Dutch Navy frigate HNLMS Van Speijk intercepted 1,600 kilos of cocaine during a New Year’s Eve operation in the Caribbean region. The drugs were discovered on a Tanzanian flagged merchant ship en route to the Dominican Republic. An embarked NH-90 detected the suspicious ship prompting a US Coast Law
UK helicopter carrier HMS Ocean has reportedly been bought by Brazil. The purchase was confirmed by Brazilian defense minister Raul Jungmann, according to UK Defence Journal. Brazil is reportedly paying £84 million for the UK helicopter carrier which recently returned from her final deployment as a
US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) pulled into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on December 28 for a final port call en route to her new homeport of Sasebo, Japan. Wasp departed Norfolk, Virginia, August 30, but was diverted to the Caribbean in the wake of hurricanes Irma and
The oldest of US Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarines, the USS Bremerton (SSN 698), arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, December 22 for a final visit during its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment. “I think it’s important for Bremerton to make one last visit to Yokosuka,” said Cmdr. Travis Zettel,
The US Navy’s next generation of ballistic missile submarines could encounter cost overruns and unexpected delays caused by new and under-tested technologies, a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has warned. GAO noted that additional development and testing on several Columbia-class subma
The US Navy’s future littoral combat ship USS Manchester (LCS 14) completed acceptance trials after undergoing a series of tests with the navy’s Board of Inspection and Survey. The Independence-variant LCS passed the trials on December 15, the US Naval Sea Systems Command announced. Acceptance trial
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) concluded a seven-month deployment to the US 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operation, returning to its Naval Station Norfolk homeport on December 23. The ship departed May 23, to support anti-submarine exercises and operations in the Nor
US Navy destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) assisted an Iranian vessel in the Persian Gulf, stranded 60 nautical miles from nearest land with no communication capabilities. An MH-60R Sea Hawk embarked with Preble was conducting routine flight operations on December 16 when they spotted the Iranian vessel
US Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) wrapped up eight months of operations in the US 5th Fleet area of operation returning to her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk on December 15. The cruiser got underway on April 23, as an independent deployer, to support maritime security operatio
The US Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries an initial $63 million contract to repair and restore the damaged destroyer USS Fitzgerald. After being selected to perform the repairs in August and receiving a $29.4 million planning contract in October, the Mississippi-based shipbuilder is now
Sailors aboard the US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Chafee (DDG 90) and ship repair personnel in Singapore concluded ten days of repairs works on the destroyer, making sure it is ready to continue its operational deployment. The voyage repair availability took place in Singapore and was comple
Taking a break from her Atlantic patrol duties, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay stopped in Bermuda on December 15 for a three day visit. The ship has been deployed to the region to provide humanitarian and disaster relief for the UK’s Caribbean overseas territories and Bermuda. This year RFA Mounts
The Peruvian Navy officially marked the beginning of construction works on its second Makassar-class landing platform dock (LPD) ‘Paita’ with a keel-laying ceremony on December 14. The ceremony took place at the SIMA shipyard in Calao and was led by Peruvian defense minister Jorge Nieto Montesinos.
US Navy sailors from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit (EODMU) 12 joined their German Navy counterparts for two weeks of EOD training missions at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story, Nov. 27 through Dec. 11. EODMU 12 and their German counterparts conducted training evolutions
