U.S. Navy and government officials welcomed littoral combat ships USS Milwaukee and USS Detroit to their new homeport of Naval Station Mayport during a ceremony on December 30. The two littoral combat ships’ homeport officially shifted from San Diego on December 22. NS Mayport will eventually become
The British Ministry of Defence said that 2017 is set to be the year of the Royal Navy as it prepares to welcome new ships to the fleet. “We are investing billions in growing the Royal Navy for the first time in a generation with new aircraft carriers, submarines, frigates, patrol vessels and aircra
The Russian Navy has received a new Delta IV ballistic missile submarine ‘Podmoskovye’ after the boat spent 18 years undergoing refit and modernization at the Zvezdochka shipyard. The Project 667BDRM Delfin-class (NATO classification: Delta IV) submarine had its missile compartment removed and is no
After 12 years of idleness in port, U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) deployed this year for a busy 2016. After six months underway, the ship is now set to return to Norfolk on December 24. Once there, Wasp will undergo a planned maintenance availability that is expected to be fin
The Royal and South African Navies will gather in February next year to commemorate the sinking of South African troopship SS Mendi. After it was rammed in fog off the Isle of Wight on February 21 1917, SS Mendi took 616 South Africans down with her. To mark the 100th anniversary of the tragedy, the
Germany has decided to upgrade its Sachsen-class air defense frigates with the aim of improving their contribution to NATO’s missile defense system. The ships’ long range radars are being replaced with new ones that will have a significantly broadened scope of engagement. Apart from defending agains
The Finnish Defence Forces announced it is issuing a tender for a battle system that is to be supplied for its new Squadron 2020 ice-going offshore patrol vessels. The department’s logistics command will send requests to 12 domestic and foreign companies to participate in the tendering. After the Fe
U.S. Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) is preparing to take an extended 40-plus-month break for its Refueling Complex Overhaul (RCOH) maintenance period after nearly 25 years of service. Throughout the first 25 years of an aircraft carrier’s life, it goes through
The Royal Canadian Navy has selected Halifax-class frigate HMCS St. John’s as the next RCN ship to deploy on NATO’s operation Reassurance in early 2017. The frigate will support the standing NATO maritime group 2 (SNMG 2) in the Mediterranean Sea contributing to regional security and stability. HMCS
A U.S. Navy report on its future naval force requirements is in line with U.S. president Donald Trump’s plans of building a 350-plus ship navy. Trump announced the goal of a 350-ship navy during a speech in September when he said his plan was based on a 2014 Pentagon quadrennial review of projected
U.S. Navy’s Wasp amphibious ready group (ARG) wrapped up its engagement against ISIS in Sirte, Libya and departed the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations on December 16. The Libyan Government of National Accord (GNA) requested U.S. air strike support to better enable their aligned forces to liberate S
The U.S. Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a $51 million contract modification for the first year of life-cycle engineering and support services on the U.S. Navy’s San Antonio (LPD 17) class of amphibious transport docks. Services provided in the contract include post-delivery planning
Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel ESPS Serviola returned to her home port in Ferrol, Spain, after taking part in different cooperation activities in West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea. The cooperative security activities with regional navies are organized by the Spanish Ministry of Defense and t
Home with just seven days to spare before Christmas Day are the sailors and Royal Marines on RFA Mounts Bay which has completed a marathon deployment in the Mediterranean. The amphibious support ship has been away from home for 349 days as one of the first vessels to deploy in 2016… and last to retu
