The Royal Navy and Air Force welcomed their first F-35B Lightning II fighter jets as they landed at RAF Marham in Norfolk on June 6. The aircraft arrived in the UK following a one-day delay caused by adverse weather conditions over the Atlantic which complicated the necessary aerial refueling proced
French and UK Royal Navy ships will be joining their US counterparts in challenging China’s territorial claims in disputed regions of the South China Sea, the two countries’ defense ministers have announced. The announcement was made at the Shangri La security dialogue in Singapore which was attende
Royal Navy destroyer and NATO SNMG2 flagship HMS Duncan has rescued two Algerian fishermen who had been stranded at sea for four days. A lookout from the Portsmouth-based Type 45 destroyer noticed the men’s boat by chance in the western Mediterranean – and the warship immediately offered food, fuel
French and UK defense contractors Thales and BAE Systems have teamed up with Canadian consulting company CGI for the second phase of the Royal Navy’s Maritime Electronic Warfare Programme (MEWP). MEWP is a UK defense ministry procurement program that aims to provide upgraded electronic warfare capab
RFS Yantar, the Russian Navy’s oceanographic vessel – also referred to as spy ship, underwater reconnaissance ship or seabed research ship – was escorted by several NATO ships as it transited the English Channel into the North Sea. Yantar was first escorted by a French Navy ship in the Bay of Biscay
The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief readiness exercise Pacific Partnership 2018 concluded June 2 as US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Nha Trang, Vietnam. This mission in Nha Trang included personnel from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force embarked in JDS Osumi (LS
Shortly after starting its summer patrol, the US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) embarked Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) off the coast of Japan, June 3. The three-day fly-on and requalification of flight deck crew and aircrew involved more than 60 aircraft and include
Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan Shipyards has been awarded a CAD$66 million contract to start construction of Joint Support Ships (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy. Starting work in the next two months, Seaspan will build up to 52 blocks that will eventually constitute complete ships. The new joint sup
The Royal Australian Navy is starting the second iteration of the large-scale regional engagement Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE 18), Australian defense minister Marise Payne has announced. A Task Group that will deploy as part of IPE 18 is scheduled to depart Townsville on June 2. Minister Payne said
Some 37 ships from 16 states arrived in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda on May 31 ahead of the start of international exercise BALTOPS 2018, the Lithuanian Navy said. The US Navy says the number of participating countries and ships is higher with a total of 22 nations, 60 aircraft, 42 ships, an
US Navy ships from the Essex amphibious ready group started the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) with 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit marines off the coast of California on May 30. COMPTUEX is an exercise led by Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 15 and 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Expeditionar
A Babcock-led industry team has officially unveiled the Arrowhead 140 concept as their design for the UK defense ministry’s Type 31e general purpose light frigate program. Babcock, Thales, OMT, BMT, Harland and Wolff and Ferguson Marine are all part of the team bidding for the UK MoD’s £1.25 billion
A change of command ceremony on Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on May 30 saw the US Pacific Command (PACOM) welcome a new commander as Adm. Phil Davidson relieved Adm. Harry Harris. In addition to receiving a new commander, PACOM also received a new name. Presiding over the ceremony, US defense secr
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Ramsey got underway from its homeport of HMNB Clyde last week to start a deployment with the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). During its deployment, Ramsey will help with the disposal of historical ordnance left over from conflicts in the Northern Europ
