Mine countermeasure ships from the navies of the US and Japan will be joined by their Australian counterparts for a mine warfare exercise off the coast of southern Japan which kicks off November 17. The drill is called Mine Warfare Exercise 3JA 2018 and is part of an annual exercise series organized
The US Navy’s expeditionary sea-base platform ship USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) has embarked an MH-53E Sea Dragon helicopter assigned to the “Blackhawks” of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron (HM) 15 for the first time in the US 5th Fleet area of operations. The training, which concluded Novemb
US Navy destroyer USS Bulkeley (DDG 84) returned to Naval Station Norfolk on November 11, completing a seven-month deployment to the Navy’s US 6th Fleet area of responsibility. The ship operated as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) and also conducted independent operations in
A US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft from Patrol Squadron (VP) 16 joined Peruvian and Colombian Navy submarines for a tri-lateral submarine exercise in the waters north of Colombia. The five-day exercise concluded on November 6 and provided opportunities to further the interoperability and coordination
The US Navy’s annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) maritime exercise kicked off at Muara Naval Base, Brunei, November 12. The CARAT exercise series is conducted every year by the US Navy. The evolution in Brunei started after similar engagements concluded in Indonesia, Malaysia a
An F/A-18 Hornet flying from US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) crashed into the Philippine Sea during routine operations on November 12. The F/A-18 from Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 experienced a mechanical issue that forced the crew to eject, the US Navy said. The crew was recovered b
The US Navy will christen its newest Expeditionary Fast Transport, the future USNS Puerto Rico (T-EPF 11), at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, on November 10. “This ship honors the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the contributions Puerto Ricans have made to our nation and Navy and Marine
Ships from US Navy’s Kearsarge amphibious ready group (ARG) have wrapped up the three-week composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX). The ARG’s COMPTUEX focused on simultaneous missions and enhanced realism to test the capabilities of the Kearsarge ARG and the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU)
The US Navy has awarded Sikorsky a $717 million performance-based contract for supply and logistics support for the entire fleet of US Navy MH-53E Sea Dragon and Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopters. The scope of the performance-based logistics contract includes repairs, overhauls, spares,
Representatives from the US Navy’s Patrol squadron (VP) 16 met with counterparts from Indian Naval Air Squadron (INAS) 312 for a subject matter expert exchange (SMEE) in Goa, Oct. 22-24. Members of VP-16’s combat aircrew conducted training and shared their technical knowledge with the Indian Navy P-
Defense contractor Indal Technologies Inc. (is to pay $3.5 million after it sold defective helicopter landing systems designed for US Navy destroyers. According to a Department of Justice announcement from October 15, the company has agreed to pay the amount to resolve allegations that it knowingly
The Peruvian and US Navy have concluded almost three months of diesel-electric submarine operations which saw a Peruvian Navy submarine train and operate with a range of US Navy assets. Exactly 89 days of joint operations with the Peruvian submarine BAP Arica (SS-36) officially concluded in a closin
The US Navy commissioned its first unmanned aircraft system (UAS) test and evaluation squadron during a ceremony at Naval Air Station Patuxent River’s Webster Outlying Field, on October 18. The new unit, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron (UX) 24, flies over 23 fixed and rotary wing UAS including the
One sailor is missing and two are in critical condition following the crash of a Mexican Navy MI-17 helicopter off the coast of Baja California on October 20. The helicopter was filmed crashing into the sea after the pilot lost control during regular patrol activities. According to the Mexican Navy,
