

In his first substantive public comments about the fleet since assuming the job in May, Kenneth Braithwaite talks about carrier cuts, pumping up shipbuilding budget, and promises from Defense secretary Esper
By Paul McLeary
Headlines have celebrated the carrier’s new F-35s — but the Navy also added upgrades to the Vinson for the MQ-25 refueling drone, which could be a game-changer for future ops.
By Paul McLeary
Whether the ship can be repaired is a question Pentagon leaders will grapple with in coming weeks, along with discussions over the US presence in the Pacific, and the Navy’s modernization schedule.
By Paul McLeary
Monday may have marked a turning point for how the Navy, and perhaps the Pentagon, is dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, raising questions over how deeply it might cut into military operations and what toll it will take on military readiness and operations.
By Paul McLeary
ABOARD THE USS AMERICA: Somewhere near San Diego on the Pacific Ocean, the Marines have been putting F-35Bs and their pilots through a series of qualifications and tests with an eye to better understanding just how the small-deck carriers, the F-35s, V-22s and combat-ready Marines can best function together. With a careful eye on both China and…
By Colin Clark
WASHINGTON: So far it looks like an isolated incident, but the Marines at Beaufort Marine Air Station report an F-35B was damaged by a fire in its weapons bay during a training flight. The Oct. 27 aircraft mishap, first reported by my colleague Hope Hodge Seck at Military.com, has been tentatively classified as Type A, meaning…
By Colin ClarkA christening of a ship of the line is rare. When it happens, thoughts of how that ship might be used, where it might operate and how it might make new naval history are part of the excitement. This was clearly evident at the Oct. 20 christening of the USS America, the fourth ship of…
By Robbin Laird
80,000 Tons Of Innovation: USNS Montford Point, The Navy’s New Mobile Landing Platform
We attended the christening last week of the newest US Navy ship, an 80,000 ton (fully laden) vessel that is not an aircraft carrier. Instead, the USNS Montford Point is the first of a new class of Navy ships, a Mobile Landing Platform, in essence a deployed port at sea. The ship, built at General…
By Robbin Laird