Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri marked the construction start of the first Italian Navy Multipurpose Offshore Patrol Ship (PPA) with a steel cutting ceremony at its shipyard in Muggiano (La Spezia) on February 13. The shipbuilder said the first of seven offshore patrol ships would be delivered in 20
NATO’s annual mine countermeasure (MCM) exercise Dynamic Move (DME17) which saw the participation of over 15 countries, including Partnership for Peace (PFP) countries, Finland and Sweden, concluded Friday, February 10. The two-week drill was organized by the Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) and aim
Royal Navy patrol ship HMS Mersey returmed home to Portsmouth on Friday completing a 13-month mission supporting efforts to tackle people trafficking and drug smuggling. The River-class patrol ship left Portsmouth in January 2016, heading for the Caribbean before travelling east to the Mediterranean
The San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20), with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in Sattahip, Thailand for a port visit, on February 10th. The visit is meant to strengthen Thailand and the United States relations as the two treaty allies work toward a sec
In conjunction with the Missile Defense Agency, guided-missile cruisers USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) and USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55), along with guided-missile destroyers USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) and USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), successfully executed a live-fire missile exercise off the coast of North Caro
U.S. Navy sailors from the Navy Experimental Diving Unit (NEDU) at Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSAPC) “re-surfaced” February 2 after completing an 11-day simulated dive in the Ocean Simulation Facility (OSF) by being compressed to the equivalent of a depth of 500 feet. The NEDU sailors were
The process of icebreaking involves more than using the biggest hammer and busting your way through. Even the biggest hammer can be broken if mistakes are made, U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officer David Mosley writes. To some, the Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star, with 75,000 horsepower, more than 2-i
The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) has launched a moored wave buoy which will help study gigantic Southern Ocean waves described as “liquid Himalayas”. Offshore patrol vessel HMNZS Otago launched the wave buoy about 10 kilometres south of remote Campbell Island, the furthest south such a device ha
NATO’s Submarine Rescue System (NSRS) was recently transported from its headquarters at Royal Navy base Clyde to Norway for exercises. The exercise is called Northern Sun and is designed to test the mobilisation of the NSRS and exercise its capabilities in the frigid waters off Norway. The system, w
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) joined over 2,800 service personnel from Romania, Bulgaria, Canada, Greece, Spain, Turkey and Ukraine for the at-sea portion of exercise Sea Shield on February 8. Sea Shield is an annual, Romania-led multinational exercise
NATO ships from Turkey, Italy and Greece are currently sailing in the Mediterranean Sea making observations that will help improve maritime situational awareness. The three ships are tasked under operation Sea Guardian, a newly launched NATO operation which has three man tasks, maritime situational
U.S. Navy’s San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) departed White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan after embarking marines for one of the largest multilateral exercises in Asia. Green Bay departed Sasebo for her multi-month Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol on January 25 and a
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66), currently part of the George H.W. Bush carrier strike group, entered the Baltic Sea port of Klaipeda, Lithuania, February 6 for a scheduled port visit. During their visit Hue City’s sailors will have the opportunity to engage with members of t
The U.S. Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Technical Services a $49.9 million contract for support work on the navy’s Environmental Satellite Receiver Processor program. Under the indefinite-delivery/indefinite quantity contract, the company will provide engineering, produ
