As part of its embed with the US Navy’s 7th Fleet George Washington Carrier Strike Group, the Royal Australian guided missile frigate HMAS Sydney has exchanged officers with the American Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Preble as a means to increase understanding, and ultimately interoperability, b
Australian Minister for Defence Materiel Dr Mike Kelly AM MP today announced the disposal by sale of the Royal Australian Navy’s (RAN) decommissioned ships HMAS Manoora and HMAS Kanimbla. Dr Kelly said the Navy vessels would be recycled by purchaser Southern Recycling LLC in the United States in a m
Australia, Japan and U.S. Naval forces flexed the Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aspects of exercise Pacific Bond 2013 near the Marianas Island chain, June 23. “This ASW exercise is a building block toward acquiring the ability to seamlessly integrate on common initiatives to promote security and pros
The amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) departed Samoa, the first mission port of Pacific Partnership 2013, June 10. Mission personnel consisting of U.S. service members, partner nation service members and non-governmental organizations conducted various projects throughout Samoa
Northrop Grumman Corporation has been awarded a contract to support the U.S. Navy’s integration onto an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) of the Northrop Grumman-built AQS-24A Side Look Sonar System to look for bottom and volume mines remotely. The repackaging of the sonar for USV use will build upon t
Pacific Partnership personnel and distinguished Samoan guests attended a closing ceremony for Pacific Partnership’s mission in Samoa, June 8. The ceremony, held on the pier next to amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52), the mission platform this year, included guest speakers from th
Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 is currently preparing and training for its upcoming 2013 patrol with the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73). CVW 5, forward-deployed to Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi, Japan, consists of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 102, flying th
Lockheed Martin Corp., Mission Systems and Sensors, based in Manassas, Va., has been awarded a $29.3 million contract modification for fiscal 2013 Acoustic Rapid Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) Insertion (A-RCI) production. The contract provides funding for the development and production of the A-RC
Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Toronto successfully disrupted her fifth – and by far the largest – narcotics shipment since March of this year as part of ongoing counter-terrorism operations in the Arabian Sea. During the search and inspection of a vessel by the ship’s naval boarding team on May
Samoan citizens, service members from U.S. and partner nations, and non-governmental organization volunteers kicked off Pacific Partnership 2013 with an opening ceremony, June 1. Pacific Partnership is the largest disaster response-preparation mission in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. It will spend e
The Government of Canada has selected a ship design for the Royal Canadian Navy’s future Joint Support Ships. This represents a major milestone within the Joint Support Ship project, and it is indicative of the Government’s commitment to moving the project forward, and to making an investment in Can
Representatives from Japan, the United States, New Zealand, Britain, the Netherlands and Australia attended a commemorative service at Garden Island, Sydney today to mark the 71st anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Kuttabul. Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Senator David Feeney joined attendees t
The U.S. Navy has adopted a new global weather forecasting model with the support of the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), officials, May 30. The Naval Global Environmental Model (NAVGEM) became fully operational this spring, and today serves as a cutting-edge pr
The U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel will travel to Hawaii, Singapore and Brussels beginning this week, senior defense officials announced on May 28. Hagel will speak at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, officials told Pentagon reporters during a background briefing. The annual conference draw
