As the U.S. Navy’s 7th Fleet looks back at 2016, it looks back at a year of innovations, new partnerships and upgraded ships. Ships and personnel teamed up with allies and partner nations in more than 110 exercises to exchange information, enhance capabilities and train together throughout 2016. Maj
The British Ministry of Defence said that 2017 is set to be the year of the Royal Navy as it prepares to welcome new ships to the fleet. “We are investing billions in growing the Royal Navy for the first time in a generation with new aircraft carriers, submarines, frigates, patrol vessels and aircra
Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel ESPS Relámpago, currently part of the European Union Naval Force, met in the Gulf of Aden with Task Force 151 Pakistan Navy Ship, PNS Tariq on January 1. During the meeting, crewmembers from both ships cross-decked to the other in order to meet and share common
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) welcomed a new commanding officer during a ceremony held at Naval Base San Diego. Commander Manuel Hernandez turned over the role of commanding officer to Commander Joshua M. Menzel. The ship’s 325 member crew, family an
The U.S. Navy’s future Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) completed acceptance trials December 16 after spending two days underway off the coast of Maine. USS Rafael Peralta is the third Flight IIA Restart destroyer laid down in October 2014 and christened a year later by the
The U.S. Navy’s unmanned helicopter, MQ-8B Fire Scout, celebrated 10 years of flight on December 18, during a ceremony at Webster Field Annex, Maryland. The helicopter flew 15,000 hours during test and real-world operations since its first flight ten years ago. Fire Scout’s next variant, the MQ-8C w
The U.S. Navy has awarded Electric Boat Corp. a $34.6 million contract modification to exercise options to procure on board repair parts for Virginia-class submarines, SSN 792 and 793. Under this modification, the U.S. Navy is procuring mechanical and electronic repair parts that will be stored on t
The Russian Navy has received a new Delta IV ballistic missile submarine ‘Podmoskovye’ after the boat spent 18 years undergoing refit and modernization at the Zvezdochka shipyard. The Project 667BDRM Delfin-class (NATO classification: Delta IV) submarine had its missile compartment removed and is no
China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, started blue water drills on Saturday, heading towards the West Pacific with a carrier task group. Chinese state media reported that this was the carrier’s first “distant seas” deployment. According to China’s Xinhua news agency, the Liaoning and other s
The Blue crew of the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) returned home concluding a 92-day strategic deterrent patrol. The submarine crew entered their homeport of Naval Base Kitsap-Bangor, Washington, on December 23. “We are glad to have the USS Pennsylvan
After 12 years of idleness in port, U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) deployed this year for a busy 2016. After six months underway, the ship is now set to return to Norfolk on December 24. Once there, Wasp will undergo a planned maintenance availability that is expected to be fin
The U.S. Naval Surface Warfare Center has awarded Lockheed Martin a $150.9 million contract for the Target Sight System (TSS) on the AH-1Z Cobra attack helicopter. The TSS is a large-aperture midwave forward-looking infrared sensor with a laser designator/rangefinder turret. The system provides the
Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarine HMAS Dechaineux returned to Fleet Base West after a two-month deployment to Tasmania and New Zealand. One of the highlights of Dechaineux’s deployment was being the Royal Australian Navy representative unit at the Royal New Zealand Navy’s 75th annivers
Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minehunter HMS Shoreham has undergone an extensive refurbishment and maintenance programme carried out by Babcock in Rosyth. The shipbuilder improved the vessel’s operational capability and carried out restoration work on the glass reinforced plastic (GRP) hull. This work
