Operations
67th Arleigh Burke destroyer completes acceptance trials
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer Paul Ignatius (DDG 117) completed acceptance trials in the Gulf of Mexico on December 20, the US Navy announced. The 67th ship in the class returned to Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) Pascagoula shipyard following the two-day test. During acceptance trial
Russia commissions first Project 22160 patrol ship Vasily Bykov
Three days after welcoming the lead Karakurt-class corvette into its fleet, the Russian Navy commissioned first-of-class patrol ship Vasily Bykov in a ceremony on December 20. The Project 22160 patrol ship was commissioned at the Novorossiysk Naval Base on the Black Sea where it will serve as part o
Royal Navy joins US, Japan for inaugural trilateral Asia-Pacific exercise
Ships and submarines from the navies of Japan, the UK and US gathered in waters south of Japan for the first trilateral naval exercise on December 21 and 22. Focused on anti-submarine warfare, the exercise featured drills with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force helicopter destroyer JS Izumo (DDH 183)
Thales teams with Aquabotix for Australian autonomous MCM solution
Thales and Aquabotix announced they are joining forces to design and develop a rapidly deployable mine counter measures (MCM), rapid environment assessment (REA) and military hydrographic autonomous system mission solution. The project is a collaboration with Australian Academia and SMEs including t
US military integrates Djibouti Port Authority for “first-ever” Djibouti port exercise
Personnel from the US Navy and US Army integrated with Djibouti Port Authority assets for what was described as the first-ever port exercise to include the Djibouti Port Authority, December 19. “The purpose was to synch up coordination between Navy Combat Riverine Squadron 8, Bravo Company, Delta Co
USNS Big Horn returns from European, Middle East deployment
US Military Sealift Command’s fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198) pulled into Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 17, completing a 10-month deployment in the US Fifth Fleet and US Sixth Fleet area of responsibility. “Some of the missions USNS Big Horn undertook during this deployment included
German Navy frigate, tender wrap up NATO deployments
A German Navy frigate and a tender are set to return their homeports of Wilhelmshaven and Kiel on Friday, after concluding their NATO deployments. Tender Rhein is returning to Kiel after serving as flagship of the Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2) for over five months. The ship’s
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Chiddingfold returns to water after extensive refit
Royal Navy minehunter HMS Chiddingfold was launched at BAE Systems’ Portsmouth site after undergoing what the company described as the “most extensive package of work ever carried out to the plastic hulls of any Hunt Class mine countermeasure vessels.” The vessel was refitted after returning from a
Royal Navy destroyer nets largest drug haul in Combined Maritime Forces’ history
After making two narcotics interceptions in late November and early December, Royal Navy destroyer HMS Dragon has now carried out the largest drug haul in the history of the Bahrain-based Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). According to CMF, Dragon seized and destroyed just shy of 10,000 kg of illegal n
Australia, France, US wrap up ASW exercise in Arabian Sea
The navies of Australia, France and the US concluded a four-day ‘Ship Anti-Submarine Warfare Readiness and Evaluation Measurement’ (SHAREM) 195 exercise in the Arabian Sea on December 18. Participating ships included French navy F70AA-class air defense destroyer FS Cassard (D 614), and Royal Austral
US Navy hospital ship returns from South America deployment
The US Navy’s 272-meter long hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) returned to Naval Station Norfolk on December 18, completing over two months of medical support operations in South and Central America as part of Enduring Promise. The Enduring Promise initiative is a US Southern Command project to p
Australian Navy’s 2019 task group deployment to focus on cooperation with India
The focus of the Royal Australian Navy’s 2019 Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE19) will focus on developing cooperation with the Indian Navy, Australian defense minister has announced. Engagement with India, one of Australia’s key strategic partners in the Indian Ocean region, will be the cornerstone for
Royal Navy ship HMS Echo arrives in Odessa, Ukraine
Hydrographic survey ship HMS Echo arrived in Odessa on December 19, becoming the first Royal Navy ship to visit Ukraine since the Sea of Azov crisis from late November when Russian forces seized three Ukrainian Navy vessels and detained Ukrainian sailors. Echo docked in Odessa after entering the Bla
First LRASM anti-ship missiles delivered for Air Force’s B-1B bombers
US defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced it has delivered the first Long Range Anti-Ship Missiles (LRASM) to the US Air Force, achieving early operational capability (EOC) status ahead of schedule. The air-launched LRASM variant, integrated onboard the B-1B bombers, provides an early operatio