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…there’s a new administration coming to Washington DC, and there’s little doubt it will come with big changes. Two noted naval analysts – Brent Sadler and Jerry Hendrix – are back with us with thoughts on what to expect – and where the new leadership should focus.
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 News:
The CARL VINSON Carrier Strike Group deployed November 18 from the US West Coast, USNI News reported. The deployment, unannounced by the US Navy, is the second in just over a year for the VINSON and Carrier Air Wing Two as they began a Western Pacific cruise in October 2023, returning in February 2024 from a relatively short four and a half-month tour. The group also took part in RIMPAC, or Rim of the Pacific, exercises during mid-2024. At about the same time, the ABRAHAM LINCOLN Carrier Strike Group left US Central Command in the Middle East, where it had been operating since August. That move left CENTCOM without a carrier strike group for the second time this year after a few weeks in June. US officials say the moves show the flexibility of moving around carrier strike groups.
Meanwhile the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON returned to Yokosuka November 22nd to take station as the US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier in Japan. GW has been refueled and upgraded since departing Japan in 2015 and now is operating Carrier Air Wing Five, also based in Japan.GW follows the USS RONALD REAGAN, now on the US West Coast to begin a drydocking overhaul.
The Chinese Navy’s assault ship HAINAN with the destroyer CHANGSHA began a four-day visit to Hong Kong November 21st, the first time a Type 75 big-deck amphibious ship has visited the port. The Chinese Defense Ministry said the two ships would be open to, quote, “Hong Kong and Macao compatriots” in order to display Chinese capabilities. The visit is similar to that of China’s first carrier, LIAONING, which was opened to the public at the port in 2017.
The US Navy on November 21 confirmed reports that 17 Military Sealift Command ships are to be taken out of service due to manning shortfalls. Facing a shortfall of at least 800 civilian mariners, cuts had been expected to put manning requirements more in line with the mariners available to man the ships. MSC declined to name specific ships, but it’s understood the expeditionary seabase ships LEWIS B PULLER and HERSHEL WOODY WILLIAMS, now deployed respectively in the US Central Command and European/Africa Command areas, will enter long-term maintenance and be replaced by two new ESBs, the JOHN L CANLEY and ROBERT E. SIMANEK. It also appears that all currently operational; high-speed EPF transports will be inactivated, although production continues with two more ships yet to be delivered.
The British Ministry of Defence on November 20 announced a series of cuts as money-saving measure. Three Royal Navy ships – the amphibious assault ships ALBION and BULWARK and Type 23 frigate NORTHUMBERLAND – will be retired. The disposal of the assault ships – Britain’s largest combat-capable amphibious ships – mean the Royal Marines will lost the capability to carry out contested assault operations. The ships had been in layup but were not intended for disposal until the early 2030s. NORTHUMBERLAND was found at the beginning of an overhaul to be in worse shape than realized and was deemed not worth the expense of repair.
In new ship news, the littoral combat ship BELOIT LCS 29 is to be commissioned November 23rd at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The penultimate Freedom-class LCS will be homeported at Mayport, Florida.
