Category: Defense

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

MONTEREY, Calif.  –  

The team’s successful development of an innovative, self-powered autonomous underwater drone, known as the Persistent Smart Acoustic Profiler (PSAP) Voyager, has already delivered large swaths of oceanographic and passive acoustic data primed for NPS student research since it was deployed for the first time off the coast of Kona, Hawaii, in early November of 2024

Naval forces have an inherent operational reason to be quiet and stealthy at sea. Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. John Joseph, a researcher in the NPS Department of Oceanography and principal investigator on the project, said the effort has been funded by the school’s Consortium for Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER), which is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

“PSAP started as a CRUSER project a few years ago when Yi Chao, Seatrec CEO and a well-known oceanographer, gave a talk at NPS about their energy-harvesting system,” said Joseph, who recognized an opportunity to combine the school’s expertise in undersea acoustics and research instrumentation with Seatrec’s innovative energy harvesting technology.

NPS excels at conducting applied research in the operating environment. For the first time, PSAP offers an ability to collect and send oceanographic and passive acoustic monitoring data in near real-time for an unlimited period, thanks to the profiler’s ability to harvest energy from the temperature differences in the ocean, enough to fully power the instrumentation indefinitely.

“Theoretically, PSAP can be deployed once, communicate its acoustic information to remote operators in near real time for limitless periods without requiring retrieval to offload data, refreshment – such as swapping batteries or data storage, or replacement,” explained Joseph. “These characteristics greatly reduce lifecycle costs of a continuous acoustic monitoring effort.”

Empowering student research and discovery is central to the institution’s efforts with industry partners, and the PSAP Voyager’s ongoing operational test – which can be monitored via the Seatrec website – has provided a trove of data for potential research.

“Now that we have a sizable amount of oceanographic and acoustic data collected by PSAP, we plan to have students in the undersea warfare and meteorology and oceanography curricula to use these data for thesis research,” said Joseph.

The role of acoustic sensing in Naval operations is far-reaching and fundamental to U.S. Navy and Marine Corps operations at sea, including undersea sensing and detection.

“Passive acoustic listening has many operational and research applications in the Navy, and our students at NPS conduct applied research to meet naval-unique needs for at-sea operations that require measurements of ambient noise, understanding the composition of soundscapes and monitoring of marine mammals,” said Joseph. The autonomy and endurance of the PSAP Voyager “provides an unprecedented opportunity to collect acoustic data in real-time for very long periods in remote areas without the expense and logistical tail of ship support.”

“Sound is used to ‘see’ underwater and is vital to understanding the ocean and monitoring the movement of natural and man-made objects,” added Yi Chao, Ph.D., Seatrec’s CEO and Founder in a recent news release. “Previously, hydrophones required power from expensive underwater cables from shore or ships but our PSAP Voyager untethers hydrophones and provides nearly unlimited persistent monitoring of the ocean in an extremely economical way.”

While the technology promises to be useful for improving maritime domain awareness, it will also enhance U.S. naval oceanographic models for operational planning used to improve own-force sonar system performance.

(This news story does not constitute an endorsement of Seatrec or its products and services by the Naval Postgraduate School, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense.)

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

KAGOSHIMA, Japan  –  

A U.S. space domain awareness payload hosted on Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite 6 (QZS-6) successfully launched on a Japanese H-3 launch vehicle from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) in Japan on February 2, 2025. This is the first bilateral U.S. Japan cooperative space effort focused on national security, and the first of two launches as part of the JAXA Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Hosted Payload (QZSS-HP) program.

The satellite will be operated by Space Operations Command’s (SpOC) Mission Delta 2 (MD 2), which conducts Space Domain Awareness operations to identify, characterize, and exploit opportunities and mitigate vulnerabilities in the national security space terrain on behalf of the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and U.S. Space Command. The satellite will deliver near real time data to the Space Surveillance Network bolstering the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) understanding of the Geosynchronous Orbit regime above the Indo-Pacific region.

“This launch is a historic milestone for the U.S.-Japan alliance,” said USSF Col. Bryon McClain, program executive officer for Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power. “In an increasingly contested space domain, Japan’s contribution to the U.S. DoD’s deterrence strategy has been, and will continue to be, key to INDOPACOM awareness and operations. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Japan on space modernization, data sharing, satellite communications, and more.”

“Congratulations to both nations on this achievement. Mission Delta 2 is honored to operate these payloads as they get on orbit on behalf of the USSF. These sensors will support the fusion of space- and ground-based Space Domain Awareness to further reinforce all-domain collective defense with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” explained USSF Col. Raj Agrawal, commander or SpOC’s Mission Delta 2.

“I’m proud of the team for this achievement as the first launch in this first-ever bilateral collaboration,” said CMSgt. Jacqueline Sauve,’ SSC’s senior enlisted leader, who was on-site at TNSC for the launch. “This mission is just the beginning of what we can accomplish together with allies and partners.”

The QZSS-HP program encompasses the integration, launch, and operations of two U.S. payloads hosted on Japanese satellites. In preparation for launch, USSF and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) teams have worked side-by-side with the NSPS and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) teams in Japan over the past two years to integrate and test the first hosted payload alongside its Japanese QZS-6 host.

Both U.S. payloads for this mission were designed and built by MIT/LL in Lexington, MA. The Japanese host Quasi-Zenith Satellites were designed and built by MELCO in Kamakura, Japan to augment the U.S. global positioning system (GPS) capabilities in the region. QZSS-HP utilizes the Multi-Mission Space Operations Center/Enterprise Command and Control – Schriever (MMSOC/EC2-S) enclave located in Colorado.

“A key component to ensuring the success of the QZSS-HP mission is the ground infrastructure,” said USSF Col. Joe Roth, director of SSC’s Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition Delta. “Ensuring the ground piece exceeds expectation paves the way for continued successful partnership opportunities with our Asia-Pacific allies.”

The strategic partnership between the USSF and Japan’s National Space Policy Secretariat (NSPS) originated through a December 2020 international agreement to jointly execute the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System-Hosted Payload (QZSS-HP) program. The mission’s second payload aboard QZS-7 is on track for launch in early FY2026.

Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

Space Operations Command is the service force provider, focused on generating combat-ready Space forces, sourcing and providing forces for service and combatant commands, and advocating for combat-ready space power from future force to fielded force.

Mission Delta 2 is the Space Force’s lead Delta for application of Space Domain Awareness to achieve our Nation’s interests in, from, and to space.

Media representatives can submit questions for response regarding SSC by sending an e-mail to sscpa.media@spaceforce.mil

Media representatives can submit questions for response regarding SpOC and MD 2 by sending an e-mail to spoc.pa.media@spaceforce.mil

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand  –  

The 152nd Airlift Wing “High Rollers” from the Nevada Air National Guard achieved a historic first by participating in Operation Deep Freeze.

The High Rollers supported the annual U.S. military mission in Antarctica by flying augmented max duty day missions, logging over 30 hours in three days in December. The operation challenges the U.S. military with Antarctica’s extreme and unpredictable environment— the coldest, windiest and most inhospitable continent on Earth.

Rapidly changing weather conditions immediately confronted the High Rollers, operating out of Christchurch, delaying their inaugural mission until Dec. 18. Despite the setbacks, the team maintained readiness and transported 39 passengers and vital cargo to McMurdo Station in Antarctica aboard their C-130 Hercules aircraft. Their efforts provided significant relief to the 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron of the New York Air National Guard, which has handled the bulk of ODF missions for decades.

The 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron uses LC-130 aircraft equipped with skis, enabling landings on ice and snow. The unit manages the north-south resupply runs between Christchurch and McMurdo Station and intra-Antarctic missions, including deliveries to remote research stations and the South Pole. This demanding workload has heavily strained their fleet and personnel.

“We are so happy to see you guys here,” said Senior Master Sgt. Dave Ricks, the 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron’s superintendent. “We really appreciate the help that the High Rollers are providing.”

A C-17 unit from Washington state supports north-south missions during the winter months. However, during the summer, warmer temperatures render the runways too slushy for C-17s to land.

The High Rollers’ deployment to Operation Deep Freeze strengthens partnerships within the Air National Guard and reduces the operational burden on individual units. Col. Catherine Grush, 152nd Airlift Wing commander, highlighted the collaboration’s importance.

“It is my hope that we can make this an enduring partnership with the New York Air National Guard and the National Science Foundation,” Grush said. “We are excited to help out and provide whatever support is needed from us.”

The High Rollers brought fresh resources and enthusiasm to the mission, marking an important step in building capacity and resilience within the U.S. military’s Antarctic operations. Their success highlights the value of joint efforts in tackling the logistical and environmental challenges of operating at the bottom of the world.

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

AIEA, Hawaii  –  

U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosts Mongolian Minister of Defense Sandag Byambatsogt at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, Feb. 4, 2025.

Topics of discussion included defense ties, advancing shared interests and cooperation, military modernization, and expansion of peacekeeping operations.

The U.S. and Mongolia upgraded their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2019, and this year marks 38 years of the U.S.-Mongolian relationship rooted in shared values and mutual respect.

USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

The combined armed and defense forces of Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States, demonstrating a collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific, will conduct a Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, Feb. 5, 2025.

The naval and air force units of participating nations will operate together to enhance cooperation and interoperability. The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation, and the rights and interests of other States.

This underscores our shared commitments to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

WHITE BEACH NAVAL FACILITY, Okinawa   –  

The Amphibious Ready Group-Marine Expeditionary Unit (ARG/MEU) forms a cohesive Navy and Marine Corps combined-arms team, ready to respond across a range of military operations. The Navy and Marine Corps team delivers decisive, integrated American naval power.

The America ARG is based out of Sasebo, Japan, and is comprised of the staff of Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11 and its three ships: the amphibious assault carrier USS America (LHA 6), the amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), and the amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47). The 31st MEU, headquartered out of Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, consists of a command element, an aviation combat element with F-35B Lightning II aircraft, a combat logistics battalion and a ground combat element.

“We’re looking at a pretty large chunk of INDOPACOM’s ‘ready now’ combat power,” said U.S. Marine Corps Col. Chris Niedziocha, the commanding officer of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit. “Here in the first island chain, the ARG/MEU team competes every day with our opponent. It’s exhilarating to be this far forward, embarked aboard warships – deterring the adversary, reassuring our partners, and signaling resolve.”

The ARG/MEU, which consists of more than 5,000 Marines and Sailors, is underway conducting routine operations in U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed number fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region.