Category: United States of America

Source: United States Navy

Introduction

Thank you, everyone for joining us today for this truly seminal moment in the history of our Navy. Rearm at sea is one of my top priorities that I’ve been urgently pursuing over the past two years to make our current fleet more formidable.

Without the ability to rearm at sea, our surface combatants must return to port—sometimes thousands of miles away—to replenish their magazines.

 The ability to rearm at sea will be critical to any future conflict in the Pacific or elsewhere.  Our surface combatants’ exemplary performance in the Red Sea and the eastern Mediterranean over the past year only further reinforces the tremendous value TRAM will bring the Fleet.

 But since the advent of the vertical launch system for our guided missile surface combatants, a true at-sea rearming capability for the main batteries of our cruisers and destroyers has eluded us.

Until now.

Today, I was proud to bear witness to the first at-sea use of the Transportable Re-Arming Mechanism (TRAM), which leverages our Navy’s time-proven Connected Underway Replenishment system to provide our surface combatants with a game-changing capability to reload their Vertical Launch Systems while underway in open ocean.

Testing this week at sea aboard USS CHOSIN and USNS WASHINGTON CHAMBERS was a complete success, including successful TRAM Connected Underway Replenishment operations in Sea State 4.

I am incredibly proud of the team for their efforts to meet the aggressive timeline that I set to field TRAM across the fleet—beginning with the shore based demonstration earlier this year, and continuing with the at-sea test this week.

Once TRAM is fully fielded, our surface combatants will be able to keep the sea continuously while pounding any adversary with an overwhelming tempo and volume of long range strikes.

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

By investing in innovations like TRAM, we are ensuring that the United States remains the world’s preeminent maritime power.

The challenges we face in the world today are significant, but so too are our capabilities and our resolve.

Thank you to the engineers at NAVSEA and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab who made today happen, the crews of CHOSIN and WASHINGTON CHAMBERS who just conducted the first at-sea test of a truly game-changing capability, and to everyone else who had a part in the test today.

 And thanks to all of you, again, for joining us today.

Now, we’ll open it up for questions. What questions do you have for me?

Source: United States Navy

This milestone reflects the collective efforts across multiple commands and marks a significant shift toward a more streamlined, flexible, and accessible learning experience. The Waypoints system bolsters the DON’s mission to foster a stronger, more capable force and promotes the mission readiness and innovation needed to support the warfighter.

The program will establish the civilian learning management system, eliminating the use of multiple platforms for learning and talent management. The functions of this system empower supervisors to track employee training, administrators to support and grow the command, and provide the users career development resources.

Waypoints will help advance the operational excellence of the DON workforce and integrate civilian employees into the unified call of maritime service.

For questions related to this release, contact the U.S. Navy Office of Information at CHINFONewsDesk@us.navy.mil or 703-697-5342.

Source: United States Navy

YOKOSUKA – The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) arrived at its forward-deployed location of Yokosuka, Japan, to join Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, October 12, 2024.

The ship was commissioned Nov. 9, 2002, in Boston and had been homeported at Naval Base San Diego for nearly 22 years.

“We are thrilled to have Preble join the team in the Western Pacific,” said Capt. Justin Harts, Commander, Destroyer Squadron 15. “Her arrival is a welcome addition to the DESRON 15 family, and her advanced capabilities add unique value. I am excited to get Preble underway with our Allies and partners to see what she can do.”

The ship is named in honor of Commodore Edward Preble, who served in the American Revolutionary War and was one of the early leaders of the Navy. USS Preble is the 38th destroyer of her class.

The United States values Japan’s contributions to the peace, security and stability of the Indo-Pacific and its long-term commitment and hospitality in hosting U.S. forces forward deployed there. These forces, along with their counterparts in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, make up the core capabilities needed by the alliance to meet common strategic objectives and support a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Preble is forward-deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.

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

Source: United States Navy

SAN DIEGO—The U.S. Navy achieved a breakthrough in combat readiness today as it successfully demonstrated the Transferrable Reload At-sea Method (TRAM) on an underway warship in open ocean for the first time.

Sailors aboard the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Chosin (CG 65) used the hydraulically-powered TRAM device to load an empty missile canister into the ship’s MK 41 vertical launching system (VLS) while off the coast of San Diego on Oct. 11.

The successful demonstration marks a critical step in the capability to rearm warships at sea—a top priority outlined by Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro.

“Today, we proved just how game-changing TRAM truly is—and what a powerful deterrent it will be to our competitors,” said Del Toro, who witnessed the demonstration. “This demonstration marks a key milestone on the path to perfecting this capability and fielding it for sustained operations at sea.”

“This was an outstanding effort by the sailors and civilians involved in demonstrating this game-changing capability for the Navy,” said Capt. James “Mike” Williams, commanding officer of Chosin.

The groundbreaking at-sea test follows a successful land-based demonstration in July at Naval Surface Warfare Center, Port Hueneme Division (NSWC PHD) in California.

Engineers at NSWC PHD developed the TRAM prototype as a way to rearm warships during the underway replenishment (UNREP) process—when a supply ship connects to a combatant at sea to transfer vital material such as fuel and food.

“The combatant can stay near the fight to be rearmed, refueled and resupplied all at the same time,” said Rich Hadley, UNREP division manager at NSWC PHD. “As Capt. Arleigh Burke said, ‘All time spent in replenishing was time lost in combat.’ TRAM improves operational effectiveness by reducing the amount of time the warfighter must spend away from the fight replenishing.”

For the at-sea demonstration, Chosin connected to USNS Washington Chambers (T-AKE 11), a Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship, which transferred the missile canister across cables to the cruiser. The sailors then used TRAM to move the missile canister along rails attached to the cruiser’s VLS modules, tilt it into a vertical position, and lower it into a VLS cell with TRAM’s built-in cable and pulley system.

“Deploying TRAM into the Military Sealift Command logistics fleet,” said Tim Barnard, director of the NAVSEA technology office (05T), “would enable combatants to remain in theater while reloading their VLS missile launchers instead of having to travel long distances to a port, greatly expanding the volume and tempo of long-range fires—and the U.S. Navy’s advantage over adversaries.”

MK 41 VLS provides rapid-fire missile launch capability for the U.S. Navy’s destroyers, cruisers and future Constellation-class frigates.

Del Toro said the Navy is on track to begin fielding TRAM in two to three years.

Source: United States Navy

GOOSE CREEK, South Carolina – Demonstrating another significant milestone for the Australia, United Kingdom, United States (AUKUS) trilateral security partnership, 12 Royal Australian Navy uniformed personnel, including the first seven enlisted sailors, graduated from the U.S. Navy’s Nuclear Power School at Joint Base Charleston-Naval Weapons Station, Oct. 11.

The enlisted Royal Australian Navy sailors, who trained alongside U.S. sailors, began the naval nuclear power training pipeline in October 2023. Since then, they have been learning their specific rates, as well as the fundamentals of design, operation and maintenance of naval nuclear propulsion plans. These sailors are the vanguard of Australia establishing a sovereign conventionally armed, nuclear-powered, submarine (SSN) fleet in the early 2030s.

“Naval Nuclear Power training is exceptionally rigorous and to have seven Australian sailors and five officers complete the program and move on to the Nuclear Power Training Unit takes us one step closer to operating our own SSNs,” said Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Vice Adm. Mark Hammond.

“Two days after assuming command of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, I presided over the graduation of the first three Royal Australian Navy officers from Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit Charleston,” shared Adm. Bill Houston, Director, Naval Reactors. “I have been nothing but impressed by the quality of Australian sailors and officers in our training pipeline and serving aboard our nuclear-powered submarine.”

Following graduation, the Royal Australian Navy sailors will report to the Naval Nuclear Power Training Unit Charleston for training focused on shipboard nuclear power plant operation and maintenance of the U.S. Navy’s nuclear fleet.

Making Australia Sovereign-Ready

Training and education opportunities are critical to ensure Australia is ready to operate its sovereign Virginia-class SSNs early next decade.

“The Australian sailors are receiving the same training as their American counterparts,” shared Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea. “They are held to the same high standards required to operate nuclear-powered attack submarines so that when they report to their boat, they’re ready to put their training to the test, integrate with the crew, and become Australia’s future front-line warriors aboard their own sovereign SSNs.”

Currently, there are six Royal Australian Navy officers serving aboard or assigned to U.S. Navy Virginia-class submarines, 12 officers and 28 enlisted sailors within the naval nuclear power training pipeline with an additional 19 enlisted sailors completing Basic Enlisted Submarine School in Groton, Connecticut. Additionally, 39 personnel from ASC Pty Ltd. (formerly known as the Australian Submarine Corporation) are training at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, to prepare them for future roles in maintaining nuclear-powered submarines for the Royal Australian Navy.

Full Speed Ahead, ‘Well on our Way’

The first three Australian-flagged SSNs will be Virginia-class submarines that are typically crewed by 15 officers and 117 enlisted submariners. Australian submariners will be joining U.S. SSN crews to gain practical experience and build their crews ahead of taking possession of their first sovereign SSN in the early 2030s.

“The training at Goose Creek and Groton are preparing our Australian allies to operate Virginia-class submarines,” said Rear Adm. Lincoln Reifsteck, Director, AUKUS Integration and Acquisition. “Over the coming months, we will see that number grow significantly across both the uniformed and civilian training pipelines so we can make sure, come 2032, Australia can fully crew its first, sovereign, conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarine.”

The AUKUS partnership is a strategic endeavor aimed at strengthening the security and defense capabilities of each partner nation. The U.S. remains committed to peace and prosperity in order to secure a free and open Indo-Pacific. This alliance helps sustain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, benefits each country’s national security and prosperity, and uplifts all three industrial bases.

“Thirty-seven months after AUKUS’ inception, we are well on our way to developing Australia’s SSN capability,” said Vice Adm. Jonathan Mead, Director General of the Australian Submarine Agency. “Last month, Australian sailors conducted the first maintenance period on a U.S. SSN in Australia. Today we graduate the first enlisted personnel from an exceptionally rigorous school, already we have Australian officers serving aboard both U.S. and UK SSNs.”

AUKUS Pillar 1 will deliver a conventionally armed SSN capability to the Royal Australian Navy by the early 2030s. The Department of the Navy’s AUKUS Integration and Acquisition Program Office is the U.S. lead responsible for executing the trilateral partnership for Australia to acquire conventionally armed, nuclear-powered attack submarines at the earliest possible date while maintaining the highest nuclear stewardship standards and setting the highest standards for nuclear non-proliferation.