The U.S. Navy’s unmanned helicopter, MQ-8B Fire Scout, celebrated 10 years of flight on December 18, during a ceremony at Webster Field Annex, Maryland. The helicopter flew 15,000 hours during test and real-world operations since its first flight ten years ago. Fire Scout’s next variant, the MQ-8C w
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Bechtel Plant Machinery a $303 million contract for naval nuclear propulsion components. Part of the engineering and construction giant Bechtel Corp, Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) is responsible for providing design and manufacturing of nuclear p
U.S. Navy’s Eisenhower carrier strike group (Ike CSG) departed the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations on December 26, six days after it set sail from the French city of Marseille. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56), and guided-missil
The U.S. Navy has awarded Electric Boat Corp. a $34.6 million contract modification to exercise options to procure on board repair parts for Virginia-class submarines, SSN 792 and 793. Under this modification, the U.S. Navy is procuring mechanical and electronic repair parts that will be stored on t
Initiating the first step in a process to construct six new Batch III frigates South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) signed an initial 16.6 billion KRW ($13.7M) with Hyundai Heavy Industries on December 27. The contract will see the shipbuilder start planing and design work
The Italian Navy’s Bergamini-class frigate ITS Carabiniere left the Italian port of La Spezia for an ‘Italian industry showcase’ deployment to Australia and Southeast Asia. ITS Carabiniere is a FREMM frigate built for the Italian Navy by Fincantieri within the framework of an Italo-French cooperatio
The Russian Navy has received a new Delta IV ballistic missile submarine ‘Podmoskovye’ after the boat spent 18 years undergoing refit and modernization at the Zvezdochka shipyard. The Project 667BDRM Delfin-class (NATO classification: Delta IV) submarine had its missile compartment removed and is no
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain arrived in Puerto Princesa, the Philippines for a brief port call on December 24. During the visit, the McCain crew will participate in a series of community service projects and sporting events. The visit comes months after
Russian Navy’s Sava-class guided missile cruiser Marshal Ustinov is ready for a return to the fleet after spending five years in the port for repairs, Russian shipbuilder Zvezdochka announced September 26. The Project 1164 cruiser left the shipyard December 24 after completing a series of at sea tri
Several days after the Russian president Vladimir Putin signed a document approving the expansion of the Russian naval base in Tartus, Syria, Russian commercial ships have been observed sailing to and from Syria over the weekend and on Monday. To remind, a Russian Ministry of Defense document publis
China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, started blue water drills on Saturday, heading towards the West Pacific with a carrier task group. Chinese state media reported that this was the carrier’s first “distant seas” deployment. According to China’s Xinhua news agency, the Liaoning and other s
The U.S. Navy received USS Gabrielle Giffords, littoral combat ship number ten, during a ceremony held at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard. The future USS Gabrielle Giffords is the fifth Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) delivered to the USN since 2009 and the fourth naval vessel deli
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) concluded its participation in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) and returned to its homeport of Everett, Washington, on December 23. During the two-month underway, Sampson became the first U.S. warship to visit New Zealand in
The Blue crew of the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) returned home concluding a 92-day strategic deterrent patrol. The submarine crew entered their homeport of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington, on December 23. “We are glad to have the USS Pennsylvan
