US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) and dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51) arrived in Aqaba, Jordan on Sunday, April 15, ahead of the start of the joint US-Jordanian exercise Eager Lion 2018. The two ships arrived with components of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit for an exe
US Navy cruisers and destroyers from the John C. Stennis carrier strike group are currently underway honing their surface, anti-submarine, anti-air and information warfare skills before starting the integrated phase of training with the CSG. Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 21 cruiser USS Mobile Bay (CG
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $27 million cost-plus-award fee contract from the US Navy for follow yard services in the navy’s USS Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) program. The contract, which provides liaison and technical support, engineering, design and configu
Ships from Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) wrapped up historical ordinance disposal operations (HODOPS) with the French Navy entering Saint Malo, France, for a port visit on April 15. During the HODOPS, SNMCMG1 surveyed more than 90 square kilometers in Dieppe Bight, on the Fr
Spain and Saudi Arabia have finalized a framework agreement which will see Spanish shipbuilder Navantia deliver five Avante 2200 corvettes for the Royal Saudi Naval Forces (RSNF). The deal, signed during Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s official visit to Spain, is worth around €2 bil
UK defense contractor BAE Systems has announced a £10 million (approx. $14.2m) investment into upgrades of the Maritime Integration & Support Centre (MISC) aimed at improving research into artificial intelligence, information and electronic warfare, unmanned vehicles and new weapons. Located in Port
US Navy’s Military Sealift Command hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Bengkulu on April 10 concluding their Pacific Partnership stop in Indonesia. “I’d like to thank the residents of Bengkulu for their hospitality. I have found that they are some of the most engaging and friendly people I h
The UK defense ministry confirmed on Wednesday it is sending amphibious transport dock HMS Albion to North East Asia to support UN sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). Albion set sail from the Devonport Naval Base in February this year and was initially scheduled to sp
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division has completed the inactivation of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier Enterprise (CVN 65). As part of a process that began in 2013, more than 1,000 shipbuilders defueled Enterprise’s eight nuclear reactors, inactivated its propulsion
Royal Australian Navy clearance divers are supporting the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games by ensuring the safety and security of Queensland waterways. Around 30 navy personnel are at the Gold Coast providing support to the Queensland Police Service (QPS) with security planning and operations in a
Turkish Navy frigate TCG Gediz is joining the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) for over two months of operations with international partners. The former US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate got underway from her Aegean Sea homeport of Aksaz Naval Base on April 6 and is currently on a port
The US Navy is considering an acquisition of the full fleet of new presidential helicopters, Marine Corps program manager for the VH-92 program Col. Eric J. Ropella disclosed at the 2018 Sea Air Space Exposition, April 9. The news comes four years into a $1.2 billion contract for the new VH-92 presi
US shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine announced it has welcomed retired US Navy Vice Admiral Richard W. Hunt as its chief strategy officer and head of institutional relations. At Fincantieri Marinette Marine, Adm. Hunt will communicate the shipbuilder’s technological and performance advantages
On April 3, EU NAVFOR Spanish Navy replenishment oiler Patiño hosted members of the Tanzanian Navy during a port visit to Dar es Salaam. During the visit, the Tanzanian forces had the chance to train with the Spanish crew, who demonstrated their techniques in navigation and damage control procedures