U.S. Marines with Marine All Weather Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA(AW)) 533 transport an AIM-9X Sidewinder missile at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, Sept. 28, 2022. U.S. Marine Corps / Cpl. Gabriel Durand
The Naval Brief: USS Ford deploying soon; Delayed mining drone; Electric jet-ski robots; and more...
Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future.
Ford deployment. The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier is finally deploying next week, five years after commissioning and overcoming several problems with its new technologies, Defense One reports. The ship will sail in the Atlantic along with the ships of several allied nations to test out its capabilities.
Over budget and really delayed. The Navy wanted five extra large unmanned undersea vehicles by this year to use to deploy underwater mines, but a new GAO report found that the drones are more than three years behind schedule and 64 percent over the original cost estimate. Boeing won the contract to make the unmanned submarine prototypes, but the report said the Navy did not ask them to show they were ready to begin building the drone, which caused delays later on. They are now expected to be delivered in 2024.
Jet-ski robots. Navy SEAL teams may one day use electric jet-skis to conduct operations unencumbered by the logistical demands of gasoline, Defense One reports. The machines can be equipped with sensors like GPS and cameras to allow them to operate autonomously.
Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1944, the submarine USS Narwhal rescued more than 80 allied prisoners of war who survived the sinking of the Japanese ship Shinyo Maru, caused by another U.S. submarine, the USS Paddle.
From Defense One
The US Navy Accused Him of Arson. Its Own Investigation Showed Widespread Safety Failures. // Megan Rose
After the USS Bonhomme Richard fire, investigators found missing fire hoses, a broken sprinkler system and other systemic failures. The Navy is still accusing a sailor of arson, against the advice of a military judge.
Defense One Radio, Ep. 109: The short- and mid-term outlook for the U.S. Navy // Defense One Staff
The chief of naval operations and a key lawmaker talk shipbuilding plans, drones, Iran, and more.
Democrats Introduce New Path To Protect Troops' Abortion Access // Jacqueline Feldscher
An NDAA amendment that would give troops the time and money to cross state lines for an abortion has 23 Democratic co-sponsors.