Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan returned to her homeport in Portsmouth after six months of operations as flagship of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2). During her time at the helm of SNMG2, Duncan led an international group of frigates, destroyers and patrol ships on operations in the
Australian, Japanese and US units joined forces on July 12 to sink the decommissioned ex-USS Racine (LST-1191) during a sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of RIMPAC 2018. Live fire from aircraft, a submarine, and land assets sank the former landing ship in waters 15,000 feet deep 55 nautical miles no
The US Navy’s seventh Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Wichita (LCS 13), has completed acceptance trials in the waters of Lake Michigan. The next step for the vessel will be the delivery to the US Navy which is scheduled to take place later this summer. During her trials, which t
US-based boat builder Metal Shark has teamed up with autonomous vessel technology developer ASV Global to offer an entire range of autonomous vessels. The autonomous technology – named “Sharktech” – is offered on Metal Shark’s entire portfolio of vessels, which range from 16’ to over 300’ in aluminu
The Romanian Navy has deployed a frigate and a minesweeper to join two separate NATO maritime groups for operations in the Black Sea. Frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand and Musca-class minesweeper Lt. Lupu Dinescu got underway from the naval base in Constanta on July 11 and will spend the rest of the mont
The crew of US Navy’s Virginia-class attack submarine USS John Warner (SSN 785) completed their maiden deployment as they returned to Norfolk on July 11. John Warner sailed over 30,000 nautical miles during the deployment and carried out missions in support of theater commanders. It also pinned “dol
Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll has arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, as part of her nine-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and Asia Pacific which started on June 18. The Type 23 frigate is currently visiting the Alexandria naval base to facilitate discussions between senior Egyptian and UK naval offic
US Navy’s Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) departed Virginia in late June to start the Southern Seas 2018 deployment which will see the ship and its crew operate in Latin America and the Caribbean. The ship got underway from Joint Expeditionary Base Little
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) completed a weeklong joint exercise known as French Air Defense week on July 6 and is continuing its deployment in the Atlantic. The exercise saw aircraft from Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) conducting integrated flight operations with French Naval
The US Navy has identified the sailor who died from injuries sustained in a small boat incident in the Red Sea on July 8. The sailor, assigned to the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109), was identified as Ensign Sarah Mitchell, 23, of Feasterville, Pennsylvania. M
The Ukraine-hosted and US Navy-led international exercise Sea Breeze kicked off in Odessa, Ukraine, on July 9. According to the Ukrainian defense ministry, a total of 19 nations are taking part in the drill which is aimed at enhancing interoperability among participating nations and strengthen regio
A US Navy sailor assigned to the guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) died from injuries sustained during small boat operations on July 8. According to the US Naval Forces Central Command, the sailor was medically evacuated to a hospital in Aqaba, Jordan, and was pronounced dead at 12
US Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) completed the first comprehensive Initial Operational Test and Evaluation (IOT&E) for the MQ-8C Fire Scout on June 29. The ship’s crew worked with the Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 (VX-1) for the IOT&E which will inform decision-makers on how be
US Navy destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) and command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Ukraine ahead of the start of exercise Sea Breeze 2018. Only USS Porter pulled into the Ukrainian port city of Odessa prior to the exercise. The two ships entered the Black Sea on July 6 and July
