US Navy guided-missile cruiser USS Antietam (CG 54) met up with Royal Thai Navy patrol vessel HTMS Krabi (OPV 551) and frigate HTMS Taksin (FFG 422) for a cooperative deployment in the East China Sea on Oct. 9. The event focused on navigation, communication and ship handling skills, improving intero
The Royal Australian Navy tested a maritime version of the Portable Raman Improvised Explosive Detector (PRIED) prototype at HMAS Coonawarra in Darwin on October 10. The technology was developed through a partnership between Queensland-based EPE and the Defence Innovation Hub. EPE signed a $1 millio
French autonomous systems specialist ECA Group joined forces with maritime solution provider MAURIC to design a patrol vessel-sized ship specialized for carrying and deploying mine countermeasure autonomous vessel of all sizes. The design is named Octopoda and comes in two ranges, a 30-meter Octopod
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Stuart and tanker HMAS Sirius wrapped up the two-day maritime exercise SINGAROO with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) corvettes RSS Valiant and Vigour. The exercise took place in waters off Singapore. The biennial exercise aimed to develop a better understandin
The eight Type 26 frigates being built for the Royal Navy will be homeported in Devonport, UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson has announced. The 6,900-tonne frigates will be anti-submarine warships and will provide protection for the UK nuclear deterrent and the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft car
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman arrived into Portsmouth on October 6 for a port visit while on a Mediterranean Sea deployment. The carrier most recently visited France and Greece and will continue with her program early this week. Arriving early Saturday morning into a foggy Solent, she
The UK defense ministry announced it has awarded over £1 billion worth of contracts for the maintenance of Royal Fleet Auxiliary ships and the Royal Navy’s survey and hydrographic fleet over the next ten years. The deal covers 17 ships and will improve how spares, repairs and maintenance work are ca
Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) helicopter carrier JS Kaga and guided-missile destroyer JS Inazuma arrived at Visakhapatnam, India, on October 7 as part of the Indo-Southeast Asia Deployment 2018. The JMSDF task group, commanded by Rear Admiral Tatsuya Fukada, Commander, Escort Flotilla
The newly established Japan Ground Self Defense Force (JGSDF) Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade (ARDB) embarked a US Navy ship for the first time off the Philippine coast on October 2. The ARDB conducted amphibious operations with amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) during Kaagapay N
Royal Navy amphibious assault ship HMS Albion has arrived in Oman ahead of the start of an exercise that will see the involvement of over 4,000 British personnel. Exercise Saif Sareea (Swift Sword) is the largest combined military exercise for UK forces since 2002 and HMS Albion will be in charge of
US Coast Guard’s national security cutter USCGC Strato returned home after a deployment in which operations spanned from the Arctic Ocean to the coasts of South America. Stratton’s crew began their deployment in the Arctic Ocean in support of Coast Guard District Seventeen and operation Arctic Shiel
The annual IBSAMAR maritime exercise organized between the navies of Brazil, India and South Africa kicked off at Simons Town, South Africa, on October 1. The two-week exercise changes hosts every year, with the previous edition taking place in India. The exercise is designed to build interoperabili
F-35 Lightning jets achieved another milestone during flight trials on board the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth by completing first night-time landings. Britain’s biggest warship is currently conducting flight testing off the east coast of the United States and part of that is pract
The US Coast Guard has awarded Louisiana-based Metal Shark Boats a $3 million contract for the delivery of seven response boats-small II (RB-S IIs). The boats are targeted for delivery starting in spring 2019 and will be primarily stationed in the Seattle, Washington area. The 29-foot RB-S IIs are r
