The navies of Australia, France and the US concluded a four-day ‘Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement’ (SHAREM) 195 exercise in the Arabian Sea on December 18. Participating ships included French navy F70AA-class air defense destroyer FS Cassard (D 614), and Royal Austral
The focus of the Royal Australian Navy’s 2019 Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE19) will focus on developing cooperation with the Indian Navy, Australian defense minister has announced. Engagement with India, one of Australia’s key strategic partners in the Indian Ocean region, will be the cornerstone for
Royal Canadian Navy vessels ranging from coastal defense vessels through frigates to replenishment oilers returned to their Atlantic and Pacific bases from operations in European, South American, and Asia-Pacific waters. Kingston-class coastal defense vessels HMCS Edmonton and Nanaimo returned to Ca
The US state department has awarded Austal USA a contract for the construction of an additional two Independence-variant littoral combat ships (LCS) for the US Navy. According to Austal, this brings the total of new LCS orders booked in calendar year 2018 to four ships. For competition reasons the U
The Australian government has awarded a contract to BAE Systems Australia’s new subsidiary ASC Shipbuilding that provides the framework for the design and build of nine Hunter-class frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. The country’s government and ASC Shipbuilding signed the contract after ASC Sh
The new landscape of the Australian Osborne Naval Shipyard is taking shape with steel now being raised into place for the Hunter-class construction yard. “It’s estimated the $535 million Osborne South project will create up to 600 jobs,” Christopher Pyne, Minister for Defence, said. As informed, the
The Royal Australian Navy’s future submarines will be named the Attack class, with the first submarine being named HMAS Attack, the navy said. Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Noonan AO RAN, said the name ‘Attack’, represents the inherent stealth, long-range endurance and lethality of a submarine. “The f
Mine countermeasures ships from the navies of Australia, Japan and the US completed the annual Mine Warfare Exercise 3JA 2018, off the coast of Japan on November 27. US Navy’s USS Chief and Australia’s HMAS Huon and HMAS Gascoyne were joined by a number of JMSDF ships for several days of at sea exer
BAE Systems Australia formally opened a new shipside support tower at its Henderson facility on November 30. The $5 million, multi-level support tower was opened by defense industry minister Steven Ciobo. The structure will initially support the ANZAC Mid Life Capability (AMCAP) upgrade program bein
The first Royal Australian Navy Anzac-class frigate to undergo the Anzac Mid Life Capability Assurance Program (AMCAP) upgrade was undocked at BAE Systems’ Henderson shipyard in Western Australia. HMAS Arunta entered water on November 30, after a 14-month refit period which started in December 2017
Australian shipbuilder Austal has delivered the first Guardian-class patrol boat to the Papua New Guinea Defence Force. The boat will be commissioned HMPNGS Ted Diro on return to PNG and is named after the first Commander of the PNG Defence Force post-independence. It is the first of four boats sche
Australia will deploy a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft to Japan next week to conduct maritime surveillance in support of North Korea sanctions, the Australian defense minister has announced. The MPA will support the international effort to enforce United Nations Security Council resolutions
BAE Systems Australia, the main contractor in the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter-class frigate acquisition project, announced that it has selected Lockheed Martin Australia and Saab Australia for combat system integration on the frigates. The decision further supports the development of an Australia
The United States will team up with Australia and Papua New Guinea for the redevelopment of the Pacific Island nation’s Lombrum naval base on Manus island, US vice president Mike Pence announced at the APEC leaders summit. Pence’s announcement comes a month after Australia announced an agreement wit
