Category: Defence

Source: United States Navy

U.S. CENTRAL COMMAND AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY – U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and Egyptian Navy El-Suez-class corvette ENS Abu Qir (F941) conducted a bilateral exercise in the Red Sea, Oct. 19.

The passing exercise occurred after Stockdale’s port visit to Safaga, Egypt, where Cmdr. Lauren Johnson, commanding officer of Stockdale, and Egyptian Navy Commodore Ramy Ahmed Ismael Mohamed, commander, Red Sea Naval Base, held a senior leadership exchange to strengthen interoperability between the U.S. and Egyptian Navy in the Red Sea.

“Stockdale and Abu Qir sailing together showcases U.S. and Egypt’s partnership and commitment to maintaining freedom of navigation and security of the seas,” said Johnson. “This exercise was a fitting conclusion to Stockdale’s time in Egypt, where we were graciously hosted by the base commander and our crew was able to enjoy much deserved liberty. We look forward to supporting our nations’ continuing relationship.”

Meeting at sea, Stockdale and Abu Qir coordinated close quarters maneuvers and tactical communication to strengthen interoperability and enhance bilateral cooperation. An MH-60R Sea Hawk helicopter, attached Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71, deployed aboard Stockdale, conducted flight quarters during the exercise.

The passing exercise highlights the strength of the U.S.-Egyptian military cooperation and historic partnership, which plays a leading role in stability and security in the region.

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.

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Find more news from Stockdale at https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/ddg106/.

Source: United States Navy

EVERETT, Washington – The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) returned to Naval Station Everett, Oct. 31, 2024 following an eight-month deployment with the Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group (TRCSG) to the U.S. 3rd, 5th, and 7th Fleet areas of operation.

“I am incredibly proud of the dedication, resilience, and professionalism shown by our team throughout this deployment,” said Cmdr. Parina Somnhot, commanding officer of John S. McCain. “Our Sailors always answered the call and helped ensure mission success.”

John S. McCain deployed in March and operated both independently and as part of the TRSCG. The TRCSG deployed to the Indo-Pacific region to support regional security and stability, to keep sea lanes open, and to reassure our allies and partners of the U.S. Navy’s unwavering commitment to the region. The strike group was later ordered to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to strengthen U.S. military force posture and capabilities throughout the Middle East in light of escalating regional tensions.

John S. McCain conducted various exercises with foreign navies, strengthening important relationships with allies and partners. These exercises enhanced warfighting readiness, interoperability, and maritime coordination between allies and partners.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers are warships that provide multi-mission offensive and defensive capabilities. Destroyers can operate independently or as part of carrier strike groups, surface action groups, and expeditionary strike groups.

The Theodore Roosevelt Carrier Strike Group is comprised of Carrier Strike Group 9 staff, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23 staff, the flagship Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71), with embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, and DESRON 23 ships that include guided-missile destroyers USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118), USS Russell (DDG 59) and John S. McCain.

An integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic, relevant training necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s role across the full spectrum of military operations – from combat operations to humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. U.S. 3rd Fleet works together with our allies and partners to advance freedom of navigation, the rule of law, and other principles that underpin security for the Indo-Pacific region.

For more information on John S. McCain, please visit https://www.surfpac.navy.mil/ddg56/.

Source: United States Navy

Introduced in the 1980s, the F/A-18 Hornet has been a versatile and essential asset in naval aviation, serving in major conflicts such as Operation Desert Storm and the Kosovo War. This particular Hornet, designated AQ-99, carries a rich operational history, symbolizing both the aircraft’s role in naval conflicts and the legacy of FRCSW’s aircraft maintenance program. “This is monumental for the depot,” said Ehren Terbeek, FRCSW Tactical Air Program Manager. “Many artisans here began their careers working on these aircraft, and it’s a milestone for everyone involved.”

The facility’s role in maintaining these legacy aircraft has been extraordinary. Through innovations like the center barrel replacement, FRCSW extended the operational life of the F/A-18 far beyond its original limit of 6000 flight hours, with some Hornets surpassing 9,000 hours. “The aircraft is old so parts were hard to source, and structural repairs were challenging, but our team’s skills and knowledge ensured these aircraft kept flying,” Terbeek emphasized. These efforts have been crucial in keeping naval aviation mission-ready for decades.

FRCSW’s artisans, many of whom are veterans, take immense pride in their work. The departure of the second-to-last Hornet to Fort Worth, Texas and now the final Hornet returning to Miramar, marks a bittersweet moment for those who spent their careers ensuring these aircraft remained battle-ready. For many, working on the F/A-18 has been a career-defining experience. “It was bittersweet knowing we were saying goodbye to an aircraft that defined our work for decades,” Terbeek reflected.

As FRCSW transitions to newer aircraft models like the F-35 and an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle like the MQ-8, the experience and expertise gained from decades of maintaining legacy aircraft will continue to inform its evolving role. The final maintenance effort on this F/A-18 Hornet is both the end of a chapter and a tribute to FRCSW’s historical contributions and the skilled workforce that has upheld the highest standards of aircraft maintenance. The legacy of excellence remains, as the facility prepares to support the next generation of naval aviation.

Fleet Readiness Center Southwest is the Navy’s premier West Coast aircraft repair, maintenance, and overhaul organization specializing in the Navy and Marine Corps aircraft and their related systems.

Source: United States Navy

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti met virtually with Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy Rear Adm. Garin Golding, Oct. 31.

The two leaders discussed their shared defense and security priorities of a free and open Indo-Pacific, strengthening their naval partnership through increased interoperability, and their commitment to upholding the rules based international order.

Franchetti thanked Golding for the Royal New Zealand Navy’s support and participation in Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2024 and for New Zealand’s steadfast leadership in the Pacific Islands region.

During RIMPAC 2024, Franchetti visited the Royal New Zealand ship HMNZS Aotearoa (A-11), where she thanked Royal New Zealand Navy service members, met with the ship’s leadership, and observed the exercise first-hand.

CNO also expressed her condolences and sympathy for the loss of HMNZS Manawanui, which sunk, without loss of life, after running aground off the coast of Samoa, Oct. 5. 

The United States and New Zealand have a longstanding partnership focused on ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and around the globe.

Source: United States Navy

The Department of the Navy is establishing a Naval Strategic Studies Group (NSSG) program in January administered by the DON Office of Strategic Assessment (OSA).

The NSSG will be modeled after the Strategic Studies Group created during the Cold War, which had a twofold mission to train future flag officers in strategic thinking and to conduct research on some of the DON’s most vexing strategic challenges.

The first cohort will include uniformed and civilian members from the Navy and Marine Corps. These plank-owners will conduct a capstone research project that advances Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro’s strategic maritime statecraft initiative.

“I expect my seasoned, mid-grade officers to be brilliant on naval tactics and operations by the time they report for graduate education,” Del Toro said. “I need future flag and general officers who will think strategically about how to lead naval forces in an increasingly contested maritime domain and amidst intense economic, technological and military competition.”

The education in strategic studies the NSSG members will receive supports DON’s focus on reinvigorating the strategic workforce, under the Secretary’s enduring priority of building a culture of warfighting excellence.

Members’ research – focused on broad strategic challenges, rather than narrower problems already addressed by fleet experimentation on specific tactics or technologies – will support DON’s aim of strengthening maritime dominance.

“The Department of the Navy meets our nation’s maritime needs, both today and into the future. As the Office of Strategic Assessment builds a net assessment capability for the DON to understand the complex challenges we face, the Naval Strategic Studies Group will bring together a cohort of rising leaders who will address these challenges and build the strategic leadership skills to guide our Navy and Marine Corps in a dynamic and shifting global environment,” OSA Director Dr. Cara LaPointe said.

The chief of naval operations created the previous SSG in 1981 to tackle key strategic challenges related to the Cold War. Over time, the SSG’s focus evolved to reflect the needs of the Navy until 2016, when it was sundowned.

As the Department of the Navy returns to an era of competition, stakeholders have agreed on the need to amplify strategic leader education as the United States faces an increasingly complex web of threats that includes China, Russia, Iran and North Korea. In 2023 Secretary Del Toro released a Naval Education Strategy to guide investments to modernize naval schools and professional military education. The NSSG will focus students’ strategic leadership studies on DON’s most pressing strategic challenges for greater effect.

“Today we face a comprehensive maritime power in the Indo-Pacific, Russian aggression in Ukraine, and Houthi attacks in the Red Sea – all of which will shape our security environment for several decades,” Del Toro said. “A revitalized, Naval SSG will help the Department of the Navy engage with and look ahead of these trends with sufficient access, resources, and guidance from leadership.”

The first cohort will also tackle questions that will help shape the enduring NSSG program, including working with the Naval University System to deliver a world-class curriculum, and will be located in Washington, D.C.

Lt. Gen. Benjamin Watson, the commanding general of the Marine Corps Training and Education Command, said recent conflicts have reinforced the importance of having Marine Corps leaders at all levels who can outthink the enemy.

“Domains like information and cyber, along with the rise of non-state actors, don’t fit neatly into old frameworks. Our current operating environment demands nothing less than a renaissance in strategic thinking,” said Watson. “To stay ahead of our adversaries, we need to keep evolving—updating our training, sharpening our minds, and learning – not just observing – the lessons of contemporary conflict. The fight isn’t just on the battlefield anymore, and we need every Marine to possess the training, education, and intellectual agility to adapt and overcome.”

Vice Adm. Daniel Dwyer, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans, Strategy and Warfighting Development, agreed the Navy needs Sailors and civilians “with superb education and training, who are able to think, act and operate differently to ensure we can defeat our adversaries.”
“The establishment of the NSSG will enhance our culture of warfighting excellence and strengthen our maritime dominance by developing strategically minded warfighters who will be the future senior leaders of the service and will lead our Navy through uncertain times,” said Dwyer.

Del Toro established the Office of Strategic Assessment in October 2023 and tasked the office to reconstitute the strategic studies program to help rebuild the naval strategist community.