The Royal Malaysian Navy announced that it is launching the country’s first littoral combat ship (LCS) in a ceremony on August 24 in Lumut. The vessel will bear pennant number 2501 and will reportedly be named KD Maharaja Lela. Also referred to as Second Generation Patrol Vessels, the six ships in t
The US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) has pulled into Singaporean Changi Naval Base, mooring across the pier from the guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56). According to the navy, America will provide messing and berthing services to McCain crew members and to supp
The Indian Navy commissioned its second landing craft utility vessel LCU L52 in a ceremony at Port Blair, on August 21. LCU L52 is the second of overall eight units in the class planned for construction. The commissioning ceremony took place almost three years after the vessel was launched in Kolkat
US Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) collided with a merchant ship while underway east of Singapore and the Strait of Malacca on August 21. According to the US Navy, ten sailors are missing and five are injured after the guided-missile destroyer collided with oil tanker Alnic MC. Four of th
Following a thorough investigation into the June 17 collision between destroyer USS Fitzgerald and a commercial tanker, the US Navy has determined that the destroyer’s poor leadership is responsible for the collision. On August 18, the commanding officer, executive officer and command master chief o
The Indian Coast Guard has received additional two high speed interceptor boats (C-433 and C-434) from shipbuilder Larsen & Toubro. The vessels were delivered at the company’s Kattupalli Shipyard, near Chennai, and are part of two contracts being executed by L&T for design and construction of 54 Int
The sail-by of a US Navy destroyer near one of China’s artificial islands built in the South China Sea “violated Chinese laws and international law and severely undermined China’s sovereignty and security”, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson told media during a press conference on August 11. Sp
The US State Department has approved the Thailand government’s request for the acquisition of RGM-84L Harpoon Block II surface launched missiles. The requested contract for the possible foreign military sale has an estimated cost of $24.9 million and has been approved by the Defense Security Coopera
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS John S. McCain sailed within 12 miles of a Chinese artificial reef in the South China Sea on Thursday, according to Reuters. Citing unidentified officials, Reuters wrote that the USS John S. McCain sailed close to the disputed Mischief Reef in the Spratly
US destroyer USS Fitzgerald which was heavily damaged in a June 17 collision with a merchant vessel will be sent back from Japan to the US for repairs, the US Navy has decided. A US Navy 7th Fleet spokesperson confirmed this to Naval Today adding that the contract to transport the Arleigh Burke-clas
U.S. Navy divers and Philippine Coast Guard Special Operations Group (PCGSOG) members took part in a combined information exchange and diving survey on the sunken vessel MV Captain Ufuk in Manila Bay’s South Harbor this week. This exchange focused on ship salvage techniques, diving operations, side
A U.S. Navy sailor from the guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem went missing on Augist 1 during routine operations in the South China Sea and the search is still ongoing, the U.S. Navy said. Ships and aircraft from the U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force are taking part in search and re
Responding to the possibility of new UK aircraft carriers operating in the South China Sea, China’s foreign ministry said the deployment would only “stir up trouble”. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang made these remarks after UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson hinted at the possibility of t
Indian shipbuilder Reliance Defence and Engineering Limited (RDEL) launched two offshore patrol vessels for the Indian Navy at its shipyard in Pipavav on July 25. Named Shachi and Shruti, the OPVs are the first two of overall five planned ships in the class. The primary role of the NOPVs will be to
