The Italian Navy-hosted mine countermeasure exercise MINEX 2019 concluded off the coast of Sicily on May 30 after 10 days of evolutions. In addition to Italian and Spanish MCM assets, the exercise was joined by NATO’s Standing Mine Counter Measures Group Two (SNMCMG2). The exercise was aimed at prac
The US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) has completed a series of tactical air defense and fighter control exercises with Portuguese Navy and Air Force counterparts. The exercises were conducted off the coast of Portugal on May 27, 2019. The drill began with Ross
The US Navy’s second Ford-class aircraft carrier, the future USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79), received the flight deck island in a May 29 ceremony that coincided with the birthday of the ship’s namesake. “Landing the island is a key milestone in preparing the ship for launch in the fall,” said Jennifer
The crew of Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat seized over AU$1 billion worth of drugs during her nine months of operations in the Middle East. The frigate achieved this by seizing over 12.9 tonnes of hashish, 1.4 tonnes of heroin and a small amount of methyl amphetamines, with a combined w
Montreal-based CAE announced it has received a contract from Lockheed Martin to begin work on the design phase of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Canadian Surface Combatant (CSC) ship program. During the design phase over the next several years, CAE will support combat systems training needs analysis and
The lead ship of the US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carriers marked the end of its 15-month docking planned incremental availability as it concluded at-sea training on May 28. USS Nimitz (CVN 68) crew finished the maintenance availability at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, and are now look
Lockheed Martin will not be pitching an upgraded version of its Freedom-class littoral combat ship for the US Navy’s next-generation guided-missile frigate FFG(X) competition. This was first reported by USNI News, who further said the company informed the navy about its decision on May 23. Lockheed
French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle has arrived in Singapore where the French defense minister will be taking part in the Shangri-La Dialogue from May 31 to June 2. Singapore’ Changi Naval Base is the farthest port call of the aircraft carrier’s deployment as part of operation Clemencau 201
A nine-ship task group has gathered off the Danish coast to start operations as part of a UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force. The group will work together in the first act of the two-month-long Operation Baltic Protector, designed to demonstrate the resolve of the UK, its allies and nations in the reg
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) and some ships from Carrier Strike Group Nine (CSG-9) wrapped up their participation Alaska’s largest biannual joint-military training exercise on may 24. US Navy assets were joined by US Air Force, US Army, and Marine Corps service members fo
The US Coast Guard received its 34th fast response cutter (FRC), William Hart, from shipbuilder Bollinger Shipyards on May 23. The cutter was handed over in Florida and will be the third of three FRCs stationed in Honolulu. William Hart, the cutter’s namesake, received the Gold Lifesaving Medal for
Taiwan has kicked off construction of three Tuo Chiang-class missile corvettes and four next-generation minelayers in a ceremony attended by the country’s president Tsai Ing-wen on May 24. The three catamaran corvettes are being built by Lung Teh Shipbuilding and will displace 680 tons at a length o
The Italian Navy’s new landing helicopter dock (LHD) Trieste was launched in a ceremony at Fincantieri’s Castellammare di Stabia shipyard on May 25. The multirole and multipurpose amphibious vessel was launched in the presence of Italian president Sergio Mattarella and the Italian Navy chief Adm. Va
The landing helicopter dock is scheduled to be launched this month.