The U.S. Navy has commissioned USS Colorado that was built by General Dynamics‘ Electric Boat subsidiary as part of the Block III Virginia-class submarine program. Cmdr. Reed Koepp II will serve as commander of the submarine designated as SSN 788 and sponsored by former Navy Secretary Ray Mabus’ daughter Annie, the …
Read More »Navy to Conduct USS Washington Submarine Commissioning
The U.S. Navy will hold a commissioning ceremony on Oct. 7 for the USS Washington fast attack submarine that Huntington Ingalls Industries‘ Newport News Shipbuilding company delivered in May. Acting Navy Undersecretary Thomas Dee will deliver the principal address during the ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, which will also feature ship sponsor …
Read More »HarbourVest, Army Reserve Vet Philip Bilden Nominated for Navy Secretary Post
Philip Bilden, a 25-year veteran of private equity firm HarbourVest Partners and former military intelligence officer at the U.S. Army Reserve, has been nominated to succeed Ray Mabus as secretary of the U.S. Navy. “If confirmed, I will ensure that our sailors and marines have the resources they need to defend …
Read More »DoD News: Ray Mabus Talks Navy, Marine Corps Changes
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has discussed changes in the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps during his eight-year term during an event hosted by the Defense Writers’ Group, DoD News reported Friday. Jim Garamone writes Mabus said he put 86 ships under contract to address the decline in fleet size to 278 ships in 2008 from 316 …
Read More »Reports: Trump Considers Investment Vet Philip Bilden for Navy Secretary
Philip Bilden, a former managing director at investment firm HarbourVest Partners, has emerged as a top candidate for secretary of the U.S. Navy in President-elect Donald Trump’s administration, the Washington Post reported Friday. Josh Rogin cited a transition official as saying that Trump could nominate Bilden to succeed Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as early as this …
Read More »Bruce Danly Appointed NRL Research Director; Rear Adm. David Hahn Comments
Bruce Danly, superintendent of the Naval Research Laboratory’s radar division, has been appointed by Navy Secretary Ray Mabus as director of research at NRL, effective Dec. 25. “I look forward to working with Bruce as we plan, foster, and encourage scientific research that will define our future naval power,” Read Adm. …
Read More »Ray Mabus Talks Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship Program, Efforts to Increase Fleet Size
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has offered updates on the littoral combat ship program and other efforts to build up the service branch’s fleet size. Mabus told Defense News senior naval reporter Christopher P. Cavas in an interview published Sunday how the military branch worked to address capability, cost and schedule issues with …
Read More »Reports: Navy Eyes Combat Fleet Size of 355 Ships
The U.S. Navy has unveiled a new shipbuilding plan that seeks to increase the service branch’s battle force fleet to 355 ships within the next three decades, USNI News reported Friday. Sam LaGrone and Megan Eckstein write the 2016 Force Structure Assessment represents a 47 increase in combat vessels from …
Read More »Ray Mabus Unveils New Operations Security Guidance
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has released a new set of operations security guidelines in a move to inform the service branch community about a new computer network defense policy unveiled in May to help protect critical information. ALNAV 072/16 serves as a supplement to the operations security policy and contains the responsibilities and accountability …
Read More »Navy Secretary Ray Mabus Unveils 3 New Vessel Names
Navy Secretary Ray Mabus has announced the names of three vessels that include the first ship of a new fleet of ballistic missile submarines, a John Lewis-class fleet replenishment oiler and a commercial-based catamaran. The Defense Department said Wednesday the first SSBN vessel will be dubbed as USS Columbia while the John Lewis-class …
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