The German Navy has been forced to withdraw its only two tankers from NATO operations this year. As disclosed, the tanker oldies, Spessart and Rhön, will not be operational until the end of this year. Due to engine issues, both 1974-built ships will undergo repairs in the following months. The compl
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries another contract modification worth $27 million for work on the repairs of Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62). The destroyer was heavily damaged in a collision with Philippine-flagged merchant vessel ACX Cr
Chilean Navy’s diesel-electric submarine CS Simpson (SS 21) arrived at Naval Base Point Loma on June 26 as part of the Diesel-Electric Submarine Initiative (DESI) program. Hosted by Commander, Submarine Squadron 11 (CSS-11), the submarine and its crew will spend the next three months in San Diego, c
NATO’s Standing Maritime Group changed command in a ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 30. Commodore Mike Utley OBE formally handed over command of the SNMG2 to his Dutch counterpart Commodore Boudewijn G.F.M. Boots. This marked the end of a yearlong UK commitment leading SNMG2. Rear Admiral Jame
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman has departed the Mediterranean Sea after three months of operations and is currently working with the French Air Force in The Atlantic Ocean. From July 2 to 6, embarked aircraft from Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) are conducting integrated flight operations
The US Navy amphibious ready group led by Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) returned to homeport on June 28, after completing the Navy’s first East Coast ARG Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise. SWATT is led by mentors and warfare tactics instructors (W
The Brazilian Navy’s second upgraded Super Lynx helicopter has performed its maiden flight from Yeovil, UK. The maiden flight started from the headquarters of Leonardo Marconi Westland (LMW) and was completed on June 21, 2018, the navy said in a statement. The N-4004 aircraft, the second of the eigh
The Polish defense ministry announced on June 29 that it has awarded PGZ a contract to complete outfitting works and all trials on the offshore patrol vessel ‘Ślązak’ and subsequently deliver it to the Polish Navy. According to the announcement, Ślązak is set to start trials in July 2018 while the d
The Brazilian Navy commissioned its new helicopter carrier Atlântico (A 140) in a ceremony at the UK naval base in Devonport on June 29. Atlântico, formerly known as HMS Ocean, was bought by Brazil after the Royal Navy decommissioned it after 20 years of service. PHM Atlântico (A 140), PHM standing
European missile manufacturer MBDA has opened a new facility in Bolton, Great Britain, in a ceremony attended by UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson. During the ceremony, the defense secretary unveiled a plaque to mark the completion of five years of work and £50 million worth of investment into t
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Oklahoma City (SSN 723) returned to its homeport of Apra Harbor, Guam on June 29. Oklahoma City is returning from a four-month deployment to Indo-Pacific, where the crew executed the Chief of Naval Operations’ Maritime Strategy, supporting national se
The Royal Navy’s newest survey ship has been formally welcomed into the naval family in her home of Devonport. The commissioning ceremony for the new ship, named HMS Magpie, was held on June 28, 2018. Among the attendees was the Duke of Edinburgh, who was in charge of the previous Magpie between 195
Northrop Grumman and SeeByte have teamed up to incorporate mine hunting sensor data collected by the AQS-24B autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) into the SeeTrack system to enhance its autonomous target recognition (ATR) capability. “The merging of the unmanned surface vessel-based AQS-24B with the
After concluding international exercise Tradewinds 2018, Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Mounts Bay is touring British territories in the Caribbean region to help them prepare for this year’s storm season. The 2017 storm season was among the worst in recent memory with a succession of hurricanes batterin
