Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning underway. PLAN Photo
While Washington defends its Navy’s transits through disputed waters in the South China Sea as upholding international freedom of navigation, Beijing blasts these operations as provocative and clear violations of its domestic law, a leading Chinese naval expert said last week; and both positions could harden.
ANNAPOLIS, Md. – When considering a resurgent Chinese military, the U.S. lacks a well-developed plan or even a unifying theme, a panel of Pacific-region military and political experts said Wednesday.
Adm. Scott H. Swift, outgoing commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, right, and Adm. John C. Aquilino, incoming commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, left, salute each other during a change of command ceremony. Seated are Adm. Harry Harris, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, left, and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson, right. Navy photo.
The outgoing commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet used his change-of-command and retirement ceremony speech to address the external threat of nations increasingly willing to use military means to exert their influence, and the internal threat of insufficient time and funding to create a ready fleet.
Adm. Scott Swift, at times emotional, made multiple references to last year’s two deadly collisions involving Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers, USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) and USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), killing 17 sailors serving aboard PACFLEET ships.
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The following is the complete May 17, 2018 U.S. Pacific Fleet change of command ceremony. Read More
Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin speaks to members of the press about the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) which was involved in a collision with a merchant vessel on June 18, 2017.
This post was updated to correct circumstances of a Jan. 31, 2017 incident involving the guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG-54). The ship suffered a grounding, not a collision.
U.S. warships in the Western Pacific were overtasked and starved for manpower ahead of two fatal collisions that killed 17 sailors, the former commander of Japan-based U.S. 7th Fleet wrote in his first public comments since being removed from his position last year. Read More
Adm. Scott H. Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, delivers remarks during a change of command and retirement ceremony as Vice Adm. Nora W. Tyson prepares to relinquish command of U.S. 3rd Fleet. US Navy Photo
SAN DIEGO, Calif. — The commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet pushed back against recent discussions that he shouldn’t both prepare and operate ready forces and that force-generation should be concentrated at U.S. Fleet Forces Command on the East Coast. Read More
Adm. Scott Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, conducts a media availability at Changi Naval Base on Aug. 22, 2017. US Navy Photo
U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift stood up a new organization that will oversee the training and certification of forward-deployed surface forces. Read More
A T-45C Goshawk training aircraft assigned to Carrier Training Wing (CTW) 1 approaches the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) on March 20, 2017. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include additional comment from Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran in a phone call with reporters.
A comprehensive review of the rising number of physiological episodes and the Navy’s response to those PEs determined the Navy’s oxygen-generation and cabin pressure systems are too complex for reliable performance, and that the process for reporting and investigating the root cause of physiological episodes is “fundamentally flawed,” according to the review released this afternoon. Read More
A T-45C Goshawk training aircraft assigned to Carrier Training Wing (CTW) 2 launches from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) on Feb. 9, 2017. US Navy photo.
U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. Scott Swift will lead a 30-day review on “the facts, circumstances and processes surrounding the recent physiological episodes involving T-45 and F/A-18 aircrew,” the Navy announced today. Read More
The following is an April 21, 2017, memo from Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Bill Moran to U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Scott Swift regarding a new 30-day review of physiological episodes experienced by Navy jet aircrews. Read More
