Operations
Spanish Aegis frigate joins Carrier Strike Group 12 in Norfolk
The Spanish Navy’s Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate ESPS Méndez Núñez (F 104) arrived at Naval Station Norfolk on January 14 where it will become part of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 12 and conduct joint training and exercises. Méndez Núñez, homeported in Ferrol, Spain, was commissioned in 2006. She join
Lockheed Martin gets $172M for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile production
Lockheed Martin announced it has received a $172 million contract from the US Navy and Air Force for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) production. The contract continues the production for the air-launched variant of LRASM, including a full production run of missiles and engineering support. This
HMS Protector delivers equipment, supplies ahead of new Antarctic research mission
Royal Navy survey ship HMS Protector broke through nearly 300 miles of Antarctic ice to help scientists begin a five-year mission to understand how West Antarctica is contributing to global sea-level rise. Working together with British Antarctic Survey’s vessel RRS Ernest Shackleton, the Plymouth-ba
HMS Montrose first Royal Navy ship to visit Auckland, NZ, in 20 years
Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose arrived at Devonport Naval Base in Auckland, New Zealand, on Tuesday, becoming the first Royal Navy ship to do so in 20 years. Welcoming the frigate to Auckland was the crew of Royal New Zealand Navy multi-purpose vessel HMNZS Canterbury who performed the traditional hak
French Navy receives first F3-R upgraded Rafale
The French Navy officially received its first Rafale M fighter jet upgraded to the F3-R standard in a ceremony at the Landivisiau Naval Air Base. The first flight of F3-R from Landivisiau took place on December 17, the defense ministry said. The aircraft was delivered after the upgrade was approved
Australian frigate lands CMF’s first drug seizure of 2019
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat seized over 3.1 tons of hashish in the Arabian Sea during an operation that took place on January 8 and 9. The seized drugs are worth an estimated $155 million and are the first narcotics seized by a Combined Maritime Forces member in 2019. The fishing ves
US amphibious ships train with JMSDF counterparts in East China Sea
US Navy ships from the Wasp amphibious ready group (ARG) met up with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) amphibious transport dock ship, JS Kunisaki (LST 4003), for two days of exercises on January 11 and 12. During the cooperative deployment, ARG ships and JS Kunisaki conducted communication
Royal Navy sending another ship on Asia-Pacific deployment
The Royal Navy will deploy Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose to Japan later this year, where the ship will contribute to the enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea. Montrose will be the fourth British warship to visit Japan and operate in the region in the past 12 months. Fellow Plymouth-based frigat
Indian Navy tests air-droppable logistics containers
The Indian Navy announced it has successfully tested the Sahayak air-droppable containers, deploying them from IL-38 aircraft off Goa in the Arabian Sea on January 8, 2019. Sahayak Containers will enhance the operational logistics capability of the navy, allowing it to supply spares and stores to sh
SIMBAD-RC-launched Mistral missile defeats fast boats in latest test
French missile systems specialist MBDA announced they tested the Mistral missile against fast boats such as fast inshore attack craft in a demonstration in front of a number of foreign delegations. The firing was performed from a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret firing from the land against a fast m
Babcock gets £5m deal for first-ever HMS Queen Elizabeth dry-dock maintenance
The UK defense ministry announced it has awarded Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard a £5 million contract for the first planned dry-dock maintenance of the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. As announced by defense minister Stuart Andrew, the contract will allow the 65,000-tonne carrier to unde
USS Fort McHenry arrives in Romania on first Black Sea visit
US Navy amphibious dock landing ship USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43) arrived in Constanta, Romania, on January 7 for the first scheduled port visit of its Black Sea tour. The Whidbey Island-class ship stopped in Romania after becoming the first US Navy ship to enter Black Sea since the Kerch Strait incide
Indian Navy escorts its first WFP vessel in Somalian waters
An Indian Navy frigate reached a milestone recently as it became the first Indian warship to escort a vessel of UN’s World Food Program. INS Sunayna completed the escort for the first time since counter-piracy deployments began in 2008, following an escort request by EU NAVFOR. A WFP dhow was transp
Dutch air-defense frigate HNLMS Evertsen becomes SNMG2 flagship
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s air defense and command frigate HNLMS Evertsen got underway from her homeport in Den Helder on January 5 to become the flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG 2). Evertsen will spend the next six months in the Mediterranean and Black Seas patrolling the region