The US Navy accepted delivery of the future littoral combat ship USS Tulsa (LCS 16) during a ceremony in Mobile, Alabama, April 30. The delivery marks the official transfer of LCS-16 from the shipbuilder, an Austal USA-led team, to the navy. It is the final milestone prior to commissioning, which is
Navantia Australia has selected another Australian company that would join it in its bid for the Royal Australian Navy’s Future Frigate program. Scientific Management Associates (SMA) has been selected to develop and deliver specialized integrated logistics system (ILS) documentation for Navantia’s
General Dynamics unit has been awarded a $38.4 million contract to staff and operate the US Navy’s nuclear regional maintenance department (NRMD) in Connecticut in support of returning mission-ready submarines to the fleet. General Dynamics Electric Boat (GDEB) will provide services to support requi
The newly commissioned Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) is scheduled to arrive at its homeport of Naval Station Everett on April 27, the US Navy said. Ralph Johnson will be the sixth US Navy destroyer homeported in Everett, including USS Momsen (DDG 92), USS S
The Italian Navy has taken delivery of its newest frigate, Federico Martinengo. The delivery ceremony took place at Fincantieri’s Muggiano shipyard, La Spezia, on April 24. The newbuild is the seventh of a series of ten vessels of the FREMM program – Multi Mission European Frigates – commissioned to
US and Royal Thai Navy (RTN) ships and submarines are teaming up for a five-day anti-submarine and maritime domain awareness exercise which will be taking place in the Andaman Sea from April 25. The exercise is called Guardian Sea and will involve cooperative evolutions designed to enhance mutual ca
The US Navy has formally established Commander, Surface Division ELEVEN (COMSURFACEDIV 11), a littoral combat ship surface warfare division of the San Diego-based LCSRON-1 squadron. While the COMSURFACEDIV 11 has been operating as an official command since March 9, a formal ceremony was held Apr. 20
Australian shipbuilder Australian Submarine Corporation (ASC) is likely to lay off more than 200 workers as work on the Air Warfare Destroyers (AWD) winds down. A total of 197 jobs, which the Australian Manufacturing Workers’ Union says are “permament, highly-skilled jobs”, will reportedly be cut. W
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) departed her homeport at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for the final time on April 20, as she headed for Bremerton, Washington to begin the inactivation and decommissioning process. As Bremerton departed, sailors, submarine veterans, fri
The Australian government on April 23 released its Defence Industrial Capability Plan which is aimed at developing a “robust, resilient and internationally competitive Australian defence industry base.” The plan is designed to maximize the involvement of competitive Australian companies in the acqui
The US State Department has approved the sale of eight Sikorsky MH-60R Seahawk multi-mission helicopters to Mexico under a deal worth an estimated $1.20 billion. The potential acquisition of the helicopters would boost Mexico’s ability to carry out anti-surface and anti-submarine warfare missions an
The US Navy’s eleventh San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Portland (LPD 27) is entering service in a ceremony on Saturday, April 21, at the Port of Portland, Marine Terminal 2 in Portland, Oregon. Deputy secretary of defense Patrick M. Shanahan will deliver the ceremony’s principal addr
The UK defense secretary cut the first turf on April 19 for a new facility at RAF Lossiemouth which will house the UK’s new fleet of Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA). The £132m site will be the future home to the country’s nine-strong, new P-8A Poseidon MPA fleet. The aircraft’s key role will
Naval units from the US and Colombia are taking part in the Peru-hosted Silent Forces Exercise (SIFOREX) 2018 which began in Lima, Peru on April 16. SIFOREX is a naval exercise that focuses on anti-submarine warfare (ASW) proficiency and presents the US Navy with an opportunity to hone ASW operation
