The first of Royal Australian Navy’s new Aegis-equipped destroyers HMAS Hobart got underway on October 18, setting sail for the first time as a commissioned warship. Her departure from Fleet Base East, Garden Island, Sydney on Wednesday heralded the much anticipated return to sea for the Guided Miss
Collaborating under an Integrated Program Office (IPO), the US Navy and Coast Guard released a draft request for proposal (RFP) for the detail design and construction of a Heavy Polar Icebreaker (HPIB). Released on October 19, the draft RFP is for one HPIB, with options for two additional HPIBs. The
The management of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems Australia (tkMSA) announced it completed the buyout of the business from its parent company. On September 1, the ownership of thyssenkrupp Marine Systems Australia transferred to its management team who renamed the company to Australian Maritime Technolo
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) conducted its first flight operations with an F-35C stealth fighter on Oct. 18 during training off the coast of Southern California. An F-35C Lightning II, the Navy variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, landed on and launched from Carl Vinson during d
The US Navy will be christening its future Freedom-variant littoral combat ship Little Rock (LCS 9) in a ceremony at Canalside, Buffalo, on December 16. The announcement was made by the Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer on October 18. The future LCS 9, commanded by Cmdr. Todd Peters, is the t
Boeing has recently awarded Lockheed Martin two contracts to upgrade its IRST21 sensor system for use on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F fleet. The Block II contracts provide up to $100 million for developing advanced software, performing hardware upgrades and delivering prototypes. These efforts will fur
The Australian defense minister on October 20 announced AUD$5.9 million worth of contracts awarded to companies through the Defence Innovation Hub. The Australian government’s Defence Innovation Hub was launched in December 2016 with the aim of helping Australian companies mature and further develop
The prime contractor on the Swedish Navy’s Göteborg-class corvette upgrade project has contracted Kongsberg Maritime to deliver ST2400 VDS (Varial Depth Sonar) systems to enhance the corvettes’ anti-submarine warfare capabilities. HSwMS Gävle and HSwMS Sundsvall, the two remaining corvettes in the c
The German Navy’s fifth Type 212A submarine ‘U35’ has damaged one of the blades on her X-shaped rudder during deepwater tests off the coast of Norway. The U35 is now at the TyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) shipyard in Kiel where it is being assessed for damages. According to the German Navy, the ac
Norwegian Navy frigate and NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) flagship, KNM Otto Sverdrup, wrapped up her four-day visit to the Algerian capital of Algiers on October 19. The frigate arrived to Algiers together with Spanish Navy’s ESPS ESPS Numancia visiting the country as part of NATO operation
Ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1) are heading to France for a scheduled port visit and ordnance disposal operations. The ships are scheduled to arrive in Cherbourg on October 20 where they will coordinate with the French Navy in preparation for historical ordnance dis
US Marines and amphibious forces were joined by armed forces of the United Arab Emirates on October 15 to start a two-week amphibious exercise called Iron Magic. Iron Magic enables regional partners to coordinate amphibious landing, infantry training, military operations in urban terrain (MOUT), mec
Firefighters and a US Coast Guard member extinguished a fire which broke out aboard cutter Brant, which was moored in Gulfport, Mississippi, Oct. 18. According to the coast guard, the fire broke out on the port-aft area of the vessel at approximately 5 a.m. Two Coast Guard members who were aboard th
Following this year’s spate of incidents involving US Navy ships forward-deployed to Japan, Vice Adm. Tom Rowden, commander of Naval Surface Forces ordered Ready For Sea Assessments (RFSA) for all surface warships. Surface combatants forward deployed to Japan are being assessed first through a revie
