Operations
US, Spanish, Italian marines train together in Spain
US Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company Europe worked alongside their Spanish and Italian counterparts to complete a two-week exercise in Morn, Spain. The exercise was named Lisa Azul and saw the participation of Spanish Marines from Tercio del Sur, Brigada de Infante
US Navy’s first laser-equipped ship returns to US ahead of retiring
The US Navy’s afloat forward staging base-interim USS Ponce (AFSB(I) 15) returned to Naval Station Norfolk September 27 after spending over five years overseas. The navy’s first laser-weapon system fitted ship returned from the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and is set to be decommissioned and di
Chinese Navy task group heads for deployment’s 19th country visit
A Chinese Navy three-ship task group has concluded a three-day visit to Brunei Darussalam and is currently en route to Cambodia. Composed of Type 052C destroyer Changchun, Type 054A frigate Jingzhou and Type 903 replenishment ship Chaohu, the task group started its deployment on April 23 and has vis
USS Nimitz achieves 100,000th aircraft launch milestone
The lead ship of the US Navy’s Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers launched the 100,000th aircraft from catapult two, marking the second time the ship has achieved this milestone. Catapult one launched its 100,000th aircraft on October 7, 2009. An F/A-18E Super Hornet, from the “Blue Diam
Australian Navy ships head for Malaysia as next stop on Indo-Pacific deployment
After delivering a mobile hospital to Timor Leste and concluding visits to Jakarta and Micronesia, two Royal Australian Navy ships made a stop in Malaysia on their Indo-Pacific deployment. Landing helicopter dock HMAS Adelaide and frigate HMAS Parramatta, both part of the Royal Australian Navy’s mis
Multibeam Sonar survey locates wreck of WW1 destroyer HMS Pheasant
A multibeam survey conducted as part of a maritime archaeology project has confirmed the exact location of the Royal Navy’s WW1 destroyer HMS Pheasant. Orkney Research Centre for Archaeology (ORCA), the University of the Highlands and Islands Archaeology Institute and SULA Diving said they are now a
US Navy amphibious group returns from seven-month tour in Middle East, Africa
Ships from the US Navy’s Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BAT ARG), together with 4,000 sailors and marines aboard, returned to Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story on September 23 following a seven-month deployment. The amphibious group consists of assault ship U
Pakistan Navy test-fires anti-ship missile from Sea King helicopter
The Pakistan Navy has recently carried out a live firing of an Exocet AM-39 anti-ship missile from a Sea King helicopter. The navy said the chief of the naval staff Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah witnessed the event and praised the combat readiness of the fleet. The live-fire test took place on Septembe
Ballistic missile defense exercise begins off Scotland
The US-led live-fire integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise Formidable Shield 2017 got underway on Sunday at the UK’s Hebrides Range in the vicinity of the Western Isles of Scotland. More than 14 ships, 10 aircraft, and approximately 3,300 personnel from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, t
USS Fitzgerald changing homeport from Yokosuka to Pascagoula
US Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald will be changing homeport from Yokouka, Japan to Pascagoula, Mississippi, as part of repair efforts following a June 17 collision between the destroyer and a merchant ship. The US Navy said the homeport change will take place on December 15 after the damaged destroye
US, UK navies complete mine countermeasure drill in Persian Gulf
Navy ship from the UK and US concluded their regularly scheduled mine warfare drill in the central Persian Gulf on September 21. Mine Countermeasures Exercise (MCMEX) 17-3 is a quarterly bilateral exercise aimed at ensuring undisturbed operations of naval and support vessels, as well as commercial s
Photo: USS Makin Island out of the water for first time since 2006 commissioning
US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) on August 25 entered a floating dry dock in San Diego for a 14-month overhaul. During the depot-level planned maintenance availability (DPMA) National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) will outfit the ship with the latest war fighting
HMS Diamond gets underway from Montenegro as SNMG2 flagship
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer HMS Diamond assumed command of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 operating in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. The ceremony, in which Diamond relieved sister ship HMS Duncan, took place in Montenegro over the weekend. Duncan was originally to be replaced by helicopter c
US Coast Guard offloads record $679.3m of cocaine
The US Coast Guard has offloaded a record amount of cocaine seized within 12 months of cocaine-chasing operations. A total of 50,550 pounds (22.9 tons) of cocaine and heroin worth an estimated $679.3 million was offloaded Wednesday in San Diego at Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. Marking a record-break