U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced that it has branded its Dual Mode Plus laser-guided bomb (LGB) as Paragon. Paragon has been integrated on the F/A-18 while F-16 test flights are planned for the second quarter of 2017. In a U.S. Navy test from August 2016, the Dual Mode Plus demonstr
U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) returned to operations in the South China Sea, March 2. Green Bay returned to sea after successfully completing exercise Cobra Gold 2017 (CG17) February 24, operating in the Gulf o
Royal Canadian Navy’s last Iroquois-class destroyer HMCS Athabaskan is set to be decommissioned at the Canadian Forces Base Halifax on March 10, after 44 years of service. The destroyer returned to her homeport on March 1 after completing the final underway of her career. During the underway, HMCS A
The Royal Navy recently hosted the first Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) conference in Portsmouth headed by Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Ben Key and Commander of UK Maritime Forces Rear Admiral Alex Burton. The UK, with partner nations Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and No
Swedish defence and security company Saab announced it has received an order for delivery of the AUV62-AT anti-submarine warfare training system. The company said deliveries would take place during 2017 and 2018 but did not disclose the customer. AUV62-AT was recently displayed and tested in the UK
Iraqi and Pakistani naval officers joined the U.S. Coast Guard for a multilateral visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Feb. 26-Mar. 9. The exercise, held at the ship-in-the-box (SIB) facility, is the first time in three years that the Iraqi and Pakistan
Divers from the New Zealand and United States Navy honed their mine-clearing skills during a two-week multinational exercise that took place in Bland Bay, Whangaruru,in February. Exercise Fulcrum, a training activity involving primarily the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and the U.S. Navy, tested div
German Navy’s K130 corvette Ludwigshafen am Rhein left her homeport of Warnemünde on February 28 to join her Swedish Navy counterpart for Baltic Sea drills. The Royal Swedish Navy is represented by the Visby-class corvette HMS Härnösand. Sweden is not a NATO member but regularly takes part in exerci
Spanish Navy frigate Reina Sofía (F-84) departed naval base Rota on February 27 to integrate into the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1). During the two and a half-month mission, the Spanish frigate will participate in several training activities with other NATO units, among them exercise Join
A Spanish Navy frigate and an auxiliary oiler left their home port in Ferrol, Spain, last weekend to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Mediterranean Sea. Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate Méndez Núñez and oiler AOR Patiño will become part of SNMG2’s Task Unit 02 (TU.02), currently under com
Canadian Navy’s coastal defence vessel HMCS Saskatoon has begun patrols in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean in support of a multinational campaign against transnational criminal organizations. Deploying under Canada’s operation HMCS Saskatoon is joining operation Martillo (Hammer), a U.S., European,
U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) returned to Changi Naval Base in Singapore, Feb. 25 following a port call in Muara, Brunei and routine patrols in the Sulu Sea and South China Sea. After completing the four-day port visit in Brunei, Coronado conducted a passing exercise and visit,
The Iranian Navy has tested the latest version of the home-made Nasr missile during naval drills held in its territorial waters. According to Iranian English-language news agency Fars News, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan said the cruise missile’s accuracy was confirmed aft
Warships from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) made a port call in Trondheim, Norway after concluding exercises in the North Atlantic off the coast of Norway. The force led and participated in two multinational exercises over the past two weeks, with more than 12 ships from several countries