News & Analysis

‘Minor Incident’ at NASSCO-Norfolk Leads to Maintenance Stand-Down; Part of Larger Safety Push Following Bonhomme Richard Fire

Sailors move power lines to connect shore power to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge returned from an underway after conducting routine training. US Navy photo.

A Norfolk-based ship repair yard will likely resume maintenance work on Tuesday after a welding incident on Friday led the Navy to order them to stop work.

General Dynamics’ NASSCO-Norfolk in Virginia has paused work on the five surface ships it has at its repair yard as part of a safety stand-down.

NAS...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/20/minor-incident-at-nassco-norfolk-leads-to-maintenance-stand-down-part-of-larger-safety-push-following-bonhomme-richard-fire

Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower Operating in Red Sea, Nimitz Exercising with Indian Navy

USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) commemorates its 169th consecutive day at sea on July 3, 2020. US Navy Photo

Aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) is no longer operating in the North Arabian Sea, a Navy official confirmed.

Eisenhower deployed with its carrier strike group in February and spent much of the last few months in the Arabian Sea amid heightened tensions with Iran.

The carrier has been at sea for 185 consecutive days, according to the USNI News Fleet Tracker, and has now...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/20/carrier-uss-dwight-d-eisenhower-operating-in-red-sea-nimitz-exercising-with-indian-navy

‘Minor Incident’ at NASSCO-Norfolk Leads to Maintenance Stand-Down; Part of Larger Safety Push Following Bonhomme Richard Fire

Sailors move power lines to connect shore power to the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3). Kearsarge returned from an underway after conducting routine training. US Navy photo.

A Norfolk-based ship repair yard will likely resume maintenance work on Tuesday after a welding incident on Friday led the Navy to order them to stop work.

General Dynamics’ NASSCO-Norfolk in Virginia has paused work on the five surface ships it has at its repair yard as part of a safety stand-down.

NAS...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/20/minor-incident-at-nassco-norfolk-leads-to-maintenance-stand-down-part-of-larger-safety-push-following-bonhomme-richard-fire

U.S.-Ukraine Sea Breeze Exercise Starts as Russian Black Sea Fleet Holds Snap Drills

USS Porter (DDG-78) enters the Black Sea on July 19, 2020. Photo by Yörük Işık‏ used with permission

Naval drills led by the U.S. and Ukraine kicked off today in the Black Sea, while Russia called for a series of nearby snap naval drills.

Sea Breeze, the bilateral U.S.-Ukraine maritime exercise, kicked off its 20th series on Monday.

“It started in 1997, and for the Ukrainian side, this [was] the main tool for entering NATO,” Rear Adm. Oleksiy Neizhpapa, commander of the Ukrainian Navy, said via a...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/20/u-s-ukraine-sea-breeze-exercise-starts-as-russian-black-sea-fleet-holds-snap-drills

CNO Gilday Promises ‘Thorough’ Investigation After Seeing Fire Damaged USS Bonhomme Richard

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday tours USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 17, 2020.
(From left to right) Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck, the commander of Expeditionary Strike Group 3, Gilday, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition James Geurts, NAVSEA commander Vice Adm. Bill Galinis, Bonhomme Richard commander Capt. Gregory Scott Thoroman, Federal Fire Chief Mary Anderson. US Navy Photo

NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The Navy’s top officer met with...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/17/cno-gilday-promises-thorough-investigation-after-seeing-fire-damaged-uss-bonhomme-richard

Two U.S. Carriers Return to South China Sea After State Dept. Formally Rejects Chinese Claims

USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and USS Nimitz (CVN-68) and their carrier strike groups (CSGs) steam in formation on July 6, 2020. US Navy Photo

Days after the State Department publicly rejected China’s claims to much of the South China Sea, two carrier strike groups resumed operating in tandem in the region, the U.S. Pacific Fleet announced on Friday.

The Ronald Reagan and Nimitz carrier strike groups paired up for dual-carrier operations for the second time in a month in the South China Sea.

While...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/17/two-u-s-carriers-return-to-south-china-sea-after-state-dept-formally-rejects-chinese-claims

SECDEF Esper Memo on Displaying Flags on U.S. Bases

The following is the July 17, 2020 memo from Secretary of Defense Mark Esper, Public Display or Depiction of Flags in the Department of Defense.

SUBJECT: Public Display or Depiction of Flags in the Department of Defense

The mission of the Department of Defense is to provide a combat-ready military force to deter conflict, and, should deterrence fail, to prevail in war. Accomplishing this mission depends on our most important resource – our Service members and civilian employees. Supporting our...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/17/secdef-esper-memo-on-displaying-flags-on-u-s-bases

Foggo: Russia Seeking More Control of Black Sea, Mediterranean, Arctic

U.S. Navy Adm. James G. Foggo III, left, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa and commander of Joint Allied Force Command Naples, Italy, U.S. Navy Vice Adm. Lisa Franchetti, right, commander of U.S. 6th Fleet and commander of Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), and Royal Navy Rear Adm. Guy Robinson, deputy commander of STRIKFORNATO, at a distinguished visitor event led by STRIKFORNATO in Lisbon, Portugal, marking the final event of Formidable Shield 2019, May 29,...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/17/foggo-russia-seeking-more-control-of-black-sea-mediterranean-arctic

Fire Chief Details Battling USS Bonhomme Richard Blaze as Investigations Begin

Federal firefighters assess damage in the hangar bay aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 15, 2020. US Navy Photo

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – On midday Thursday, Navy officials declared all known fires aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) had been extinguished after more than four days of battling the blaze that was sparked on Sunday.

“Now that things are starting to cool off, we can go and actually assess… what the real issues are,” Rear Admiral Philip Sobeck, the...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/17/fire-chief-details-battling-uss-bonhomme-richard-blaze-as-investigations-begin

U.S. Destroyer Conducts Second Freedom of Navigation Operation off Venezuela in a Month

Lt. j.g Alexander Fanning uses a radar system in the pilothouse of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Pinckney (DDG-91) on May 28, 2020. US Navy Photo

A U.S. guided-missile destroyer conducted a freedom of navigation operation off the coast of Venezuela, U.S. Southern Command announced on Wednesday.

USS Pinckney (DDG-91) “challenged Venezuela’s excessive maritime claim in international waters,” according to the statement from SOUTHCOM.
“[Venezuela] improperly claims excessive...

https://news.usni.org/2020/07/16/u-s-destroyer-conducts-second-freedom-of-navigation-operation-off-venezuela-in-a-month

+ More