Chinese sailors visiting Portsmouth have been treated to a tour of the Royal Navy’s newest warship. Fifty crew members from the assault ship Chang Bai Shan were shown around the hi-tech Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan in Portsmouth Naval Base. The Chang Bai Shan is one of three Chinese Naval ships in t
Damen Shipyards Cape Town (DSCT) has completed the build of two FCS 5009 Patrol vessels, the first of their type to be built in South Africa. Another of the same class is already in operation with the Cape Verdean Coast Guard. “This continues our policy of building in Africa for Africa,” said Friso
SES announced on January 13th that it plans to launch a dedicated satellite for governmental use in partnership with the Luxembourg Government in late 2017. A Luxembourg-based company jointly held by SES and the Luxembourg Government is planned to own and operate the new spacecraft. The Luxembourg G
Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) ships arrived in Barcelona yesterday for a port visit and to prepare to join forces with France’s Charles de Gaulle Carrier Strike Group for a short period of combined exercises. SNMG2 leadership will meet with local Allied authorities to discuss items of mutua
Boeing, through its Argon ST subsidiary, will provide the U.S. Navy with five additional AN/SLQ-25C surface ship torpedo defense systems, continuing more than two decades of helping protect ships and sailors around the world. Known as “Nixie”, the system lures torpedoes away from intended targets by
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel visited officers and crew aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America on Wednesday, January 13th, 2015. The ship is “one of the most sophisticated Navy platforms we have,” said Hagel, during his speech in the ship’s hangar bay. America is the first ship of its c
After contributing more than 650 search hours to the Indonesian-led search effort for AirAsia flight QZ8501, USS Sampson (DDG 102) and USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) concluded their assistance efforts Jan 15, receiving praise from Indonesian authorities. U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia Robert O. Blake noted th
The U.S. Navy authorized ships in the Aegis Combat Weapon System baselines 5.3 and 3.A.0 series to carry the Raytheon Company Standard Missile-6. The authorization expands the missile’s use from five ships to more than 35 ships. “SM-6 is the longest range integrated air and missile defense intercept
On Sunday 11 January during one of her counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, EU Naval Force warship, ESPS Rayo, sighted several fishing vessels. In order to develop a greater understanding of the pattern of life of local seafarers and any concerns they may have about piracy, the Spanish Navy w
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) arrived at Naval Base Kitsap Bremerton Jan. 13 after successfully transiting from Everett, Washington to Bremerton, Washington. Though only a relatively short distance from Everett, the official homeport change to Bremerton will allow Nimitz families to move
Royal Navy Submariners have spent a week in the fires of hell to ensure they can deal with the biggest threat to the Silent Service. Despite the public perception of submarines, fire – or rather smoke – will knock you out long before your boat floods. So experienced submariners from across the RN Su
An independent audit found the cost of the department’s 11 biggest equipment programmes fell by £397 million in the past year. The defence equipment plan is an annual update to Parliament on the MOD’s spending plans over the next decade. The update sets out plans to spend around £163 billion on new
Philippine Navy Patrol Gunboat apprehended two fishing boats during the conduct of Naval Patrol long the littoral waters of Pangasinan and La Union on the evening of January 6, 2015. BRP Hilario Ruiz (PG378) skippered by its Acting Commanding Officer Lieutenant Senior Grade John Paul Acio PN caught
The ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ has set sail from Cádiz to start her 86th midshipmen training cruise. On this occasion, 76 midshipmen from the Spanish Naval Academy in their fourth academic year, and 14 candidates to become Leading Seamen from the Ferrol Specialties School have embarked on the traini
