Category: United States Navy

Source: United States Navy

The U.S. Navy’s Cybersecurity Office, Program Management Warfare (PMW) 130, worked alongside the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Program Executive Office for Digital and Enterprise Services, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, Naval Sea Systems Command, and the Department of Defense Chief Information Office, to support 760/406 Unmanned Surface Vessel Squadron (USVRON) One in being the tip of the spear on leading achievement of zero trust control afloat small form factor and remote cyber operations. Dr. Scott Jasper, Principal Investigator, highlighted that Trident Warrior 24 provided the opportunity for NPS students to conduct applied research in the operating environment.

“The achievement of a ZTA in Trident Warrior 24 was important to demonstrate the viability of the selected cyber defense solutions,” said Dr. Jasper.

Zero trust, a security model that operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify,” mandates rigorous identity verification and continuous validation of every entity accessing a system. Unlike traditional security models that rely on perimeter defenses, ZTA assumes that threats can originate from both outside and inside the network, necessitating constant vigilance.

The adoption of zero trust in unmanned systems addresses several critical vulnerabilities. With the growing reliance on unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for surveillance, delivery, and monitoring, ensuring the integrity and security of these systems is paramount. Zero trust ensures that every access request to the system, whether from an operator, sensor, or data feed, is authenticated, authorized, and encrypted.

The integration of ZTA in unmanned systems also offers significant benefits for military applications. The defense sector, which increasingly relies on autonomous systems for reconnaissance and combat operations, stands to gain from the enhanced security that zero trust provides. Ensuring that only verified and authorized entities can access or control these systems is crucial for maintaining operational security and mission success.

However, the transition to zero trust is not without challenges. Implementing ZTA requires significant changes to existing information technology infrastructure and ongoing management to maintain its effectiveness. Organizations must invest in robust identity and access management solutions, continuous monitoring systems, and training for personnel to adapt to this new security paradigm.

“Collaboration amongst Navy commands and industry partners, Microsoft and Dell, in Trident Warrior 24 was paramount in overcoming these technical challenges,” said Dr. Jasper.

Despite these hurdles, the consensus among experts is clear: the benefits of zero trust far outweigh the costs. As unmanned systems continue to evolve and their applications expand, ensuring their security through ZTA will be critical in protecting sensitive data, maintaining operational integrity, and fostering trust in these innovative technologies.

With cyber threats becoming more sophisticated and pervasive, the move toward zero trust represents a proactive and necessary step in the evolution of cybersecurity for unmanned systems. As the industry continues to embrace this model, the future of unmanned operations looks to be more secure and resilient than ever before.
PMW 130 is the Navy’s cybersecurity acquisition agent delivering cybersecurity products, capabilities, and services that protect and defend against cyber threats. The mission of PMW 130 is to enable information warfare by providing confidentiality, integrity, and availability of capabilities through innovative acquisition of maritime cybersecurity products.

Trident Warrior is an annual large-scale, at-sea field experiment where the Navy selects potential initiatives that address capability gaps and provide inventive solutions in an operational environment. Fleet experimentation allows the Navy and its partners to incorporate real-world warfighter feedback early in the acquisition process by exposing the fleet to emerging capabilities.

Source: United States Navy

“I was listening to music as I drove to an appointment with a potential future sailor,” FC1 Alex Weaver said. “I looked up and in the rearview I saw something straight out of a movie, a car flipping through the air.”

FC1 immediately jumped into action, turning his car around and calling 911 as he made his way to the accident.

“It was like a switch just turned on” Weaver said. “Everything we get taught, first aid, it all just clicked into place.”

Weaver pulled up to a smoking car laying on its roof off highway 37 in Licking County, Ohio, where a 17-year-old student, from Licking High School, was stuck inside.

“I ran up and saw the kid trying to get out, so I ripped at the door and helped pry him out.” Weaver said.

After helping the kid out of the car FC1 started treating for shock and looking for injuries, skills he learned after completing the Navy’s Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC) training while stationed aboard the USS Portland (LPD 27) where he was a member of the ship’s Visit Board Search and Seizure (VBSS) team.

Weaver said that Paramedics arrived very quickly and took over care.

“Petty Officer Weaver responded just like we would expect any Navy Sailor,” Cmdr. Patrick Henken, Commanding Officer NTAG ORV said. “When he saw a person in need, he was the first to rush to the scene and ensure that the individual was OK. He relied on the skills that he learned in the Navy and remained calm, cool, and collected. I am extremely proud of Petty Officer Weaver, and he showcased firsthand what the Navy’s Core Values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment mean.”

FC1 Weaver continued his day, making it to his appointment a little later than expected, where he conducted a qualified interview for a hopeful Navy recruit.

Source: United States Navy

“We are here to see how Navy corpsmen conduct medical operations and learn from it,” said U.S. Army Sgt. Monserrat Hernandez-Rodriguez, an LPN. “We would work with Sailors if we got deployed. We wanted to see how other branches perform and trade knowledge regarding medical operations.”

The Army medics also provided their version of Tactical Causality Combat Care (TCCC) training to the ship’s crew. During their time onboard, the Soldiers noticed large differences between shipboard TCCC and field TCCC. While the Army primarily focuses on care-under-fire, in which lifesaving care is performed on service members during an active conflict, the Navy primarily focuses on head, fire, and radiation injuries unique to nuclear-powered vessels. Nonetheless, a training opportunity like this was meant to teach Sailors and Soldiers new approaches to TCCC and benefit both the Army and Navy.

“Training opportunities like these are critical to mission readiness,” said Cmdr. Yummy Nguyen, senior medical officer. “Joint medical training opportunities are a chance to exchange key knowledge between branches that could potentially save the lives of service members. Future operations may require a more in-depth understanding of the nuance in specialization between branches.”

In addition to differences in how TCCC is conducted, Soldiers contrasted between the field and shipboard medical capabilities. Along with the difference in environment, topics such as space and resources meant the difference in medical capabilities and was something the Soldiers were surprised by.

“Layout wise it is similar to our field hospitals except that it is more compact due to it being on a ship,” said Hernandez. “The field hospital has more resources compared to a ship.”

The medical center onboard the ship is a role-two hospital. This allows the ship to handle trauma care, surgery, dental, and support services such as x-ray and anesthesia. The Army medics are trained and work with a role three hospital, which allows for intensive trauma care and surgeries. On the other hand, the ship performs more treatment and clinical work compared to their field hospital at a non-stop rate. After working and learning with the Army medics on this underway, Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Malcom Davis enjoyed their company and gained insight on how they ran their medical practices.

“They are really nice people who have much to show us,” said Davis. “They have a different setup where the nurses and providers are split up in a way that I like.”

Another difference in medical practices that separate the branches are that corpsmen work under their provider’s license. The Army however, has its combat medics work under both their provider’s license and their personal license. This alone does not sound like a large difference, but in the medical field, it allows for care to be done at different rates. The corpsman are allowed to get vital data and have to get approved by the ship’s nurse before performing certain procedures, while the medics with their own licenses are allowed to perform the procedures themselves. The Navy allows corpsmen to get their own LPN license through a Navy program, while the Army provides the program itself.

The training between these two branches will not end when the Soldiers disembark the ship. Navy corpsmen will soon spend time on Joint Base Lewis-McChord, gaining valuable knowledge on field hospital procedures. A unique aspect of the corpsman rate is that they can also work with the Marine Corps as field medics, known as greenside corpsmen. These corpsmen will be embedded with Marines, performing work similar to the Army medics.

“We intend to send some of our corpsmen to their training facilities as well,” said Nguyen. “It is important to recognize the differences in how the Army and Navy work in an operational environment and train to these differences so we can become more well-rounded.”

“We are excited for the corpsmen to come to our base,” Hernandez added. “They can get experience with boots on ground for the corpsmen who haven’t gone greenside yet.”

In a world of conflict, confidence between military branches is what will ensure the U.S. military remains up-to-date through the exchange of key lifesaving knowledge. Although each branch of the U.S. military specializes in specific roles, training exercises like these allow Ronald Reagan to gain more hands-on experience that could save Sailors and Army personnel, alike.

“In the event of a conflict, we as Soldiers could be assigned to Navy warships and we want to create confidence between us so that we can maintain a professional environment,” said Hernandez. “After all it is one team, one fight.”

Source: United States Navy

WASHINGTON DC (Dec 12, 2024) – Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced the sponsors of the future USS Charles J. French (DDG 142) will be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Shalanda Young and the late French’s great niece, Ms. Vanessa French Wilson.

Del Toro made the announcement during a ship naming celebration held at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, in Washington DC, on Dec. 12.

Sponsors are selected by the Secretary of the Navy and hold a unique role of maintaining a lifelong relationship with the ship and crew.

“The bond forged between a sponsor and their ship is a testament to the enduring spirit of the sea and the unwavering dedication of those who serve upon its waters,” said Del Toro. “I am honored to announce, today, that Director Shalanda Young and Ms. Vanessa French Wilson have accepted the invitation to serve as sponsors of this great ship.”

Shalanda Young, Director of OMB, joined Secretary Del Toro for the announcement.

“It is a profound honor to be named the sponsor of the USS Charles J. French,” said Director Young. “This ship will carry an important legacy, marking French’s bravery, resilience and duty after his vessel was attacked during the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Without hesitation, French rescued his fellow sailors and swam through the night to bring them to safety, risking his life to ensure fifteen others could live theirs. For too long, French was denied the recognition he deserved from the government. But today, I am proud to immortalize the memory and service of one of America’s most courageous heroes.”

In January, Secretary Del Toro named the ship after Charles J. French during remarks at the Surface Navy Association 36th National Symposium. The ship’s naming honors the tradition of naming Arleigh Burke-class DDGs after Navy and Marine Corps heroes.

Charles Jackson French was a Navy Mess Specialist 1st Class Petty Officer the night the USS Gregory (APD 3) was sunk by Japanese destroyers during the WWII Battle of Guadalcanal. French saved the lives of more than a dozen Sailors by swimming through the night, dragging a raft full of injured shipmates through shark-infested waters.

For his actions, French received a letter of commendation from Adm. William “Bull” Halsey, then commander of the Southern Pacific Fleet. In May 2022, he was posthumously awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for his heroic actions. The award was presented at Naval Base San Diego, during a ceremony dedicating the base’s rescue swimmer training pool in French’s honor

“The naming of the USS Charles J. French (DDG 142) is a joyful, yet humbling experience for the French family,” said Ms. Wilson, the newly named co-sponsor of the future DDG 142. “Thank you, Secretary Del Toro, for choosing to acknowledge the heroism of Charles Jackson French.”

Fabrication of the ship is projected for 2026 with a projected keel laying set for 2027, projected christening in 2029, and delivery projected for 2031.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, built around the Aegis Combat System, are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet providing protection to America around the globe. They incorporate stealth techniques, allowing these highly capable, multi-mission ships to conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface and subsurface domains. These elements of sea power enable the Navy to defend American prosperity and prevent future conflict abroad.

Source: United States Navy

The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group is the most capable CSG comprised of the air wing of the future, the most advance Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. Peterson Jr. (DDG 121) as Integrated Air and Missile Defense Commander, and the Arleigh Burke destroyers assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21, representing more than 6,000 Sailors, deployed from their homeports of San Diego and Pearl Harbor since July 2024.

ABECSG initially deployed to the Indo-Pacific region to support regional security and stability, and to reassure our allies and partners of the U.S. Navy’s unwavering commitment, highlighted by the first-ever U.S.-Italy multi-large deck event (MLDE) with the Italian Navy’s ITS Cavour Carrier Strike Group held in the Indo-Pacific on Aug. 9, 2024.

The strike group was ordered to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility to bolster U.S. military force posture in the Middle East, deter regional escalation, degrade Houthi capabilities, defend U.S. forces, and again sailed alongside our Italian allies and other partners to promote security, stability and prosperity. Assigned destroyers of the ABECSG, to include Frank E. Petersen Jr. and Michael Murphy, were essential to providing a layer of defense to U.S. forces and ensure the safe passage of commercial vessels and partner nations transiting in international waterways like the Red Sea, Bab-al-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden.

The destroyers worked alongside other U.S. Central Command forces in successfully repelling multiple Iranian-backed Houthi attacks during transits of the Bab el-Mandeb strait. During the transit, the destroyers were attacked by one-way attack uncrewed Aerial systems, anti-ship ballistic missiles and anti-ship cruise missiles which were successfully engaged and defeated. The vessels were not damaged and no personnel were hurt. The ships were well prepared, supported, and the well-trained Sailors performed admirably to successfully defend the ship.

“What the crew of USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. achieved during this deployment was extraordinary. We did not have many port visits or downtime, but what was achieved could only be done through the spirit and drive of exceptional Sailors. This deployment will be remembered by its impactful operations and what our Sailors experienced by adapting and overcoming to meet all challenges,” said Capt. Kevin Louis, commanding officer, Frank E. Petersen Jr. “What we accomplished as a team and with support from our Carrier Strike Group and the Joint Force will set a standard for future operations. We can return home to our loved ones with a great deal of pride and satisfaction knowing we made a difference.”

Throughout deployment, Frank E. Petersen Jr. completed over 475 hours of flight quarters, 10 hours of small boat operations, conducted 17 replenishments-at-sea, 15 sea and anchor details, qualified 60 Sailors in small craft action team (SCAT) and 17 Sailors in Security Reaction Force Basic (SRF-B). Frank E. Petersen Jr. also welcomed six new chief petty officers, six new first class petty officers and 18 new second class petty officers.

“This deployment has been filled with so many first of its kind type events. I can proudly say Michael Murphy was repeatedly called upon to ‘Lead the Fight’ due to this crew’s amazing reputation and success,” said Cmdr. Jonathan B. Greenwald, commanding officer, Michael Murphy. “To say I am proud of this team is an understatement. This deployment has been an opportunity of a lifetime to serve alongside 360 amazing Sailors. It is so good to be home and I know our Sailors are so happy to return to their families and friends,”

Michael Murphy traveled 44,689 nautical miles throughout U.S. 3rd, 7th, 5th, and 6th Fleet, completed 748 hours of flight operations, transferred 3,524,527 gallons of F-76, executed 21 replenishments-at-sea, and completed 11 strait transits, totaling 75 hours in restricted waters.

Frank E. Petersen Jr. was led by their commanding officer, Capt. Kevin Louis, executive officer, Cmdr. Sean Standen, and Command Master Chief, Command Master Chief Justin Bowen.

Michael Murphy was led by their commanding officer, Cmdr. Jonathan B. Greenwald, executive officer, Cmdr. Caitlin E. Cunningham, and Command Master Chief, Command Master Chief Johnetta L. Heckard.

Deploying units of the strike group include the flagship USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72), DESRON 21, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9, and Frank E. Petersen Jr. While the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, assigned to DESRON 21, USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) returned to its homeport, Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS O’Kane (DDG 77) and USS Stockdale (DDG 106) remain deployed in the 5th Fleet area of operations supporting global maritime security operations.

As an integral part of U.S. Pacific Fleet, Commander, U.S. 3rd Fleet operates naval forces in the Indo-Pacific and provides the realistic and relevant training necessary to execute the U.S. Navy’s timeless role across the full spectrum of military operations—from combat missions 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.