The US Navy has confirmed the choice of Lockheed Martin as the combat system ship integration & test agent for its future guided missile frigate (FFG(X)) ship program. In May this year, Lockheed decided to withdraw from the race for the construction of future frigates, adding that it would provide c
The sailors and marines aboard US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Boxer have destroyed an Iranian drone in the Strait of Hormuz on July 18, US president Donald Trump said during a White House event. While various media reports said the incident was confirmed by “senior defense officials”, Iranian o
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) has returned to the US after spending 14 years forward-deployed to Japan as part of the US 7th Fleet. The destroyer arrived at its new homeport of Naval Base San Diego on July 18. Stethem traded Fleet Activities Yokosuka with San Diego as its n
The UK is sending Type 45 destroyer HMS Duncan to the Persian Gulf in the wake of an escalation of tensions in the region following the scrapping of the Iran nuclear deal and a spate of attacks on commercial tankers. HMS Duncan was operating in the Black Sea when the ship’s new tasking was announced
Royal Navy frigate HMS Lancaster is preparing to welcome crew back on board, two years after starting her overhaul in 2017. Upgrades to the ship included the installation of the new Artisan 3D radar, improved navigational radar and the new-generation Sea Ceptor missile system which replaces the now-
MQ-8C Fire Scout, the US Navy’s new unmanned helicopter, has reached initial operational capability (IOC) after some six years of flight trials. The navy declared IOC on June 28, after the MQ-8C clocked in over 1,500 flight hours with more than 700 sorties. The sea-based, vertical lift unmanned syst
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth has carried out the first test of its two Phalanx close-in weapon systems (CIWS), engaging both air and surface targets. The trial took place on July 7, as the ship is in the final stages of preparations for a departure to the US coast where it will wr
Ships and submarines from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) are taking part in the anti-submarine warfare exercise Dynamic Mongoose in the Norwegian Sea and across the Article Circle. The group shifted into the new area of operations from the Baltic Sea where it completed its participation in
UK’s Royal Marines have tested their ability to take out airborne targets with a new laser-guided missile system on the ranges in south Wales. Air Defence Troop of Plymouth-based 30 Commando IX Group is the first sub unit to use the fresh-out-the-packet Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) system. Th
The Romanian authorities have selected French Naval Group and its Romanian partner Santierul Naval Constanta (SNC) for the program to build four new Gowind multi-mission corvettes. In addition, Naval Group and SNC will modernize the T22 frigates and create a maintenance center and a training center.
The ineffective crew training about the use of onboard electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) might have led to the grounding of the Australian Border Force cutter Roebuck Bay, a new investigation shows. In September 2017, the ABFC Roebuck Bay grounded on Henry Reef in the Great Bar
The US Navy’s littoral combat ship (LCS) 17, the future USS Indianapolis, has completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan, Lockheed Martin said. This is the ship’s final significant milestone before its delivery later this year. The trials included a full-power run, maneuverability testing, and sur
On June 19, 2019, Commodore Dean Bassett became the new Deputy Commander of Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) at a ceremony in Bahrain. Commodore Steve Dainton handed over the reins to Commodore Bassett after more than two years as Deputy Commander CMF (DCCMF) and United Kingdom Maritime Component Comm
The US Navy released a request for proposals (RFP) for the guided missile frigate FFG(X) detail design and construction contract on June 20. Now Austal, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Fincantieri Marinette Marine and General Dynamics Bath Iron Works will compete for the contract to build the first 1
