The Naval Brief: Stopping (some) ship retirements; Aircraft safety reporting; Commander nominations; and more...

Welcome to The Naval Brief, a weekly look at the news and ideas shaping the sea services’ future.

Saving ships. Members of the House Armed Services subcommittee on seapower are trying to save a cruiser and four landing dock ships from retiring in 2023 in their portion of the defense authorization bill, Defense One reports. The bill would also require the Navy to have at least 31 amphibious ships and consult with the Marine Corps on amphibious capabilities.

Aviation safety. After a number of deadly aviation crashes this year, the House Armed Services subcommittee on readiness wants the deputy defense secretary to submit an annual report on the findings from a yet-to-be established joint aviation safety council, Defense One reports. On Wednesday, a Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey crashed in California with five crew members on board. Their status has not been confirmed by the service. 

AFRICOM nomination. Lt. Gen. Michael Langley has been nominated for promotion to general and to lead U.S. Africa Command, the Defense Department announced Thursday. If confirmed, Langley will be the Corps’ first Black four-star general. He is currently the commander of U.S. Marine Corps Forces Command, Fleet Marine Force Atlantic, and Marine Corps Forces North. He previously served as the deputy commanding general of II Marine Expeditionary Force and commander of Marine Forces Europe and Africa, according to his official biography.

Sixth Fleet nomination. Vice Adm. Stuart Munsch has been nominated for promotion to admiral and to take command of U.S. Naval Forces Europe and Africa and Allied Joint Forces Command in Naples, Italy, the Defense Department announced Wednesday. Munsch has been the director for Joint Force Development on the Joint Staff since 2020. A 1985 Naval Academy grad, he has served on a number of submarines, including commanding the USS Albuquerque (SSN 706) from 2002 to 2005, according to his official biography. Munsch has also served in a number of positions at the Pentagon, including as the first deputy chief of naval operations for warfighting development, N7.

Sign up to get The Naval Brief every Thursday from Caitlin M. Kenney, Defense One’s military services reporter. On this day in 1959, the Navy’s first nuclear-powered ballistic submarine, the USS George Washington (SSBN 598), was launched from Groton, Connecticut.

From Defense One

Raytheon Technologies to Move HQ from Massachusetts to Northern Virginia // Marcus Weisgerber

The move means the five largest defense contractors will all call the D.C. region home.

Sweden's NATO Bid Is in Trouble // Elisabeth Braw

Domestic politics have elevated a Kurdish parliamentarian, and that worsens Stockholm's Turkey woes.

What the West Has Given Is Not Enough to Win, Ukraine Says // Kevin Baron

Central and Eastern European defense ministers say limited arms packages will not defeat Russia in the Donbas or deter invasion elsewhere.

House Bill Would Allow Military to Perform, Fund Abortions // Jacqueline Feldscher

"Reproductive rights cannot and should not end when you put on our nation's uniform," Rep. Sara Jacobs said.