Less than a week on station in the 4th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR) the frigate USS Rentz (FFG 46) and embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (LEDET) seized 2,123 lbs. of cocaine from a fishing vessel north of the Galapagos Islands last week. The seizure is worth an estimated str
Principal Warfare Officer’s (PWO) Course number 50 will be the first in HMAS Watson’s 28 year history to graduate students with one of three new specialisations on offer, including Communications and Information Warfare, Amphibious Warfare or Mine Warfare. The School of Maritime Warfare (SMW) based
The dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) arrived here, Aug. 16 after completing the annual Pacific Partnership (PP13) mission, which this year visited six nations in the Oceania region beginning in May. Pacific Partnership is the largest disaster response preparedness mission in the Indo-Asia
Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Vice Admiral Jayanath Colombage declared open the renovated Eastern Naval Command Gymnasium at SLNS Tissa on 16th August 2013. Commander Eastern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Rohan Amarasinghe, President of the Navy Seva Vanitha Unit, Mrs. Srima Colombage and senior naval
The guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) arrived in Durres, Albania for a port visit, Aug.16. This port visit serves to continue Naval Forces Europe-Africa efforts to build global maritime partnerships with European nations to enhance regional stability. While in Durres, Sailors wil
Friday the 16th of August marks the start of Navy Week celebrations in Brisbane for 2013. This year’s Navy Week has been moved forward from its traditional October dates to allow for more service personnel to participate in the upcoming International Fleet Review, in Sydney on October 3. Navy Week w
Underwater Construction Team 2, Construction Diving Detachment Alpha completed a three-month deployment aboard the amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), Aug. 16. Stationed in Port Hueneme, Calif., Det. Alpha was the first underwater construction divers to participate in Pacific Par
NAVFORSOL directed DF338 to depart Legazpi City pier and proceed to Pandan, Catanduanes on August 13th 2013 to support the ongoing Search and Rescue operations for reported missing fishermen in the waters off Catanduanes after TS LABUYO hit Bicol over the weekend. More than 70 fisher folks were repo
Divers involved in search within the stricken submarine Sindhurakshak, met with some more success on the evening of 17 Aug 13. They located and brought up the body of the sixth crew member just forward of the Control Room despite odds of visibility and mangled metal. They also successfully gained ac
The guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) successfully completed the visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) portion of its maritime interdiction operation (MIO) training requirement, Aug. 13. The Philippine Sea worked in conjunction with the training support boat Mobile Sea Range (MSR)
The Commissioning Parade of the 27th KDU Intake and the 51st Cadet Entry Intake was held at the main parade ground of the Naval and Maritime Academy (NMA) in Trincomalee on 16th August 2013. Eighty-five midshipmen comprising 37 from the 27th KDU Intake and 48 from the 51st Intake passed out under fl
The guided missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) deployed from its homeport of Norfolk on Sunday, Aug. 18. After a whirlwind year that included a successful shipyard maintenance availability and intensive certification and training period, Stout, led by Cmdr. Bob Alpigini, departed on a deployment to
Naval Task Group Central, spearheaded by Patrol Gunboat (PG) 118, BRP Emilio Liwanag, intercepted seven (7) vessels with expired documents and undocumented firearms in the vicinity of Vincenzo Sagun, Zamboanga Del Sur last Thursday, 15 August 2013. PG 118, under the command of Cdr Erwin Calimag PN,
Sailors and Marines assigned to dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42) pulled into Cairns, Australia for a routine port visit, Aug. 15. “I’m very excited to be in Cairns,” said Fireman Recruit Daniel W. Sistare. “The people [in Australia] are very welcoming.” The visit followed Germantown’s compl
