The forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) embarked Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in support of joint force operations in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of responsibility, June 25. During the onload, Bonhomme Richard’s combat cargo department loaded mo
The U.S. Navy has deployed the MK18 Mod 2 Kingfish underwater unmanned vehicle for operations in the 5th Fleet area of responsibility, following more than 30 sorties over 15 days of mock deployment testing in the Gulf of Mexico, the Navy announced June 20. Kingfish is an autonomous underwater unmann
Guided-missile destroyer USS Paul Hamilton (DDG 60) returned to its homeport of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam June 24 following a nine-month deployment to the Western Pacific and U.S. Central Command areas of responsibility. “We have been gone 277 days and we are just thrilled to be home to the Nav
The Honourable Peter MacKay, Minister of National Defence, on behalf of the Honourable Keith Ashfield, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans today announced funding of up to $488M to procure 18-21 new vessels for the Coast Guard Fleet. Minister MacKay made the announcement during the 2013 Mari-Tech Confe
What happens when the Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection and Royal Netherlands Navy work together? A $24 million drug bust. The multi-agency seizure of 1,517 pounds of cocaine – estimated to have a wholesale value of more than $24 million – all began with a suspicious go-fast vessel. The cre
HMS Lancaster, one of the Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigates, has paid a visit to Grand Cayman, the largest island in the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. It was the second British Territory Lancaster has visited as part of her six-month deployment to the North Atlantic and Caribbean. Th
U.S. Navy and Austal USA held a keel laying ceremony for the future USS Montgomery, the Navy’s eighth littoral combat ship (LCS), June 25, in Mobile, Ala. The keel-laying ceremony recognizes the first joining together of a ship’s components. While modern shipbuilding processes allow fabrication of i
Following the recent departure of HMS Penzance from Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard after a successful upkeep period, Babcock has now started work on Sandown class mine hunter HMS Pembroke, in dock at Rosyth for a similar six month Support Period (Docking) (SP(D)) under the Surface Ship Support Alliance (
HMS Penzance is in the throes of demanding training after completing a six-month revamp in Rosyth. The Faslane-based warship is now Britain’s most up-to-date minehunter following the refit, which prepared her for impending duties with a NATO task group. After six months in refit – four of those out
Guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) held a damage control (DC) competition between junior officers and the chiefs, while underway in the Mediterranean, June 23. The event, held on the flight deck, that consisted of a relay between five different events, including pipe-patching repair; de-
Survey ship HMS Echo has spent 12 days in Malta on the first stage of her 18-month mission to the Mediterranean and Middle East. The Devonport-based hydrographic vessel will be updating charts used by seafarers the world over, courtesy of her hi-tech sonar suites. It’s just under a year since the De
The tugboat “RB-404” (Building No 623, project 16609) has successfully passed its mooring and sea trials and it is ready for its official trials. The tugboat, being built by Pella shipyard, will be delivered to the Russian Navy and put into operation within Pacific Fleet of the Navy by the end of th
Sailors aboard USS Freedom (LCS 1) had a unique opportunity to support amphibious assault exercise when Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit aboard USS Tortuga (LSD 46) conducted an amphibious raid with Malaysian Army paratroopers, June 22. The littoral combat ship Freedom and the forward
HMS Defender took families and friends to sea for the first time recently, showing off the ship and giving family members the chance to see what life is like at sea for their serving relations. The day included escorting HMS Edinburgh into harbour for the last time before she was decommissioned, ful
