U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King today applauded a decision by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel to use flexibility to further minimize the furloughs of Defense Department personnel and to avoid them altogether at Navy shipyards, including Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery. For months, S
Rear Adm. Michael S. White, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11, visited the guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), April 30. White arrived aboard to discuss the ship’s deployment schedule and thank the crew for months of preparation, training and maintenance as a part of CSG-11. “It was
In the wake of the recent announcement that laser weapons will be put on U.S. Navy ships, the need for reliable, high-voltage shipboard power has become a matter of national security, officials said at this week’s Electric Ship Technologies Symposium outside Washington, D.C. The Office of Naval Rese
Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) returned from an underway April 19, after a series of engineering drills and time spent preparing for a Mid-Cycle Material Assessment (MCMA). Carl Vinson will be the test pilot for the new assessment program in the coming months. The Mid-Cycle Material Asses
The U.S. 6th Fleet flag ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) completed a two-month maintenance period at San Giorgio del Porto shipyard, April 15. After nearly 60 days of engineering upgrades and extensive steel replacement on the main super-structure, Mount Whitney got underway to conduct sea trials, a
High performance racing met high technology when American Formula One driver Alexander Rossi visited patrol coastal (PC) ship USS Typhoon (PC 5) and Riverine Squadron (RIVRON) 2 at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, April 17. The 21-year-old Rossi was born in Auburn, Calif., and will race in the upcomi
On March 30, off the island of Masirah (Oman), the cargo bulk carrier ‘Atlantic Confidence’, Liberian flag, reported to have a fire in the engine room and requested assistance. Upon receiving the message, Admiral Antonio Natale, Commander of the NATO Task Force engaged in the fight against piracy of
The US Coast Guard is standing down their response to a vessel with nine people aboard approximately 500 miles southeast of Bermuda, Wednesday. Coast Guard 5th District watchstanders initially received an emergency position-indicating radio beacon distress signal at 1:15 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 reg
The Navy’s first Mobile Landing Platform, USNS Montford Point (MLP 1), successfully completed builder’s sea trials on March 20, in San Diego, Calif. MLP 1 was constructed by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO). “This first-of-class ship performed very well during builder’s
The last of the improved Los Angeles-class submarines, USS Cheyenne (SSN 773), arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea, March 20, as part of its Western Pacific deployment. The submarine’s arrival follows its participation in the bilateral naval exercise Foal Eagle, involving assets from the U.S. and Re
The crew of Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) Minnesota (SSN 783) marked another major milestone when placing their boat in service and moving aboard March 14, in Newport News, Va. Minnesota’s sponsor, Ellen Roughead and her husband, the former Chief of Naval Operations retired Adm. Gary Roughead, visite
Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV) 2, the future USNS Choctaw County, conducted builder’s sea trials March 7-8, in Mobile, Ala. The ship, now under construction at Austal USA, is the second ship of the JHSV class. Builder’s trials are a significant step in the construction and delivery of a ship to the
The amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) was named a recipient of the 2012 Battle Efficiency (Battle “E”) award, March 9, marking the first time the ship has received the prestigious award. Vice Adm. Thomas Copeman, the commander of Naval Surface Forces, and commander, Naval Surface Forc
Raytheon Company delivered the first Standard Missile-6 all-up-round to the U.S. Navy from its new integration and testing facility in Huntsville, Ala. SM-6 defends naval vessels against fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and cruise missiles. “SM-6 is a game-changing, transfor