US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries has launched the 18th Virginia-class submarine Delaware (SSN 791) at its Newport News Shipbuilding division. During a three-day process that began last Wednesday, the 7,800-ton submarine was moved out of a construction facility and into a floating dry doc
German Navy naval school Mürwik officially accepted delivery of a new nautical training facility from German defense contractor Rheinmetall in a ceremony on December 6. Ordered almost exactly three years ago, the system – known as the “Ausbildungsausstattung Nautische Schiffsführung”, or AANS – will
The US-based subsidiary of Australian shipbuilder Austal hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the future Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Mobile (LCS 26) in MObile, Alabama on December 14. The ship’s sponsor, Rebecca Byrne, wife of Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., authenticated the keel for the
US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman returned home on December 16, becoming the first US Navy Nimitz-class carrier to complete a deployment under the new dynamic force employment concept. In all, the flattop spent some seven months on operations since first deploying from naval station Norfolk on
The US state department has awarded Austal USA a contract for the construction of an additional two Independence-variant littoral combat ships (LCS) for the US Navy. According to Austal, this brings the total of new LCS orders booked in calendar year 2018 to four ships. For competition reasons the U
Royal Navy Type 23 frigates HMS Westminster and HMS Monmouth returned to their homeports in Portsmouth and Devonport, respectively, on December 14. Westminster returned after an eight-week stint in the North and Baltic Sea where she trained with other NATO and ally ships as part of NATO’s largest ex
Swedish defense technology company Saab announced it has launched a new laser rangefinder named Vidar. Vidar is currently in production for the situational awareness system that Saab will deliver for Australia’s new Arafura class offshore patrol vessels. Luerssen Australia awarded Saab the contract
The Australian government has awarded a contract to BAE Systems Australia’s new subsidiary ASC Shipbuilding that provides the framework for the design and build of nine Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. The country’s government and ASC Shipbuilding signed the contract after ASC Sh
The new landscape of the Australian Osborne Naval Shipyard is taking shape with steel now being raised into place for the Hunter-class construction yard. “It’s estimated the $535 million Osborne South project will create up to 600 jobs,” Christopher Pyne, Minister for Defence, said. As informed, the
US 7th Fleet and Indian Navy officials convened the 21st Executive Steering Group on bilateral naval cooperation in New Delhi, India, on December 12. During the two-day conference, Commander, US 7th Fleet, Vice Adm. Phil Sawyer and Indian Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Adm. G. Ashok Kumar reviewe
The UK and France have every interest in successfully completing the future cruise/anti-ship weapon (FC/ASW) program, the House of Commons Defence Committee and the Assemblée nationale’s Standing Committee on National Defence and the Armed Forces said in a joint report. The report marks the culminat
The Royal Australian Navy’s future submarines will be named the Attack class, with the first submarine being named HMAS Attack, the navy said. Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Noonan AO RAN, said the name ‘Attack’, represents the inherent stealth, long-range endurance and lethality of a submarine. “The f
Although the US Navy and Marine Corps are working to rebuild the readiness of their forces while growing and modernizing their aging fleet of ships and aircraft, achieving readiness recovery goals will take years. This is due to the fact that both services continue to be challenged to rebuild readin
The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) completed a Live Fire With A Purpose (LFWAP) exercise on December 6. Two Integrated Air and Missile Defense (IAMD) Warfare Tactics Instructors (WTI) led teams aboard Abraham Lincoln through LFWAP. They’ve spent the last month w
