The US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 1 contract to build two production CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. Under the $303,974,406 million contract, Sikorsky will deliver two production aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps in 2020 along wit
After completing its planned incremental availability (PIA), US Navy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) got underway from Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton to complete its flight deck certification and other training on September 1. Flight deck certification is a key milestone for the aircraft
Ships from the carrier strike group centered around the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt completed the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX), the final work-up phase and certification event prior to deployment scheduled later this year. COMPTUEX evaluated the strike group’s deployment r
The US Navy must spend over $1 million to train a single aircraft pilot and finding new, more effective ways of selecting candidates is an imperative for the service. Naval pilots of manned aircraft must pass the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)—a rigorous intellectual exercise that evaluates
GE’s Marine Solutions will be providing its LM2500 family of aeroderivative marine gas turbines to power two newbuild surface combatants for United States Navy and Coast Guard programs. Two LM2500+ gas turbines will power Bougainville (LHA 8), the US Navy’s newest multi-purpose amphibious assault sh
US amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) got underway from Norfolk on August 30 heading for Sasebo, Japan, where she will become the forward-deployed flagship of the amphibious force of the U.S. 7th Fleet. The shift will introduce an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter-capable amphibious assault ship to t
The US Navy said it has deployed amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) to Texas where they will support federal, state and local authorities with ongoing relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Kearsarge along with Marines from the 26t
The US Navy has sent a submarine along with an amphibious transport dock and a minehunter to take part in the second annual Los Angeles Fleet Week. Transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23), Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Scout (MCM 8) and Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Pasaden
US Navy destroyer USS John Paul Jones fired two Standard Missile-6 (SM-6) Dual I missiles to successfully stop a medium-range ballistic missile target in the latest test. Taking place off the coast of Hawaii on August 29, the test was designated Flight Test Standard Missile-27 Event 2 (FTM-27 E2) an
The US Navy’s amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) arrived in Guam on August 29 to undergo mid-deployment repairs. The scheduled voyage repair availability (VRAV) comes four months into Ashland’s multi-month deployment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The ship will undergo important upk
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) returned home to San Diego on August 28 following a five-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Sterett spent the majority of the deployment as part of the Sterett-Dewey surface action group (Sterett-Dewey SAG),
US Navy destroyer USS Oscar Austin arrived in Bergen, Norway, with embarked Italian midshipmen aboard for a scheduled port visit and a refuel on August 27. Italian cadets are aboard the US destroyer under FOREXTRAMID 17, a Chief of Naval Operations-sponsored program and is designed to promote profes
The US Navy has concluded a three-month drill dubbed Trident Warrior during which it explored innovative solutions and experimented with important maritime initiatives. In its 15th year of execution, Trident Warrior (TW) took place off the coast of Southern California from June to August 2017. Parti
The US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) departed Singapore on August 27 after providing support to USS John S. McCain following the August 21 collision. While in Singapore, sailors and marines aboard America provided initial support for the McCain crew to include berthing for 155 s
