Amphibious & Support Ships
USS Abraham Lincoln joins major Italian exercise Mare Aperto
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and ships from its carrier strike group (ABECSG) have joined Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Giuseppe Garibaldi as part of exercise Mare Aperto, an Italian multilateral maritime warfare exercise designed to promote interoperability and proficiency. The
US, UK jointly test energy storage systems for laser weapons
The US Navy and the UK defense ministry have tested an energy storage system capable of providing high-power electrical pulses for future systems under an agreement called Advanced Electric Power and Propulsion Project Arrangement (AEP3). UK’s Defence Equipment & Support office and Dstl joined force
Poland signs EUR 380m deal for four AW101 helicopters
The Polish defense ministry has signed a contract with Italy’s Leonardo for the delivery of four AW101 helicopters for the Polish Navy. Under the deal, valued at approximately 380 mln EUR (1.65 bn PLN), Leonardo’s MW Yeovil facility in the UK will deliver the helicopters that will be used for anti-s
Aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis pulls into Marseille, France
US Navy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) arrived in Marseille, France, on April 27 for a scheduled port visit. The carrier stopped in France after dual-carrier operations in the Mediterranean Sea with USS Abraham Lincoln last week. Earlier in April, Stennis met up with France’s own FS C
New UK Hydrographic Office officially opened by Princess Royal
The Princess Royal officially opened the new home of UK Hydrographic Office in a ceremony on April 26. Construction of the new headquarters for the 850 data analysers, hydrographers, cartographers, environmental experts and scientists took 18 months to complete and was ready for operations in Januar
Work progresses on first Royal Navy Type 26 frigate
Future HMS Glasgow, the first of the new class of Royal Navy Type 26 frigates, is beginning to resemble a ship as her manufacturing progresses on the Clyde. The new City-class ships will be the successor to the Duke-class Type 23 frigates currently in service. She’ll comprise more than 60 blocks in
French aircraft carrier headed for drills with Indian counterpart, “largest bilateral exercise ever”
French Navy aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle and its carrier strike group are set to sail to India where they will be joined by Indian Navy aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and other units for what was described as the largest naval exercise between the two countries ever. The drill, which is
Kership delivers final B2M multi-mission ship to French Navy
The French defense procurement agency has accepted delivery of the fourth and final d’Entrecasteaux-class multi-mission ship from the Kership joint venture. Dumont d’Urville, as the unit is called, was delivered to the French Navy in a ceremony on April 5. Like its predecessors, the ship will sail f
Norwegian logistics and support vessel HNoMS Maud arrives home
HNoMS Maud, the Royal Norwegian Navy’s new logistics and support vessel, arrived to its new homeport of Haakonsvern navy base after a 14,598 nautical mile voyage from South Korea where it was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). Maud arrived in Norway in late March after visitin
USS Abraham Lincoln pulls into Palma de Mallorca for first port call in seven years
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) arrived in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, on April 15, for its first port visit in seven years. The ship completed completed a mid-life overhaul in 2017 and has been working up for this deployment ever since. The visit marks the first liberty port cal
Norwegian frigate HNOMS Helge Ingstad returns to water
The Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Helge Ingstad was refloated on April 10, less than six weeks after she was transported to the Haakonsvern navy base from the seafloor in Hjeltefjorden. Prior to her raising and transport, the frigate spent several months almost completely submerged after collid
US, French, UK navies kick off mine warfare drill in Persian Gulf
Ships from the navies of the US, the UK and France have kicked off the mine countermeasures exercise Artemis Trident in the Persian Gulf. “Mine laying poses a risk to naval ships as well as merchant shipping vessels,” the US 5th Fleet said in an announcement. “As mines threaten maritime traffic indi
20-ship Black Sea exercise Sea Shield 2019 concludes in Romania
The Romanian-hosted exercise Sea Shield 2019 concluded in the Black Sea on April 13. In addition to Romanian Navy units, the annual drill was joined by five NATO ships which are part of the Standing NATO Maritime Group Two (SNMG2). In total, over 20 ships and crews from Romania, Bulgaria, Canada, Gr
Royal Navy destroyer returns from 7-month Middle East drug stint
Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon returned to Portsmouth on April 12, completing seven months of drug-busting action in the Middle East. During her time at sea, Dragon carried out eight successful raids on drugs smugglers, capturing narcotics worth an estimated £145 million. HMS Dragon deploye