Naval representatives from Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and the United States gathered in the Ricardo Palma auditorium at the Peruvian naval base to officially recognize the beginning of UNITAS Pacific (PAC) at an opening ceremony in Callao, Peru, May 14. Leaders from each country’s navy t
USS Essex (LHD 2) is returning to San Diego May 17, after completing 12 years as the Navy’s only permanently forward-deployed amphibious assault ship in Sasebo, Japan. The crew of USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) took over Essex April 23. “Essex departed San Diego in 2000, to serve as a forward-deployed
Huntington Ingalls Industries announced on May 15 that its Ingalls Shipbuilding division has received a $133.7 million, cost-plus-fixed-fee advance procurement contract modification from the U.S. Navy to provide long lead time materials for LPD 27, the 11th amphibious transport dock of the San Anton
After weeks of preparation, the Japan-based, Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington’s (CVN 73) Engineering department successfully tested one of the most critical fire fighting systems May 12-13. Crew members conducted a test of the ship’s countermeasure washdown system, which also help
Maritime forces participated in a multinational maritime interdiction operation (MIO) training exercise at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Center in Souda Bay, Greece, as part of exercise Phoenix Express 2012 (PE12), May 10. Service members from Moroccan naval vessel Mohamed V (F 611) and g
Service members, their families, and DoD personnel attended the 14th Annual Health Fair in the Commons and Jackson Plaza at Naval Station Everett (NSE), May 10. More than 300 people attended this year’s health fair events. This year’s fair events included a healthy appetizer command challenge, child
The NZ Defence Force will be participating in the world’s largest international maritime exercise, Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC 2012), conducted near Hawaii from 29 June to 3 August. HMNZS TE KAHA, HMNZS ENDEAVOUR, the Operational Diving Team and the Mine Counter Measures Team, a Rifle Platoo
Sailors assigned to U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) toured the Australian Anzac-class Frigate HMAS Ballarat (FFH-155) May 9. Blue Ridge Sailors spent time aboard Ballarat learning about how about the Australian navy operates. They were shown damage control bases, machinery control ro
The Brazilian Navy has successfully carried out a firing trial of an Exocet MM40 missile, equipped with a motor developed, produced and certified by Avibras in partnership with MBDA. This is the first time that the Brazilian Navy has carried out such a test which represents the country’s autonomy in
Senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy affirmed on May 8 that the F-35 joint strike fighter remains the centerpiece of the tactical aircraft program and will play a large part in the services’ ongoing modernization plans. Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, F-35 Lightning II program executive office
Sailors aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) successfully led a simulated strait transit off the eastern coast of the United States May 8. The exercise was designed to test the participant ship’s ability to navigate safely, while also dealing with threats that could be encounte
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) and U.S. Navy sailors aboard the USS LAKE ERIE (CG 70) successfully conducted a flight test of the Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) system, resulting in the first intercept of a short-range ballistic missile target over the Pacific Ocean by the Navy’s newest Mis
Twenty-two nations, 42 ships, six submarines, more than 200 aircraft and 25,000 personnel will participate in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise scheduled June 29 to Aug. 3, in and around the Hawaiian Islands. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a uniq
Phoenix Express 2012 (PE12), a multi-national exercise between Southern European, North African and U.S. naval forces, officially kicked off at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay, May 7. Phoenix Express is an at-sea maritime exercise designed to improve co