The Russian takeover of Crimea from Ukraine has NATO allies worried, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday (April 1). Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters traveling with him that one of Russia’s reasons for invading Crimea was to protect ethnic Russians living there.
The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (BOXARG), with embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), began participation in Exercise Ssang Yong 2014 March 27 off the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK) with the ROK navy and Marine Corps. Ssang Yong, which means “twin dragons,” is an annual combined exe
The U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) navies enhanced their combined and joint maritime capabilities after completing a series of drills and exercises ashore and at sea from March 8-31 in support of exercise Foal Eagle 2014. Exercise Foal Eagle in an umbrella of regularly scheduled, annual exercise
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomed yesterday Portuguese Minister of Defense Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco to the Pentagon, and expressed to the minister his appreciation for Portugal’s many contributions to international security, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a Defe
Service members and civilians involved in the scheduled deployment of the joint high speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) this summer to the U.S. Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations met March 25 and March 26 at Naval Station Mayport to finalize plans for the mission. The Spearhe
San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23), along with the embarked Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force, ASEAN, 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, arrived in Pearl Harbor March 28. Prior to the transit to Hawaii, Anchorage set off to achieve certifications AMW 2.
Republic of Korea (ROK) minister of national defense visited the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) March 31. Kwan-jin Kim’s visit took place during exercise Ssang Yong 2014, an annual combined exercise conducted by Navy and Marine forces with the Republic of Kor
Aviators on board Naval Air Station Meridian, Miss., got a glimpse into the future of aviation as they stepped into the F-35 Lightening II cockpit demonstrator which made a stop at the installation March 26-27. The F-35, a fifth-generation aircraft, is the jet many of the Navy and Marine Corps avi
Chief of U.S. Naval Research Rear Adm. Matthew Klunder joined family members of the late Neil Armstrong March 29 to christen the Navy’s newest research ship, named for the legendary astronaut and first man to walk on the moon. The lead Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) ship in its cl
Korea Opts for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Aircraft The Republic of Korea has formally selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft for its F-X fighter acquisition program. USS Elrod Takes Over Escort Duties of Libyan Seized Tanker The U.S. Navy’s USS Elrod relieved the USS Stout of
The U.S. Navy’s top admiral, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, spent time last weekend at the Navy’s Arctic Ice Camp and embarked aboard the USS New Mexico (SSN 779) as it participated in Ice Exercise 2014 (ICEX) with USS Hampton (SSN 767) beneath the Arctic Ocean. “It’s necessa
The ever-changing global security environment makes the worldwide presence of naval assets more important than ever, U.S. Navy Secretary Ray Mabus told the Senate Armed Services Committee yesterday. Mabus testified alongside Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert and Marine Corps Comm
Russia continues to reinforce units along the eastern and southern Ukraine border, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a news conference today. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week that the Russian troops were massing f
The search area for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been updated after a new credible lead was provided to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA). As a result today’s search will shift to an area 1,100 kilometres to the north east based on updated advice provided by the interna
