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US Navy hospital ship returns from South America deployment
The US Navy’s 272-meter long hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) returned to Naval Station Norfolk on December 18, completing over two months of medical support operations in South and Central America as part of Enduring Promise. The Enduring Promise initiative is a US Southern Command project to p
Australian Navy’s 2019 task group deployment to focus on cooperation with India
The focus of the Royal Australian Navy’s 2019 Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE19) will focus on developing cooperation with the Indian Navy, Australian defense minister has announced. Engagement with India, one of Australia’s key strategic partners in the Indian Ocean region, will be the cornerstone for
Royal Navy ship HMS Echo arrives in Odessa, Ukraine
Hydrographic survey ship HMS Echo arrived in Odessa on December 19, becoming the first Royal Navy ship to visit Ukraine since the Sea of Azov crisis from late November when Russian forces seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels and detained Ukrainian sailors. Echo docked in Odessa after entering the Bla
First LRASM anti-ship missiles delivered for Air Force’s B-1B bombers
US defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced it has delivered the first Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) to the US Air Force, achieving early operational capability (EOC) status ahead of schedule. The air-launched LRASM variant, integrated onboard the B-1B bombers, provides an early operatio
Canadian ships return from worldwide operations
Royal Canadian Navy vessels ranging from coastal defense vessels through frigates to replenishment oilers returned to their Atlantic and Pacific bases from operations in European, South American, and Asia-Pacific waters. Kingston-class coastal defense vessels HMCS Edmonton and Nanaimo returned to Ca
Stantec gets $35m for Portsmouth submarine base upgrade design
The US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has awarded design firm Stantec a $35 million contract for the planning and preliminary design of a multi-mission dry dock and other upgrades at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine. Stantec’s work will include comprehensive prelimin
UK hosts NATO submarine rescue exercise
Submarine rescue specialists from France, Norway and the United Kingdom gathered at HM Naval Base Clyde to take part in a NATO Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) training exercise. Over 110 people participated in the week-long event – the largest evacuation exercise ever to be planned at Faslane – bring
Kearsarge ARG ships deploy from Norfolk
US Navy sailors attached to the amphibious ready group centered around the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) started their deployment on December 17, after getting underway from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. In addition to USS Kearsarge as the flagship, the group includes S
Indian Navy commissions fifth LCU
The Indian Navy has commissioned its fifth Mk-IV landing craft utility in a ceremony at Port Blair on December 19. The ship has been indigenously designed and built by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The LCU is an amphibious ship with its primary role being transportatio
US Navy establishes first CMV-22B carrier onboard delivery squadron
The US Navy established Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 – its first CMV-22B squadron – in a ceremony at Naval Base Coronado on December 14. VRM-30 was established to begin the navy’s transition from the C-2A Greyhound, which has provided logistics support to aircraft carriers for fou
Russia commissions lead Karakurt-class corvette Mytishchi
The Russian Navy commissioned its lead Project 22800 guided-missile corvette ‘Mytishchi’ in a ceremony on December 17. The corvette will join the Baltic Fleet after completing sea and state trials and testing all systems and weapons. Mytishchi is the first of over 20 planned Project 22800 ships (als
Argonauts complete F-35C carrier qualifications on USS Carl Vinson
The “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 completed their carrier qualifications December 12 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the US Navy has announced. The carrier qualifications are the final required component for Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing (CJSFW) to issue the squadron its sa
HII launches 18th US Navy Virginia-class submarine
US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries has launched the 18th Virginia-class submarine Delaware (SSN 791) at its Newport News Shipbuilding division. During a three-day process that began last Wednesday, the 7,800-ton submarine was moved out of a construction facility and into a floating dry doc
Rheinmetall delivers bridge simulator to German Navy
German Navy naval school Mürwik officially accepted delivery of a new nautical training facility from German defense contractor Rheinmetall in a ceremony on December 6. Ordered almost exactly three years ago, the system – known as the “Ausbildungsausstattung Nautische Schiffsführung”, or AANS – will