Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 101, the U.S. Navy’s first F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft squadron, completed its first flight Aug. 14 in its new aircraft at the squadron’s home at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The 1.3 hour flight was made by VFA-101 naval aviator Lt. Cmdr. Chris Tabert. The
Royal Navy warship HMS Lancaster recently paid a formal visit to Kingston on the island of Jamaica. The Type-23 frigate arrived in the Commonwealth Realm on her emancipation day; marking 51 years since she gained independence. The visit comes after the completion of Lancaster’s first counter narcoti
Four defense industry leaders, namely Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc., the Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. have each been awarded $15 million firm-fixed-price contract for a preliminary design review assessment for the Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborn
The “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 conducted an airborne change of command ceremony in the skies above the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), Aug. 13, in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. Cmdr. Thomas F. Foster, from New Castle, Del., relieved Cmdr. Peter M. Collins, from P
Pacific Partnership 2013 concluded its final mission port, the Solomon Islands, Aug. 13. U.S. Navy forces were joined by several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and regional partners that included Australia, Canada, Colombia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and New Zealand wit
The crew of a Royal Navy warship has seized a massive 680-kilogram stash of cocaine with an estimated street value of £100 million. HMS Lancaster made the bust after sailors boarded a speedboat near Puerto Rico. The boat, which was concealed by a tarpaulin, was spotted by a US Customs and Border Pro
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82) arrived in Sydney for a port visit, Aug. 14. “The Sailors for the first time in a while have a chance to go to a port where they felt like they’re home,” said Lassen’s Command Master Chief Jason Haka. “Australia is one of our close
USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) hosted U.S. and foreign flag and general officers from throughout Europe, Aug. 11 in support of regional maritime partnerships. U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, commander, Supreme Allied Command, Europe (SACEUR); U.S. Navy Adm. Bruce Clingan, commander, Allied Joint
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma returned Monday to its homeport of Kittery, Maine after a 42-day patrol conducting training and operations in the Windward Passage off the northern coast of Haiti. Tahoma’s crew spent the first two weeks of the patrol in Little Creek, Va., conducting a Limited Trai
Twenty-three midshipmen departed from guided-missile destroyer USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) after almost three weeks aboard the ship Aug. 10. While on board, these aspiring officers, who came from the U.S. Naval Academy and various Navy Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) units throughout the U.S., wer
On Sunday, 11 August 2013, the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Philip Breedlove, visited the USS Harry S. Truman, a United States nuclear powered aircraft carrier, while it was transiting the Mediterranean on its way to support Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the Central Command’s are
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works has won a USD 9 million worth cost-plus-award-fee order to previously awarded basic ordering agreement to provide material and labor in support of the post-shakedown availability (PSA) for the lead ship of the Independence-class littoral combat ships, the USS Indepen
BAE Systems has received a $6.9 million modification to a previously awarded multi-ship, multi-option cost-plus incentive fee contract to provide for the availability of Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser serving in the United States Navy, the USS Vicksburg (CG 69). The contract includes ship
The U.S. Navy is participating in Exercise Reliant Mermaid in the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 12-15. Reliant Mermaid, now in its 12th iteration, is a maritime search and rescue exercise designed to increase interoperability by developing individual and collective maritime proficiencies, as well as promo
