The Australian federal government has unveiled a new defense export strategy aimed at turning Australia into a major defense exporter. The document, unveiled by defense industry minister Christopher Pyne on Monday, sets out the policy and strategy to make Australia one of the top ten global defense
The Australian defense ministry has awarded Lockheed Martin a AU$700 million contract to design, build and integrate a combat system for the Royal Australian Navy’s future submarines. Announcing the contract on January 25, Australian defense industry minister Christopher Pyne said the contract with
US Navy’s forward-deployed command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) completed her dry dock maintenance, undocking and mooring pierside at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on January 21. Blue Ridge is the oldest operational US Navy ship and this dry-docking period extended her life by approximately 20-plus year
US destroyer USS Hopper sailed within 12 miles of the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea under what the US Navy refers to as a freedom of navigation operation. Hopper sailed near the China-claimed island on January 17 as part of its Western Pacific deployment. China’s foreign ministry
The Republic of Korea Navy received its seventh Type 214 submarine ‘Hong Beom-do’ in a ceremony held at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Ulsan on January 19. The ROK Navy received the submarine less than two years after it was launched in March 2016. The submarine is named after an independe
The Republic of Singapore has started construction of additional two Type 218SG, air-independent propulsion (AIP) submarines, the country’s defense ministry announced. According to the defense ministry, the steel cutting ceremony for the third and fourth boats in the class took place on January 12.
US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) arrived in Sasebo, Japan, on January 14, to become the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship in 7th Fleet. USS Wasp, which has undergone significant upgrades to be able to land and launch the US Marine Corp’s F-35B Joint Strike Fighter, completed
The Indonesian Navy commissioned its second SIGMA 10514 guided missile frigate – KRI I Gusti Ngurah Rai – in a ceremony at Benoa Harbor on January 10. The vessel, which received pennant number 332, was delivered to the Indonesian Navy by shipbuilder PT PAL who worked with Dutch shipbuilder Damen und
The US State Department has approved the sale of Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) anti-ballistic missiles to the the government of Japan, the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced on January 9. Japan’s order is worth an estimated $133.3 million and includes four Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block I
The US Navy announced it has located the C-2A Greyhound aircraft which has been missing since November 22. The C-2A with 11 crew and passengers crashed in the Philippine Sea on the way to USS Ronald Reagan. While the aircraft’s last position on the surface of the water was known, the depth of water
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and its carrier strike group will be the first to deploy in 2018, getting underway from San Diego on January 5. The strike group’s 6,000 sailors will deploy aboard four ships, including aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) and the guided-missile
The South Korean Navy has received its first naval training ship from shipbuilder Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction (HHIC). This was announced by the South Korean Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) on December 29. Hanjin began construction of the 45-meter catamaran vessel in July
US Navy cruiser USS Lake Champlain is getting underway from Naval Base San Diego on January 4 to start a regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific. The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser will deploy as part of the Carl Vinson Strike Group. Lake Champlain completed a six-month deplo
The joint venture team composed of UK defense contractor Babcock and Australia’s UGL has been awarded a new five year agreement for the maintenance of Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates. Under a contract worth around £115 million (AU$200 million), the Naval Ship Management (NSM) joint vent
