SECNAV Del Toro Meets with Wisconsin Governor, Michigan Cabinet, and Leadership of Fincantieri Marinette Marine

April 17, 2024

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro and senior members of his staff met with Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, members of Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s cabinet, and the leadership of Fincantieri Marinette Marine to coalesce federal, state, and local initiatives to ensure timely completion and delivery of the Constellation-class frigate.

SECNAV Del Toro Meets with Wisconsin Governor, Michigan Cabinet, and Leadership of Fincantieri Marinette Marine

Previously:

Constellation Frigate Delivery Delayed 3 Years, Says Navy

‘Desperate’ US Seeks Japan’s & South Korea’s Help To Restart Its Defunct Shipyards; Keep Pace With China

USS Beloit prepares for launch

USS Beloit prepares for launch, City of Beloit filled with pride

“This community has had a long history of supporting the military through Fairbanks Morse defense and they make many of the engines that go in Navy ships and they had significant support during World War II, said Sarah Lock, Director of Strategic Communications for the City of Beloit. “For a town of under 37,000 people, to have our name on a Navy ship around the world is incredible.”

History:

Read More »

Littoral Combat Ship Still Fighting to Prove Its Worth

The Littoral Combat Ship was meant to start the Navy’s operational renaissance. But a chorus of naysayers and critics have put service leaders on the defensive, insisting that the troubled program has turned a corner.

Littoral Combat Ship Still Fighting to Prove Its Worth

They’ve increased the crew size and have been training them to maintain the ships themselves rather than relying on the original contractors. 

Related:

The Littoral Combat Ship: How We Got Here, and Why (PDF)

Littoral Combat Ship: Actions Needed to Address Significant Operational Challenges and Implement Planned Sustainment Approach

USNI Proceedings PodcastLittoral Combat Ships: How the Navy is Employing Them (Ted LeClair, Marc Crawford, Mark Haney)

Previously:

The Inside Story of How the Navy Spent Billions on the “Little Crappy Ship”

The Navy just launched a brand new ship it doesn’t even want

Constellation Frigate Delivery Delayed 3 Years, Says Navy

Full video

THE PENTAGON – The lead ship in a new class of guided-missile frigates for the U.S. Navy may be up to three years late, USNI News has learned.
Constellation (FFG-62), under construction at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Wisconsin, may not deliver to the fleet until 2029, three years later than the original 2026 delivery goal, according to a service shipbuilding review.

Constellation Frigate Delivery Delayed 3 Years, Says Navy

Reading Update: 03-08-2024a

I was able to listen to two Chapters of Capitalism and Disability, earlier. I’ve been experiencing quite a bit of pain, lately. When I’m in pain, I can’t concentrate, so I didn’t even attempt to read The Origin of the Family, Private Property and the State. Hopefully, the pain subsides some, soon.

Goodreads

In other news, I found this funny. Fairbanks Morse Defense isn’t far from me, so I liked their Facebook page to stay up-to-date. They make engines for naval vessels. The Little Crappy Ships are the only ones that I’m aware of (one reason why I’m interested in them). In fact, those ships were made at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard up North. Someday, I’ll have to look into Fairbanks Morse’s history.

Anyway, good night or morning, depending on your sleep schedule.

New SWOBOSS Wants More Directed Energy Weapons on Warships as Low-Cost Threats Expand

Full video.

ARLINGTON, Va. – The new head of Naval Surfaces Force wants to accelerate the installation of directed energy weapons on surface warships, as the Navy grapples with low-cost, long-range attack drones proliferating widely in places like the busy commercial shipping lanes of the Middle East.

New SWOBOSS Wants More Directed Energy Weapons on Warships as Low-Cost Threats Expand

All aboard the gravy train: an independent audit of US funding for Ukraine

In the absence of official scrutiny of Washington’s spending spree on Ukraine, The Grayzone conducted an independent audit of US funding for the country. We discovered a series of wasteful, highly unusual expenditures the Biden administration has yet to explain.

All aboard the gravy train: an independent audit of US funding for Ukraine

Threats to international peace and security – Security Council, 9364th meeting

House Republicans Propose The Study Of An Oil Naval Blockade Of China

The House of Representatives is discussing a move that would effectively amount to an act of war if carried out: a naval blockade on China.

House Republicans Propose The Study Of An Oil Naval Blockade Of China

The following is outdated, especially considering the problems with the US Navy’s LCS ships, but I thought that the bold quote was interesting. I highly doubt that Russia would ever submit to the US!

Related:

[2013] Stranglehold: The Context, Conduct and Consequences of an American Naval Blockade of China

In short, Russia would not only be China’s best hope of overcoming an American blockade, but it would also be the United States’ key to closing China’s transit route through Central Asia and preventing China’s two neighboring oil producers from supplying it with petroleum. In an American blockade of China, Russia’s importance as a swing state cannot be overstated, as is borne out by the observation that “no blockade of China in history has succeeded without Russian acquiescence.”