Australian Navy ships and personnel are continuing their Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018 (IPE18) deployment after concluding exercise Rim of the Pacific off Hawaii in early August. Landing helicopter dock ship HMAS Adelaide and frigate HMAS Toowoomba – along with a platoon of Australian soldiers from 2R
India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the procurement of six next generation offshore patrol vessels (NGOPV) that are to be designed and built in India. According to a defense department announcement, the project is expected to cost Rs. 4941 crore (approx. US$706.5 million). Once in
The US and Royal Malaysian navies commenced the 24th iteration of Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) on Kota Belud Marine Base in Malaysia on August 10. CARAT exercises focus on the full spectrum of naval capabilities and are designed to strengthen the close partnership between both n
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Sutherland returned to her homeport at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Devonport on August 10, concluding a seven-month deployment to the Asia-Pacific. Sutherland and her crew got underway on January 9, becoming the first Royal Navy vessel to operate in Asia Pacific in rece
Naval forces from the US and Indonesia have commenced the 24th Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise. The exercise began with the arrival of the dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD 47) with elements from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit in Jakarta on August 10. As informed, th
Australian shipbuilder Austal announced it has started sea trials for the first Guardian-class Pacific Patrol Boat (PPB-R). The announcement was made on August 8 as part of the company’s celebration of 30 years of successfully delivering shipbuilding programs. The PPB-R program will see 21 Austal de
The Royal Australian Navy’s decommissioned frigate ex-HMAS Darwin is to be scuttled in the waters off Tasmania to become a dive wreck, the Australian government announced August 9. Australian defense minister Marise Payne said she was pleased that the former Adelaide-class frigate would call Tasmani
US Navy dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) returned to her Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story homeport on August 7, wrapping up a six-month deployment to the US 5th and US 6th Fleet areas of operations. Oak Hill departed their homeport Feb. 9 as a part of the Iwo Jima Amphibious R
German Naval Yards and thyssenkrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) – two Kiel-based shipbuilders – are joining forces to compete against a Dutch proposal for the design and construction of the German Navy’s new MKS180 ships. TKMS signed an agreement with German Naval Yards Kiel (GNYK) on August 3 under which
The EU-led counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia has welcomed its new flagship from the Spanish Navy. On August 6, Spain’s Galicia-class landing platform dock ESPS Castilla joined the operation Atalanta which received a new force commander on the same day. Rear Admiral Alfonso Nanclares
The US Navy-hosted international maritime exercise Rim of the Pacific concluded August 2 after 30 days of exercises and maneuvers in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. A total of 25 nations, 46 surface ships, five submarines, 17 land forces, and more than 200 aircraft and 25,00
The US Government Accountability Office has published a review of the US Navy’s dismantlement and disposal process for the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier – the former USS Enterprise (CVN 65). The Navy originally intended to dismantle the entire 76,000-ton CVN 65 at Puget Sound Naval
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy will be sending a warship to Australian waters where it will take part for the first time in the international, biennial exercise Kakadu. Australia has invited China to join the drill in an effort to ease tensions between the two countries, intensified by Ch
German Navy’s frigate Lübeck will soon become part of the NATO’s Standing Nato Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) in the Aegean Sea, the navy said. The Bremen-class frigate will depart her homeport of Wilhelmshaven on August 6, 2018, in order to join the group. Lübeck has been preparing for this deployment si
