Operations
US Navy’s special ops support ship Miguel Keith (ESB 5) passes acceptance trials
The US Navy’s newest expeditionary sea base (ESB) ship, Miguel Keith (ESB 5), successfully completed Acceptance Trials on October 11, four months after it first took to sea. The trials were conducted off the coast of southern California after departure from the General Dynamics National Steel and Sh
USS Porter visits Ukraine on Black Sea tour
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) arrived in Odessa, Ukraine, for a port visit as part of its deployment to the Black Sea. The ship arrived at the port on October 13 with five Ukrainian officers on board observing sea-and-anchor operations. These operations e
British F-35B jets land on HMS Queen Elizabeth for first time
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has welcomed first British F-35B jets on board during its operational trials off the East Coast of the US. The arrival of British F-35Bs follows successful developmental trials last year with US Lightning jets, where forces conducted 500 take offs and
Japan joins US, Philippines for maritime exercise Sama Sama
The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) has joined the US and Philippine Navy for Maritime Training Activity (MTA) Sama Sama, an exercise that started with an opening ceremony in Puerto Princesa on October 14. This is the third iteration of MTA Sama Sama and the first time JMSDF will participa
French, UK frigates seize drugs in Arabian Sea
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose and French Cassard-class frigate FS Jean Bart made another drugs bust in the Arabian Sea operating as part of the Combined Task Force (CTF) 150. The suspicious dhow was initially located by FS Jean Bart’s helicopter and boarded by a team from the French ship
CMV-22B Osprey Carrier Onboard Delivery wing set up in San Diego
The first CMV-22B squadron is scheduled to deploy aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) in 2021.
International exercise Joint Warrior begins off Scotland
Navy ships taking part in the Royal Navy-led exercise Joint Warrior got underway from Faslane, Scotland, this week to start two weeks of drills in Scottish exercise areas. A dozen NATO nations are taking part with 16 warships, three submarines and nearly 60 aircraft, set to attend. Overlapping with
USS Ronald Reagan, USS Boxer team up in South China Sea
US Navy ships from the Ronald Reagan carrier strike group and the Boxer amphibious ready group met in the South China Sea to carry out security and stability operations in the Indo-Pacific. Ships and aircraft from the Navy and Marine Corps, conducted a multitude of joint, warfighting exercises while
Greek frigate runs aground during major exercise
The frigate is said to have ran aground during preparations for an amphibious assault drill.
US Navy christening 20th Virginia submarine Oregon (SSN 793)
The US Navy is scheduled to christen its newest Virginia-class attack submarine in a ceremony that will be held at General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) in Groton, Connecticut. Future USS Oregon (SSN 793), which started construction at GDEB in 2014, will be christened on October 5. Oregon (SSN 793)
Navantia lays keel for first Saudi Navy Avante corvette
A keel-laying ceremony held in Cadiz, Spain, has marked the start of assembly works on the Royal Saudi Navy’s first Avante 2200 corvette. The ships are built by SAMI Navantia Naval Industries (SAMINavantia), a joint venture between Saudi Arabian Military Industries (SAMI) and Navantia S.A. The keel-
10th Independence-variant littoral combat ship Cincinnati entering service
The US Navy is set to commission its newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS), the future USS Cincinnati (LCS 20), in an October 5 ceremony in Gulfport, Mississippi. In addition to being the tenth Independence-variant unit, Cincinnati is the fifth US Navy ship to honor Ohio’s third-lar
Former Perry frigate USS Ford sunk in live-fire exercise off Guam
Ex-USS Ford (FFG 54), one of the few Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates still around, was sunk by live fire from ships and aircraft taking part in exercise Pacific Griffin 2019. The decommissioned ship was sunk on October 1, approximately 170 nautical miles off the coast of Guam. Units from the US a
USS Gabrielle Giffords first LCS to perform integrated NSM firing
USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS 10) recently became the first US Navy littoral combat ship to launch the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) in an integrated setup. Gabrielle Giffords’ launch of the NSM is different from the one performed by USS Coronado in 2014 in that the missile system aboard LCS 10 is couple