U.S. Navy’s Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Jackson (LCS 6) tested its SeaRAM missile against an aerial drone, destroying the target in a test off the Southern California coast, April 22. The drone was simulating an anti-ship missile as part of a combat system ship qualification trials
Naval units from the U.S. and Egypt kicked off the bilateral exercise Eagle Salute in the Red Sea on April 23. Eagle Salute 2017 incorporates Eagle Response 2017, an explosive ordnance exercise, to provide opportunities for participating nations to collaborate on an even wider range of maritime secu
The U.S. Navy and Air Force achieved a historic milestone last week when an Air Force KC-135 tanker refueled the Navy’s P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft. A Naval Air Station Patuxent River P-8A Poseidon was refueled by a 459th Air Refueling Wing KC-135. “The 459th and the Air Force Reserve Com
USS Michigan (SSGN 727), a U.S. Navy guided missile submarine, arrived at Busan, South Korea on April 25. Michigan’s arrival to South Korea was seen as a show of force to North Korea which was celebrating 85 years of the founding of its military. The port visit is also likely to provoke a reaction f
Earlier this month USNS Kanawha replenished ESPS Galicia of EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta at sea (RAS). Having sailed into the counter-piracy sea areas in the Gulf of Aden, the flag ship of Operation Atalanta, ESPS Galicia went alongside USNS Kanawha to replenish fuel and stores in preparation for he
The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $13 million contract for work on the U.S. and UK Trident II submarine launched ballistic missile programs. Under the contract, which is potentially worth $46 million if all options are exercised, General Dynamics will perform alterations on
U.S. Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) made a stop in Haakonsvern, Norway, en route to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. The cruiser arrived in Norway on April 20 after departing its homeport in Norfolk, Virginia, March 27. “Port visits such as this are unco
Humanitarian assistance and disaster relief preparedness mission Pacific Partnership 2017 (PP17) arrived in Kuching, Malaysia, April 14, aboard expeditionary fast transport USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4) . As the second and main mission stop in Malaysia, and the third mission stop overall, activities in
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Missile Systems a $113 million contract to perform work on the Standard Missile in use by the U.S. and other ally navies. Under the contract, Raytheon will be performing engineering and technical services on Standard Missile 2, 3, and 6 for fis
The U.S. Navy has awarded General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) a contract to provide its lithium-ion fault tolerant (LiFT) battery system for the semi-autonomous hydrographic reconnaissance vehicle (SAHRV), a small, portable underwater vehicle (UUV). GA-EMS is part of a team working with
The lead ship of the next generation of U.S. Navy aircraft carriers, the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), has completed builder’s sea trials and is now starting preparations for the acceptance trials. The aircraft carrier returned to Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia on April 14 after seven days of
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems Land & Armaments a $40 million contract ordering more Mk 41 vertical launch system (VLS) canisters for its guided missile cruisers and destroyers. The contract modification also includes orders for ally navy platforms. Mk 41 VLS is used to l
The U.S. Navy wants to increase the anti-air warfare capabilities of the future frigate and is looking at having more than the current two hull designs for consideration, according to several media reports. The new plans would break away from previous ones that included simply up-gunning and up-sizi
The U.S. Navy is joining forces with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to refit and modernize up to five of the Yard Patrol (YP) 676 class training craft. Work will be performed at the USCG Yard in Baltimore, Maryland, and will allow the midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) to continue training onb
