A US Navy test aircraft on April 11 performed the final developmental test flight of the F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase, marking the end of “the most comprehensive, rigorous and the safest developmental flight test program in aviation history.” “Completing F-35 SDD flight test
US Navy littoral combat ship USS Little Rock (LCS 9) finally reached her homeport in Mayport, Florida, after spending over three months in Montreal, Canada, trapped by ice. The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship reached its homeport on April 12, for the first time since she was commissioned on Dec
UK’s F-35B Lightning jets which will be operated by the Royal Navy and Air Force recently achieved another first in their preparation for operations in UK skies. The Royal Navy has now shared photos of what it says is a first “full-British” aerial refueling of F-35B jets. To travel 4,134-miles acros
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) wrapped up a three-month deployment to the Indo-Pacifc returning to its homeport at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego on April 12. Over 5,000 crew from the aircraft carrier and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 deployed January 5 for routin
On April 18, 2018, the German Navy’s tender Mosel will depart its homeport Kiel, heading to the Mediterranean Sea, the navy said. Under the command of Frigate Captain Jens Röder, the tender will participate in the EUNAVFOR MED operation Sophia. Crewed by 106 members, Mosel will replace the air defen
US Navy’s Harpers Ferry-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) arrived in Victoria, British Columbia on April 12, for a scheduled port visit. “This visit helps to demonstrate the continuing commitment the US has to our long-standing and important relationship with Canada,” said
UK defense contractor BAE Systems has announced a £10 million (approx. $14.2m) investment into upgrades of the Maritime Integration & Support Centre (MISC) aimed at improving research into artificial intelligence, information and electronic warfare, unmanned vehicles and new weapons. Located in Port
US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries said on Wednesday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division plans to reactivate its shipbuilding facilities on the east bank of the Pascagoula River. The site of the original Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., founded in 1938, was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in
India’s Mahindra Defence and Israel’s Aeronautics have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on naval shipborne unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). As informed, the duo intends to offer Orbiter 4, a UAV system which can be launched and recovered from Indian warships. “Aeronautics has ente
Russian shipbuilder Pella Shipyards has launched the navy’s 14th Project 03160 high speed patrol boat. Boat number 12 was commissioned into Russian Navy service with the Baltic Fleet in 2017, while the 13th vessel was launched in August 2017. The boats are also referred to as “Raptors” and are the f
The Finnish Navy has deployed three vessels to Sweden where they are taking part in a naval exercise in the archipelago of Stockholm. The two navies will increase their interoperability through 8 days of exercises which are set to conclude on April 19. The exercise will focus on anti-submarine warfa
An expedition crew aboard the Reserach Vessel R/V Petrel discovered the sunken World War II cruiser USS Helena in the Solomon Sea in late March. The cruiser, which is the first-ever recipient of the Navy Unit Commendation, was sunk by Japanese cruisers in July 1943, during the Battle of Kula Gulf. R
US Navy’s Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Bengkulu on April 10 concluding their Pacific Partnership stop in Indonesia. “I’d like to thank the residents of Bengkulu for their hospitality. I have found that they are some of the most engaging and friendly people I h
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac and French Navy ship FS Vendémiaire have conducted a passage exercise off the East coast of Australia to support training and build interoperability between navies. Both ships conducted boat transfers and cross deck operations, where six personnel from each s
