The U.S. and Republic of Korea (ROK) navies enhanced their combined and joint maritime capabilities after completing a series of drills and exercises ashore and at sea from March 8-31 in support of exercise Foal Eagle 2014. Exercise Foal Eagle in an umbrella of regularly scheduled, annual exercise
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel welcomed yesterday Portuguese Minister of Defense Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco to the Pentagon, and expressed to the minister his appreciation for Portugal’s many contributions to international security, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said in a Defe
Service members and civilians involved in the scheduled deployment of the joint high speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1) this summer to the U.S. Southern Command and U.S. 4th Fleet area of operations met March 25 and March 26 at Naval Station Mayport to finalize plans for the mission. The Spearhe
Republic of Korea (ROK) minister of national defense visited the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) March 31. Kwan-jin Kim’s visit took place during exercise Ssang Yong 2014, an annual combined exercise conducted by Navy and Marine forces with the Republic of Kor
Nearly 30 years after she was commissioned in 1984, U.S. Navy Cmdr. Pete Ehlers, commanding officer of USS Robert G. Bradley (FFG 49), decommissioned the ship on March 28, at a Naval Station Mayport ceremony. Lt. Gen. Joseph L. Votel, commander, Joint Special Operations Command, was the guest spea
Korea Opts for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Aircraft The Republic of Korea has formally selected the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II aircraft for its F-X fighter acquisition program. USS Elrod Takes Over Escort Duties of Libyan Seized Tanker The U.S. Navy’s USS Elrod relieved the USS Stout of
The U.S. Navy’s top admiral, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan W. Greenert, spent time last weekend at the Navy’s Arctic Ice Camp and embarked aboard the USS New Mexico (SSN 779) as it participated in Ice Exercise 2014 (ICEX) with USS Hampton (SSN 767) beneath the Arctic Ocean. “It’s necessa
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Curtis Wilbur (DDG 54) launched a MK46 exercise torpedo (EXTORP) March 22, during a live-fire anti-submarine warfare event as part of Multi-Sail 2014. Multi-Sail 2014 is an annually held Destroyer Squadron 15 (DESRON 15) exercise in the 7th Fleet Ar
Russia continues to reinforce units along the eastern and southern Ukraine border, Pentagon Press Secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby said during a news conference today. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week that the Russian troops were massing f
U.S. and United Kingdom defense leaders yesterday reiterated that there must be consequences for Russia following President Vladimir Putin’s forced annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel hosted British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond at the Pentagon. The two discuss
The U.S Navy began the active portion of the regularly-scheduled multinational exercise Noble Dina, along with Greece and Israel in the Mediterranean Sea, on March 26. Noble Dina is a combined exercise designed to increase interoperability by developing individual and collective maritime proficien
Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group departed White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa March 25 to participate in Exercise Ssang Yong 2014. U.S. Marines and Sailors of the 3d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) and Amphibious Force Seventh Fleet will participate in Exercise Ssang Yong 2014 in the Rep
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS John S. McCain (DDG 56) launches a Harpoon during a live-fire exercise. McCain is participating in Multi-Sail 2014, an annual exercise in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. [ma
Canadian Ship (HMCS) Glace Bay recovered 97 bales of cocaine during a patrol in the Caribbean Basin, as part of Operation CARIBBE, on March 15, 2014. HMCS Glace Bay, in cooperation with her embarked U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment (USCG LEDET), identified a suspect fishing vessel while
