NCC Harsh

MAYPORT, Fla. – The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship USS Wichita (LCS 13), operating under U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) in the Gulf of America, returned to Naval Station Mayport after completing a six-month deployment on May 4, 2026.

A fragile truce in the Middle East was under strain on Tuesday after the U.S. and Iran exchanged fire in the Gulf as they wrestled for control of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, said in a social media post on Tuesday breaches of the four-week-old ceasefire by the United States and its allies had endangered shipping and energy transit through the vital water...[Read More]

Retired Navy Capt. William Toti, career submariner and former advisor to Deputy Defense Secretary Steve Feinberg, is filling in as the Navy’s No. 2 civilian. As of May 1, Toti is performing the duties of the under secretary of the Navy after Hung Cao took on the role of acting secretary following John Phelan’s ousting in late April. “He has my full trust and authority to drive change, increase eff...[Read More]

The U.S. military said on Monday it destroyed six Iranian small boats and intercepted Iranian cruise missiles and drones fired by Tehran as the U.S. launched an operation to free up shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. U.S. Admiral Brad Cooper, the head of Central Command, declined to comment on whether he thought a ceasefire begun on April 8 remained in effect. But he acknowledged ongoing Islam...[Read More]

For the second time since February, the ripple effects of the Iran war have spread to Laos, where fuel shortages have forced the cancellation or curtailment of searches by U.S recovery teams for the remains of troops missing-in-action from the so-called “secret war” in the Southeast Asia nation. In a release last week, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said, “Due to significant impacts resulti...[Read More]

A pioneering lease agreement between the Navy and North Carolina will provide enhanced aviation readiness for the nation’s warfighters, while leaders anticipate the facility will bring growth to eastern North Carolina in the form of jobs and economic impact.

Editor’s note: This is a developing story. Two U.S.-flagged merchant ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command said on Monday as Iranian media circulated claims that the country had struck an American warship. CENTCOM quickly denied reports, stating that no U.S. naval vessels had been struck. The command did not say when the ships passed through the strait. Tehran earlie...[Read More]

The Argentine and U.S. navies conducted a bilateral maritime engagement as part of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (USNAVSOUTH)/U.S. 4th Fleet’s Southern Seas 2026 deployment in the Atlantic Ocean, April 28-May 1.

GROTON, Conn. – The Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Texas (SSN 775), under the command of Cmdr. Andrew S. McGovern, returned to Naval Submarine Base New London Friday, May 1, completing a six-month deployment to U.S. Southern Command area of responsibility.

U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command / U.S. 4th Fleet (USNAVSOUTH/4th Fleet) successfully concluded its annual Fleet Experimentation (FLEX) event from April 24-30. The exercise showcased the powerful integration of unmanned systems and artificial intelligence in the fight against transnational organized crime.

President Donald Trump said on Sunday the U.S. would start an effort on Monday morning to free ships stranded in the Strait of Hormuz as a “humanitarian gesture” to aid neutral countries in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Trump provided few details about the plan, which he said would aid ships and their crews that have been “locked up” in the strait and are running low on food and other supplies a...[Read More]