Category Archives: USMC

The forgotten Hagaru-ri airlift

Posted on by One comment

Official period caption: “Astonished Marines of the 5th and 7th Regiments, who hurled back a surprise onslaught by three Chinese communist divisions, hear that they are to withdraw! Ca. December 1950.”

Photo by Sgt. Frank C. Kerr. (Marine Corps). NARA FILE #: 127-N-A4852

After four days of violent combat in late November 1950 against the PRC’s fresh 59th, 79th, and 89th divisions, the 5th and 7th Marines began a fighting withdrawal to Hagaru-ri, the division’s forward operating base, some 14 miles south, with an ultimate evacuation by sea at Hungnam, another very cold and hard 78 miles away.

Joined in Hagaru-ri by the Army’s badly mauled 31st Regimental Combat Team, one of the first large American aeromedical evacuations then took place with wounded removed by USAF and Marine C-47s and C-54s, as well as by Stinson OY-1 liaison aircraft, and Sikorsky HO3S-1 helicopters of Marine Observation Squadron (VMO) 6.

By the end of 5 December, the last full day of the Hagaru-ri airlift before the troops bugged out for Hungnam, an eye-popping 4,369 wounded Marines and Soldiers had been evacuated by the Combat Cargo Command in six days.

Corpsman offering canteen of water to wounded men aboard a Marine air evacuation transport departing an emergency air strip at Hagaru-ri to the rear area evacuation. USMC Photo No. A-130289, 127-GR-51-A130289, National Archives Identifier 74241240

Casualties are being put aboard evacuation planes at Hagaru-ri. From here, and later at Koto-ri, to the South, an estimated 4,800 wounded men were snatched from death and flown back to safety and hospitalization. USMC Photo by T/Sgt, Royce V. Jobe, No. A-130281. 127-GR-51-A130281. National Archives Identifier 74241237

The battered 1st Marine Division reached the port of Hungnam on 11 December, and evacuation by 193 assembled Task Force 90 ships commenced through Christmas Eve, by which time some 100,000 UN troops and another 98,000 Nork refugees had been taken off by sealift.

Chosin Thanksgiving

Posted on by One comment

75 years ago.

Official caption: Thanksgiving Turkey is prepared for members of the Camp Pendleton-based “Fighting Fifth” Marine Regiment near the Chosin Reservoir of North Korea, 21 November 1950.

At this stage, a lot of folks thought the Korean Campaign was a wrap with “home by Christmas” talk being thrown around.

Marine Photo A4975 by Sgt FC Kerr, National Archives Identifier 74242756

The Battle of the Chosin Reservoir/Battle of Lake Changjin would kick off just six days after the happy image above was snapped.

Lasting approximately 17 days, it pitted 120,000 enemy Chinese “volunteers” of the Red 9th Army against a force of just 30,000, mostly Marines (primarily of the 1st Marine Division’s 5th, 7th and 11th Marines augmented by the British 41 Commando RM and assigned Sailors) as well as a smattering of Soldiers from the 3rd and 7th Army Infantry Divisions.

This, as an estimated 300,000 Chinese poured across the Yalu, forced MacArthur to notify Washington, “We face an entirely new war.”

Amphibious Bottom Lines and Expeditionary Wishes

Posted on by One comment

The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) conducts flight operations while the ship transits the Tsushima Strait, Sept. 18, 2024. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class James Finney)

In case you missed it, Gen. Eric Smith, the 39th Commandant of the Marine Corps, recently came out and publicly reiterated that the Corps has to maintain three deployed Marine Expeditionary Units aboard Navy afloat Amphibious Ready Groups— the classic ARG/MEU combo — for sustained deterrence and global response.

Which is refreshing.

The Corps’ North Star must remain a steady 3.0 ARG/MEU presence: three continuous, three-amphibious warship formations forward deployed—one from the East Coast, one from the West, and one patrolling from Okinawa, Japan. (If you ask our combatant commanders what they need, the answer isn’t a total of three ARG/MEUs; it’s closer to five or six.) 3.0 is the minimum required to provide our nation and the Joint Force with a capability that can serve as both a warfighting formation and a cross-service integrator. It’s what keeps pressure on our adversaries, supports the maritime fight, and gives combatant commanders and national decision makers scalable options they can employ without delay to buy time, create decision-space, and if required to do so, be first to fight.

Seven standing MEUs routinely deploy.

They include the CONUS-based 11th, 13th, and 15th MEUs on the West Coast (of I Marine Expeditionary Force/1st Marine Division based at Camps Pendleton/29 Palms).

And the 22d, 24th, and 26th MEUs on the East Coast (of the II MEF/2nd Marine Division based at Camp Lejeune).

The 31st MEU is forward assigned and located in Okinawa, part of the III MEF/3rd MarDiv.

The problem is that, while the Marines may have seven MEUs and three divisions on paper, they only have 19 active duty infantry battalions, grouped in five full-strength (3 bn) and two understrength (2 bn) regiments, to flesh them out. Each of the regiments has its own HHC and logistics battalion.

Pendleton/29 Palms has 11 infantry battalions: the three battalion-strong 1st, 5th, and 7th Marine Regiments, as well as 2nd Bn/4th Marines, and 3/4th. Lejeune has eight infantry battalions: the full three-battalion 2nd and 6th Marine Regiments, along with 1/8th and 2/8th. The reason why Pendleton has three more battalions than Lejeune is that they forward deploy three battalions rotationally to III MEF/3rd MarDiv to Okinawa/Darwin, Australia (one of which forms the 31st MEU).

III MEF/3rd MarDiv also includes the Corps’ two 1,800-man MLRs: 3rd Marine Littoral Regiment (formerly the historic 3rd Marine Regiment, from 1914 through 2022) and the 12th Marine Littoral Regiment (formerly the 12th Marine Regiment, from 1927-45 & 1952-2023). These missile-armed Westpac Marines will be the so-called “Stand in Force” designed to give the Chinese navy heartburn from remote forward locations.

U.S. Marines and Sailors with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, pose for a unit photo before a ceremony on Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Nov. 26, 2024. At the ceremony, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division officially received the Navy/Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System from Marine Corps Systems Command, becoming the first U.S. Marine Corps unit to field the system. The NMESIS provides 3d MLR with enhanced sea denial capabilities and maritime lethality. (U.S. Marine Corps photo illustration by Sgt. Jacqueline C. Parsons) (This image was created using photo merging techniques.)

Plus, each of the three active MarDivs has a dedicated HQ, Recon, LAV, Landing Support, Supply, Transportation Support, Medical, and Dental battalions, as well as fires, amtrac, and engineer units.

So, with three deployed MEUs, basic 1:3 workup logic (one deployed, three recovering/rebuilding/working up) would make it obvious that the Marines need at least 12 infantry battalions to support them. The five “extra” battalions leave a slim elasticity for fly-out operations and reinforcement. Gratefully, the 4th Marine Regiment, which was scheduled to be reorganized into the 4th MLR in 2027, will stay infantry, “preserving its core mission while preparing to respond to potential crisis and conflict.”

The October Force Design update from the Commandant noted, “We determined through the Campaign of Learning that two MLRs and one reinforced Marine Infantry Regiment in III MEF is the optimal force composition to meet III MEF’s missions and objectives.”

Bottom line meant that turning the 4th Marines into 4th MLR would have made the 31st MEU untenable.

So it’s a good sign that Force Design 2030 is holding at two rather than three MLRs, as it at least preserves the ability to put 3 MEUs in play around the world while having a modicum of reserve infantry battalions on hand.

Now, as far as the ARG part of the equation, each MEU is built around three ships (LHA/LHD and two LSD/LPDs), which means that, on a 36-month 1:2 workup/availability basis, the Navy would need to have a theoretical 9 LHD/LHAs and 27 LSD/LPDs (36 hulls) to keep the necessary 3.0 MEUs at sea. Actual figures are 9 LHD/LHAs, 10 LSDs, and 13 LPDs: 32 hulls, just one more than the Congress-mandated minimum of 31 ships.

The Navy has an up with Forward Deployed Naval Forces Japan (FDNF-J), which has three ‘phibs in Sasebo: USS San Diego (LPD 22), New Orleans (LPD 18), and Rushmore (LSD 47), that deploy with 31st MEU, typically underway for 2-3 months, in port for 2-3 months, and then out to sea for again for another 2-3 months, etc. But that still leaves them on the hook for the East and West Coast ARGs, and (6 working LHA/LHDs and 18 LPD/LSDs), however, with those hulls having something like a 50 percent availability for ships in “satisfactory” material condition, that’s a problem.

Worse, the LSDs are retiring, and incoming LPD numbers are not sufficient to replace them on a hull-for-hull basis.

Sure, the Navy is working on bumping up those numbers, but it is still an issue, and one that will get worse before it gets better.

Further, as any potential maintenance issue with the FDNF-J’s phibs could leave the 31st MEU hanging, Commandant Smith is asking the Navy to stage five gators from Sasebo to ensure three are ready to deploy at the drop of a hat or already underway. Yes, that would give 31st MEU some insurance, but it would have to come at the price of those other two deployed MEU/ARG combos.

Plus, while the Marines have two MLRs standing up, the Navy still doesn’t have the sealift to carry them to short, so there’s that.

Bat ‘Truders

Posted on by Leave a comment

How about this great shot some 50 years ago today, showing a quartet of full-color Grumman A-6A Intruder aircraft (BuNo 155623, 155624, 155625, 157014) of U.S. Marine Corps All-Weather Medium Attack Squadron (VMA(AW)) 242 flying in echelon formation on 21 November 1975.

Photo by Sgt. C. Quinn, USMC, VIRIN: DM-SC-84-04345

Commissioned on 1 July 1943 at MCAS El Centro, California as Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron (VMTB) 242 with an insignia that included Bugs Bunny riding a torpedo, the squadron flew TBM Avengers throughout the Westpac in the last 20 months of the war, operating from bases ranging from the Solomons to Iwo Jima.

Inactivated post-war and stood back up in 1960, they first flew Skyhawks and then Intruders, stacking up a tally of 16,783 combat sorties delivering 85,990 tons of ordnance in successive tours in Vietnam, where they switched to the “Bats” nickname. One of the last Marine A-6 squadrons, they only transitioned to the F/A-18D Hornet in 1990, which they used to great effect in air support missions in Iraq in 2005.

Today, the Bats of VMFA-242 operate F-35Bs tasked to MAG-12 (1st MAW) out of MCAS Iwakuni. Of note, while they started off looking for Japanese carriers to sink in 1944, the unit recently was the first F-35 squadron to conduct operational testing on the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter carrier JS Izumo, the country’s first “big deck” fixed-wing carrier since WWII.

There are Many Like It: Marine History in 18 Rifles

Posted on by Leave a comment

U.S. Marine Corps photo by Sgt. James Stanfield/Released 250703-M-BD822-1020

With the Marines’ 250th birthday last week, this amazing presentation by Sgt. James Stanfield, Headquarters Marine Corps, working in conjunction with Jonathan Bernstein, the Arms & Armor Curator at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia, is really outstanding.

The in-depth article covers each of the Corps’ rifles in turn, everything from the Sea Service Brown Bess carried by the “Tun Tavern” Continental Marines to the assorted Springfields, and then to the U.S. Model 1895 Winchester-Lee straight-pull rifle, before moving on to more modern arms like the M1903, M1 Garand, M14, M16A1/A2/A4, M4A1, and today’s HK M27.

Enjoy!

Guadalcanal Arms List

Posted on by Leave a comment

Weapons on hand for the 5th Marines, 9 November 1942, at Guadalcanal, including an interesting collection of H&R Reising submachine guns, M1928 Tommy guns, M1903 Springfields, M1911s, and Mr. Browning’s assorted .30-06 machine gun designs in M1917, M1918, and M1919 variants. Also noted are 28 beefy .50 cals, eight Lewis guns, and a whopping six Garands.

Beyond the above arsenal, of course, today is the 250th anniversary of the Corps.

Birthday message, narrated by the current Punisher, follows:

Marine Experimental Recon, Narco Boats Break Cover during UNITAS

Posted on by One comment

Looking back over the huge photo dump from the recent UNITAS 2025 exercise– which has been trucking along annually since 1960– a somewhat composite view arises of the Marine’s new Maritime Reconnaissance Companies (MRC), and the drone supply boats it looks to use to supply its pair of expeditionary Marine Littoral Regiments in forward, likely isolated, islands in the Western Pacific.

I present to you the carbon-fiber hulled Whiskey Bravo boat in operation, utilizing a tire-clad, retired USCG 87-foot Marine Protector-class patrol boat as the target for a training VBSS team. In Marine use, the 40-foot Australian-built Whiskey Bravo is referred to as the more official Multi-Mission Reconnaissance Craft, or MMRC.

U.S. Marines with 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division and marines with Batallón de Infantería de Marina, Armada de la República Dominicana, (marine Infantry Battalion within the Dominican navy) board a moving ship while on Multi Mission Reconnaissance Craft-A littoral craft, to conduct visit, board, search and seizure training during exercise UNITAS 2025 Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Sept. 23, 2025.

U.S. Marines with 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, prepare to visit, board, search, and seize a vessel during exercise UNITAS 2025 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Sept. 24, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Michail Stankosky)

U.S. Marines with 4th Assault Amphibian Battalion, 4th Marine Division, prepare to visit, board, search, and seize a vessel during exercise UNITAS 2025 at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina, Sept. 24, 2025. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Michail Stankosky)

The Whiskey Bravo accommodates up to six operators seated on shock-absorbing seats and two crew members at the forward control console.

It can carry twin 4-round Rafael (Lockheed) Spike NLOS canister launchers on the stern (17nm range and a Mini-Typhoon remote-controlled stabilized .50 cal up front.

Without the armament, it can carry as many as 17 combat-loaded troops for short stints. The boat can be rushed to a forward area via C-17 and is air-droppable. Further, the WB can be optionally manned, controlled instead via remote datalink.

A take on how it could be employed.

As described in a November 2024 Proceedings piece by Lt.Col Brian Lusczynski, three active and perhaps one reserve Maritime Reconnaissance Companies will be established, each with 18 Whiskey Bravo boats (MMRCs) and 12 unnamed USV types.

Within a Marine division, the MRC will fall under a parent O-5 command such as the future mobile reconnaissance battalions (which are replacing the light armored reconnaissance units). Each MRC will consist of a headquarters element and three maneuver platoons operating MMRCs and USVs. Each platoon will comprise a headquarters element and three maneuver sections, with each section consisting of two MMRCs and two USVs.

Next, we have the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel, or ALPV, which takes the nearly awash “narco sub” concept long used to run all sorts of contraband and options it for remote use to carry supplies to calm little lagoons right under the eyes of the PLAN.

It has been tested out by the Logistics Battalions of the Marine Littoral Regiments, and is described as “a semi-submersible autonomous logistics delivery system that has the ability to deliver multiple variations of supplies and equipment through contested maritime terrain.”

An autonomous low-profile vessel assigned to 2nd Distribution Support Battalion, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, pulls out of Mile Hammock Bay during exercise UNITAS 2025 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 15, 2025. 2nd MLG is working with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to experiment with the ALPV for a more lethal, agile, and resilient capability while conducting expeditionary advanced base operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo Lance Cpl. Franco Lewis)

U.S. Marines with Maritime Distribution Platoon, 2nd Distribution Support Battalion, Combat Logistics Regiment 2 open an autonomous low-profile vessel for refueling operations during exercise UNITAS 2025 at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, Sept. 18, 2025. 2nd Marine Logistics Group is working with the Marine Corps Warfighting Lab to experiment with the ALPV for a more lethal, agile, and resilient capability while conducting expeditionary advanced base operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo Sgt. Rafael Brambila-Pelayo)

ALPV has also been seen recently underway in Okinawa.

The Marine Corps tested the Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel (ALPV) during exercise Resolute Dragon 2025 (RD25), in Okinawa, Japan, and surrounding outlying islands. The ALPV is an autonomous logistics delivery system that can be configured to deliver multiple variations of supplies and equipment throughout the littorals. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Connor Taggart)

And a recent view of the cargo capability of the 65-foot ALPV, which seems to have several pallet-sized cargo holds.

The concept of getting some diesel, a few pallets of MREs and water, plus extra batteries and an assortment of lickies and chewies, shipped quietly into a forward atoll, could be a realistic way to keep isolated garrisons fed and semi-happy.

U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Conor Bassham, left, a metal worker and Sgt. Daymion Noisewater, a small craft mechanic with Combat Logistics Battalion 8, Combat Logistics Regiment 2, 2nd Marine Logistics Group, guides cargo onto an Autonomous Low-Profile Vessel during a concept of operations test at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, April 23, 2025. The ALPV is an autonomous logistics delivery system that the Marine Corps is testing to resupply a dispersed lethal fighting force discreetly and allow those operating in the littorals to be more sustainable, resilient, and survivable, both in competition and in conflict. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Christian Salazar)

Meanwhile, the 16-foot Blacksea GARC was also seen sporting around during UNITAS.

250923-N-N3764-1097. ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sep. 23, 2025) A U.S. Navy Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) maneuvers in the Atlantic Ocean during UNITAS 2025, the 66th iteration of the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise. Unmanned and remotely operated vehicles and vessels extend the capability of interconnected manned platform sensors to enhance capacity across the multinational force. (Official U.S. Navy photo)

250923-N-N3764-1077 ATLANTIC OCEAN (Sep. 23, 2025) A U.S. Navy Global Autonomous Reconnaissance Craft (GARC) maneuvers in the Atlantic Ocean during UNITAS 2025, the 66th iteration of the world’s longest-running multinational maritime exercise. Unmanned and remotely operated vehicles and vessels extend the capability of interconnected manned platform sensors to enhance capacity across the multinational force. (Official U.S. Navy photo)

It seems like it’s all coming together.

Beretta gives the Guadalcanal Raiders a Salute in Frogskin

Posted on by Leave a comment

Beretta has debuted a new configuration of the A300 Ultima Patrol semi-auto 12 gauge platform in two editions, just in time for the Marine Corps’ 250th Birthday.

Built to honor 250 years of the nation’s go-to amphibious corps, the Patrol Raider is clad in a nostalgic yet functional “Frogskin” camo pattern akin to that worn by Marine Raiders as they fought across the Pacific Theater in World War II.

USMC Raiders in frogskin camo Guadalcanal
First carried ashore by Marine Raiders on Guadalcanal, Frogskin was one of the earliest attempts at issuing individual disruptive camouflage uniforms in combat and remained in limited use as late as Vietnam. (Photos: National Archives). 
Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Raider
The new A300 Ultima Patrol Raider includes a bayonet mount, enlarged controls, ample accessory mounts via multiple M-Lok mounting points, aggressive texturing in grip areas, and a 7+1-shot extended magazine tube. Weight is 7.9 pounds, unloaded, while the length of pull is 13 inches and includes a half-inch recoil pad.  (Photos unless noted: Beretta)
Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Raider
It has a 19.1-inch barrel with a Mobil choke and an overall length of 38 inches. 
Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Raider Commemorative Edition
A limited A300 Ultima Patrol Raider Commemorative Edition includes an Ontario OKC 3S bayonet, which is current-issue to the Marines, along with a custom wooden ammo crate display case. 
Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Raider Commemorative Edition Ontario bayonet
Beretta details that the bayonet mount reflects the shotgun’s historical role in close-quarters combat, going back to Marine units in World War I, offering added authenticity and appeal for collectors and enthusiasts of military heritage.

The standard Beretta A300 Ultima Patrol Raider has an MSRP of $1,399 while the Commemorative Edition, of which just 250 will be made, runs $2,499.

“The United States Marine Corps’ 250th anniversary is a historic milestone, and we wanted to create something that truly celebrates their legacy,” said Caleb McMillen, Sr. Product Manager at Beretta USA. “The A300 Ultima Patrol Raider is more than a shotgun. It’s a tribute to 250 years of honor, courage, and commitment. By blending battlefield heritage with modern performance, we’re proud to offer both a commemorative edition and a mission-ready configuration that salute America’s Finest Fighting Force.”

A Great Idea, Perhaps Horribly Implemented

Posted on by One comment

As you may have heard, President Trump and Finnish Prime Minister Keir Starmer had a 45-minute public post-NATO joining hug fest at the White House on Thursday. A big result, of importance to us, is an announcement that a wild consortium of folks who should know how to make icebreakers has been selected for the $9 billion design and construction of six Arctic Security Cutters (ASC) for the USCG to a basically existing design.

Eighty percent of the world’s icebreakers are designed in Finland, and 60 percent of them are built there.

The group is made up of Bollinger Shipyards, in partnership with Finland’s Rauma Marine Constructions (Rauma) and Aker Arctic Technology Inc. (Aker Arctic), along with Canada’s Seaspan Shipyards (Seaspan).

At first glance, this should be a good thing as Bollinger has been aces when it comes to making Dutch Damen-designed patrol boats in their Louisiana yards for the USCG going back to the 1980s, including the 110-foot Islands, the 87-foot Marine Protector, and the 158-foot Sentinel classes. In fact, Bollinger has delivered 186 vessels to the Coast Guard– that work– in the past 40 years. However, their three planned 23,000-ton USCG Polar Security Cutter heavy polar icebreakers, inherited when they bought Halter in Mississippi, have been plagued with issues.

Rauma delivered three well-made and successful 10,000-ton multi-purpose icebreakers in the 1990s to Arctia Oy, the state-owned company responsible for operating the Finnish icebreaker fleet. This was followed by the 24,000 icebreaking passenger ferry Aurora Botnia in 2021. Further, they have four Pohjanmaa-class multi-purpose frigates currently under construction for the Finnish Navy that are to be capable of operating in ice.

Aker is a Finnish firm that has spent the past 20 years designing icebreakers to the most modern standards.

Vancouver-based Seaspan has been around since 1970 and has produced dozens of commercial tugs and ferries, and as of late has pulled down several RCN/CCG contracts, including for the 20,000-ton Protecteur class AOEs (based on a successful design used by the German Navy) and the 26,000-ton icebreaker CCGS Arpatuuq. Both of the latter contracts have suffered from considerable delays. Speaking of delays, Seaspan just started sea trials on the ice-capable oceanographic ship CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk whose budget jumped more than tenfold from CAD$109 million to CAD$1.47 billion (not a misprint), has dragged out way past the expected delivery date, and has been under construction for the past 10 years.

The Seaspan-built CCGS Naalak Nappaaluk was ordered in 2015 and only recently began sea trials, at 10X the original budget.

Seaspan has also pulled down the Canadian Coast Guard contract for up to 16 Aker-designed 8,987-ton, 327-foot multi-purpose icebreakers (MPI), which are intended to revitalize the CCG’s fleet. Capable of icebreaking (polar class 4), SAR, sovereignty patrols, fishery patrol, and ATON, the project is estimated to cost $14.2 billion, but the first vessel isn’t to be delivered until 2030.

The Seaspan MPIs for the CCG have a large forward crane and cargo hold with excess deck capacity, a helicopter hangar, two utility craft, and the capability to operate RHIBs. Capable of 16 knots with a diesel-electric suite that allows for a 12,000nm/60-day endurance, they only need a 50-person crew.

The CCG MPIs:

What the USCG is supposed to be getting…

So, the agreement this week is for six Arctic Security Cutters, based on the Seaspan-Aker MPI design for the CCG. The first three vessels will be built simultaneously by Rauma in Finland and Bollinger in the U.S. (likely at the old Halter yard in Mississippi), with production of the remaining three vessels to be built in the U.S., while Seaspan and Aker will assist.

Delivery of the first three vessels is expected within 36 months of the contract award. That means they are expected before the first Canadian-built MPI, which they are based on, will be delivered. Now that is putting a lot of faith in Rauma and Bollinger.

The difference between the CCG MPI and the images of the planned Bollinger-Rauma ASC seems few, with the large crane deleted, an MK 38 Mod 2/3 gun forward, four M2 .50 cals on the bridge wings, and an MH-60T on the helicopter deck.

Keep in mind the forward cargo deck is to be left open to allow for eight 40-foot ISO cargo containers, which could host the Mk 70 Mod 1 Payload Delivery System– the Typhon SMRF— which holds four strike-length VLS launchers on an internal erector. While the ASC doesn’t have the radars and fire control to push a SM-6 (unlessed linked to a DDG/CG), she could theoretically carry a mix of up to 32 vertical launch ASROC (cued by MH60 LAMPS), TLAMs, or anti-ship Tomahawks in such launchers.

That’s interesting.

Of course, I would like a 57mm Mk 110 (or even a 5-incher) forward, and at least a CIWS or Sea-Ram aft, in addition to the Mk 70 possibilities, but that’s just me.

I hope it all works out.

Warship Comings and Goings

Posted on by Leave a comment

The past week has been a very busy one when it comes to new warships coming online and old ones getting the (sometimes hard) goodbye.

Comings

The future Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ted Stevens (DDG 128), equipped with the new-to-the-fleet AN/SPY-6 (V)1 radar and Aegis Baseline 10 Combat System, recently completed her builder’s sea trials. 

Stevens will be commissioned in Alaska in May or June 2026 as she honors the former senator from that state.

Ingalls delivered the first Flight III, USS Jack H. Lucas (DDG 125), in June 2023 and has five others under construction. In all seriousness, these should probably be re-classified as Lucas-class cruisers (CG) as they are stepping into the AAW boss role in carrier battle groups left vacant by the retirement of the Ticonderogas.

Speaking of Flight III Burkes, the future USS Louis H. Wilson Jr (DDG 126) was christened on Bath Iron Works’ drydock over the weekend.

She was sponsored and christened by the daughter of Mississippi-born General Louis H. Wilson Jr., USMC, who served as the Twenty-Sixth Commandant of the Marine Corps during its immediate post-Vietnam rebuilding process. Wilson was no slouch when it came to valor, having earned a MoH while leading a rifle company of the Ninth Marines on Guam in 1944 at the ripe old age of 24.

When it comes to another storied WWII vet, the 82-year-old Gato-class fleet boat USS Cobia (SS-245) is looking great after a dry docking at Fincantieri shipyard. Among other things, she has blasted, primed, and coated with 1,945 gallons of paint, and her sea chests have been cleared of mussels and blanked off with metal plates. A leak was also found in main ballast tank 2, which was drained, cleaned, and repaired.

Her $1.5 million refresh is scheduled to take six weeks and keep her ship-shape for another 25 years, after which she will go back on display at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc around mid-October.

Cobia was last dry-docked in the fall of 1996, which tracks.

Goings

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) was officially decommissioned during a ceremony onboard Naval Station Norfolk on Sept. 25, 2025. Commissioned in 1989, she has given 36 years of hard service and is the second U.S. Navy warship to carry the name.

Now, only seven of the 27 Ticos are still in active service, with another 15, all decommissioned since 2022, nominally in the Reserve Fleet. Five earlier non-VLS Ticos have all been disposed of.

Finally, the retired Norwegian Olso-class (modified Dealy class DEs) frigate KNM Bergen (F301) was disposed of in a sinkex off the coast of her homeland last month.

There is some confusion over whether she was sunk by a torpedo from the Ula-class submarine KNM Uthaug (S 304) or a Quickstrike delivered by a visiting USAF B-2. As some of the photos released by the Norwegian Navy are clearly taken via periscope, it may be a combination of the two.

It is known that a visiting B-2A “Spirit of Indiana” (82-1069), accompanied by a Royal Norwegian Air Force F-35A Lightning II and P-8A Poseidon aircraft, did use a 2,000-pound class GBU-31 JDAM (Quicksink variant) against “a maritime target” off Andøya in the Norwegian Sea, on 3 September, so this may have been against ex-Bergen.

Either way, it was a dramatic end to the 2,000-ton frigate, which served faithfully on the front lines of the Cold War from 1967 to 2005.

« Older Entries Recent Entries »