The Navy revealed the next Virginia-class, nuclear-powered submarine will be called the USS Baltimore and that Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks would serve as the vessel’s sponsor.
The announcement would come 10 years after the U.S.’ establishment of the multi-national Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and its military component, Combined Joint Task Force — Operation Inherent Resolve.
Locating and identifying the remains of service members killed in conflicts is the nation’s ‘ironclad commitment,’ Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said during a National Prisoner of War/Missing in Action Recognition Day ceremony at the Pentagon.
Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa M. Franchetti underscored the imperative for the nation’s sea service to continue to meet the demands of an evolving technology and national security landscape.
The Defense Department recognized 11 U.S. military installations and commands for suicide prevention programs and efforts conducted last year.
The United States military continues to degrade the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, while other defense officials work to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.
The United States must increase spending to levels not seen since the Cold War to deter the threats of China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, said the leaders of a bipartisan commission examining the National Defense Strategy.
Partnerships are key to defending against a rapidly evolving threat landscape and assuring the United States’ advantage for the long term, senior Defense Department leaders said.
