Australian, Japanese and US units joined forces on July 12 to sink the decommissioned ex-USS Racine (LST-1191) during a sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of RIMPAC 2018. Live fire from aircraft, a submarine, and land assets sank the former landing ship in waters 15,000 feet deep 55 nautical miles no
The US Navy’s seventh Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the future USS Wichita (LCS 13), has completed acceptance trials in the waters of Lake Michigan. The next step for the vessel will be the delivery to the US Navy which is scheduled to take place later this summer. During her trials, which t
The keel has been laid for the Russian Navy’s final Project 21631 small missile ship, the country’s defense ministry said. The ceremony for the corvette Stavropol was held at Zelenodolsk Shipyard on July 12, 2018. Scheduled for delivery in 2023, Stavropol is the navy’s twelfth Project 21631 (Buyan-M
The Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5 aboard the forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Milius (DDG 69) carried out an air defense exercise (ADEX) in the Philippine Sea July 6-7. Milius is the most recent forward-deployed Navy vessel, havi
The Romanian Navy has deployed a frigate and a minesweeper to join two separate NATO maritime groups for operations in the Black Sea. Frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand and Musca-class minesweeper Lt. Lupu Dinescu got underway from the naval base in Constanta on July 11 and will spend the rest of the mont
The US Navy’s second Zumwalt-class destroyer Michael Monsoor (DDG-1001) will need a new main turbine engine after turbine blades were damaged during the ship’s acceptance trials. According to a USNI News report: Michael Monsoor will have to receive the new MT30 engine at the Bath Iron Works shipyard
Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll has arrived in Alexandria, Egypt, as part of her nine-month deployment to the Persian Gulf and Asia Pacific which started on June 18. The Type 23 frigate is currently visiting the Alexandria naval base to facilitate discussions between senior Egyptian and UK naval offic
The US Navy included senator John McCain (R-AZ) as the namesake of Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS John S. McCain in a ceremony in Yokosuka, Japan, on July 11. The destroyer was originally named after senator McCain’s father and grandfather and now honors three generations of McCain
Royal Navy Type 23 frigate HMS Northumberland formally rejoined the fleet in a rededication ceremony held at Whitehill Point Jetty in the Port of Tyne on July 6. In an unusual setting because ships are usually rededicated in their home ports, the location allowed more of the ship’s affiliates to att
US Navy’s Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 44) departed Virginia in late June to start the Southern Seas 2018 deployment which will see the ship and its crew operate in Latin America and the Caribbean. The ship got underway from Joint Expeditionary Base Little
The Royal Australian Navy has welcomed a new Chief of Navy as Vice Admiral Tim Barrett was relieved by Vice Admiral Michael Noonan in a handover ceremony at Blamey Square in Canberra. VADM Barrett told the gathering, his time as Chief has seen significant change to the RAN, thanks to hard work and d
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) completed a weeklong joint exercise known as French Air Defense week on July 6 and is continuing its deployment in the Atlantic. The exercise saw aircraft from Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) conducting integrated flight operations with French Naval
The US and Philippines navies started seven days of interactions as part of maritime training activity (MTA) Sama Sama at Naval Station Ernesto Ogbinar in San Fernando City, Philippines. The week-long engagement kicked off July 9 and will focus on the full spectrum of naval capabilities. Expeditiona
Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG) announced it has completed its final critical design review (FCDR) for the US Coast Guard’s offshore patrol cutter (OPC) program. The FCDR was accomplished on June 29, 2018, after a week of discussions, demonstrations, and design presentations by ESG’s design team to
