The 13th iteration of the Australian-hosted multinational maritime exercise Kakadu 2016 began with an opening ceremony on September 12 in Darwin, Australia. Exercise Kakadu is the Royal Australian Navy’s premier exercise and provides an opportunity for regional nations to participate in multinationa
A contingent of Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 7 staff embarked aboard amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) on September 11, to serve as the sea combat commander (SCC) for the expeditionary strike group during the upcoming joint exercise Valiant Shield. This will be the second time DESR
Units from Standing NATO Mine Countermeasures Group One (SNMCMG1) destroyed eight historic ordnance mines during the Norwegian MINEX exercise which was completed August 25, in Trondheim, Norway. The exercise involved minesweeping ships from five NATO allies sweeping sections of Norway’s coastal wate
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown, currently part of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2, recently conducted a cooperative boarding on the Togolese flag merchant vessel (MV) Byblos as part of NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation Active Endeavour. HMCS Charlottetown (FFH 339) conducted this c
U.S. Navy’s Boxer Amphibious Ready Group is set to return to Naval Base San Diego from a seven-month deployment, Sept. 12. BOXARG is made up of amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD 4), amphibious transport dock ship USS New Orleans (LPD 18), and amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD
The U.S. Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Northrop Grumman a $108,118,000 contract to deliver another ten Fire Scout MQ-8C unmanned air systems. Fire Scout is an unmanned helicopter system that provides real-time intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) to the U.S. Navy. There are tw
One of the Royal New Zealand Air Force’s (RNZAF) newly acquired fleet of Seasprite helicopters is embarking on its first operational mission with an offshore patrol vessel (OPV) to help transport 23 government staff and about seven tonnes of vital equipment and supplies to the remote Kermadec Island
American defense company General Dynamics said its Bluefin-21 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) successfully launched multiple Bluefin SandShark micro-autonomous underwater vehicles (M-AUV) as part of several capability demonstrations at the U.S. Navy sponsored 2016 Annual Naval Technology Exercis
Several NATO ships arrived at Naval Base Halifax on September 8 to take part in the Canadian Navy-hosted anti-submarine warfare drill Cutlass Fury. Canadian Navy ships Fredericton, Athabaskan, Summerside, Montreal, Goose Bay and Windsor will participate in the exercise with ships from the U.S. Navy,
The People’s Liberation Army Navy announced it would hold gun-firing drills in the Bohai Strait and the Yellow Sea from September 10 – 13. As a result of this, commercial vessels will be prohibited from entering areas where the exercises are to be held, according to the Wilhelmsen Ships Service. Mor
The 2016 edition of the largest annual multilateral disaster relief preparedness mission Pacific Partnership concluded in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. The mission was led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 23, embarked aboard hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19). Approximately 1,200 military and civi
In late August, the US Navy staged an anti-submarine warfare drill in the Arabian Sea which was joined by British, French and Australian Navy assets. Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Perth joined USS Nitze and USS Mason which also had MH-60R flights embarked. Also involved were the Los Angeles cla
The Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) Formidable-class frigate RSS Steadfast called at the People’s Liberation Army (Navy)’s [PLA(N)] Yangzijiang Naval Jetty in Shanghai on September 8. According to Singapore Navy, the port call from 8 to 11 September 2016 will see an exchange of ship visits betwee
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Perth, currently conducting security operations in the Middle East region as part of Operation Manitou is joined by the new MH-60R or ‘Romeo’ Seahawk helicopter. This is the Navy’s 63rd Middle East rotation and the first time an Australian warship has deployed with
