During his remarks about the state of the Marine Corps at Modern Day Marine, Commandant Gen. Eric Smith expressed his support for amphibious warships, noting that he and Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti have both “locked shields” on 31 amphibs with an 80% readiness rate. “It’s a written, signed document between the two service chiefs that frankly outlasts us,” he told reporters, while ...

Concern surrounding readiness of the Navy’s amphibious ships is affecting the Marine Corps’ ability to deploy Marines globally in a timely manner. The Marine Corps is concerned that its expeditionary units – including amphibs – could be in a position where they cannot meet the needs of a new crisis given the current state of the US Navy’s amphibious ships. The lack of amphibious ship ...

The current administration’s proposed 2024 budget does not account for the block-buy of warships, negatively impacting the workforce and supply chain. Thompson explains how the U.S. must be more efficient in spending money on defense as Chinese naval production continues to evolve. To keep up with China’s production levels and ensure international stability through a strong forward stance, the industrial base needs block buys which ...

On September 9th, USS Bougainville was transferred from land to a floating dry dock, where the Ingalls team completed the final prep work for launch. On October 6th, USS Bougainville successfully launched from Ingalls’ floating dock into the Pascagoula River.  USS Bougainville will be a crucial addition to the amphib fleet, bringing new innovations that help the Navy and Marine Corps deliver on missions around ...