German Navy frigate FGS Hessen is en route home after spending six months with the US Navy carrier strike group assembled around aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman. The F124 air-defense frigate is set to return to its home port in Wilhelmshaven on July 21, as the US Navy decided to return the CSG
Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ville de Québec will become the first Royal Canadian Navy ship to deploy with the new CH-148 Cyclone when she gets underway from the Halifax navy base on July 18. The frigate’s departure will also mark the first time the ship is deploying as part of operation Reassurance.
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and ships from its carrier strike group are returning home just three months after starting a deployment to the US 6th Fleet. US Navy aircraft carriers usually deploy for a period of seven months. However, Truman’s deployment was not cut short by a techni
The US Navy’s most expensive ship ever, aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), arrived at Huntington Ingalls Industries – Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, July 14 to begin its post-shakedown availability (PSA) period. The PSA will be a yearlong maintenance and upgrade peri
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 (
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
New Zealand is buying four Boeing P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft from the United States to replace its ageing Orions, the government announced July 9. The four aircraft will replace the six P-3K2 Orion maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) that have been operated by the Royal New Zealand Air Force
US Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) completed the first comprehensive Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) for the MQ-8C Fire Scout on June 29. The ship’s crew worked with the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) for the IOT&E which will inform decision-makers on how be
The upgraded Block 2 Evolved Seasparrow Missile (ESSM) recently intercepted a BQM-74E aerial target in a successful flight test, the US Navy announced on July 5. This was the first ESSM flight test to utilize the new Block 2 active guidance seeker-head. ESSM Block 2 will employ both semi-active and
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) returned to its homeport of Apra Harbor, Guam on June 29. Oklahoma City is returning from a four-month deployment to Indo-Pacific, where the crew executed the Chief of Naval Operations’ Maritime Strategy, supporting national se
After concluding international exercise Tradewinds 2018, Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay is touring British territories in the Caribbean region to help them prepare for this year’s storm season. The 2017 storm season was among the worst in recent memory with a succession of hurricanes batterin
The US Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson has visited Norway and the UK to strengthen maritime partnerships and international relationships. While in Norway from June. 24 to 26, Richardson was hosted by his counterpart, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy Rear Adm. Nils Andreas Stens
The US State Department has approved a potential sale of five Aegis shipsets for the Spanish Navy’s new F-110 frigates. A contract for the construction of five frigates is expected to be awarded this year and Navantia is already working on some elements of the ships’ systems and design. The potentia
Fleet commanders from the US and Canada met in Halifax from June 19 to 21 for tri-party talks on future maritime operations between their forces. In addition to talks, US Fleet Forces (USFF) Command and the US Coast Guard joined Canadian Armed Forces’ Joint Task Force Atlantic for the 2018 Frontier
