The Military Sealift Command mobile landing platform ship USNS Montford Point (T-MLP 1) is floated out of General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard on Nov. 12, 2012. US Navy Photo
A key component of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps new sea basing strategy has completed its first round of sea trials, Naval Sea Systems Command officials told USNI News on Monday. Read More
Undated photo of Sgt. Eusebio Lopez. USMC Photo
The Marine Corps has identified the three Marines killed in an apparent double murder-suicide on Thursday at the Officer Candidate School at Quantico Marine Corps Base, according to a Sunday report. Read More
USS Freedom (LCS 1) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on March, 11 2013. US Navy Photo
Christopher P. Cavas’ much-discussed March, 18 Defense News story about the recommendations of Vice Adm. Tom Copeman revealed that even one of the Navy’s top surface warriors has become something of a littoral combat ship (LCS) skeptic, given his reported willingness to recommend a major course correction for the program.
The Navy’s LCS never has had a shortage of skeptics, but for a long time they seemed to be a minority in the surface-warfare world, on the outside looking in. Until now. Read More
President Barack Obama and King Abdullah II of Jordan on March, 22 2013. White House Photo
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategic concerns for the “defensive boundaries” of Israel are clearly demarcated by geography. The distance between key locations in Israel and the West Bank are six to nine miles, with a huge concentration of the Israeli population on the coastal strip where most of Israel’s commercial and industrial life resides. His concern is that the West Bank provides a buffer area and site for defensive missile systems that will ward off an attack. The key to helping Netanyahu and the Israeli people find both peace and security lies with Jordan. Read More
Marine Base Quantico, spokesman Lt. Agustin Solivan briefs reporters following a shooting incident on the base March 22, 2013. AP Photo
Three Marines were killed after being shot by at or near Quantico Marine Corps Base’s Officer Candidate School, according to press reports. Read More
From the March, 15 Congressional Research Service report: Coast Guard polar icebreakers perform a variety of missions supporting U.S. interests in polar regions. The Coast Guard’s two existing heavy polar icebreakers— Polar Star and Polar Sea — have exceeded their originally intended 30-year service lives. Polar Star was placed in caretaker status on July 1, 2006. Congress in FY2009 and FY2010 provided funding to repair it and returnit to service for an additional 7 to 10 years of service; the repair work was completed and the ship was reactivated on December 14, 2012. Read More
From the March, 8 Congressional Research Service report titled, New Zealand: U.S. Security Cooperation and the U.S. Rebalancing to Asia Strategy.
As part of its strategy to rebalance toward Asia the Obama Administration has greatly expanded cooperation and reestablished close ties with New Zealand. Changes in the security realm have been particularly notable as the two sides have restored close defense cooperation, which was suspended in the mid-1980s due to differences over nuclear policy. The two nations are now working together increasingly closely in the area of defense and security cooperation while also seeking to coordinate efforts in the South Pacific.
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Capt. Kenneth Coleman when he was commander of the USS Independence (LCS-2). SWONet Photo
Capt. Kenneth Coleman knows more about the Littoral Combat Ship program than most any sailor. Currently Coleman works at U.S. Surface Forces as requirements officer for the LCS program and from April 2010 to Sept. 2011, he was the commander of the Blue crew of USS Independence (LCS-2). USNI News recently interviewed Coleman on the latest of the deployment of USS Freedom (LCS-1). Coleman discussed manning changes for the ship, how the ships will be maintained while deployed and what it’s like for a ship commander to do his own dishes. Read More
The Marine Corps has released the names of the seven Marines who died Monday following a mortar malfunction at Hawthorne Army Depot, Nev. Read More
U.S. Pacific Command contractor, Benjamin Pierce Bishop, 59, was charged in federal court in Hawaii on Friday on charges of providing sensitive national security information to a Chinese national with whom he was romantically entangled. Read More
