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
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
The Royal Australian Navy has retired the Seahawk helicopter ‘Skeletor’ after more than 28 years of service and a career logging 6,200 airframe hours. Navy took the opportunity to retire the anti-submarine helicopter S-70B-2, serial N24-011 during HMAS Arunta’s recent maintenance period in Bahrain w
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri announced on April 12 that it has signed a heads of terms agreement with France for the acquisition of STX France. The French state was represented by the Agence des Participations de l’Etat (APE), Fincantieri said. STX France is owned by South Korean STX Offshore and
The U.S. Navy’s Sterett-Dewey surface action group (Sterett-Dewey SAG) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 11, for the first stop of the group’s Western Pacific deployment. The group is composed of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS Dewey (DDG 105) who
The U.S. Navy’s MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter completed the initial testing phase aboard a littoral combat ship returning from USS Montgomery (LCS-8) on April 11. The Fire Scout test team along with USS Montgomery sailors conducted dynamic interface testing to verify the MQ-8C launch and reco
French shipbuilder DCNS delivered the Marine Nationale’s fourth FREMM multi-mission frigate Auvergne on April 11, in Toulon. Auvergne is also the fourth anti-submarine warfare (ASW) variant ship. The French Navy has a total of eight frigates in the class on order, six ASW and two anti-air warfare va
Ships from eight countries have concluded their participation in the Hellenic Navy-led mine countermeasures (MCM) exercise Ariadne 17. The exercise took place between March 31 and April 7. The at-sea phase started April 3 in Greek territorial waters after a planning and harbour phase was conducted a
A Royal Navy Lynx Mk 8 helicopter recently performed air carriage and jettison trials of the MBDA-made Sea Venom/ANL anti-ship missile. According to the missile manufacturer, the trials proved that the missile can be integrated onto the Lynx and Super Lynx helicopters. Sea Venom/ANL has been develop
The Royal New Zealand Navy announced that its newest and largest ever ship to be built will be named HMNZS Aotearoa. The Aotearoa will be an ice-going tanker built in South Korea by Hyundai Heavy Industries. Construction of the new 24,000-tonne vessel will start next year and is expected to be deliv
Indian and Chinese Navy ships prevented pirates from hijacking a merchant vessel in the Gulf of Aden late on April 8. The captain of the Tuvalu-registered bulk carrier MV OS 35 sent a distress call after the pirates attacked and boarded the vessel. The vessel’s crew locked themselves in a strong roo
820 Naval Air Squadron has returned home to RNAS Culdrose following a six-month deployment on HMS Ocean, which took them through Europe and on to the Middle East. During her time away, HMS Ocean steamed over 23,000 miles, visited 11 countries and took part in various International exercises with loc
The wings of the Royal Marines are ready for action with their French counterparts after a month’s training aboard the FS Mistral. Two Merlins from 845 NAS are assigned to the assault ship throughout her six-month deployment to the Indian and Pacific Oceans – the first time the green Merlins have go
On April 4th, 2017, the Sri Lanka Navy sent two Fast Attack Craft (FAC) to assist MSC ‘Daniela’, a containership caught by a fire off Colombo harbor. Upon reaching the ship, about 33 nautical miles off Colombo harbor, P 436 and P 412 craft joined Sri Lankan Port Authority tugs, Rawana and Maha Wewa,
