Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) took part in the Petty Officer 1st Class Navy-wide advancement exam on the ship’s forward mess decks, March 1. The Navy-wide advancement exams take place for qualified enlisted Sailors E-3 to E-5 twice a year. The exams tests a Sailor’s knowled
Amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) held a change of command ceremony at sea in the Arabian Gulf, Feb. 29. Capt. Cedric E. Pringle relieved Capt. Jim Landers as commanding officer. Pringle becomes the ship’s third commanding officer since commissioning in 2009. For the past 18 months, P
Guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) completed two days of participation for Exercise Obangame Express 2012, Feb. 29. Obangame Express is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve cooperation among participating nations in order to increase maritime safety and security in the Gulf of Gu
Amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) earned the Battle “E” award for the second consecutive year Feb. 27 for its performance, demonstrating the highest state of battle readiness in 2011. The award, announced via naval message, recognizes sustained superior performance in an operation
African sailors who spent 27 days aboard guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) as part of Africa Partnership Station (APS) 2012, departed Simpson, Feb. 27. The 10 APS shipriders came from the navies of Benin, Cameroon, Gabon, Nigeria, the Republic of Congo and Togo. The shipriders got aboard S
Multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) held a change of command ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk Feb. 28. Capt. Grady Banister relieved Capt. Thomas Chassee as commanding officer. “I would like to say one last time what an honor and privilege it has been to be a part of Iwo Jima’
The U. S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Bath Iron Works, a subsidiary of General Dynamics , a $663 million modification to a previously awarded contract to construct DDG 116, an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer. DDG 116 is the fourth ship in the Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class constructio
Huntington Ingalls Industries has appointed Marty Erdossy as corporate director of customer relations for the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) division. Erdossy is responsible for liaising with the U.S. Navy, HII’s Washington, D.C., office and aircraft carrier programs at NNS to respond to
Marinette Marine Corp, a parent company of Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani SpA, has invested around $40 million in upgrading its facilities as part of the U.S. Navy littoral combat ship program. For the past two years, massive improvement works have been done at the shipyard all in order to s
Quantum Stabilizers, Inc. of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida have been recently awarded the contract for the refit and upgrade of the hydraulic stabilizer systems for the USCG’s next four WMEC 270 medium endurance cutters. After a successful development and delivery of the first system that was installed on
The guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) departed Naval Station Norfolk today on a regularly scheduled deployment to the Arabian Sea to participate in counter-piracy operations. The crew, commanded by Cmdr. Daniel J. Gillen, has been preparing for this deployment since they returned from the
United States Ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, and US Consul General in Perth, Aleisha Woodward, today visited Austal’s Henderson facility. There they met with Austal’s Chairman John Rothwell after touring the facility where the designs for the US Navy’s Independence-variant Littoral Combat
Members of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, embarked aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Halsey (DDG 97), met with Russian leadership aboard the Russian anti-submarine warfare ship Admiral Tributs, Feb. 19. The meeting gave the two naval leaders the opportunity to discuss counter-piracy operations and
The U.S. Navy has exercised contract options funding the construction of the eighth and ninth Joint High Speed Vessel (JHSV), as part of a ten-ship program potentially worth over US$1.6 billion. The construction contract for these vessels is valued at approximately US$321.7 million. Austal USA’s Pre
