The US Coast Guard announced it has awarded a contract to Insitu Inc. to deliver small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) for the service’s national security cutters (NSCs). Installations of sUAS on NSCs are planned at a rate of about two per year, the coast guard noted adding that the total value of
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
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
US Navy pilots from Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1), embarked aboard USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), are training with the Italian Air Force in integrated flight operations taking place from May 28 to June 7. The exercise features F/A-18s from CVW-1’s four fighter squadrons, which integrated with Italian
US Navy destroyer USS O’Kane (DDG 77) completed a seven-month Western Pacific deployment returning to its homeport at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on June 4. O’Kane departed Pearl Harbor, Nov. 4, to conduct ballistic missile defense operations near the American territory of Guam. O’Kane remained o
Exercise Malabar, the trilateral naval drill taking place off the coast of Guam, will feature a total of 12 warships – including aircraft and helicopter carriers – and two submarines. The lineup for the maneuvers could have been even more impressive had the Royal Australian Navy been allowed to join
Royal Navy landing ship RFA Lyme Bay on June 1 joined the French helicopter carrier BPC Tonnerre in the French port city of La Rochelle, in the Bay of Biscay, to embark an expeditionary force for the amphibious exercise Catamaran 2018. In addition to the two countries’ navy and marine forces, the ex
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
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
Future NRP Sines, the Portuguese Navy’s third Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessel, has completed its sea trials. The latest phase of sea trials took place between May 28 and 30 and was completed successfully, the navy said. The vessel is set to join the navy in July this year, commanded by
US Navy ships from the Essex amphibious ready group started the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) with 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit marines off the coast of California on May 30. COMPTUEX is an exercise led by Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 15 and 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Expeditionar
French missile manufacturer MBDA recently carried out a second development firing of its Sea Venom/ANL missile using a French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA – Direction Générale de l’Armement) Panther test helicopter for launch at Ile Du Levant in southeast France. The firing took place on April 18
A Babcock-led industry team has officially unveiled the Arrowhead 140 concept as their design for the UK defense ministry’s Type 31e general purpose light frigate program. Babcock, Thales, OMT, BMT, Harland and Wolff and Ferguson Marine are all part of the team bidding for the UK MoD’s £1.25 billion
The US Navy’s newest amphibious transport dock ship, USS Portland (LPD 27), arrived in Pearl Harbor May 29 for combat systems ship qualification trials. During its time in the 3rd Fleet, the ship is also scheduled to take part in the large international exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC). Portland
