Monthly Archives: April 2021

Ground Forces

Air Defense Capabilities

In continuing efforts to revitalize and update the U.S. Army’s Air and Missile Defense forces and systems, the 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-4 ADA), a subordinate unit under the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, is the first battalion in the Army to test, receive, and field the Mobile Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system.

M-SHORAD
The 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment (5-4 ADA), 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command, is the first unit in the Army to receive the Mobile Short Range Air Defense (M-SHORAD) system. The M-SHORAD integrates existing guns, missiles, rockets and sensors onto a Stryker A1 vehicle. The system is designed to defend maneuvering forces against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing and residual fixed-wing threats (Captain Jordan Allen)

The M-SHORAD, which integrates existing guns, missiles, rockets and sensors onto a Stryker A1 vehicle, is the Army’s newest addition in a variety of modernization efforts. The system is designed to defend maneuvering forces against unmanned aircraft systems, rotary-wing and residual fixed-wing threats.

The 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command is U.S. Army Europe and Africa’s executive agent for all theater air and missile defense operations and force management. Since activating the battalion in 2018, 5-4 ADA has played a major role in supporting Allies and partners through their involvement in various joint and multinational training exercises across the European theater.

«This is truly a testament to our Army’s commitment to increase air and missile defense capability and capacity to the joint force, and especially here in Europe», said Brig. Gen. Gregory J. Brady, Commander of the 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command. «Just under 3 years ago 5-4 ADA was the Army’s first SHORAD battalion activated in almost 13 years, and now they are proud again to be the first to lead the Army’s Air and Missile Defense modernization initiatives with M-SHORAD. The 10th AAMDC is proud to be a part of this Team effort and remains engaged, postured and ready to assure, deter, and defend the maneuver force in an increasingly complex Integrated Air and Missile Defense environment, shoulder to shoulder with our NATO Allies».

The Army utilized a rapid prototyping strategy to accelerate the timeline for M-SHORAD initial operating capability by four years, resulting in the delivery of a prototype system in approximately one year. In 2020, 18 Air and Missile Defense crewmembers from 5-4 ADA were selected to undergo a 6-month initial operational assessment with the prototype systems at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico.

«I developed a passion for this system», said Specialist Andy Mendoza, one of the crewmembers from 5-4 ADA to assess the first prototypes. «We learned how to operate in every position on these, but also how to take care of them. Being one of the gunners selected to be part of that, it was really a huge honor. I’m really proud to be able to bring what I learned back home to the rest of the crew».

«There’s really no comparison to anything I’ve operated in my career», said Sgt. Andrew Veres, an Air and Missile Defense crewmember with 5-4 ADA. «Everything in these systems is an improvement – the survivability, mobility, dependability, off road ability – it gives us the ability to stay in the fight longer».

The addition of the Stryker-based M-SHORAD system will provide better protection of maneuver forces at increased ranges and with improved mobility, allowing a stronger defense of U.S. forces, Allies and partners against adversary air threats. The unit initially received four systems in April, and is expected to receive more later this year, beginning its transition from an Avenger-based battalion to the first fully-operational M-SHORAD battalion in the U.S. Army.

«Our adversaries have invested heavily from their indirect fire up to their strategic missile assets, necessitating the modernization of our air and missile defense capabilities», said Brady. «M-SHORAD is a critical part of the Army’s comprehensive dedicated Air Defense Artillery capacity and augmented combined arms approach to be able to provide a multi-layered defense against all aerial threats».

The Army’s modernization strategy ensures continued overmatch in a fundamentally different future environment, part of which includes prioritizing the development of Air Defense systems to ensure a more capable force.

«All modernization efforts are focused on our ability to fight and win as a joint force – along with our allies and partners», said Gen. John M. Murray, Army Futures Command commanding general. «If we do not have the capability to fight and win, we do not have the capability deter. The speed through which our Army can deliver effects and get the right equipment to Soldiers in the field is critical».

The Army intends to field the M-SHORAD system to four additional Air and Missile Defense battalions beginning in 2021. Future development of follow-on M-SHORAD systems will incorporate technology insertions, to include directed energy and improved missiles, utilizing a mix of complementary DE and kinetic interceptor systems to protect maneuver forces.

«The Army’s air and missile defense force structure is growing and modernizing significantly to meet the threats of peer competitors and our obligation and commitment to providing air and missile defense forces to the joint fight», Murray said.

Navy

Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on April 25, 2021 that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division christened guided missile destroyer USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) Saturday evening. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a small, socially distanced event was held with limited in-person attendance.

USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123)
Former Ingalls Shipbuiding President Brian Cuccias and DDG-123 Prospective Commanding Officer Douglas Brayton watch as ship sponsors Virginia Munford, Pickett Wilson and Louisa Dixon officially christen guided missile destroyer USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) (Photo by Derek Fountain/HII)

«The christening of Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee is a significant milestone that brings our 34th destroyer one step closer to being introduced into the fleet», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. «In these ever-changing times, the significance of what we do has never been more important. We are exceedingly proud of our shipbuilders for their tenacity and perseverance, and look forward to continuing Ingalls’ legacy of building quality ships with respect and pride».

Recently retired Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias returned to host the christening, which was originally scheduled to occur in 2020 but was postponed due to restrictions surrounding the pandemic.

«I am honored to host this christening and give a final salute to the hardworking men and women who build freedom in this shipyard every day», Cuccias said. «Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee’s distinguished legacy will remain steadfast with the christening of this great ship, as will the unparalleled craftsmanship of the men and women of Ingalls Shipbuilding».

USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) is named to honor Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, the first woman to receive the U.S. Navy Cross. Higbee joined the U.S. Navy in October 1908 as part of the newly established U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, a group of women who would become known as «The Sacred Twenty», and became the second superintendent of the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps in January 1911.

Ray Mabus, the 75th Secretary of the U.S. Navy, was the keynote speaker.

«This christening is a signal event in the life of a warship deeply engrained in naval tradition when a ship officially bears the name it will carry during its time in the fleet», Mabus said. «The story and the legacy of Lenah Higbee, and what she represents, will live on for decades around the world through this ship’s voyages and through the lives of the crew who sail aboard her».

USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) sponsors are Louisa Dixon, Virginia Munford and Pickett Wilson, three women who played an important role during Mabus’ term as governor of Mississippi. Munford spoke on behalf of the three sponsors.

«As we help dedicate this ship for service, let us all join together in the fervent hope and prayer that Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee’s primary mission will be to preserve the peace for future generations», Munford said.

Rear Admiral Cynthia Kuehner, commander of the Naval Medical Forces Support Command, spoke on behalf of the chief of naval operations.

«I know that USS Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee (DDG-123) will protect and defend our nation with the same zeal, courage and valiant resolve of the Navy nurse for whom she is named», Kuehner said. «Superintendent Higbee’s legacy is a heroic account of a fearless pioneer, a leader among men and women, an advocate and an agent for necessary change, a visionary, a teacher, a scholar, a scientist, an author, an innovator, a strategist. A Navy nurse».

 

CHARACTERISTICS

Length Overall 525 feet/160 m
Beam – Waterline 65.6 feet/20 m
Draft 32.8 feet/10 m
Displacement – Full Load 9,217 tons/9,363 metric tons
Power Plant 4 General electric LM 2500-30 gas turbines; 2 shafts; 2 CRP (Contra-Rotating) propellers; 100,000 shaft horsepower/75,000 kW
Speed in excess of 30 knots/34.5 mph/55.5 km/h
Range 4,400 NM/8,149 km at 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h
Crew 380 total: 32 Officers, 27 CPO (Chief Petty Officer), 321 OEM
Surveillance AN/SPY-6 Air and Missile Defense Radar (Raytheon Company) and Aegis Combat System (Lockheed Martin); SPS-73(V) Navigation; SPS-67(V)3 Surface Search; 3 SPG-62 Illuminator; SQQ-89(V)6 sonar incorporating SQS-53C hull mounted and SQR-19 towed array sonars used with Mark-116 Mod 7 ASW fire control system
Electronics/Countermeasures SLQ-32(V)3; Mark-53 Mod 0 Decoy System; Mark-234 Decoy System; SLQ-25A Torpedo Decoy; SLQ-39 Surface Decoy; URN-25 TACAN; UPX-29 IFF System; Kollmorgen Mark-46 Mod 1 Electro-Optical Director
Aircraft 2 embarked SH-60 helicopters ASW operations; RAST (Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse)
Armament 2 Mark-41 Vertical Launching System (VLS) with 96 Standard, Vertical Launch ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) & Tomahawk ASM (Air-to-Surface Missile)/LAM (Loitering Attack Missile); 5-in (127-mm)/54 (62) Mark-45 gun; 2 (1) CIWS (Close-In Weapon System); 2 Mark-32 triple 324-mm torpedo tubes for Mark-46 or Mark-50 ASW torpedos

 

GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYERS LINEUP

 

Flight IIA: Technology Insertion

Ship Yard Launched Commissioned Homeport
DDG-116 Thomas Hudner GDBIW 04-23-17 12-01-18 Mayport, Florida
DDG-117 Paul Ignatius HIIIS 11-12-16 07-27-19 Mayport, Florida
DDG-118 Daniel Inouye GDBIW 10-27-19 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS 09-08-17 09-26-20 Mayport, Florida
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS 07-13-18
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS 01-27-20
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher GDBIW

 

Navy

S-80 class submarine

His Majesty King Felipe VI, accompanied by Her Majesty the Queen, Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias and Her Royal Highness Infanta Sofia has presided over the launching ceremony of S-81, the first submarine of S-80 class, in Navantia shipyard in Cartagena (Murcia, Spain).

Isaac Peral (S-81)
His Majesty King Felipe VI presides the launching ceremony of the first S-80 submarine

Her Royal Highness the Princess of Asturias sponsored the submarine. As the maritime tradition demands, Her Royal Highness has cut the ribbon that activates the mechanism and smashes the bottle. Prior to the ceremony, Their Majesties and Their Royal Highnesses have visited the Engineering unit of the shipyard and its Virtual Design Centre (CDV).

With S-80 program, Spain becomes one of the few countries that can design and build submarines, an extremely complex task because these vessels must operate autonomously in a hostile environment. Therefore, represents a strong commitment with national technological development, and thus, with national defence as well as with the international positioning of Spanish industrial sector.

The launching ceremony has been attended by the Minister of Defence, Margarita Robles; the President of Región de Murcia, Fernando López Miras; the Chief of the General Staff (JEMAD), Almirante General Teodoro López Calderón and the Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy (AJEMA), Almirante General Antonio Martorell Lacave, as well as the President of Navantia, Ricardo Domínguez and the President of the Spanish State-owned holding (SEPI), Belén Gualda, among other authorities.

The S-80 programme is the greatest industrial and technological challenge ever faced by the national defence industry. Navantia is taking a huge technological step forward, as it is taking the role of Technical Design Authority for the first time. In addition, Navantia is completing the cycle of technological evolution: from building in Spain with a foreign design to building in Spain with Spanish design.

The ceremony, which has been held under health and safety precautions due to the current health situation, has taken place days ahead of the process of setting the submarine afloat. This process, which takes long hours, will be carried out by shipyard staff as a routine of work in the following week.

The next phases will be harbour tests and sea tests, which include sailing up to the maximum operating depth. The first sailing is scheduled for early 2022 and delivery to the Navy in early 2023.

Navantia’s President has expressed his gratitude to the Ministry of Defence and the Navy for their «committed and unwavering support they have given to the programme, in view of its strategic importance for Spain». He has also commended the workers of the company and the collaborating industry as a great example of Spain technological capabilities.

Ricardo Domínguez has underlined that the S-80 class «gives a major boost to Spanish industry and puts Navantia firmly in the forefront giving the firm a major international profile with many opportunities in other countries». Navantia expects to repeat the successes obtained with the F-100s and the ‘LHD’ amphibious assault ships.

The Admiral Chief of Staff of the Navy has underlined that «the submarine is proof of Spanish industrial capacity and its firm commitment to technological innovation». He has added that «the S-80 provides the Navy, along with the projection capacity represented by the amphibious ships, marine infantry and embarked aviation, the escorts and the maritime action force, the means that makes it relevant in the international context».

Finally, the Minister of Defence has defined today as a historic day for Spain. She has said that the submarine means «science, innovation, technology, it is the future» and has recognized the work and effort of all those who have made possible the S-81, which she has described as a «masterpiece».

The S-80 submarines have an overall length of 80.8 metres/265 feet, a diameter of 7.3 metres/24 feet, and a submerged displacement of around 3,000 tonnes. They include the integrated combat system and platform control system developed by Navantia Sistemas. They will have BEST-AIP, an atmosphere-independent propulsion system, which supplies the ship with electrical power at any depth so that it can remain underwater for longer periods.

Therefore, S-80 has improved considerably its stealth capabilities, the main attribute of a submarine. The S-80 stands as the world’s most advanced conventional submarines and has drawn the attention of several navies and opened opportunities in a highly technological international market.

S-80 Plus
Isaac Peral (S-81) is one of the largest non-nuclear submarines in the world
Space

Space Launch System

Boeing begins delivery of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket cryogenic core stage to NASA today in preparation for launch of the Artemis I mission, the first moon mission in nearly 50 years.

Space Launch System (SLS)
Stennis Space Center teams conducted what’s known as a «break in configuration» operation to prepare the first Boeing-built Core Stage of NASA’s Space Launch System (SLS) rocket for transport to Florida for launch. The SLS is purpose-built for human deep space exploration and is the only rocket that can deliver the safety and performance needed to launch Orion and other elements to deep space

Boeing refurbished the stage after it successfully completed hot fire testing last month at NASA’s Stennis Space Center, closing out the Green Run campaign on the B-2 test stand. The flight hardware will now go to Kennedy Space Center in Florida for integration with the Orion crew spacecraft, Interim Cryogenic Propulsion Stage upper stage and solid rocket boosters in preparation for launch.

SLS will launch NASA’s Artemis I mission that will send an uncrewed Orion crew vehicle around the moon and back. That test flight will be followed by Artemis II, the first crewed lunar fly-by for the Artemis program.

«We thank NASA for their partnership as we deliver the first of the Artemis core stages that will launch a new era of human deep space exploration», said John Shannon, SLS vice president and program manager for Boeing. «Boeing shares this achievement with the hundreds of companies and thousands of highly skilled workers who contribute to this program and form the backbone of this industry».

Boeing is the prime contractor to NASA for the SLS core and upper stages and avionics. The company is joining major elements for the Artemis II core stage now at NASA’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans.

«Data from Green Run testing validated the core stage’s successful operation and will be used to help certify the stage for flight, as well as to inform our production system for future stages», said Shannon.

Boeing also is working on evolvable capabilities for the rocket system such as the Exploration Upper Stage (EUS), which is entering production at Michoud. The more powerful SLS with EUS will be able to lift three times as much mass to deep space as any other rocket, enabling sustainable, crewed and uncrewed exploration, science and security missions. SLS’ evolved capability to transport massive payloads in a single launch reduces mission complexity and risk while increasing safety, reliability and probability of success.

Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As a top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth.

Navy

Anson

HMS Anson (S123), the fifth of seven Astute class attack submarines being built for the Royal Navy, has been launched at our site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

HMS Anson (S123)
Fifth state-of-the-art Astute submarine is launched

The 7,400-tonne nuclear-powered submarine, officially named at a ceremony in December, emerged from the Devonshire Dock Hall and entered the water for the first time earlier on April 20, 2021. The launch was a special moment for the Barrow shipyard, which is celebrating its 150th year and a long and proud relationship with the Royal Navy.

HMS Anson (S123) will now begin the next phase of its test and commissioning programme, before leaving Barrow for sea trials with the Royal Navy next year.

Steve Timms, Managing Director BAE Systems Submarines: «The launch marks an important milestone in the Astute programme and seeing Anson enter the water at such an advanced state is a tangible demonstration of everyone’s hard work over the years. Designing and building nuclear-powered submarines is a national endeavour and days like this bring a huge sense of pride for our workforce, our partners in the submarine enterprise and our UK supply chain, not to mention our communities. We now look forward to a successful test and commissioning phase and working alongside Anson’s crew to prepare the submarine for operations with the Royal Navy».

The Astute class boats are the largest and most advanced attack submarines ever built for the Royal Navy. Measuring 97 metres/318 feet in length, the boats can circumnavigate the globe submerged, producing their own oxygen and drinking water.

The first four submarines in the class, HMS Astute (S119), HMS Ambush (S120), HMS Artful (S121) and HMS Audacious (S122), have been handed over to the Royal Navy, with a further two boats currently under construction at our Barrow site.

Working alongside the Submarine Delivery Agency and Rolls-Royce, the Company is also a member of the Dreadnought Alliance, helping to deliver the UK’s next class of nuclear deterrent submarines. Two of the four submarines are under construction, with the first due to enter service in the early 2030s.

Approximately 10,000 people work on the Dreadnought and Astute programmes at our Barrow site. To deliver these complex programmes, we continue to invest in and develop our employees and recruit new talent. Over the next five years, we expect to recruit more than 200 graduates and 1,500 apprentices.

Navy

Amphibious Ship

Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) announced on April 19, 2021 that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a contract modification from the U.S. Navy for $107 million to provide long-lead-time material and advance procurement activities for amphibious assault ship LHA-9.

LHA-9
Huntington Ingalls Industries Awarded $107 Million Advance Procurement Contract for Amphibious Assault Ship LHA-9

«The amphibious warship production line is a critical component of our nation’s defense industrial base», Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said. «This funding will strengthen our suppliers and sustain jobs across the country in support of LHA-9 construction».

Ingalls is the sole builder of large-deck amphibious ships for the U.S. Navy. The shipyard delivered its first amphibious assault ship, the Iwo Jima-class USS Tripoli (LPH-10), in 1966. Ingalls has since built five Tarawa-class (LHA-1) ships, eight Wasp-class (LHD-1) ships and the first in the new America class of amphibious assault ships (LHA-6) in 2014. The second ship in the America class, USS Tripoli (LHA-7), was delivered to the U.S. Navy in early 2020. USS Bougainville (LHA-8) is under construction.

 

General Characteristics

Builder Huntington Ingalls Industries Inc., Ingalls Operations, Pascagoula, Mississippi
Date Deployed Delivered to the fleet in on April 10, 2014
Propulsion Two marine gas turbines, two shafts, 70,000 total brake horsepower/52,199 kW, two 5,000 horsepower/3,728 kW auxiliary propulsion motors
Length 844 feet/257.3 m
Beam 106 feet/32.3 m
Displacement Approximately 45,000 long tons full load /45,722 metric tons
Speed 20+ knots/23+ mph/37+ km/h
Crew 1,059 (65 officers)
Load 1,687 troops (plus 184 surge)
Armament 2 RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) launchers
2 NATO Sea Sparrow launchers with ESSM (Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile)
2 20-mm Phalanx CIWS (Close-In Weapon System) mounts
7 twin 12,7-mm/.50 cal. machine guns
Aircraft 9 F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSF) STOVL (Short Take-Off and Vertical Landing) aircraft
4 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters
4 CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters
12 MV-22B Osprey VTOL (Vertical Take-Off and Landing) tiltrotors
2 MH-60S Sea Hawk Search and Rescue (SAR) helicopters
UH-1Y Huey helicopters

 

Ships

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS America (LHA-6) 07-17-2009 06-04-2012 10-11-2014 Sasebo, Japan
USS Tripoli (LHA-7) 06-22-2014 05-01-2017 07-15-2020 San Diego, California
USS Bougainville (LHA-8) 03-14-2019
LHA-9

 

Air, Air Force

Developmental Testing

The Air Force’s new combat search and rescue helicopter, the HH-60W Jolly Green II, completed its developmental test program at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB), April 13.

HH-60W Jolly Green II
A 413th Flight Test Squadron HH-60W Jolly Green II hangs in the anechoic chamber at the Joint Preflight Integration of Munitions and Electronic Systems hangar, January 6, 2020, at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The J-PRIMES anechoic chamber is a room designed to stop internal reflections of electromagnetic waves, as well as insulate from external sources of electromagnetic noise (U.S. Air Force photo by Samuel King Jr.)

The final test by the Sikorsky and Air Force team was on the aircraft’s weapon systems. The goal of the test was to both demonstrate the performance of the weapons while optimizing weapon-system configurations.

«The timely completion of this test program represents an amazing accomplishment by the HH-60W Jolly Green II Integrated Test Team», said Joe Whiteaker, the 413th Flight Test Squadron (FLTS) HH-60W Jolly Green II flight chief. «The team consistently overcame tremendous adversity through a mix of innovation and sheer determination».

The result of those labors ensured both the warfighter and the program’s decision-makers were well-informed on the HH-60W Jolly Green II’s performance.

The test efforts began May 2019 with the first HH-60W Jolly Green II flight. The aircraft arrived at Eglin AFB to the 413th FLTS November 2019, although various tests took place in other locations. The integrated test team accumulated more than 1,100 flight test hours across six aircraft testing the full spectrum of aircraft systems.

Some of the notable developmental tests included aircraft performance, communications systems, environmental tests at McKinley Climatic Lab, aerial refueling, data links, defensive systems, cabin systems, rescue hoist and live-fire of three weapon systems.

The test aircraft will be modified for operational use before being transferred to their respective Air Force rescue unit. The Jolly Green II’s developmental test mission will move to the Combat Search and Rescue Combined Test Force for follow-on testing at Nellis AFB, Nevada in 2022.

«I am incredibly proud of the many people from so many organizations who have come together to pull off a really challenging test program», said Lieutenant Colonel Wayne Dirkes, the 413 FLTS commander. «The team’s relentless focus on keeping the end in mind, aligning activity with their goals and moving forward quickly with discipline resulted in execution of a safe and highly successful test program in the face of incredible pressure».

Air, Unmanned Systems

Japan’s Global Hawk

Northrop Grumman Corporation successfully completed the first flight of Japan’s RQ-4B Global Hawk on April 15, 2021 from Palmdale, California. With an unmatched combination of range, endurance, and payload capability, Global Hawk is the only platform that provides greater data collection flexibility than space or medium-altitude assets.

RQ-4B Global Hawk
Northrop Grumman Completes Successful First Flight of Japan’s RQ-4B Global Hawk

«The unarmed RQ-4B Global Hawk will provide Japan with on-demand intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance information supporting the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s missions of protecting borders, monitoring threats and providing humanitarian assistance in times of need», said Jane Bishop, vice president and general manager, autonomous systems, Northrop Grumman. «This successful first flight is a significant milestone in delivering Global Hawk to our Japanese allies».

Global Hawk is the only high-altitude, long-endurance Unmanned Air Vehicle (UAV) to deliver near real-time on demand data around the clock. Once fielded, Global Hawk will integrate with other Japanese intelligence assets, including ground-based command and control units. The capability will provide solutions to monitor and deter regional threats to ensure Japan has a highly effective national security posture well into the future.

Northrop Grumman’s family of autonomous High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) systems, including Global Hawk, are a critical component of networked, global Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) collection for allied nations and mutual defense organizations around the world. Global Hawk collects ISR data that enables decision makers to act with the right information at the right time. When Japan’s Global Hawk fleet is fully operational, it will be part of a growing list of allied nations operating high-altitude long-endurance UAV. The United States, Australia, NATO and Korea will all be operating versions of this vital national surveillance asset.

Northrop Grumman solves the toughest problems in space, aeronautics, defense and cyberspace to meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers worldwide. Our 97,000 employees define possible every day using science, technology and engineering to create and deliver advanced systems, products and services.

Navy

Oakland Commissioning

The U.S. Navy’s newest Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), the future USS Oakland (LCS-24), was commissioned at 10:00 a.m. PST on Saturday, April 17, 2021 in Oakland, California.

USS Oakland (LCS-24)
USS Oakland (LCS-24)

Due to public health and safety concerns related to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the commissioning was a private event. The ceremony was live-streamed for those unable to attend.

Acting Secretary of the U.S. Navy Thomas W. Harker, delivered the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Ms. Kate Brandt, Google Sustainability Officer, was the ship’s sponsor. The ceremony was highlighted by a time-honored Navy tradition when Ms. Brandt gave the order to «man our ship and bring her to life»!

Commander Francisco X. Garza, a native of Phoenix, Arizona, is the ship’s commanding officer and leads a crew of 70 officers and enlisted personnel. The 3,200-ton USS Oakland (LCS-24) was built by General Dynamics/Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama. The ship is 421 feet/128.3 m in length, has a beam of 103 feet/31.4 m, and a navigational draft of 14.8 feet/4.5 m. The ship is powered by two gas turbine engines, two main propulsion diesel engines, and four waterjets to reach speeds up to 40-plus knots/46 mph/74 km/h.

«The USS Oakland (LCS-24) crew is excited and ready to bring our ship to life and join the fleet», said Garza. «We are privileged to be a part of this ship and embody the spirit of the people of Oakland. As plank owners and future crew members build a positive legacy for this ship, the city of Oakland will experience those successes with us».

Oakland is the third ship to bear the name. She is the 12th Independence-variant LCS and the 297th ship to join our battle force. The littoral combat ship is a fast, agile, focused-mission platform designed to operate in near-shore environments, while capable of open-ocean tasking and winning against 21st-century coastal threats such as submarines, mines, and swarming small craft. The LCS is capable of supporting forward presence, maritime security, sea control, and deterrence.

USS Oakland (LCS-24) will be homeported at Naval Base San Diego, California.

USS Oakland
USS Oakland

 

The Independence Variant of the LCS

PRINCIPAL DIMENSIONS
Construction Hull and superstructure – aluminium alloy
Length overall 421 feet/128.3 m
Beam overall 103 feet/31.4 m
Hull draft (maximum) 14.8 feet/4.5 m
PAYLOAD AND CAPACITIES
Complement Core Crew – 40
Mission crew – 36
Berthing 76 in a mix of single, double & quad berthing compartments
Maximum mission load 210 tonnes
Mission Bay Volume 118,403 feet3/11,000 m3
Mission packages Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW)
Surface Warfare (SUW)
Mine Warfare (MIW)
PROPULSION
Main engines 2 × GE LM2500
2 × MTU 20V 8000
Waterjets 4 × Wartsila steerable
Bow thruster Retractable azimuthing
PERFORMANCE
Speed 40 knots/46 mph/74 km/h
Range 3,500 NM/4,028 miles/6,482 km
Operational limitation Survival in Sea State 8
MISSION/LOGISTICS DECK
Deck area >21,527.8 feet2/2,000 m2
Launch and recovery Twin boom extending crane
Loading Side ramp
Internal elevator to hanger
Launch/Recover Watercraft Sea State 4
FLIGHT DECK AND HANGER
Flight deck dimensions 2 × SH-60 or 1 × CH-53 or multiple Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/Vertical Take-off and Land Tactical Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs/VTUAVs)
Hanger Aircraft stowage & maintenance for 2 × SH-60
Launch/Recover Aircraft Sea State 5
WEAPONS AND SENSORS
Standard 1 × 57-mm gun
4 × 12.7-mm/.50 caliber guns
1 × Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) launcher
3 × weapons modules

 

Independence-class

Ship Laid down Launched Commissioned Homeport
USS Independence (LCS-2) 01-19-2006 04-26-2008 01-16-2010 San Diego, California
USS Coronado (LCS-4) 12-17-2009 01-14-2012 04-05-2014 San Diego, California
USS Jackson (LCS-6) 08-01-2011 12-14-2013 12-05-2015 San Diego, California
USS Montgomery (LCS-8) 06-25-2013 08-06-2014 09-10-2016 San Diego, California
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) 04-16-2014 02-25-2015 06-10-2017 San Diego, California
USS Omaha (LCS-12) 02-18-2015 11-20-2015 02-03-2018 San Diego, California
USS Manchester (LCS-14) 06-29-2015 05-12-2016 05-26-2018 San Diego, California
USS Tulsa (LCS-16) 01-11-2016 03-16-2017 02-16-2019 San Diego, California
USS Charleston (LCS-18) 06-28-2016 09-14-2017 03-02-2019 San Diego, California
USS Cincinnati (LCS-20) 04-10-2017 05-22-2018 10-05-2019 San Diego, California
USS Kansas City (LCS-22) 11-15-2017 10-19-2018 06-20-2020 San Diego, California
USS Oakland (LCS-24) 07-20-2018 07-21-2019 04-17-2021 San Diego, California
USS Mobile (LCS-26) 12-14-2018 01-11-2020
USS Savannah (LCS-28) 09-20-2018 09-08-2020
USS Canberra (LCS-30) 03-10-2020 03-30-2021
USS Santa Barbara (LCS-32) 10-27-2020
USS Augusta (LCS-34)
USS Kingsville (LCS-36)
USS Pierre (LCS-38)

 

Navy

Alsace

The 16th April 2021 in Toulon, in presence of the French Minister of the Armed forces Florence Parly, Naval Group delivered the FREMM DA Alsace (D656), in accordance with its schedule commitments and expected performances. Intended for the French navy, Alsace (D656) is the first of the two air defence frigates with enhanced air defence capability and the seventh FREMM multimissions frigate ordered by OCCAR for the French defence procurement agency (Direction générale de l’armement – DGA) for the French Navy.

Alsace (D656)
Naval Group delivers the FREMM DA frigate Alsace (D656)

FREMM DA Alsace (D656) is the first frigate with enhanced air defence capability. Her role will be the anti-aircraft defence of major units such as the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier, or that of PHA-type landing helicopter docks, within the framework of a naval air and amphibious group.

Despite the health crisis, the FREMM DA Alsace (D656) is being delivered on schedule by shifts from Naval Group and its industrial partners. Benefiting from the experience acquired on the FREMM already delivered, it also incorporates several capability upgrades in response to rapidly changing technologies (communications, cyber defense, etc.).

The main milestones of FREMM DA Alsace (D656):

  • February 2018: Key laying of the first block;
  • April 2019: Floating out of construction dock;
  • October 2020: First sea trial;
  • 16 April 2021: Delivery in Toulon.

 

An industrial success that mobilises the skills of the entire naval industry

The FREMM program mobilises many skills and hundreds different trades including architects, boilermakers, welders, mechanics, systems engineers, etc.

Like the other units of the FREMM series, Alsace (D656) represents around three million working hours from conception to delivery, half of these working hours are provided by Naval Group sites. In addition to Lorient where the frigate is designed and assembled, Toulon-Ollioules and Paris-Bagneux are also involved for the combat system, Nantes-Indret for the propulsion, Angoulême-Ruelle for the equipment, and Saint-Tropez for the underwater weapons.

The other half of the work hours is accounted for by Naval Group’s partners and subcontractors. Indeed, the FREMM program benefits from the best equipment on the market and calls on a large number of companies, including Thales, MBDA, Sagem, Jeumont, MTU, Oto Melara and Avio.

Alsace (D656) will be based in Toulon, where the teams of the Services Department will deploy all their industrial resources and skills to ensure the operational availability of this ship.

«We are very pleased to be here in Toulon for the delivery, on schedule despite the health crisis, of this first FREMM multimissions frigate with enhanced air defense capability. I would like to express Naval Group’s gratitude to our clients, who have placed their trust in us and are working with us on a daily basis to build these versatile frigates. Alsace (D656) has the same exceptional anti-submarine capabilities as the previous units of the FREMM series but with this new version, the French Navy will benefit from strengthened air defense capabilities, in accordance with the commitments of the military programming law», Pierre Eric Pommellet, chairman and CEO.

Alsace
First multimissions frigate with enhanced air defence capability

 

A ten frigates program

Since 2005, when OCCAR entrusted Naval Group the industrial production of the FREMM program for France, Naval Group has built nine ships, seven for the French Navy and two for the Royal Moroccan Navy and the Royal Egyptian Navy, respectively. The eighth and last FREMM DA for France is scheduled in 2022.

  • Aquitaine (D650): November 2012
  • Mohammed VI (701) for the Royal Moroccan Navy: 2014
  • Provence (D652): June 2015
  • ENS Tahya Misr (FFG-1001): for the Royal Egyptian Navy: 2015
  • Languedoc (D653): March 2016
  • Auvergne (D654): April 2017
  • Bretagne (D655): July 2018
  • Normandie (D651): July 2019
  • Lorraine (D657): 20221

 

FREMM DA Alsace (D656) uses the most advanced weapon systems and equipment

Heavily armed like all FREMM frigates, Alsace (D656) was designed to answer the operational requirements of the French Navy. She benefits from the continuous evolution intrinsic to the FREMM program to incorporate the latest technological developments and integrates the latest developments ordered by OCCAR, according to an unchanged delivery schedule.

The architecture of the first units of the FREMM series designed by Naval Group has been retained. What characterises the FREMM Alsace is her increased anti-air warfare capabilities.

The FREMM DA uses the most advanced weapons systems and equipment, such as the Herakles multifunction radar, the Aster 15 and 30 and Exocet MM 40 missiles and the MU 90 torpedoes. Like the other units of the FREMM series, she carries the NH90 helicopter (Caïman Marine), whose use is supported by the SAMAHE system supplied by Naval Group.

The performance of her combat system is strengthened with increased radar and communication capabilities, a new radar and electro-optical fire control system as well as Naval Group SETIS Combat Management System equipped with specific air defense functions.

 

FREMM DA Technical features

Overall length 142 metres/466 feet
Width 20 metres/65.6 feet
Displacement 6000 tons
Maximum speed 27 knots/31 mph/50 km/h
Accommodation capacity 165 peoples
Autonomy 6,000 NM/6,905 miles/11,112 km at 15 knots/17 mph/28 km/h

 

FREMM DA Weapons systems

All units of the FREMM series with enhanced air defence capability can deploy:

  • 8 anti-ships missiles Excocet MM40 Block 3;
  • 32 missiles Aster in vertical launch system Sylver;
  • 1 main naval-gun 76-mm;
  • 4 machine guns 12.7-mm;
  • 19 MU90 torpedo;
  • 1 Caïman naval warfare helicopter;
  • 2 Narwhal 20-mm remotely-operated naval weapon.
D656
Infographic