The Navy is standing up a new maritime industrial base program office and has tapped one of its career civil servants to take the helm. Jay Stefany, who previously performed the duties of the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition (RDA), will lead the office as a direct reporting program manager, according to a Friday Navy news release. “Building on the progress and achievements of the Submarine Industrial Base (SIB) and Surface Combatant Industrial Base (SCIB) programs, DPRM-MIB creates a cohesive organization focused on the health of the maritime industrial ..read more

Vice Adm. Mike Vernazza relieved Vice Adm. Kelly Aeschbach as the commander of Naval Information Forces on Friday, the Navy announced. The change of command ceremony in Suffolk, Va., marks the end of Aeschbach’s naval career, as she retired after 34 years in the sea service, the last of which was spent as NAVIFOR’s commander. She assumed the role in May 2021. “We’ve accomplished quite a bit in terms of the form and function of the type command, and I’m reflecting on the word streamlining, but I do think that we are organized in a way now in terms of ..read more

The following is the Navy Medium Landing Ship (LSM) (Previously Light Amphibious Warship [LAW]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress on July 23, 2024.  From the report Overview As discussed above, the LSM program is to include 18 to 35 ships. LSMs would be much smaller and individually much less expensive to procure and operate than the Navy’s current amphibious ships. Procurement Schedule The Navy wants to procure the first LSM in FY2025, the second in FY2026, the third and fourth in FY2027, the fifth and sixth LSMs in FY2028, the seventh and eighth in FY2029, and at least 10 ..read more

Aircraft carriers USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and USS George Washington (CVN-73) have started the hull swap that will formally mark the changeover of the Navy’s next forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Japan. On Monday, Reagan joined GW at Naval Air Station North Island, Calif., where the crews of both ships will work on the transition for GW to assume the role as the Navy’s only forward-deployed carrier. Reagan, which has been the forward-deployed carrier based in Yokosuka, Japan, since 2015, will now head to Bremerton, Wash. “As part of the transition, the embarked Air Wing and Staffs, which ..read more

Russia and China conducted a joint bomber flight that entered Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone on Wednesday, marking the first time the two countries have flown near the United States. The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it monitored two Chinese H-6 bombers and two Russian TU-95 strategic bombers flying in Alaska’s ADIZ on Wednesday, according to a news release. China and Russia have previously conducted bomber flights near Japan. The ADIZ is a larger area than air space that is claimed by an individual state and is considered international air space. Canadian and U.S. fi ..read more

President Joe Biden nominated the deputy of U.S. Southern Command to lead the combatant command, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. Vice Adm. Alvin Holsey is up for a fourth star and to serve as the commander of Southern Command, according to a Defense Department announcement. Holsey has been the military deputy commander of SOUTHCOM since February 2023. If confirmed by the Senate, Holsey would replace Army Gen. Laura Richardson, who has led the combatant command since October of 2021. A career aviator, Holsey previously served as the deputy chief of naval personnel, according to his service bi ..read more

The following is the July 23, 2023, Congressional Research In Focus report, Navy Next-Generation Attack Submarine (SSN[X]) Program: Background and Issues for Congress. From the report Program Designation In the designation SSN(X), the “X” means that the exact design of the boat has not yet been determined. Procurement Schedule The Navy’s FY2024 budget submission envisaged procuring the first SSN(X) in FY2035. The Navy’s FY2025 budget submission defers the envisaged procurement of the first SSN(X) from FY2035 to FY2040. The Navy’s FY2025 30-year (FY2035-FY2054) shipbuilding plan states: “The de ..read more

COVID-19 vaccine booster shots are pre-staged for a shot event in the hangar bay aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) on Dec.n 28, 2021. US Navy Photo The Navy and the Department of Defense have settled a lawsuit over the former COVID-19 vaccine mandate with 36 members of the Special Warfare community, the law firm representing the plaintiffs announced Wednesday. A settlement hearing between lawyers for the Special Warfare community members and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro took place Wednesday. Details were not immediately available on PACER, the o ..read more

Lt. Brad Guillory, ship chaplain, assigned to the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), recites prayer during Roman Catholic Easter Sunday service, April 9, 2023. US Navy Photo Navy chaplains stood down in early July to receive training on new sexual assault prevention and response reforms, according to a Navy administration message. According to a Navy memo, released on July 2, all chaplains went through the stand down, which took place between July 8 and 11, depending on chaplains’ stations. The training done during the stand down focused on reforms to military justice ..read more

The following is the July 23, 2024, Congressional Research Service In Focus report, Navy TAGOS-25 Ocean Surveillance Shipbuilding Program: Background and Issues for Congress. From the report Introduction The Navy in FY2022 procured the first of a planned class of seven new TAGOS-25 class ocean surveillance ships. Under the Navy’s FY2025 budget submission, the Navy is proposing to defer procurement of the second TAGOS-25 class ship from FY2025 to FY2026. The Navy’s proposed FY2025 shipbuilding budget requests no FY2025 procurement funding for the TAGOS-25 program. Meaning of TAGOS Designation I ..read more