US Navy destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) got underway from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on September 28 for an independent deployment to the Western Pacific and Middle East. While deployed, the ship will conduct theater security cooperation and maritime presence operations with partner nations. Havin
An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter embarked on the US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) rescued two civilians after their private plane crashed several miles off the coast of Dominica, September 28. The civilians, coming from French Guadelupe and Antigua, sustained minor injuries and were tra
The Brazilian Navy’s first upgraded Super Lynx Mk21B helicopter has performed its maiden flight from the Yeovil facility in southwest England. The flight success was announced by aerospace and defense company Leonardo which is in charge of upgrading eight Mk21B helicopters under a US$160 million con
US Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company Europe worked alongside their Spanish and Italian counterparts to complete a two-week exercise in Morn, Spain. The exercise was named Lisa Azul and saw the participation of Spanish Marines from Tercio del Sur, Brigada de Infante
The US Navy’s afloat forward staging base-interim USS Ponce (AFSB(I) 15) returned to Naval Station Norfolk September 27 after spending over five years overseas. The navy’s first laser-weapon system fitted ship returned from the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations and is set to be decommissioned and di
The lead ship of the US Navy’s Nimitz-class nuclear-powered aircraft carriers launched the 100,000th aircraft from catapult two, marking the second time the ship has achieved this milestone. Catapult one launched its 100,000th aircraft on October 7, 2009. An F/A-18E Super Hornet, from the “Blue Diam
Ships from the US Navy’s Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BAT ARG), together with 4,000 sailors and marines aboard, returned to Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story on September 23 following a seven-month deployment. The amphibious group consists of assault ship U
The US-led live-fire integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise Formidable Shield 2017 got underway on Sunday at the UK’s Hebrides Range in the vicinity of the Western Isles of Scotland. More than 14 ships, 10 aircraft, and approximately 3,300 personnel from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, t
US Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald will be changing homeport from Yokouka, Japan to Pascagoula, Mississippi, as part of repair efforts following a June 17 collision between the destroyer and a merchant ship. The US Navy said the homeport change will take place on December 15 after the damaged destroye
Navy ship from the UK and US concluded their regularly scheduled mine warfare drill in the central Persian Gulf on September 21. Mine Countermeasures Exercise (MCMEX) 17-3 is a quarterly bilateral exercise aimed at ensuring undisturbed operations of naval and support vessels, as well as commercial s
US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) on August 25 entered a floating dry dock in San Diego for a 14-month overhaul. During the depot-level planned maintenance availability (DPMA) National Steel and Shipbuilding Company (NASSCO) will outfit the ship with the latest war fighting
The US Coast Guard has offloaded a record amount of cocaine seized within 12 months of cocaine-chasing operations. A total of 50,550 pounds (22.9 tons) of cocaine and heroin worth an estimated $679.3 million was offloaded Wednesday in San Diego at Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal. Marking a record-break
Command of the US 5th Fleet naval forces changed hands in a September 19 ceremony at Naval Support Activity Bahrain. Vice Adm. John C. Aquilino relieved Vice Adm. Kevin M. Donegan as commander of naval forces in the central command area of responsibility. Donegan has served as the NAVCENT/C5F/CMF (C
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montréal arrived in Western Europe on September 18 for three months of exercises with European and NATO partners. Deploying as part of the Royal Canadian Navy’s overarching deployment Neptune Trident 17-02, HMCS Montréal is to take part in the US-led ballistic missil
