Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michelle Howard address sailors attached to Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 during an all-hands call at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif. US Navy Photo
NORFOLK, VA. — The sequestration restrictions on military funding are not likely to go away anytime soon and could result in a U.S. naval force of 250 ships, Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Michelle Howard said on Tuesday. Read More
A unit for the future aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) rests on the assembly platen at Newport News Shipbuilding on March 5, 2014. US Navy Photo
Mike Petters — chief executive officer of Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) — said delays in U.S. Navy contracts for the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of USS George Washington (CVN-73) and construction contracts for the second Gerald Ford carrier John F. Kennedy (CVN-79) are causing the shipbuilder concern, during a Thursday call with investors. Read More
Almost two years into its four-year midlife upgrade, Nimitz-class carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) left dry dock at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va. to begin the next steps of its almost $4 billion overhaul, the Navy and Huntington Ingalls Industries annouced this week. Read More
Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group transits the Surigao Strait on Sept. 27, 2014. US Navy Photo
The five ships of the Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group (CSG) have entered the U.S. Navy’s Middle East area of operations — U.S. 5th Fleet — on Wednesday, according to a release from the strike group. Read More
An E/A-18G Growler from the Scorpions of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 132 flies by the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73).
This post has been updated to include a statement from Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.).
The U.S. Navy’s chief shipbuilder told Congress the service plans to reshuffle $7 billion in funds to refuel and maintain the nuclear aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73). The fate of the carrier was an open question at the start of the year due to ongoing military funding pressures.
USS Arlington (LPD-24) under construction at Ingalls Shipbuilding. Huntington Ingalls Industries Photo
In the U.S. Navy’s perfect world, the service will reach its goal of a 306-ship fleet by 2020, according to the service’s latest 30-year long-range shipbuilding report, submitted to Congress on July 1 and obtained by USNI News on Monday. Read More
Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Bunker Hill (CG-52) on May 28, 2014. US Navy Photo
The House Appropriations Committee (HAC) passed its version of the Fiscal Year 2015 defense appropriations bill which limits the number of Ticonderoga class cruisers the Navy can lay up as well as includes funds for long lead items for the midlife refueling of carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73), according to a version of the bill released on Tuesday. Read More
Two EA-18G Growlers assigned to the Cougars of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 139 to the flight deck. on USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) on May 31, 2014. US Navy Photo
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) is taking steps to preserve the Boeing EA-18G Growler production line, modernize the entire fleet of Ticonderoga-class missile cruisers and keeping the option open to refuel the carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) in its version of the fiscal year 2015 National Defense Authorization Act. Read More
USS George Washington (CVN-73) on Nov. 24, 2013.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this post indicated an amendment that would restrict money to fund a complex refueling and overhaul of USS George Washington (CVN-73) offered by Reps. Jared Polis (Colo.)and Earl Blumenauer (Ore.) had passed. That amendment did not pass in the final House version of Fiscal Year 2015 defense bill. USNI News regrets the error.
House lawmakers preserved a legislative effort to keep the USS George Washington (CVN-73) to fund the start the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of the carrier as part of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2015 defense bill. Read More
USS George Washington (CVN-73) and its strike group in 2013. The House voted to refuel the carrier rather than decommission the ship early Thursday morning. US Navy Photo
House defense lawmakers soundly rejected proposed Pentagon cuts to a number of big-ticket weapons programs in their version of the department’s Fiscal Year 2015 budget blueprint. Read More
