Author | Lightnews

Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · 16h

HII CEO Chris Kastner doesn't have a ton of details on President Trump's return to steam catapults on carriers or South Korean nuclear subs getting built in Philly.

"We’re going to build whatever the Navy wants us to build," he said on the Q3 earnings call.

Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · 1d

Lots of reasons this is highly unlikely. I would imagine we're on the wrong end of a game of telephone.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · 9d

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · 11d

Back from a trip to Taiwan ahead of what is becoming a borderline unwieldy story on the defense of the island. Timely now with the new NDS in the works.
We talk a little about it in this week’s newsletter.
us2.campaign-archive.com?u=e971c57768...

USNI News: Sea Scroll #91

us2.campaign-archive.com

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Sep 24

Anyone have a good update if the Chinese jet engines are decent yet? On my mind since the Fujian cat launches.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Sep 12

Navy statements pending BUT per lots of USNA traffic here's the progression:
-Off-post Yodel threat
-Lockdown
-Mid thought security clearing Bancroft (lots of bad gouge that shooter was in police gear) was a threat and attacked
-Mid got hurt (proly shot)
-Mid medivaced
news.usni.org/2025/09/11/n...

UPDATED: 1 Injured Following Lockdown at U.S. Naval Academy - USNI News

One person was medically evacuated from U.S. Naval Academy on Thursday following a lockdown in response to threats made against the service academy. The individual was injured as Naval Security Forces...

news.usni.org

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Sep 2

This is a departure from 20+ years of US drug interdiction policy. Today was a military operation, not law enforcement.

VIDEO: U.S. Military Strikes Suspected Drug Vessel as Warships Gather in the Caribbean - USNI News
news.usni.org/2025/09/02/u...

VIDEO: U.S. Military Strikes Suspected Drug Vessel as Warships Gather in the Caribbean - USNI News

This story has been updated to include additional information and video of the strike. THE PENTAGON – U.S. forces performed a “precision strike” on a suspected transnational drug boat that killed the ...

news.usni.org

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 25

Adm. Daryl Caudle sworn in as 34th U.S. chief of naval operations by SECNAV John Phelan in a ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard ending a 184-day gap in the position since Adm. Lisa Franchetti was removed from the job.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 23

We will have an update on Monday. We’ve got a couple of questions outstanding.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 23

These firings came without the standard "lost confidence in your ability to command" statements.

Navy Reserve, Naval Special Warfare Leaders Removed from Command — USNI News
news.usni.org/2025/08/22/n...

Navy Reserve, Naval Special Warfare Leaders Removed from Command - USNI News

This post will be updated with additional information as it becomes available The commanders of the Navy Reserve and Naval Special Warfare were removed from their leadership positions on Friday, USNI ...

news.usni.org

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 20

That’s a long time.

U.S. Naval Institute @usni.org · Aug 20

Navy: 12-hour Fire Aboard USS New Orleans Extinguished, 2 Sailors with Minor Injuries - USNI News
news.usni.org/2025/08/20/b...

Navy: 12-hour Fire Aboard USS New Orleans Extinguished, 2 Sailors with Minor Injuries - USNI News

This post has been updated with a statement from U.S. 7th Fleet. A fire that burned for 12 hours aboard the amphibious warship USS New Orleans (LPD-18) off Okinawa, Japan, was declared extinguished e...

news.usni.org

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 20

Good news, no reports of crew injuries. Bad news, this was a four and a half hour fire (at least). The request for additional assistance is a bad sign, given the damage control systems aboard.

news.usni.org/2025/08/20/b...

UPDATED: Amphib USS New Orleans Suffers Fire Off Okinawa - USNI News

This post has been updated with additional information on the status of the crew and the fire Amphibious warship USS New Orleans (LPD-18) suffered a fire off the coast of Okinawa, U.S. 7th Fleet confi...

news.usni.org

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 1

2. He could be talking about moving the two deployed Ohio-class GUIDED missile submarines that each of which has 154 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles. Georgia is in CENTCOM and Ohio is in the Pacific.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 1

1. Trump could be referring to surging two Ohio-class ballistic nuclear missile submarines. STRATCOM requires the Navy to be able to surge up to 10 of the 14 boomers in the fleet in case of a strategic crisis. There are three to four on patrol at any given time.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Aug 1

No specifics of what submarines President Trump is referring to in his message in response to Medvedev playing up the Russian "dead hand" semi-autonomous nuclear launch system.
HOWEVER, I have an educated guess based on two options.

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Reposted by Sam LaGrone

U.S. Naval Institute @usni.org · Jul 28

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: July 28, 2025
news.usni.org/2025/07/28/u...

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: July 28, 2025

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of July 28, 2025, based on Navy and public data. In cases in w...

news.usni.org

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jul 27

Sam reviews splash pads. Dix Hill in Raleigh gets 10 ancient infrastructure points for the inclusion of an Archimedes screw.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jul 21

Thanks! I got lucky.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jul 21

Fun field trip today.

Crew of Oiler USNS Arctic Praised for Difficult Red Sea Deployment — USNI News news.usni.org/2025/07/21/c...

Crew of Oiler USNS Arctic Praised for Difficult Red Sea Deployment - USNI News

ABOARD FAST COMBAT SUPPORT SHIP USNS ARCTIC (TAOE-8) — For nine months, USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) faced the most intense combat a carrier strike group in a generation under fire from Houthi missile...

news.usni.org

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jul 16

Going through the cruise book for USS Nimitz's first deployment for a piece that'll come later, I found this gem. You always look your best when you're convalescing, wrapped in Ace bandages.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jul 14

Lois grilling Kal/Clark on the ethics of interviewing himself AND explaining how retroactive off the record isn't a thing are worth the price of admission.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jul 14

Seen a bit of criticism about how Daily Planet newsroom edited the blockbuster piece in, "Superman." As a dude who has also edited a breaking news piece on a vessel underway, I thought the process was well represented. Ten/Ten. No notes.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jun 27

These are the ships the Pentagon/OMB factored into the "two bills, one budget" FY26 plan that would be paid for by reconciliation.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jun 27

This was a late file becasue we wanted to take pains to see how the base budget interacted with the reconcilliation proposal with some slick interactive graphics. Too long, didn't click, more than half of the shipbuilding budget is contingent on the big, beautiful bill passing.

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Sam LaGrone @samlagrone.bsky.social · Jun 27

FY 2026 Budget: Future of F/A-XX, Frigate Unclear; $47.2B Shipbuilding Budget Split Between Base Request, Reconciliation — USNI News
news.usni.org/2025/06/26/f...

FY 2026 Budget: Future of F/A-XX, Frigate Unclear; $47.2B Shipbuilding Budget Split Between Base Request, Reconciliation - USNI News

THE PENTAGON — The fates of the Navy’s sixth-generation fighter and new frigate program are on hold as part of the Trump administration’s new defense budget request, USNI News has learned. The Trump a...

news.usni.org

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