"On a Mission to Defend Freedom" - USS John Warner is Commissioned

By By Kevin Copeland, Commander, Submarine Force Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Virginia-class attack submarine USS John Warner (SSN 785) was commissioned during a ceremony attended by more than 2,500 in its future homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Aug. 1, 2015.

Proudly displaying its motto "On a Mission to Defend Freedom," the ship is the 12th Virginia-class attack submarine to join the Navy's operating fleet.

The ship's namesake is John Warner, a five-term U.S. Senator from Virginia who also served as 61st Secretary of the Navy from 1972 to 1974. His wife Jeanne is the ship's sponsor.

Warner is also the only Secretary of the Navy who served as both an enlisted man and an officer, in both the Navy and the Marine Corps. As a Sailor during World War II he served as an electronics technician third-class petty officer, and in the Korean War he was a captain with the Marine Corps 1st Marine Air Wing serving as a Ground Communications Officer.

"Let them know of your presence and your determination to defend freedom," said Warner, as he addressed the audience and the ship's crew. "Defend the sea lanes of the world which are the very arteries of international commerce. Manned by our submarines, our surface ships, and naval aircraft, we are carefully working to keep those sea lanes open - not just for us but for all."

The keynote speaker for the commissioning ceremony was Adm. Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations.

"This boat is the latest incarnation of American sea power, and is a strategic asset for this country," said Greenert. "This affords us what we refer to as global access, and it is fundamental to any mission that you ask your military to do. Frankly, we are challenged in space, we are challenged in cyber, we are challenged in the air and we are challenged on the surface. We are not currently challenged in the undersea. We own the undersea domain. We must keep that situation as we go into the future."

John Warner is the second of eight Block III Virginia-class submarines to be built. The Block III submarines are built with new Virginia Payload Tubes designed to lower costs and increase missile-firing payload possibilities. The first 10 Block I and Block II Virginia-class submarines have 12 individual 21-inch diameter vertical launch tubes able to fire Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMS). The Block III submarines are built with two-larger 87-inch diameter tubes able to house six TLAMS each.

"You are at a formative stage as a crew," said Vice Adm. Michael Connor, Commander, Submarine Forces. "If you approach your important duties with the same commitment as your namesake there is no doubt that the USS John Warner will enjoy a lifetime of future accomplishments that parallels the future trajectory of Petty Officer Third Class John Warner."

And when Cmdr. Daniel B. Caldwell, commanding officer, asked Mrs. Warner to bring the ship to life, USS John Warner joined the Navy's submarine force.

As the most modern and sophisticated attack submarine in the world, the submarine can operate in both littoral and deep ocean environments and presents combatant commanders with a broad and unique range of operational capabilities. John Warner is a flexible, multi-mission platform designed to carry out the seven core competencies of the submarine force: anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; delivery of special operations forces; strike warfare; irregular warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and mine warfare.

The submarine is 377 feet long, has a 34-foot beam, and will be able to dive to depths greater than 800 feet and operate at speeds in excess of 25 knots submerged. It will operate for 33 years without ever refueling.

"The commissioning of the USS John Warner marks the beginning of what is expected to be 40 years of distinguished service for this great submarine - a fitting tribute to a man who served his nation for so long as a Sailor, a Marine, a United States Senator and, as one of my most esteemed predecessors as Secretary of the Navy," said Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus. "This ceremony is not only a celebration of a man who dedicated so much of his life to his country and to the Department of the Navy, but also a reminder of the partnership our Navy shares with the shipbuilding industry in Senator Warner's home state of Virginia and the continued success of the Virginia-class attack submarine program."

Construction on John Warner began April 29, 2009; the submarine's keel was authenticated during a ceremony on March 16, 2013; and the submarine was christened during a ceremony Sept. 6, 2014.

Fire Aboard USS Mount Whitney; No Injuries

From U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

RIJEKA, Croatia (NNS) -- A fire broke out on board USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) while the ship was in Viktor Lenac Shipyard (Rijeka, Croatia) July 31, 2015.

There were no personnel injuries in the fire, which was extinguished within 45 minutes by ship's force and shipyard fire brigade personnel.

The cause of fire and extent of damage are under investigation.

Mount Whitney has been in Viktor Lenac Shipyard since January 2015 undergoing a scheduled maintenance overhaul designed to extend the service life of the ship to 2039.

U.S. and Indonesia strengthen maritime partnerships during CARAT 2015

By Task Force 73 Public Affairs

SURABAYA, INDONESIA (NNS) -- A U.S. Navy task group comprised of ships, aircraft, Sailors and Marines arrived in Indonesia to commence the 21st annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Indonesia 2015, Aug 3.

The exercise will take place from Aug. 3-10 on the ground in Surabaya and in the waters and airspace of the Java and Bali Seas.

"Our longstanding partnership with the Indonesian Navy and Marines has allowed us to enhance our bilateral cooperation and increase the complexity of CARAT," said Rear Adm. Charlie Williams, Commander, Task Force 73. "The diverse platforms and capabilities featured in this exercise will enable us to rehearse high-end tactical and integrated warfare scenarios in a realistic training environment both at sea and shore."

More than 1,000 U.S. military members will participate in CARAT Indonesia alongside their counterparts from the Indonesian Navy and Marines, known as Tentera Nasional Indonesia - Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL). The exercise will feature simultaneous amphibious landings and surface and anti-submarine warfare, visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) demonstrations, mobile dive and salvage training, coastal riverine operations, maritime patrol and reconnaissance operations, a gunnery exercise, and an anti-air warfare missile live fire training exercise.

Additionally, personnel from both nations will exchange best practices on naval tactics during a series of military seminars ashore. Numerous civil action projects, aviation maintenance, sports exchanges, military law, and submarine warfare symposia are also planned during the shore phase of the exercise.

"CARAT is a practical way for our two navies to address shared maritime security priorities in a realistic training environment," said Capt. H.B. Le, deputy commodore, Destroyer Squadron 7. "We look forward to exchanging ideas and lessons learned with our Indonesian counterparts this week. Regional challenges increasingly require regional solutions, and it's through yearly engagements like CARAT where we are able to build and strengthen our interoperability."

U.S. units participating in the exercise include the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88), the littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3), the dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD42),the rescue and salvage ship USNS Safeguard (T-ARS 50) with embarked Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit (MDSU) 1, a P-3C Orion, Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) FIVE , Coastal Riverine Group (CRG) ONE, and U.S. Marines assigned to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade (III MEB.

Indonesia has been part of the CARAT exercise series since it began in 1995. After more than two decades of annual training events between the armed forces, CARAT Indonesia remains a model for cooperation that has evolved in complexity and enables both navies to refine operations and tactics in response to both traditional and non-traditional maritime security challenges.

CARAT Indonesia is part of a broader bilateral exercise series the U.S. Navy conducts with nine partner navies in South and Southeast Asia to address shared maritime security priorities, strengthen maritime partnerships and enhance interoperability among participating forces. Following CARAT Indonesia, additional bilateral phases of CARAT will occur from July through November 2015 with Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Commander, Task Force 73 and DESRON 7 staff conduct advanced planning, organize resources and directly support the execution of maritime exercises such as the bilateral CARAT series, the Naval Engagement Activity (NEA) with Vietnam, and the multi-lateral Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) with Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.