The Royal Navy’s second Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carrier – the future HMS Prince of Wales – received its navigation bridge, five months ahead of schedule. The Aircraft Carrier Alliance which is in charge of constructing the two carriers said the delivery of the bridge was originally planned fo
The US Navy will christen the newest guided-missile destroyer, the future USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG 121), at a ceremony at Huntington Ingalls Industries shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on October 6. Launched in July this year, the future Frank E. Petersen Jr. will be the 71st Arleigh Burke
The Australian government announced on October 4 the signing of an interim contract with BAE Systems Australia for the Royal Australian Navy’s Hunter-class frigate program. The Advanced Work Arrangement (AWA) will cover ongoing work on the $35 billion program, ahead of agreeing the head contract. Au
The annual IBSAMAR maritime exercise organized between the navies of Brazil, India and South Africa kicked off at Simons Town, South Africa, on October 1. The two-week exercise changes hosts every year, with the previous edition taking place in India. The exercise is designed to build interoperabili
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia announced it has received a contract extension for the maintenance of four US Navy destroyers forward-deployed to the Spanish Navy base Rota. The original contract first entered into force in November 2013 and includes one-year extension options until November 2020. Acco
Southern African Shipyards has awarded subsea and offshore solution specialist Unique Group a contract to deliver dynamic positioning systems and navigational equipment for its hydrographic newbuilds. Through its Marine & Subsea division, Unique Group will be delivering the equipment for multiple –
US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) is ready to start Enduring Promise, an 11-week medical assistance mission conducted with host-nation health and government partners in Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and Honduras. Comfort is scheduled to depart Norfolk on October 11, en route to South America a
Ships and personnel from the US, Spain, Germany and France concluded the four-day Smart Defense Exercise (SMARTEX) on September 28. SMARTEX is a NATO initiative designed to enhance interoperability and training between participating countries. During the exercise, Spanish sailors embarked aboard the
US Navy destroyer USS Decatur had a close encounter with a Chinese destroyer during a freedom of navigation operation in the South China Sea on Sunday. The unidentified Chinese destroyer came as close as 45 ft to USS Decatur in what was described as an “unsafe and unprofessional maneuver” by US Paci
In an effort to fine-tune the 3-D printing process, the US Office of Naval Research and Lockheed Martin have teamed up to explore how to apply artificial intelligence to train robots to independently oversee—and optimize—3-D printing of complex parts. As explained by Lockheed, high-value and intrica
The US Coast Guard has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division a $97 million fixed-price contract to purchase long-lead materials for an 11th National Security Cutter (NSC). The advance procurement funds will be used to purchase major components for NSC 11, such as steel
US Navy destroyer USS Decatur (DDG-73) challenged China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea with a freedom of navigation operation (FONOP) in the vicinity of the disputed Spratly Islands. On Sunday, September 30, Decatur came within 12 miles of Gaven and Johnson reefs in a region claimed by
The US Navy will commission Virginia-class fast attack submarine USS Indiana (SSN 789) in a ceremony at the Navy Port at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Port Canaveral, Florida, on Saturday. The principal speaker will be US Representative Jim Banks from Indiana. Diane Donald, wife of retired Adm
The Mexican Navy’s Patrulla Oceánica de Largo Alcance (POLA) corvette is now 78 percent complete as the command bridge – the final Dutch-built module – arrived at the ASTIMAR 20 shipyard in Oaxaca late August. The Mexican Navy announced on Wednesday that the module had been installed and that a cere
