Operations
Bahrain-based Royal Navy minehunters visit Qatar
HMS Brocklesby and Shoreham, two of the UK’s Persian Gulf-based minehunters, sailed from Bahrain to Doha to give the Qatari Navy an insight into the Royal Navy’s work in the region. Joint training with the Qatari Emiri Naval Forces was conducted both in their base and then out in the gulf. The Qatar
Mexican Navy MI-17 helicopter filmed crashing into sea
One sailor is missing and two are in critical condition following the crash of a Mexican Navy MI-17 helicopter off the coast of Baja California on October 20. The helicopter was filmed crashing into the sea after the pilot lost control during regular patrol activities. According to the Mexican Navy,
US Navy christening two Virginia-class submarines in one day
The US Navy will christen two Virginia-class submarines in two separate ceremonies on Saturday, October 20. The first ceremony starts at 10 a.m. EDT at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, in Newport News, Virginia, where the future USS Delaware (SSN 791) will be c
Troubled US Coast Guard icebreaker returns from six-month overhaul
US Coast Guard’s 42-year-old icebreaker Polar Star arrived at its Seattle homeport following a six-month maintenance period at Mare Island Dry Dock in Vallejo, California. The icebreaker received extensive repairs and upgrades to engineering and electronic systems while completing the dry dock avail
F-35Bs flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth drop first test bombs
F-35 Lightning fighter jets have dropped first test bombs during flight trials on board the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth. The inert GBU-12 Paveway II laser-guided precision bombs were dropped off the east coast of the USA, marking another significant milestone in the carrier’s tri
USS Abraham Lincoln undergoing pierside maintenance ahead of COMPTUEX
US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) is currently at pier 14, Naval Station Norfolk, where sailors are performing maintenance in support of the ship’s pierside shipyard availability period. This maintenance phase is designed to ensure Abraham Lincoln is capable of car
Kearsarge ARG completes live-fire missile exercise
US Navy ships assigned to the Kearsarge amphibious ready group (ARG) completed a live-fire missile exercise (MISSILEX) on October 14. Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) fired one RIM-7P missile from the NATO Sea Sparrow missile launcher and successfully engaged a target simulat
Iwo Jima ESG ships enter European waters ahead of NATO drill Trident Juncture
Ships assigned to the US Navy’s Iwo Jima expeditionary strike group (IWOESG) have entered the US 6th Fleet area of operations as part of a deployment in support of NATO exercise Trident Juncture 18. The strike group will join the Harry S. Truman carrier strike group and US 6th Fleet flagship USS Mou
RFA Lyme Bay joins Anglo-Omani drill Saif Sareea 3
Royal Fleet Auxiliary amphibious support ship RFA Lyme Bay has arrived at the port of Duqm in Oman to join the Anglo-Omani exercise Saif Sareea 3. The 16,000-ton ship sailed 5,000 miles from Falmouth to Duqm, where Britain has permanent facilities to support naval operations in the region. The port
Attack submarine USS Newport News returns from 7-month deployment
US Navy’s Los Angeles fast-attack submarine USS Newport News (SSN 750) wrapped up a seven-month deployment, returning to Naval Station Norfolk on October 13. The submarine and her crew operated in the US 6th Fleet area of operations, visiting UK submarine base HMNB Clyde at Faslane several times dur
Royal Navy starts F-35B rolling vertical landing trials
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth was at the center of an important milestone for the F-35 program as an F-35B performed the first ever shipborne rolling vertical landing (SRVL) British test pilot Peter Wilson conducted the landing this weekend. Previously the jets have conducted only
Canadian ships to join US-Japanese drill Keen Sword for first time ever
Two Royal Canadian Navy ships will be joining US and Japan Self Defense Force units for exercise Keen Sword which is scheduled to start on October 29. According to the US Navy, this will be the first time Canadian Navy ships are taking part in the maritime portion of the exercise. While the US Navy
Kearsarge amphibious ready group starts final pre-deployment exercise
Ships assigned to the Kearsarge amphibious ready group (ARG) departed Naval Station Norfolk on October 13 to start the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX). COMPTUEX is the final pre-deployment exercise that certifies the ARG’s abilities to conduct military operations at sea and project power
US destroyer Shoup on second Fiji stop in two weeks
Days after wrapping up the deployment’s first Fiji port call, US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) returned to Suva, Fiji, on October 14. USS Shoup previously arrived in Suva as part of the ship’s Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) deployment on October 3. The US Navy did not