USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) departed Naval Station Norfolk to transit to Newport News Shipbuilding in support of her Planned Incremental Availability (PIA), a six-month period of modernization, maintenance, and repairs, Aug. 20, 2021. US Navy Photo
The Navy is set to deploy USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) for the first time in 2022, four years later than the original maiden deployment date of 2018. Read More
Meredith Berger, Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Energy, Installations and Environment). US Army Photo
The civilian head of the Department of the Navy’s installations has been tapped to fill in as the second-highest civilian in the department, according to a Monday announcement. Read More
James F. Geurts
This story has been updated to include a statement from a Navy spokesperson and a former spokesperson for James Geurts.
James Geurts, the Navy’s former acquisition chief who for the last several months has been performing the duties of the under secretary of the Navy, is stepping down this month. Read More
Seaman Saruis Webb, from Chicago, assigned to USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN-78) weapons department, stands an armed watch with an H-2B .50 caliber machine gun during sea and anchor on April 14, 2021. US Navy Photo
USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) and its air wing and strike group had a chance to fully show off their combat capabilities, using a recent at-sea testing period to demonstrate not only that Ford can keep up with its Nimitz-class counterparts but can use its new gear to perform better and faster, leaders in the strike group told USNI News today. Read More
Terrance Wells, from San Diego, ties straps for a containment project on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) on Oct. 26, 2020. US Navy Photo
The Navy faces a conundrum in renovating its centuries-old public shipyards. Read More
Ingalls Shipbuilding in May 2019. HII Photo
After coming through 2020 with record sales and growing its unmanned systems portfolio through acquisitions and partnerships, Huntington Ingalls Industries plans to use that momentum in 2021 to integrate its different business lines to help its customers tackle more complex challenges, the company president said today. Read More
Rendering of USS Constellation (FFG-62). Fincantieri Image
The Navy already has models of the Constellation-class frigate and the upcoming DDG(X) destroyer in the water at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock in Maryland and is using a new set of engineering best practices to guide the development of both programs, several Navy officials explained last week. Read More
An MH-60S Sea Hawk, assigned to the “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, flies next to the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) while they transit the Pacific Ocean Feb. 15, 2020. Operating as an Expeditionary Strike Force, the Navy-Marine Corps team integrates carrier strike group combat power with the flexible capability of an expeditionary strike group to provide the fleet commander with a capable, credible combat force that can be deployed anywhere in the world. US Navy photo.
The Navy’s engineering community has already started conducting light carrier design and engineering studies, even as the Navy and the joint force still consider whether they’d even want to invest in a CVL to supplement supercarriers to bring more distributed capability to the fleet for less cost. Read More
The lead Chinese Type-075 preparing for sea trials. Photo via Weibo
The Chinese Navy, formally known as the PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy), conducted a live-fire exercise several days ago over the South China Sea utilizing a newly expanded naval base. Read More
Attack boat Vermont (SSN-792) float-off on March 29, 2019. General Dynamics Electric Boats Photo
This post is part of a series of stories looking back at the top naval news from 2020.
2020 may be among the most consequential years for Navy acquisition in recent memory, with the service making big moves in support of its Distributed Maritime Operations operating concept. Read More
