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
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has carried out the first test of its two Phalanx close-in weapon systems (CIWS), engaging both air and surface targets. The trial took place on July 7, as the ship is in the final stages of preparations for a departure to the US coast where it will wr
US Navy’s Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Montgomery (LCS 8) arrived at Singapore’s Changi Naval Base on July 6, becoming the first LCS to deploy to Singapore since late 2017. Montgomery’s arrival is part of a rotational deployment to the Indo-Pacific area of operations and is the four
The UK Ministry of Defence has signed an £85 million contract with engineering company Rolls-Royce to maintain the engines of the Royal Navy’s Type-23 frigate fleet. The contract includes a comprehensive support package to Spey gas turbines, including the overhaul of engines, provision of spares, as
On July 3, the French Navy’s nuclear attack submarine Saphir (S602) reached the Cherbourg port, prior to her retiring from the navy’s fleet. After 35 years of service, Saphir will be the first of six Rubis-class submarines to be retired from active duty at the end of this month. Launched in 1981 and
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) has entered the Black Sea to conduct routine patrols with NATO allies. Starting July 2, 2019, Canadian Halifax-class frigate HMCS Toronto is sailing the Black Sea with Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) to enhance interoperability with allies and build on cooperat
USNS Carson City (T-EFP 7), a military sealift command Spearhead-class expeditionary fast transport ship, departed Rota, Spain, on July 2, as part of the US Navy’s second deployment to the Gulf of Guinea this year. Sailors and embarked personnel will work alongside regional partners on an Africa Par
The Romanian authorities have selected French Naval Group and its Romanian partner Santierul Naval Constanta (SNC) for the program to build four new Gowind multi-mission corvettes. In addition, Naval Group and SNC will modernize the T22 frigates and create a maintenance center and a training center.
