US Military News, Reports, Data, etc.

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Naval Today said:

USS Benfold, a U.S. Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, arrived in Qingdao, the home of the Chinese Navy’s North Sea Fleet, on August 8.

By entering the Chinese Navy base, Benfold became the first U.S. warship to visit China since last month’s ruling in the South China Sea arbitration case brought before the Hague court by the Philippines.

China reacted angrily to the ruling which said that official Beijing had no legal footing to claim almost all of the disputed territory under the so-called nine-dash line. China has restated on numerous occasions that it would never accept the international court ruling and has conducted a number of military drills in the disputed region.

The U.S. Navy said Benfold’s visit advanced maritime cooperation and encouraged a positive naval relationship with the People’s Liberation Army (Navy) (PLA(N)) North Sea Fleet.

“Sailors are sailors at the end of the day, be it in the East or in the West; we all face the same challenges at sea. These similarities unite us. I am sure that by the end of the week we will see that American Sailors and Chinese sailors are as close as any other sailors out on the high seas,” said Cmdr. Justin Harts, Benfold’s commanding officer.

As part of the visit to Qingdao, Benfold will host a reception and ship visits, as well as attend those hosted by the PLA(N).

Benfold, forward deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, and a member of Destroyer Squadron 15, is currently on patrol in the 7th Fleet area of operations supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific.

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Naval Today said:

The U.S. Navy has finished testing of the future Navy variant CMV-22B Osprey for aircraft carrier operations aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70).

The Fleet Battle Experiment (FBE) was conducted from July 22 to August 4 off the coast of California.

Sailors and senior officials explored, analyzed and documented the characteristics of operating a detachment of MV-22s for the carrier strike group as a replacement for the Navy’s C-2A Greyhound carrier on-board delivery (COD) platform.

“We look forward to the flexibility the CMV-22B will bring the carrier strike group,” said Vice Adm. Mike Shoemaker, commander, Naval Air Forces. “The analysis and conclusions from this experiment will inform future concept of operations and how we will employ this aircraft and integrate it within the carrier air wing.”

During the FBE, 34,590 pounds of cargo and 563 passengers were transported to and from the ship via the MV-22B Ospreys.

One notable advantage of the V-22 as the carrier on-board delivery platform is its ability to deliver logistic support to the carrier at night, the navy said.

“Overall, it was a successful evaluation,” said Cmdr. Lucas Kadar, Carl Vinson’s air boss. “The Ospreys were able to integrate into the carrier environment seamlessly. It gives us a lot of options, a lot of flexibility, in the sense that we can recover it more as a helicopter or sometimes we can treat it more like a fixed wing aircraft.”

Future CMV-22B detachments will capitalize and build on the flexibility, mobility, responsiveness, and independence of today’s C-2A Greyhound detachments.

“I believe there’s a lot of value added by having this aircraft on board the ship,” said Kadar. “For being in the initial stages of evaluating the suitability of the V-22 to conduct the carrier on-board delivery mission, it went surprisingly well."

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Naval Today said:

August 1, 2016 - -Fairbanks Morse, an EnPro Industries company, will supply the main propulsion diesel engines – with the latest in diesel engine technology – for theUSNS John Lewis, the lead ship in the U.S. Navy’s new T-AO 205 class of underway replenishment oiler ships.

The ship will be powered by two FM-MAN 12V 48/60 CR engines, which will be built by Fairbanks Morse in Beloit, Wisconsin. The engines, rated at just over 19,000 bhp each, will be equipped with common rail fuel injection and engine control systems, and will meet the latest emission requirements with an exhaust after-treatment system. Fairbanks Morse will also provide propulsion control systems, auxiliary equipment and commissioning services.

The John Lewis is the first in its class and will be built by General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) in San Diego. The ship is a double-hulled tanker that will be operated by the Military Sealift Command to support Navy surface ships operating at sea. Fleet replenishment oiler ships transfer fuel to surface ships and supply lubricants, fresh water and some dry cargo. Lewis class ships will replace the Navy’s fleet of existing single-hull tankers.

In announcing the order, Fairbanks Morse President Marvin Riley highlighted the benefits of this engine choice to the United States Navy and American taxpayers. “Common rail fuel injection technology reduces fuel consumption and reduces the total life cycle cost for the Navy, which provides a significant benefit to the T-AO 205 program,” he said. “We are very excited about the opportunity to deliver this modern U.S.-built power solution to our trusted, long-time partner NASSCO shipbuilding.”

Riley also acknowledged the efforts of U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, who championed a provision in the FY 2017 Defense Appropriations Bill that required the domestic manufacture of certain key shipboard components, including diesel engines. “This provision has provided Fairbanks Morse and others who manufacture in the U.S. an opportunity to compete fairly for defense related work,” he said. “In addition to ensuring U.S. investment in critical portions of the U.S. shipbuilding industry, the domestic manufacture requirement provides the Department of Defense with confidence that the manufacturing industrial base will maintain its integrity far into the future.”

“I have seen firsthand the innovation and hard work taking place at Fairbanks Morse,” Baldwin said. “Our country is stronger when we bolster our national defense by supporting Made in Wisconsin manufacturing and I’m proud to have championed this effort to strengthen both our national security and our economy.”

At present, the U.S. Navy has ordered six of the new Lewis class ships, pending appropriations, to be built over the next six years. Ultimately the program will include 17 ships, constructed over the next 17 years.

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Newly released US drone policy explains how targets can be chosen
By Kevin Bohn, CNN
Updated 8:05 PM ET, Sat August 6, 2016

Washington (CNN) The Obama administration has released a previously secret 18-page policy guidance document that lays out how potential drone targets may be chosen and approved and the President's role in the decision-making process.

The policy document, known as the President Policy Guidance, or PPG, says counterterrorism operations, including lethal action against designated terrorist targets, "shall be discriminating and precise as reasonably possible" and says "direct action" against "high value targets" "will be taken only when there is near certainty that the individual being targeted is, in fact, the lawful target and located at the place where the action will occur."

After the administration decided in 2013 to release more information about its counterterrorism operations, it released a general fact sheet laying out some of the objectives for such operations.
This newly released policy document, however, lays out in more detail the procedures for getting approval, who may be targeted and what guidelines must be followed.

A plan to go after terrorism targets must undergo a legal review by the agency that will conduct the operation, and then it goes to the members of the National Security Council before being presented to the President for his decision.

Among the guidelines, such information as the counterterrorism objective, duration of time for which the authority remains in force, the legal basis and the strike assets that may be employed must be included. Conditions must include a near certainty that the high value target or other lawful terror target is present and near certainty that non-combatants will not be injured or killed.

However, when dealing with lethal action against a previously designated high value target, a different procedure can be followed. If the target is a US citizen or someone living in the US, or if there is not unanimous agreement among the President's key national security officials regarding the nomination of the target, it will be submitted to the President for a decision.

However, the head of the nominating agency themselves can approve lethal action against a proposed individual if all of the major national security officials unanimously agree it should be undertaken, but the President has to be apprised of the decision.

"When the use of lethal action is deemed necessary, departments and agencies of the United States government must employ all reasonably available resources to ascertain the identity of the target so that action can taken," the policy states. It adds that for it to be approved, the plan must show "the individual's activities pose a continuing, imminent threat to US persons."

The policy calls for an annual review of individuals whom the US government has authorized for possible lethal action "to evaluate whether the intelligence continues to support a determination that the individuals (word redacted) qualify for lethal action."

The policy states that when the US is considering "potential direction against a US person" additional questions must be submitted to the Justice Department for review and "it must conduct a legal analysis to ensure that such action" is lawful and constitutional.

If there are differences of opinion about an operation between top-ranking members of the National Security Council, the PPG states, "The President will adjudicate any disagreement."

ACLU lawsuit prompted disclosure

The release comes as part of a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union and how the Obama administration has said it was to be more transparent regarding these types of operations.

"We welcome the release of these documents, and particularly the release of the Presidential Policy Guidance that has supplied the policy framework for the drone campaign since May 2013," ACLU Deputy Legal Director Jameel Jaffer said in a statement. He added, "The PPG should have been released three years ago, but its release now will inform an ongoing debate about the lawfulness and wisdom of the government's counterterrorism policies. The release of the PPG and related documents is also a timely reminder of the breadth of the powers that will soon be in the hands of another president."

National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said the policy outlines "the highest standard we can set" when it comes to using lethal force against a suspected terrorist target.

"Our counterterrorism actions are effective and legal, and their legitimacy is best demonstrated by making public more information about these actions as well as setting clear standards for other nations to follow," Price said.

Besides outlining the policies for drone strikes, this document also lays out what criteria needs to be followed for an operation to capture a terror suspect, such as whether it would further US strategy, the implications for broader regional and political interests of the US, whether the capture would interfere with any intelligence collection and the long-term disposition options for the person.
"In no event will additional detainees be brought to the detention facilities at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base," it says.

As part of its effort to include more transparency, the administration estimated last month that between 64 and 116 civilians died during the years 2009-2015 from US drone strikes outside of Iraq and Afghanistan. In the same time span, the administration said between 2,372 and 2,581 militants had been killed by drones.

CNN's Wes Bruer, Kevin Liptak and Samantha Reyes contributed to this report.

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Naval Today said:

Sea Hunter, the U.S. Navy’s unmanned anti submarine warfare vessel, has recently completed at-sea tests off the coast of San Diego, California.

Developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) under the Anti-Submarine Warfare Continuous Trail Unmanned Vessel (ACTUV) program, the vessel met or surpassed all performance objectives for speed, maneuverability, stability, seakeeping, acceleration/deceleration, and fuel consumption, as well as establishing confidence in mechanical systems reliability in an open-ocean environment, Leidos, a company involved involved in the vessel’s manufacturing has confirmed.

The completion of Sea Hunter’s performance trials is the first milestone in the two-year test program co-sponsored by DARPA and the Office of Naval Research. Testing in upcoming months is scheduled to include testing of sensors, the vessel’s autonomy suite, compliance with maritime collision regulations, and proof-of-concept demonstrations for a variety of U.S. Navy missions.

Back in April 2016, DARPA said the vessel reached a top speed of 27 knots (31 mph/50 kph) at its Oregon site.

The vessel has a number of unusual features because it does not need to accommodate people. For example, interior spaces are accessible for maintenance but aren’t designed to support a permanent crew.

According to DARPA, at-sea testing on a surrogate vessel, ACTUV’s autonomy suite has proven it is capable of operating the ship in compliance with maritime laws and conventions for safe navigation—including International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, or COLREGS.

ACTUV accomplishes this feat through advanced software and hardware that serve as automated lookouts, enabling the ship to operate safely near manned maritime vessels in all weather and traffic conditions, day or night.

The vessel was also developed at a fraction of the price of regular anti-submarine surface combatants. The fact that it would never have a man onboard will allow the vessel to match and exceed the speeds of submarines as the vessel would have reduced constraints on conventional naval architecture elements such as layout, accessibility, crew support systems, and reserve buoyancy.

In September 2014, DARPA signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Office of Naval Research to jointly fund an extended test phase of an ACTUV prototype.

DARPA will collaborate with ONR to fully test the capabilities of the vessel and several innovative payloads during open-water testing scheduled to begin this summer off the California coast after preliminary checkout and movement to San Diego.

In case everything goes according to plan, the program could transition to the U.S. Navy by 2018.

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Jura said:

... let's face it:
Navy report: Failure at every level for US ships captured by Iran

source:

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Navy Releases Results of Riverine Command Boat, Farsi Island Investigation
Story Number: NNS160630-08 Release Date: 6/30/2016 12:02:00 PM

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(inside it there's a link to the document etc.)

EDIT AGAIN
Nine face discipline for errors that led to U.S. sailors' Iranian arrest

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The officer in charge of the U.S. sailors who were captured and held by Iranian forces in January faces administrative punishment for his role in the incident, several defense officials have confirmed to USNI News.

Lt. David Nartker – previously assigned to Costal Riverine Squadron 3 — faces an unspecified punishment recommended by the commander of Naval Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) Rear Adm. Frank Morneau at admiral’s mast last week, USNI News has learned.

USNI News understands he faced multiple specifications under Article 92 – failure to obey an order or regulation — of the Uniformed Code Military Justice. A second unidentified officer — who was a staff officer with Task Force 56 — also appeared before Morneau and was not punished.

NECC would not confirm if Nartker went to mast, but issued a statement on the ongoing accountability actions following the incident.

“Four Navy officers went to admiral’s mast, two have been awarded a punitive letter of reprimand for violating Articles 90 (disobedience of a superior commissioned officer) and 92 (dereliction in the performance of duties) of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice; one Navy officer was found not guilty of violating Article 92 (dereliction in the performance of duties) of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice; and accountability actions for the fourth Navy officer have not yet been completed,” Lt. Cmdr Jennifer Cragg told USNI News.
“Two enlisted have been awarded a punitive letter of reprimand for violating Article 92 (dereliction in the performance of duties) of the Uniformed Code of Military Justice.”

Nartker’s reprimand is the last of a total of nine sailors who faced administrative punishment as a result of the January incident in which Nartker and nine other sailors on two riverine command boats were seized by Iranian Republican Guard less than two miles from the Iranian naval base on Farsi Island on the eve of the adoption of an international nuclear deal with Iran.

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found a pattern of behavior that contributed to multiple failures in adhering to standards and regulations up and down the chain of command – from the boat crews to the head of U.S. Central Command’s naval expeditionary Task Force 56.

Cmdr. Eric Rasch — the commander of the riverine squadron to which the two Riverine Command Boats belonged — was relieved in May. Capt. Kyle Moses, commander of Task Force 56,

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. An enlisted member of one of the two RCBs faced an administrative hearing but was not punished.

In July, four other sailors went to mast and were dealt administrative punishments. One unidentified officer was issued a punitive letter of reprimand for violating Article 90 — disobedience of a superior commissioned officer. Three enlisted sailors were issued punitive letters of reprimand for Article 92 violations — dereliction in the performance of duties, according to a statement from the service.

“In order to be a Navy that successfully maintains the trust and confidence of the American people, the chain of command and our sailors, we have an obligation to self-examine and hold ourselves accountable when necessary,” NECC commander Morneau said in a July statement.

‘I made the gamble that they were not going to kill us’
Shortly after the two RCBs departed Kuwait, the crews deviated from their planned course and were lost when one of the RCBs broke down. In the process of fixing the boat, the pair of RCBs came within sight of the Iranian Farsi Island in the middle of the Persian Gulf.

When the two RCBs were surrounded by IRGCN forces from naval base on the island, Nartker thought the then-pending nuclear agreement between Iran and the U.S. would prevent Iranian forces from treating his sailors harshly and was trying to prevent an international incident when he surrendered, according to a partial transcript of his interview with Navy investigators

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.

“We might have all been dead at that point in time. I didn’t want to start a war with Iran either. That was also on my mind. I didn’t want to start a war that would get people killed. My thought at the end of the day was that no one had to die for a misunderstanding,” Nartker told investigators
“I made the gamble that they were not going to kill us. I made the gamble that they’re not going to Tehran and parade us around like prisoners of war — because they want this nuke deal to go through.”

He went on to tell investigators, “what’s the commander’s intent here, the highest commander’s intent? The Commander-in-Chief would not want me to start a war over a mistake, over a misunderstanding.”

The crew was taken to the naval base, held and filmed in captivity. The resulting seizure resulted in Secretary of State John Kerry directly intervening to diffuse the international incident ahead of the culmination of the international nuclear deal.

In addition to the top-to-bottom look at the riverine units in CENTCOM, NECC is undergoing a separate review to see if the command adequately manned and equipped for the riverine mission.

“Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) is currently assessing assigned mission sets for expeditionary units, and is reviewing Coastal Riverine Force employments to determine whether the forces are effectively tasked within the capabilities and limitations of their boats as well as their training regimen,” the command said in a statement to USNI News in July.

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