The U.S. Navy has christened its latest Navajo-class towing, salvage and rescue ship (T-ATS) USNS Cherokee Nation at Bollinger Shipyards in Houma, Louisiana.
As informed, the ceremony took place on June 10, 2024. The second Bollinger-built ship of the navy’s Navajo class, the USNS Cherokee Nation is named to honor the Cherokee people.
The Navajo class is operated by the Navy’s Military Sealift Command and provides ocean-going tug, salvage, and rescue capabilities to support fleet operations.
T-ATS replaces and fulfills the capabilities previously provided by the Powhatan-class fleet ocean tug (T-ATF) and Safeguard-class rescue and salvage ships (T-ARS) class ships.
“Bollinger is honored to celebrate the christening of the newest T-ATS ship alongside the U.S. Navy and the Cherokee Nation,” said Ben Bordelon, President and CEO of Bollinger Shipyards.
“The USNS Cherokee Nation and other Navajo-class vessels are multi-purpose powerhouse vessels,” said Vice Admiral Scott Gray, Commander, U.S. Navy Installations Command.
“The new Navajo-class ships will help ensure our sailors and marines receive critical, timely support to stay in the fight around the globe and the US Navy stands ready to respond quickly if disaster strikes.”
The USNS Cherokee Nation is the second of ten planned Navajo-class T-ATS. The contract includes a total of five vessels to be built at Bollinger Houma Shipyards, each to be named in honor of a federally recognized Native American tribe.
Navajo-class ships will be capable of towing U.S. Navy ships, including aircraft carriers, and will have 6,000 square feet of deck space for embarked systems.
In addition to the USNS Cherokee Nation (T-ATS 7), Bollinger is also constructing USNS Navajo (T-ATS 6), USNS Saginaw Ojibwe Anishinabek (T-ATS 8), USNS Lenni Lenape (T-ATS 9) and USNS Muscogee Creek Nation (T-ATS 10).
Watch: Ukrainian Bradley faces Russian BTR-82 with shocking results
Incredible footage has shown an American-supplied Ukrainian Bradley fighting vehicle engaging in a furious jousting match with one of its Russian counterparts.
The Russian BTR-82 armoured personnel carrier came off second best during the face-off, which happened on the main road in the village of Sokil.
Both vehicles can be seen charging towards one another before the Russian vehicle is left knocked out at the side of the road.
The M2A2 Bradley, belonging to the Ukrainian army’s 47th Mechanised Brigade, opened fire on the Russian BTR-82 using its 25mm Bushmaster chain gun.
The BTR-82, meanwhile, opened fire on the Bradley with its 30mm autocannon, knocking out the Bradley’s optics and effectively disabling its gun.
Despite the setback, the Ukrainian vehicle continued to charge towards its Russian opponent, coming to within a few metres of each other.
At the last second, the BTR swerved to avoid a collision, with the Bradley commander apparently having told the driver to ram the enemy vehicle.
Watch: American-supplied Bradleys obliterate Russian T-90 battle tank
Having sustained heavy damage, the smoking Russian BTR-82 continued down the road with a Russian soldier either falling or jumping from the vehicle.
The vehicle then veered off the road and came to a halt in between two buildings, having lost the fight against the Ukrainian vehicle and ending up with smoke pouring out of it.
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12th June 2024 at 1:30pm
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Nato’s KFOR has celebrated 25 years of peacekeeping in Kosovo, and Russian warships have begun conducting drills in the Atlantic – all this and more on The Download.
THE PENTAGON – A nuclear Russian submarine carrying guided missiles with a range of 1,000 nautical miles is operating off the East Coast as part of Russian missile drills in the Atlantic. Kazan, a Yasen-M-class guided missile submarine, is part of a naval action group the Russian Ministry of Defense deployed to the Atlantic. The group is bound for the Caribbean as part of military drills ordered by the Kremlin against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, according to the MoD.
On Tuesday, Kazan and the advanced guided-missile frigate Admiral Gorshkov tested anti-ship missiles in the Atlantic at targets with a range of more than 350 miles before resuming its transit to a previously scheduled port visit to Havana on Wednesday, the Russian MoD said in a statement.
Ship spotters are tracking the Russian action group off the coast. The group was operating just east of the Florida Keys as of Tuesday afternoon and is under surveillance by at least three U.S. guided-missile destroyers and a P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft, according to public flight and ship tracking data.
A Navy spokesperson referred USNI News to the Office of the Secretary of Defense when asked about the U.S. warships. A Pentagon spokesperson would not confirm the details, but provided a Monday statement about the Russian exercises.
“Russia will conduct heightened naval and air activity near the United States. These actions will likely culminate in a global Russian naval exercise this fall. We are expecting that Russia will temporarily send combat naval vessels to the Caribbean region and these ships will likely conduct port calls in Cuba and possibly Venezuela,” reads a statement from OSD. “There may also be some aircraft deployments or flights in the region. Russia’s deployments are part of routine naval activity and we are not concerned by Russia’s deployments, which pose no direct threat to the United States. “
While Russian ships operating in the Caribbean is not new, the submarine and the frigate are among the most advanced Russian warships and their presence is the largest visit of Russian Navy ships to the region in years. For example, last year the training ship Perekop sailed to Havana.
The modern Kazan and Gorshkov both field a variety of anti-ship and land attack weapons. While it’s unclear what weapons the two ships used during the Tuesday test fire, they both can field the 1,000-mile range 3M-54 Kalibir NK land attack cruise missile, the P-800 Oniks anti-ship missile and the 3M-22 Zircon hypersonic anti-ship cruise missiles.
For the Yasens, “long-range strike missions appear to … a primary task. This will likely necessitate a change in how NATO manages the anti-submarine warfare challenge in the High North, given that a strategy of barrier defense at the Greenland–Iceland–U.K. gap may actually do little to impact Russian submarines, which may have little need to traverse this barrier in order to achieve their operational ends,” according to RUSI.
Last year, then-commander of U.S. Northern Command Gen. Glen VanHerck said the deployment of cruise-missile submarines off the coast of the U.S. is increasing and is a growing concern for homeland defense.
“[The risk is] absolutely increasing. Within the last year, Russia has also placed their [Yasens] in the Pacific,” he said. “Now not only the Atlantic, but we also have them in the Pacific and it’s just a matter of time – probably a year or two – before that’s a persistent threat, 24 hours a day. … That impact has reduced decision space for a national senior leader in a time of crisis.”
The Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan Carrier Strike Groups conducted separate group sails on Friday in the South China Sea and Philippine Sea with partner nations to kick off the Valiant Shield 2024 exercise. Meanwhile, also on Friday, the Netherlands Defence Ministry accused Chinese attack aircraft and an attack helicopter of harassing a Royal Netherlands Navy helicopter operating from a frigate in the East China Sea monitoring North Korea for UN maritime sanctions violations.
In the Philippine Sea on Friday, carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), together with U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), destroyers USS Higgins (DDG-76) and USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) joined Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer helicopter carrier JS Izumo (DDH-183), destroyer JS Haguro (DDG-180) and submarine JS Jingei (SS-515) and to carry out a formation sailing event. Jingei is Japan’s newest submarine, having been commissioned on Mar. 8 this year. Four F/A-18 Super Hornets from Carrier Air Wing 5 embarked on Reagan and U.S. Air Force aircraft consisting of two B-1 Lancer bombers, four F-22 Raptor fighters, four F-16 Falcon fighters, one RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft and one KC-46 Pegasus tanker, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft comprising of two F-2 fighters and two F-15 Eagles also conducted a flyover.
A Navy release stated that the formation sailing and flyover was part of the biennial Valiant Shield exercise and that, for the first time in its history, multinational, joint field training exercise focused on integration between U.S. and allied forces. “Over the coming days, our joint and combined forces will continue to hone our tactics and precise execution of those tactics to increase interoperability and lethality. This exercise expresses the full spectrum of capabilities we can bring to bear in our commitment to global peace and stability,” said Rear Adm. Greg Newkirk, commander, CSG 5 in the release.
In the South China Sea, carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), destroyers USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), USS Halsey (DDG-97) and USS Russell (DDG-59) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), together with French Navy frigate FS Bretagne (D655) and Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montreal (FFH 336) conducted a transit in support of Valiant Shield 2024 stated a DVIDS photo release.
Bretagne is making its way to Hawaii to take part in the Rim of the Pacific 2024 (RIMPAC2024) exercise from June 26 to Aug. 2. Montreal is on deployment in the Indo-Pacific as part of Operation Horizon, Canada’s ongoing forward-presence mission to promote peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
On Friday as well, the Netherlands Defence Ministry issued a release stating that earlier that day, in the East China Sea, two Chinese warplanes circled Royal Netherlands Navy frigate HNLMS Tromp (F803) several times, and during a patrol, the frigate’s embarked NH90 helicopter was approached by two Chinese fighter aircraft and a helicopter. “This created a potentially unsafe situation. The incident occurred in international airspace,” stated the release.
The Netherlands Defence Ministry also released photos on social media channel X, taken from the deck of the frigate, showing a JH-7 attack aircraft and Z-19 helicopter flying nearby.
Tromp was conducting patrols in the East China Sea in support of a U.N. multinational force overseeing the enforcement of maritime sanctions against North Korea as defined by U.N. Security Council resolutions, according to the release. A Japan Ministry of Defense release stated that Tromp carried out monitoring and surveillance activities from late May to early June and that this was the first time the Netherlands had conducted such activities. The frigate is on a deployment to the Indo-Pacific, called Pacific Archer 24, which will see it taking part in RIMPAC before heading home via the Panama Canal and the Atlantic Ocean.
Tromp on Sunday carried out the first ever bilateral exercise between the Royal Netherlands Navy and the JMSDF, drilling with destroyer JS Akebono (DD-108) with the two ships conducting tactical maneuvering and linking exercises in the waters west of the main island of Kyushu, according to a JMSDF release. Following the drills, Tromp docked into Nagasaki on Monday for a port visit.
Chinese warships and military aircraft have on several occasions harassed ships and embarked helicopters along with maritime patrol aircraft carrying out the surveillance and monitoring missions on North Korea, claiming such missions were cover for surveillance on China and its military and the action it takes are lawful and legitimate.
The most recent incident since Friday was on May 4, when a People’s Liberation Army Air Force fighter jet dropped flares in front of a Royal Australian Navy MH-60R over the Yellow Sea. The MH-60R was embarked on destroyer HMAS Hobart (DDG39), which was undertaking routine activities as part of Operation Argos – Australia’s contribution to the international effort to enforce UN Security Council sanctions against North Korea. China’s Ministry of National Defense counterclaimed that Hobart dispatched its helicopter on three occasions to conduct surveillance and “nuisance activities” on People’s Liberation Army Navy ships training nearby.
China so far has not issued any official statement on Friday’s incident as both the defense and foreign ministries do not conduct press response over the weekend and Monday is a public holiday in China.
A metallic beast described at the time as a “helpless, yet sinister monster” caused a stir on Hastings beachfront in 1919 – but it wasn’t a living being capturing the attention of onlookers.
It was U-118, a 267ft-long mine-laying U-boat of the Imperial Germany Navy that was stranded on its side on the sand in front of the Queen’s Hotel like a beached whale.
After the First World War, two captured U-boats – U-118 and UB-121 – were being towed for scrapping through stormy weather by the French destroyer Francis Garnier from Harwich in Essex to Brest, the westernmost port of France.
In the early hours of 15 April 1919, U-118’s dragging hawser was damaged in the storm and the submarine broke free in the English Channel, leading to it stranding at high tide just yards away from Hastings’ beachfront houses.
Commissioned on 8 May 1918, the U-boat was responsible for sinking the British steamer Wellington on 16 September 1918 and British tanker Arca on 2 October 1918.
UB-121 was later found stranded at Birling Gap, a coastal hamlet found between Seven Sisters and Beachy Head.
An illustration of where U-boat U-118 was washed ashore in 1919
Articles and images from the time show how following its abrupt arrival U-118 became a popular tourist attraction, with thousands of people from across the country visiting Hastings to see it during the Easter holidays.
The Hastings and St Leonards Observer reported on the event on 19 May, saying: “The news soon spread and, on Tuesday morning, people on their way to business turned aside to look at the curiosity.
“It was then high and dry and a tour inspection was possible.
Locals and tourists visit U-118 in 1919 (Picture: Hastings Museum & Art Gallery)
“The wind was blowing very strongly and the sea was high.
“As the morning advanced and the tide came in, the craft was buffeted tremendously.
“The boat appeared a helpless yet sinister monster as it rolled in the surf only a few yards from the promenade at Harold Place.
“There were thousands of spectators during the day.”
Welcoming home the troops
News of the astonishing sight was also reported in newspapers such as the Dundee Evening Telegraph, the Yorkshire Evening Post, the Belfast Telegraph and the Western Mail.
At that time, most people were not familiar with submarines, so the stranded U-boat became an intriguing and fascinating thing for many to see up close.
Attempts to refloat it failed and it was too close to the public beach and Queen’s Hotel to break it up using explosives.
The Admiralty gave the town permission to charge people for exploring the submarine to raise funds for a welcome home event for soldiers returning from the First World War.
It was reported by the Hastings and St Leonards Observer on 10 May 1919 that £273 (£11,776 in 2024) had been raised for the welcome home fund.
Tragedy strikes
For a couple of weeks, excited visitors to the U-boat were guided around the inside of the vessel by Chief Boatman William Heard and Chief Officer W Moore, two members of the coastguard.
However, when these men became gravely ill, the visits were stopped at once.
Authorities initially believed spending so much time in poorly ventilated areas containing the rotting food that remained on board was the cause of the men’s illness.
U-118 pictured on Hastings Beach in April 1919 (Picture: The History Collection / Alamy Stock Photo)
Tragically, Chief Officer Moore died in December 1919, while Chief Boatman Heard died in February 1920.
It was revealed at the inquest into their untimely deaths that a toxic gas released from the submarine’s damaged batteries had caused deadly abscesses on the men’s lungs and brains.
What next for the submarine?
When locals and visitors to Hastings could no longer enjoy a tour around the U-boat, some began to call for the vessel to be salvaged for profit.
Local resident H P White’s suggestion for the future of the U-boat was published in the Hastings and St Leonards Observer, saying: “Surely the Admiralty would have no objection to Hastings taking care of their old submarine and I do not think it beyond the range of possibility that it might be hauled further up the beach, put on an even keel, painted up and made a unique attraction to visitors.
“And if it were kept in decent repair a charge might be made for a visit to the interior and the funds devoted to the lifeboat or some similar society.”
The Hastings and St Leonards Observer reported on 17 May 1919 that a decision had been made about the fate of the stranded vessel, saying: “On the motion of Alderman Tree, it was agreed that the Town Clerk apply to the Admiralty to present to the town the gun of the German submarine which is to be sold and broken up.”
Therefore, U-118’s impromptu visit to the seaside town of Hastings didn’t last long as, on 21 May 1919, the wreck was sold to James Dredging Co for £2,200 (£94,899 in 2024) and broken up on the beach.
Part of a speaking tube from German U-boat U-118 (Picture: Hastings Museum & Art Gallery)
The deck gun was left behind but eventually removed in 1921.
Although Hastings Council reportedly removed the keel in 1937, it is believed a portion of the ship’s keel is still buried deep beneath the sand.
Hastings Museum & Art Gallery has in its archives a solid iron ballast block and part of a speaking tube from the U-boat is on display.
Australia plans to retire a second Anzac-class frigate in 2026, leaving six in service until the first general-purpose frigate arrives in 2030. (Gordon Arthur/Staff)
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — Australia has approached several foreign shipbuilders in an urgent quest to procure general-purpose frigates under Project Sea 3000, the Defence Department told Defense News.
The government sent requests for information to German, Japanese, South Korean and Spanish shipbuilders on May 24, the department said. However, a spokesperson for the department declined to provide further details “while the evaluation is underway, due to [the] commercial, procurement and probity process.”
A government review unveiled in February, titled “Enhanced Lethality Surface Combatant Fleet,” recommended 11 general-purpose frigates replace eight existing Anzac-class frigates. To speed up the process, the first three would undergo construction overseas and the remainder in Western Australia.
The review pinpointed Germany’s MEKO A-200, Japan’s version 30FFM, South Korea’s FFX from the second and third batches, and Spain’s Alfa 3000 as contenders. It cites the two FFX batches as a single platform type, though it’s unclear why.
The shipbuilders were reportedly given four weeks to respond to the initial request, plus another three weeks to explain how follow-on frigates can be built in Australia.
Selection is expected to occur next year, with commissioning of the first overseas-built ship to take place in 2030. The fourth through sixth vessels, built in Australia, are to have an identical baseline. No decision has been made on the design of the seventh through eleventh frigates.
The Royal Australian Navy’s surface combatant fleet will feature a total of nine hulls in 2026, underscoring the looming capability gap before new frigates start arriving.
Shipbuilders approached by Defense News declined to go into detail regarding Australia’s procurement effort. For example, German company ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems confirmed it “participated in the tender” but added that “we’ll not comment on further details of the ongoing process.”
Ongoing construction of six Ulsan-class FFX-III vessels for the South Korean Navy is split between Hyundai Heavy Industries, SK Oceanplant and Hanwha Ocean. The construction of eight Daegu-class FFX-II ships concluded last year. A Hyundai Heavy Industries spokesperson confirmed it received the request for information.
“HD Hyundai Heavy Industries has great competitiveness with its rich experience in warship building, such as [research and development] and first ship of the latest Ulsan-class frigate,” the spokesperson said. “This will be an opportunity for HHI to show how they approach warship orders that fit the situation of each country.”
In reference to frigate designs, Rear Adm. Stephen Hughes, Australia’s head of naval capabilities, told the Combined Naval Event conference in the U.K. on May 23 that the country is using existing designs in order to quicken the introduction of the vessels into the fleet.
However, Australian frigates identical to the aforementioned parent ships — the exemplars have been built for Egypt, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea — raises potential difficulties because some of their weapons, sensors and systems were chosen by the original customers and could be unfamiliar to the Royal Australian Navy. Notably, Saab’s 9LV combat management system, which the Australian service uses across its fleet, isn’t incorporated into those ships. Likewise, the Australian-made CEA Technologies radars are also excluded.
“Whatever we choose, whatever standard we go with, we’re going to adopt that. We’re going to have discipline around that capability,” Hughes said, describing the acquisition process as “an opportunity, not a risk.”
“The risk is we don’t choose wisely and we don’t understand the designs.”
Gordon Arthur is an Asia correspondent for Defense News. After a 20-year stint working in Hong Kong, he now resides in New Zealand. He has attended military exercises and defense exhibitions in about 20 countries around the Asia-Pacific region.
They were the first battleships built to meet the limitations of the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. Entering service in 1927, the ship spent her peacetime career with the Atlantic and Home Fleets, usually as the fleet flagship. During the early stages of Second World War, she searched for German commerce raiders, missed participating in the Norwegian Campaign after she was badly damaged by a mine in late 1939, and escorted convoys in the Atlantic Ocean.
In mid-1941 Nelson escorted several convoys to Malta before being torpedoed in September. After repairs she resumed doing so before supporting the British invasion of French Algeria during Operation Torch in late 1942. The ship covered the invasions of Sicily (Operation Husky) and Italy (Operation Avalanche) in mid-1943 while bombarding coastal defences during Operation Baytown. During the Normandy landings in June 1944, Nelson provided naval gunfire support before she struck a mine and spent the rest of the year under repair. The ship was transferred to the Eastern Fleet in mid-1945 and returned home a few months after the Japanese surrender in September to serve as the flagship of the Home Fleet. She became a training ship in early 1946 and was reduced to reserve in late 1947. Nelson was scrapped two years later after being used as a target for bomb tests. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Nelson_(28)
By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press and Tara Copp, AP
The U.S. military-built pier designed to carry badly needed aid into Gaza by boat has been reconnected to the beach in the besieged territory after a section broke apart in storms and rough seas, and food and other supplies will begin to flow soon, U.S. Central Command announced Friday.
The section that connects to the beach in Gaza, the causeway, was rebuilt nearly two weeks after heavy storms damaged it and abruptly halted what had already been a troubled delivery route.
“Earlier this morning in Gaza, U.S. forces successfully attached the temporary pier to the Gaza beach,” Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, deputy commander of U.S. Central Command, told reporters by phone Friday. “We expect to resume delivery of humanitarian assistance from the sea in the coming days.”
Cooper said operations at the reconnected pier will be ramped up soon with a goal to get 1 million pounds of food and other supplies moving through the pier into Gaza every two days.
The pier was only operational for a week before a storm broke it apart, and had initially struggled to reach delivery goals. Weather was a factor, and early efforts to get aid from the pier into Gaza were disrupted as civilians desperate for food stormed the trucks that aid agencies were using to transport the food to the warehouses for distribution.
However before it broke apart the pier had been gradually increasing aid movement each day. Cooper said Friday that the lessons learned from that initial week of operations made him confident higher levels of aid throughout could be attained now.
A large section of the causeway broke apart May 25 as heavy winds and high seas hit the area, and four Army vessels operating there went aground, injuring three service members, including one who remains in critical condition. The damage was the latest stumbling block in what has been a persistent struggle to get food to starving Palestinians during the nearly eight-month-old Israel-Hamas war.
The maritime route for a limited time had been an additional way to help get more aid into Gaza because the Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafah has made it difficult, if not impossible at times, to get anything through land routes that are far more productive. Israel’s Rafah military operations and military strikes in northern Gaza had also temporarily halted U.S. airdrops of food.
Cooper said Friday the U.S. also expects to resume those airdrops in the coming days.
President Joe Biden’s administration has said from the start that the pier wasn’t meant to be a total solution and that any amount of aid helps.
After the May 25 storm damage to the causeway, large sections were disconnected and moved to the Israeli port for repairs. In addition, two of the U.S. Army boats that went aground during the same bad weather near Ashkelon in Israel have been freed.
Two other Army boats two beached onto the Gaza shoreline took on a lot of water and sand and the Israeli Navy has been helping with the repairs, Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said.
Biden announced his plan for the U.S. military to build a pier during his State of the Union address in early March, and the military said it would take about 60 days to get it installed and operational. The initial cost was estimated at $320 million, but Singh said earlier this week that the price had dropped to $230 million, due to contributions from Britain and because the cost of contracting trucks and other equipment was less than expected.
It took a bit longer than the planned two months for installation, with the first trucks carrying aid for the Gaza Strip rolling down the pier on May 17. Just a day later, crowds overran a convoy of trucks as they headed into Gaza, stripping the cargo from 11 of the 16 vehicles before they reached a U.N. warehouse.
The next day, as officials altered the travel routes of the convoys, aid finally began reaching people in need. More than 1,100 tons of aid were delivered before the causeway broke apart in the storm, Pentagon officials said.
About Tara Copp, AP
Tara Copp is a Pentagon correspondent for the Associated Press. She was previously Pentagon bureau chief for Sightline Media Group.
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