The U.S. Navy’s unmanned aircraft Tern, under development by DARPA and the Office of Naval Research, has made another step towards its goal of performing an initial flight test by 2018. In mid-October, the Tern team completed a critical design review (CDR) of the air vehicle’s General Electric engin
Sailors aboard the U.S. Navy’s Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Chief (MCM 14) and members of mine countermeasures squadron (MCMRON) 7 staff joined Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) MCM units for combined operations in the final phases of the bilateral mine countermeasures exercis
U.S. defense company Northrop Grumman has delivered the first shipset of lightweight wide aperture array (LWWAA) hardware for Block IV of the Virginia-class submarines to the U.S. Navy. This represents the 19th shipset that the company has supplied for the Virginia submarine program. According to No
Chilean Navy frigates Almirante Cochrane, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch are set to undergo an obsolescence upgrade that will be undertaken by Cohort subsidiary Sea. The programme is being carried out in preparation for a major revamp of the Chilean Navy ships’ air warfare systems. The Britis
The Mexican Navy commissioned the offshore patrol vessel ARM Chiapas and logistic support support ship ARM Isla Maria Madre during a ceremony on November 23. The two new vessels were commissioned in the presence of Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto and the secretary of the Mexican Navy, Admiral V
Royal Navy Commodore Andrew Burns, commander of Amphibious Task Group embarked on the U.K.’s HMS Ocean (L 12), took command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force (CTF) 50 in the Arabian Gulf, November 25. This marks the first time a Royal Navy officer has led a U.S. task force in the Mid
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) is providing multi-warfare defense to the French Charles de Gaulle carrier strike group (CDG CSG) from the Eastern Mediterranean in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. The strike group centered around the French aircraft carrier supports the
U.S. marines and sailors embarked aboard amphibious transport dock USS Somerset (LPD 25) arrived in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, for a theater security cooperation (TSC) exchange with the Sri Lankan navy, marine corps, Nov 23-25. The military exchange will focus on enhancing relationships between the two
The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems an initial $10.3 million contract for post-construction work on the new class of guided missile destroyers, USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) and USS Michael Monsoor (DDG 1001). The contract has an initial award of $10.3 million and a maximum value of $192.7 million for wo
The navies of U.K. and U.S. concluded their joint mine countermeasures (MCM) exercise 17-1 in the Persian Gulf, on November 17. The 38-day, bilateral exercise between the U.S. Navy and U.K. Royal navy was designed to provide an opportunity for both nations to share knowledge of MCM techniques. U.S.
The crew of the U.S. Coast Guard’s 1960’s era high endurance cutter Morgenthau returned home from a 90-day 15,000 mile patrol supporting fisheries enforcement and serving as a search and rescue asset during the busy Alaska fishing seasons. Morgenthau operated in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska and
The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a five-year contract worth up to $86 million to provide management, engineering, maintenance, and IT support services for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) at Wallops Island, Virginia. Under the contract, BAE Systems will integrate various mission equipment
The F-35B Lightning II stealth fighter jets that are currently carrying out the third developmental test phase (DT-III) aboard amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) reached a new milestone as the program completed weapons load testing on November 16. A group of the next-generation aircraft fro
U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock ship USS John P. Murtha (LPD 26) arrived at her homeport of San Diego November 18, completing the ship’s maiden voyage. Following four years of construction and successful sea trials this summer in the Gulf of Mexico, the Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock