Category Archives: News & Analysis

Navy and Marine Corps Debate Amphibious Ship Costs as Clash Over LPD-17 Flight II Line Continues

Navy and Marine Corps Debate Amphibious Ship Costs as Clash Over LPD-17 Flight II Line Continues

The future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) departed Huntington Ingalls Shipyard to conduct Acceptance Trials in the Gulf of Mexico. US Navy Photo

This story has been updated to include additional information about ship cost numbers from Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger. 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Navy halted its pursuit of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock line because of the program’s growing costs and delays in the shipyard, the service’s top officer said Wednesday. Read More

Guertin Appears Before Senate Committee Seeking Assistant Navy Secretary Job

Guertin Appears Before Senate Committee Seeking Assistant Navy Secretary Job

PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii – Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility successfully undocked USS Charlotte (SSN 766) Jan. 26 from Dry Dock #3. The undocking was a major milestone in the submarine’s engineered overhaul availability.

This story has been updated to clarify that USS Boise (SSN-764) is waiting to begin its engineering overhaul.

Cutting the Navy’s ship maintenance backlog will require recruiting and retaining skilled workers in the nation’s public and private shipyards, the nominee to head the sea service’s acquisition office testified Wednesday. Read More

UPDATED: U.S. MQ-9 Drone Crashes in Black Sea After Collision with Russian Fighter; Recovery Options Unclear

UPDATED: U.S. MQ-9 Drone Crashes in Black Sea After Collision with Russian Fighter; Recovery Options Unclear

MQ-9 Reaper UAV. US Air Force Photo

This story has been updated to add comments from Pentagon Press Secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. David Berger, as well as information on recovery efforts.

The Pentagon is not yet saying whether the U.S. will try to recover an unmanned MQ-9 Reaper aircraft that ditched into international waters Tuesday after a Russian Su-27 aircraft collided with it midair over the Black Sea.
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FY 2024 Budget: Pentagon Asks for  $30.6B to Beef Up Munitions Stockpile Citing Lessons from Ukraine War

FY 2024 Budget: Pentagon Asks for  $30.6B to Beef Up Munitions Stockpile Citing Lessons from Ukraine War

SM-6 launches from guided-missile destroyer USS John Paul Jones on Aug. 29, 2017. MDA Photo

THE PENTAGON ­– The rapid drawdown of the U.S. munitions stockpile to feed the demand of the Russo-Ukrainian conflict prompted the Department of Defense to ramp up its acquisition of everything from missiles to artillery shells, senior defense officials told reporters on Monday. Read More

Navy: OSD Directed Amphib Procurement Pause, Joint Staff Says Current Amphib Force ‘Sufficient’

Navy: OSD Directed Amphib Procurement Pause, Joint Staff Says Current Amphib Force ‘Sufficient’

A CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter, assigned to Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 263 (Rein.), flies over the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Arlington (LPD-24) on May 3, 2022. US Navy Photo

THE PENTAGON – A new study directed by the Office of the Secretary of Defense led to the halt in amphibious ship procurement so the Navy can evaluate requirements and cost efficiencies, a Navy official said Monday. Read More

AUKUS Plan: Aussie Sailors to Serve on American Subs, RAN to Buy U.S. Virginia Attack Boats

AUKUS Plan: Aussie Sailors to Serve on American Subs, RAN to Buy U.S. Virginia Attack Boats

President Joe Biden greets British Prime Minister Rishi Surnak and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese the AUKUS bilateral meeting in San Diego, Calif, March 13, 2023. DoD Photo

This post has been updated with additional information from the announcement ceremony.

SAN DIEGO – The leaders of Australia and the United Kingdom joined President Joe Biden at the Navy’s submarine base in San Diego, Calif., Monday to mark a historic trilateral agreement aimed at bolstering security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. Read More

FY2024 Budget: Navy Request Calls for 9 New Ships, Asks to Shed 2 Littoral Combat Ships, 9 Other Ships

FY2024 Budget: Navy Request Calls for 9 New Ships, Asks to Shed 2 Littoral Combat Ships, 9 Other Ships

A Royal Malaysian Navy service member stands by for the Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) to depart the Port of Lumut Base Jetty to participate in the sea phase of Maritime Training Activity (MTA) 2019. U.S. Air Force Photo

THE PENTAGON – The Navy wants to purchase nine battle force ships and decommission 11 hulls in its Fiscal Year 2024 budget request. Read More