US Navy’s Makin Island (LHD 8) celebrated her 6th commissioning anniversary on October 24 at the San Diego Naval base. The vessel was formally commissioned on the same date in 2009 at Naval Air Station North Island. Although Makin Island is the eighth and last Wasp-class amphibious assault ship, she
U.S. and Canadian naval units began a Task Group Exercise (TGEX) off the coast of Southern California on October 20. Participating units from the Royal Canadian Navy include Canadian Fleet Pacific, Halifax-class frigates HMCS Calgary (FFH 335) and HMCS Vancouver (FFH 331), and Victoria-class submari
Royal New Zealand Navy’s Anzac-class modernization project marked a milestone as Lockheed Martin Canada completed the combat system critical design review on schedule. The government-mandated review proves a contractor’s progress and planning for all elements of a program. It covered in detail all o
The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) completed the installation of its new network infrastructure designed to improve operational efficiency while strengthening security measures and performance on Friday, October 16. The Consolidated Afloat Network Enterprise Services (CANES) system is the
The U.S. government approved a possible sale of four Lockheed Martin Corp multi-mission warships to Saudi Arabia, October 20. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified the U.S. Congress about the possible sale of a derivative of the US Navy’s Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships, made by Loc
The guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) is scheduled to return from an independent deployment to the Western Pacific Ocean Oct. 23. Deployed since March, the crew of more than 300 Sailors steamed a total of 48,550 nautical miles across the U.S. 3rd and 7th Fleet areas of operation. While de
Bollinger Shipyards has delivered the Joseph Napier, the 15th Fast Response Cutter (FRC) to the United States Coast Guard. The 154 foot patrol craft Joseph Napier is the 15th vessel in the Coast Guard’s Sentinel-class FRC program. To build the FRC, Bollinger used a craft design based on the Damen St
Ducommun Incorporated received a multi-year award from the Boeing Company to produce position sensors, also known as resolvers, for the U.S. Navy’s and U.K. Navy’s Trident Navigation System (Electrostatically Supported Gyro Navigator) used on U.S. Ohio-class and U.K. Vanguard-class submarines. Ducom
Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35 held a change of command ceremony at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, California, Oct. 8. At the ceremony, Cmdr. Katie Mullen Ellis relieved Cmdr. Chad M. Falgout as the commanding officer of the “Magicians” of HSM-35. Falgout, a native of Hahn
US Navy’s Military Sealift Command awarded a contract for a regular overhaul/dry-docking to support USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). The contract, worth $11,7 million, will be undertaken by Vigor Marine and includes six optional work items which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract
The 35th annual San Francisco Fleet Week wrapped up Oct. 12, with more than 2,000 Sailors, Marines, and Coast Guardsmen from six ships experiencing the hospitality of “The City by the Bay.” More than 25,000 guests from the Bay Area toured the amphibious transport dock ship USS Somerset (LPD 25), gui
The commanding officer of the guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) died Oct. 10 at Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville, Florida. Capt. Wesley A. Smith was at his home when Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville Fire Department responded to a fire at his residence on base at approximately 8 p
USNS Spearhead (EPF 1) returned to Mayport Oct. 9, after deploying from early June to early October in support of Southern Partnership Station-Joint High Speed Vessel 2015 (SPS-JHSV 15). USNS Spearhead (EPF 1), formerly known as USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) returned to Mayport to drop off members of the
HMS Queen Elizabeth Gets New Radar System A cutting-edge 3D radar system, capable of detecting objects as small as a tennis ball and travelling at three times the speed of sound more than 25km away, has been successfully installed to the Royal Navy’s future aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth. HMS
