Operations
USS America completes its first amphibious assault drill
The U.S. Navy’s amphibious ready group assembled around the aviation-centered amphibious assault ship USS America completed a 12-day integrated training event with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) off the coast of Southern California. The amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6), the amph
U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon squadron concludes historic U.S. 6th Fleet deployment
A U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft squadron completed a seven-month deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations (AOO) as the last P-8A Poseidon returned to Naval Air Station Jacksonville on April 8, 2017. The “Pelicans” of Patrol Squadron 45 (VP-45), attached to Commander, Ta
Indian warships stop in Greece on overseas deployment
An Indian Navy fleet of four warships made a port call at Souda Bay, Greece during their overseas deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and the West Coast of Africa. Indian Naval Ships (INS) Mumbai, Trishul, Tarkash and Aditya pulled into Souda Bay on Monday and are scheduled to stay until Wednesday.
Australian Navy retires Skeletor ASW helicopter
The Royal Australian Navy has retired the Seahawk helicopter ‘Skeletor’ after more than 28 years of service and a career logging 6,200 airframe hours. Navy took the opportunity to retire the anti-submarine helicopter S-70B-2, serial N24-011 during HMAS Arunta’s recent maintenance period in Bahrain w
US Navy sailors train with Papua New Guinea Defense Force
Sailors and marines aboard the U.S. Navy’s Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Comstock (LSD 45) arrived in Port Moresby, April 15, for a theater security cooperation (TSC) engagement with the Papua New Guinea Defense Force (PNGDF). During the visit, U.S. marines and sailors are training alon
France relieves Canada at the helm of Middle East maritime task force
Canada has concluded a five-month period of commanding the Bahrain-headquartered Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) and handed over duties to France. This was Canada’s third command of the multinational maritime security and counter-terrorism task force located in the greater Middle East region. The
Indian Navy takes over dhow released by pirates
Somali pirates on Monday released the crew of an Indian-registered dhow which had been taken hostage on April 1 off the island of Socotra in the Arabian Sea. After the Somali Security Forces freed MV Al Kausar from captivity, the Indian Navy dispatched a warship which received and escorted the dhow
BAE Systems gets post shakedown contract for two US Navy destroyers
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems San Diego Ship Repair a $19.4 million contract to perform post shakedown availability (PSA) work on the U.S. Navy’s two new Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyers. The contract will see BAE Systems perform maintenance and eventual rep
US Navy ships conduct floating pier deployment drills in Korea
U.S. Navy’s Maritime Prepositioning Force ships USNS Pililaau (T-AK 304) and USNS 2nd Lt. John P. Bobo (T-AK 3008) recently tested their skills in deploying the Improved Navy Lighterage System (INLS), a floating pier-like causeway system. The INLS is a sea state three (SS3) capable system comprised
US Navy surface action group makes first stop in Hawaii
The U.S. Navy’s Sterett-Dewey surface action group (Sterett-Dewey SAG) arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 11, for the first stop of the group’s Western Pacific deployment. The group is composed of Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS Dewey (DDG 105) who
Japan plans to join US carrier group heading to North Korea
Japan Maritime Self Defense Force ships might join the U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson for naval drills as the group of ships centered around the aircraft carrier heads for the Korean Peninsula. Japan would dispatch its destroyers when the U.S. ships enter the East China Sea, Reuters re
US Navy MQ-8C Fire Scout completes initial littoral combat ship testing
The U.S. Navy’s MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter completed the initial testing phase aboard a littoral combat ship returning from USS Montgomery (LCS-8) on April 11. The Fire Scout test team along with USS Montgomery sailors conducted dynamic interface testing to verify the MQ-8C launch and reco
Raytheon tests new electric gun for Phalanx CIWS
U.S. defense contractor Raytheon announced it has tested a new electric gun for the Phalanx close-in weapon system. The company said the new upgrade allowed soldiers and sailors to fire at varying rates, which uses less ammunition. The goal of the live-fire test was to ensure the electric gun can op
Nuclear-powered Oscar-class submarine returns to Russian fleet
Russian shipbuilder Zvezdochka (Star) completed overhaul works on the Russian Navy’s Project 949A Oscar-class submarine ‘Orel’ and sent the boat from its shipyard back to the Northern Fleet’s Zapadnaya Litsa naval base. Orel started her voyage from Severodvinsk on April 6 and reached Zapadnaya Litsa