U.S. Central Command

SWO Boss Wants 6 Littoral Combat Ships in Western Pacific

Electronics Technician 3rd Class Jerry Brown, from Middletown, Ohio, participates in morning colors on the foc’sle aboard the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS-18) during a port visit to Dili, Timor-Leste on Dec. 8, 2021. US Navy Photo

In the next couple of years the Navy hopes to have six Independence-class Littoral Combat Ships operating in the Western Pacific at a given time, the service’s top surface warfare officer said this week.

“In the Indy class, we continue...

https://news.usni.org/2022/08/22/swo-boss-wants-6-littoral-combat-ships-in-western-pacific

Navy Moving Ahead on Combining Gear Fix on Freedom Littoral Combat Ships Marked for Decommissioning

Freedom-class littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Jacksonville, Fla., arrives at the Marathi NATO Pier Complex in Souda Bay, Greece, to undergo scheduled preventative maintenance on May 20, 2022. US Navy Photo

Despite plans to decommission Littoral Combat Ship USS Sioux City (LCS-11) next fiscal year, the Navy is preparing funds to repair a latent issue with the ship’s propulsion system, USNI News has learned.

Sioux City, which is currently deployed...

https://news.usni.org/2022/08/15/navy-moving-ahead-on-combining-gear-fix-on-freedom-littoral-combat-ships-marked-for-decommissioning

Littoral Combat Ship USS Sioux City Now Operating in the Middle East

Littoral combat ship USS Sioux City (LCS 11) transits the Suez Canal, May 29. U.S. Navy Photo

In a first for the class, a Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship is now operating in the Persian Gulf.

USS Sioux City (LCS-11) chopped into 5th Fleet on Saturday after operating in U.S. 6th Fleet for nearly a month.

“Sioux City is operating in support of a newly established multinational task force, Combined Task Force (CTF) 153, focused on maritime security and partner capacity building in the Red Sea,...

https://news.usni.org/2022/05/31/littoral-combat-ship-uss-sioux-city-now-operating-in-the-middle-east

CENTCOM Nominee Kurilla: Iran Largest ‘Destabilizing Factor’ in Middle East

Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, gives a speech at the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) change of command on March 5, 2021. US Army Photo

Iran is “the number one destabilizing factor” in the 21-nation region covered by U.S. Central Command, the nominee to head the command testified Tuesday.

Army Lt. Gen. Michael Kurilla, the current commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Tehran poses “vexing challenges” by...

https://news.usni.org/2022/02/08/centcom-nominee-kurilla-iran-largest-destabilizing-factor-in-middle-east

CENTCOM: Iran Wants Nuclear Agreement and To Retain Ballistic Missile Capability

Iran’s Khalij Fars single-stage ballistic missile

Iran “wants some type of agreement” over its nuclear program as a way to lift sanctions on the regime, but Tehran views its ballistic missile arsenal “as their crown jewels” not to be bargained away, the senior American commander in the Middle East said Thursday.

U.S. Central Command chief Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, delivering the keynote address at a Middle East Institute conference, said Iran has “relentlessly” built several thousand...

https://news.usni.org/2022/02/07/centcom-iran-wants-nuclear-agreement-and-to-retain-ballistic-missile-capability

One Explosive Device Responsible for Deaths of 13 U.S. Service Members in Kabul Attack, Pentagon Says

A Marine assigned to 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) provides over-watch during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, Afghanistan on Aug. 21, 2021. US Marine Corps Photo

The attack during the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan that left 13 U.S. troops dead was the result of one explosive device detonation, according to U.S. Central Command officials.

After conducting an investigation into the August attack at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul,...

https://news.usni.org/2022/02/04/one-explosive-device-responsible-for-deaths-of-13-service-members-in-kabul-attack

Navy Arming Surface Ships with Drone Repellent System

Gunner’s Mate Kyle Mendenhall shows the Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare (DRAKE) system aboard USS Kansas City (LCS-22) on Aug. 16, 2021. USNI News Photo

ABOARD THE LITTORAL COMBAT SHIP USS KANSAS CITY, OFF THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA – With the use of drones becoming more prevalent, the Navy has found a way to ensure all of its surface ships can repel unmanned aerial vehicles.

The Drone Restricted Access Using Known Electromagnetic Warfare system, or DRAKE, built by...

https://news.usni.org/2021/09/07/navy-arming-surface-ships-with-drone-repellent-system

Del Toro Sworn In As Navy Secretary; White House Nominates Navy General Counsel

Carlos Del Toro, a former surface warfare officer and destroyer commander, was sworn in as the 78th secretary of the Navy late Monday.

During a private evening ceremony at the U.S. Marine Corps War Memorial in Arlington, Va., Navy assistant secretary for energy, installations and environment Meredith Berger swore Del Toro into the position, according to a Navy official.

On Tuesday, Del Toro joined Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday on a visit to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., to see the...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/10/del-toro-sworn-in-as-navy-secretary-white-house-nominates-navy-general-counsel

Senate Confirms Del Toro as Next Navy Secretary

The Senate confirmed the White House’s nominee to lead the Department of the Navy in a voice vote late Saturday.

Carlos Del Toro, a former surface warfare officer, is the final Defense Department service secretary to be confirmed by the Senate.

The Cuban-born Naval Academy graduate served in the Navy for 22 years in uniform before working as a Pentagon civilian and then as the head of a Northern Virginia information technology firm. He will be the second Hispanic SECNAV following Edward Hidalgo...

https://news.usni.org/2021/08/08/senate-confirms-del-toro-as-next-navy-secretary

Vinson Carrier Strike Group Drilling Near Hawaii Ahead of First Deployment With F-35Cs

Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) transits the Pacific Ocean, June 13. US Navy Photo

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is drilling near Hawaii this week as it prepares for an upcoming deployment later this summer.
After a maintenance period in which the Navy updated the carrier so it could accommodate the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter and the CMV-22B Osprey, USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is expected to deploy later this summer to the Indo-Pacific region, USNI News understands.

“In...

https://news.usni.org/2021/06/18/vinson-carrier-strike-group-drilling-near-hawaii-ahead-of-first-deployment-with-f-35cs

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