Aviation
USS Bataan embarks 24th MEU, enters 6th Fleet area of operations
The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), flagship of the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BATARG), and the embarked 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) entered U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations Sept. 3, after nearly six months of routine operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of oper
HMS Diamond sails for nine-month operational deployment
Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond has sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base for a nine-month operational deployment. She will be taking over the Navy’s long-standing commitment to the region from HMS Monmouth, a Type 23 frigate based in Plymouth. She is the second Type 45 destroyer to sail on operational d
Singapore, US Navy conclude inaugural exercise Pacific Griffin
The navies of Republic of Singapore and the United States wrapped up the first iteration of a new exercise which took place between August 19 and September 2. With the training space available in the waters off Guam, exercise Pacific Griffin provided the RSN with the opportunity to join the US Navy
UK sending Type 23 frigate to Japan next year
As the UK and Japan defense ministries are stepping up their cooperation in response to the unprecedented threat posed by North Korea, the Royal Navy is sending a Type 23 frigate to Japan. In December 2018, HMS Argyll is set to be sent to the region. UK troops exercising jointly with their Japanese
Lockheed Martin starting low rate production of CH-53K King Stallion helicopters
The US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin a Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) Lot 1 contract to build two production CH-53K King Stallion helicopters. Under the $303,974,406 million contract, Sikorsky will deliver two production aircraft to the U.S. Marine Corps in 2020 along wit
US Navy improving methods of recruiting UAV operators
The US Navy must spend over $1 million to train a single aircraft pilot and finding new, more effective ways of selecting candidates is an imperative for the service. Naval pilots of manned aircraft must pass the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)—a rigorous intellectual exercise that evaluates
Royal Navy patrol vessel HMS Forth starts first sea trials
The lead ship of the Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessels, the HMS Forth, started sea trials on Wednesday sailing down River Clyde for the first time. HMS Forth leads a class of five follow-on River-class vessels which will act as the RN’s eyes and ears around the UK, help to safeguard fishing stock
USS Wasp gets underway for new forward-deployed homeport in Japan
US amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) got underway from Norfolk on August 30 heading for Sasebo, Japan, where she will become the forward-deployed flagship of the amphibious force of the U.S. 7th Fleet. The shift will introduce an F-35B Joint Strike Fighter-capable amphibious assault ship to t
US Navy sends amphibious ships to Texas for Hurricane Harvey relief
The US Navy said it has deployed amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) to Texas where they will support federal, state and local authorities with ongoing relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Kearsarge along with Marines from the 26t
UK helicopter carrier HMS Ocean starts final deployment before decommissioning
Getting underway from Naval Base Plymouth on Tuesday, helicopter carrier HMS Ocean started her final deployment as a commissioned Royal Navy ship. The fleet flagship – a role that will be taken by the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth – will be joining NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 in the
USS Sterett returns from surface action group deployment
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104) returned home to San Diego on August 28 following a five-month deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Sterett spent the majority of the deployment as part of the Sterett-Dewey surface action group (Sterett-Dewey SAG),
Modernized Ka-27M helicopters ready for serial delivery to Russian Navy
After delivering the first modernized Ka-27M multirole helicopter to the Russian Navy in December 2016, Rostec subsidiary Russian Helicopters is ready for serial delivery of the Ka-27m aircraft to the Russian Navy. After the first modernized unit passed all tests, the Russian defense ministry in lat
USS John S. McCain: Remains found by Malaysian Navy are not US Navy sailors, search expanded
The remains which were found by the Royal Malaysian Navy on August 22 during their search for missing US Navy sailors are not those of a USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) sailor. This was determined after medical examinations of the remains, which will be returned to Malaysian authorities. Additional dive
USS Coronado strikes target beyond visual range in latest Harpoon missile live-firing
The US Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Coronado live-fired a Harpoon block 1C missile beyond the ship’s visual range, aided by the embarked MQ-8B Fire Scout and the MH-60S Seahawk helicopter. The US 7th Fleet said the firing took place off the coast of Guam on August 22, with the missile striking a