US shipbuilder Bath Iron Works (BIW) marked the construction of future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Harvey C. Barnum Jr. (DDG 124) at its shipyard in Bath, Maine, on May 17. The start of construction milestone signifies the first 100 tons of steel being cut. The ship, a Flight IIA: Technology Inser
French Navy’s sole aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle has entered the water again after spending over 14 months in the dry dock as part of her mid-life upgrade. The aircraft carrier was refloated at the Toulon navy base on May 16 after entering the dry dock on February 8, 2017. FS Charles de Gaul
US shipbuilder General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the US Navy’s future Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Daniel Inouye (DDG 118) on May 14. Irene Hirano Inouye, the ship’s sponsor and wife of the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, was in attendance to authe
The UK defense secretary is set to announce a £2.5bn investment for new Royal Navy submarines during his visit to BAE Systems’ shipyard in Barrow-in-Furness in Cumbria on Monday. According to the UK defense ministry, the investment includes £1.5bn for the construction of the seventh Astute-class sub
Maritime engineering consultancy BMT Australia opened a new office in Adelaide, South Australia, in a ceremony on May 14. The ceremony was attended by Australian defense industry minister Christopher Pyne who formally opened the company office. Minister Pyne welcomed the company’s expansion to Adela
Four new high speed patrol boats manufactured by USA-based shipbuilder Metal Shark for the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG) have been commissioned on the island of Curacao. The new vessels are the first to be delivered to the DCCG under a 12-boat order announced last year. Designed in-house by Met
The UK and Norway have advanced their plans for international Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) cooperation in the North Atlantic. The nations’ defence ministers flew in an American P-8A Poseidon from RAF Lossiemouth on May 3. Defence Minister Guto Bebb hosted Secretary Tone Skogen, State Secretary in
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 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
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
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
Specialist engineering and support services company TP Group has secured a £12.5 million deal to deliver submarine atmosphere equipment for Royal Navy submarines. The contract, awarded by the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD), is for a number of combined oxygen generating systems (COGS) and additional an
The naval enterprise is investing in its people and capabilities to build a more lethal force in the age of great power competition, US Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said. “We’re building the Navy the nation needs and the Marine Corps of the future,” Spencer said at a Pentagon news briefing on M
