PACIFIC OCEAN (March 27, 2021) Sailors charge the battery of an MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle aboard Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Charleston (LCS 18), March 27. Charleston is currently operating in U.S. Third Fleet. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Adam Butler)
An MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle crashed into the side of Littoral Combat Ship USS Charleston (LCS-18) after taking off from the ship today, the Navy announced. Read More
USNI News polled its writers, naval analysts and service members on what they consider the most important military and maritime stories in 2017.
The following is part of a series. Please also see Top Stories: International Acquisition, Navy Operations, Marine Corps Operations, Marine Corps and Coast Guard Acquisition, International Operations and New Administration.
2017 began with the promise of planning for a larger fleet: at the end of 2016, the Navy announced a 355-ship requirement, and the incoming Trump Administration expressed its support for a larger military and a heftier Navy. Few concrete steps were taken this year, though, to begin a buildup – though many programs that will be pivotal to the 355-ship fleet of the future reached significant programmatic milestones in 2017.
USS Coronado (LCS-4) Sailors man the rails as the ship transits the San Diego Harbor to return to homeport after an 18 month deployment on Dec. 5, 2017. US Navy Photo
NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, Calif. – With guidance from an orange tug, the littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) inched its way toward its berth Tuesday afternoon and wrapped up its maiden deployment after 18 months in the Western Pacific. Read More
An MQ-8B equipped with the AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) system conducts data test flights at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. COBRA, an airborne mine detection system, has achieved initial operational capability. US Navy photo.
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – The Navy completed the first phase of its initial operational test and evaluation on the AN/DVS-1 Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) airborne mine detection system and is awaiting Littoral Combat Ship availability to complete the remaining testing. Read More
USS Coronado (LCS-4) moors in Cam Ranh Bay during Naval Engagement Activity Vietnam 2017. US Navy Photo
KUALA LUMPUR — The Tuesday firing of the Harpoon Block 1C missile off the coast of Guam by the Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) formed a significant milestone as it demonstrated the LCS’s capabilities that are not possessed by other ships, in particular, its integrated air detachment and the ship’s inherent modular capabilities Rear Admiral Don Gabrielson, the head of Commander Logistics Group Western Pacific/Task Force 73, told USNI News on Friday. Read More
A Firescout unmanned aerial vehicle takes off from the flight deck of the littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) off the coast of Guam on Aug. 22, 2017. US Navy photo.
Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) fired a Harpoon Block 1C missile off the coast of Guam this week, successfully hitting a surface target beyond the ship’s visual range, the Navy announced. Read More
Coast Guard air crews unhook a Fire Scout UAS during a test on the Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf near Los Angeles, Dec. 5 2014. The Coast Guard Research and Development Center has been testing UAS platforms consistently for the last three years. US Coast Guard photo.
The Coast Guard is pursuing a path to greater maritime intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities through an approach that leverages both Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense resources, the commandant said today. Read More
USS Coronado (LCS-4) arrives at Changi Naval Base on Oct. 16, 2016. Photo by Mike Yeo Used with Permission
CHANGI NAVAL BASE, Singapore — USS Coronado (LCS-4) has arrived in Singapore to begin a scheduled rotational deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, marking the first time the trimaran-hulled Independence-class Littoral Combat Ship has been deployed to the region. Read More
MQ-8C Fire Scout returns from a test mission on the Point Mugu Sea Range in Point Mugu, Calif. US Navy Photo
Naval Air Systems Command awarded Northrop Grumman a $108.1 million contract for ten MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned rotary wing aircraft last week, according to a Pentagon contract announcement. Read More
USS Coronado (LCS-4) conducts operations during Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016 in July. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated with additional statements from Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson.
The Littoral Combat Ship USS Coronado (LCS-4) has suffered an engineering casualty in route to Singapore and is returning to Hawaii to assess the damage, Navy officials told USNI News on Tuesday. Read More
