Operations
USNS Fall River to miss Asia Pacific mission as further repairs needed
The US Navy’s expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4) will be not be able to deploy for a scheduled mission in the Asia Pacific because of further maintenance requirements, the US Navy has announced. Fall River was set to take part in the humanitarian and disaster response-prepar
French DGA authorizes construction of five hybrid-propulsion barges for French Navy
French defense procurement agency Directorate General of Armament (DGA) has authorized companies iXblue H2X and Cegelec Defense and Naval Southeast to build five follow-on hybrid-propulsion multi-mission barges for the French Navy. The March 6 announcement follows a successful operational trial for
US, Iraq, Kuwait naval forces stage Persian Gulf drill
US Navy and Coast Guard units joined Iraqi Navy and Kuwait Naval Force and Coast Guard vessels for a trilateral exercise (TRILAT) in the Persian Gulf. The exercise concluded on February 22 and was the third of its kind executed since March 2017. The exercise was led by Task Force (TF 55) and is part
DIMDEX: Leonardo unveils new OTO Marlin 40 naval turret
Italian-based defense contractor Leonardo has unveiled its new OTO Marlin 40 naval turret at the 2018 edition of Doha International Maritime Defence Exhibition & Conference (DIMDEX) in Qatar. The new OTO Marlin 40 is a system designed for fast, lightweight vessels and suited for anti-missile defense
CMF: 132 kg of heroin found in another drug bust
Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) continued its recent string of success by seizing 132 kgs of heroin in the Arabian Sea on March 6. Her Majesty’s Australian Ship (HMAS) Warramunga boarded her third vessel in just four days, interdicting over USD 30 million worth of heroin. Combined Task Force (CTF) 15
Dutch naval ships will not take part in Atalanta in 2018
Dutch naval vessels will not participate in the European Union’s counter-piracy operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia this year. This was stated in a letter sent by Ank Bijleveld-Schouten, the country’s Minister of Defense, to the lower house of the Dutch parliament on March 7. Problems with t
Tri-nation exercise onboard Royal Australian Navy’s frigate
HMAS Toowoomba has strengthened the Royal Australian Navy’s ties to international navies after hosting personnel from the United Kingdom and New Zealand during Exercise Ocean Explorer 2018. A junior officer from each country worked onboard the frigate during navy’s premier fleet warfighting activity
Attack submarine USS Tucson returns to Pearl Harbor
The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Tucson (SSN 770) returned from a deployment to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on March 7. Tucson successfully completed a six-month Western Pacific deployment while conducting operations in support of national security. This deployment was the first fo
French destroyer seizes more than 4 tons of drugs
On 5 March 2018, the French Marine Nationale destroyer Jean de Vienne seized over four tons of hashish during an operation in the international waters of the Arabian Sea, Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) said. Jean de Vienne’s seizure is the third for CTF150 in recent days. Together with Her Majesty’s
‘Sudden turn’ of USS John S McCain caused fatal collision
A “sudden turn” by the US Navy destroyer USS John S McCain, which put it in the path of the merchant ship Alnic MC, caused the collision between the two vessels in the Singapore Strait on August 21, 2017. The USS John S McCain’s sudden turn was due to a series of missteps that took […]
USS Iwo Jima arrives in Israel for exercise Juniper Cobra 2018
US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) arrived off the coast of Israel on March 6 to take part in exercise Juniper Cobra 2018. Although Iwo Jima and the embarked 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) will not participate directly in the ballistic missile defense portion of
Contract for seventh Astute submarine in the works, UK MoD confirms
UK’s defense procurement minister Guto Bebb on March 6 informed MPs that the UK defense ministry received the treasury approval to award a construction contract for the Royal Navy’s seventh Astute-class submarine. Negotiations are still ongoing, it was noted, and the new contingent liabilities assoc
USS Nimitz dry docks for 15-month maintenance
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) entered a dry dock at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility in Bremerton on March 1, officially starting a 15-month overhaul. The carrier shifted from its homeport pier at Naval Base Kitsap to start the docking planned incre
USS Essex starts US Navy’s first ARG SWATT drill
US Navy ships from the USS Essex (LHD 2) amphibious ready group (ARG) got underway from Naval Base San Diego on March 5 to start the first Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise conducted by an ARG. The exercise is focused on advanced tactical training at sea to improve warfight