Operations
New Zealand Navy’s biggest vessel ready for launch in South Korea
The future HMNZS Aotearoa, the biggest ever vessel to be built for the Royal New Zealand Navy, is taking shape and is ready for launch in South Korea. Aetorea is being constructed at Hyundai Heavy Shipbuilding’s Ulsan shipyard and is scheduled to be launched within the next two weeks, according to t
Royal Navy frigate arrives in Bahrain for three years of operations
Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose arrived in Bahrain on April 3 to start a three-year mission in the Persian Gulf state. Montrose sailed into the UK’s new support facility in Bahrain after a six-month journey, which saw her cover 47,000-miles from her home in Plymouth. From Bahrain, she will conduct r
Bomb scare on Royal Navy nuclear submarine yard a hoax
The BAE Systems’ Barrow-in-Furness shipyard was evacuated on April 10 after a bomb was reported to have been found on one of the Royal Navy nuclear submarines under construction at the yard. An estimated 1,700 staff are believed to have been evacuated in the process. “Following an extensive sweep of
US Navy censures commanding, junior officers involved in deadly USS Fitzgerald collision
US Navy Secretary (SECNAV) Richard V. Spencer is to issue a secretarial letter of censure to former USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) commanding officer Cmdr. Bryce Benson and former crew member Lt. Natalie Combs, for their role in the deadly collision off Japan in June 2018. The destroyer collided with Filip
German air-defense frigate Hessen deploying to Aegean
German Navy F124 frigate FGS Hessen is scheduled to depart its Wilhelmshaven homeport on April 11 to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2). The air-defense frigate will replace another German vessel currently deployed to the mission in the Aegean Sea. Combat support ship Bonn deployed to
Massive search underway after Japanese F-35A goes missing over the Pacific
An international search is underway in the Pacific Ocean for a Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) F-35A fighter jet, which disappeared from radar at around 7:30pm local time on April 9. The F-35A lost radar contact approximately 85 miles east of Misawa Air Base. Media reports quoting Japanese mili
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower starts flight deck certification
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) got underway from Naval Station Norfolk on April 8 for its flight deck certification and for first flight ops since the summer of 2017. The ship recently completed a planned incremental availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard as part of the m
Royal Navy aviators, jets poised for first overseas deployment in a decade
Royal Navy pilots flying UK F-35B jets in Cyprus will mark the first time in over a decade UK naval aviators are operating overseas. Two months of training in the eastern Mediterranean is lined up for the men and women of the Lightning Force in preparation for their first spell of training aboard HM
US aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives in Europe
US Navy aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln and ships from its carrier strike group (CSG) arrived in the US 6th Fleet area of operations on April 8, seven days after getting underway from Norfolk. The strike group, which includes the aircraft carrier, Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte
North Korea sanctions: Royal Navy frigate spots illicit fuel transfer at sea
Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose recently documented a North Korean ship carrying out an illegal ship-to-ship fuel transfer in the East China Sea. Working alongside Japanese partners on March 2, the British frigate spotted the North Korean-flagged tanker Saebyol, which was transmitting on ship tracki
Australian helicopter carrier, submarine arrive in India for exercise Ausindex
A Royal Australian Navy task group composed of a helicopter carrier, frigates, and a submarine arrived in India ahead of the start of exercise Ausindex. This is the second time India is hosting the exercise, which was first held in September 2015 at Visakhaptnam. Landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberr
Eighth national security cutter completes acceptance trials
The US Coast Guard’s eighth national security cutter, USCGC Midgett, has completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico, shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries announced. Midgett (WMSL 757) spent two days underway proving its systems with the US Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) o
Royal Navy task group embarking on two-month Baltic Sea deployment
The Royal Navy is set to deploy a large task group to the Baltic Sea for two months of international operations. Amphibious transport dock HMS Albion will spearhead the “Baltic Protector” mission, involving nearly 2,000 British personnel from all three services. The deployment is the first large-sca
USS Abraham Lincoln starts homeport change deployment
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln got underway from Norfolk to start a deployment in which it will sail around the world before arriving at its new homeport in San Diego. The carrier will shift homeports after completing a mid-life overhaul at the Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Norfolk Na