Latest news with #OfficeoftheSecretaryofDefense
Business Insider
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Insider
Strikes on Iran showed the need for stealthy submarines that can launch a whole lot of missiles. The US Navy is about to lose that.
A US Navy guided-missile submarine was involved in recent strikes on Iran's nuclear program. Ohio-class cruise-missile subs host massive firepower and are difficult to detect. But they're going to be decommissioned in coming years. A US Navy guided-missile submarine launched dozens of missiles into Iran as part of the larger US attack on the country's nuclear program, the vessel's Tomahawk cruise missiles doing significant damage. President Donald Trump singled out US submarines and the fleet's guided-missile submarines after the strikes, praising them as "far and away the strongest and best equipment we have" and "the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built." But despite the latest demonstration of their power, the days of the US fleet's biggest missile shooters are numbered. No other US warship carries even close to as many cruise missiles as its four aging Ohio-class cruise missile subs, raising questions about coming capabilities and filling that gap. Strikes on Iran The US military launched a massive strike on Iran's nuclear program, targeting facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on Saturday. While much of the focus for the Operation Midnight Hammer strikes has been on the B-2 Spirit bombers and the huge bombs they dropped, another key part of the operation involved a Navy guided-missile submarine firing from an undisclosed location in the Middle East. In comments about the operation, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine didn't specify which submarine was involved, and the Navy and the Office of the Secretary of Defense declined to discuss it due to operational security concerns. The term "guided-missile submarine," which Caine used, refers to the Navy's Ohio-class SSGNs, and the large number of missiles launched during the operation also points to an Ohio-class boat. Ohio-class submarines, built by General Dynamics' Electric Boat division, were originally a force of 18 nuclear-powered ballistic missile vessels first commissioned in 1981 with a sole mission of the highest stakes: carrying missiles with nuclear warheads. In the 2000s, the Navy converted four of them into cruise-missile submarines, ending their role in the nuclear forces and turning them into the US fleet's most stealthy and numerous missile shooters. Although they're now 40 years old, these capable submarines are some of the quietest in the world, Bryan Clark, a retired Navy submarine officer and defense expert at the Hudson Institute, told Business Insider. "This is in large part because of their size, which allows for substantial dampening and sound silencing equipment," he said, "as well as their aggressive maintenance program. Each SSGN carries 154 Tomahawk missiles and can carry about two dozen special operators." SSGN is an abbreviation for "subsurface guided nuclear," with SS standing for submarine, G for guided missile, and N for nuclear propulsion. Those four subs can launch more than half of the missiles the Navy's submarine fleet is able to fire from vertical launch systems, according to the service. Even the newest attack subs carry only a small fraction of an SSGN's missile arsenal, and surface warships must carry a mix of missiles in their vertical launchers to defend against aerial threats. This past weekend's attack on Iran included 75 precision-guided weapons in total, including GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetration bunker-buster bombs dropped by US Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers. Trump, in the Monday Truth Social post that praised subs, said one SSGN had launched 30 Tomahawk missiles in total during the attack. Reduced firepower The Navy plans to decommission two of its Ohio-class SSGNs in 2026 and the other two in 2028, replacing them with Virginia-class Block V submarines. These won't be dedicated cruise missile submarines, but they will boast greater firepower than earlier Virginias. Military leaders and experts have expressed concerns about the replacement plan and the loss of missile capacity. "The US will experience a big drop in its capacity for stealthy missile attacks," Clark said. The Block V Virginia-class attack submarines will each be able to carry up to 40 Tomahawk missiles, far less than the Ohio SSGNs, a concern as the US attempts to turn its focus to higher-end threats and potential conflicts. This means Navy officials will have to deploy four or more Virginia-class attack subs to fire as many long-range missiles, reducing the number of attack subs for other missions they are specially built for: surveillance and ship-killing. Additionally, the Ohio-class SSGNs have two crews of about 150 sailors that rotate the sub back and forth, allowing it to maximize its deployed time. Over two decades of operations, these subs have earned reputations as workhorses. Another problem is that the Block V submarines are facing years-long delays and rising costs due to persistent US Navy shipbuilding problems that could leave a capability gap. A Navy review last year estimated the delay to contract delivery for Virginia Block Vs at approximately 24 months. Other top-priority programs, like the Constellation-class frigate, Virginia Block IV submarines, and Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, are also behind schedule. The Trump administration has made fixing the shipbuilding problems contributing to these delays a top priority, standing up an office in the White House dedicated to shipbuilding. Recent congressional hearings have examined a number of problems, some dating back decades to the end of the Cold War. Issues like competitive pay for shipbuilders, workforce and labor problems, and training and shipbuilding capacity woes have repeatedly caused programs to run behind, With the Virginia-class Block Vs delayed, retiring the Ohio-class submarines could limit the stealthy cruise-missile strike capabilities of the Navy's submarine force. "Unless the Navy delays the Ohio retirements, the Navy's submarine-launched missile capacity will not return to today's levels until the mid-2030s," Clark said, when the Virginia Block Vs are expected to be completed. And even when the Block Vs are delivered, they won't bring the same firepower.
The Intercept
08-05-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
More Troops Injured as U.S. Planes Keep Plunging Into Red Sea
On the same day that President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire between the United States and Yemen's Houthis, an F/A-18 Super Hornet crashed off the deck of an aircraft carrier. The fighter was landing on USS Harry S. Truman when the 'arrestment failed, causing the aircraft to go overboard,' U.S. Central Command told The Intercept by email. After the $60 million jet's tail hook failed to catch the wire that slows down the aircraft, it plummeted into the Red Sea. Two aviators ejected from the jet and were plucked from the water by a search and rescue helicopter. Both were injured, according to an unnamed CENTCOM official. The injured aviators are the latest in a growing number of casualties in the Middle East that the Trump White House prefers to ignore. As The Intercept reported last week, CENTCOM, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the White House are keeping the total number of U.S. casualties from the war secret. 'The refusal to provide the casualty data for U.S. troops in the Middle East is another example of the gross incompetence of this administration,' Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., told The Intercept. 'Transparency in the casualties sustained through every military operation should be a cornerstone of every administration. The refusal to provide the public with basic information should be deeply alarming to every American.' Omar is the third lawmaker in the last week to call for accountability from the White House and the Pentagon, joining Reps. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash. The total number of military personnel who have been killed or wounded in the broader U.S. campaign against the Houthis, which began under the Biden administration, is being withheld from the American people. But since last Monday, there have been at least three casualties. That day, a sailor was injured when a different F/A-18 Super Hornet was lost at sea, falling off the Truman after the ship made a sharp turn to evade a Houthi attack. When The Intercept asked the Office of the Secretary of Defense last week for the number of casualties sustained by U.S. forces in the campaign against the Houthis, the Pentagon balked at providing a number and referred questions to Central Command, which referred questions to the White House. Repeated requests to White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers have gone unanswered for more than a week. This is not standard operating procedure. Under the Biden administration, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and CENTCOM provided detailed data on attacks on military bases across the Middle East — including to this reporter. CENTCOM provided the total number of attacks, breakdowns by country, and the total number injured. The Pentagon offered even more granular data, providing individual synopses of attacks, including information on deaths and injuries not only to U.S. troops but even civilian contractors working on U.S. bases. The Intercept found that U.S. troops in the Middle East have come under attack close to 400 times, at a minimum, since the outbreak of the Israel–Hamas war. U.S. Navy vessels in the region have been the most frequent target, coming under attack 174 times since October 2023, according to Central Command. There have also been 'about 200' attacks on U.S. bases in the region since the Gaza war began, according to Pentagon spokesperson Patricia Kreuzberger. This amounts to roughly one attack every 1.5 days, on average. The strikes, predominantly by Iranian-backed militias and the Houthi government in Yemen, include a mix of one-way attack drones, rockets, mortars, and ballistic missiles. These groups ramped up attacks on U.S. targets in October 2023, in response to the U.S.-supported Israeli war on Gaza. Despite Trump's claims that the Houthis 'capitulated' and 'don't want to fight anymore,' it remains unclear whether America's billion-dollar, seven-week campaign of strikes that targeted civilian infrastructure and, according to local reports, killed scores of innocent people, has achieved its objective of stopping the Houthis from impeding international shipping. 'What happened now is that America announced the cessation of its aggression against Yemen after failing to achieve any of its goals.' Nasruddin Amer, a Houthi spokesperson, dismissed Trump's 'fallacies and bravado' and directed The Intercept to a statement by Oman's foreign minister, Badr Albusaidi, who said that mediation by his country had 'resulted in a ceasefire agreement' in which 'neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait.' A senior Houthi leader had already told Drop Site in April that the group would cease attacks if the Trump administration halted bombings. Amer also told The Intercept that the Houthis will continue fighting Israel. Houthi officials and supporters portrayed the ceasefire as a triumph over Trump and a U.S. defeat. 'America attacked our country in service of Israel and in support of the continuation of the crimes of genocide in Gaza. We defended ourselves against the American aggression and continued our support for Gaza,' Amer told The Intercept by text message. 'What happened now is that America announced the cessation of its aggression against Yemen after failing to achieve any of its goals.' The White House did not reply to repeated requests for comment on the statement.
Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Second US fighter jet lost from USS Truman in Red Sea
Listen to article For the second time in just over a week, an F/A-18 Super Hornet from the USS Harry S. Truman has crashed into the Red Sea during carrier operations, raising serious concerns about the troubled deployment of the US Navy aircraft carrier. As first reported by CNN, the jet was lost following what appears to have been an arrestment failure while attempting to land on the carrier. Both the pilot and the weapons systems officer ejected and were recovered by a rescue helicopter. They sustained minor injuries but are in stable condition. The jet, which went down into the sea, has not yet been recovered. An investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the crash. Complicating matters, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels reportedly "took a shot" at the Truman on Tuesday, just hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced a purported ceasefire with the group. It remains unclear if the attempted attack and the crash are connected. The Office of the Secretary of Defense referred inquiries to the Navy and CENTCOM, both of which have yet to comment publicly. This marks the second fighter jet lost from the Truman in as many weeks. The earlier incident occurred during what was described as a hard evasive maneuver to avoid Houthi missile fire, which contributed to a jet falling overboard. Each F/A-18 Super Hornet carries a price tag of more than $60 million. The Truman's deployment has been marred by repeated operational setbacks. In December, another F/A-18 from the carrier was mistakenly shot down by the USS Gettysburg, and in February, the Truman collided with a merchant vessel near Egypt in the Mediterranean. The string of mishaps led to the removal of Captain Dave Snowden, who was replaced by Captain Christopher Hill. U.S. naval forces in the Red Sea have been under constant threat since the Houthis began targeting commercial and military vessels in late 2023. The situation remains tense as both the geopolitical and mechanical challenges continue to mount.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Second US Navy jet is lost at sea from Truman aircraft carrier
Another F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier has been lost in the Red Sea, the second jet lost from the carrier in just over a week, five people familiar with the matter told CNN. It is not entirely clear what happened yet, as the investigation is ongoing, but two of the people said there was some kind of arrestment failure as the jet was trying to land on the carrier and the pilot and weapons systems officer had to eject. They were recovered by a rescue helicopter and are both alive, but they suffered minor injuries, one of the people said. The jet crashed into the sea and has not been recovered, two of the people familiar with the incident said. Separately, the Iran-backed Houthi rebel group 'took a shot' at the Truman on Tuesday, four of the people said, despite President Donald Trump announcing an apparent ceasefire with the group hours earlier. It is not clear whether the two incidents are related. The Office of the Secretary of Defense referred all questions about the incidents to the Navy and US Central Command. CNN has reached out to the Navy and CENTCOM for comment. The loss of the fighter jet comes one week after another F/A-18 jet fell overboard the Truman. That time, initial reports indicated that the Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the fighter jet falling overboard. An individual F/A-18 fighter jet costs more than $60 million, according to the Navy. US Naval assets in the Red Sea have repeatedly come under Houthi fire since the Houthis began their attacks against Red Sea shipping in November 2023. In early 2024, a US destroyer in the Red Sea had to use its Phalanx Close-In Weapon System, its last line of defense to missile attacks, when a Houthi-fired cruise missile got as near as a mile away – and therefore seconds from impact. The Truman aircraft carrier in particular, though, has been plagued with problems as part of its Red Sea deployment. In December, another F/A-18 fighter jet was operating from the Truman when it was 'mistakenly fired' upon by the USS Gettysburg and crashed into the Red Sea. Both aviators ejected safely at the time. Then, in February, the Truman was involved in a collision with a merchant ship near Egypt in the Mediterranean Sea. Following the incident, the commander of the Truman at the time, Captain Dave Snowden, was relieved of duty. Captain Christopher Hill took command of the carrier shortly thereafter. This story has been updated with additional details. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at
The Intercept
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
The Trump Administration Is Hiding American Casualties of War
The Trump administration is fighting an undeclared war in Yemen, and it has not been shy about publicizing the details of its attacks. But the administration is unwilling to level with the American people about the costs of war. U.S. Central Command, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the White House are keeping the number of U.S. casualties from this ongoing conflict secret. This amounts to a cover-up. Members of Congress are calling for accountability. 'The administration should be transparent about the number of U.S. casualties from the attacks on the Houthis,' Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told The Intercept. 'I am also working to hold the administration accountable for its unauthorized strikes in Yemen.' After two decades of intermittent war in Yemen, the U.S. officially launched Operation Rough Rider in March of this year, and has carried out strikes on more than 1,000 targets in Yemen. Since taking office, President Donald Trump has also ramped up conflicts in Iraq, Somalia, and Syria, after running as an anti-war candidate and pitching himself as a 'peacemaker.' The strikes in Yemen are targeting the Iran-backed Houthi government, which began launching attacks on vessels — including U.S. Navy warships — in November 2023 over the war in Gaza. Recent U.S. attacks in response have targeted civilian infrastructure and, according to local reports, killed scores of innocent people. U.S. troops are also in harm's way. Earlier this week, a fighter jet fell off the side of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, the Navy said in a statement on Monday. The Truman reportedly made a sharp turn to evade a Houthi attack, which caused the U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter to plunge overboard. One sailor was injured in the chaos, and the $60 million plane was lost to the deep. 'This was a tragic accident, and let's be clear — neither this service member, nor any of the other service members in Yemen, should have ever been in harm's way,' Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., told The Intercept. 'Trump's strikes in Yemen are unconstitutional and Congress must assert its congressional war powers before another service member is injured in the line of duty.' How many other military personnel have been killed or wounded in the broader U.S. campaign against the Houthis, which began under the Biden administration, is being withheld from the American public. When The Intercept asked the Office of the Secretary of Defense for the number of casualties sustained by U.S. forces in the campaign against the Houthis, the Pentagon balked at providing a number. 'We refer you to CENTCOM,' an unnamed official wrote in an email, noting in a follow-up response that 'it is their operation.' When The Intercept did as requested and queried Central Command, referencing the Pentagon's advice, CENTCOM passed the buck: 'On background as a defense official, we refer you to The White House.' Repeated requests to White House assistant press secretary Taylor Rogers have gone unanswered. This is not standard operating procedure. Under the Biden administration, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and CENTCOM provided detailed data on attacks on military bases across the Middle East — including to this reporter. CENTCOM provided the total number of attacks, breakdowns by country, and the total number injured. The Pentagon offered even more granular data, providing individual synopses of more than 150 attacks, including information on deaths and injuries not only to U.S. troops but even civilian contractors working on U.S. bases. 'Withholding basic information from the public makes it harder for the media to shine light on how these officials are violating one of Trump's most broadly popular campaign promises,' Erik Sperling of Just Foreign Policy, an advocacy group critical of mainstream Washington foreign policy, told The Intercept. 'These operatives apparently hope that by waging a war from the air without constitutionally required authorization from Congress, they can keep the public in the dark about the devastating impact of their war.' The Pentagon acknowledges the danger to U.S. forces posed by Houthi attacks. 'They threaten our personnel overseas,' chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in March, noting that the Houthis were 'firing at U.S. military personnel in the region and shooting at our ships … putting American lives at risk.' The Defense Department not only failed to provide a count of those for whom those risks were realized, but also seemed to suggest that they are not even aware of how many personnel may have been killed or wounded by the Houthis. When asked if the Pentagon even knew that number, a nameless spokesperson intimated that the information was only known to CENTCOM. 'That information is tracked at the combatant command level,' the official replied by email.
