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Pentagon Sends Navy Destroyer on Unusual Mission to U.S. Border

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 Defense officials stated that the Pentagon has sent a Navy destroyer on an uncommon assignment to enhance safety at the southern U.S. border. This vessel, which was engaged in fighting operations in the Middle East earlier this year, will now patrol areas usually covered by the U.S. Coast Guard.


 The guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely departed from the Naval Weapons Station Yorktown in Virginia on Saturday as part of the Defense Department’s actions following President Donald Trump’s executive directive aimed at fortifying the southern border. This move exemplifies how the Trump administration is employing the U.S. armed forces domestically to counteract what the president describes as an "influx" or "invasion" occurring at the border.


 General Gregory Guillot, who leads the U.S. Northern Command, stated that the addition of the Gravely will enhance America’s capacity "to safeguard the nation’s borders, uphold sovereignty, and ensure national safety." The defense authorities also mentioned in the statement that this move aims at contributing to "an integrated and strong strategy for countering sea-related threats such as maritime terrorism, weapon smuggling, cross-border criminal activities, acts of piracy, ecological damage, and unauthorized oceanic migration."


 U.S. defense officials such as Pentagon spokespersons John Ullyot and Sean Parnell have declined to comment on queries regarding whether the Gravely’s deployment aims to compensate for potential shortages of Coast Guard ships or if it serves as a message to local drug cartels. Previously, Trump expressed interest in carrying out military attacks against these cartels.


 Trump has consistently stated over the past several weeks that he
 wants to “take back”
 The Panama Canal, which links the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean, remains a crucial artery for maritime traffic. In a statement released on Sunday, Ullyot mentioned that the Pentagon currently does not have plans to alter the U.S. military presence in Panama. He also stated that the Defense Department stands ready to assist the President in pursuing his national security objectives, particularly concerning the protection of the Panama Canal.


 U.S. defense authorities are collaborating with Panama on multiple training exercises and events scheduled for this year. These include troop deployments within the area, which the government believes will reinforce our robust military alliance with Panama," stated Ullyot, not referring to the Gravely specifically. "There exists a solid security collaboration between the U.S. and Panama, grounded in reciprocal respect and confidence."


 Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has consistently stated that he considers border security to be an integral part of national security. As a result, he has deployed thousands of active-duty soldiers to the U.S.-Mexico border to enhance security efforts managed by the Department of Homeland Security.


 We have protected various locations before," Hegseth stated in February whilst visiting the border for the first time as defense secretary. "And we will protect this boundary.


 The use of the Gravely within Northern Command’s area might enable it to patrol areas like the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which Donald Trump redubbed as the Gulf of America upon assuming presidency. This action would permit the administration to highlight the new designation and showcase an emblem of military power in those waters. Although the Panama Canal lies slightly beyond Northern Command’s jurisdictional limits, naval ships often traverse these zones.


 On Saturday evening, U.S. defense authorities stated that the destroyer would sail alongside a contingent of Coast Guard personnel onboard. This arrangement suggests the ship might help detain migrants encountered offshore. Typically, Coast Guard members engage in law enforcement activities, whereas military divisions are generally prohibited from doing so under most circumstances due to the restrictions imposed by the Posse Comitatus Act.


 The Gravely, which exceeds 509 feet in length, is bigger than any ship in the Coast Guard fleet and houses numerous Tomahawk cruise missiles.


 In July, the destroyer concluded a nine-month deployment which the Navy referred to as "
 unprecedented
 The deadline for the task was doubled due to the Gravely accompanying the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower aircraft carrier and intercepting weapons fired by Houthi insurgents in Yemen targeting both civilian and military vessels in the Red Sea.

Pentagon Sends Navy Destroyer on Unusual Mission to U.S. Border

Unknown coast guards, military, military deployment, u.s. coast guard, united states navy

Defense officials stated that the Pentagon has sent a Navy destroyer on an uncommon assignment to enhance safety at the southern U.S. border. This vessel, which was engaged in fighting operations in…

U.S. Bolsters Submarine Presence in Strategic Australian Ports Under New AUKUS Deal

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 By Kirsty Needham


 PERTH () – Inside the command center of the US Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota, stationed off the western coastline of Australia, sonar technicians are adapting to the sounds of dolphins in unfamiliar waters as the area anticipates an increased presence of American submarines.

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 During a training mission from its homeport in Guam, USS Minnesota leads the way for four Virginia-class submarines that will be stationed at a Western Australian naval base starting in 2027 as part of the AUKUS agreement aimed at transferring nuclear-powered submarine capabilities to Australia.

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 Crew use video game joysticks to interrogate screen images from a photonic mast that has replaced a periscope. Life aboard can mean up to 100 days without seeing sunlight, and intermittent communication with families via email to maintain stealth.


 The commanding officer, Jeffrey Corneille, states that the Virginia-class submarine is "the most technologically advanced naval vessel globally."


 He states that if someone wakes up and asks 'Is today the day?' we ensure they also think 'Perhaps not,' highlighting its preventive impact.


 Around 50-80 United States navy personnel will arrive by the middle of the year at Western Australia's HMAS Stirling base, which is undergoing an A$8 billion ($5 billion) upgrade to prepare for the "Submarine Rotational Force West", Australian officials have said.


 Within two years, these figures will balloon to include hundreds of U.S. Navy personnel and support staff.


 Peter Dean, who leads Foreign Policy and Defence studies at the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre, noted that the positioning of HMAS Stirling, which is nearer to Asia and the Indian Ocean compared to the U.S. Pacific Fleet base in Hawaii, holds significant strategic importance for the United States.


 He stated that protecting the Indian Ocean from China’s growing capabilities and influence is crucial.


 The Virginia submarine program has received an exemption from the Pentagon’s budget reductions because the Trump administration is shifting its focus away from the Middle East and Europe towards the Indo-Pacific region, according to him.


 The third-highest-ranking Pentagon official during the Trump administration, Elbridge Colby, stated at a recent U.S. Senate confirmation hearing that attack submarines are “crucially important” for ensuring the defense of Taiwan remains feasible. He emphasized that production levels should be increased initially to address American requirements and also to uphold commitments to supply submarines to Australia as part of the AUKUS agreement.

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 In November, the USS Minnesota relocated its home port from Hawaii to Guam, a U.S. Pacific territory nearer to Taiwan and close to the sole forward-deployed U.S. submarine base.


 Australian authorities have pointed out that a Chinese naval fleet which sailed around Australia in February and March, conducting unusual live-fire exercises near the eastern coast that interfered with regular flights, then moved past Western Australia simultaneously with the arrival of the USS Minnesota at a port facility, underscores Beijing’s intention to increase its presence regularly within the region surrounding Australia.

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 Through AUKUS, which marks Australia's costliest defense initiative, the country plans to acquire two used Virginia-class submarines in the coming decade. Additionally, they aim to develop a new class of nuclear-powered submarines alongside Britain, intended to supersede their current aging diesel-powered fleet.


 There are currently 115 Australians undergoing training in the U.S. nuclear navy program or stationed with Virginia-class submarines, along with another 130 individuals who are being trained for nuclear submarine maintenance at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, according to statements made by U.S. Navy officials.


 (Reported by Kirsty Needham in Perth; edited by Giles Elgood)

U.S. Bolsters Submarine Presence in Strategic Australian Ports Under New AUKUS Deal

Unknown armed forces, military, modern warfare, submarines, united states navy

By Kirsty Needham PERTH () – Inside the command center of the US Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Minnesota, stationed off the western coastline of Australia, sonar technicians are a…