Babcock has successfully delivered a long term contract to upgrade the 4.5 inch Mk8 naval gun to Mod1 standard, with the completion June of the last gun system upgrade to programme and cost. Babcock undertook the first Mk8 Mod1 upgrade under the contract in 2005. The seven year programme has involve
A further milestone has been reached in the assembly of the first of the UK’s new Queen Elizabeth Class aircraft carriers by Babcock at Rosyth, where the massive Super Block 03 (SB03) has been moved 90 metres north to meet Lower Block 02 (LB02) in a major hydraulic skidding operation, as part of Ass
Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare today announced the launch of the second Landing Helicopter Dock (LHD) at the Navantia shipyard in Spain. The launch represented a major milestone in the shipbuilding process and was attended by the Chief of Navy, Vice
First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Mark Stanhope gave a keynote speech yesterday to international naval leaders, historians and maritime experts, underlining the importance of the aircraft carrier to the future of the Navy – and the nation. Addressing the Future Maritime Operations Conference at the globall
Brand-new £1bn destroyer HMS Dragon saluted the seven cruise ships of world’s famous P&O line last night as they gathered in the Solent to mark the firm’s 175th birthday. The seven liners – displacing more than half a million tonnes in total – conducted a sail past out of Southampton, with HMS Drago
USS Constitution and her crew got underway for her annual July 4th turnaround cruise in Boston Harbor, July 4. The cruise was Constitution’s second of 2012 and one of the last major events of Boston Navy Week, June 28-July 5. “There is simply no better way to celebrate Independence Day than being on
HMCS Regina departed Esquimalt, B.C., July 3, 2012 for the Arabian Sea region. Regina will replace HMCS Charlottetown on Operation Artemis, Canada’s contribution to Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) to conduct maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea region. “HMCS Regina’s deployment to the A
The guided missile frigate USS Carr (FFG 52) arrived in Santa Marta, Colombia, for their first Caribbean port visit, June 28, during their deployment in support of Operation Martillo. Carr visited Santa Marta following a month at sea conducting operations to counter transnational organized crime (CT
Guided-missile frigate USS Nicholas (FFG 47) with an embarked U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Law Enforcement Detachment Team (LEDET) employed airborne use of force (AUF) to stop a vessel suspected of transporting illegal drugs, June 19 in support of Operation Martillo. The interdiction operation recovered
HMNZS TE KAHA and HMNZS ENDEAVOUR sailed from Devonport Naval base at the beginning of June bound for Hawaii and Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC 2012), being conducted from 29 June to 3 August. Other units from the NZ Defence Force are also taking part in the exercise—the Operational Diving Team
One of the Royal Navy’s newest warships HMS Diamond has been working with one of her French counterpart near-identical twin ships in the Mediterranean Sea. The Type 45 destroyer took part in a series of exercises with FS Forbin, a French Horizon Class destroyer which looks similar to the Royal Navy’
Members of the Navy League of the United States, Portland Council, visited submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40), after the ship received a 30 million dollar overhaul, June 23. “Not many Navy ships come to Portland so I think for the Navy League it was helpful for them to come on the ship and [&h
The Brazilian Navy has taken delivery of Amazonas, the first of three Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPVs) from BAE Systems at Portsmouth Naval Base, US, on Friday morning, June 29, as part of the £133 million deal it struck earlier this year. Originally the three ships were to be built for Trinidad and T
Sailors and Marines aboard multipurpose amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) are finding new ways to express themselves while on deployment thanks to the Iwo Coffeehouse, June 19. The ship’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation department sponsors the biweekly coffeehouse which offers Sailors and
