USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) sits in Dry Dock 4 at Fleet Activities (FLEACT) Yokosuka on July 11, 2017. US Navy Photo
THE PENTAGON – Repairs to the stricken guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) will take more than a year to complete but those to USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) may take less time, Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer said on Wednesday. Read More
Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer testifying before the Senate Armed Service Committee on Sept. 19. US Navy Photo
CAPITOL HILL – Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer’s strategic study in the wake of two deadly collisions at sea this year intends to question everything the Navy does – how missions are tasked to ships, whether the service still needs its five numbered fleets, the relationship between the East Coast and West Coast fleets, and more – the secretary told USNI News today after testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee. Read More
USS Benfold (DDG-65), left, and the Henry J. Kaiser-class fleet replenishment oiler USNS Pecos (T-AO 197) participate in a photo exercise during Pacific Griffin 2017 off the coast of Guam. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include additional information from the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
CAPITOL HILL – The Navy is creating a new Naval Surface Group Western Pacific to train and certify forward-deployed surface ships operating out of Japan and has begun additional readiness assessments and certifications, after four surface ship collisions and groundings in the region that killed 17 sailors this year. Read More
CTF 70 commander Rear Adm. Charles Williams, DESRON 15 commander Capt. Jeffrey Bennett. USNI News image
This post has been updated to include replacements for CTF-70 and DESRON 15.
The commander of the Navy’s largest operational battle force and his subordinate in charge of the attached destroyer squadron have been removed from their positions as a result of ongoing investigations into a string of incidents this year that resulted in the death of 17 sailors and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, USNI News has learned. Read More
Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) at it steers towards Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC on Aug 21, 2017. US Navy Photo
The Navy will use a heavy lift ship to transport the damaged guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) to Japan for further assessment, Naval Sea Systems Command announced on Wednesday. Read More
Guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) at it steers towards Changi Naval Base, Republic of Singapore following a collision with the merchant vessel Alnic MC on Aug 21, 2017. US Navy Photo
The deputy head of Naval Personnel has been quietly tapped to lead an investigation into the collision between guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG-56) and a chemical tanker near Singapore, Navy officials told USNI News on Thursday. Read More
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YOKOSUKA, Japan (July 13, 2017) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) sits in Dry Dock 4 at Fleet Activities Yokosuka to continue repairs and assess damage sustained from its June 17 collision with a merchant vessel. This view shows damage above the waterline to the outside skin of the ship. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Christian Senyk/Released)
The Navy has awarded a Houston shipping company a $3.1 million contract to move the stricken guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) to the Gulf Coast for repairs. Read More
USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) returns to Fleet Activities (FLEACT) Yokosuka following a collision with a merchant vessel while operating southwest of Yokosuka, Japan on June 17, 2017. US Navy Photo
The guided-missile destroyer that suffered a collision with a merchant ship in June off Japan will be transported to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Mississippi shipyard to be repaired, the Navy told USNI News on Wednesday. Read More
The following are a timeline of the events surrounding the collision of USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) and ACX Crystal on June 17, 2017. Read More
Cmdr. Bryce Benson, Cmdr. Sean Babbitt and CMC Brice Baldwin were removed from their positions on USS Fitzgerald
This post has been updated with an additional statement from U.S. 7th fleet.
THE PENTAGON — The top three leaders of the guided-missile destroyer involved in the June collision, which resulted in the death of seven sailors and hundreds of millions of dollars in damage, have been removed from their positions, the vice chief of naval operations told reporters on Thursday afternoon. Read More
