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US aircraft carrier to visit Vietnam for first time since war
A US Navy aircraft carrier is likely to visit Vietnam in March, in what would be a first since the Vietnam war ended in 1975. This was announced on Thursday by officials from both countries during a two-day visit of US defense secretary Jim Mattis to Vietnam, according to media reports. No specific
US Navy contracts Orbital for AARGM-ER missile design work
The US Navy has awarded Orbital ATK a $9.5 million contract to start design work on the new and improved Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile used by the US Navy and Marine Corps to defeat enemy air defense installations. The new missile will also fit inside the internal weapons bay of the F-35. T
US Coast Guard issues cutter boat RFI
The US Coast Guard has released a request for proposal (RFP) for the design, construction and support of a new fleet of cutter boats. The new boats will replace the current fleet of 36 cutter boats that currently operate aboard the service’s 210-foot medium endurance cutters, 225-foot seagoing buoy
Lockheed gets AU$700m for Australian future submarine combat system work
The Australian defense ministry has awarded Lockheed Martin a AU$700 million contract to design, build and integrate a combat system for the Royal Australian Navy’s future submarines. Announcing the contract on January 25, Australian defense industry minister Christopher Pyne said the contract with
Pearl Harbor welcomes new attack submarine, and another USS Missouri
US Navy’s Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Missouri (SSN 780) is scheduled to arrive at its new homeport in Pearl Harbor this week, joining five sister boats already stationed on Hawaii. In addition to becoming the sixth Virginia-class submarine at Pearl Harbor, Missouri will also join anoth
Romanian minesweeper ROS Lt. Lupu Dinescu joins SNMCMG2 in Black Sea
The Romanian Navy has deployed one its four Musca-class minesweepers to join NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 as it operates in the Black Sea. SNMCMG2, with the Royal Navy’s HMS Enterprise at the helm, transited Bosphorus on January 24 and is currently on a Black Sea patrol. In addition
HMS Queen Elizabeth sailors prepare for new workboats
Sailors assigned to the recently commissioned Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will be using a new type of personnel transfer boats with improved maneuvering characteristics. As the new workboats are powered by two water-jets, unlike the current fleet of small boats operated by the Ro
USS Anchorage completes NASA’s Orion capsule recovery test
US Navy’s San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) successfully recovered NASA’s Orion capsule in the fourth test conducted ahead of the actual recovery mission in 2020. The latest test was completed on January 23. The underway recovery test-6 (URT-6) is part of a US govern
US Coast Guard offloading $721m worth of cocaine in San Diego
The US Coast Guard is set to offload over 21 tons of cocaine worth more than $721 million in San Diego on January 25. The narcotics were seized in 23 separate interdictions in the eastern Pacific Ocean by US and Canadian forces operating in international waters off the coast of Central and South Ame
France, Italy, UK renew Eurosam missile support contract
France, Italy and the United Kingdom have renewed an in-service support contract with Eurosam related to the upkeep of the land and naval systems in service with the three countries. The contract extension was awarded to Eurosam, a consortium between MBDA and Thales, by the European Organisation for
Estonia to host 2018 edition of international ordnance disposal drill Open Spirit
The Estonian naval forces are hosting this year’s edition of the international Baltic Sea ordnance disposal drill Open Spirit. The exercise is taking place from May 11 to 25 and will welcome 800 participants, the Estonian defense ministry announced following a January 23 planning conference which to
UK’s fourth Tide-class tanker RFA Tideforce named in South Korea
RFA Tideforce, the final of four Tide-class tankers being built for the UK in South Korea, was named on January 24 in a ceremony at the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering shipyard in South Korea. The ceremony was attended by Royal Marine General Gordon Messenger, British ambassador to Republic
America ARG ships pull into Pearl Harbor on deployment’s final stop
Ships from the US Navy’s America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on January 22 and 23. This will be the group’s final port call as they complete their maiden seven-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific, Horn of Africa, Mediterranean, and Middle Eas
US Coast Guard cutter Sherman returns from final deployment
US Coast Guard’s high endurance cutter Sherman (WHEC 720) returned from its final deployment on January 23, completing a 76-day patrol in the Bering Sea. The deployment was Sherman’s last one before it decommissions in March this year after nearly 50 years of service. The cutter is scheduled to be d