Aviation
Future USS Tripoli hits the water
The U.S. Navy’s second aviation-centric amphibious assault ship, USS Tripoli (LHA 7), was launched on May 1 in Mississippi. Prior to launch, the America-class ship was translated from land to the dry dock at Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) shipyard on April 9. “It was probably the most well-exe
US 3rd Fleet destroyers pull into Hong Kong
U.S. Navy destroyers USS Sterett and USS Dewey arrived in Hong Kong on April 29 for their first foreign port visit on their Western Pacific deployment. The command staff of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 31 and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Sterett (DDG 104), along with an embark
US Navy helicopter crew safe after crash near Guam
A U.S. Navy helicopter embarked on Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Dewey crashed in waters near Guam on Thursday, the U.S. Navy said. The entire crew of the MH-60R helicopter, including two pilots and one aircrewman, were safely recovered by USS Dewey (DDG 105) and suffered no apparent injuries. T
Germany’s new MKS 180 multi-purpose ships to cost €500M more
In addition to being delayed, German Navy’s new Multi-role Combat Ship 180 (Mehrzweckkampfschiff MKS 180) will come with an additional cost of over €500 million, according to media reports. A letter sent by deputy defense minister Markus Gruebel to lawmakers on Tuesday said the extra €500 million ar
US destroyer alters course in another brush with Iranian vessels
U.S. Navy destroyer USS Mahan was forced to alter course in another run in with Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps fast attack craft in the Persian Gulf. The Iranian vessel acted “unprofessional but also provocative” in the incident which took place on Monday, according to a U.S. official. Un
US Navy, Air Force in first-ever P-8A refueling
The U.S. Navy and Air Force achieved a historic milestone last week when an Air Force KC-135 tanker refueled the Navy’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. A Naval Air Station Patuxent River P-8A Poseidon was refueled by a 459th Air Refueling Wing KC-135. “The 459th and the Air Force Reserve Com
Australian Navy denies reports of improper LHD maintenance
Responding to an article about faulty maintenance works on the Australian Navy’s two biggest warships, Australia’s deputy chief of navy said the article was “incorrect and misleading in its assertions”. The Daily Telegraph published an article which claimed the reason for the breakdown of the Canber
Report: Australian amphibious assault ships damages caused by faulty maintenance
Faulty maintenance works are reportedly the reason why the Royal Australian Navy’s two Canberra-class landing helicopter docks spent the last month tied to port. Navy chiefs are now looking into what happened during maintenance works on the $1.5 billion warships, according to the Australian Daily Te
ESPS Galicia prevents merchant ship from being pirated
Late on Saturday night during a European Union counter-piracy patrol close to the east coast of Somalia, EU NAVFOR’s Spanish flagship, ESPS Galicia, received a SOS distress call from the master of merchant ship, MT Costina, to say that his vessel was being attacked by a number of armed pirates in a
US aircraft carrier loses aircraft en route to North Korea
A U.S. Navy pilot flying from the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier crashed while attempting to land during routine flight operations in the Celebs Sea. The pilot ejected and was quickly recovered by an embarked helicopter. The navy said the incident, which took place April 21, was under investigatio
Work begins on Royal Navy’s fifth River-class offshore patrol vessel
Works on the Royal Navy’s fifth follow-on River-class offshore patrol vessel began with a steel cutting ceremony on Friday, April 21. Tony Douglas, head of UK’s defense procurement organisation, pressed the button to cut the first sheet of steel for the HMS Spey at BAE Systems’ Govan shipyard in Sco
Australian Navy MATV completes sea trials
The Australian Navy’s Multi-role Aviation Training Vessel (MATV) MV Sycamore has completed sea trials, Dutch shipbuilder Damen announced. MV Sycamore was built at Damen’s Vietnam shipyard and will now be prepared for her maiden voyage to her home port of Sydney, Australia, where she is expected to a
Construction starts on new Russian Navy ice patrol ship
Russian shipbuilder Admiralty Shipyards started construction of a new ice-class patrol ship with an official ceremony in St. Petersburg on April 19. The first of two ordered Project 23550 vessels is named Ivan Papanin and will be used for patrols in the Arctic. The ceremony was attended by the Russi
U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon squadron concludes historic U.S. 6th Fleet deployment
A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft squadron completed a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations (AOO) as the last P-8A Poseidon returned to Naval Air Station Jacksonville on April 8, 2017. The “Pelicans” of Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45), attached to Commander, Ta