Construction on the first ship in a new class of US Coast Guard cutters started with a steel cutting ceremony at Eastern Shipbuilding Group’s facilities in Panama City, Florida, on January 7. The steel cutting for offshore patrol cutter (OPC) Argus (WMSM-915) was a significant milestone for the comp
Austal USA hosted a keel laying and authentication ceremony for the US Navy’s twelfth Expeditionary Fast Transport (EPF) vessel, the Newport (EPF 12), at its Alabama shipyard on January 29. The keel was said to be “truly and fairly laid” as it was authenticated by Charlotte Dorrance Marshall, signin
Quebec-based shipbuilder Davie Shipbuilding has urged Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau to reevaluate the government’s decision not to order a second supply ship for the Royal Canadian Navy. Speaking in Quebec last Friday, Justin Trudeau told an audience that the Canadian Armed Forces did an as
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Chung-Hoon (DDG 93) seized close to 5 tons of narcotics from a stateless vessel in the international waters of the Gulf of Aden on January 24. Chung-Hoon’s visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) team conducted a flag verification boarding and seized 4,700 kilo
US Navy’s San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) and embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Singapore for a scheduled port visit, Jan. 26. Prior to arriving in Singapore, Anchorage visited India and trained with Indian Navy counterparts at the end o
The US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) Mission Module Program recently completed shipboard integration testing of two unmanned systems on board USS Independence (LCS 2). The two systems — General Dynamics-developed Knifefish unmanned undersea vehicle (UUV) and Textron-developed Unmanned Influence
The US Navy has sent a destroyer and a replenishment oiler through the Taiwan Strait on January 24, in the third such move in four months. US Navy ships previously made the transits in October and November 2018. The ships involved in the Thursday’s operation were destroyer USS McCampbell and repleni
US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) arrived in Phuket, Thailand, for a port visit on January 24. Essex arrived in Thailand with the embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) after almost five weeks at sea. “Our sailors and marines have been working tirelessly throughou
Seaspan Shipyards has awarded Ontario-based Indal Technologies a CAD$20 million contract for work on Canada’s new Joint Support Ships (JSS). Under the contract, Indal will be providing its Aircraft Ship Integrated Securing & Traversing (ASIST) system for JSS. The ASIST helicopter handling system pro
US Coast Guard’s National Security Cutter Bertholf (WMSL-750) and its 170 crew departed Alameda on January 20, for a patrol in the Western Pacific Ocean. Bertholf will be operating in support of United States Indo-Pacific Command, which oversees military operations in the region. As part of its plan
A Los Angeles-class attack submarine and P-8A Poseidon crews from the US Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force have completed their participation in the annual, multilateral exercise Sea Dragon. This year’s exercise was conducted out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and concluded on January 22. P
UK-based defense contractor Babcock International has opened a new office in Portsmouth in support of its five year Marine Systems Support Partner (MSSP) contract with the UK’s Ministry of Defence (MOD). Located close to the home of the Royal Navy’s surface fleet, the office opening coincided with M
German Navy units will no longer be taking part in operation Sophia – an EU-led effort to tackle migrant smugglers in the Mediterranean sea, German officials have announced. Bremen-class frigate FGS Augsburg is currently deployed to operation Sophia and will not be replaced by another German Navy sh
US Navy’s Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) and embarked Marines with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) arrived in Chennai, India, for a port visit on January 23. While in port, Rushmore will refuel and host Indian Navy personnel, while its embarked sailors and mari
