HMS Lancaster, the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate, returned to Portsmouth December 17 from a nine-month deployment to the North and South Atlantic. The frigate has steamed more than 35,000 nautical miles across four oceans and has visited 23 ports in 18 countries. She was also the first Royal Navy ves
The U.S. Navy’s future DDG 51 destroyer, USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) started its Aegis Combat System testing at the Bath Iron Works (BIW) shipyard, December 17. The Aegis system light off marks the beginning of combat system testing for the ship. These tests will ensure all combat system equipment
The Australian Minister for Defence, Senator Marise Payne, paid a visit to Austal’s Western Australian shipyard on Wednesday, December 16. The minister toured the shipyard to take a look at the company’s naval vessel design, construction and sustainment capabilities. The Defence Minister’s delegatio
The German frigate FGS Hamburg will return to her homeport in Wilhelmshaven, Germany after spending six months as a NATO unit flagship on December 20. Hamburg was flagship of the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2. The 200 men and women of the FGS Hamburg were commanded by Rear Admiral Jörg Klein, who w
In her third drug seizure so far, HMAS Melbourne has intercepted another 216 kilograms of high-grade heroin in the Middle East worth around $64 million (USD $46.1 million). The heroin was transferred to Melbourne for further analysis. The seizure takes the Royal Australian Navy’s narcotics haul sinc
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer, HMS Defender, has now officially joined the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle in the Middle East in the fight against Daesh. The warship met with the carrier in the Indian Ocean with the goal of enhancing its capabilities in the fight against terrorist grou
Coordinated maritime control efforts between the Colombian Navy and the National Police have resulted in a 574-kilogram drug bust in the Colombian Pacific. The Colombian Poseidon Task Force Against Drug Trafficking intercepted two vessels in waters off the Tumaco municipality. Three Colombians and t
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training has been awarded a $72.4 million contract to provide U.S. and United Kingdom Trident II (D5) navigation subsystem engineering support services. The contract will see Lockheed Martin provide U.S. and U.K. fleet support and U.S. and U.K. trainer systems sup
The German frigate is currently on a mission to support the French aircraft carrier in his efforts against the Islamic State terror group in Syria. The two ships recently conducted a replenishment at sea maneuver with the U.S Navy’s replenishment oiler USNS Laramie. After the maneuver was complete,
Indian prime minister Shri Narendra Modi chose the Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya as the venue of the Combined Commanders’ Conference 2015. The minister was introduced to top army, naval and air commanders in waters off the Kerala coast, India. The Combined Commanders’ Conference is a
EUNAVFOR Med operation Sophia air units have recently been augmented by the Hellenic Air Force aircraft Erieye EMB-145H AEW&C and a Spanish Navy AB-212 Helicopter. The Greek aircraft, based in the Hellenic Air Force Base of Elefsis in Greece, is an airborne Command and Control Platform with the capa
Rear Admiral Richard W. Butler who has been the Commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 4 since July 31, 2014 was succeeded by Rear Adm. Bruce H. Lindsey on December 11. The change of command ceremony was also a retirement ceremony since the former Commander Buttler retired from the Navy after more
Civmec, in collaboration with ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS), unveiled December 14 a newly-built submarine hull section constructed by Civmec at their Henderson facility in Western Australia. This construction is a self-funded initiative, used by the companies to prove that they have the experti
BAE Systems, the UK-based shipbuilder, was awarded a £13.5m ($20.4m) contract for 60 new Pacific 24 Rigid Inflatable Boats. The announcement was made by the UK’s Secretary of State for Defence, the Rt Hon Michael Fallon during his visit to Portsmouth Naval Base on December 14. This Pacific 24 Mark-4
