Aviation
Naval Base Portsmouth now ready for Royal Navy’s second aircraft carrier
Royal Navy base Portsmouth is now ready to welcome the second of two Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers after works on a new jetty were successfully completed. HM Naval Base Portsmouth will now be able to berth both Queen Elizabeth aircraft carriers side-by-side in a £30 million investment to e
Hyundai to design F-35B-capable amphibious assault ship for ROK Navy
South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries has received a contract to design the Republic of Korea Navy’s next-generation amphibious assault ship that would be capable of supporting short-takeoff and vertical landing fighter jet operations. Dubbed LPX-II, the project will be a follow-on to the two LPX-I
2018 hurricane dents US Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter program
The US Coast Guard has been forced to adjust the Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) detail design and construction contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) after the shipbuilder’s facilities were damaged when Hurricane Michael, a Category 5 storm, made landfall in Panama City on October 10, 2018. Th
Philippine Coast Guard’s aluminium OPV passes first trials
The Philippine Coast Guard’s future offshore patrol vessel BRP Gabriela Silang has passed its first sea trials, the French shipbuilder in charge of delivering the vessel announced. The milestone was achieved three months after the OPV was launched by OCEA at its Les Sables d’Olonne site. Hailed as t
Japan joins US, Philippines for maritime exercise Sama Sama
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has joined the US and Philippine Navy for Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Sama Sama, an exercise that started with an opening ceremony in Puerto Princesa on October 14. This is the third iteration of MTA Sama Sama and the first time JMSDF will participa
French, UK frigates seize drugs in Arabian Sea
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose and French Cassard-class frigate FS Jean Bart made another drugs bust in the Arabian Sea operating as part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150. The suspicious dhow was initially located by FS Jean Bart’s helicopter and boarded by a team from the French ship
CMV-22B Osprey Carrier Onboard Delivery wing set up in San Diego
The first CMV-22B squadron is scheduled to deploy aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in 2021.
Sypaq contracted to develop small UAS for Australian Navy
The Australian defense ministry has awarded Melbourne-based Sypaq an A$3.5 million contract to develop an unmanned aerial system with potential future applications for the Royal Australian Navy. The contract was announced at the PACIFIC 2019 conference in Sydney. Sypaq will develop a small Unmanned
Poseidon getting extended range, upgraded search and rescue kits
Flying at a maximum speed of about 565 mph, at about 41,000 feet, the US Navy’s P-8A Poseidon already covers an operational area of about 1,200 nautical miles during a four-hour on-station period. Now, add air-to-air refueling for extended range and endurance and an advanced search and rescue kit an
International exercise Joint Warrior begins off Scotland
Navy ships taking part in the Royal Navy-led exercise Joint Warrior got underway from Faslane, Scotland, this week to start two weeks of drills in Scottish exercise areas. A dozen NATO nations are taking part with 16 warships, three submarines and nearly 60 aircraft, set to attend. Overlapping with
Italy decommissions additional two ships as part of downsizing plan
The Italian Navy has hosted another dual-ship decommissioning ceremony as it proceeds with its plans for the downsizing and modernization of an ageing fleet. Maestrale-class frigate ITS Euro and the patrol ship ITS Aviere, which was initially destined for Iraq, bowed out of service in a ceremony at
Royal Navy officially names final River-class OPV
The fifth and final unit from the second batch of the Royal Navy’s River-class offshore patrol vessels was formally named as work on HMS Spey nears completion. The ceremony was the latest milestone in a seven-year program which will give the Royal Navy a fleet of new patrol ships. As with her sister
Navantia lays keel for first Saudi Navy Avante corvette
A keel-laying ceremony held in Cadiz, Spain, has marked the start of assembly works on the Royal Saudi Navy’s first Avante 2200 corvette. The ships are built by SAMI Navantia Naval Industries (SAMINavantia), a joint venture between Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and Navantia S.A. The keel-
Former Perry frigate USS Ford sunk in live-fire exercise off Guam
Ex-USS Ford (FFG 54), one of the few Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates still around, was sunk by live fire from ships and aircraft taking part in exercise Pacific Griffin 2019. The decommissioned ship was sunk on October 1, approximately 170 nautical miles off the coast of Guam. Units from the US a