The New Zealand government has approved NZ$103 million for the purchase and refit of a second-hand multi-role offshore support vessel that will be used as a dive and hydrographic support vessel by the Royal New Zealand Navy. Following purchase, the 85-meter Norwegian-built survey vessel MV Edda Fonn
Russia’s third Project 11356 frigate, the Admiral Makarov, transited the English Channel on August 20 as she sails for her new homeport in the Black Sea. The 4,000-ton Admiral Grigorovich-class frigate was escorted through the Channel by Portsmouth-based minehunter HMS Hurworth and a Wildcat HMA2 he
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems a $146.3 million contract for the modernization of Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64). The cruiser modernization contract for BAE Systems is similar to the one awarded to GD NASSCO for the modernization of USS Cowpens (CG 63) on
The US Navy is expected to dispatch a hospital ship to Colombia with the aim of helping local health workers respond to an ever increasing number of Venezuelan refugees arriving in Colombia and other South American countries. The deployment of USNS Comfort was confirmed by US defense secretary Jim M
The crew of Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Daring will be awarded a new medal clasp for bravery shown during Bab al-Mandeb strait escort missions in 2016. Announcing the recognition, the Royal Navy said HMS Daring sailors braved the threat of missile attack to protect merchant ships in the Middle
Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarine HMAS Sheean returned home to Fleet Base West after almost three months of operations in the Indo-Pacific. The navy did not reveal which exercises the submarine joined and how many port visits the crew made. The only known port visit was the one to Mala
The US Navy has identified a Marine who was reported missing from the USS Essex on August 9 has been identified as Cpl. Jonathan Currier. After a five-day search in the Mindanao Sea, which involved the Essex amphibious ready group (ARG) and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in addition to Phi
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to get underway from HMNB Portsmouth on Saturday for her first-of-class F-35B flight trials. The deployment is dubbed Westlant 18 and will see the carrier spend four months off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States with the aim of deve
US Navy and Coast Guard personnel wrapped up a trilateral exercise with the navies of Iraq and Kuwait in the Northern Persian Gulf. The exercise concluded August 15 and focused on improving collective proficiency in maritime security tactics between the three nations and ensuring the freedom of navi
The Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet corvette Vyshny Volochyok transited the Bosphorus on August 16 to start her first Mediterranean Sea deployment. The Buyan-M class vessel is starting the deployment after entering service in May this year and becoming the first corvette in its class to join the Blac
The Royal Netherlands Navy offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Friesland has seized 406 kilos of cocaine from a vessel in a joint operation with the Sint Maarten coast guard. The drugs were seized on Thursday after a suspect vessel was spotted by Friesland’s NH90 helicopter. According to the Dutch Navy, th
The UK Royal Navy and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force are scheduled to conduct their first joint amphibious exercise in Japanese waters next week. Taking place on August 23 and 24, the exercise will be spearheaded by Royal Navy amphibious assault ship HMS Albion and the JMSDF tank landing ship
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) a $147.6 million contract for work on the modernization of Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63). This is a “long-term” availability which will include a combination of m
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montreal arrived at Halifax Shipyard August 13 for a 53-week docking work period (DWP) which will include both routine maintenance and upgrades. HMCS Montreal is the third consecutive Halifax-class frigate from the navy’s east coast fleet to enter the Halifax Shipyar
