Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Bartolomeu Dias (F333) departed Portugal on April 26, heading for Den Helder in the Netherlands where it will undergo a modernization program. The midlife upgrade of the former Karel Doorman-class frigate is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2019, the navy said. Bui
US Navy ships from the Essex amphibious ready group (ARG) and marines assigned to 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) started one of the final preparatory exercises ahead of their deployment later this year. The ARGMEUEX, an exercise led by Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 15 and 1st Marine Expeditionary
Italian and Turkish navies are sending their ships to join Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group Two (SNMCMG2). On April 23, the Italian Navy’s minesweeper Alghero departed La Spezia and is en route to the base port Mahón. In addition, the Turkish Navy’s mine countermeasures vessel TCG Anamur is
The humanitarian aid and disaster response exercise Pacific Partnership 2018 arrived in Sri Lanka on April 25. US and partner nation service members participating in the exercise arrived in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, aboard the US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). The mission in Trincomalee will
US Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) has successfully completed operational testing of the Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) System, the navy has announced. This second phase of testing for Coronado, which began shortly after completion of developmental testing, Fe
A joint US and Australian expedition to survey Australia’s first submarine HMAS AE1 has provided detailed images of the 103-year old shipwreck, which lies on the seafloor off the Duke of York Islands in Papua New Guinea. The Royal Australian Navy’s HMAS AE1 was lost at sea with all hands on Septembe
Australian shipbuilder Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) is likely to lay off more than 200 workers as work on the Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) winds down. A total of 197 jobs, which the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union says are “permament, highly-skilled jobs”, will reportedly be cut. W
The navies of Republic of Singapore and Indonesia are taking part in the joint naval exercise Eagle Indopura which kicked off at Changi Naval Base in Singapore on April 19. The bilateral exercise aims to enhance the interoperability and professionalism of both navies through anti-surface and anti-ai
The Australian government on April 23 released its Defence Industrial Capability Plan which is aimed at developing a “robust, resilient and internationally competitive Australian defence industry base.” The plan is designed to maximize the involvement of competitive Australian companies in the acqui
The UK-hosted multinational, tri-service exercise Joint Warrior is starting next week with warships and personnel already en route to the Scottish Coasts. The exercise will be attended by 16 nations who will take part in a range of maneuvers over a course of two weeks. Before the actual at sea maneu
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman and ships from its carrier strike group entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations April 18 as part of their deployment to Europe and Africa. The carrier strike group arrived in European waters after getting underway from Naval Station Norfolk on April 1
Royal Navy’s Hunt-class mine countermeasures vessel HMS Cattistock returned to Portsmouth Naval Base on April 17 after four months of operations with Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 1 (SNMCMG1). During her deployment HMS Cattistock took part in a series of multinational exercises and operat
US Marine Corps’ F/A-18 squadrons recently completed operational flights with the Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) 2.75 rocket that provides air-to-ground weapon support. APKWS allows the F/A-18A-D to maintain a forward-firing, moving-target capability while increasing available ordnanc
Royal Australian Navy air warfare destroyers recently became the first non-US assets to successfully demonstrate the new Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) which expands the ships’ battlespace awareness by sharing sensor data among a network of CEC-equipped ships and aircraft. Over the past few
