A Royal Australian Navy task group composed of landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra, frigate HMAS Newcastle, and tanker HMAS Sirius, departed Sydney Harbour on February 17 to start a series of exercises and engagements with regional allies. The task group will spend the next several weeks participa
The Australian defense ministry has selected Raytheon Australia to act as the country’s Aegis systems integration agent. Defense minister Christopher Pyne announced that the ministry issued a limited request for tender to Raytheon to establish a deed of standing offer under which Raytheon Australia
German Navy F122 frigate FGS Augsburg will return to her Wilhelmshaven homeport on Friday, Februrary 15, concluding her final operational deployment. The frigate is one of only two ships in her class and is scheduled to retire this year after 30 years of service. In addition to concluding her final
The Papua New Guinea Defence Force commissioned the first Guardian-class patrol boat HMPNGS Ted Diro in a ceremony on February 1. The ceremony was attended by the Chief of the Australian Defence Force and the ship’s company of the Royal Australian Navy’s Armidale-class patrol boat HMAS Wollongong. T
The Australian government has signed an official contract with France’s Naval Group for the construction of 12 new submarines for the Royal Australian Navy. The contract signing on February 11 marks the conclusion of two years of negotiations after Australia selected the French shipbuilder over Japa
After becoming the first Royal Navy ship to visit Auckland, New Zealand, in 20 years, Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose visited Darwin, Australia. Continuing a trend, the frigate became the first Royal Navy warship in a decade to visit Australia’s northernmost and remotest city. The Plymouth-based warshi
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat has seized more than 2.1 tonnes of hashish and 345 kilograms of heroin in two boarding operations in the Arabian Sea. The Australian Navy said the seizures were worth approximately AU$105 million and AU$103.5 million respectively. The interceptions took pl
German-based technology company Atlas is offering a set of mine countermeasures (MCM) systems for a new class of minehunters that are to be built for the Belgian and Dutch Navy. The current minehunters operated by Belgium and the Netherlands were integrated by Atlas Elektronik and are equipped with
Royal Navy veterans and serving submariners recently marked the loss of submarine K13 which sank during sea trials on the Gareloch on January 29, 1917. The sinking resulted in the tragic death of 32 people on board. Over the weekend of January 26, members of the Submariners Association from around t
The US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Boeing a $2.45 billion contract modification to start construction on a number of Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol aircraft for the US Navy, the UK and Norway. Under the latest contract modification, Boeing is to deliver 10 P-8As to the US Navy, four for the
A Los Angeles-class attack submarine and P-8A Poseidon crews from the US Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force have completed their participation in the annual, multilateral exercise Sea Dragon. This year’s exercise was conducted out of Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, and concluded on January 22. P
German Navy units will no longer be taking part in operation Sophia – an EU-led effort to tackle migrant smugglers in the Mediterranean sea, German officials have announced. Bremen-class frigate FGS Augsburg is currently deployed to operation Sophia and will not be replaced by another German Navy sh
The Armed Forces of Malta have signed a €35 million contract for the construction of a second purpose-built offshore patrol vessel that will be used in patrolling Malta’s territorial waters. The new vessel will complement the Diciotti-class patrol vessel P61 which was built in 2005 and a former Iris
BAE Systems announced it has received a $79.8 million contract to assist the US Navy in maintaining and operating multiple electronic, communication, and computing platforms. The program, which supports the Naval Computer and Telecommunications Area Master Station, Pacific, will enable BAE Systems t
