US defense contractor Lockheed Martin has selected a Swedish Automatic Identification System (AIS) manufacturer to deliver its AIS systems for US Navy’s Virginia-class submarines. After an initial order in 2014, Sweden’s True Heading on December 20 announced an expanded contract for the delivery of
The US Navy’s Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Three One, known as VX-31, on December 14 received an EA-18G Growler aircraft from the Defense Contract Management Agency Boeing St. Louis, the agency’s EA-18G to be delivered. The event signified an important milestone in the Growler program. After mor
General Dynamics Electric Boat has awarded Newport News Shipbuilding a contract worth up to $468 million to begin work on integrated product and process development for the US Navy’s new Columbia-class submarines. Newport News Shipbuilding is a subsidiary of Huntington Ingalls Industries. The navy a
Canadian shipbuilder Irving Shipbuilding hosted a steel-cutting ceremony on December 19, marking the construction start on the Royal Canadian Navy’s third arctic and offshore patrol ship (AOPS), the HMCS Max Bernays. Carla Qualtrough, Canadian public services and procurement minister, announced the
US Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) wrapped up eight months of operations in the US 5th Fleet area of operation returning to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk on December 15. The cruiser got underway on April 23, as an independent deployer, to support maritime security operatio
The US Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries an initial $63 million contract to repair and restore the damaged destroyer USS Fitzgerald. After being selected to perform the repairs in August and receiving a $29.4 million planning contract in October, the Mississippi-based shipbuilder is now
Sailors aboard the US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) and ship repair personnel in Singapore concluded ten days of repairs works on the destroyer, making sure it is ready to continue its operational deployment. The voyage repair availability took place in Singapore and was comple
US Navy littoral combat ship USS Little Rock officially entered service following a commissioning ceremony on the Buffalo River on December 16. Little Rock (LCS 9) is the navy’s fifth Freedom-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), designed and built by Lockheed Martin and Fincantieri Marinette Marine.
Taking a break from her Atlantic patrol duties, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay stopped in Bermuda on December 15 for a three day visit. The ship has been deployed to the region to provide humanitarian and disaster relief for the UK’s Caribbean overseas territories and Bermuda. This year RFA Mounts
The Peruvian Navy officially marked the beginning of construction works on its second Makassar-class landing platform dock (LPD) ‘Paita’ with a keel-laying ceremony on December 14. The ceremony took place at the SIMA shipyard in Calao and was led by Peruvian defense minister Jorge Nieto Montesinos.
US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) has qualified the first nine F-35C Lightning II pilots during its underway period. The Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) Carrier Qualifications were successfully completed between December 7 and 11. Along with Abraham Lincoln, the “
The US Navy is set to commission littoral combat ship USS Little Rock (LCS 9) in a ceremony on Saturday, December 16, at the Canalside waterfront in Buffalo, New York. The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship is the 10th LCS to enter the fleet and the fifth of the Freedom-variant design. Little Rock
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Key West (SSN 722) returned to Apra Harbor, Guam, on December 15, after four months of operations in the Western Pacific. Key West, under the command of Cmdr. J. Grady Hill, is returning from the US 7th Fleet area of responsibility, where the crew par
Peruvian naval shipyard SIMA has started the modernization of the Peruvian Navy’s four Type 209/1200 submarines. The first boat to undergo the upgrades is the BAP Chipana which was recently lifted out of the water onto a dry dock for the maintenance. The Syncrolift system the company used for the pr
