Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 34, the last US Navy squadron flying the legacy F/A-18C Hornet aircraft, hosted a sundown ceremony and fly-over for the aircraft at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, Va., Feb. 1. Active duty service members, aviation leadership, local media and visitors were i
Shipbuilder General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) on February 1 hosted a keel laying ceremony for the future USS Carl M. Levin (DDG 120) at its shipyard in Bath, Maine. Sen. Levin and the ship’s sponsors, his three daughters, Kate Levin Markel, Erica Levin, and Laura Levin, authenticated the keel b
The US Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries-Newport News Shipbuilding (HII-NNS) a contract for the construction of two new Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers, CVN 80 and CVN 81, in a bid to achieve cost savings by ordering the two ships at once. As per the navy, the savings exceed $4 b
The US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for the development of an undersea autonomous system that can navigate to and physically manipulate objects on the sea floor. The autonomous unmanned underwater vehicles are to be developed as part of th
The US Navy has sent a destroyer and a replenishment oiler through the Taiwan Strait on January 24, in the third such move in four months. US Navy ships previously made the transits in October and November 2018. The ships involved in the Thursday’s operation were destroyer USS McCampbell and repleni
Northrop Grumman Corporation has received green light to start low rate initial production of Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program (SEWIP) Block 3 systems following a Milestone C decision for the SEWIP Block 3 AN/SLQ-32(V)7 program. Milestone C is a government led review to assess a progra
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Lockheed Martin Rotary and Mission Systems a $77.7 million contract for production of the US Navy’s AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 surface ship undersea warfare system (UWS). The AN/SQQ-89A(V)15 is a combat system that allows surface combatants to search, detect, classi
Lockheed Martin announced it has received a $172 million contract from the US Navy and Air Force for Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) production. The contract continues the production for the air-launched variant of LRASM, including a full production run of missiles and engineering support. This
US Navy ships from the Wasp amphibious ready group (ARG) met up with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) amphibious transport dock ship, JS Kunisaki (LST 4003), for two days of exercises on January 11 and 12. During the cooperative deployment, ARG ships and JS Kunisaki conducted communication
The US Navy’s 79th Arleigh Burke-class destroyer will be named after navy Vietnam veteran, Navy Cross recipient, and former US Senator from Alabama, Admiral Jeremiah Denton. “Admiral Denton’s legacy is an inspiration to all who wear our nation’s uniform,” said Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spence
US Navy destroyer USS McCampbell carried out a South China Sea freedom of navigation operation on Monday, sailing within 12 miles of the Paracel Island chain. According to media reports, the Yokosuka-homeported destroyer sailed near three islands in the chain which is claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan b
The US Navy’s third Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyer will be named in honor of US senator Ted Stevens, who represented Alaska from 1968 to 2009, US Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer has announced. “Senator Stevens was a staunch supporter of a strong Navy and Marine Corps team who served our
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems a $78.8 million contract for the maintenance and modernization of Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86). The value of the competitively awarded contract could reach $87.6 million if all options are exercised. “The Sho
The Brazilian Navy received its third and final H225M helicopter in the combat search and rescue (CSAR) configuration from Airbus’ Brazilian subsidiary Helibras. Delivered on December 27 at the Helibras facility in Itajubá, the helicopter is the last CSAR configured H225M and the tenth of overall 16
