US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) welcomed a new commanding officer during a change of command ceremony held in the ship’s hangar bay on September 10. After serving more than two years as commanding officer of the ship, Capt. Michael “Buzz” Donnelly was relieved
An illicit weapons shipment containing 2,521 AK-47 automatic rifles was seized by USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) on August 28, the US Navy confirmed. As Naval Today earlier reported, the weapons were found aboard an unflagged dhow in the Gulf of Aden. As informed, the full count follows an initial estim
Rolls-Royce engines have been selected by Boeing to power the US Navy’s new MQ-25 Stingray aircraft, which will provide unmanned, carrier-based air-to-air refueling. Recently, the US Navy awarded the MQ-25A engineering and manufacturing contract to Boeing to provide four aircraft. The $805.3 million
Spanish Naval Station Rota personnel and sailors assigned to the guided-missile destroyers USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) and USS Porter (DDG 78) conducted and completed their third annual major integrated fire drill onboard the Cook on August 29, 2018. “This whole exercise is called the Chapter 13 drill.
Coast Guard cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) returned on September 4 to her homeport in Alameda following a nearly 90-day deployment to the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. There, Bertholf crewmembers participated in Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2018 which is said to be the world’s largest multi-n
The Canadian Coast Guard is nearing the mid-way point of its 2018 Arctic operational season, which runs into November. All seven scheduled vessels have been deployed to the Arctic, the last being the CCGS Terry Fox, which departed Montreal on August 27 to conduct icebreaking assistance in the Northw
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) and USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) began dual-carrier sustainment and qualification operations on August 29 in the western Atlantic Ocean. “By training and operating together, the USS Harry S. Truman and USS Abraham Lincoln strike groups enhance combat readiness and intero
The US Navy has awarded Boeing a contract to design and build the MQ-25A Stingray, the first operational carrier-based unmanned refueling aircraft. This fixed-price-incentive-firm-target contract with a ceiling price of $805.3 million was awarded August 30 and provides for the design, development, f
The US Coast Guard handed over its decommissioned cutter USCGC Sherman to the Sri Lanka Navy in a ceremony on August 27. The ceremony was presided over by Vice Admiral Sirimevan Ranasinghe, Sri Lankan Navy commander, and Rear Admiral Michael Haycock of the US Coast Guard. The cutter was gifted to Sr
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Phoenix International Holdings a $29.9 million contract modification to exercise options for the continued maintenance and operation of the Submarine Rescue Diving and Recompression System. Under the contract, Phoenix International will provide personnel
The US Naval Test Pilot School (USNTPS) completed the first flight of the recently-delivered Airborne Systems Training and Research Support (ASTARS) III, August 21. The first flight objective validated the aircraft’s Naval subsystems ahead of its addition to the USNTPS’ class 155 syllabus which bega
The US Navy-led Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise kicked off at Port Hera Navy Base in Timor Leste on August 27. The CARAT with Timor-Leste Defense Force (F-FDTL) is part of a series of drills conducted with countries in the Indo-Pacific. The nine-country exercise kicked off
US Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) exited the Black Sea, August 27, after 15 days of maritime security operations and theater security engagements. USS Carney was in the Black Sea at the same time as USNS Carson City (T-EPF 7), which became the first Spearhead-class expeditiona
Chilean state-owned shipbuilder ASMAR has officially started construction on the new Antarctic icebreaking vessel for the Chilean Navy. The steel-cutting ceremony took place on August 16 and was attended by shipyard and navy officials. Dubbed Project “Antarctica I”, the new Polar-class vessel will r
