Photo: Adm Lisa Franchetti during her confirmation hearing in September 2023 where she warned of problems caused by delays in appointments. (Photo: US Navy)
After months of delays Adm Lisa Franchetti was sworn in as chief of naval operations for the US Navy on 2 November following a career of high-profile roles withing the service, including commander of US Naval Forces in Korea, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, commander of Carrier Strike Group 15 and vice-chief of Naval Operations.
Adm Franchetti, the first woman to hold the position, has been double-jobbing as both the vice-chief of naval operations and acting chief, a situation caused by delays to the promotion system arising from a roadblock in the US Senate.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee Nomination Hearing in September, Senator Elizabeth Warren said: ‘The services are telling me that even after the holds are lifted, the promotion system will be tangled up for months or years to come.
‘So, what is your best estimate of how long it will take the Navy's promotion system to recover?’
Adm Franciettie said: ‘It will take years to recover from the … promotion delays that we would see forward.’
Gen David Allvin was appointed to be the USAF chief of staff and Lt Gen Chris Mahoney was also confirmed to be the USMC assistant commandant. Despite the senior roles being confirmed, hundreds of other roles remain in limbo for service.
RTX’s solution for DARPA’s Pulling Guard programme is intended to provide advanced maritime defence technologies to protect platforms against uncrewed surface vehicles and other threats.
The Spanish Navy’s Alvaro de Bazan-class of air defence frigates will receive the latest Aegis Weapon System technology among other modernisations to extend the service life to 2045.
Shipbuilders are saying the programme is going ahead on time as the government estimates 7.7 million tonnes of steel are needed for 2026 infrastructure projects.
In an exclusive interview with Shephard, Raytheon’s VP of Shipboard Missiles disclosed what improvements the company plans to offer for the Sea Sparrow NSV.
Delays in the construction of the Polar Security Cutter – the future substitute for the Polar Star – are likely to prolong the ageing icebreaker’s service time even more, putting the USCG in a risky position.
The adaptable design of Babcock’s Arrowhead 140 frigate, already selected by the UK Royal Navy and Poland, has led to more orders from Indonesia while other countries continue to weigh it up.
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