The U.S. Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a $272.4 million initial contract for the construction of the U.S. Navy’s next large-deck amphibious assault warship, LHA 8. While the initial contract is for planning, advanced engineering, and procurement of long lead time material, the award
More than 1,650 Australian Defence Force personnel have arrived in the United States ahead of a month of focused military training activities with 26 nations from across the globe for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016. Australia has deployed three ships and diving personnel including HMA Shi
The record number of countries to participate in the world’s largest naval exercise has been pushed down from 27 to 26 as it became known that Brazil would not take part in the drills in the Pacific. “Unfortunately, due to unforeseen scheduling commitments, Brazil is unable to participate in RIMPAC
Curtiss-Wright, an American company manufacturing industry valves, has landed contracts to deliver a total of $80 million worth of valves for the U.S. Navy’s Virginia-class submarines and Ford-class aircraft carriers. The company announced June 22 that the awards were received from Bechtel Plant Mac
Royal Australian Navy’s landing helicopter dock HMAS Adelaide embarked U.S. Marines and Australian and U.S. Army forces from the 2016 Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) to transit from Brisbane to Adelaide to join Exercise Hamel. The transit on HMAS Adelaide from 15-23 June provides an opportu
Plans for improving survivability of the U.S. Navy’s small surface combatants, the LCS ships, will not help improve much, a recently published United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) report suggests. What is more, the agency recommends that the Congress consider not funding any requeste
Former U.S. Navy research vessel R/V Melville, now BRP Gregorio Velasquez, arrived to Manila, Philippines today, June 10 as the Philippine Navy’s first dedicated research vessel. The U. S. Navy transferred ownership of BRP Gregorio Velasquez to the Philippine on April 27, 2016. The 279 feet (85m) lo
Pacific Partnership 2016 arrived in Timor-Leste June 8 for the sixth time in the past eleven years and the first mission stop for hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). While in Timor-Leste, Pacific Partnership personnel will work side-by-side with civilian leadership from the Dili community and Timor
With four new participants, the number of countries taking part in RIMPAC, the world’s largest international maritime exercise, rose to 27. 45 ships, five submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise scheduled June 30 t
The United States Committee on Appropriations has approved the FY2017 Defense Appropriations Bill which includes $1.0 billion in Navy shipbuilding funds to build the first USCG-operated icebreaker since FY1990. The United States currently relies on just one heavy vessel and one medium vessel, one of
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin Sippican a $72,8 million contract for the procurement of MK 48 Mod 7 heavyweight torpedo guidance and control sections. Under the contract, Lockheed will also provide MK 48 Mod 7 Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System upgrade kits, test
Australia’s first P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft recently completed its maiden flight. The aircraft flew a short distance from Renton Airfield to Boeing Field in Washington State USA, to where the P-8A’s mission systems will be installed as part of project AIR 7000. The $5.4 billion P-8A pro
Explosives Ordnance Disposal personnel from Australia, US, Singapore and New Zealand have completed training at Guam Naval Base during Exercise Tricrab 2016. Hosted by US Navy Explosives Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit Five, the technicians developed their explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) skills whil
The U.S. Navy christened the amphibious transport dock Portland (LPD 27) on May 20 in front of approximately 1,000 guests. Ship’s sponsor, Bonnie Amos, smashed a bottle of sparkling wine across the bow of the ship, officially christening Portland. U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Christopher Owens, direc
