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USNS Comfort ready for 11-week medical assistance mission in South America
US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is ready to start Enduring Promise, an 11-week medical assistance mission conducted with host-nation health and government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Honduras. Comfort is scheduled to depart Norfolk on October 11, en route to South America a
Ford-class arresting gear completes turboprop aircraft testing
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS), the company in charge of delivering the Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG) for the US Navy’s Ford-class carriers, announced that the system has completed testing for the C-2A Greyhound, E-2C+ Hawkeye, and E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft. The testing suppor
Australian OPV construction kicks off with steel cutting ceremony
Construction works on the Royal Australian Navy’s new generation of offshore patrol vessels officially kicked off with a steel cutting ceremony on Wednesday. The steel cutting for the first of overall 12 vessels took place at Civmec’s Western Australia facility. Civmec will be responsible for buildi
International SMARTEX exercise wraps up in the Mediterranean Sea
Ships and personnel from the US, Spain, Germany and France concluded the four-day Smart Defense Exercise (SMARTEX) on September 28. SMARTEX is a NATO initiative designed to enhance interoperability and training between participating countries. During the exercise, Spanish sailors embarked aboard the
USS Wasp visits Singapore after South China Sea drills
After completing integrated Defense of the Amphibious Task Force (DATF) drills in the South China Sea, US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) entered Singapore’s Changi Naval Base together with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) for a scheduled port visit on October 2. Capt. Col
Seaspan contracts Hawboldt Industries for Canadian Navy JSS deliveries
Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan announced it has awarded Hawboldt Industries two contracts totaling CAD$8 million for work on Canada’s new Joint Support Ships (JSS). This is one of several contracts expected to be announced for Canadian suppliers supporting Seaspan’s work on naval supply ships under th
SMIT Salvage lands US Navy marine salvage contract
SMIT Salvage, a Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis) subsidiary, has received two five-year marine salvage contracts to serve as the exclusive marine salvage and engineering support contractor for the US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA). SMIT Salvage will provide the US Navy with marine salv
Video: Russian SU-27 buzzes Ukrainian artillery boats
The Ukranian Navy has shared video footage of a Russian Su-27 fighter aircraft buzzing Ukrainian Gurza-M artillery boats during recent exercises. Apart from sharing the video on social media, the Ukrainian Navy did not provide specific info on when or where exactly the flyover took place. The navy o
Finland, Estonia kick off joint naval drill Baltic Shield 2018
The navies of Finland and Estonia have started the joint Baltic Shield 2018 exercise in the Archipelago Sea and Gulf of Finland. The exercise got underway on October 1 and is scheduled to conclude October 11. Baltic Shield 2018 is a mine counter-measures and firing exercise for vessel units of the F
NAVSEA takes over US Navy ship maintenance in Japan
Commander, Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) formally assumed responsibility for ship maintenance availabilities at US Naval Ship Repair Facility and Japan Regional Maintenance Center (SRF-JRMC) on October 1. NAVSEA is taking over from Commander, US Pacific Fleet (USPACFLT). NAVSEA’s responsibiliti
Update: USS Decatur had unsafe interaction with Chinese destroyer during South China Sea FONOP
US Navy destroyer USS Decatur had a close encounter with a Chinese destroyer during a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea on Sunday. The unidentified Chinese destroyer came as close as 45 ft to USS Decatur in what was described as an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver” by US Paci
US Navy, Lockheed working on AI-controlled 3-D manufacturing
In an effort to fine-tune the 3-D printing process, the US Office of Naval Research and Lockheed Martin have teamed up to explore how to apply artificial intelligence to train robots to independently oversee—and optimize—3-D printing of complex parts. As explained by Lockheed, high-value and intrica
HII gets $97m long-lead contract for 11th US Coast Guard NSC
The US Coast Guard has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division a $97 million fixed-price contract to purchase long-lead materials for an 11th National Security Cutter (NSC). The advance procurement funds will be used to purchase major components for NSC 11, such as steel
Australian frigate returns to port with rescued yachtsman
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat has returned to port with a rescued solo round-the-world yachtsman. Ballarat’s MH-60R ‘Romeo’ Seahawk helicopter recovered Irish national, Gregor McGuckin, from a French scientific research station on Amsterdam Island after he was transported there by Fren