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The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) steam in formation while participating in a photo exercise in the Arabian Gulf on Nov. 28, 2017. US Navy Photo
ARLINGTON, Va. – The Navy and Marine Corps are eyeing upgrade plans for their surface combatants and amphibious ships to help guide the development of weapons, sensors, networks and more that will support those ships in a future operating environment. Read More
Guided-missile destroyer Zumwalt (DDG-1000) arrives at Naval Station Newport on Sept. 8, 2016. US Navy Photo
ARLINGTON, Va. — A year after the Navy decided to abandon the Long Range Land Attack Projectile (LRLAP) for the Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer, there is no plan in place for a replacement round for the Advanced Gun System (AGS) the ships are built around, service officials said on Wednesday. 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.
The guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) arrives at its new homeport in San Diego on Dec. 8, 2016. US Navy photo.
The Navy is revamping the Zumwalt-class destroyer’s requirements and will morph it into a focused surface strike platform, the director of surface warfare (OPNAV N96) told USNI News today. Read More
The guided-missile destroyers USS Russel (DDG-59), USS Chung Hoon (DDG-93) and the guided-missile cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG-53) follow the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) during a show of force transit on Aug. 11, 2015. US Navy photo.
The Navy is already conducting wargames in preparation for the Future Surface Combatant family of systems acquisition process to begin later this year, several officials involved said last week. Read More
USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) steams in formation with USS Independence (LCS-2) on Dec. 8, 2016. US Navy Photo
The Navy will need a larger engineering directorate as it grows the fleet in coming years, to avoid problems faced in past ship classes like the Littoral Combat Ship and the Zumwalt guided missile destroyer stemming from the Navy being too hands-off on technical specifications. Read More
Zumwalt (DDG 1000) transits the Atlantic Ocean on April 21, 2016. US Navy Photo
HAMPTON, VA. – Lessons learned on the Littoral Combat Ship’s modularity and the Zumwalt-class destroyer’s power management will help guide discussions on a future family of surface combatants, the commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command said Tuesday. Read More
Los Angeles-class submarine USS Hartford (SSN-768) surfaces near Ice Camp Sargo during Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016 on March 15, 2016. US Navy photo.
The U.S. Navy’s presence in the Arctic region has been limited due to constrained budgets and urgent needs elsewhere in the world, the chief of naval operations said, but future ships should still be designed with potential Arctic operations in mind. Read More
The littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS-3), front, the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112) and USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), the Republic of Korea navy destroyer ROKS Eulji Mundeok (DDH-972), and the Ulsan-class frigate ROKS Jeju (FF-958) participate in a joint photo exercise during Foal Eagle 2015. Both the DDGs and LCSs are under construction now but will need replacement programs beginning in the mid-2030s. US Navy photo.
ARLINGTON, Va. — The Navy is in the midst of a massive shipbuilding spree, with 65 ships across eight shipyards under contract or in construction today – but maintaining that pace in the short-term and trying to replicate or even accelerate it for the next generation of surface combatants presents the Navy and industry with some serious challenges, officials said. Read More
