U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders gathered in Pearl Harbor last month for the “Joint Strike Fighter Sustainment Summit” in anticipation of the first shipboard deployment of the F-35B Lightning II. The attendees focused on planning and preparing the logistical support for the F-35B Lightning II’s fi
The U.S. Navy commissioned its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer, USS John Finn (DDG 113), in a ceremony at Hawaii’s Pearl Harbor on July 15. The destroyer is named after Chief Aviation Ordnanceman John Finn, who was World War II’s first Medal of Honor recipient. Adm. Chester Nimit
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Arunta trained with Tanzanian crime fighters during her final port visit as part of Combined Task Force 150. The Australian team hosted six officers from the maritime detachment of the Tanzanian Transnational Organised Crime Unit June 21-22, conducting maritime cap
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay unloaded military personnel, trucks and heavy equipment onto the Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman, for the first stop of the dock landing ship’s deployment to the Caribbean. Swimmers, sunbathers and holidaymakers looked on as the 16,000-ton RFA Mounts Bay moored off th
En route to the Middle East and operation Manitou, Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Newcastle made a port visit to Cochin, India, building on relationships recently made on exercises in Australian waters. As a continuation of exercise Ausindex, the visit allowed for the strengthening of internatio
The UK should no longer delay ordering new naval vessels if it wants to be able to protect the world’s merchant fleet, Guy Platten, CEO of the UK Chamber of Shipping, writes. Platten argues that the security of the UK and its trading economy depend on the Royal Navy’s ability to protect the global m
Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minehunter HMS Shoreham returned home after being deployed for three months to Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group One, operating mostly in the Baltic. For the first time, families and friends joined their loved ones on board the Royal Navy mine hunter, HMS Shoreham,
Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay took over UK’s North Atlantic patrol duties from RFA Wave Knight during a port visit to the Lesser Antilles port of Fort-de-France in Martinique. Handing over the baton to Mounts Bay, RFA Wave Knight wrapped up a 13 month deployment which has seen the ship sail
Improving maritime operations center processes which represent the essential decision-making capability of an exercise has been one of the main priorities of the Ukranian-hosted Black Sea drill Sea Breeze 2017. Ukrainians and their international partners are working deliberately to increase the comb
Italian Navy frigate ITS Espero is en route to her homeport after over two months of counter-piracy patrols off the Horn of Africa as part of the EUNAVFOR operation Atalanta. During her 108-day deployment ITS Espero’s ship’s company helped deter and suppress pirate attacks which started again in 201
U.S. Navy’s aviation-centric amphibious assault ship USS America started its first deployment on July 7, leaving Naval Station Norfolk together with ships from its amphibious ready group. America ARG is comprised of amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), amphibious transport dock USS San Diego
USNS Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3), the U.S. Navy’s first purpose-built expeditionary sea base equipped to support special operations forces, deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Lewis B. Puller (T-ESB 3), deployed on July 10 from Naval Station Norfolk after completing its initial operatio
U.S.-based boat builder Metal Shark has entered a partnership with Dutch shipbuilder Damen for the construction of up to 13 near coastal patrol vessels (NCPV) for South American countries. Metal Shark was contracted by the U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command in June this year to build the boats for Domin
Ships from the U.S. Navy’s Iwo Jima amphibious ready group (ARG) got underway off the southeast coast of the United States this month to prepare for their upcoming deployment. During this phase of preparations, Amphbious Squadron (PHIBRON) 4 and the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will be pract