The U.S. Navy’s Airborne Strategic Command, Control and Communications Program Office (PMA-271) and Strategic Communications Wing 1 (SCW-1) announced the official popular name for the Navy’s new Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission aircraft: E-130J Phoenix II. In October 2024, the placeholder name E-XX was officially designated as E-130J. As of today, the...
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The Navy and Marine Corps Small Tactical Unmanned Aircraft Systems (PMA-263) program team put Long Range Tactical (LRT) systems through their paces during a two-week technical demonstration in Chaptico, Maryland in mid-July. Five vendors attended the event to help inform the Marine Corps of the functions and capabilities available on the commercial market for...
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The U.S. Navy’s F/A-18 and EA-18G aircraft fleet has surpassed 12 million flight hours, marking an important milestone for one of the most enduring families of aircraft in modern naval aviation. This achievement underscores the capability, reliability and availability of these aircraft, which have served as the backbone of the U.S. Navy and Marine...
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Vice Adm. John “Doc” Dougherty, IV assumed command of the Naval Air Systems Command Aug. 1. Dougherty relieved Vice Adm. Carl Chebi, who retired after 38 years of distinguished naval service. Under Chebi’s leadership, NAVAIR achieved and sustained the highest readiness levels in the history of naval aviation, identified over $3 billion in savings...
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The Navy, in partnership with Skydweller Aero, recently achieved continuous solar-powered unmanned flight during a nonstop three-day test from Stennis, Mississippi. Led by the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD), the test of Skydweller UAS marks a significant advancement in both long-endurance solar-powered UAS technology and its potential to enhance maritime intelligence, surveillance,...
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Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Webster Outlying Field’s (NAWCAD WOLF) Supervisory Financial Analyst Kari O’Brien was recognized as a winner of the Department of the Navy’s annual Financial Management awards at a ceremony held at the Pentagon June 18. This award recognizes the high quality and creativity of the financial management workforce...
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The Navy’s Persistent Unmanned Air Systems (UAS) program office (PMA-262) held a change of command ceremony July 10 at Naval Air Station Patuxent River, where Capt. Patrick Murphy relieved Capt. Josh Guerre, who will retire after 25 years of honorable service. NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. Carl Chebi delivered remarks during the ceremony, highlighting Guerre’s...
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The lead business financial manager (BFM) for the F/A-18 and EA-18G Program Office (PMA-265) received the 2024 Department of the Navy annual Financial Management Contribution to Business Processes and Internal Controls individual award during a ceremony June 18 at the Pentagon for her critical work resolving a material weakness flagged by Navy auditors. Tess...
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Naval Air Station Patuxent River has announced that Gate 1 will be closed today, Wednesday, July 2 from 1 p.m., to 2:45 p.m. for unscheduled maintenance. Drivers are advised to use Gate 2 for inbound and outbound traffic during that time. NAS Patuxent River July 4 Holiday Gate Hours July 3: Gates 1 and...
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The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) successfully demonstrated innovative mission planning software for swarms and other configurations of unmanned air, surface, and underwater systems at its headquarters. The new Optimized Cross Domain Swarm Sensing (OCDSS) software program helps the Navy plan missions using groups of unmanned aircraft. By running thousands of computer...
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Petty Officer 1st Class Samuel Olaitan, a native of Laurel, Maryland, with hometown ties to Lagos, Nigeria, is deployed aboard the U.S. Navy hospital ship, USNS Comfort, supporting Continuing Promise 2025. Continuing Promise 2025 is an exercise focused on humanitarian assistance, medical readiness, and goodwill with six nations in the Caribbean, Central America and...
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NAS Patuxent River began conducting 100% ID checks at all gates at 4:00 p.m., on Friday, June 13, 2025 until further notice. Personnel that are authorized to escort individuals will require that their guests/vehicle passengers have a valid ID to enter the installation (driver’s license, Real ID, etc.). More information about NAS Patuxent River’s...
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NAVAL AIR WARFARE CENTER AIRCRAFT DIVISION, Patuxent River, MD.: Col. Jay Zarra turned over command of the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (VX) 23 “Salty Dogs” to Cmdr. Eric Zilberman in an airborne ceremony over Naval Air Station Patuxent River, June 12, where Zarra piloted an F-35B Lightning and Zilberman flew an F/A-18F Super...
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The Marine Corps Aviation Association, John Glenn Squadron (MCAA JGS) in Patuxent River recently recognized high school graduates in the Southern Maryland tri-county area who plan to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math (STEM)-based degrees with merit-based scholarships. For 2024-2025 school year, MCAA JGS scholarship Committee selected 12 exceptional high school seniors to receive...
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By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Mitch Meppelink, Navy Office of Community Outreach – KINGS BAY, GA. – Petty Officer 2nd Class Justin Morton, a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland, serves the U.S. Navy assigned to USS Tennessee, homeported at Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay. As a submariner, Morton is part of a small...
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On June 12th, 2025, US District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that President Donald Trump unlawfully federalized thousands of members of California’s National Guard and ordered the president to return control of the troops to the state and Governor Gavin Newsom. The Federal Judge stated “His actions were illegal – both exceeding the scope of...
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From Commander, Submarine Squadron 15 Public Affairs – NAVAL BASE GUAM – Before the ocean swallows the light and the hatch seals shut, every submariner carries one thing below the surface — their story. For Seaman Daniel Martin, a native of La Plata, Maryland, serving as a fire controlman, that story began in the...
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NAVAIR Commander Vice Adm. Carl Chebi recognized individuals and teams in nine categories aligned directly to NAVAIR’s focus areas—speed of capability, affordability and availability—at the 25th annual NAVAIR Commander’s Awards held here June 4. Finalists were selected from 129 teams and individuals from across NAVAIR who exemplify the behaviors and collaborative approaches that will...
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TRAFFIC UPDATE: Naval Air Station Patuxent River will transition to two-lane inbound traffic at Gate 3 (Forest Park Road) for morning rush from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m., beginning Monday, June 9th, 2025.
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Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, MD – The U.S. Marine Corps received its final MQ-9A Reaper Block 5 Extended Range (ER) Uncrewed Aircraft System (UAS) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) Gray Butte flight operations facility in California in June 2025, marking the successful completion of a three-year acquisition campaign. With 18...
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Naval Air Station Patuxent River announced that Gate 1 will be closing for over 2 hours for barrier maintenance on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pax River’s Gate 3 will remain open until 11 a.m. June 3 to accommodate traffic. Delays will be expected throughout the area.
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The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division (NAWCAD) is boosting its testing capabilities with a new UAS experimentation system showcased recently at a training event at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field. Designed to accelerate unmanned aviation development, the Tethered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Experimentation Payload System (TULEPS) allows developers to test software...
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By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Tracey Bannister, Navy Office of Community Outreach. PENSACOLA, Fla. – Ensign Keirra Harvey, a native of Waldorf, Maryland, is serving in the U.S. Navy amongst sailors, Marines and guardsmen at Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC) who are developing the skills needed to be a combat-ready aviation professional. Harvey is...
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On Saturday, May 17, 2025, at approximately 4:09 p.m., police, firefighters and emergency medical services from Virginia and Maryland responded to the Potomac River in the area of the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division in Virginia, for the reported downed aircraft with fire. Multiple 911 callers reported a plane crashed into the water...
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Memorial Day: A Day to Remember the Fallen
Monday, May 26, 2025, is Memorial Day. This day is a national holiday, for remembering and honoring men and women, who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. Waterloo, New York, was declared the official birthplace of Memorial Day by President Lyndon Johnson in May 1966. The holiday had many origins,...
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