Raytheon’s Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) intercepted its first ballistic missile target during a test organized by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency, the Japan ministry of defense, and U.S. Navy sailors aboard USS John Paul Jones (DDG 53). The SM-3 Block IIA is being developed cooperatively by the United
Navy ships from Australia, Great Britain, France and the U.S. concluded their participation in the multi-national exercise Unified Trident that was held in the Persian Gulf. More than 15 ships, plus numerous aircraft from the four navies completed many different evolutions from January 31 to Februar
During a December 2016 test at China Lake, the U.S. Naval Air Warfare Center’s Weapons Division-developed Spike missile, twice, demonstrated the capability of the missile to shoot down an Outlaw UAV with one shot. Spike is a forward-firing miniature munition that can be launched from the ground or t
A squadron composed of five U.S. Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft landed at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, Japan, to join the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) Carrier Strike Group. Relieving the “Liberty Bells” of VAW-115 as the early-warning squadron of the U.S. Navy’s Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, the
The Chilean Navy announced that the first of its two P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft departed the Concon Air Base to begin its modernization overhaul in Canada. The Orions will be overhauled by Canada’s IMP under a contract signed in October 2016. Under the structural mid-life upgrade modificatio
The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $45.8 million contract to deliver automatic radar periscope detection and discrimination (ARPDD) standard retrofit p-kits deployed on the navy’s MH-60R helicopters. Under the contract, Lockheed is to deliver 29 systems that will allow the helicopters to di
U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) departed her homeport of Sasebo, Japan, on January 30. During a 3-month maintenance availability that was recently completed, the crew of Bonhomme Richard preserved and refurbished the ship and had the opportunity to t
The U.S. Navy has awarded Raytheon a $56.4 million contract for repair works on the Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared System used on the navy’s F/A-18 Super Hornets. ATFLIR is a targeting pod used on F/A-18s for electro-optical/infrared imagery and target detection for air-to-air and air-t
U.S. Coast Guard cutter Kukui left its homeport of Sand Island in Honolulu one last time on January 9, exactly 19 years to the day after its commissioning. The ship and its crew of 46 are sailing the cutter to the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore for its regular scheduled midlife maintenance. When Kuku
U.S. Navy Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships USS Zephyr (PC 8) and USS Shamal (PC 13) returned to Mayport, Florida, concluding counter drug patrols in support of operation Martillo. The ships returned on January 17 wrapping up their 64-day patrol in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility. Marking
U.S. Navy’s attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan for a visit on January 17. The port visit is part of the Los Angeles-class submarine’s Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol. “We are honored to have the opportunity to visit Japan,” said Cmdr. Steven Tarr III, commandi
The U.S. Military Sealift Command’s ocean surveillance ship USNS Able (T-AGOS 20) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol. The January 16 port visit is aimed at strengthening the alliance between the U.S. and Japan through the crew’s interaction with the
Textron Systems Unmanned Systems announced on Wednesday that it began on-water testing for the fourth-generation Common Unmanned Surface Vehicle (CUSV) under the U.S. Navy’s Unmanned Influence Sweep System (UISS) program. The company said it completed the design, build and component test phases of t
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) is departing Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on January 13 for a regularly-scheduled deployment with the Carl Vinson carrier strike group to the Indo-Asia-Pacific Region. Michael Murphy will deploy with a crew of approximately 320 sailors a
