US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) has returned to the US after spending 14 years forward-deployed to Japan as part of the US 7th Fleet. The destroyer arrived at its new homeport of Naval Base San Diego on July 18. Stethem traded Fleet Activities Yokosuka with San Diego as its n
The latest round of tests carried out on US Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain after it was repaired following a deadly 2017 collision have revealed further issues postponing the ship’s return to the fleet. The Japan-based ship was expected to complete all repairs from the collision with a merchant v
A multinational amphibious landing and offensive assault was part of exercise Talisman Sabre.
Ships from the US Navy’s Kearsarge amphibious ready group (ARG) are set to return to Norfolk on July 18, after eight months of operations in Europe, Africa and the Middle East. More than 4,500 sailors and marines are embarked aboard amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), the amphibious trans
The missile will defend against small boat attacks.
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat returned to its Perth homeport on July 14, following a nine-month deployment to the Middle East. The frigate’s 200 officers and sailors worked together with the international Combined Maritime Forces to seize nearly 20 tonnes of illicit drugs worth an esti
The UK is sending Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan to the Persian Gulf in the wake of an escalation of tensions in the region following the scrapping of the Iran nuclear deal and a spate of attacks on commercial tankers. HMS Duncan was operating in the Black Sea when the ship’s new tasking was announced
The Netherlands defense ministry has awarded Dutch shipbuilder Damen a contract for the refit and upgrades of three Royal Netherlands Navy ships. As part of the midlife upkeep (MLU) contract, Damen Shipyards Den Helder will modernize support ship HNLMS Pelikaan, along with hydrographic survey vessel
Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose has chased off five Iranian Revolutionary Guards vessels trying to impede the passage of tanker British Heritage in the Persian Gulf on Thursday. According to media reports, HMS Montrose positioned itself between the tanker and Iranian vessels and issued verbal warnin
US Navy destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) returned to its Spanish homeport at Naval Station Rota on July 7, completing its eighth forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) patrol. The Arleigh Burke-class ship departed for patrol on March 8 to carry out naval operations in the US 6th Fleet area of operations. R
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth made a surprise return to Portsmouth on July 9, despite having been expected to spend another week at sea in preparation for a training deployment to the US coast. The carrier was forced to return to its homeport due to an internal water leak which was
MQ-8C Fire Scout, the US Navy’s new unmanned helicopter, has reached initial operational capability (IOC) after some six years of flight trials. The navy declared IOC on June 28, after the MQ-8C clocked in over 1,500 flight hours with more than 700 sorties. The sea-based, vertical lift unmanned syst
US Navy’s Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Normandy returned to its Norfolk homeport on July 6, less than a day after getting underway for exercises with the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group. The cruiser was forced to break off from the drills due to what navy officials said were maintenance issues
US Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) arrived in Callao, Peru, for the second port visit of its 2019 deployment. The ship arrived in Callao on July 8 to provide medical assistance in communities with urgent health care needs, including local populations and Venezuelans who have fled to Peru f
