US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) arrived at its new homeport in San Diego on May 8, concluding a homeport change from Sasebo, Japan. Bonhomme Richard departed San Diego in April 2012 for Sasebo, Japan, to replace USS Essex (LHD 2) as the Navy’s only forward-deployed amp
The US Navy-owned research vessel (R/V) Thomas G. Thompson returned to sea recently following an 18-month mid-life refit at Vigor Marine’s Harbor Island shipyard in Seattle. The vessel was “was refurbished from stem to stern”, according to Vigor Marine, and has received new operating systems and tec
US Navy’s Spain-based Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) completed its sixth patrol in the US 6th Fleet area of operations, returning to its forward-deployed location at Naval Station Rota on May 7. Ross departed Rota Jan. 8, 2018, and in the course of its four-month patr
The US Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $175 million contract to deliver over 7,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) laser-guided rockets. This latest contract modification was made under the Navy’s 2016 $600 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract, which is the contracti
French defense minister Florence Parly announced on May 4 that another Barracuda-class nuclear attack submarine was ordered for the French Navy. According to a defense ministry statement, the decision to order the fifth boat in the class was made during a defense ministry meeting on May 2. The new g
The first German Navy vessel to deploy in 2018 is returning home after concluding a five-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea as part of the EU-led operation Sophia. FGS Sachsen, the lead ship of the German Navy’s F124 air defense frigates, is set to return to her homeport in Wilhelmshaven on M
An international mine countermeasure exercise got underway on Australia’s New South Wales south coast at Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base HMAS Creswell on May 7. The biennial Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) Mine Countermeasures and Diving Exercise (MCM DIVEX) is set to conclude after two week
Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Defender returned to her homeport in Portsmouth concluding her first underway period after undergoing an 18-month refit. The ship put her systems and personnel to the test over the seven-day period following the major upkeep which saw two new gas turbines fitted alon
Chief of US Naval Operations, Adm. John Richardson, unveiled plans to reestablish the US 2nd Fleet amid the increasing power competition on a global scale. This was announced during a change of command ceremony for US Fleet Forces Command (USFF) in Norfolk on May 4. Second Fleet will likely be react
US Navy’s future USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) successfully completed acceptance trials May 3 after spending a day underway off the coast of Maine. The US Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) reviewed the ship and its crew during a series of demonstrations while pier side and underway. As in
The US Department of Defense has officially offered to host the proposed NATO Joint Force Command for the Atlantic at its naval facilities in Norfolk, Virginia. The new JFC-Norfolk will ensure that NATO can successfully conduct operations across the full spectrum of Alliance missions in the trans-At
21 military ships, 10 combat aircraft and a submarine are taking part in Sea Shield 18 from May 4 to 11. Sea Shield is an annual, Romania-led multinational exercise in the Black Sea designed to improve interoperability and combat proficiency of participating units. As informed by the Romanian Navy,
The US Navy will join more than 30 nations for the Multinational Exercise Komodo 2018 on and in the waters near Lombok Island, Indonesia, from May 4 to 9. The exercise brings together navies from across the world to rehearse scenarios focused on collaborative solutions to humanitarian assistance and
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has participated with the US Navy and the US Coast Guard (USCG) in several tests and evaluations of two National Security Cutters (NSC) to assess their operational capability. The cutters in question are USCGC Hamilto
