US Navy ships from the Japan-based US 7th Fleet took part in what the navy termed the most advanced tactical training necessary for blue water combat. For the first time ever, three guided missile destroyers, a guided missile cruiser, and two amphibious ships of the Forward-Deployed Naval Forces com
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $2 billion contract modification to procure long lead time material to support construction of Block V Virginia-class submarines. The award modifies a contract awarded in 2017 that provides funding for long lead time mater
US Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf pulled into Sasebo, Japan, earlier this month after supporting the enforcement of United Nations Security Council Resolutions (UNSCR) sanctions on North Korea. Bertholf was tasked with preventing illicit ship-to-ship transfers that violate North Korea sanctions. The pa
US 5th Fleet’s Task Force 55 and commercial shipping industry representatives joined forces recently to complete exercise Lucky Mariner 19. The annual exercise concluded March 15 and was led by the task force’s Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) detachment designed to exercise comma
Spain could buy BAE Systems-built assault amphibious vehicles(AAV) following a US State Department approval for the possible sale of 11 AAVs to the European country. As outlined in the approval, announced on March 15, Spain is looking to buy 11 AAVs in three different configurations under a deal tha
US Navy mine countermeasures ship USS Devastator (MCM 6) experienced a fire aboard while it was pierside at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain on March 14. The navy said there were no personnel injuries, adding that the extent of the damage is being assessed. Sailors aboard Devastator, USS Sentry
US Navy’s Ohio-class cruise missile submarine USS Florida (SSGN 728) arrived in Naval Support Activity Souda Bay, Greece, for a scheduled port visit on March 14. While the Kings Bay, Georgia, homeported USS Florida is on a routine deployment in the US 6th Fleet area of operations, it is rare for the
US shipbuilder Ingalls Shipbuilding held a keel-laying ceremony for the US Navy’s third America-class amphibious warship Bougainville (LHA 8) in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on March 14. Ship’s sponsor Ellyn Dunford declared the keel “truly and fairly laid” after her initials were welded onto a plate. T
Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Mana has arrived in Canada to start her combat management system upgrades. The ship pulled into Canadian forces base Esquimalt on March 12 and will be modernized at Seaspan’s shipyard in Victoria, British Columbia. Te Mana is starting the upgrade after complet
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, after completing its eighth forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) patrol of Europe and Africa. Donald Cook began its patrol Nov. 17, 2018 to conduct naval operations in the US 6th Fl
The Secretary of the US Navy Richard V. Spencer on Tuesday announced the name of the new class of towing, salvage, and rescue ship currently being built for the navy. The first of the new class of ships will be named USNS Navajo in honor of the major contributions the Navajo people have made to [&he
Assets from the navies of Japan, the UK and US are scheduled top take part in their second trilateral exercise later this week. The inaugural Asia Pacific exercise took place in December 2018. The drill will take place in the Western Pacific and is scheduled for kick off on March 14. Japan will be r
The US Navy has established a new entity that will oversee the construction and fielding of the 12 Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. The establishment of Program Executive Office Columbia (PEO CLB) was announced on March 6 as the navy’s number one acquisition priority. “This is the Navy’s
The US needs more surface vessels and anti-submarine warfare assets in Europe to counter evolving threats in the region.
