On July 6, US Senator Jeff Sessions joined Austal, General Dynamics Advanced Information Systems and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works personnel in completing the Combat Systems Light Off milestone in the second Independence-variant Littoral Combat Ship, Coronado (LCS 4). Senator Sessions operated th
On 24 July Force Commander of the European Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta (EU NAVFOR), Rear Admiral Jean-Baptiste Dupuis, met with the Omani authorities in Salalah (Oman) to deepen the excellent operational cooperation between Operation Atalanta and the Royal Navy of Oman. Following a twelve
USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) held a change of command ceremony July 27. Capt. Will Pennington relieved Capt. Daniel Grieco as commanding officer of the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship. Grieco served as commanding officer from May 2011 to July 2012. During his tenure, Grieco was responsible for leading Blue Ridge
In order to meet the near-term critical manning needs of the Fleet, the Navy will curtail shore duty for select Sailors that have the required skills needed at sea, Navy officials announced in NAVADMIN 227/12, released July 26. This Limited Directed Detailing initiative is part of the Navy’s coordin
The Royal Navy’s newest Type 45 destroyer, HMS Defender, sailed in to her new home at Her Majesty’s Naval Base Portsmouth yesterday. The ship’s arrival at her new base brings Defender a step closer to her first deployment. She will now undergo sea trials before being declared ready for operations in
On July 17, the Commander of the Chinese task force operating in the Gulf of Aden met with EU Naval Force – Operation Atalanta Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis on board FS Marne. Additionally to the international Counter piracy forces, EU Naval Force Atalanta, NATO and Combined Task Force 151 (CT
Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed core capability development of the Nationwide Automatic Identification System (AIS) and delivered it to the U.S. Coast Guard to begin formal government testing prior to deployment. Nationwide AIS will provide a more comprehensive view of vessels bound for a
The maritime environment has changed significantly in recent years, due to piracy and terrorism, climate change and environmental protection, and the offshore sector. Global trading of goods continues to grow, and 90% of it is carried by sea, so security of the overall global maritime logistic chain
Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PSNS & IMF) completed its most expansive Major Maintenance Period (MMP) July 11, with USS Ohio’s (SSGN 726) certification for unrestricted operations. Major Maintenance Periods are part of a guided missile/special operation forces boat’
Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) completed its largest Docking Planned Incremental Availability (DPIA) July 15, returning USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75) to the fleet after 470,000 man-days of maintenance. Nimitz-class aircraft carriers have a set maintenance plan which must be adhered to in order for thes
The Flying Tigers, normally based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose in Helston, sent two of their Merlin helicopters and 55 personnel to take part in Exercise Dynamic Mongoose, a newly-established NATO Anti-Submarine Warfare exercise in the Norwegian Sea. Operating from Sola Airbase, Stavanger in
On 15 July, EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) German frigate Bremen organised an exchange of experience with the Piracy information-sharing centre (ISC) in Mombasa. This centre is one of three under the Djibouti Code of Conduct concerning the Repression of Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in the West
The Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit got underway to participate in Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX) 2012 off the coast of California, July 18. COMPTUEX is a pre-deployment certification that evaluates the ARGs ability to conduct military operations at sea
Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47) delivered more than four tons of cocaine and marijuana to Naval Station Mayport, Fla., seized from drug interdictions conducted in support of Operation Martillo, July 17. Crew members offloaded approximately 3,408 kilograms (7,50