A team from the Australian Navy’s unmanned aircraft systems unit have deployed to Christmas Island, an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, to test their ability to conduct long term UAS operations without support. The six member detachment is operating from the island’s aerodrome, testing the
U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) departed Hawaii for a 16-month rotational deployment to the 7th Fleet after spending a month in port for repairs on the ship’s propulsion plant. Coronado set sail for Singapore in August to replace the Freedom-variant LCS USS Fort Worth which was a
The Singapore-hosted Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) exercise Deep Sabre 2016 kicked off September 27 at the Changi Command and Control Centre. This year’s exercise, which is held from 27 to 30 September, involves more than 800 personnel from 21 countries. According to the Singaporean Minist
Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat has recently returned home to Fleet Base West following a six-month Pacific deployment. Commanding Officer, Commander David Landon said the deployment had a number of highlights, including acting as consort to one of Navy’s newest ships HMAS
Just three days into the sea phase of Exercise KAKADU, a task group of six international warships has been locked in a steady battle of anti-air, anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare. The ‘Red Force’ task group is made up of a Japanese destroyer, an American destroyer, an Indonesian corvette and
Royal Australian Navy cadets had an opportunity to witness hydrographic operations at sea when they embarked in HMAS Leeuwin with Hydrographic Survey Red Crew for a 10 week survey task off Western Australia’s North West Shelf. When Leeuwin sailed from Cairns for trials, the ship’s company took the o
Naval units taking part in the Australian-hosted multinational maritime exercise have sailed out of Darwin to begin the sea phase of Exercise Kakadu. The ships separated into three multi-national task groups once outside the harbor and will spend the next eight days undertaking a graduated program o
Two Royal Australian Navy minehunters, HMAS Huon and HMAS Diamantina, spent the past four weeks training together before they set sail for their south-west Pacific deployment and support to operation Render Safe 16. This year’s iteration of Render Safe will be taking place in the vicinity of the Sol
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Perth and its embarked MH-60R helicopter took part in a search and rescue off the coast of Seychelles for the first time on August 14. Two survivors were located by Perth’s MH-60R helicopter, call sign ‘Hellcat’, and were recovered by a civilian yacht. According to
Royal Australian Navy chief Vice Admiral Tim Barrett accepted the last of Navy’s 24 MH-60R maritime combat helicopters during a ceremony at Lockheed-Martin’s Logistics and Maintenance Facility at Nowra’s Aviation Technology Park on September 12. The Commonwealth of Australia chose the Romeo in June
U.S. Navy’s Boxer Amphibious Ready Group is set to return to Naval Base San Diego from a seven-month deployment, Sept. 12. BOXARG is made up of amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), and amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD
One of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) newly acquired fleet of Seasprite helicopters is embarking on its first operational mission with an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) to help transport 23 government staff and about seven tonnes of vital equipment and supplies to the remote Kermadec Island
In late August, the US Navy staged an anti-submarine warfare drill in the Arabian Sea which was joined by British, French and Australian Navy assets. Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Perth joined USS Nitze and USS Mason which also had MH-60R flights embarked. Also involved were the Los Angeles cla
Australian shipbuilder Austal has delivered the second high speed support vessel (HSSV) RNOV Al Naasir (S12) to the Royal Navy of Oman. RNOV Al Naasir was delivered less than 4 months after the delivery of the RNOV Al Mubshir (S11), in May 2016 under a US$124.9 million design, construct and integrat
