Australia starts unrolling shipbuilding plans Austal, the West Australian shipbuilding company, is the first to benefit from the Australian shipbuilding program outlined in the recently released Defence White Paper. US Navy constructs unique pier U.S. Navy units started the construction of the Eleva
Civilian crews on merchant vessels and cruise ships worked with navies from more than 30 nations to ensure the waterways of the Middle East remain open and secure for commercial shipping. More than 30 commercial ships, together with partner nation navies, participated in the International Mine Count
Sailors aboard the U.S. Navy’s mine counter measures ship USS Sentry (MCM 3) successfully piloted an unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) mounted with live explosives to destroy a training mine during International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX). Run every couple of years, IMCMEX is often dubbe
Two high speed support vessels (HSSV) constructed by Austal for the Royal Navy of Oman have been officially named during a ceremony held at Austal’s Henderson, Australia shipyard April 15. The first vessel – RNOV Al Mubshir (S11) – is on schedule for delivery in the first half of 2016 while the seco
Warships taking part in the International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) have sailed out of Manama, Bahrain to begin the underway portion of the exercise on April 10. U.S. and Royal Navy ships sailed into the Arabian Gulf and Straits of Hormuz to practice working together to address threats
The International Mine Countermeasures Exercise, considered the largest maritime exercise in the world, kicked off April 4, with international naval and civilian maritime forces from more than 30 nations spanning six continents training together across the Middle East. The exercise is organized and
Britain is intending to form a joint venture company between the British defence contractor Babcock International and the Oman Drydock Company that would develop the Omani Duqm Port to support naval vessels. During a visit to Oman, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said the multi-million pound undert
Two ships of the Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF), JS Yuudachi and JS Yuugiri, arrived at the Port of Colombo, Sri Lanka on a goodwill and replenishment visit on March 24, 2016. The two destroyers were welcomed by the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval traditions on arrival. The ships’
Royal Navy personnel from HMS Excellent, a shore establishment of the Navy, will head to the Arabian Gulf where they will assume command of the Combined Task Force 150 next month. Part of Combined Maritime Forces, Combined Task Force 150 is policing more than two million square miles of sea on the l
Two Royal Navy minehunters, HMS Middleton and Bangor, left their base in Bahrain to join their United Arab Emirates counterparts, Al Hasbah and Al Murjan in Mina Zayed, Abu Dhabi’s main port, where they conducted mine countermeasures exercises. Both navies will be taking part in the world’s biggest
Having sailed 23000 nautical miles safeguarding the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle in the Middle East, the German frigate FGS Augsburg has bid farewell to the international group and headed home. During the group’s deployment in the Persian Gulf, French aircraft conducted 23 reconnai
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS St Albans has rescued two men trapped on a sinking vessel in the Gulf of Oman. Whilst carrying out maritime security operations the frigate was contacted by an Omani Air Force surveillance aircraft and asked to respond to a stricken dhow in the Gulf of Oman. The airc
Royal Marines have tested their skills and know-how by fast roping from a helicopter onto HMS St Albans flightdeck. Using St Albans’ Merlin helicopter, one by one members of the ship’s Royal Marines Boarding Team (RMBT) carried out one of their most dangerous training exercises – descending from a h
Sailors from the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Russel and U.S. Coast Guard cutter USCGC Monomoy worked with an Iraqi Navy Swift Boat (P-310) to conduct a surface warfare exercise in the Arabian Gulf, February 14-15. The exercise provided a surface warfare experience by exchanging subject ma