Royal Fleet Auxiliary tanker Wave Knight was leaving the Dutch Antilles territory of Curacao recently when she completed a replenishment at sea (RAS) in the Caribbean Sea with the Royal Netherlands Navy’s multi-purpose frigate, HNLMS Van Amstel. The maneuver was a return to basics for Wave Knight as
The Peruvian Navy commissioned its newest polar oceanographic research vessel, B.A.P. Carrasco during a ceremony on March 22. The 97 metre ‘BAP Carrasco’ was built at Construcciones Navales P. Freire shipyard in Vigo, Spain, and handed over to Peru earlier this month. BAP Carrasco was launched in Vi
Elbit Systems of America, a subsidiary of Israel-based Elbit Systems has received a $49.8 million contract from the Naval Surface Warfare Center for the delivery of MH-60 helmet display tracker systems (HDTS). Under the contract, Elbit is to deliver a maximum of 126 of the systems and associated lin
The crew of the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) completed their first mid-cycle inspection (MCI) on March 17, in preparation for deployment later this year. MCI is a four-day readiness inspection that takes place every 2 1/2 years. The inspection is conducted by the Board of
Eastern Shipbuilding Group has brought in British company Babcock International to provide platform engineering design for the design and construction phases of the United States Coast Guard’s new Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) class vessels. Under the contract, Babcock will deliver a whole ship 3D mo
U.S. Navy’s amphibious dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) and embarked marines transited the Bosphorus Strait on March 17 to visit Romania and take part in the bilateral amphibious operations exercise Spring Storm 2017. The exercise is taking place in the Black Sea between March 18 and 21. S
U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) has reached a half-way point during its planned maintenance availability (PMA), the Mid-Atlantic Regional Maintenance Center (MARMC) said March 15. Since the commencement of Wasp’s PMA in January, a considerable amount of work has gone into gettin
U.S. Navy destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) seized 270 kilograms of heroin from a small stateless dhow in the international waters of the Arabian Sea March 13. The dhow was intercepted after having been tracked by a helicopter from the Royal Navy’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Fort Victoria. Both Laboon
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Spencer returned to their homeport in Boston, on Monday following a 74-day counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. During their patrol, the crew interdicted four drug-laden vessels, resulting in the seizure of approximately 1,400 kilograms (3,080 lbs.) of cocaine wo
U.S. Navy and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) ships completed their participation in this year’s bilateral training exercise MultiSail 17 on March 10. The six-day exercise consisted of surface action group maneuvers, anti-submarine training, and various other events that tested warfight
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) assisted in the medical evacuation of a Pakistani Navy sailor on March 6. The sailor, assigned to Zulfiquar-class frigate PNS Aslat was in need of medical attention. “After finding out the status of the patient, I coordinated with my corpsme
U.S. Navy’s Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), together with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), entered the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations on March 7. While in theater, more than 4,000 sailors and marines of the ARG and MEU will train to share information, experiences, and work together.
The U.S. Navy recently demonstrated a new mine sweeping technique during a test in which a MH-60S helicopter deployed a MK-18 Mod 2 unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV). This demonstration proved a possible lighter, less time intensive way to sweep for mines in theatre, compared to a MH-53E helicopter
U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) arrived at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan, on March 4. During the port visit, the ship will embark Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), along with their vehicles and cargo, prior to departing for a routine patrol. “We are go
