Operations
Royal Navy frigate joins US Navy oiler for South China Sea drills
US Navy fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200) and Royal Navy frigate HMS Montrose (F236) met up in the South China Sea on February 18 for a series of maritime security and logistics training. The drills involved Royal Marine commandos, Royal Navy sailors and Guadalupe crew members. Dur
Australian landing ship HMAS Choules deploys to Southwest Pacific
Royal Australian Navy landing ship HMAS Choules started a month-long deployment to the Southwest Pacific where it will take part in maritime and land training activities with regional partners. Choules’ deployment to Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu will contribute to a continuous A
US destroyer, NATO ships enter Black Sea after Dardanelles Strait transit
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook and ships from NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) entered the Black Sea on February 19. Donald Cook entered the Black Sea after last visiting the region in January 2019, when it visited Batumi, Georgia and con
NAVDEX: MBDA unveils Mistral missile launcher module SPIMM
French defense contractor MDBA has unveiled a new shipborne module for the launching of Mistral missiles called SPIMM (Self-Protection Integrated Mistral Module). The air-defense module is based on the SIMBAD-RC system and designed to equip ships of all types, particularly those without a combat sys
Australian Navy task group gets underway for Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019
A Royal Australian Navy task group composed of landing helicopter dock HMAS Canberra, frigate HMAS Newcastle, and tanker HMAS Sirius, departed Sydney Harbour on February 17 to start a series of exercises and engagements with regional allies. The task group will spend the next several weeks participa
USS Porter in Spain for repairs after European patrol
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain, for a scheduled training and maintenance availability (TRAV) on February 13. The maintenance is being conducted after the ship completed a patrol in the US 6th Fleet Area of Operations.
Littoral combat ship Cincinnati (LCS 20) completes acceptance trials
The US Navy’s future Independence-class littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) concluded acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico on February 8, following a series of in-port and underway demonstrations for the Navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey. Acceptance trials are the last significant mi
German frigate ‘Augsburg’ returns from final deployment
German Navy F122 frigate FGS Augsburg will return to her Wilhelmshaven homeport on Friday, Februrary 15, concluding her final operational deployment. The frigate is one of only two ships in her class and is scheduled to retire this year after 30 years of service. In addition to concluding her final
USS Abraham Lincoln rehearses strait transit maneuvers
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and ships from its carrier strike group (ABECSG) participated in a simulated strait transit off the eastern coast of the United States, Feb. 7. Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 conducted the simulation as part of composite unit training exercise (CO
USS John C. Stennis arrives in Thailand for port visit
US Navy aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand, for what the navy said would be a brief port call on February 10. The aircraft carrier arrived in Thailand after concluding operations in the Persian Gulf, where it arrived early December 2018. “Our sailors are
Refurbished Italian Harrier returns home aboard USS Kearsarge
An Italian AV-8B Harrier hitched a ride home aboard Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) after six months of maintenance in the US. The Italian aircraft, along with its flight crew, returned to Grottaglie Naval Base, Italy, on January 3, after the six months of scheduled maintena
Canadian frigate, auxiliary ship deploy on Indo Asia Pacific mission
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Regina on Wednesday departed the Esquimalt naval base in company of support ship M/V Asterix, starting a deployment which will see the duo operate in the Pacific Ocean, Asia, Middle East and East Africa. Asterix returned to sea after completing a five-month Asia-Paci
Royal Navy receives C-Enduro autonomous vessel
The Royal Navy received the long-endurance autonomous vessel known as the C-Enduro, vessel manufacturer L2 ASV announced on February 5. The C-Enduro will be used for military data gathering trials by the mine countermeasures and hydrographic capability (MHC) programme as the navy seeks to exploit au
USS Gerald R. Ford completes Ship Self Defense System live fire test
US Navy’s newly-commissioned aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) recently wrapped up the first-ever live fire test of the latest generation of the Ship Self Defense System, or SSDS, Integrated Combat System on the Self Defense Test Ship. The test successfully engaged an unmanned aerial vehi