DECEMBER 23, 2021 - Vice Adm. W. R. Merz, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy, OPNAV N3/N5, released NAVADMIN 289/21 today, encouraging all Active and Reserve Component Navy personnel to obtain a COVID-19 booster shot. The new NAVADMIN indicates that while a booster is not currently mandatory, Navy leadership anticipates that it may become so … [Read more...]

DECEMBER 23, 2021 - U.S. 5th Fleet ships seized approximately 1,400 AK-47 assault rifles and 226,600 rounds of ammunition from a stateless fishing vessel during a flag verification boarding in accordance with customary international law in the North Arabian Sea, Dec. 20. U.S. Navy patrol coastal ships USS Tempest (PC 2) and USS Typhoon (PC 5) found the weapons during a … [Read more...]

One of the technologies tested during the event was Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Pacific’s Cooperative Autonomous Systems for Standoff Maritime Inspection and Response (CASSMIR). CASSMIR uses unmanned surface vehicles (USV) to autonomously support remotely operated vehicles (ROV) for in water reconnaissance, investigation, manipulation, recovery or neutralization of … [Read more...]

Boeing employees run diagnostics on the Boeing unmanned MQ-25 aircraft on the flight deck aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77). The MQ-25 will be the worlds first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft and is integral to the future carrier air wing (CVW). It will provide an aerial refueling capability that extends the range, operational capability and … [Read more...]

DECEMBER 15, 2021 - After 26 years, the Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) is officially ending its Afloat Personal Telecommunications Service (APTS) on Dec. 31, 2021. APTS provided personal calling on board select deployed U.S. Navy ships, using high quality satellite connectivity. Phone service will continue to be provided for ships deployed by Dec. 31, 2021. “It … [Read more...]