U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) completed the multinational search and rescue exercise Argonaut on May 31. Stout worked in conjunction with naval forces from host nation the Republic of Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the State of Israel and the Un
HNoMS Uredd, an Ula-class submarine, recently became the first Norwegian submarine to fire the IDAS submarine launched missile system from a submerged position. Interactive Defence and Attack System for Submarines (IDAS) is a missile system developed by the IDAS Consortium, formed by ThyssenKrupp Ma
French shipbuilder DCNS delivered ‘Gamal Abdel Nasser’, the first of two Mistral-class helicopter carriers, to the Egyptian Navy on June 2. The LHD (Landing Helo Dock) ships were acquired by the Arab Republic of Egypt on October 10, 2015. Built by STX France in Saint-Nazaire the two Mistral-class ve
British defense contractors Babcock and BAE Systems have jointly won a five-year contract worth £41 million to improve the Royal Navy’s Medium Calibre Guns (MCGs). Under the contract, which can potentially be extended for another five years, the two companies will provide a weapons system which woul
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (NYSE:HII) Ingalls Shipbuilding division authenticated the keel of the destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) on June 1, 2016. DDG 119 is the third ship in the FY2013-FY2017 multi-year procurement contract to start fabrication. The future USS Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) has
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
The U.S. Navy has awarded Insitu Inc., a Washington-based UAV manufacturer, a contract to produce initial six RQ-21A Blackjack unmanned aircraft systems. Under the $71.55 million contract, Insitu, a Boeing company, will deliver the air vehicles, ground control stations, launch and recovery equipment
Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 held a ‘Spanish’ flagship change as one Alvaro de Bazan frigate replaced another on May 27. ESPS Mendez Nunez (F-104) took over as flag ship from ESPS Alvaro de Bazan. ESPS Alvaro de Bazan’s service as flagship of SNMG1 began December the 18, 2015 in Cartagena, Spain,
Canada will be taking part in the United States Navy-led Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) with four warships, several aircraft and more than 1,500 Canadian sailors, soldiers, airmen and airwomen. More specifically, a maritime component comprised of four ships: HMCS Calgary, HMCS Vancouver, HMCS
The Danish Navy recently contributed their new concept in counter-mine efforts to exercise Open Spirit in the Baltic Sea as part of Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1. The new system is flexible, scalable and utilizes drones to minimize danger to Sailors. The system is called Mine Countermea
The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have kicked off the Malaysia phase of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series between the U.S. and the armed forces of nine ASEAN member-countries. CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Co
Open Spirit 2016 participants were able to utilize their minehunting skills as they destroyed mines and other sea obstacles which posed a threat to Baltic Sea shipping lanes for decades. The international NATO maneuver which took place off Klaipeda, Lithuania concluded May 27. Minehunting units have
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic will conduct diver training for Caribbean partner nations from May 30 to June 18, 2016, as part of Canada’s participation in Exercise Tradewinds 16. Hosted by the Caribbean Military Maritime Training Centre and run in Discovery Bay, Jamaica,
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
