Category Archives: warship

SECDEF Esper Faced Bipartisan Criticism Over 'Anemic' Shipbuilding Plan

SECDEF Esper Faced Bipartisan Criticism Over ‘Anemic’ Shipbuilding Plan

Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper is briefed on USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) advanced weapons elevators (AWE) by Capt. John J. Cummings, Ford’s commanding officer. Navy photo

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper faced sustained bipartisan criticism from the House Armed Services Committee over the Pentagon’s proposed shipbuilding plan during a Wednesday hearing on the Fiscal Year 2021 Pentagon budget.

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Pentagon Officials Call Out Iranian-Backed Weapons Smugglers

Pentagon Officials Call Out Iranian-Backed Weapons Smugglers

USS Normandy (CG 60), in accordance with international law, boarded a stateless dhow in the Arabian Sea and interdicted an illicit shipment of advanced weapons and weapon components intended for the Houthis in Yemen, Feb. 9, 2020. US Navy Photo

THE PENTAGON — Recognizing Iranian-backed weapons smugglers have the advantage evading U.S. patrols, and the Pentagon is taking to publicly calling out Tehran for helping fuel the ongoing conflict in Yemen.

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Pentagon Says Shipbuilding Money Routed to Border Barrier Was Early to Need, Shipyard Disagrees

Pentagon Says Shipbuilding Money Routed to Border Barrier Was Early to Need, Shipyard Disagrees

Amphibious assault ship Tripoli (LHA-7) sails the Gulf of Mexico during builder’s trials held in July 2019. HII Photo

This post was updated to include a statement from a Navy spokesperson.

THE PENTAGON — The Defense Department justified redirecting shipbuilding funds to pay for border barrier construction by saying the yards don’t currently have the capacity to spend the money, a Pentagon spokesman told reporters. At least one shipbuilder disagrees. Read More

VIDEO: USS Normandy Seizes Cache Of Iranian-Made Weapons in Arabian Sea

VIDEO: USS Normandy Seizes Cache Of Iranian-Made Weapons in Arabian Sea

USS Normandy (CG 60), in accordance with international law, boarded a stateless dhow in the Arabian Sea and interdicted an illicit shipment of advanced weapons and weapon components intended for the Houthis in Yemen, Feb. 9, 2020. US Navy Photo

Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60) seized a cache of Iranian-made anti-tank missiles and other munitions aboard a dhow in the Arabian Sea over the weekend.

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USS Montgomery Conducts First 2020 FONOP in South China Sea

USS Montgomery Conducts First 2020 FONOP in South China Sea

The Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) operates in the South China Sea. Navy photo

Over the weekend, Littoral Combat Ship USS Montgomery (LCS-8) conducted a freedom of navigation operation through waters near the Spratly Islands claimed by China, Taiwan and Vietnam, the Navy said.

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Navy Will Commission All Expeditionary Sea Bases as USS Warships

Navy Will Commission All Expeditionary Sea Bases as USS Warships

Miguel Keith (ESB-5) departs General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. shipyard in San Diego, Calif. During the weeklong acceptance trials, the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey conducted comprehensive tests to demonstrate and evaluate the performance of all of the ship’s major systems in 2019. NASSCO photo

ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy will now commission all of its Expeditionary Sea Base ships to allow them to conduct a broader and more lethal mission set, compared to original plans for them as Military Sealift Command ships with a USNS designation. Read More