NCC Harsh

Within the Defense Department’s ongoing efforts to revitalize the industrial supply chain across the military branches, the U.S. Navy announced it is standing up a new defense industrial base office to “expand the domestic manufacturing ecosystem, mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities, and integrate dual-use commercial technologies to enhance the lethality of the Navy-Marine Corps team,” according...[Read More]

Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) successfully undocked Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS North Carolina (SSN 777), Aug. 12, 2026, clearing a critical benchmark in the undersea asset’s scheduled lifecycle maintenance period.

PHILIPPINE EXCLUSIVE ECONOMIC ZONE – The combined forces of Australia, the Philippines and the United States conducted a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MCA) within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone, Aug. 19-25, 2026. This activity continues a demonstrated collective commitment to strengthening regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The Marine Corps and Navy will require personnel to undergo annual gas mask fit training beginning at the end of August, a move the services say is intended in part to “reinforce grooming compliance.” The Aug. 21 announcement links the Marine Corps’ “uniform grooming standards” directly to “operational readiness and compatibility with protective equipment.” In practical terms, the policy is intend...[Read More]

On Aug. 22, 1941, the first U.S. Mine Disposal class graduated its inaugural group of technicians, marking the genesis of Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD). These early operators created a standard of robust technical proficiency matched with deliberate, uncompromising bravery, and built a culture of constant learning and improvement. Eighty five years later, these remain the foundation for t...[Read More]

A commitment to flight line safety and efficiency has earned Fleet Readiness Center East (FRCE) recognition from the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) with the CNO Aviation Safety Award for fiscal year 2025.

The Department of Defense does not request enough funding to fully meet its installation maintenance and major improvement needs, a Government Accountability Office report found. The department sought to fund 90% of its maintenance needs, but the GAO found that the services continue to request funding for only about 80% of their needs, according to the report released Friday. The funding shortfall...[Read More]

New “Partner-First” Weapon System Designed to Transform Coalition Deterrence and Interoperability In a critical first step to modernize and secure global maritime environments, the Navy’s Precision Strike Weapons program office (PMX-201) recently awarded two contracts for the development of the Coalition Heterogeneous Affordable Offensive Strike (CHAOS) weapon system.

Vague operational planning and a lack of transparency during U.S. actions in Iran have exacerbated the U.S. Navy’s longstanding logistics, maintenance and manpower issues — and sailors are feeling the effects, congressional leaders, retired military officials and deployed sailors have told Military Times. Following revelations from families about some U.S. service members aboard the USS Abraham Li...[Read More]

The U.S. Navy is leading a multinational effort to develop a new version of the Evolved SeaSparrow air defense missile. The goal is to create a variant of the SeaSparrow that can be used by the 12 nations in the NATO SeaSparrow Project Office consortium, or NSPO, according to the Navy Sources Sought notice. The deadline is Oct. 19. The NSPO is looking for a weapon that can be employed against a wi...[Read More]

Sean Jamshidi was a U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant who served in some of the service’s most prized roles, including as an embassy security guard detachment commander and in psychological operations. But he feels helpless now to aid his brother, who worked for the U.S. government during the war in Afghanistan and has been stuck for nearly two years at a holding camp in Qatar, waiting for a visa...[Read More]

A sailor assigned to the Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy faces multiple charges, including murder and manslaughter, following the shooting death of another sailor earlier this summer. According to a recently released charge sheet, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate Jayjrion L. Rodriguez is accused of killing Boatswain’s Mate Seaman Jesse Braswell on June 6. He allegedly pointed hi...[Read More]