Welcome to the CavasShips Podcast with Christopher P. Cavas and Chris Servello…a weekly podcast looking at naval and maritime events and issues of the day – in the US, across the seas and around the world. This week…A littoral combat ship launches a powerful Standard SM-6 missile for the first time while another LCS shepherds the largest-ever deployment of unmanned surface vessels – all while the US Navy’s medium and large-scale unmanned surface vessel programs are stalled. The Americans and Chinese have a larger-than-usual number of ships at sea – but is it a surge or just a coincidence? And the Marinette group of shipyard in Wisconsin has built up, modernized, and is getting set to swing into full-scale frigate production. We’ll discuss some of the things we saw in our recent visit.
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This Week’s Naval Round Up:
Movements of naval ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea continued as several countries positioned forces to assist in any large-scale civilian evacuations should the Israeli-Hamas war widen. On October 27 the US amphibious ships BATAAN and CARTER HALL, carrying elements of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit, passed northbound through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait to enter the Red Sea, even as the third ship of the BATAAN Amphibious Ready Group, the landing ship dock MESA VERDE, is thought to be moving to the eastern Mediterranean. On October 26 the US destroyer ROOSEVELT passed south through the Suez Canal to enter the Red Sea from the North; the US destroyer CARNEY, which shot down three Houthi-launched cruise missiles on October 19, is thought to be operating in the southern Red Sea region to provide cover to the BATAAN and CARTER HALL. The large French assault ship TONNERRE loaded with helicopters left the Toulon naval base October 25 to head to the region, joined by the frigates ALSACE and SURCOUF. Britain already has sent two ships to the Eastern Med. All as diplomatic efforts continue to try and dissuade Israel from launching a full ground invasion of Gaza.
Confrontations between China and the Philippines continued in the South China Sea. On October 22 the Chinese Coast Guard vessel 5203 bumped a Philippine vessel trying to resupply the stationary ship SIERRA MADRE on Second Thomas Shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands; the Philippine government said the incident took place about 13 and a half nautical miles from the SIERRA MADRE. Also during the resupply mission, the Philippine Coast Guard vessel CABRA was bumped by the Chinese Maritime Militia vessel 00003 about six and a half nautical miles from the SIERRA MADRE, according to the Philippine government statement. The resupply mission to the SIERRA MADRE included two Filipino Coast Guard ships escorting two supply ships. China issued a statement saying the moves were made because the Filipino supply ships were carrying building materials in addition to food and living supplies. On October 27 the United States, which has a Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines, issued a statement reaffirming U.S. support for the Philippines after the bumping incidents. And on October 28 the US carrier RONALD REAGAN with the cruisers ANTIETAM arrived at Manila in the Philippines for a port visit.
Norway will become the 9th country to operate the advanced MH-60R multi-mission Seahawk helicopter after a $364.3 million Foreign Military Sales order by the US government announced on October 26. Sikorsky will produce 6 “Romeos” for Norway’s Navy by July 2027. This follows by two weeks an order for 8 MH-60Rs for Spain.
The Times of London first reported on October 23 that the British Royal Navy is ending a long-standing tradition of employing Chinese laundrymen aboard its ships due to security concerns. While the number of Chinese citizens affected is not clear, at least four are remaining in place, having passed a security review. British media have reported the dismissed Chinese are being replaced with Nepali Gurkhas. First Sea Lord Admiral Alan West was quoted by The Sun, saying, “If it is a question of security, the Navy has no choice. But it’s sad as Chinese laundrymen have fought wars with us, some have died for us.”
The littoral combat ship USS MARINETTE LCS 25, which sailed away from its building yard at Marinette, Wisconsin on October 19, is held up at Cleveland, Ohio on Lake Erie while a strike of Canadian workers against the Saint Lawrence Seaway has closed the Welland Canal locks the ship needs to get through to reach the Atlantic Ocean. Negotiations between the striking Unifor union and the Seaway Management Corporation were to resume October 27. Thirteen locks that control access along the Saint Lawrence Seaway have been closed by the strike – the first such action since 1968. MARINETTE is one of dozens of ships stuck by the strike.
And new ship news, Eastern Shipbuilding in Panama City, Florida, finally launched ARGUS WMSM 915, on October 27. When the US Coast Guard in 2018 awarded the contract to build the ship, the first Offshore Patrol Cutter was to have been delivered in 2021, but numerous delays, including design issues, production problems at the yard and a serious problem with the Rolls Royce-supplied propeller shafts, have plagued construction almost from the start. Eastern has three more OPCs under construction, but further ships have been awarded to competitor Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.
The new fleet oiler ROBERT F KENNEDY (T-AO 208) was to be christened and launched October 28 in an early morning ceremony at GD NASSCO shipbuilding in San Diego. The ROBERT F KENNEDY is the fourth John Lewis-class oiler to be built at GD NASSCO for the US Navy’s Military Sealift Command.
And Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro on October 27 announced that the future expeditionary medical ship EMS 2 will be named BALBOA after Balboa Naval Hospital in southern California. The EMS ships will be similar to the Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transports and like the EPFs will be built by Austal USA in Mobile, Alabama.
