U.S. marines and sailors from the Wasp Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) with U.S. Embassy-Muscat and Royal Omani Police conducted the first non-combatant evacuation operation (NEO) exercise in Muscat, September 20-21. The exercise consisted of amphibious transpor
Cmdr. Stefan Walch is the commanding officer of USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer currently sailing off the coast of Canada taking part in the international exercise Cutlass Fury 2016. Undeterred by the exercise’s busy schedule, Cmdr. Walch has found time to take
The U.S. Navy has awarded Saab Defense and Security USA a $38 million contract to provide the AN/SPN-50 (V)1 shipboard air traffic radars for aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships. According to Saab, the first award for the engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) phase of the progra
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Raytheon a $254.5 million contract for the design, manufacture and testing of the Joint Precision Approach and Landing System. JPALS is an all-weather landing system based on differential GPS for land-based and sea-based aircraft. Under the contract, Ra
The U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced that the next ship of the John Lewis-class of fleet replenishment oilers will be named USNS Robert F. Kennedy (T-AO 208). T-AO 208 is part of the John Lewis-class of ships named in honor of U.S. civil and human rights heroes. “This class of ships wo
The Canadian government will help OSI Maritime Systems speed up the development of its electronic chart precise integrated navigation system for warships (ECPINS) through an investment of $1.8 million (approx. US$1.4). Navdeep Bains, Canadian Minister of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development
U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) launched the NATO Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile to engage a target drone during a fleet firing exercise. The missile was launched on September 18 off the coast of the U.S. territory of Guam during the biennial Valiant Shield exerc
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command has recently shared a video of an F/A-18 E/F strike aircraft firing the newest Joint Standoff Weapon, JSOW C-1, to sink the decommissioned frigate USS Rentz. The F/A-18 E/F fighter jet from USS Ronald Reagan’s air wing deployed the weapon during the U.S. exercise V
The U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced September 19, that ships five and six of the next generation of fleet replenishment oilers will be named USNS Lucy Stone (T-AO 209) and USNS Sojourner Truth (T-AO 210). T-AO 209 and T-AO 210 are the final ships of a six-unit batch authorized for con
USS Wichita, the U.S. Navy’s 13th littoral combat ship was launched during a September 17 ceremony at the Fincantieri Marinette Marine shipyard in Marinette. Lockheed Martin, the company leading the industry team that builds the Freedom variant of LCS ships has shared a video of LCS 13 hitting the w
U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced the names for two new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers in a ceremony at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 17. DDG 125, will be named Jack H. Lucas in honor of the Marine Corps hero and Medal of Honor recipient while DDG 126 would be named Louis H. Wil
The U.S. Navy is set to christen its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Wichita (LCS 13), during a ceremony on Saturday, September 17 in Marinette, Wisconsin. “The christening of the future USS Wichita brings this warship one step closer to joining our nation’s growing fleet,” said Ray
The U.S. Navy has awarded Austal a $248.8 million contract for the design and construction of another two expeditionary fast transport vessels, EPF 11 and EPF 12. Austal said that this amount included contracts for long-lead time materials that were previously announced. The new contract follows a 2
Ships assigned to the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group (BHR ESG), with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, joined the U.S. military exercise Valiant Shield 2016, on September 15. Valiant Shield is a biennial exercise held between the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force in an effor
