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Nuclear submarine USS Topeka changes command
U.S. Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) changed command during a ceremony at the Naval Base Guam chapel on August 5. Cmdr. Steven Tarr III took charge of the submarine from Cmdr. David Lammers. Capt. Jeffrey Grimes, Joint Region Marianas Chief of Staff and former commande
RIMPAC 2016 concludes
The world’s largest international maritime exercise concluded Aug. 4, after more than a month of training events conducted in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. Twenty-six nations, more than 40 ships and submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel participated in Ri
General Dynamics gets contract to maintain five US aircraft carriers
The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics NASSCO–Norfolk a maintenance contract to perform non-nuclear planning and maintenance work during six chief of naval operations (CNO) availabilities on four Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and one Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, home-ported in or visiting Norf
US 7th Fleet amphibious force changes command
U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Force 7th Fleet changed command aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in Sasebo, Japan on August 3. During the change of command ceremony Rear Adm. Marc H. Dalton took over from Rear Adm. John B. Nowell Jr.. Nowell highlighted the work Expeditionary Strike Group 7 sailors and ma
Sparton, Ultra Electronics land sonobuoys contract
Sparton Corporation and Ultra Electronics USSI, a subsidiary of Ultra Electronics Holdings were awarded $19.2 million in contracts from their ERAPSCO/SonobuoyTech Systems joint venture. Multiple foreign contracts represent the manufacture of passive and active sonobuoys in support of multiple underw
U.K. MoD to grant first £1bn for first Successor submarine
UK’s Ministry of Defence is considering granting over £1 billion to Rolls-Royce and BAE Systems so they can start building the first of four Successor ballistic missile submarines. According to a report by The Financial Times, the Ministry might allocate approx. $1.3 billion of funds as early as Sep
Raytheon awarded funds to improve MK-31 RAM missile
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Missile Systems a $36.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract option for design agent and engineering support services for the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) upgraded MK-31 Guided Missile Weapon System improvement program. The MK-31 RAM Guided M
Migrant crisis: German minehunter rescues 133 off Tripoli coast
German Navy minehunter FGS Datteln rescued 133 migrants 75 kilometers north-west of Tripoli, Libya on August 1. The ship was initially tasked by the Force Headquarters to neutralize two empty rubber boats. While doing so, the ship’s crew spotted an overcrowded rubber boat in the vicinity. Upon rescu
NATO units boost exercise Sea Breeze in Ukraine
A division of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 and maritime assets from other allied nations joined the U.S.-Ukraine co-hosted international exercise Sea Breeze in the Black Sea from July 27 to 30. Personnel from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine,
FGS Fulda joins NATO’s mine countermeasure group
German Navy minehunter FGS Fulda is scheduled to depart its homeport in Kiel, Germany to join NATO’s standing mine countermeasures group two on Friday, August 5. Manned by the 42 man strong ‘Charlie’ crew, Fulda will spend the next five months with the maritime group under the command of Captain lie
Dutch air defense and command frigate to lead NATO Aegean Sea mission
Dutch Navy’s De Zeven Provincien-class frigate HNLMS De Ruyter will be taking over as flagship of the NATO mission in the Aegean Sea in September 2016. The German Navy said the Dutch ship would take place of the frigate FGS Karlsruhe which is currently at the helm of the Standing NATO Maritime Group
Pacific Partnership visits Malaysia for first time
The annual Pacific Partnership deployment embarked aboard hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) arrived in Kuantan, Malaysia thereby marking the first time the mission has visited Malaysia, although Malaysia has provided teams to support the mission since 2006. Malaysian civilian and military leadershi
Lockheed Martin delivers final Royal Australian Navy MH-60R Seahawk
Lockheed Martin has delivered the 24th, and final, MH-60R Seahawk helicopter to the U.S. Navy in support of the Navy’s foreign military sales (FMS) program with the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The milestone delivery took place during a July 27 ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s Owego, New York facility.
SNMCMG2 completes Black Sea deployment
Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) recently completed its third Black Sea deployment under the command of Turkish Navy Captain Ramazan Kesgin. SNMCMG2 started its deployment on July 8 in support of NATO’s assurance measures regarding alliance resolve and commitment to collective de