Boatswain’s Mate Petty Officer First Class Jarret Hal conducts a safety brief before a underway replenishment, on the Alreigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Mahan (DDG-72) on Jan. 24, 2021. US Navy Photo
Navy leaders in all communities are taking a hard look at how they can use data to prevent training accidents and operational mishaps, even as 2020 proved to be a good year for safety amid a high operational tempo, the service’s vice chief told lawmakers this week. Read More
Contractors with Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) work to remove the aft mast aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on Aug. 4, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated to include additional information from NAVSEA.
A salvage company began removing the island on damaged amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) this week as part of the process to get the ship ready for towing and then dismantling. Read More
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), left, and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Forrest Sherman (DDG-98) transit behind the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy (CG-60) in the Atlantic Ocean on July 10, 2019. US Navy Photo
The Navy plans to rename U.S. Fleet Forces Command to the U.S. Atlantic Fleet, harkening back to a time when the Navy was fully focused on maritime operations in the Northern Atlantic rather than the Global War on Terror, the secretary of the Navy told a Senate panel today. Read More
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) sits pier side at Naval Base San Diego on July 16, 2020. US Navy Photo
This post has been updated with additional historical details.
The Navy decided to scrap the amphibious assault ship that burned for nearly five days earlier this year, concluding after months of investigations that trying to rebuild and restore the ship would take too much money and too much industrial base capacity. Read More
A San Diego Federal Fire firefighter rests after combating a fire aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 12, 2020. US Navy Photo
The Navy is revisiting fire safety protocols for maintenance periods, as part of an ongoing conversation following an amphibious assault ship fire over the summer. Read More
Sailors assigned to USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) respond to a simulated casualty aboard Ford, Oct. 26, 2020. This integrated fire drill was a combined effort across Ford, Stennis and Naval Station Norfolk Federal firefighters to increase proficiency of all units in the event of an actual casualty. US Navy photo.
When USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) caught fire at the pier over the summer, sailors from across the waterfront rushed to the scene, some in damage control teams from their own ships and some showing up as individuals who wanted to help. Read More
Defense Secretary Dr. Mark T. Esper reviews the damage from the July 12 fire on the USS Bonhomme Richard, docked at Naval Base San Diego, Calif., Sept. 18, 2020. DoD photo.
NAVAL BASE SAN DIEGO, Calif. – USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) hasn’t moved from the pier-side spot where it caught fire on July 12 and burned for almost five days. The ship might not be moving anytime soon. Investigations into the fire have been extended until at least until December, USNI News understands, and with them any decisions about the fate of the ship.
Still, with the ship still hot enough to need cool air pumped inside, the crew has settled into a new normal, spending their duty rotations helping clear out the amphibious assault ship and offload equipment that can be salvaged and put back into the Navy supply system. Read More
An MH-60S Seahawk helicopter from the “Merlins” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 3, provides aerial firefighting support alongside sailors and civilian fire crews on the ground to fight the fire aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on July 13, 2020. US Navy Photo
Federal agents are questioning a sailor in connection to the July fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) as part of the ongoing criminal investigation into the blaze, three defense officials told USNI News on Wednesday night. Read More
Contractors with Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) work to remove the aft mast aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6) on Aug. 4, 2020. US Navy Photo
U.S. Pacific Fleet commander Adm. John Aquilino has appointed the head of San Diego, Calif.-based 3rd Fleet to lead the official command investigation into the July 12 fire aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD-6). Read More
USNI News Image
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of Aug 10, 2020, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship. Read More
