As the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet looks back at 2016, it looks back at a year of innovations, new partnerships and upgraded ships. Ships and personnel teamed up with allies and partner nations in more than 110 exercises to exchange information, enhance capabilities and train together throughout 2016. Maj
Two U.S. Navy destroyers and a guided missile cruiser visited ports in three European cities on December 30 and 31. Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) arrived in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, while Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) arrived in Split
Sailors from Japanese destroyer JS Yuugiri (DD 153) and U.S. Navy’s USS Shiloh (CG 67) met at sea to exchange holiday gifts on December 28. A week before, sailors from Japanese helicopter carrier JS Izumo visited U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan for a gift exchange and ship tour. During the m
The U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet announced that ships and units from the Carl Vinson strike group (CVNSG) will depart San Diego for a regularly-scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific on January 5 and 6. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Air Wing 2, and embarked Destro
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) welcomed a new commanding officer during a ceremony held at Naval Base San Diego. Commander Manuel Hernandez turned over the role of commanding officer to Commander Joshua M. Menzel. The ship’s 325 member crew, family an
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Raytheon a $303.7 million contract for the the delivery of 214 Tomahawk block IV all-up-round vertical launch system missiles and spares. Apart from the U.S. Navy, spares will be delivered to the UK government and the Royal Navy under the foreign milita
The U.S. Navy’s future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) completed acceptance trials December 16 after spending two days underway off the coast of Maine. USS Rafael Peralta is the third Flight IIA Restart destroyer laid down in October 2014 and christened a year later by the
U.S. Navy sailors from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group will arrive at their homeports December 30 following a seven-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. More than 6,000 sailors will return home just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations. The aircraft carrie
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Bechtel Plant Machinery a $303 million contract for naval nuclear propulsion components. Part of the engineering and construction giant Bechtel Corp, Bechtel Plant Machinery, Inc. (BPMI) is responsible for providing design and manufacturing of nuclear p
U.S. Navy’s Eisenhower carrier strike group (Ike CSG) departed the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations on December 26, six days after it set sail from the French city of Marseille. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56), and guided-missil
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain arrived in Puerto Princesa, the Philippines for a brief port call on December 24. During the visit, the McCain crew will participate in a series of community service projects and sporting events. The visit comes months after
The U.S. Navy received USS Gabrielle Giffords, littoral combat ship number ten, during a ceremony held at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard. The future USS Gabrielle Giffords is the fifth Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) delivered to the USN since 2009 and the fourth naval vessel deli
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) concluded its participation in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) and returned to its homeport of Everett, Washington, on December 23. During the two-month underway, Sampson became the first U.S. warship to visit New Zealand in
The Blue crew of the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) returned home concluding a 92-day strategic deterrent patrol. The submarine crew entered their homeport of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington, on December 23. “We are glad to have the USS Pennsylvan
