The UK Navy’s fifth Type-45 destroyer HMS Defender is on station east of Suez as she knuckles down to fighting pirates on her first deployment. The Portsmouth-based warship – the fifth of six £1bn warships built to shield the Royal Navy’s Fleet from air and missile attack – has taken her place wit
The Belgian Navy expanded its fleet with a new patrol vessel P901 Castor. The vessel was christened and officially put into service on 10 July. The new commander, Lieutenant Commander Sea Dirk Demedts first class, together with the crew, boarded the new ship. Castor is an important milestone in th
Merseyside shipyard and engineering services company Cammell Laird has completed the first year of the second five-year period of its cluster contract with the UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA). Cammell Laird CEO John Syvret CBE said the first anniversary marked ‘a period of significant progress’ and
Five Sailors and one Airman were frocked at the MacArthur Landing Memorial Park in Tacloban, July 10. “This is a major step in leadership,” said Capt. Brian Shipman, commander Pacific Partnership 2014. “Being able to do this at the very place where Gen. MacArthur came ashore to fulfill his promise
Sailors aboard the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) celebrated Independence Day while underway in the Philippine Sea. The combined efforts of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation committee (MWR) and the First Class Petty Officer Association (FCPOA), made July 4th anythi
Aircrew from NUSQN 725 continue to build warfare skills in the MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopter, taking full advantage of their US based operations and deploying to the Atlantic Undersea Test and Evaluation Centre (AUTEC) in order to complete weapon firings and complex warfare training events. Four Royal
The Wilmington, N.C.-based Cutter Diligence recently entered the US Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay for drydock availability. For the next three months, the 50-year-old medium endurance cutter will undergo critical maintenance work to ensure the cutter and its crew are able to accomplish their safe
The US Department of Defense announced an agreement aimed at reducing the price of an F-35 Lightning II 5th generation fighter to the equivalent of today’s 4th generation fighters by the end of the decade. Designated “The Blueprint for Affordability,” the DoD and F-35 industry partners – Lockheed
Crewmembers from the US Coast Guard Cutter Key Biscayne repatriated 71 Cuban migrants to Bahia de Cabañas, Cuba, Tuesday. This repatriation is a result of five separate attempts to illegally migrate to the United States aboard rustic vessels in the Florida Straits stemming back to July 3rd. On Jul
A Chief of Navy (CN) Gold commendation has been awarded to Lieutenant Commander Tony Nelson for his meticulous planning of aviation activities during last year’s International Fleet Review. CN, Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, visited Fleet Headquarters to award the commendation and to praise the outstan
Amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4) held a change of command ceremony on the flight deck July 2. Capt. Wayne R. Brown relieved Capt. John E. Gumbleton as commanding officer. Commander, Naval Surface Forces Pacific Fleet, Vice Adm. Tom Copeman, presided over the ceremony and presented Gumblet
Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) returned USS California (SSN 781) back to the fleet 14 days ahead of schedule June 30, following a maintenance availability. PSNY’s team of maintenance experts applied lessons learned from USS Topeka’s (SSN 754) engineered overhaul to assist in returning California
Patrol Squadron (VP) 8 “Fighting Tigers” returned home at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville after a seven month multi-site deployment to the 4th and 5th Fleet Areas of Responsibility (AOR) July 8. Following a turnover with the VP-10 “Red Lancers,” the final crew of Fighting Tigers arrived on Ju
A US Coast Guard Sector Boston pollution response crew is responding to an oil spill from the USNS Fisher, dry docked at the Boston Ship Repair facility. The spill, estimated at approximately 11,000 gallons, is self-contained in dry dock and there is currently no oil in the water. At approximately