RFA Tidespring, the first of four new tankers in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s fleet, paid her first visit to Gibraltar on October 17. Sailing with an embarked Merlin helicopter during pre-commissioning workups, the tanker called in on the Rock for routine logistics support. She is the first of a flee
Royal Australian Navy sailors aboard the minehunter HMAS Huon honed their deep-diving skills during a recent visit to Lord Howe Island, in the Tasman Sea. Huon’s commanding officer Lieutenant Commander Jason Mullen said the 10-day deployment had been an invaluable training opportunity for the crew.
US Navy transport dock USS San Diego (LPD 22) pulled into Souda Bay, Greece, on October 15, for a scheduled port visit and a mid-deployment voyage repair maintenance stop. The San Antonio-class ship USS San Diego arrived in Greece together with embarked Marines from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Uni
The US Navy and Coast Guard have sent aircraft and vessel crews in response to reports of a crashed helicopter of the coast of Molokai, Hawaii, October 16. According to the coast guard, the downed helicopter is a privately owned Robinson R44 helicopter with two people aboard. Watchstanders at the Co
Canadian shipbuilder Davie Shipbuilding launched the Royal Canadian Navy’s Project Resolve auxiliary oiler replenishment ship ‘Asterix’ this weekend at its shipyard in Quebec. The naval support ship started life as containership MV Asterix and was converted into the naval support ship after arriving
Two US Navy guided-missile destroyers are getting underway from their homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on October 16. USS Halsey (DDG 97) and USS Preble (DDG 88) will be joining the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt and its carrier strike group on a deployment in the 7th and 5th flee
US Navy’s future USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) officially started construction in a keel authentication ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), on Oct. 13. Keel laying is the traditional start of ship construction. In the age of wooden ships, ‘keel laying’ referred to the laying down of the
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Chafee has become the latest US warship to carry out a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea. US defense officials said that the destroyer operated near the Paracel Islands on Tuesday. Known as Xisha in Chinese, the group of islands is als
Royal Australian Navy ships Adelaide and Darwin have welcomed senior Philippine government and military officials during their visit to the country as part of their Indo-Pacific deployment. On October 11, landing helicopter dock HMAS Adelaide welcomed aboard a delegation led by Philippines president
The US Navy has awarded unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) manufacturer AeroVironment a $2.5 million contract for further work on the US Navy’s small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) program. The contract follows the first successful launch of a Blackwing UAV from a submerged position and will see the co
An Indian Navy frigate has prevented a possible pirate attack in the Gulf of Aden on October 6. The crew of stealth frigate INS Trishul was escorting merchant vessel MV Jag Amar through the gulf when they noticed a boat carrying out suspicious manoeuvers in the vicinity of the merchant ship. When IN
The Romanian Navy has deployed its flagship frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 for a month of joint operations and exercises. The former Royal Navy Type 22 departed Constanta, Romania, on October 6 and will integrate into the NATO task group for operation Sea Guardian.
In another first on its maiden deployment, the US Navy’s America-class amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) arrived in Eilat, Israel, for a port visit on October 5. The flagship of the America Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) is on its first ever visit to the country. “The marines and sailors hav
The US Military Sealift Command ship USNS Comfort has departed San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is now underway standing ready for additional mission assignments. Comfort is currently underway and expected to arrive and provide medical services in the Aricibo-Manati region. While in San Juan, the hospital
