The US Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) arrived in Subic Bay, on March 30, ahead of exercise Balikatan. Wasp arrived in the Philippines with embarked Marines from Special Purpose Marine Air Ground Task Force (SPMAGTF) 4, which are led by 4th Marine Regiment. This will
Ships from a number of European countries have started gathering in Glasgow, Scotland, ahead of the Royal Navy-hosted exercise Joint Warrior which kicks off on March 30. A total 35 warships, 5 submarines and 59 aircraft and helicopters from 13 countries are scheduled to take part in this year’s edit
Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class frigate HMAS Melbourne got underway from her Sydney homeport to start a two-month deployment to the Pacific and South East Asia. “It’s sad to think about those at home when we sail from Sydney on deployment, but I’m excited about what the ship and crew will ach
Royal Navy auxiliary landing ship dock RFA Mounts Bay served as the test bed for a mobile US Navy minehunting force during a recent test off the coast of Virginia. The test included helicopters, divers, remote-controlled boats and automated surveying machines and was intended to see whether a task f
US Navy’s sixth Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer will be named in honor of Korean War veteran, and Navy Cross Recipient, Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class George M. Neal, the US Navy secretary has announced. Neal, a native of Springfield, Ohio, served with Helicopter Utility Squadron ONE (
US Navy and Marine Corps units are wrapping up two weeks of joint drills as part of exercise Pacific Blitz 2019 in and off the coast of Southern California. The scenario-driven field-training exercise kicked off March 12 and is set to conclude on Tuesday, March 26. The exercise involved command and
Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster got underway from Portsmouth to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) for a deployment to northern Europe and the Baltic. The Duke-class frigate is scheduled to conduct exercises within her task group as well as a variety of port visits that wil
US Navy ships from the Japan-based US 7th Fleet took part in what the navy termed the most advanced tactical training necessary for blue water combat. For the first time ever, three guided missile destroyers, a guided missile cruiser, and two amphibious ships of the Forward-Deployed Naval Forces com
Ship from Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG) 1 and Standing NATO Mine Countermeasure Group One (SNMCMG) 1 completed a scheduled port visit to Plymouth, England, before taking part in an eight-ship maneuver off the UK coast. SNMG-1 and SNMCMG-1 staff took advantage of time in port by having forc
Mine countermeasures ships from eight NATO and ally navies are set to gather in the Baltic Sea at the end of May for the “Baltic Mine Countermeasures Squadron Exercise”. The exercise is hosted by the German Navy’s 3rd Mine Minesweeping Squadron and is in its third iteration. The two-week drill will
Armed forces from 33 nations gathered in Lagos, Nigeria, for the start of exercise Obangame Express 2019, a US Africa Command (AFRICOM) led exercise which is now in its ninth iteration. Obangame Express 2019 will be conducted in multiple areas at sea and ashore. At-sea operations will be throughout
US 5th Fleet’s Task Force 55 and commercial shipping industry representatives joined forces recently to complete exercise Lucky Mariner 19. The annual exercise concluded March 15 and was led by the task force’s Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) detachment designed to exercise comma
US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) departed Naval Station Norfolk on March 16. This is the third time the ship is getting underway in less than a year. The carrier left homeport following a three month availability period used to upgrade systems, conduct maintenance
US Navy mine countermeasures ship USS Devastator (MCM 6) experienced a fire aboard while it was pierside at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain on March 14. The navy said there were no personnel injuries, adding that the extent of the damage is being assessed. Sailors aboard Devastator, USS Sentry
