expeditionary | Common News Update

Oct172019 by adminNo Comments

Expeditionary sea base USNS Miguel Keith completes acceptance trials

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Oct. 16 (UPI) -- The Expeditionary Sea Base ship, USNS Miguel Keith, successfully completed its acceptance trials off the California coast, the U.S. Navy announced. The vessel left the General Dynamics shipyard in San Diego last week, completing its week-long trials on Oct. 11, the Navy said on Tuesday. While not officially named yet, ESB 5 will be named for U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Miguel Keith, who was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for heroism in Vietnam. The USNS Miguel Keith is the third ESB variant of the Montford Point-class of Maritime Prepositioning Force vessels to be built, and is scheduled for delivery in early fiscal year 2020. Originally referred to as "mobile landing platform afloat forward staging bases," ESB vessels serve as a mobile sea base, able ...

Nov172018 by adminNo Comments

Navy accepts delivery of USNS Burlington Expeditionary Fast Transport

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Nov. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy accepted its tenth Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport, or EPF 10, from Austal USA on Nov. 15th, according to Navy press release USNS Burlington will be owned and operated by the Military Sealift Command and will be used in a variety of missions including overseas contingency operations, humanitarian assistance and special operations forces support. "Burlington will provide tremendous flexibility to combatant commanders in the fleet," Strategic and Theater Sealift program manager Capt. Scott Searles said in a release."EPF 10 will enhance our forward presence and provide a variety of capabilities to U.S. operations around the globe." The EPF is designed to carry up to 600 tons of cargo and 312 troops plus Military Sealift Command attachments over 1,3...

Mar82018 by adminNo Comments

F-35Bs get first operational deployment with Marine Expeditionary Unit

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March 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. military sent F-35B Lightning II aircraft this week to the East China Sea for the fighter's first operational deployment with a Marine Expeditionary Unit.A detachment of the aircraft deployed with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit landed Monday on the USS Wasp, an amphibious assault ship, according to the U.S. Marines. The expeditionary unit will patrol the Indo-Pacific region this spring.The F-35B aircraft, first deployed abroad to Japan, combines the ability for short takeoffs and vertical landings built specifically for the Marines. The aircraft is one of three variants of the fifth generation F-35 designed for the U.S. military.The F-35B's short takeoff and vertical landing capabilities mean it can land on amphibious assault ships, which include the USS Wasp....

Feb272018 by adminNo Comments

Navy christens expeditionary fast transport USNS Burlington

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Feb. 26 (UPI) -- The U.S. Navy has christened U.S. Naval Ship Burlington, its newest Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport.The USNS Burlington was christened in Mobile, Ala., on Saturday, with U.S. Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, and his wife, Marcelle Pomerleau Leahy, as primary sponsors of the ship, and the senator giving the keynote address at the event.Marcelle Leahy said naming the ship after the Vermont city of Burlington was "fitting because Vermonters have long heeded the nation's call to service.""This ship honors Burlington, Vermont, a city that embodies American values and its patriotic, hard working citizens for their support and contributions to our Navy," Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer said in a press release."Burlington, like the other ships in the EPF progra...