Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose recently sailed to the Baltic Sea for two weeks of exercises as part of a new agreement on military cooperation between the UK and Baltic states. Earlier this month, defense ministers of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and
Australian, Japanese and US units joined forces on July 12 to sink the decommissioned ex-USS Racine (LST-1191) during a sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of RIMPAC 2018. Live fire from aircraft, a submarine, and land assets sank the former landing ship in waters 15,000 feet deep 55 nautical miles no
The Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN 739) has returned from her first strategic deterrent mission since 2013. The submarine deployed with the Blue crew and returned to Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor on July 12. Nebraska recently completed a 41-month engineered refueling overhaul (
US-based boat builder Metal Shark has teamed up with autonomous vessel technology developer ASV Global to offer an entire range of autonomous vessels. The autonomous technology – named “Sharktech” – is offered on Metal Shark’s entire portfolio of vessels, which range from 16’ to over 300’ in aluminu
The Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 aboard the forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) carried out an air defense exercise (ADEX) in the Philippine Sea July 6-7. Milius is the most recent forward-deployed Navy vessel, havi
Commander Task Force (CTF) 177 kicked off the Southern California (SOCAL) portion of the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) with mine warfare training operations which run from June 27 to August 2. CTF 177 is comprised of 26 units with approximately 1,100 personnel representing the United States, Australia
Several North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states intend to combine maritime munition purchases with the aim of lowering acquisition costs by achieving economies of scale. Belgium, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Spain signed a Letter of Intent on Multinational Cooperation f
The Romanian Navy has deployed a frigate and a minesweeper to join two separate NATO maritime groups for operations in the Black Sea. Frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand and Musca-class minesweeper Lt. Lupu Dinescu got underway from the naval base in Constanta on July 11 and will spend the rest of the mont
The US Navy’s second Zumwalt-class destroyer Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) will need a new main turbine engine after turbine blades were damaged during the ship’s acceptance trials. According to a USNI News report: Michael Monsoor will have to receive the new MT30 engine at the Bath Iron Works shipyard
Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll has arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, as part of her nine-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and Asia Pacific which started on June 18. The Type 23 frigate is currently visiting the Alexandria naval base to facilitate discussions between senior Egyptian and UK naval offic
Royal Danish Navy support ship HDMS Esbern Snare became the new flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), taking over from fellow Danish warship HDMS Niels Juel. The change of command ceremony took place in Frederikshavn, Denmark, on July 10 and further saw Commodore Carsten Fjord-Larsen
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) completed a weeklong joint exercise known as French Air Defense week on July 6 and is continuing its deployment in the Atlantic. The exercise saw aircraft from Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) conducting integrated flight operations with French Naval
The US and Philippines navies started seven days of interactions as part of maritime training activity (MTA) Sama Sama at Naval Station Ernesto Ogbinar in San Fernando City, Philippines. The week-long engagement kicked off July 9 and will focus on the full spectrum of naval capabilities. Expeditiona
Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) announced it has completed its final critical design review (FCDR) for the US Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter (OPC) program. The FCDR was accomplished on June 29, 2018, after a week of discussions, demonstrations, and design presentations by ESG’s design team to
