Expeditionary Sea Base

Navy Completes Sea Trials on ESB-5 Miguel Keith, After 2018 Shipyard Accident Delayed Construction

The future USNS Miguel Keith (ESB 5) departs General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. shipyard in San Diego, Calif. During the weeklong acceptance trials, the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey conducted comprehensive tests to demonstrate and evaluate the performance of all of the ship’s major systems. NASSCO photo.

The Navy wrapped up sea trials on its newest Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB), the future Miguel Keith (ESB-5), after a 2018 shipyard accident and damage to the hull.

Miguel...

https://news.usni.org/2019/10/16/navy-completes-sea-trials-on-esb-5-miguel-keith-after-2018-shipyard-accident-delayed-construction

Navy Prefers Fielding ‘Revolutionary’ Combat Capability Through New Weapons Rather than New Hull Designs

Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) pulls along pierside in Naval Base San Diego, Dec. 7, 2018. US Navy Photo

SAN DIEGO – The Navy is striving to field “revolutionary combat capability” in new ships and through mid-life modernizations, but it can do so while keeping risk low by focusing on new weapons and systems rather than radical new hull designs, the program executive officer for ships said.

Noting previous challenges with revolutionary ship designs such as the Zumwalt-class destroyer and the Littoral...

https://news.usni.org/2019/08/13/navy-prefers-fielding-revolutionary-combat-capability-through-new-weapons-rather-than-new-hull-designs

30-Year Plan: Navy Puts 355-Ship Cap on Fleet Size; Plans to Introduce Large Combatant, CHAMP Auxiliary Hull

USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) steams through the Pacific Ocean on Oct. 26, 2018. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s latest 30-year shipbuilding plan outlines a path forward that includes less near-term growth in fleet size but reaches and sustains a 355-ship fleet sooner than last year’s plan.

According to the “Report to Congress on the Annual Long-Range Plan for Construction of Naval Vessels for Fiscal Year 2020,” the Navy would decommission its cruisers and mine countermeasures ships sooner, creating more...

Navy Wants 2 Variants Next Common Auxiliary Hull: One for People, One for Volume

The Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Greenville (SSN 772) prepares to moor alongside the submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39), Dec. 9, 2018, near Puerto Princessa, Philippines. Emory S. Land is a forward-deployed expeditionary submarine tender on an extended deployment conducting coordinated tended moorings and afloat maintenance in the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of operations. US Navy photo.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy now plans to design and field two hulls under the Common Hull...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/16/navy-wants-2-variants-next-common-auxiliary-hull-one-people-one-volume

Top Stories 2018: Navy Acquisition

USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2018. This story is part of USNI News year-end series.

F-35C Joint Strike Fighter

An F-35C Lightning II assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 sits chained on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on Dec. 9, 2018. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s F-35C had an important year, with the fighter seeing its...

https://news.usni.org/2019/01/01/40013

Navy: Dry Dock Accident Will Set Back Miguel Keith Construction At Least 6 Months

NASSCO following July 11, 2018 flooding. via KGTV

Construction on the Expeditionary Sea Base damaged when its dry dock flooded in July is expected to be delayed at least six months and the Navy anticipates being asked to foot the repair bill, officials told USNI News. 

The under-construction Miguel Keith (ESB-5) flooded from the fourth deck on down, resulting in roughly 1,600 different pieces of equipment being completely submerged, Capt. Scot Searles, the Navy’s program manager for Expeditionary...

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/18/navy-dry-dock-accident-will-set-back-miguel-keith-construction-least-6-months

Navy Developing New Mine Countermeasures USV for Littoral Combat Ships

A developmental, early variant of the Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) autonomously conducts maneuvers on the Potomac River Test Range on March 28, 2018. US Navy Photo

ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Last week Naval Sea Systems Command won Pentagon approval to develop a mine countermeasure unmanned surface vehicle as part of the Navy’s ongoing effort to replace its aging MCM infrastructure.

The goal is to create a platform that can accommodate several different modular systems for mine hunting, mine...

https://news.usni.org/2018/10/17/navy-developing-new-mine-countermeasures-usv-littoral-combat-ships

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