A Harpoon missile is launched from the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Shiloh (CG-67) during a live-fire exercise on Sept. 15, 2014. US Navy Photo
During the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis (1995–96), United States naval dominance was demonstrated through the deployment of two carrier battle groups as a show of force within 100 miles of the Chinese mainland. Then-Secretary of Defense William Perry could state that while the Chinese “are a great military power, the premier—the strongest—military power in the Western Pacific is the United States.” Read More
USS Roosevelt (DDG-80) left,the guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51) and the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) on Feb. 19, 2014. US Navy Photo
Rapid growth in the capability and quality of guided missiles — mostly Chinese in origin — is causing the U.S. Navy to rethink the number of surface ships it needs to effectively fight a high-end war. Read More
Coast Guard Cutter Stratton. US Coast Guard Photo
On a warm July day in 2014, U.S. Coast Guard deck hands took in the mooring lines at 0930 on board USCGC Stratton, one of the Service’s newest Legend-class national security cutters.
Stratton slowly drifted away from the San Diego pier while a show-stopping three short blasts sounded from the ship’s whistle, alerting nearby maritime traffic that the 418-foot steel vessel was backing out. The engines shifted, increasing speed ahead. Stratton was outbound for sea. Read More
Adm. Harry B. Harris Jr., commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, walks with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Cmdr. Kazutaka Sugimoto on Feb. 6, 2015. US Navy Photo
The incoming U.S. Pacific Command (PACOM) commander, Adm. Harry B. Harris, testified before Congress late last year that “China’s rise as a regional military and global economic power, and in particular, its rapid military modernization and assertive behavior toward regional neighbors present opportunities and challenges that must be managed effectively. This is our most enduring challenge.” Read More
The following is a remembrance of World War II Medal of Honor recipient Marine 1st Lt. Jack Lummus. The piece appeared in Naval History in 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima with the original title, “To Love a Lost Hero.” Before the war, Lummus had played in the National Football League for the New York Giants and had played college ball at Baylor. Read More
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) leads a formation of ships from Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 during a maneuvering exercise on Sept. 23, 2014. US Navy Photo
Just four days ahead of the 73rd anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Navy announced its intention to award Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc (HII). approximately $4 billion to construct the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) super carrier, the second vessel of the new Gerald R. Ford-class of carriers. The cost has raised eyebrows, as the Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) experienced cost overruns of 22 percent. Read More
Leader of the Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau
On Jan. 3, 2015 Boko Haram militants initiated an attack on Baga, a village situated near Lake Chad in northeastern Borno state, Nigeria, and on the villages surrounding it. Read More
USS George Washington (CVN-73) with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Kongou-class guided-missile destroyer JS Kirishima (DDG-174) on Nov. 18, 2014. US Navy Photo
One of the first questions facing the new Congress and the administration when they look at security issues in Asia this year is deciding whether to invest in new capabilities, to counter new threats including cyber or continue to invest in platforms — like aircraft carriers — to demonstrate the United States continued commitment to the region, a senior policy analyst said Monday. Read More
Visit, board, search and seizure team members pull alongside the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG-104) to practice ship boarding. US Navy Photo
In a rare bilateral exercise, the U.S. and China conducted anti-piracy training off the pirate-prone Gulf of Aden, the Navy said in a Thursday statement. Read More
