Category: Defence

Source: United States Navy

LARNACA, Cyprus – The Harpers Ferry-class amphibious landing dock ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) and embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) Special Operations Capable (SOC) arrived in Larnaca, Cyprus, for a scheduled port visit, Oct. 17, 2024.

“This port visit enables us to conduct training with the Republic of Cyprus, as well as enjoy some downtime for the crew,” said Cmdr. Beth-Ann Martin, Oak Hill’s executive officer. “Port visits are vital opportunities to bolster relationships with our partners.”

While Oak Hill is in Larnaca, Marines of the 24th MEU (SOC) will conduct individual and small unit training with the Republic of Cyprus National Guard. Sailors and Marines will also have the opportunity to explore the city and surrounding areas.

Oak Hill is conducting operations as part of the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (WSP ARG)-24th MEU (SOC) in the U.S. 6th Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Europe-U.S. Naval Forces Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) areas of operations, supporting U.S., Allied and partner interests in the region, including in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, to continue promoting regional stability and deterring aggression.

The WSP ARG-24th MEU (SOC) is comprised of its flagship namesake, the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1), San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD 21), Oak Hill, and the embarked 24th MEU (SOC).

The 24th MEU (SOC) is a Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) with a Command Element, Aviation Combat Element, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), Ground Combat Element, Battalion Landing Team 1/8, and Logistics Combat Element, Combat Logistics Battalion 24.

To learn more about USS Oak Hill, please visit our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ussoakhilllsd51

To learn more about WSP ARG-24th MEU (SOC), please visit our DVIDS feature page: https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/wasparg24thmeu

Source: United States Navy

The status of the two crew members is unknown while the search effort continues.  

An Emergency Operations Center has been established on NAS Whidbey Island to coordinate response efforts, and the U.S. Navy is making preparations to deploy personnel to secure the remote area that is not accessible by motorized vehicles.  

“I am thankful for the tremendous teamwork displayed by the NAS Whidbey Island squadrons — VAQ, VP, VQ, TOCRON 10 and SAR — as Team Whidbey continues to respond to our tragic mishap,” said Capt. David Ganci, commander, Electronic Attack Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.  “I am also grateful to local law enforcement, responders, and tribal communities whose partnership has been essential in planning our critical next steps for access to the site.”   

The cause of the crash is under investigation.  

More information will be released as it becomes available.  

Source: United States Navy

Aerial operations continued through the night, launching from NAS Whidbey Island and searching in the area 30 miles west of Yakima, Wash. Responders are facing mountainous terrain, cloudy weather, and low visibility as the search is ongoing.

As of 11 a.m. on Oct. 16, neither the crew nor wreckage has been located.

Additional units supporting search and rescue include: U.S. Navy Fleet Air Reconnaissance Squadron One (VQ-1), Patrol Squadron (VP-46), NAS Whidbey Island Search and Rescue, and U.S. Army 4-6 Air Cavalry Squadron out of Joint Base Lewis-McChord. 

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

More information will be released as it becomes available.

Source: United States Navy

Mancinelli and the Governor talked about the importance of the Indo-Pacific region and reaffirmed their commitment to working together on shared goals.

The Navy Under Secretary thanked the Governor for her strong and consistent support of the U.S. military presence on Guam.

Governor Guerrero spoke about the need for increased federal investment on Guam, and her desire for additional support on infrastructure, healthcare, and Typhoon Mawar recovery efforts.

Mancinelli emphasized the importance of continued dialogue with Guam’s local stakeholders and other government agencies. He also discussed the ways in which the Department of Defense will continue to work together with the Governor’s office to understand how the military build-up on Guam can be done in partnership with the on-island community.

This was the first in-person meeting with the Governor since Mancinelli assumed the position of Acting Under Secretary of the Navy, August 20.

As the Department of Defense’s Senior Defense Official for Guam, Acting Under Secretary Mancinelli looks forward to working with the Governor of Guam to secure the U.S. homeland, improve the resiliency of Guam, and maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Source: United States Navy

Each unique IT system and network we use assists us in executing our mission, but also provides our adversaries with new potential attack vectors in cyber space. This reduced attack surface can be further hardened by implementing Zero Trust design principles. Zero Trust helps us both to harden our networks to external threats and implement protections that prevent lateral movement when an adversary gains access, and in doing so can minimize the impacts of those attacks.

Each of your actions on the network or internet impacts the Navy’s cyber posture, from the systems you use, to the networks on which you operate, to the websites you visit. Each of these activities defines the attack surface that you create. Each window on the internet that you leave open represents a potential opening into the Navy’s and DoD’s information eco-system.

Criminals and adversaries use these windows to steal your identity and your online persona that permits them to traverse your online universe. This new attack construct is referred to as “living off the land”. Criminals and adversary steal credentials to authenticate their presence on our networks as an authorized user, making it extremely difficult to recognize an intruder on the network or in the system.  Proper use of identity management is critical to our success as a Navy.

Recognizing your role in reducing the Navy’s attack surface in cyberspace is critical to the identification of new risk reduction opportunities. To better understand how the Navy is building a modern Enterprise Information Ecosystem, and how you can contribute in that effort, the Navy Blueprint for a Modern Enterprise Information Ecosystem, published in 2023, outlines the Navy’s vision for the future of Navy Enterprise IT, to include network modernization, enterprise architectures, Zero Trust, and continuous monitoring.