Category: United States Navy

Source: United States Navy

A keel laying is the recognition of the start of a ship’s construction. It is the joining together of a ship’s modular components and the authentication or etching of an honoree’s initials into a ceremonial keel plate. The ship’s sponsor, Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, had her initials etched into the keel plate by NASSCO welders.

“We are looking forward to getting these ships to the fleet to support at-sea operations,” said John Lighthammer, program manager, Auxiliary and Special Mission Shipbuilding Program Office. “This new class of oilers are bringing much needed capability and capacity to the fleet.”

The John Lewis-class T-AOs will be operated by Military Sealift Command to provide fuel and lubricating oil, and small quantities of fresh and frozen provisions, stores, and potable water to Navy ships at sea, and fuel for embarked aircraft.

The oilers feature the capacity to carry barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and a speed of 20 knots. NASSCO designed the new vessels with double hulls to protect against oil spills and strengthened cargo and ballast tanks. The new T-AOs will add capacity to the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force and become the cornerstone of the fuel delivery system.

NASSCO is currently also in production on USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO 206), and USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208). The future USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209) and USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210) are under contract. NASSCO is also currently in production of two Expeditionary Sea Bases (ESB) – the future USS John L. Canley (ESB 6) and USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB 7).

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft.

Source: United States Navy

The deployment provides an opportunity for Sioux City to gain experience in an area littoral combat ships have never before operated.

“Sioux City’s deployment allows us to integrate the LCS’ unique operational capability into our already diverse fleet,” said Vice Adm. Gene Black, commander, U.S. Sixth Fleet. “The agility of Littoral Combat Ships allows them to operate in both near-shore and open-ocean environments, enhancing our ability to provide security and stability across the European theater.”

The ship’s size, speed, and agility allows it to perform maritime security operations, theater security cooperation engagements, and freedom of navigation patrols – keeping critical maritime commerce routes open, deterring conflict and coercion, and providing a comparable ship to strengthen partnerships with other countries.   

The ship’s motto is ‘Forging a new frontier,’ and according to Cmdr. Scott Whitworth, Sioux City’s commanding officer, that is exactly what the crew plans to do.

“USS Sioux City is a combat ready warship manned by battle-minded Sailors, who are prepared and equipped to execute any mission we are tasked with,” said Whitworth. “This deployment will expand the relevance of these ships, particularly their ability to relieve larger surface combatants in key surface-mission areas.”

An embarked detachment of two MH-60S Seahawk helicopters from the Sea Knights of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 22 supports Sioux City’s deployment.

U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, to advance U.S. national interests, security, and stability in Europe and Africa.

Source: United States Navy

Capt. Thomas P. Moninger, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director, Plans, Policy and Integration, N5, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.  Moninger is currently assigned as executive officer to commander, U.S. Southern Command, Doral, Florida.

Capt. Nicholas R. Tilbrook, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as deputy director, Plans and Policy (DJ5), U.S. Central Command, MacDill Air Force Base, Florida.  Tilbrook is currently serving as executive assistant to the deputy chief of naval operations, Integration of Capabilities and Resources, N8, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Capt. Douglas L. Williams, selected for promotion to rear admiral (lower half), will be assigned as director for test, Missile Defense Agency, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.  Williams is currently serving as technical director and deputy direct reporting program manager, Strategic Systems Program, Washington, D.C.

Source: United States Navy

Aside from brief stops, Jackson’s arrival to Singapore will be the first by an LCS since USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) departed in summer 2020. During this visit, Jackson is scheduled to complete a planned maintenance availability (PMAV) period.

“Having Jackson once again using Changi Naval Base as the site for maintenance is a significant milestone and gives operational commanders increased adaptability for maintaining and operating ships,” said Rear Adm. Chris Engdahl, commander, Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7/Task Force 76. “We are thankful for our defense relationship with the Republic of Singapore and their willingness to host our ships as we strive toward a common goal of ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.”

PMAVs are routine events in the ship’s schedule conducted by littoral combat ships, in which a maintenance team assists with the completion of planned maintenance due to the ship’s minimally-manned crew. Compared to other Navy ship platforms, the littoral combat ship has a relatively small crew. Labor and technical support during Jackson’s deployment is supplemented by active duty maintenance execution teams, as well as some civilian contractors who conduct planned preventative maintenance work.

LCS rotationally deploy to Singapore and use Changi Naval Base as the place for logistics and maintenance. This effort is at the core of the security relationship between Singapore and the U.S.

“The return of the LCS to Singapore is another example of the excellent and longstanding partnership between the Republic of Singapore and U.S. navies,” said Capt. Tom Ogden, commodore, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7. “We look forward to planning and executing alongside our Singapore counterparts with the added value of ships in proximity to each other and the ability to interact and share experiences in person.”

The Republic of Singapore and U.S. navies work together on a number of initiatives at sea such as ASEAN-US Maritime Exercise (AUMX), Exercise Pacific Griffin, Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), and Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC), Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise, as well as combined operations such as multi-national counter-piracy.

Since beginning their deployment in summer 2021, Jackson, along with the other ships attached to DESRON 7 – USS Tulsa (LCS 16) and USS Charleston (LCS 18) – have operated throughout the region while conducting maintenance, primarily out of Apra Harbor at Naval Base Guam.

Attached to DESRON 7, Jackson is on a rotational deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the region, and to work alongside allied and partner navies to provide maritime security and stability, key pillars of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

As the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer squadron in Southeast Asia, DESRON 7 serves as the primary tactical and operational commander of littoral combat ships rotationally-deployed to Singapore, functions as ESG 7’s Sea Combat Commander, and builds partnerships through training exercises and military-to-military engagements.

Under Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet, and routinely interacts and operates with 35 maritime nations in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Source: United States Navy

(USS Arlington (LPD 24) Public Affairs and NAVSUP HQ Office of Corporate Communications contributed to this story)

Husbanding services encompass the critical elements of logistics support required by U.S. Navy vessels when they visit commercial and military ports around the world. Naval Supply Systems Command Fleet Logistics Center Sigonella’s (NAVSUP FLCSI’s) Global Multiple Award Husbanding Contract (GMAC) enables the command’s contracting specialists to partner with European husbanding service providers (HSPs) to support requirements for U.S. maritime forces participating in various bilateral and joint exercises across Africa and Europe, including the High North.

As the U.S. Sixth Fleet-led exercise Northern Viking 22 (VK22) drew to an end in mid-April, NAVSUP FLCSI’s contracting team leveraged the GMAC to procure husbanding services for one of the exercise participants, USS Arlington (LPD 24), during a scheduled port visit April 14, 2022 in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Some of the husbanding goods and services procured for the port visit included pilot and tug services, mobile crane and manlift services, mobile crane equipment, potable water, ship brow, x-ray scanner with trained operators, cell phones and transportation vehicles.

“The GMAC proved to be the ideal contracting vehicle for the port visit as it allowed for a number of administrative efficiencies resulting in minimizing the risks of increased costs and poor service,” said Robert DeAngelis, NAVSUP FLCSI contract specialist.

 As part of his role, DeAngelis was boots-on-the ground in Reykjavik during the port visit.

“I met with local port authorities to inquire on the services and local support, assessed the competency and perceived effectiveness of port security,” said DeAngelis. “Furthermore, I was able to dynamically authorize needed service changes, with the U.S. Sixth Fleet contracting officer’s representative, the ship’s supply officer and HSP vendor. This fluid support allowed us to take advantage of cost saving initiatives and expand support for the ship in real time.”

Besides contracting support, one of FLCSI’s logistics support officers hand-delivered critical parts to the ARG’s embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU).

“Our ability to support port visits at strategically significant High North locations, such as Reykjavik, is a concrete example of NAVSUP’s expanding capabilities delivering operational readiness to the Fleet where and when our Warfighters need it,” said Capt. Douglas S. MacKenzie, NAVSUP FLCSI commanding officer. “This successful port visit also demonstrates how our logisticians and contracting professionals make a crucial contribution to enhancing logistics interoperability and engagement with our Allies in the region. In this case, the Icelandic Coast Guard and the Icelandic commercial HSP industry.”

Assigned to the USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), Arlington joined six NATO Allied Nations during VK22 to strengthen interoperability and force readiness, enabling multi-domain command and control of joint and coalition forces in the defense of Iceland and Sea Lines of Communication in the Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom (GIUK) gap.

After the port visit, the 22^nd MEU participated in a bilateral training event with the Kingdom of Norway’s Armed Forces to strengthen U.S. and Norway interoperability ensuring collective capabilities and steadfast partnerships among NATO allies and partners.

The Kearsarge ARG and embarked the 22nd MEU are under the command and control of Task Force 61/2. Arlington’s presence in the High North is a demonstration of the U.S. Navy’s continued commitment to collective defense of the European region and reinforces the strong bond between the U.S. and Iceland

NAVSUP serves as the Department of the Navy’s lead for all husbanding services contracts. FLCSI is one of NAVSUP’s eight globally-positioned commands that provides for the full range of solutions for logistics, business and support services to the U.S. Naval, Joint, NATO and Allied Forces across 14 enduring and forward operating sites; forward contingency and cooperative security locations in 13 countries in Europe and Africa.

U.S. Naval Forces Europe, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.