The U.S. Marine Corps Systems Command awarded a total of $225.3M for the development and production of a new Amphibious Combat Vehicle (ACV). SAIC, the American-based government contractor, received a $121.5M contract and BAE Systems recieved $103.7M for the build of initial 13 prototypes. The two c
US Navy’s littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) surpassed the one-year mark on her scheduled 16-month rotational deployment to Singapore in support of the Indo-Asia-Pacific rebalance November 17. Fort Worth deployed from San Diego on November 17, 2014 and operates out of Singapore as a mainten
U.S. Marine Corps Osprey aircraft embarked on Royal Navy’s HMS Ocean transferred Royal and US Marines ashore Corsica during a simulated beach assault which rounded off Exercise Blue Raptor. The soldiers from Arbroath-based 45 Commando Royal Marines have been working with their US colleagues for the
The German Mine Countermeasures Ship FGS Bad Rappenau is expected to sail into the Kiel naval base on November 27. The 3rd Minesweeping Squadron ship was part of SNMCMG 1 (Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1) during the last four months as a German contribution to NATO forces. The ship left
The U.S. Navy’s destroyer USS Stethem teamed with People’s Liberation Army-Navy PLA(N) guided-missile frigate Xuzhou (FFG 530) to practice the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) and conduct a search-and-rescue (SAR) exercise on November 20. The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile ship, Steth
UK’s new defence plan envisions the commissioning of new Type 26 Global Combat Ships from the mid-2020s, upgraded maritime helicopters and the new aircraft carrier in operating capability by 2020. This plan is backed with a £178 B budget which represents a £12 B increase on previous plans. The Natio
Britain’s newest warship, HMS Duncan, spent a week in the Black Sea with the Romanian and Bulgarian Navies. Fresh from operations in the Gulf, the ship sailed through the Bosphorus to work with NATO allies. Operating off Burgas, Bulgaria, and Constanța, Romania, the destroyer carried out training ma
The U.S. Navy’s future USS Omaha (LCS 12) and fourth Austal-built littoral combat ship was launched in Mobile, Alabama on November 20. Omaha was rolled out of her assembly bay at the Austal USA Shipyard onto a barge for transfer down the Mobile River to a floating drydock at BAE Shipyard on November
The U.S. Navy has announced that commissioning of its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Milwaukee (LCS 5), would take place on Saturday, Nov. 21 during a ceremony on Milwaukee’s waterfront. Milwaukee, designated LCS 5, honors the city of Milwaukee and is the fifth U.S. ship in the nat
British naval and air forces based in the Falkland Islands responded to a distress call by the 10,000 tonne cruise ship Le Boreal on November 18. The ship reported suffering a major engine room fire, which caused the loss of all power and left the ship drifting. Strong winds placed the ship in real
The UK Ministry of Defence awarded Bae Systems a £1.3 billion contract to build the fifth Astute-class submarine for the Royal Navy on November 19. The full contract covers the design and remaining build, test and commissioning activities on Anson, the fifth of seven technologically-advanced submari
The keel of the U.S. Navy’s future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), was authenticated during a ceremony at the Bath Iron Works (BIW) shipyard on November 16. The ship’s keel was authenticated by Ms. Barbara Miller, wife of the former superintendent of the Naval Academy, Vi
Spanish Navy will organize a multinational cooperation exercise with merchant units from November 17-26. The exercise will be conducted from the Maritime Action headquarters in Cartagena, Spain. The exercise will consist of interaction with the merchant traffic to coordinate shipping movements with
HMAS Sirius rendezvoused with HMA Ships Arunta and Stuart to re-form Australian Navy’s Task Group 627.3 and conduct a replenishment at sea. HMAS Sirius exercised some vital maritime communication and safety procedures recently off Vietnam, undertaking a passage exercise with Vietnamese People’s Navy
