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Report: US sails destroyer near Chinese claimed island
The US Navy destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) sailed close to an artificial island built by China in the South China Sea, Reuters reported citing US officials. On March 23, 2018, the destroyer reportedly approached Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, a disputed area. The operation, called by the US Na
Obangame Express kicks off in Gabon
Obangame Express, an exercise sponsored by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and designed to improve regional cooperation, kicked off on March 21 with an opening ceremony in Libreville, Gabon. The annual exercise aims to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA), information-sharing practices, and tactical
Indian Navy decommissions frigate, three minesweepers
The Indian Navy decommissioned an indigenously built frigate and three Russian-built minesweepers in separate ceremonies on March 22 and 23. Both the frigate and the minesweepers provided over 30 years of service for the Indian Navy. INS Ganga, the indigenously-built Godavari-class guided-missile fr
Royal Navy, Thales trial surface warship sonar software upgrades
French defense and technology company Thales worked with the Royal Navy recently to see if upgrades in submarine sonar systems could be applied on towed array sonars used on surface ships such as the Type 23 frigates. Sonar 2076 is the Royal Navy’s major sonar platform on all submarines, while the T
US Navy to commission 64th Arleigh Burke destroyer ‘Ralph Johnson’
The US Navy is set to commission its 64th Arleigh Burke destroyer in a ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday, March 24. The future USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) is the 30th DDG 51 class destroyer built by the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard and the first warship named for Me
USS Bonhomme Richard pulls into Okinawa on Indo-Pacific patrol
US Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) arrived at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, for a visit as part of its Indo-Pacific deployment. The ship arrived in Okinawa on March 22 following a week of unit-level training at sea. Bonhomme Richard’s crew has cond
Indian Navy Heron UAV crashes after take off
An Indian Navy Heron unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) crashed soon after taking off from the naval air base in Porbandar, Gujarat, in the morning hours of March 22, 2018. There has been no injuries or casualties following the incident, the Indian Navy said on Twitter. “The UAV crashed in an open ground
Elettronica, partners ink MOUs for Aussie frigate program
Italian-based electronic warfare specialist Elettronica has laid the groundwork for further collaboration with Thales Australia and the Australian systems house Daronmont related to the potential construction of nine new frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. Under the Memoranda of Understanding, t
Qatari Coast Guard orders nine more vessels from ARES, BMT
UK-based engineering consultancy BMT and Turkey’s ARES Shipyard have received a new order from the Qatari Coast Guard which includes an additional nine vessels. The order was officially signed during Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX) last week. The new order cove
Canadian submarine Chicoutimi returns from historic six-month deployment to Asia Pacific
Royal Canadian Navy’s Victoria-class submarine HMCS Chicoutimi returned to her homeport in Esquimalt March 21 after a 197-day deployment in the Asia-Pacific region. Her deployment was a historic one in that it marked the first time in nearly 50 years that a Canadian submarine operated in the region.
UK MoD awards £160m Type 45 destroyer propulsion repair contract
The UK defense ministry has awarded a £160 million (approx. $226.5m) contract to a BAE Systems-led team to resolve the power and propulsion system issues experienced by Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyers. The Power Improvement Project (PIP) will improve the resilience of the Type 45 class by installing
USS Oak Hill exits Black Sea after Romania drill, Georgia port visit
US Navy’s Harpers-Ferry class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) and the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) wrapped up their 15-day stay in the Black Sea, transiting the Bosphorus to return to the Mediterranean Sea on March 22. During their time in the Black Sea, US Navy sailors and
Photo: US Coast Guard cutter reaches Atlantic Beach homeport
The US Coast Guard’s 27th fast response cutter (FRC), Richard Snyder, arrived at its new homeport in Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, on March 21. Richard Snyder is the first of its class to be homeported in Atlantic Beach. The FRC was buuilt by Bollinger Shipyards and received by the US Coast Guard
Royal Navy survey ship trains with Cypriot rescue services
Search and rescue experts aboard Royal Navy survey ship HMS Echo recently trained with their Cypriot counterparts sharing their experience with the island’s rescue teams for the first time. The Plymouth-based survey ship has been assigned to the Mediterranean since the tail end of 2016; her crew hav