Authorities
Malabar 2018 underway off Guam
Ships, submarines and aircraft from Japan, US and India have kicked off the 22nd edition of the now trilateral naval exercise Malabar. The exercise runs from June 7 through June 16. Malabar 2018 is the first time the exercise has been conducted off the coast of Guam, and the latest in a continuing s
Propeller damage sidelines German corvette from BALTOPS drill
German Navy corvette FGS Erfurt was prevented from taking part in the US Navy-led BALTOPS drill in the Baltic Sea after damaging her propeller in an earlier exercise. Erfurt had been part of the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) since February this year and was close to the end of her deploymen
First British F-35Bs arrive home
The Royal Navy and Air Force welcomed their first F-35B Lightning II fighter jets as they landed at RAF Marham in Norfolk on June 6. The aircraft arrived in the UK following a one-day delay caused by adverse weather conditions over the Atlantic which complicated the necessary aerial refueling proced
Australia, New Zealand complete Tasman Sea shipping protection drill
Royal Australian and New Zealand Naviy personnel took part in a week long exercise recently honing their skills in responding to piracy activities on commercial shipping surrounding fictitious countries in the Tasman Sea. Exercise Goanna 18 drew on lessons learnt from RAN and RNZN deployments in dom
France, UK announce South China Sea freedom of navigation operations
French and UK Royal Navy ships will be joining their US counterparts in challenging China’s territorial claims in disputed regions of the South China Sea, the two countries’ defense ministers have announced. The announcement was made at the Shangri La security dialogue in Singapore which was attende
Royal Navy destroyer rescues Algerian fishermen adrift at sea
Royal Navy destroyer and NATO SNMG2 flagship HMS Duncan has rescued two Algerian fishermen who had been stranded at sea for four days. A lookout from the Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer noticed the men’s boat by chance in the western Mediterranean – and the warship immediately offered food, fuel
Thales joins BAE Systems, CGI for Royal Navy electronic warfare upgrades
French and UK defense contractors Thales and BAE Systems have teamed up with Canadian consulting company CGI for the second phase of the Royal Navy’s Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP). MEWP is a UK defense ministry procurement program that aims to provide upgraded electronic warfare capab
US Navy welcomes MQ-4C Triton into service
The US Navy officially welcomed the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system to the fleet with a ceremony on May 31. The ceremony marked the start of flight operations, seven months after the US Navy received its first operational Triton from Northrop Grumman in November 2017. Naval Base Ventura County
NATO ships meet Russian underwater reconnaissance vessel in English Channel
RFS Yantar, the Russian Navy’s oceanographic vessel – also referred to as spy ship, underwater reconnaissance ship or seabed research ship – was escorted by several NATO ships as it transited the English Channel into the North Sea. Yantar was first escorted by a French Navy ship in the Bay of Biscay
HADR exercise Pacific Partnership 2018 concludes
The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief readiness exercise Pacific Partnership 2018 concluded June 2 as US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Nha Trang, Vietnam. This mission in Nha Trang included personnel from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force embarked in JDS Osumi (LS
USS Ronald Reagan embarks its carrier air wing
Shortly after starting its summer patrol, the US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) embarked Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) off the coast of Japan, June 3. The three-day fly-on and requalification of flight deck crew and aircrew involved more than 60 aircraft and include
Seaspan to begin Canadian Joint Support Ship construction
Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan Shipyards has been awarded a CAD$66 million contract to start construction of Joint Support Ships (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy. Starting work in the next two months, Seaspan will build up to 52 blocks that will eventually constitute complete ships. The new joint sup
Royal Australian Navy starting Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018
The Royal Australian Navy is starting the second iteration of the large-scale regional engagement Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE 18), Australian defense minister Marise Payne has announced. A Task Group that will deploy as part of IPE 18 is scheduled to depart Townsville on June 2. Minister Payne said
Warships arrive in Lithuania for exercise BALTOPS 2018
Some 37 ships from 16 states arrived in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda on May 31 ahead of the start of international exercise BALTOPS 2018, the Lithuanian Navy said. The US Navy says the number of participating countries and ships is higher with a total of 22 nations, 60 aircraft, 42 ships, an