The US Navy’s 7th Fleet supply ship USNS Cesar Chavez (T-AKE 14) joined an international task force led by Australian Defence Force searching for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 off the Western Coast of Australia yesterday. The U.S. 7th Fleet deployed Chavez in response to a formal Joint Op
The Royal Australian Navy (RAN) frigate HMAS Perth has been given a helping hand by the RAN supply ship HMAS Success during Replenishment at Sea (RAS) in the southern Indian Ocean. Both ships are taking part in the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH-370. Perth has been at sea for several weeks
The UK’s survey ship HMS Echo and the nuclear submarine HMS Tireless are searching vast areas of ocean as they join the international hunt to find missing Malaysian airliner MH370. HMS Echo has scoured an area six times the size of Greater London as everyone involved in the hunt faces a race against
The fourth and final review into Australian Collins Class submarine sustainment program, released today by expert John Coles, confirms that submarine maintenance and availability has significantly improved. The review findings have been welcomed by Australian Minister for Defence David Johnston an
Guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) held a change of command ceremony April 4 at Naval Station Mayport. Cmdr. Ken Anderson relieved Cmdr. Chris Follin as commanding officer. Anderson is “fleeting up” after being Simpson’s executive officer since November 2012 and will serve as the ship’s f
A memorial rededication service held at HMAS Albatross today marked the ninth anniversary of the loss of the Sea King helicopter ‘Shark 02’, which crashed in 2005 while supporting a humanitarian support mission on the Indonesian island of Nias. Nine Australian Defence Force personnel were killed in
The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (BOXARG), with embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), began participation in Exercise Ssang Yong 2014 March 27 off the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK) with the ROK navy and Marine Corps. Ssang Yong, which means “twin dragons,” is an annual combined exe
On March 31, Major General (MAJGEN) Tim Gall became the Commander Joint Forces New Zealand. At a Change of Command parade held at Trentham MAJGEN Gall was promoted to his new rank and took command of Headquarters Joint Forces New Zealand (HQ JFNZ). MAJGEN Gall was raised in Invercargill and Nelson
Ships and embarked squadrons from the Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group (HST CSG) completed operations in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations (AOR) March 28. The strike group completed a 120-mile transit of the Suez Canal, marking the end to more than seven straight months of operations in th
The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Toowoomba departed Fleet Base West near Perth on 29 March, to join the international search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. The Anzac-class frigate has been diverted from other operational tasks to join the search. It will carry a S-70B2 Seahawk helicopter whi
Korea Opts for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Aircraft The Republic of Korea has formally selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft for its F-X fighter acquisition program. USS Elrod Takes Over Escort Duties of Libyan Seized Tanker The U.S. Navy’s USS Elrod relieved the USS Stout of
The 2014 Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) got underway in Perth on March 26 as ‘the weight’ was officially handed from outgoing chair the South African Navy (SAN) to the Royal Australian Navy. IONS, which was established in 2008, is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime coopera
Indian Puts Search Operation for MH370 on Standby The Malaysian authorities have indicated that based on investigation, the search operations for the missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft MH 370 have entered a new phase and a strategy for further searches is being formulated. Accordingly, search opera
On March 15, a U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment aboard her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Glace Bay, assigned to Joint Interagency Task Force South, patrolling the Caribbean Sea, identified the King Gold, a Panamanian-flagged fishing vessel suspected of smuggling drugs. The LEDET boarded
