US Navy’s Japan-based amphibious ships met up with their Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) counterparts for training off Australia. US Navy transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) trained with Hyūga-class helicopter destroyer JS Ise (DDH 18
The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) returned to the US 3rd Fleet area of operations on June 30, following 14 years of forward-deployed service in the Indo-Pacific region operating from Japan. The destroyer is en route to San Diego, where she will be homepo
An updated estimate of the Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) program indicates that the Canadian government is poised to pay C$8 billion more than initially expected to acquire a fleet of 15 new frigates. According to the government’s new budget officer report, the total cost of the CSC program is C$
The forward-deployed ships are visiting Australia ahead of exercise Talisman Sabre 2019.
The Canadian Coast Guard is to join the navy in operating arctic and offshore patrol ships (AOPS) after the government awarded a two-ship contract to Halifax-based shipbuilder Irving Shipbuilding. Irving is already building six AOPS for the Royal Canadian Navy, with the first unit in the class, the
Ships from the navies of Australia, Japan, Republic of Korea and the United States arrived in Guam, May 22, to take part in the first ever cooperative maritime training exercise called Pacific Vanguard. Pacific Vanguard brings together more than 3,000 sailors from four Indo-Pacific nations to sharpe
The US Navy and the UK defense ministry have tested an energy storage system capable of providing high-power electrical pulses for future systems under an agreement called Advanced Electric Power and Propulsion Project Arrangement (AEP3). UK’s Defence Equipment & Support office and Dstl joined force
General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a $727.4 million contract modification to continue the procurement of long-lead-time material for Virginia-class submarines. The award provides new funding to an existing contract for long-lead-time material to support c
The Australian defense ministry announced it is buying the second of a planned fleet of six MQ-4C Triton remotely piloted aircraft. Australia is acquiring the Tritons through a cooperative program with the United States Navy. The MQ-4C is being acquired to complement Poseidon P-8A maritime patrol ai
The US Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) arrived in Subic Bay, on March 30, ahead of exercise Balikatan. Wasp arrived in the Philippines with embarked Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) 4, which are led by 4th Marine Regiment. This will
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Australia-based shipbuilder Austal a $261.7 million contract for additional work on Expeditionary Fast Transport Ships (EPF) 13 and 14. The contract award extends the EPF program to 2022, with construction of EPF 13 to commence in late 2019 and EPF 14 to
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $2 billion contract modification to procure long lead time material to support construction of Block V Virginia-class submarines. The award modifies a contract awarded in 2017 that provides funding for long lead time mater
The US Navy has established a new entity that will oversee the construction and fielding of the 12 Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines. The establishment of Program Executive Office Columbia (PEO CLB) was announced on March 6 as the navy’s number one acquisition priority. “This is the Navy’s
The annual disaster response preparedness exercise Pacific Partnership began March 4 as US Military Sealift Command (MSC) expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Brunswick (T-EPF 6) got underway from Naval Base Guam to start the mission in Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership is the largest annual, mult
