Two U.S. Navy destroyers and a guided missile cruiser visited ports in three European cities on December 30 and 31. Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Monterey (CG 61) arrived in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, while Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) arrived in Split
The U.S. Coast Guard has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Ingalls Shipbuilding division a $486 million fixed-price incentive contract for the construction of the ninth National Security Cutter. NSCs are the flagships of the Coast Guard’s cutter fleet, designed to replace the 12 Hamilton-class
Sailors from Japanese destroyer JS Yuugiri (DD 153) and U.S. Navy’s USS Shiloh (CG 67) met at sea to exchange holiday gifts on December 28. A week before, sailors from Japanese helicopter carrier JS Izumo visited U.S. aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan for a gift exchange and ship tour. During the m
The U.S. Navy’s 3rd Fleet announced that ships and units from the Carl Vinson strike group (CVNSG) will depart San Diego for a regularly-scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific on January 5 and 6. The Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), Carrier Air Wing 2, and embarked Destro
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) welcomed a new commanding officer during a ceremony held at Naval Base San Diego. Commander Manuel Hernandez turned over the role of commanding officer to Commander Joshua M. Menzel. The ship’s 325 member crew, family an
The U.S. Navy’s future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) completed acceptance trials December 16 after spending two days underway off the coast of Maine. USS Rafael Peralta is the third Flight IIA Restart destroyer laid down in October 2014 and christened a year later by the
U.S. Navy sailors from the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group will arrive at their homeports December 30 following a seven-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and the Mediterranean. More than 6,000 sailors will return home just in time for New Year’s Eve celebrations. The aircraft carrie
The U.S. Navy’s unmanned helicopter, MQ-8B Fire Scout, celebrated 10 years of flight on December 18, during a ceremony at Webster Field Annex, Maryland. The helicopter flew 15,000 hours during test and real-world operations since its first flight ten years ago. Fire Scout’s next variant, the MQ-8C w
U.S. Navy’s Eisenhower carrier strike group (Ike CSG) departed the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations on December 26, six days after it set sail from the French city of Marseille. The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), guided-missile cruiser USS San Jacinto (CG 56), and guided-missil
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain arrived in Puerto Princesa, the Philippines for a brief port call on December 24. During the visit, the McCain crew will participate in a series of community service projects and sporting events. The visit comes months after
The U.S. Navy received USS Gabrielle Giffords, littoral combat ship number ten, during a ceremony held at Austal’s Mobile, Alabama shipyard. The future USS Gabrielle Giffords is the fifth Independence-variant littoral combat ship (LCS) delivered to the USN since 2009 and the fourth naval vessel deli
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) concluded its participation in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) and returned to its homeport of Everett, Washington, on December 23. During the two-month underway, Sampson became the first U.S. warship to visit New Zealand in
After 12 years of idleness in port, U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) deployed this year for a busy 2016. After six months underway, the ship is now set to return to Norfolk on December 24. Once there, Wasp will undergo a planned maintenance availability that is expected to be fin
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Cole (DDG 67) entered the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations after departing its homeport earlier his month. Cole, assigned to Commander Task Force 65, entered Europe on December 21 to conduct a regularly-scheduled deployment in support of
