The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps have kicked off the Malaysia phase of the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise series between the U.S. and the armed forces of nine ASEAN member-countries. CARAT is a series of bilateral naval exercises between the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Co
Open Spirit 2016 participants were able to utilize their minehunting skills as they destroyed mines and other sea obstacles which posed a threat to Baltic Sea shipping lanes for decades. The international NATO maneuver which took place off Klaipeda, Lithuania concluded May 27. Minehunting units have
The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic will conduct diver training for Caribbean partner nations from May 30 to June 18, 2016, as part of Canada’s participation in Exercise Tradewinds 16. Hosted by the Caribbean Military Maritime Training Centre and run in Discovery Bay, Jamaica,
Sailors aboard the Italian Navy’s Horizon-class air-defence destroyer Andrea Doria launched their first MU90 torpedo in the Gulf of Taranto, May 24, 2016. During the exercise, a fictional sonar contact is included on the combat system management computer (CMS). Once the contact appears, the weapon s
A Spanish Navy submarine returned home having concluded a month-and-a-half deployment to operation ‘Active Endeavor’, an international mission to fight the ISIL terrorist organization. Submarine ‘Galerna’ (S-71) returned to her homeport in Cartagena, Spain on May 26, 2016, after participating in the
The U.S. Navy has awarded Lockheed Martin a $321.8 million sole-source contract to continue the Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) integration and test phase. The integration and test contract will allow Lockheed to carry out further flight testing and integration of LRASM onto the U.S. Air Force
Royal Navy’s HMS Bulwark entered HMNB Portsmouth yesterday, May 25, as part of preparations for commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Jutland in and around Scapa Flow in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The Devonport-based amphibious assault ship is in port to embark the massed band o
U.S. Navy’s amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Lisbon, Portugal May 24. The ship is in port to embark Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO) staff members and to refuel before heading to the Baltic Sea to participate in BALTOPS 2016. Mount Whitney is designe
The Belgian Defense Minister will attend the multinational mine countermeasures (MCM) operation Open Spirit 2016 and observe participating ships conduct MCM tasks in the Baltic Sea on May 26. Minister of Defense Steven Vandeput will also meet the Lithuanian Defence Minister aboard the LNS Jotvingis
Canadian shipyard Davie Shipbuilding cut first steel for the Royal Canadian Navy Resolve-class auxiliary oiler replenishment vessel during a ceremony held in Lévis, Québec, May 24. Project Resolve, as the undertaking was dubbed, consists of converting a containership, former MV Asterix which arrived
U.S. Navy’s amphibious command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) made history May 23 as she became the first ship of her kind to have an MV-22B Osprey land on her flight deck. The MV-22B and crew are part of “The Thunder Chickens” of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 263 (VMM-263), based out of Marine
Participants of the international naval exercise Open Spirit 2016 found several mines just 3 kilometers off the Lithuanian only sea port on May 20. Lithuanian Navy divers subsequently destroyed the German WWII mines. Five naval mines, one torpedo, rocket parts and two still unidentified wrecks have
Royal Navy’s mine hunter HMS Ramsey has returned to home waters and its Faslane base after a deployment as part of Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Group 1. Crew seven from the First Mine Counter Measures Squadron (MCM1), who have most recently been operating the Sandown Class vessel, has been tr
U.S. Navy’s Marine-aviation optimized amphibious assault ship USS America departed its homeport of San Diego for flight deck recertifications on May 16. This was done to prepare the ship for its future role as part of Amphibious Squadron 3 and Expeditionary Strike Group 3. Just short of 36 hours aft
