Sam LaGrone

Naval reporter for @USNINews Fmr: @JanesINTEL , @newsobserver, @vmialumni Content ≠ any official @NavalInstitute stance on anything. [email protected]

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

Here's our wrap from the peerless @AaronMatthew_L on the missile-heavy #balikatan26. The training goals were unambiguous.

[USNI News @USNINews]

Balikatan 2026 was Rehearsal for Defense of the Philippines, Paparo Says — USNI News
https://t.co/MjpHxJbDZC

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

Big day for the tracker. We caught a shout in the Senate, too.

[Charlie B @supbrow]

HASC @CENTCOM FY27 Posture Hearing

@RepJoeCourtney mentions the @USNINews Fleet Tracker and places the latest version into the record for the hearing:
https://t.co/gSkOgQJnAj

BZ @USNINews Team: @samlagrone @HMongilio @MalShelbourne

https://t.co/qI6iVQqctg

@mercoglianos @cdrsalamander

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

This is a great long read on how Navy medical personnel are learning how to treat combat injuries by working on trauma patients in major metro emergency rooms.

[USNI News @USNINews]

‘Trauma Alert’ Navy medical personnel prepare for combat by learning trauma care at major metro hospitals — USNI News
https://t.co/LGJKqwCgrp

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

Our man @AaronMatthew_L with his latest in his tremendous work from #Balikatan in the Philippines this year.
Based on his reporting, I would say this year's theme was: "Lots of missiles."
https://t.co/U8zdQ0UhYT

[Ryan Chan 陳家翹 @ryankakiuchan]

I really like this kind of news reports that track naval activities in a designated region of interest.

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

The primary reason the Navy still uses dolphins for the location of mines is that technology hasn't created a sonar system as sophisticated as what a dolphin can detect with its Mark I dolphin brain. Not their lust for blood.

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

I see we're rediscovering the Navy's marine mammal program? The unit of specially trained dolphins and sealions used for force protection and mine hunting?
https://t.co/Fp2IGoVcDp

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

What Sal, said.

[Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ @mercoglianos]

US Naval Forces in Epic Fury

Sulu Sea:
BOXER ARG/11th MEU
Boxer LHD-4
Comstock LSD-45
Portland LSD-27

Eastern Med:
Bulkeley DDG-84
Gonzalez DDG-66
Arleigh Burke DDG-51
Oscar Austin DDG-79

Red Sea:
Carrier Strike Group 12
Gerald R Ford CVN-78/Carrier Air Wing 8
Winston Churchill DDG-81
Destroyer Squadron 2:
Mahan DDG-72
Bainbridge DDG-96
Thomas Hudner DDG-116

Arabian Sea:
Carrier Strike Group 3
Abraham Lincoln CVN-72/Carrier Air Wing 9
Frank E Peterson Jr DDG-121
Destroyer Squadron 21:
Spruance DDG-111

Carrier Strike Group 10
George H W Bush CVN-77/Carrier Air Wing 7
Mason DDG-87
Destroyer Squadron 22:
Donald Cook DDG-75
Ross DDG-71

Independent Deployed:
Milius DDG-69
Delbert D Black DDG-119
Pickney DDG-91
Mitscher DDG-57
Michael Murphy DDG-112
Jon Finn DDG-113
Rafael Peralta DDG-115
Truxtun DDG-103
Canberra LCS-30
Tulsa LCS-16
Santa Barbara LCS-32
Pioneer MCM-9
Chief MCM-14
Miguel Keith ESB-5
John Canley ESB-6

TRIPOLI ARG/31st MEU
Tripoli LHA-7
New Orleans LPD-18
Rushmore LSD-47

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

Maximum tonnage in the Arabian Sea.

https://t.co/LwiAz7QPfe

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

The last time the U.S. bought a major combatant from a foreign shipyard was in 1900.

[USNI News @USNINews]

U.S. Considering Foreign Designs, Shipyards for New Navy Frigate, Destroyer Work in $1.85B Study — USNI News
https://t.co/zn6tYg5LtF

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

.@MalShelbourne with news the Navy is looking to buy the first of the estimated $15 billion battleship in FY 2028.

[USNI News @USNINews]

Navy Wants to Buy Trump-class Battleship in FY 2028 — USNI News
https://t.co/5nVGlRojBK

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

BREAKING: Navy’s Next Generation F/A-XX Downselect Expected in August

https://t.co/6VbI9iTPoM

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

CNO Caudle: F/A-XX downselect expected in August.

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

Not the longest away from home (that's 2020-2021 Nimitz deployment) but the longest period deployed certified for national tasking.

[USNI News @USNINews]

USS Gerald R. Ford Breaks Post-Cold War Deployment Record — USNI News
https://t.co/vHCnDSQ2FV

[Reid Wiseman @astro_reid]

Jesse, Steve, Laddy, and Vlad….such an incredible feeling to welcome you aboard Integrity after a nearly 700,000 mile journey. Forever thankful for your service to our crew and the nation.

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

I'm putting fries on my sandwich to celebrate.

[Katie Robertson @katie_robertson]

NEW: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will continue publishing! It has been acquired by the nonprofit Venetoulis Institute, which runs the Baltimore Banner. My story here: https://t.co/VsTFjeNqNs

[Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴‍☠️ @mercoglianos]

🚨NAVAL LOGISTICS🚨

The routing of the Bush Strike Group - carrier George H W Bush (CVN-77), Donald Cook (DDG-75), Mason (DDG-87) and Ross (DDG-71) - highlights a critical @USNavy & @MSCSealift underway replenishment lesson.

Sailing from Norfolk to Diego Garcia is 10,500 miles via Cape of Good Hope; 8,850 via Suez.

The Bush and her escorts will be able to make a high speed run to the Indian Ocean around the Cape of Good Hope because they are supported by the fast combat support ships, USNS Arctic (T-AOE 8).

Fleet oilers of the Kaiser and Lewis class have a top speed of 20 knots. Arctic, and her sistership Supply (T-AOE 6) can push 30 knots and support a high speed run around the world. The limitation is not the carrier, as she is nuclear, but the three Burke-class destroyers that will burn through their fuel at a rate twice to three time economical steaming.

This also avoids having to sail though Suez or past the Houthis in the Bab el-Mandeb.

Just another reason we need to be talking about building more Military Sealift Command logistic ships, including new AOEs.

[Liz Friden @Liz_Friden]

The USS George Bush carrier strike group is going around the African continent to get to the Middle East in order to avoid potential attacks from Houthis in the Red Sea and Bab el-Mandeb Strait, two U.S. officials confirm to Fox News. First reported by USNI.

[stevewalsh @stevewalsh]

@samlagrone can confirm

[Sam LaGrone @samlagrone]

Read more about it in our weekly look at the U.S. Navy:

[USNI News @USNINews]

USNI News Fleet and Marine Tracker: April 13, 2026
https://t.co/7FNsxgLTnd