Northrop Grumman Corporation will build five additional U.S. Navy MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopters, which allow ship commanders to extend their intelligence-gathering capabilities far beyond the horizon. Final assembly of the aircraft will take place at the company’s Unmanned Systems Center i
U.S. Navy engineers are making final adjustments to a laser weapon prototype that will be the first of its kind to deploy aboard a ship late this summer. The prototype, an improved version of the Laser Weapon System (LaWS), will be installed on USS Ponce for at-sea testing in the Persian Gulf, ful
The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three people from the water after their boat caught fire near Shinnecock, N.Y., yesterday. A good samaritan contacted the communications center at Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound reporting a vessel on fire near the Shinnecock Inlet. A rescue boatcrew from Coast Gu
The staff of the US Navy’s Destroyer Squadron has embarked the Royal Navy ship HMS Illustrious to participate in Joint Warrior 14-1 March 31. Joint Warrior 14-1 is a semiannual, United Kingdom-led training exercise designed to provide NATO and allied forces a unique, multi-warfare environment in w
The crew of amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) started a vigorous shipwide training program to ensure the Sailors aboard are ready for operational status. Training, along with preparation and restoration of the ship, has been the priority during an 18-month, $200 million Dry-dock Planned Ma
After more than 30 years of Naval service, crew members, plankowners, family members and friends gathered at Naval Station Mayport April 4, to bid farewell to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate USS De Wert (FFG 45) during a decommissioning ceremony. De Wert completed its last deployment Dec. 23
Vice Adm. Pongthep Nhuthep, Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations of the Royal Thai Navy, visited Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for an official tour April 1. The tour included the guided-missile cruiser USS Port Royal (CG 73) and the Surface Warfare Officers School, Engineering Learning Site Pe
Marine Corps tanks were loaded onto Whidbey Island-class amphibious dock landing ship USS Ashland (LSD 48) during a port visit in Gwangyang Hang, South Korea, April 1. Ashland pulled into Gwangyang Hang for an on-load of six M1A1 Abrams main battle tanks. “The reason for the port visit was to on-l
On Monday, 1 April 2014, the NATO counter-piracy task force (CTF-508) frigates ESPS CRISTOBAL COLON and ITS FRANCESCO MIMBELLI conducted an Air Defence Exercise (ADEX) with USS GEORGE H.W. BUSH and USS PHILIPPINE SEA, testing their surface warfare and anti-air warfare skills. Before commencing the
Hosted by Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, visiting defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) toured USS Anchorage (LPD 23) April 2 as part of an historic gathering in Hawaii. As the first-ever meeting of its kind to take place in the United States, the ongoing thr
The U.S. Defense Department is deploying additional Marines to enlarge a rotational crisis response force based in Spain, and is also dispatching a naval vessel to the Black Sea to conduct exercises with U.S. allies in the region, a Pentagon spokesman said yesterday. Army Col. Steve Warren told re
Sailors and Marines from several East Coast-based expeditionary commands conducted an in port maritime staff exercise onboard USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) March 27-31 to refine their collective ability to respond to crises. The exercise scenario tested the group’s evaluation of, and response to, a large s
The Russian takeover of Crimea from Ukraine has NATO allies worried, the Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff said yesterday (April 1). Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey told reporters traveling with him that one of Russia’s reasons for invading Crimea was to protect ethnic Russians living there.
The Boxer Amphibious Ready Group (BOXARG), with embarked 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), began participation in Exercise Ssang Yong 2014 March 27 off the coast of the Republic of Korea (ROK) with the ROK navy and Marine Corps. Ssang Yong, which means “twin dragons,” is an annual combined exe
