US Navy News and updates

[ASSAIL]

USS Carney, "World's Most Battle-Hardened Warship," Returns Home After Blasting Record No. Of Targets

After a historic seven-month deployment in the Middle East, the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS Carney, has returned home as a hero and was awarded for its exceptional combat duty in the volatile Red Sea region. The U.S. Navy’s official press statement announced...

www.eurasiantimes.com

Well done USS Carney.
Not bad for a crusty old Flt1 AB, don’t write them off as geriatrics just yet!

 

[StingrayOZ]

Well done USS Carney.
Not bad for a crusty old Flt1 AB, don’t write them off as geriatrics just yet!

Didn't realise she was a Flt1..

Very impressive. It was an example of proving the worth of so many systems, the burkes, aegis, SM-3, Sm-6, other munitions and systems. Against new and different threats and targets.

 

[John Fedup]

Interesting effort by the USN in helping industry source new workers for submarine construction. Applies to surface naval construction as well. If successful, other nations should be considering this approach. Hope it is successful.

Inside the Navy’s slick effort to find workers to build submarines

The BuildSubmarines ad blitz is part of an innovative campaign to shore up one particular aspect of the industrial base.

www.defenseone.com

 

[76mmGuns]

From the RAN thread talking about how the Constellation is now getting way behind schedule, I'd hazard a guess and say that the people who were in charge with their congruence way of building, have fully entrenched an entire generation of naval people and instead of learning from their mistakes, which ironically, Constellation was chosen in order to avoid, they have simply repeated them, albeit not quite to the same extent as the LCS.

 

[Meriv90]

I really dont like this video, since it is biased. Just take in consideration how big is his mistake about the CODLAG, that is nothing new since it is already present on FREMM ITA. But still gives an idea how things are going inside the project.

Plus the fact that the design is being modified by Gibbs and Cox as per this article

In April of 2020, the Navy chose Fincantieri Marinette Marine to build the frigate at its yard in Wisconsin. Based on the FREMM parent design that’s in service with the Italian and French navies, the design is undergoing modifications to meet U.S. Navy survivability standards. The Navy hired design agent Gibbs & Cox to alter the FREMM drawings. Gibbs & Cox is not mentioned anywhere in the GAO report.

Constellation Frigate 'Unplanned Weight Growth' Could Limit Service Life, Says GAO - USNI News

This post has been updated with additional information on the initial planned growth margin of the frigate program Due to Navy design decisions, the service’s next-generation guided-missile frigate might not have the weight margin for required modernization to meet its expected service life...

news.usni.org

I don't understand why, even worse considering they are the ones that designed one of the Freedom version of the LCS...

 

[Terran]

Basically they were told to buy an existing frigate but ended up designing a whole new one kitbashed from the FREMM.
Even the propulsion systems although the same engine families.

U.S. Navy Constellation-class Frigates to be powered by GE LM2500+G4 Gas Turbines - Naval News

GE Marine announced a contract to provide Fincantieri Marinette Marine with a GE LM2500+G4 aeroderivative marine gas turbine to power the United States Navy's Constellation class (FFG 62) frigate. GE also will provide the gas turbine auxiliary skids (electric start, fuel forwarding and water...

www.navalnews.com

Rolls-Royce to supply mtu generator sets for U.S. Navy frigate program - Naval News

Rolls-Royce has been selected to supply its mtu naval generator sets for phase one of the U.S. Navy’s Constellation (FFG-62) class frigate program, previously known as the FFG(X) program.

www.navalnews.com

Its added mass and electronic needs are going to play differently. This said the statement that the Navy doesn’t have a shore based lab for the FFG 62 class engineering system tests may be accurate. That they don’t plan on building one is not.

Frigate Land-Based Engineering Site Taking Shape in the Philadelphia Navy Yard - USNI News

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – Inside the high-ceiling building that was once a World War II aircraft factory, construction is underway on the engineering site where future generations of U.S. Navy sailors will learn to operate the systems aboard the new Constellation-class frigate. The Philadelphia Navy...

news.usni.org

 

[Volkodav]

The falacy of the existing design.

Quite simply, when your requirements are incompatible with an existing platform you need a new platform.

Politicians and talking heads, with no technical or operational expertise get involved and say, no you are not getting a new platform, you will adapt an existing design.

There is an existing design that fits the USN requirements, it's called the Gibbs and Cox International Frigate, i.e. the reference design for the losing contender for what became the Hobart class destroyers.

Compare that to FREMM and F-100 and you can see the problem.

The USN said they needed a new family SUV with a V8 engine, congress told them to adapt a VW Golf GTI to do the job. Golf is a great car but try and turn it into an SUV you are going to suffer a lot of pain.

 

[John Fedup]

Here’s some updated information on Orca. Quite the beast with the payload module. Diesel electric propulsion offers a 6,000 mile range. Boeing is to deliver an additional 5 units by year’s end.

First Look at the US Navy's Orca XLUUV with Massive Payload Module - Naval News

Images have surfaced showing, for the first time, the U.S. Navy's Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) fitted with a payload module

www.navalnews.com

 

[John Fedup]

Another article suggesting the Constellation program might end up like the LCS. Hopefully not the case but the USN’s recent track record is concerning.

Could US Navy’s Constellation-class frigates share Littoral Combat Ship fate?

The Constellation-class frigates have been developed to replace the troubled Littoral Combat Ship vessels, which are being decommissioned.

www.naval-technology.com

 

[hauritz]

Here’s some updated information on Orca. Quite the beast with the payload module. Diesel electric propulsion offers a 6,000 mile range. Boeing is to deliver an additional 5 units by year’s end.

First Look at the US Navy's Orca XLUUV with Massive Payload Module - Naval News

Images have surfaced showing, for the first time, the U.S. Navy's Orca Extra Large Uncrewed Undersea Vehicle (XLUUV) fitted with a payload module

www.navalnews.com

Interesting to see what the Americans are doing with XLUUVs from an Australian viewpoint. I can see some similarities between the Ghost Shark and Orca.

The designs seem to be both built around the idea of an adaptable mission bay.

It could explain why Australia recently scrapped its mine warfare program since this is one of the roles the USN plans for their own XLUUV fleet.

 

[John Fedup]

Land based testing on TRAM has been completed. This missile replenishment system will be tested at sea in the fall, obviously a much more demanding test. However, if successful, a huge improvement in capability. Needless to say, improved missile inventory will be required.

U.S. Navy Tests Underway VLS Reloading Mechanism - Naval News

A new mechanism capable of reloading VLS cells while underway completed its first test at Port Hueneme last week.

www.navalnews.com

 

[StobieWan]

And this just in :

How Navy chiefs conspired to get themselves illegal warship Wi-Fi

A scathing Navy investigation reveals how USS Manchester's enlisted leaders endangered their ship with an unauthorized Starlink Wi-Fi setup.

www.militarytimes.com

I'm intrigued and alarmed at the same time.

 

[John Fedup]

And this just in :

How Navy chiefs conspired to get themselves illegal warship Wi-Fi

A scathing Navy investigation reveals how USS Manchester's enlisted leaders endangered their ship with an unauthorized Starlink Wi-Fi setup.

www.militarytimes.com

I'm intrigued and alarmed at the same time.

Hard to believe she only received a reduction in rank for this.

 

[Terran]

No one is getting out of this clean.

 

[StobieWan]

Most of them got commodores mast.

I'm genuinely surprised no-one got cashiered over this. The sheer brass cojones of installing an antenna plus wireless repeaters and denying the whole thing multiple times...

 

[Volkodav]

Most of them got commodores mast.

I'm genuinely surprised no-one got cashiered over this. The sheer brass cojones of installing an antenna plus wireless repeaters and denying the whole thing multiple times...

Probably better demonstrates their recruitment and retention issues.

The sad thing is, if they were cashiered they would likely end up in even more senior roles in industry because of their shortages.

 

[John Fedup]

Navy Lookout's take on the Constellation class. As per the article, given all the modifications, the T26 's larger hull might have been a better starting point. It would be a better ASW platform as well, which is really the frigate's most important mission. The ABs can do all the heavy missile work in a CBG. I will be interesting to see the costs for the USN's new frigate versus the RCN's River class frigate. There is significant kit commonality albeit radar differences along with the smaller VLS missile capacity of the River class (24 v 32). Guessing a Constellation hits the water before our River does.

Constellation-class: the US Navy’s struggle to forge a new generation of frigates | Navy Lookout

 

[MARKMILES77]

USN F-18F carrying 4 SM-6 based air to air missiles, along with AMRAAMs and Sidewinders!
Gives a Carrier Strike group an amazing long range anti-air capability.
Possible capability for Australian Super Hornets?

x.com

x.com

 

[76mmGuns]

Navy Lookout's take on the Constellation class. As per the article, given all the modifications, the T26 's larger hull might have been a better starting point. It would be a better ASW platform as well, which is really the frigate's most important mission. The ABs can do all the heavy missile work in a CBG. I will be interesting to see the costs for the USN's new frigate versus the RCN's River class frigate. There is significant kit commonality albeit radar differences along with the smaller VLS missile capacity of the River class (24 v 32). Guessing a Constellation hits the water before our River does.

Constellation-class: the US Navy’s struggle to forge a new generation of frigates | Navy Lookout

They wanted something already ready and cheap. Like usual, the established powers in the 300+ admirals learned very little and down gunned it, while changing it's dimensions, making a delays inevitable and pushing up costs. The fact that they have over 300 admirals, more than there are actual naval vessels, should tell you something

 

[swerve]

Yes. They bought an off the shelf design, then redesigned it from the bottom up. Doh!