Compass Points - Mystery MOU
CMC and CNO shake hands
June 18, 2024
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The MOU is here, and the Manta Ray is almost here.
DARPA's new Manta Ray project may be of more practical use than the new Memorandum of Understanding between the current Commandant of the Marine Corps and the Chief of Naval Operations.
It all goes back to when the Secretary of the Navy was testifying before Congess. Faced with an horrific lack of amphibious ships, SecNav was forced to admit:
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"There’s no question in my mind that we should have
been buying more amphibious ships earlier,” Del Toro told the
House Armed Services Committee in May during a House
hearing to review the Navy’s fiscal year 2025 budget request.
-- Breaking Defense
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Now, CMC and CNO have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding.
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The Navy and Marine Corps’ top officers announced today they signed off on new guidelines designed to keep the services’ fleet of amphibious ships ready — even after the officers themselves retire. The formal document, dubbed a “Memorandum of Understanding on Amphibious Warfare Ship Terms of Reference,” . . . will ensure consistency and uniformity in Navy and Marine Corps amphibious force planning, assessment, and operational mission execution,” according to the announcement from Franchetti and Smith’s offices.
-- Breaking Defense
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It is very unusual for CMC and CNO to put their signatures to an official memorandum of understanding. The last time that happened was when CMC and CNO officially agreed that in order to be able to lift two full Marine Expeditionary Brigades, the Marine Corps needed 38 amphibious ships. That agreement held for many years until it was suddenly and unilaterally thrown overboard in the summer of 2019 by the former CMC.
The 38 ship requirement was worth an official MOU. What have CMC and CNO agreed to under this new MOU? It is not easy to decipher what the agreement is. Is there new agreement on the number of amphibious ships? Apparently not. Is there new agreement on when the readiness rate for ships will move back up to 80%? Apparently not. Is there a specific number of days or weeks amphibious ships will be kept in dry dock? Is there any specific agreement at all? Hard to say. It is a mystery.
The current CMC would only promise, "it’s all hands on deck to get amphibs ready." Good to know.
While CMC and CNO are shaking hands, DARPA is conducting sea trials.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies. Recently, DARPA announced it had competed in-water testing of the Manta Ray UUV
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Northrop Grumman shipped the Manta Ray prototype in subsections from the build location in Maryland to its test location in California. The demonstrated ease of shipping and assembly supports the possibility of rapid deployment throughout the world without crowding valuable pier space at naval facilities.
“Shipping the vehicle directly to its intended area of operation conserves energy that the vehicle would otherwise expend during transit,” said Woerner. “Once deployed, the vehicle uses efficient, buoyancy-driven gliding to move through the water. The craft is designed with several payload bays of multiple sizes and types to enable a wide variety of naval mission sets.”
Manta Ray aims to develop and demonstrate a new class of long-duration, long-range, payload-capable UUVs ready for persistent operations in dynamic maritime environments. DARPA is engaging with the U.S. Navy on the next steps for testing and transition of this technology.
-- Naval News
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In the Pacific with the ongoing threat from China, hundreds of Manta Rays could be deployed underwater, simply waiting and monitoring ship movements in the South China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait. The Manta Ray could take over the sitting, sensing, and passing data mission in place of island bound Marine Stand-in-Forces. The Manta Ray could have another function, it could serve as a remotely piloted and remotely detonated undersea mine. Hundreds or thousands of undersea Manta Ray mines patrolling the Taiwan Strait could deter China's amphibious assault.
Compass Points appreciates the new MOU signed by CMC and CNO. Compass Points salutes DARPA for their new Manta Ray UUV. With Manta Ray fully deployed underwater, perhaps the Marines can get off Pacific islands and back onboard amphibious ships.
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Breaking Defense - 06/17/2024
Navy, Marine Corps chiefs sign off on new guidelines for amphib readiness
The new "terms of reference" follow a deep dive the service chiefs ordered earlier this year.
By Justin Katz
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Naval News - 05/01/2024
US DARPA Completes In-Water Testing of Manta Ray UUV
The Manta Ray prototype uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) built by performer Northrop Grumman completed full-scale, in-water testing off the coast of Southern California in February and March 2024.
By Naval News Staff
https://www.navalnews.com/naval-news/2024/05/us-darpa-completes-in-water-testing-of-manta-ray-uuv/
"Del Toro also appeared to change his own messaging on amphibious ships this year following numerous attacks by lawmakers who had fumed over his “strategic pause” for certain amphibs last year." Ya, after Senator Sullivan embarrassed him at a committee meeting where the new ship building plan contained 28 amphibs. The Senator reminded Del Toro that 31 amphibs is the LAW ...so take your ship building plan of 28 amphibs and bring it back when it contains 31.
Del Toro took responsibility for the amphib fleet when he was sworn in FOUR YEARS ago! ...and the Commandant expects him to change his tune because he signed a MOU. This MOU replaces the old MOU that stated he needed to maintain 38 amphibs. This is nothing more than a SECNAV "cover your butt" move in COOPERATION with the Commandant. I am betting that this MOU reduces the number of Amphibs to 31 vs 38 or higher. When Neller was Commandant he stated that the US Marine Corps needed 50 amphib to fill the requirements of the Combatant Commanders. There is a problem at the shipyards and with the SECNAV bureaucracy that is responsible to build and maintain US NAVY Ships. Semper Fi
Speaking of Marine and Navy MOUs, I just read in Marine Corps Times that the Landing Ship Medium is two years behind schedule, and the cost over run may be triple the original estimate. If they want this ship, just go with the Army's Logistic Support Vessels. We need to quit reinventing the wheel.