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Australian Navy ships arrive in Vanuatu to support volcano response
Royal Australian Navy ships deployed as part of the Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018 (IPE18) program arrived in Vanuatu for their deployment’s first port visit. Before entering Port Vila on Wednesday, oiler HMAS Success completed officer of the watch manoeuvres with the Vanuatu Police Force vessel RVS To
Royal Navy tests newly-delivered autonomous minesweeping system
The Royal Navy has recently tested its first autonomous minesweeping system in Dorset, South West England, evaluating its performance against modern mines. Autonomous motor boat Hussar can be sent off on missions, using a series of small, hi-tech boats trailed behind it to detonate the latest underw
US Coast Guard receives 29th FRC ‘Forrest Rednour’
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the 29th fast response cutter (FRC), Forrest Rednour, to the US Coast Guard in Key West, Florida. The cutter will be the first FRC stationed in San Pedro, California, and will be commissioned this fall. Petty Officer 2nd Class Forrest Rednour, the cutter’s namesake,
Propeller damage sidelines German corvette from BALTOPS drill
German Navy corvette FGS Erfurt was prevented from taking part in the US Navy-led BALTOPS drill in the Baltic Sea after damaging her propeller in an earlier exercise. Erfurt had been part of the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) since February this year and was close to the end of her deploymen
Japan orders third E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
Northrop Grumman Systems has received a contract to build the third E-2D Advanced Hawkeye early warning and attack aircraft for the government of Japan. According to a Pentagon announcement from June 5, Northrop received $153.2 million for the construction of the aircraft which is expected to be com
First British F-35Bs arrive home
The Royal Navy and Air Force welcomed their first F-35B Lightning II fighter jets as they landed at RAF Marham in Norfolk on June 6. The aircraft arrived in the UK following a one-day delay caused by adverse weather conditions over the Atlantic which complicated the necessary aerial refueling proced
Attack submarine USS Columbia returns from Western Pacific deployment
The crew of the US Navy’s Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) returned to their Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam homeport in Hawaii on June 6. Columbia spent the past six months in the Western Pacific conducting operations and exercises in support of national security. Cmdr.
BAE Systems gets $36.6m for USS Cole overhaul
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems a $36.6 million contract for the modernization and maintenance work on the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67). The Cole will undergo one year of extensive work at the company’s shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia,the ship’s homeport. The con
Australia, New Zealand complete Tasman Sea shipping protection drill
Royal Australian and New Zealand Naviy personnel took part in a week long exercise recently honing their skills in responding to piracy activities on commercial shipping surrounding fictitious countries in the Tasman Sea. Exercise Goanna 18 drew on lessons learnt from RAN and RNZN deployments in dom
QinetiQ contracted for Ford-class EMALS, AAG equipment deliveries
QinetiQ North America will be delivering control hardware and software for the electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) and the advanced arresting gear (AAG) under a contract with General Atomics. The company announced it has completed negotiations on the contract which it originally received
Watch the Israeli Navy shoot down a drone target in gas rig attack drill
The Israeli Navy last week concluded a drill aimed at testing its vessels’ ability to respond to an attack on one of the country’s offshore oil and gas platforms. The drill was led by the Haifa-based 3rd (missile boat) flotilla and joined by Sa’ar 4,5 corvette INS Kidon and Sa’ar 5 corvette INS Laha
France, UK announce South China Sea freedom of navigation operations
French and UK Royal Navy ships will be joining their US counterparts in challenging China’s territorial claims in disputed regions of the South China Sea, the two countries’ defense ministers have announced. The announcement was made at the Shangri La security dialogue in Singapore which was attende
Australian frigate nets three more drug hauls in Middle East
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga has made an additional three narcotics seizures in the Middle East, bringing the total amount of drugs seized to well over 33 tons. In the three boarding operations carried out in the Arabian Sea between June 3 and 5, Australian sailors seized close to s
Kongsberg to deliver ST2400 variable depth sonars for Finnish Hamina-class missile boats
The Finnish defense ministry has awarded Kongsberg Maritime a contract to deliver its ST2400 variable depth sonar (VDS) for the Hamina-class missile boats. The contract was awarded to Kongsberg as part of the Squadron 2000 mid-life upgrade (MLU) program which will extend the missile boats’ service l