year, Rear Admiral Garvin—as the 58th President of the Naval War College—has been steadfast in his devotion to this institution, empowering the students, faculty, and staff to pursue their research passions, provide support to our Fleet, Combatant Command, and national leaders, as well as engage with the global maritime community.

When we consider how NWC is revolutionizing our approach to training our future leaders, there is no better example than the Perspectives on Modern War course. 

This new, year-long learning community supported by 68 members of the NWC faculty provides students with the opportunity to explore new concepts, ideas, and technologies, ensuring they are provided with a relevant and current curriculum as they prepare to lead the Fleet and Force of tomorrow.

NWC has also embraced its mission to inform and continue to educate today’s leaders and decisionmakers.

As I said in my speech on Maritime Statecraft at Harvard University last fall, I expect our Admirals and Generals to be skilled warfighters, but I demand that they be strategic thinkers.

The Naval War College is vital to ensuring that this is so.

From formalizing the organization, structure, and processes associated with the Flag Officer and Senior Executive Training—FLEX—series, to hosting senior-level wargames, including:

CNO Futures

Global 17 and Global 18, Trans-Atlantic Maritime Command and Control and Naval Contested Logistics War Game

The Naval War College is leading the way in preparing our talented cadre of Admirals, Generals, and civilian Senior Executives to deter conflict and if necessary, be victorious in combat.

Beyond the focus placed on training and educating students and fleet leaders here in Newport, we’ve witnessed a tremendous increase in engagement and outreach by the Naval War College community.

Early in his tenure, Rear Admiral Garvin and the NWC team hosted the International Seapower Symposium last September, where 174 delegates from 91 countries—including 75 Heads of Navy—gathered in Newport to discuss global maritime challenges and how we could collectively work together to address them.

I will also highlight that several of the international attendees at ISS are graduates of Naval War College, from either our Naval Command College or Naval Staff College.

In fact, on any given day, roughly 40 Heads of Navy around the globe are NWC alumni.

And Rear Admiral Garvin and his team are actively engaging our international alumni in their home regions and countries.

An example of this was the Indo-American War College Conference in Delhi, India, co-hosted by NWC and the Indian Naval War College earlier this year.

During this conference, NWC alumni from across the region gathered to hear keynote addresses and panels focused on IUU Fishing, Indo-Pacific Confidence Building, and climate change, among other topics.

This conference also provided NWC leadership with the opportunity to strengthen their ties with their Indian counterparts and to explore future opportunities for collaboration in areas such as wargaming and China Maritime Studies. 

All of this speaks directly to the prestige placed by the international community on this institution and world-class instruction our faculty and staff provide to the current and future leaders of militaries around the world.

And while these in-person engagements are critical, I would be remiss if I did not highlight the digital presence and reach of NWC’s Digital Commons.

This year alone, over 900,000 products from the digital commons have been downloaded by users around the world, representing some 38,000 public and private organizations.

From faculty publications and podcasts to social media posts, the influence of the Naval War College in ongoing debates and discussions surrounding maritime issues is indeed global.

Rear Admiral Garvin, I cannot thank you and the team here at NWC enough for serving as thought leaders in the maritime domain, educating decision-makers and driving solutions that will benefit us, our allies, and our international partners in the decades to come.

And we are grateful to your wife, Cheryl, for her support, engagement, and involvement with the Naval War College community.

Your family has made an incredible impact on NWC that will not soon be forgotten.

President Biden, Secretary Austin, and I look forward to your continued success as you develop the current and future leaders of the Joint Force during your tenure as the President of the National Defense University.

Rear Admiral Darryl “D-Day” Walker

Rear Admiral Walker, congratulations on your new role as the 59th President of the Naval War College.

It is an honor to welcome you and your bride of almost forty years—Laura—back to Newport.

You bring an incredible amount of experience to this role that will benefit the NWC community, including your time as an enlisted Airman nearly forty years ago.

And I will highlight for the audience that the Walker family continues to proudly represent both services through their sons Michael—an Air Force F-35 pilot—and Marc—a Navy Supply Corps officer.

From serving and leading in the air, at-sea, and ashore in both Navy and Joint environments, I have no doubt that your perspectives and vision for this vaunted institution will take it to new heights, advancing the work of your predecessors to ensure our graduates can think and lead strategically.

As you are keenly aware, we are at a turning point in our nation’s history, and success will be defined by our ability to embrace our position as one of the world’s leading maritime power.

I challenge you, as the now-leader of our Department’s War College, to:

Build upon initiatives like the Perspectives in Modern War course that are critical to preparing our future naval leaders, giving them the confidence to make informed decisions rooted in the academic rigor they experienced here at NWC

Ensure the curriculum remains relevant to the challenges we, our allies, and our partners face in the global maritime commons

And, finally, continue to develop the close ties we share with like-minded nations, including energizing our global alumni network to solve the most pressing maritime challenges we face, together.

I will also offer that you are not alone in this endeavor as you navigate the challenges that lay ahead. 

Admiral Franchetti and I will always be available to you throughout your tenure as president—do not hesitate to call us!

And I would be remiss if I did not say—from one NWC alum to another—welcome home.

Closing

Rear Admiral Garvin, Rear Admiral Walker, and your families—thank you all for your dedication and support to our officers, our Sailors, and the Naval War College.

The future of the college is bright because of everything you both have and will accomplish, and I wish you both continued success as you continue to develop the leaders our Nation needs.

May God continue to bless our Sailors, Marines, civilians, the students, faculty, and staff of this institution, and their families. Thank you.