Tag Archives: General Dynamics

Navy

Christening of Barnum

The U.S. Navy christened the future USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124) during a 10:30 a.m. EDT ceremony on Saturday, July 29, at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works in Bath, Maine.

USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. (DDG 124) was christened
USS Harvey C. Barnum, Jr. (DDG 124) was christened

The Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, delivered the christening ceremony’s principal address. Remarks have also been provided by Colonel (ret.) Harvey C. Barnum, Jr., the ship’s namesake; the Honorable Janet Mills, Governor of Maine; the Honorable Susan Collins, U.S. Senator, Maine; the Honorable Angus King, U.S. Senator, Maine; General Eric Smith, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps; Vice Admiral William Galinis, Commander Naval Sea Systems Command; and Mr. Charles Krugh, president, General Dynamics Bath Iron Works. The ship’s sponsor is Colonel Barnum’s wife, Ms. Martha Hill. In a time-honored Navy tradition, Ms. Hill christened the ship by breaking a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow.

The ship’s namesake, Colonel Harvey C. Barnum Jr., received the Medal of Honor for heroism displayed during an action outside Ky Phu, Quang Tin Province, Vietnam. Serving with Company H, 2d Battalion, and 9th Marines, he assumed command after the rifle company commander was mortally wounded by a sudden enemy attack. Rallying his troops, he organized the defeat of the enemy force and the successful evacuation of the dead and wounded.

This is the first U.S. Navy ship to honor Barnum.

Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are the backbone of the U.S. Navy’s surface fleet, providing protection to America around the globe. These highly capable, multi-mission ships conduct various operations, from peacetime presence to national security, providing a wide range of warfighting capabilities in multi-threat air, surface, and subsurface domains. These elements of seapower enable the Navy to defend American prosperity and prevent future conflict abroad.

Arleigh Burke

Ship Characteristics

Length Overall 510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline 59 feet/18 m
Draft 31 feet/9.5 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 SPY-1D Phased Array Radar (Lockheed Martin)/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 12-08-21 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS 09-08-17 09-26-20 Mayport, Florida
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW 05-16-21 06-24-23 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS 07-13-18 05-14-22 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW 06-12-22
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS 01-27-20 05-13-23 San Diego, California
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher GDBIW

 

Navy

Harvey Milk

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of fleet replenishment oiler, USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206), from shipbuilder General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) on July 11.

USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206)
Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206)

The delivery of T-AO-206 follows the successful completion of acceptance trials with the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey to test the readiness and capability of the ship and to validate requirements.

«We are excited to deliver the 2nd of class T-AO, USNS Harvey Milk, and expand the Navy’s capacity and capability to provide a fuel pipeline at sea», said John Lighthammer, program manager, Auxiliary and Special Mission Shipbuilding Program Office. «The fleet and her Sailors will benefit from enhanced at-sea operations».

T-AO-206, the second ship of the 20-ship class, will be operated by Military Sealift Command. The ship provides diesel fuel, lubricating oil and jet fuel; small quantities of fresh and frozen provisions and dry stores; and potable water to Navy ships at sea. T-AOs add underway replenishment capacity to the Navy’s Combat Logistics Force and will become the cornerstone of the fuel delivery system.

Shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO is currently constructing USNS Earl Warren (T-AO-207) and the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208), USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO-209) and USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO-210). Future USNS Thurgood Marshall (T-AO-211) and USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg (T-AO-212), and yet to be named T-AO-213 are under contract.

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

Navy

Sojourner Truth

General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) started construction on the future USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210), the sixth ship for the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet oiler program, on March 27, 2023.

USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO-210)
General Dynamics NASSCO Begins Construction on Sixth Ship in the T-AO Fleet Oiler Program for the U.S. Navy

Sojourner Truth was an American abolitionist of New York Dutch heritage and a women’s rights activist. Truth was born into slavery in Swartekill, New York, but escaped with her infant daughter to freedom in 1826. After going to court to recover her son in 1828, she became the first black woman to win such a case against a white man.

Gwen Phillips, a Production Support Specialist II with 34 years as part of the NASSCO team, served as the honoree for the ceremony and initiated the first cut of steel that will be used to construct the vessel.

Thank you to our honoree, the U.S. Navy and our dedicated shipbuilders for helping create this historic day!

Navy

Highly flexible platform

The U.S. Navy accepted delivery of USNS John L. Canley (ESB-6), March 1.

USNS John L. Canley (ESB-6)
Navy Accepts Delivery of USNS John L. Canley (ESB-6)

ESB-class ships are highly flexible platforms that support various military operations such as Airborne Mine Counter Measures (AMCM), Special Operations Force (SOF) operations, Crisis Response Sea-basing (e.g., Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force), Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Unmanned Aviation Systems (UAS) operations. The ships are part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces.

«Today’s delivery highlights the strengths of the Navy and our industry partners, working together to bring ESB-6 and its range of capabilities to the fleet», said Tim Roberts, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office, Ships. «Sergeant Major Canley nobly served his country, and his namesake ship will help provide the warfighter with capability and access».

The ESB ship class has a flight deck with four aviation operating spots capable of supporting MH-53E Super Stallion helicopters; accommodations; workspaces; and ordnance storage for embarked forces, enhanced command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence. These ships also feature a reconfigurable mission deck area to store equipment, including mine sleds and Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats.

Construction of the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7) is ongoing at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego.

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, Program Executive Office, Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, and boats and craft.

Navy

Carl Levin

The Navy accepted delivery of the future guided missile destroyer USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, January 26.

USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120)
Navy Accepts Delivery of Future USS Carl Levin (DDG-120)

Delivery represents the official transfer of the ship from the shipbuilder to the U.S. Navy. Prior to delivery, the ship conducted a series of at-sea and pier-side trials to demonstrate its materiel and operational readiness.

«Delivery of this ship will provide critical capacity to our surface fleet today and well into the future», said Captain Seth Miller, DDG-51 program manager, Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. «All who serve aboard DDG-120 will be a reflection of Senator Carl M. Levin’s commitment to our Nation through service».

A Flight IIA destroyer, DDG-120 is equipped with the latest Aegis Combat System. The Aegis Combat System provides large area defense coverage against air and ballistic missile targets, and also delivers superior processing of complex sensor data to allow for quick-reaction decision making, high firepower, and improved electronic warfare capability against a variety of threats.

The shipyard is also in production on future destroyers USS John Basilone (DDG-122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124), USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127), USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126), USS William Charette (DDG-130), and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132).

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, special mission and support ships, boats and craft.

 

Ship Characteristics

Length Overall 510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline 59 feet/18 m
Draft 31 feet/9.5 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 SPY-1D Phased Array Radar (Lockheed Martin)/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 12-08-21 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS 09-08-17 09-26-20 Mayport, Florida
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW 05-16-21 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS 07-13-18 05-14-22 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW 06-12-22
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS 01-27-20
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher GDBIW

 

Navy

Christening of Earl Warren

General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) christened the future USNS Earl Warren (T-AO-207), the third ship for the U.S. Navy’s John Lewis-class fleet oiler program, on January 21, 2023. Secretary of the U.S. Navy (SECNAV) Carlos Del Toro, served as the principal speaker at the ceremony, in addition to remarks from NASSCO and U.S. Navy representatives. Following brief remarks, the ship’s sponsor, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan, christened the ship with the traditional champagne bottle break alongside the hull.

USNS Earl Warren (T-AO-207)
The future USNS Earl Warren (T-AO 207) Christening Ceremony

«Along with its namesake, this majestic vessel will be instrumental in shaping the future of our nation. The shipbuilders of NASSCO are proud to have ensured Earl Warren’s legacy will live on in this ship», said David Carver, president of General Dynamics NASSCO. «On behalf of the 48-hundred employees of General Dynamics NASSCO, I am proud to present the USNS Earl Warren for christening to our sponsor the Supreme Court Justice, Elena Kagan».

The ship honors Earl Warren, 14th Chief Justice of the United States of the Supreme Court. During his 16 years as Chief Justice, a period of time when the Supreme Court was known as the “Warren Court”, civil rights and civil liberties were dramatically expanded, marking this period as one of the most important periods in the history of American constitutional law.

«Indeed, the ship’s motto could not be more appropriate: ‘I Will Find a Way or I Will Make One,’» said Del Toro. «That’s exactly what a young Earl Warren did when he overcame obstacles to joining the Army during the First World War, and that’s what he continued to do in the fight for equality, democracy, and social justice throughout his life».

General Dynamics NASSCO was awarded with a contract to design and build the first six ships, T-AO-205 – T-AO-210, by the U.S. Navy for the next generation of fleet oilers, the John Lewis-class in 2016. In 2022, the U.S. Navy awarded NASSCO with a contract modification for the construction of two additional John Lewis-class fleet oilers (T-AO-211 and 212), with the option for the U.S. Navy to procure an additional oiler, T-AO-213 which was included in the 2023 defense budget.

In addition to the christening of this ship, two ships in the T-AO class fleet oiler program for the U.S. Navy – the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208) and the future USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO-209), – are currently under construction. The second ship, the future USNS Harvey Milk (T-AO-206) will be delivered to the U.S. Navy later this year. The lead ship, the USNS John Lewis (T-AO-205) was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2022.

The 742-foot-long/226-meter-long oilers are designed to transfer fuel to U.S. Navy carrier strike group ships operating at sea and have the capacity to carry 157,000 barrels of oil, a significant dry cargo capacity, aviation capability and up to a speed of 20 knots/23 mph/37 km/h.

Navy

Acceptance Trials

USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) completed Acceptance Trials on Friday, December 9, 2022 with a General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (GDBIW) operating crew demonstrating a number of ship systems for the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) over three days in the Gulf of Maine.

USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120)
Future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG-120) Completes Acceptance Trials

«Carl M. Levin reflects well on the dedication of all the shipbuilders who have contributed to its success», said Bath Iron Works President Chuck Krugh. «We look forward to delivery of this fine ship to the U.S. Navy».

During Acceptance Trials, a Bath Iron Works crew operates the ship and demonstrates its hull, mechanical and electrical systems perform as expected. The INSURV team determines whether the ship’s systems are operational prior to the U.S. Navy taking delivery.

DDG-120 is named for former Michigan Senator Carl M. Levin, longtime chairman and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who helped oversee adoption of the National Defense Authorization Act, the blueprint for the nation’s military spending, over 35 consecutive years.

Bath Iron Works currently has under construction the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS John Basilone (DDG-122), USS Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG-124) and USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127) as well as the Flight III configuration destroyers USS Louis H. Wilson Jr. (DDG-126), USS William Charette (DDG-130) and USS Quentin Walsh (DDG-132).

 

Ship Characteristics

 

Length Overall 510 feet/156 m
Beam – Waterline 59 feet/18 m
Draft 31 feet/9.5 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 SPY-1D Phased Array Radar (Lockheed Martin)/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 12-08-21 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-119 Delbert D. Black HIIIS 09-08-17 09-26-20 Mayport, Florida
DDG-120 Carl M. Levin GDBIW 05-16-21 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-121 Frank E. Peterson Jr. HIIIS 07-13-18 05-14-22 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii
DDG-122 John Basilone GDBIW 06-12-22
DDG-123 Lenah H. Sutcliffe Higbee HIIIS 01-27-20
DDG-124 Harvey C. Barnum Jr. GDBIW
DDG-127 Patrick Gallagher GDBIW

 

Navy

Keel-laying ceremony

On Monday, December 5, General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) laid the keel for the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208), the fourth ship in the John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler program for the U.S. Navy.

USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208)
General Dynamics NASSCO Lays Keel for Future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208)

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, sixth Lieutenant Governor of Maryland, the sponsor for the future USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO-208) and daughter of the ship’s namesake, welded her initials onto a steel plate that will be permanently affixed to the ship’s keel and will remain with the vessel throughout its time in service.

Former Secretary of the U.S. Navy Ray Mabus declared the John Lewis-class of oilers be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights. The fourth ship honors Robert F. Kennedy, who served as the U.S. Attorney General from 1961 to 1964 and as a U.S. Senator from New York from 1965-1968.

Navy

Expeditionary Sea Base

The keel for the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7), a Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB), was laid at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (GD-NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego, October 21.

USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7)
The keel for the future USS Robert E. Simanek (ESB-7), a Lewis B. Puller-class Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB), was laid at General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (GD-NASSCO) shipyard in San Diego, October 21. ESB-7 is named for Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, a Medal of Honor and Purple Heart awardee, and the ceremony was attended by his daughter, Ann Simanek

The ship is named for Private First Class Robert Ernest Simanek, who was awarded the Medal of Honor for shielding fellow Marines from a grenade at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the Korean War. The Medal of Honor was presented to him by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in a White House ceremony in 1953.

Simanek recently passed away on August 1, 2022. In addition to the Medal of Honor, he received a Purple Heart award, the Korean Service Medal with two bronze service stars, the United Nations Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal. His daughter, Ann Simanek, is the sponsor of the ship and attended the keel laying ceremony.

«We are honored this ship will celebrate the late Robert E. Simanek’s legacy as a Medal of Honor recipient and Korean War veteran and his dedication to our country», said Tim Roberts, Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager, Program Executive Office Ships. «ESBs provide a critical capability to the fleet and provide for increased flexibility».

Expeditionary Sea Base ships are highly flexible platforms used across a broad range of military operations supporting multiple operational phases. Acting as a mobile sea base, they are a part of the critical access infrastructure that supports the deployment of forces and supplies to provide prepositioned equipment and sustainment with adaptable distribution capability.

These ships support Aviation Mine Countermeasure and Special Operations Force missions. In addition to the flight deck, the ESB has a hangar with two aviation operating spots capable of handling MH-53E Sea Dragon equivalent helicopters, accommodations, workspaces, and ordnance storage for embarked force, enhanced Command, Control, Communications, Computers, and Intelligence (C4I). These ships support embarked force mission planning and execution and has a reconfigurable mission deck area to store embarked force equipment, including mine sleds and Rigid Hull Inflatable Boats (RHIBs).

In 2019, the Navy decided to commission all Expeditionary Sea Base ships to allow them to conduct a broader and more lethal mission set compared to original plans for them to operate with a USNS designation. A Navy O-6 commands ESBs and a hybrid-manned crew of military personnel and Military Sealift Command civilian mariners. This crew makeup provides combatant commanders with increased operational flexibility in employing the platform.

Construction of the future USS John L. Canley (ESB-6) and the Navy’s John Lewis Class Fleet Replenishment Oilers (T-AO) are ongoing at GD-NASSCO.

As one of the Defense Department’s largest acquisition organizations, PEO Ships is responsible for executing the development and procurement of all destroyers, amphibious ships, sealift ships, support ships, boats, and craft.

Ground Forces

Luxembourg Army

On September 15, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, François Bausch, announced the government’s decision to acquire 80 armored Command, Liaison and Reconnaissance Vehicles (CLRV) for the Luxembourg Army. The CLRVs which are based on the EAGLE V will replace the current «Hummer» and «PRV» (Protected Reconnaissance Vehicle) vehicles, which have become obsolete.

EAGLE V CLRV
Luxembourg Army to procure 80 armored Command, Liaison and Reconnaissance Vehicles (CLRV) based on Eagle V from General Dynamics European Land Systems (GDELS)

«The decision is based on three aspects. First, and this is the most important in my opinion, that our soldiers are best protected when deployed on a mission. Second, to modernize our equipment and increase our operational capabilities and third, to ensure interoperability within the army and with our allies», explained the Minister of Defense, François Bausch during the press conference.

The acquisition has been carried out with the support of specialized teams from the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), which will also provide logistical and technical support throughout the life cycle of the new CLRVs.

The selected vehicle system consists of three components:

  1. The EAGLE V from the GDELS, comprising suitable protection against mines, explosive devices and small caliber gunfire and very good all-terrain performance;
  2. The remotely operated firing station DeFNder Medium from FN HERSTAL, protecting the shooter and equipped with day and night cameras and smoke canisters; and
  3. The SCORPION communication system from THALES, interoperable with the Armed Forces of Belgium and France.

«After the recent purchase of the EAGLE V 6×6 as Protected Ambulance Vehicle (PAV), GDELS is very proud to contribute another important capability to the Luxembourg Army with the EAGLE V 4×4 CLRV. EAGLE V 4×4 and/or 6×6 user nations now comprise Denmark, Germany, Luxembourg and Switzerland», said Doctor Thomas Kauffmann, Vice President GDELS International Business & Services.