Royal Australian Navy and Japanese Consulate representatives attended a commemorative service at Garden Island, Sydney, to mark the 74th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul. The accommodation ferry was struck by a midget submarine torpedo. Past president of the Naval Historical Society of Au
New Zealand’s Defence Minister Gerry Brownlee launched the Defence White Paper 2016 on June 8, announcing a 15-year modernisation plan worth nearly $20 billion. While the paper announces that several Navy assets would be replaced or enhanced, it does not provide details on the options considered or
Australian Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) and Raytheon Australia signed a strategic alliance to strengthen collaboration on defense technologies, the Australian Department of Defence announced June 8. The agreement was signed by the Chief Defence Scientist, Alex Zelinsky and Michael Ward
Royal Australian Navy patrol boat HMAS Wollongong recently intercepted what the navy believes are two Vietnamese fishing vessels. Two foreign fishing vessels were apprehended on June 2, in waters off north Queensland for suspected illegal fishing in Australian waters. Maritime Border Command within
Pacific Partnership 2016 arrived in Timor-Leste June 8 for the sixth time in the past eleven years and the first mission stop for hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). While in Timor-Leste, Pacific Partnership personnel will work side-by-side with civilian leadership from the Dili community and Timor
Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate HMAS Perth today departed HMAS Stirling naval base at Rockingham, Western Australia for her first operational deployment to the Middle East region for Operation Manitou. Perth’s departure is the first operational deployment for an Anzac Class frigate with th
French shipbuilder DCNS has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Australian manufacturer of advanced composite technologies Quickstep as a first step for cooperation in the field of components and assemblies for Australia’s Future submarines. The MoU was signed in Canberra by Marie-Pi
With four new participants, the number of countries taking part in RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, rose to 27. 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise scheduled June 30 t
Sailors aboard the Italian Navy’s Horizon-class air-defence destroyer Andrea Doria launched their first MU90 torpedo in the Gulf of Taranto, May 24, 2016. During the exercise, a fictional sonar contact is included on the combat system management computer (CMS). Once the contact appears, the weapon s
The United States Committee on Appropriations has approved the FY2017 Defense Appropriations Bill which includes $1.0 billion in Navy shipbuilding funds to build the first USCG-operated icebreaker since FY1990. The United States currently relies on just one heavy vessel and one medium vessel, one of
In a close cooperation with EU’s counter-piracy operational headquarters, Chinese Navy warship CNS Xiangtan escorted World Food Programme vessel, Evangelia L, to the port of Berbera, Somaliland. Evangelia L had been chartered by the WFP to carry humanitarian aid to the Somali port. After phone calls
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin Sippican a $72,8 million contract for the procurement of MK 48 Mod 7 heavyweight torpedo guidance and control sections. Under the contract, Lockheed will also provide MK 48 Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System upgrade kits, test
Australia’s first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft recently completed its maiden flight. The aircraft flew a short distance from Renton Airfield to Boeing Field in Washington State USA, to where the P-8A’s mission systems will be installed as part of project AIR 7000. The $5.4 billion P-8A pro
Explosives Ordnance Disposal personnel from Australia, US, Singapore and New Zealand have completed training at Guam Naval Base during Exercise Tricrab 2016. Hosted by US Navy Explosives Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five, the technicians developed their explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) skills whil
