News and reports from the Department of Defense, DOD.

Pentagon Spokesperson Maj. Pete Nguyen provided the following readout:

The Navy will commission the newest Virginia-class fast-attack submarine, the future USS New Jersey (SSN 796), during an 11 a.m. EST ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Naval Weapons Station Earle in Middletown Township, New Jersey.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

The Department of Defense (DoD) recently announced a three-year, $9.5 million award to create and improve microelectronics-focused education training centers in Indiana in collaboration with the non-profit Regional Opportunity Initiatives, Inc. (ROI). This public-private effort aims to address the need for increased microelectronics production and alleviate critical shortfalls in a skilled microelectronics workforce. The award was made by the Industrial Base Analysis and Sustainment (IBAS) program through the Cornerstone Other Transaction Agreement (COTA).

On September 11, 2024, at the third United States-Republic of Cyprus (ROC) Defense and Security Dialogue in Nicosia, Cyprus, American and Cypriot delegations discussed ways to deepen security cooperation and enhance regional stability.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III announced today that the president has made the following nominations:

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD) participated in the third India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) Summit in Silicon Valley, California on Monday, September 9. The summit was co-hosted by the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) and Stanford University. The INDUS-X initiative continues to vitalize U.S.-India defense industrial cooperation and produce new innovations in technology and manufacturing by facilitating partnerships among defense technology innovators, investors, and researchers.

Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder provided the following readout:

The United States and the Republic of Cyprus have underscored the importance of stability and security in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean through a new defense cooperation agreement. The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the Republic of Cyprus Ministry of Defence (MOD) signed a Roadmap for Bilateral Defense Cooperation Efforts, which will span from 2024 to 2029.

The Department of Defense (DoD) has been selected as a winner of the 2024 Service to the Citizen Award for its Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC)-led project team. This initiative focuses on improving access to DoD Identification (ID) cards for service members, retirees, and their families.

On Monday, September 9, 2024, Celeste Wallander, the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, and Vasilis Palmas, the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Cyprus (ROC), signed the U.S.-ROC Roadmap for Bilateral Defense Cooperation in Nicosia. The two issued a joint statement on the signing.

Republic of Korea (ROK) Deputy Minister for National Defense Policy Cho Chang-rae, U.S. Acting Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Cara Abercrombie, and Japan Director General for Defense Policy Yamato Taro convened the 15th Defense Trilateral Talks in Seoul on September 10, 2024. They discussed shared regional security concerns and renewed their commitment to strengthening trilateral security cooperation following the Japan-ROK-U.S. Summits at Phnom Penh and Camp David and Trilateral Ministerial Meetings in Singapore and Tokyo this year.

The Department of Defense announced a $4.22 million award to Rare Earth Salts in Beatrice, Nebraska, for developing and expanding the production of terbium oxide from recycled fluorescent light bulbs. Terbium is an essential element for rare earth magnets used in many key defense systems. This effort is funded through the Defense Production Act Investment (DPAI) office and aligns with the National Defense Industrial Strategy's priority of increasing supply chain resilience by expanding domestic production and sustainment of critical materials.

The Secretary of the Navy and Chief of Naval Operations announced several flag officer assignments today.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III met with Vietnam's Minister of National Defence General Phan Van Giang at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., on September 9, 2024. The meeting marked the one-year anniversary of the elevation of the U.S.-Vietnam bilateral relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.