Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea traveled to Florida Navy installations to visit with Sailors and observe the U.S. Navy's Hybrid Fleet event, Oct. 11.
KEY WEST, Fla. - Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honea traveled to Florida Navy installations to visit with Sailors and observe the U.S. Navy's Hybrid Fleet event, Oct. 11.
Franchetti and Honea opened their trip at Naval Station Mayport, where they held an all-hands call with more than 650 Sailors from around the base. The conversation lasted more than ninety minutes and covered topics like readiness and recruiting, as well as VCNO and MCPON's priorities.
"What we do every day is all about three things: warfighting, warfighters, and winning," said Franchetti. "I'm counting on each and every one of you to be focused on your job, and focused on being the best that you can be in everything that you do."
After the all-hands call, Franchetti and Honea had lunch with commanding officers and command master chiefs from select Naval Station Mayport commands.
"I ask that our leaders be very clear on what their priorities are, and that they articulate them very well to their Sailors so we are not wasting time or resources," said Honea. "Then it's about focusing on those priorities, and making sure that we are talking about those things every day."
The group then travelled to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, where they visited Unmanned Patrol Squadron 19 (VUP-19). At VUP-19, VCNO and MCPON received briefs on the MQ-4C Triton Unmanned Aircraft System, part of the Navy's maritime patrol and reconnaissance family of systems. The MQ-4C Triton conducts intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions that pair with the P-8A Poseidon, and it brings increased persistence, capability, and capacity through its multi-sensor mission payload.
The briefing previewed VCNO and MCPON's afternoon visit to Naval Air Station Key West for the Hybrid Fleet event. Running Oct. 4-13, the event aims to evaluate unmanned aerial and surface systems in order to strengthen and increase warfighter capabilities across the Navy and U.S. Fourth Fleet area of responsibility.
"One of the best ways to change our force is to rapidly operationalize new technologies, new systems, and new tactics, techniques, and procedures," said Franchetti. "Whether you're talking about artificial intelligence, cyber, unmanned platforms, directed energy, or hypersonic missiles, we are on the cusp of technological breakthroughs that are going to define future conflict."
The U.S. Fourth Fleet is developing, fielding and operating a hybrid fleet of manned and unmanned vessels to check the flood of illicit trafficking and learn how the Navy can more rapidly employ proven cutting-edge technology on the modern battlefield. VCNO and MCPON finished their day with demonstrations and briefings from the U.S. Fourth Fleet Innovation Team and innovative tech companies in attendance.
