The US Navy amphibious ready group led by Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) returned to homeport on June 28, after completing the Navy’s first East Coast ARG Surface Warfare Advanced Tactical Training (SWATT) exercise. SWATT is led by mentors and warfare tactics instructors (W
The Polish defense ministry announced on June 29 that it has awarded PGZ a contract to complete outfitting works and all trials on the offshore patrol vessel ‘Ślązak’ and subsequently deliver it to the Polish Navy. According to the announcement, Ślązak is set to start trials in July 2018 while the d
Singapore has taken over the command of Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) from Japan in a change of command ceremony held at the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain on June 28. Rear Admiral Saw Shi Tat, Republic of Singapore Navy relieved Rear Admiral Daisuke Kajimoto of the Japan Maritime Self Def
European missile manufacturer MBDA has opened a new facility in Bolton, Great Britain, in a ceremony attended by UK defense secretary Gavin Williamson. During the ceremony, the defense secretary unveiled a plaque to mark the completion of five years of work and £50 million worth of investment into t
The Royal Navy’s newest survey ship has been formally welcomed into the naval family in her home of Devonport. The commissioning ceremony for the new ship, named HMS Magpie, was held on June 28, 2018. Among the attendees was the Duke of Edinburgh, who was in charge of the previous Magpie between 195
A new training and capability center at HMAS Stirling and Henderson which will support the Australian Navy’s new SEA 5000 frigates – to be built by BAE Systems – will benefit from an AU$670 million investment, the Australian government has announced. To be known as ‘Ship Zero’, the center will trans
Northrop Grumman and SeeByte have teamed up to incorporate mine hunting sensor data collected by the AQS-24B autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) into the SeeTrack system to enhance its autonomous target recognition (ATR) capability. “The merging of the unmanned surface vessel-based AQS-24B with the
BAE Systems has beaten its Spanish and Italian competitors in a bid to build a fleet of nine frigates for the Royal Australian Navy. The Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the decision on Friday. Once in Royal Australian Navy service, the frigates will be referred to as the Hunter-
Mine countermeasure assets from the US and Royal Navy teamed up recently to test their skills during a major exercise in the Persian Gulf. The Royal Navy’s entire presence in the Middle East was engaged in Mine Countermeasures Exercise 18-2, designed to see how the navies of Britain and the USA can
The US Naval Oceanography’s Fleet Survey Team (FST) and Naval Oceanography Mine Warfare Center (NOMWC) recently joined the Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) exercise for an opportunity to develop interoperability with European allies in mine countermeasure operations. FST and the Hydrographic Support Squa
The US State Department has approved a potential sale of Aegis combat system equipment for the Royal Australian Navy’s new SEA5000 frigates. The approved $185 million sale would include equipment associated with the integration of the Australian CEAFAR 2 phased array radar system with the Lockheed M
The navies of India and Bangladesh kicked off their first ever coordinated patrol (IN-BN CORPAT) from the Bangladesh port city of Chittagong on June 25. The Indian Navy sent frigate INS Satpura and corvette INS Kadmatt to take part in the patrol. Bangladesh contributed frigate Abu Bakr and corvette
The US Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. John Richardson has visited Norway and the UK to strengthen maritime partnerships and international relationships. While in Norway from June. 24 to 26, Richardson was hosted by his counterpart, Chief of the Royal Norwegian Navy Rear Adm. Nils Andreas Stens
Huntington Ingalls Industries’ Newport News Shipbuilding division has entered into an agreement with the Commonwealth of Virginia to support its major hiring initiative. Gov. Ralph Northam announced June 26 that various state agencies and regional community colleges would work with Newport News to a
