Naval Surface Force Pacific

CNO Blames Culture of Poor Self-Assessment for Major Navy Problems; SWOBOSS Unveils New Surface Vision

Chief of Naval Operations Mike Gilday speaking on Jan. 11, 2022 from his office in the Pentagon. US Navy Photo

ARLINGTON, Va. – The reluctance across the Navy to be self-critical and a tendency to hide mistakes and minimize flaws have resulted in systemic problems in the service and stalled efforts to improve, Chief of Naval Operations Adm Mike Gilday said on Tuesday.

“We are not operating to our full potential. Over these last few years, I think we have learned some hard truths about ourselves,”...

https://news.usni.org/2022/01/11/cno-blames-culture-of-poor-self-assessment-for-major-navy-problems-swoboss-unveils-new-surface-vision

GAO Report on Sailor Fatigue, Crewing Shortfalls

The following is the May 27, 2021, Government Accountability office report, Navy Readiness: Additional Efforts Are Needed to Manage Fatigue, Reduce Crewing Shortfalls, and Implement Training.

From the report

What GAO Found

The Navy issued a fatigue management policy in 2017, but has inconsistently implemented it and sailors are not receiving adequate sleep. GAO conducted a survey in 2020 and estimates that 14 percent of officers received the then recommended 7 hours or more of sleep a day during...

https://news.usni.org/2021/05/28/gao-report-on-sailor-fatigue-crewing-shortfalls

CO of Destroyer USS Hopper Removed from Command

USS Hopper (DDG-70). US Navy Photo

The commander of a Hawaii-based guided-missile destroyer was removed from her job, the Navy announced on Wednesday.

“The commanding officer of USS Hopper (DDG-70), Cmdr. Kathryn J. Dawley was relieved of her duties on 06 April 2021 due to a loss of confidence in her leadership,” reads a release from the service.

A Navy official told USNI News there was no misconduct associated with Dawley’s removal.

The deputy commander of Destroyer Squadron 31, Capt. Don Rauch,...

https://news.usni.org/2021/04/07/co-of-destroyer-uss-hopper-removed-from-command

Latest Surface Navy Sleep Policy Aims for Better-Rested, More Alert, Healthier Crews

Cmdr. Jefferey Servello, executive officer aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Ignatius (DDG-117), conducts a berthing inspection on Sept. 5, 2020. US Navy Photo

The Navy’s surface fleet has a new set of orders that updates a sleep policy to give sailors on watch rotations a bit more sleep and create a culture supporting a more ready, rested and focused seagoing force.

The “Comprehensive Crew Endurance Management Policy,” signed off Dec. 11 by Naval Surface Force...

New SWO Boss Eyeing Advanced Warfighting Training, Mainstreaming LCS

Vice Adm. Roy Kitchener, Commander, Naval Surface Force U.S. Pacific Fleet, meets with Sailors during a tour of the Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) on Aug. 13, 2020. Kitchener also evaluated Boxer’s current state of readiness during his visit. US Navy photo.

The new head of the Navy’s surface fleet said his predecessor made major improvements in training and readiness, and he wants to use them as a foundation to improve the tactical side: more advanced warfighting training, more...

SWO Boss: ‘Insidious’ COVID-19 Spread on USS Kidd Shows Evolution of Navy Response to Pandemic

Lt. Cmdr. Andrew Sullivan, assigned to Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Medical Readiness Division, center, addresses the medical team while preparing for Sailors aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-100) as part of the Navy response to the COVID-19 outbreak aboard the ship on April 28, 2020. US Navy Photo

When COVID-19 was first detected on guided-missile destroyer USS Kidd (DDG-100) late last month, the Navy put into action a new set of procedures to stem the...

https://news.usni.org/2020/05/06/swo-boss-insidious-covid-19-spread-on-uss-kidd-shows-evolution-of-navy-response-to-pandemic

VADM Brown: Future Fleet Must Be Bigger, Leverage Unmanned Vessels

Vice Adm. Richard A. Brown, commander, Naval Surface Forces, U.S. Pacific Fleet, delivers his remarks during a change of command ceremony for the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado, Calif., in 2019. US Navy Photo

The Navy needs a bigger fleet – and while ongoing budget talks don’t sound promising for the buildup of manned warships that some had envisioned, the surface force is working hard to quickly bring unmanned vessels into the force to...

https://news.usni.org/2020/01/13/vadm-brown-future-fleet-must-be-bigger-leverage-unmanned-vessels

Naval Surface Forces Looking Closely at Warfare Training for Individuals, Watch Teams

Ens. Micah Burge, from Branson, Mo., views a monitor in the bridge of the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54) in 2019. US Navy Photo

The surface navy is taking a serious look at how it trains individuals and watch teams in maritime warfighting skills, taking a similar approach to the recent effort to bolster navigation, shiphandling and seamanship skills, the head of the surface force told USNI News.

Following a string of collisions in the Western Pacific in 2017, the...

https://news.usni.org/2020/01/13/naval-surface-forces-looking-closely-at-warfare-training-for-individuals-watch-teams

Littoral Combat Ship Will Field Laser Weapon as Part of Lockheed Martin, Navy Test

Littoral combat ship Little Rock (LCS 9) is underway during a high-speed run in Lake Michigan during acceptance trials. Lockheed Martin Photo

The Navy will put a laser weapon on a Littoral Combat Ship for the first time this year, amid efforts to boost the LCS’s lethality and to develop and field a family of laser systems.

USS Little Rock (LCS-9) will receive a laser weapon during its upcoming deployment, Commander of Naval Surface Forces Vice Adm. Richard Brown told reporters. The ship will...

https://news.usni.org/2020/01/13/littoral-combat-ship-will-field-laser-weapon-as-part-of-lockheed-martin-navy-test

+ More