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Amphibious Warship USS Wasp May Deploy Late

MALLORY SHELBOURNE APRIL 8, 2024 7:07 PM

A U.S. Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey with Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced), 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), lands aboard the USS Wasp (LHD 1) while underway in the Atlantic Ocean, April 6, 2024. U.S. Marine Corps Photo

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. – Another one of the Navy’s big-deck amphibious warships could deploy late, as the service faces maintenance backlogs for the amphibious fleet.

Amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1), which is currently in the middle of workups ahead of deployment, may leave later than expected, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti said on Monday.

“Right now we’re seeing some potential delays on Wasp – we’re trying to look ahead to make sure that we can, I want to say nip this in the bud, really understand how can we approve that,” Franchetti told reporters at the Navy League’s annual Sea Air Space symposium.

Wasp, the service’s oldest big deck, left Norfolk, Va., on Saturday and is currently at sea off the coast of Virginia for workups, according to USNI Fleet and Marine Tracker.

A potential delay for Wasp comes after USS Boxer (LHD-4) departed San Diego, Calif., last week late for a delayed deployment to the Indo-Pacific. Boxer, the capital ship in the Amphibious Ready Group, left three months after USS Somerset (LPD-25) and almost one month after USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49), the other two ships in the formation.

Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Garrett Legan, assigned to Charlie Company, Battalion Landing Team 1/5, 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, prepares for fast-rope training aboard the amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD-25) during Exercise Tiger TRIUMPH in Visakhapatnam, India, March 20, 2024. US Marine Corps Photo

To get a better handle on the problems with the amphibious fleet, Franchetti said she and Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith recently directed the Navy’s deputy chief of naval operations for operations, plans and policy and the Marine Corps’ deputy commandant for plans, policies and operations to assess amphibious ship readiness and see whether the services are aligned on the requirements for training and certifications.

“Overall, we’re going to learn a lot through this deep dive and we can really understand what are the challenges with amphib readiness,” Franchetti said. “This is a proactive approach.”

The CNO said she expects the three stars to report the “terms of reference” in May so the services can determine next steps for the evaluation.

Franchetti noted that the ships in the amphibious fleet are getting older and having to go through the modifications to accommodate the F-35B Joint Strike Fighter Lightning II. Boxer went out for sea trials in June of 2022 after getting the F-35B upgrades.

Wasp was one of the first amphibious ships to get the F-35B upgrades nearly a decade ago. After a brief time forward-deployed in Japan, Wasp came back to Virginia and went into the dry dock at BAE Systems for a maintenance availability. In July of 2022, Wasp went back to Norfolk Naval Station after the maintenance overhaul and has been periodically underway off the Atlantic coast.

Boxer was the subject of two publicized command investigations last year that discovered problems in the ship’s engineering department. While it’s not clear whether the engineering issues led to the ship’s late deployment, two defense officials told USNI News that Boxer‘s material condition is one reason the ship left late and the ships in the ARG deployment separatel

NZDF Personnel Commemorate Sinking Of HMNZS Moa In Solomon Islands

Tuesday, 9 April 2024, 4:15 pm
Press Release: New Zealand Defence Force

New Zealanders have gathered for a moment of reflection in Solomon Islands to commemorate the Second World War sinking of HMNZS Moa in Tulagi Harbour.

Personnel from three New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) missions and staff from the New Zealand embassy in Honiara were among those who paid their respects at Henderson Field memorial gardens.

HMNZS Moa was one of three Royal New Zealand Navy Bird-class Minesweepers that served in the 25th minesweeping flotilla patrolling off the coast of Guadalcanal during the Second World War.

In January 1943, HMNZS Moa and HMNZS Kiwi joined forces to ram and wreck a Japanese I-1 submarine in Kamimbo Bay.

Just over two months later, on 7 April, HMNZS Moa was refuelling from USS Erskine in Tulagi Harbour when it received two direct hits from a Japanese dive bomber and sank bow first in under four minutes. Five ratings from Moa were killed in the explosions and seven were seriously injured.

This week’s service was attended by NZDF members of the Solomon Islands Assistance Force, which supports the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force to maintain peace and stability through community engagement and reassurance.

Also in attendance were crew from HMNZS Canterbury and Colonel Anthony Childs, the commander of a 200-strong Joint Task Force providing support for the upcoming Solomon Islands elections.

The commemoration was led by the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s Squadron Leader Ash Wilson who is based in Honiara with the Forum Fisheries Agency, which helps Pacific countries sustainably manage fisheries resources within their 200 mile Exclusive Economic Zone.

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“New Zealand has a long history with Solomon Islands. This year marks the 81st commemoration of the sinking of HMNZS Moa,” said Squadron Leader Wilson.

“We respect and honour our past, our veterans and their service. This afternoon’s small commemoration of remembrance is one of the ways that we honour their legacy.”

Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury, Commander Bronwyn Heslop laid a wreath on behalf of the women and men serving in the New Zealand Defence Force, followed by New Zealand High Commissioner to the Solomon Islands Jonathan Schwass, who represented the New Zealand Government.

She had a personal connection to a namesake of the sunken vessel.

“Participating in this memorial was special to me, because my first command as a young Lieutenant was HMNZS Moa, an Inshore Patrol Craft which was based out of Dunedin,” said Commander Heslop.

A contingent of NZDF personnel on board HMNZS Canterbury have arrived in Solomon Islands to provide logistical support to the upcoming national general election.

Two Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 helicopters are on board. They will assist the Solomon Islands Electoral Commission with transportation of polling boxes and election officials to various remote locations.

Solomon Islands is geographically dispersed, which means it can be logistically challenging to ensure everyone has a chance to vote in the 17 April ballot.

 

© Scoop Media

AUKUS: Collaborative efforts with Japan to enhance Indo-Pacific security

8th April 2024 at 5:48pm

HMS Diamond and Australian Navy Canberra, Sirius and Anzac working together 3 day bilateral exercise 04102021 Credit HMS Diamond
UK and Australian Navy on a bilateral exercise (Picture: Royal Navy)

The AUKUS alliance, consisting of Australia, the UK, and the US, is set to expand its collaborative efforts by initiating consultations with other nations.

In a joint statement, Defense Secretary Grant Shapps, Australia’s Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin announced Japan’s involvement in the alliance’s Pillar Two program.

AUKUS, established in September 2021, aims to enhance various defense capabilities critical to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific.

While Pillar One focuses on the development of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines, Pillar Two encompasses advanced military technologies such as quantum advancements, artificial intelligence and cyber capabilities.

“In a more dangerous world, relationships and partnerships like AUKUS are more important than ever,” Grant Shapps said.  

“AUKUS nations will assess whether involving like-minded nations like Japan would strengthen the development of capabilities. Consultations will begin this year on where potential partners, including Japan, can contribute to and benefit from Pillar Two work,” the Defence Secretary explained.

Japan and the UK are already working together with Italy on the UK’s sixth-generation fighter jet programme – the Global Combat Air Programme.

Last year the UK and Japan agreed on a landmark new strategic partnership – the Hiroshima Accord.

While Pillar Two is open for collaboration, submarine capability serves as the foundational aspect of the AUKUS program and will consistently involve only the UK, Australia and the USA.

Joint anti-submarine drills in South China Sea prompt swift response from Beijing

8th April 2024 at 4:00pm

Watch: Four nations hold anti-submarine drills in South China Sea

The United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines have staged a series of joint anti-submarine drills in the South China Sea – prompting a quick response from Beijing.

The joint maritime exercise was held in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, which immediately led China to launch a naval and air patrol of its own.

The Manila Times newspaper said the drills featured a range of communication exercises and strategic manoeuvres aimed at strengthening regional and international cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The four-nation drills underscored the commitment to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific through enhanced interoperability in maritime operations.

The exercise was joined by Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer Akebono, the US Navy littoral combat ship USS Mobile, the Royal Australian Navy frigate Warramunga and the Philippine naval frigate Antonio Luna, among others.

The territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea persist, despite repeated calls for diplomatic resolutions and respect for sovereignty.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled against China’s nine-dash line claim, stating it lacked legal basis under international law.

According to the Institute for China-America Studies, the nine-dash line is a visual representation of China’s claims that appears on some Chinese official maps and comparative maps of disputed claims in the South China Sea.

UK Royal Navy ship visit strengthens UK-Tonga relations

HMS Tamar with her new dazzle paint scheme in the water in Falmouth. Royal Navy picture.


Monday, April 8, 2024 – 19:54.  Nuku’alofa, Tonga

A Royal Navy Ship, HMS Tamar is visiting Tonga for six days this week until Saturday 13 April, on a mission to strengthen the UK-Tongan partnership through providing support on different shared objectives.

The British High Commission in Tonga reported that the ship will work to uplift and inspire marginalised and under-represented groups, while in Tonga. The ship’s port call will also focus on gender and inclusion through events held for women in uniform, charities and school groups.

The crew will work with the Tonga Red Cross and the Tongan National Visually Impaired Association (TNVIA).

The mission also has a focus on climate resilience with the Oceans 7 Ministers, followed by discussions on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief with the National Disaster Risk Management Office and other key stakeholders.

On its current deployment, the HMS Tamar has been countering illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, with a number of patrols around Fiji.

They will conduct monitoring in Tonga’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala and Princess Sinaitakala were invited to a formal lunch onboard, and meeting the Executive Officer and second in command, Lieutenant Commander Jim Langley and the crew.

Tonga’s Prime Minister the Hon Hu’akameiliku and senior members of the cabinet will also visit the ship, joined by some Commonwealth partners from New Zealand and Australia.

Thr British High Commissioner to Tonga, HE Lucy Joyce said that the visit demonstrates the enduring strength of the UK and Tonga’s relationship.

“We are able to showcase the vessel to many of our partners here – progressing key shared objectives on climate change, defence and inclusion while also focusing on some of the next generation of Tongans with several school groups visiting the ship”

She said that Defence is an important part of the UK-Tonga relationship with Tonga supporting the UK and allied forces in WWII; and Tongan marines serving in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the coalition forces.

HMS Tamar is an Offshore Patrol Vessel, and the fourth of five of the Batch 2 River- class vessels. They can perform a variety of roles, from fisheries protection and maritime security to providing humanitarian assistance in the wake of a disaster.

This is the first time for HMS Tamar to visit Tonga. Her sister ship HMS Spey provided humanitarian assistance and other support following the January 2022 Hunga-Tonga Hunga-Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami.

Both vessels are stationed in the Indo-Pacific region as part of the UK’s commitment to the region.

USS Ohio (BB-12), a Maine-class pre-dreadnought battleship, was the third ship both of her class and of the United States Navy to be named for the 17th state. As built, she was fitted with heavy military masts, but these were quickly replaced by cage masts in 1909.

USS Ohio

USS Ohio 1904
She was laid down at the Union Iron Works shipyard in San Francisco in April 1899, was launched in May 1901, and was commissioned into the fleet in October 1904. She was armed with a main battery of four 12-inch (305 mm) guns and could steam at a top speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph).

Ohio initially served in the Asiatic Fleet, from 1905 to 1907, when she returned to the United States. In December that year, she joined the Great White Fleet for its world cruise, which lasted until early 1909. She served with the Atlantic Fleet for the next four years conducting a peacetime training routine. In 1914, she was sent to Mexico to protect American interests in the country during the Mexican Revolution. She served as a training ship during America’s involvement in World War I from 1917 to 1918. Thoroughly obsolete by that time, Ohio was decommissioned in July 1919, and was ultimately sold for scrap in March 1923 under the terms of the Washington Naval Treaty.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Ohio_(BB-12)

US, Allies To Conduct Naval Drills In Philippines

The guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) (far right) sails in formation as part of interoperability drills between the Pacific Surface Action Group (PAC SAG) and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group (BHR ESG) in the South China Sea Sea, Oct. 13, 2016. The drills are meant to enhance readiness of cruiser-destroyer ships to rapidly integrate with an amphibious task force to provide increased capability for amphibious operations in support of crisis response or disaster relief. (U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer

(Bloomberg) –The US, Australia, Japan and the Philippines will hold joint military drills in the South China Sea on April 7 amid heightened tension between Manila and Beijing in the disputed waters. 

In a joint statement, the four nations’ defense chiefs said their combined armed forces will conduct a maritime cooperative activity within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone to strengthen interoperability. The southern division of the Chinese Liberation Army will organize a maritime and air patrols on the same day, according to a statement Sunday. 

“Every country should be free to conduct lawful air and maritime operations,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd James Austin said in the statement. “These activities with our allies Australia, Japan, and the Philippines underscore our shared commitment to ensuring that all countries are free to fly, sail, and operate wherever international law allows.” 

Sunday’s drills will happen days before Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida meet with President Joe Biden at the White House on April 11 to discuss cooperation in the areas of economy as well as peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.

A Philippine official on Friday said the leaders will tackle recent incidents in the South China Sea. In the latest confrontation between Chinese and Philippine ships last month, Manila said a Filipino civilian boat was severely damaged and some of its crew members were injured when two China Coast Guard ships fired water cannons at it. The China Coast Guard said it acted in “a reasonable and professional manner.”

“Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, and respect for maritime rights under international law, reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea,” the joint statement said. 

The four nations also affirmed their position that the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Tribunal Award that favored the Philippines over China in their maritime dispute as final and legally binding. The award was given by the Permanent Court of Arbitration, a non-UN intergovernmental organization located in The Hague.

© 2024 Bloomberg L.P.

Australia’s Smart Investment in Its Naval Fleet

A tug escorts the HMAS Adelaide, a Royal Australian Navy (RAN) Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ship, as it docks at Station Pier in Melbourne on March 19, 2024.WILLIAM WEST / AFP / Getty Images

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The move reflects Australia’s recognition of the evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly the increasing assertiveness of China.

The U.S. will be selling three nuclear-powered submarines to the RAN while also sharing technical expertise to help Australia build nuclear submarines.

The U.S. should welcome this effort and ensure that its own defense spending priorities are strategically focused.

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In February, Australia announced that it plans to dramatically increase the size of its navy over the next decade. If successful, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) would more than double the number of its major surface combatant ships, from 11 to 26 vessels. This would be the largest the RAN has been since the end of World War II.

The move reflects Australia’s recognition of the evolving security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly the increasing assertiveness of China. If the Australian government follows through with sufficient funding, this decision will also show that Australia’s defense spending flows from its national defense strategy, and that it is avoiding the unfocused defense spending that has plagued some other U.S. partners and allies (and for that matter, the United States itself).

Taiwan, for example, has struggled to keep its defense spending focused on its strategic goals. Despite announcing a new Overall Defense Concept based on asymmetric warfare that has been widely praised by defense experts, Taiwan’s armed forces have over-allocated resources toward expensive and vulnerable prestige systems, leaving essential asymmetric platforms well suited to resisting an amphibious invasion underfunded. In contrast, Australia’s decision to focus its spending on surface combatants that can protect its northern coast is a wise spending choice and deserves praise.

>>> The Army’s Role in the Indo–Pacific

Australia’s defense overhaul comes at a pivotal moment, as geopolitical shifts and technological advancements reshape the nature of warfare. The rising threat of cyberwarfare and more advanced missile systems are quickly erasing the relative geographical isolation Australia has enjoyed from Asia. The 2023 Australian Defense Strategic Review recommended a “strategy of denial,” a defensive approach to stop adversaries from coercing and threatening with the use of force within a given area. The review recommended the development of nuclear powered submarine programs, quick acquisition of long-range strike missiles, improvements for the F-35A Joint Strike Fighter and F/A-18F Super Hornet aircraft to operate long-range anti-ship missile systems, and expansion of the shipyard workforce.

Now, the Australian government aims to double its fleet of combat-ready ships by investing an additional US$7.3 billion over the next decade. Included in the plan is the acquisition of six new Hunter-class frigates. These frigates will be among the most advanced anti-submarine warships in the world, and will incorporate advanced technology like the U.S. Navy’s Aegis combat management system. The plan also includes the acquisition of six optionally manned vessels—warships that do not need to be crewed.

This comes on the heels of the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia announcing the AUKUS partnership in 2021, an agreement with the goal of developing an Australian nuclear-powered submarine program. Under the agreement, the U.S. will be selling three nuclear-powered Virginia-class submarines to the RAN while also sharing technical expertise to help Australia build nuclear submarines on its own in the future.

To ensure the success of its ambitious new plans, Australia will need to address past shortcomings in defense procurement and ensure that investments translate effectively into operational capabilities. Over the years, Australia’s defense projects (not unlike many of the United States’) have faced numerous hurdles, ranging from cost overruns to delays, often overshadowed by political considerations and local job creation agendas. Now, former senior security officials are calling for a streamlined procurement process to overcome these problems.

>>> Modernizing America’s Nukes: The Stakes of the Sentinel ICBM Project

Ideally, some of the funding would come with the next defense budget release in April, but it seems that the new spending will not begin until 2027. Australia’s new plans will only work if adequately funded, and Australian policymakers might consider moving this timeline forward if they want to avoid the spending decision mistakes others have made.

Australia’s strategic recalibration reflects the country’s proactive approach to safeguarding its national interests in an era marked by unprecedented challenges and uncertainties. Australia has fought alongside the U.S. in every war since World War I and is one of Washington’s closest allies. This new initiative shows that Canberra is taking the threat from China seriously and continues to be committed to the alliance with the United States.

The U.S. should welcome this effort and ensure that its own defense spending priorities are strategically focused by emphasizing the procurement of warships, planes, and munitions relevant to the Indo-Pacific in its spending plans.  

This piece originally appeared in The Diplomat

RAF extends warm welcome as Wedgetail boomerangs its way back to Australia

5th April 2024 at 1:30pm

RAAF E-7A Wedgetail aircraft at RAF Lossiemouth CREDIT RAF
The Australian E-7A Wedgetail landed at RAF Lossiemouth, where it was greeted by personnel from the Royal Air Force (Picture: RAF)

RAF Lossiemouth has extended a warm welcome to a crew from the Royal Australian Air Force as they stopped off at the end of their six-month deployment in Eastern Europe.

The RAAF E-7A Wedgetail aircraft, one of the most advanced airborne early warning systems in the world, landed in Moray for a stopover on its way back to Australia after being deployed on Operation Kudu.

Operation Kudu saw the E-7A airborne early warning and control (AWACS) aircraft support the multinational effort to provide early warning for potential threats from Russia outside of Ukraine.

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This deployment saw the Wedgetail log around 250 hours of flight time, with each mission averaging five hours.

Up to 100 Australian Defence Force personnel were deployed to Ramstein Air Base in Germany in support of the E-7A’s mission.

“I commend our people on their hard work and commitment, channelling our ethos of being a ready, resilient and resourceful force,” said Australia’s Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Robert Chipman.

“I wish all our returning personnel a safe journey home and an enjoyable time reconnecting with family and friends.”

Operation Kudu will continue throughout 2024 with up to 90 Australian personnel providing training to Ukrainian armed forces personnel in the UK.

USS Mississippi (BB-41/AG-128), the second of three members of the New Mexico class of battleship, was the third ship of the United States Navy named in honor of the 20th state.

USS Mississippi

USS Mississippi

The ship was built at the Newport News Shipbuilding Company of Newport News, Virginia, from her keel laying in April 1915, her launching in January 1917, and her commissioning in December that year. She was armed with a battery of twelve 14-inch (356 mm) guns in four three-gun turrets, and was protected by heavy armor plate, with her main belt armor being 13.5 inches (343 mm) thick.

The ship remained in North American waters during World War I, conducting training exercises to work up the crew. Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, the ship served in the Pacific Fleet. In May 1941, with World War II and the Battle of the Atlantic raging, Mississippi and her two sister ships were transferred to the Atlantic Fleet to help protect American shipping through the Neutrality Patrols. Two days after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Mississippi departed the Atlantic to return to the Pacific Fleet; throughout her participation in World War II, she supported amphibious operations in the Pacific. She shelled Japanese forces during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands and the Philippines campaigns and the invasions of Peleliu and Okinawa. The Japanese fleet attacked American forces during the Philippines campaign, and in the ensuing Battle of Leyte Gulf, Mississippi took part in the Battle of Surigao Strait, the last battleship engagement in history.

After the war, Mississippi was converted into a gunnery training ship, and was also used to test new weapons systems. These included the RIM-2 Terrier missile and the AUM-N-2 Petrel missile. She was eventually decommissioned in 1956 and sold to ship breakers in November that year.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Mississippi_(BB-41)