BHIC Defence Techservices Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation Berhad, announced it has finalized a contract with the Malaysian defense ministry for the upgrade of Lekiu-class frigate communication suites. The RM19,500,000 (approx. US$5 million) contract was signed on Febru
Two US Navy destroyers deployed as part of the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HSTCSG) kicked off their 2018 deployment with a live-fire missile exercise. USS Farragut (DDG 99) and USS Forrest Sherman (DDG 98) executed a variety of scenarios simulating a complex warfighting environment, includ
Ships from Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) wrapped up historical ordinance disposal operations (HODOPS) with the French Navy entering Saint Malo, France, for a port visit on April 15. During the HODOPS, SNMCMG1 surveyed more than 90 square kilometers in Dieppe Bight, on the Fr
US, French and UK forces launched strikes on Syrian chemical facilities in the morning hours of April 14 in response to chemical attacks used by the Syrian government early April. US guided missile destroyer USS Higgins and USS Laboon, guided missile cruiser USS Monterey and Virginia-class submarine
HMS Forth, the first of Royal Navy’s five new Batch-2 River-class offshore patrol vessels, entered service in a ceremony held at her Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth, on April 13. At the ceremony, the ship’s Lady Sponsor, Rachel Johnstone-Burt, was joined by UK government and defense officials, a
A US Navy test aircraft on April 11 performed the final developmental test flight of the F-35 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) phase, marking the end of “the most comprehensive, rigorous and the safest developmental flight test program in aviation history.” “Completing F-35 SDD flight test
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) wrapped up a three-month deployment to the Indo-Pacifc returning to its homeport at Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego on April 12. Over 5,000 crew from the aircraft carrier and embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 2 deployed January 5 for routin
UK defense contractor BAE Systems has announced a £10 million (approx. $14.2m) investment into upgrades of the Maritime Integration & Support Centre (MISC) aimed at improving research into artificial intelligence, information and electronic warfare, unmanned vehicles and new weapons. Located in Port
US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries said on Wednesday that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division plans to reactivate its shipbuilding facilities on the east bank of the Pascagoula River. The site of the original Ingalls Shipbuilding Corp., founded in 1938, was decimated by Hurricane Katrina in
The Finnish Navy has deployed three vessels to Sweden where they are taking part in a naval exercise in the archipelago of Stockholm. The two navies will increase their interoperability through 8 days of exercises which are set to conclude on April 19. The exercise will focus on anti-submarine warfa
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac and French Navy ship FS Vendémiaire have conducted a passage exercise off the East coast of Australia to support training and build interoperability between navies. Both ships conducted boat transfers and cross deck operations, where six personnel from each s
The UK defense ministry confirmed on Wednesday it is sending amphibious transport dock HMS Albion to North East Asia to support UN sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Albion set sail from the Devonport Naval Base in February this year and was initially scheduled to sp
Turkish Navy frigate TCG Gediz is joining the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) for over two months of operations with international partners. The former US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate got underway from her Aegean Sea homeport of Aksaz Naval Base on April 6 and is currently on a port
US Navy ships from the Wasp expeditionary strike group met up with Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) amphibious transport dock JS Shimokita (LST 4002) in the East China Sea on April 9 for bilateral maneuvers. The US Navy has shared photos of the navigational maneuvers which were held to “dem
