U.S. Secretary of the Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper speaks to reporters during an on record press gaggle at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C. on July 24, 2019. DoD Photo
THE PENTAGON – American forces are willing to provide allies with intelligence on potential maritime threats in the Middle East, but countries will need to bring their own escorts, defense officials told USNI News on Wednesday. Read More
An F-35A Lightning II fighter jet takes off during Astral Knight 2019 on June 6, 2019, at Aviano Air Base, Italy. US Air Force Photo
Lockheed Martin is confident new customers will step forward to buy the F-35 Lighting II Joint Strike Fighters intended for Turkey, company executives said during a Tuesday conference call with analysts. Read More
Mark T. Esper answers questions from members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during his confirmation hearing at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C., July 16, 2019. US Army Photo
This post was updated with additional information from the Pentagon.
Army Secretary Mark Esper has been confirmed to serve as the next secretary of defense in a 90-8 vote in the Senate on Tuesday. He was sworn in during an Oval Office ceremony on Tuesday evening. Read More
USNI News Graphic
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of July 22, 2019, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship. Read More
A MADIS anti-drone system is perched on the bow of USS Boxer (LHD-4) during a Strait of Hormuz transit on July 18, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo
Instead of a using an almost-million-dollar Navy missile, Marines splashed a hostile Iranian drone on Thursday for about the cost of a couple of gallons of gas. Read More
USS Boxer (LHD-4) transits the Pacific Ocean. Boxer in March 2019. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated with additional details on the downing of the Iranian drone.
Amphibious warship USS Boxer (LHD-4) took down an Iranian drone that U.S. officials say threatened the ship as it entered the Persian Gulf on Thursday. Read More
Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge returns to homeport, July 18, 2019, after the Kearsarge Amphibious Ready Group’s (ARG) regularly scheduled, seven-month deployment in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation. Navy photo.
Amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD-3) returned to Norfolk Thursday morning, after completing a seven-month deployment to Europe and the Middle East and having offloaded members of the embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit in North Carolina earlier this week.
LCAC 100, Textron’s first-in-class Ship-to-Shore Connector (SSC), conducts its first on-water test outside of the company’s facility in Louisiana on April 10, 2018. Textron photo.
Textron executives expect by the end of 2019 to win a production contract for the Navy’s much-anticipated new Ship-to-Shore Connector. Read More
U.S. Marine Corps AAV-P7/A1 assault amphibious vehicles assigned to Combat Assault Company, 3rd Marine Regiment, unload service members during an amphibious landing demonstration as part of Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise at Pyramid Rock Beach on Marine Corps Base Hawaii July 29, 2018. US Marine Corps photo.
New Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger outlined his largely naval priorities for the Marine Corps, and he’s willing to shed some key tenets of the Marines’ amphibious force planning in recent years – including the demand for 38 amphibious warships to support a 2 Marine Expeditionary Brigade-sized forcible entry force. Read More
The following is the Commandant’s Planning Guidance to the Marine Corps from Gen. David Berger. Read More
