Delegates from the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet met with members of the Colombian Navy, May 20-21, during an Operational Naval Committee (ONC) conference. Hosted by U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command (USNAVSO) in Mayport, the ONC brings together representatives from the U.S. a
The aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) successfully engaged incoming aerial threats with its NATO Evolved Sea Sparrow Missile (ESSM) system during a Combat System Ship Qualification Trial (CSSQT), May 21. TR launched multiple ESSMs to verify the defensive capabilities of the missile
UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has delivered a speech at the annual meeting of the Chiefs of European Navies in Portsmouth. During his speech to the Chiefs of European Navies on 23 May, Hammond was clear on the role the addressed audience must play in explaining the importance of Europe’s par
The Royal Australian Navy celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the arrival into Sydney of its first submarines, HMA Ships AE1 and AE2 on Saturday with a commemorative event at the Navy Heritage Centre in Sydney. With the first surface flotilla arriving in Australia on 4 October 1913, the ar
Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8), Platoon 802 wrapped up their participation in exercise Open Spirit 2014, May 22. Held annually in one of the Baltic States, the exercise aims to clear shipping routes, communication lines, and fishing areas and search for and dispose
The 2013 Sailor of the Year winners were meritoriously advanced to Chief Petty Officer during a ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial, May 22. Deputy Chief of U.S. Naval Operations for Operations, Plans & Strategy Vice Adm. Michelle Howard was the guest speaker at the pinning ceremony hosted by the M
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) will enter the Black Sea Friday, May 23, to promote peace and stability in the region. Vella Gulf’s mission is to work with NATO allies toward mutual goals, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to strengthening and improvin
Pilots, maintainers and air crew personnel assigned to the seven fixed-wing aircraft squadrons of Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) spent 10 days on Iwo To, Japan (formerly Iwo Jima), May 9 – 19, preparing for the upcoming patrol aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) by completing fiel
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency conducted the first flight test of the Raytheon-made Standard Missile-3 from the Aegis Ashore weapon system, which is designed to protect U.S. deployed and NATO forces in Europe from ballistic missile attack. The non-intercept scenario tested the safe launch and fly
ADV Ocean Shield has arrived back in the search area. The Autonomous Underwater Vehicle, Bluefin-21, was deployed from the vessel around 2am this morning. It remains underwater on its search mission. Over the next week, Bluefin-21 will search the remaining areas in the vicinity of the acoustic sig
Rear Admiral Han Xiaohu, Commander PLAN Training Ship Task Group, and Rear Admiral Li Jianjun, Assistant Chief of Staff and Political Commissar of PLA Dalian Naval Academy visited the Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command on 19 May, 2014. The Flag Officers of the PLA Navy called on Vice Admiral Anil
A considerable load has been put on France due to its intention to continue with the construction and sale of Mistral-class ships to Russia. France said that the delivery of two warships to the Russian Navy will not be affected by the current EU sanctions imposed on Russia amid the Ukrainian crisi
On May 19, Brussels hosted the Senior Level Meeting of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Working Group on Defense Reform led by Alexander Vershbow, Deputy Secretary-General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. The leader of the Ukrainian delegation Andriy Parubiy, Secretary of the National Security and
Dynamic Monarch 2014, which is currently underway off the coast of Poland, is the world’s largest submarine rescue exercise. It is designed to test international forces’ interoperability and ability to respond to submarines that have become disabled anywhere in the world. The Russian Kursk disaster