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…the 30-year shipbuilding plan, another shocking amphibious ship report, Gaza Bridge preps and more – Sam Lagrone of USNI News will be here to help us dive into all that and more!
Please send us feedback by DM’ing @CavasShips or @CSSProvision or you can email chriscavas@gmail.com or cservello@defaeroreport.com.
This Week’s Naval Round Up:
Houthi forces continued to launch missiles, unmanned aircraft and unmanned surface vessels at merchant shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. US and coalition forces destroyed most of the incoming Houthi weapons, including the downing by the French destroyer ALSACE on March 21 of three Houthi ballistic anti-ship missiles over the Red Sea, apparently using Aster-30 long-range missiles. This marks the first combat use of a weapon from the widely-used Aster family of missiles. ALSACE is operating with the European Union-led Operation Aspides to protect merchant shipping in the region.
Loaded with US Army gear to create and support a Trident Pier, the sealift ship ROY P BENAVIDEZ left Newport News March 21 headed for the eastern Mediterranean. The ship carries JLOTS Joint Logistics Over-the Shore gear to be used to create a pier in Gaza. In addition to the BENAVIDEZ, California-based Naval Beach Group One also is preparing to deploy aboard the sealift ships 2nd LIEUTENANT JOHN P BOBO and 1st LIEUTENANT BALDOMERO LOPEZ to operate an INLS Improved Navy Lighterage System to move cargo from ships to the pier in Gaza. We’ll talk more about this in the discussion portion of this show.
It was revealed March 18 that the United Kingdom does not intend to reactivate HMS BULWARK, one of the British Royal Navy’s two large amphibious assault ships. Previously, the Navy’s plan had been to refit HMS BULWARK to return to service in 2024 and relieve sistership HMS ALBION; the Royal Navy’s profile for some years has been to keep one ship active while the other is in reserve and refit. Now, according to Minister of State for Defence Procurement James Cartlidge, Bulwark will be, quote, “regenerated from extended readiness and maintained so that she can easily be ready to deliver defence outputs if required.” In 2023, a cost-cutting proposal to permanently decommission both BULWARK and ALBION met with widespread opposition, as it would leave the Royal Navy with no effective way to deploy Royal Marines in a combat situation.
The BATAAN amphibious ready group with the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit returned to the US east coast beginning March 18 after an extended deployment to the European and Central Command theaters. The amphibious ships BATAAN, MESA VERDE and CARTER HALL had been deployed since early July.
In new ship news, the Fast Response Cutter USCGC DAVID DUREN WPC-1156 was delivered March 18 to the US Coast Guard at Key West, Florida. The DAVID DUREN will become the first of three fast response cutters to be based at Astoria, Oregon. And a keel ceremony was held March 20 for the towing, salvage and rescue ship MUSCOGEE CREEK NATION, T-ATS 10, under construction at Bollinger Houma Shipyard in Houma, Louisiana.
And in old ship news, the battleship NEW JERSEY was moved under tow March 21 from her normal berth at Camden, New Jersey across the Delaware River to Philly Shipyard in Philadelphia, where the ship will undergo her first drydocking in many years. Philly Ship operates from a portion of the former Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where the NEW JERSEY was built beginning in 1940.
And we note the passing on March 20 of retired General Al Gray, a former sergeant and Vietnam combat veteran who rose to become the 29th Commandant of the Marine Corps. He was 95. Gray spent 41 years in uniform and was commandant from 1987 to 1991. Current commandant General Eric Smith said Gray was a Marine’s Marine, a giant who walked among us during his career and after, remaining of the Corps’ dearest friends and advocates even into his twilight.
Servello Squawk:
Earlier this year Mike Gallagher shocked many of his supporters and fans by announcing that he would not seek reelection. Now –literally minutes before this recording — the Wisconsin Republican took it one step further, deciding to leave Congress not at the end of his term but on April 19th.
We’ve been very lucky to get to know Congressman Gallagher, as a guest, as a navalist and a great guy who loves his country and wants what’s best for the armed services and those who serve in it.
While I have no doubt that Mike will continue to have an impact on national security after leaving Congress, his retirement leaves a Ford Class carrier sized-hole in the armed services committee and among those members that actually get it.
There has been no better friend to navalists, to China-hawks and those who seek to return to responsible and sane politics than Mike Gallagher.
Fair Winds and following seas Congressman…thank you for your leadership and passion. We look forward to helping you continue to play a substantive role in naval and national security issues in your next chapter of service.
