DefenseNews

US Navy seeks to mirror weapons supplier funding for ship, sub vendors

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. ­— The U.S. Navy is using its effort to strengthen the weapons-industrial base as something of a test run for larger spending in the shipbuilding and submarine sectors, a top acquisition official said. All three areas face similar challenges, such as a lack of output at key suppliers, which prevents prime contractors from increasing deliveries to the Navy. The service would…
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DefenseNews

Army pushes more safety training as helicopter crashes spike

The Army has ordered an aviation “safety stand up,” with additional aviation training across the force following a dozen mishaps that have resulted in 10 fatalities in only the first six months of the fiscal year. By comparison, the Army had 10 mishaps and 14 fatalities…
DefenseNews

US Navy secretary points to foreign shipyards’ practices to fix delays

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Navy has released a road map partly aimed at improving ship construction and repair yards, as the service grapples with how to get its major shipbuilding programs back on schedule. A week after releasing a shipbuilding review that acknowledged several top ship programs are one to three years behind schedule, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said the service is…
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DefenseNews

Navy, Marines launching study to improve readiness of amphibious fleet

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps will study amphibious warship readiness and how the services can get ahead of ship maintenance challenges, the top Navy officer told reporters today. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said she and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith signed a letter to their three-star officers who oversee plans and operations, calling…
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DefenseNews

Navy looks to shake up traditional carrier strike group model

When the destroyers The Sullivans and Delbert D. Black deployed in the fall to the eastern Mediterranean Sea, they joined the Gerald R. Ford carrier strike group that was already well into its cruise. The warships’ arrivals were part of an experiment the Navy is currently…
DefenseNews

Ursa Major to build rocket motor prototype for US Navy

The Navy awarded propulsion company Ursa Major a contract to prototype and test a solid rocket-motor for the service’s Standard Missile program. Under the deal — part of the Naval Energetics Systems and Technologies program — the Denver-based firm will develop a new design for the Navy’s Mk 104 rocket motor and use its tailored additive manufacturing approach to build a prototype. The Mk…
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