During a bilateral exercise between the US and the Philippines, US Marine Corps amphibious assault vehicles (AAV) embarked and launched from Philippine Navy sea lift vessel BRP Tarlac (LD-601) for the first time ever. The evolutions were part of exercise KAMANDAG, taking place off the coast Luzon be
Mine countermeasure ships from the Republic of Korea and US Navy are all set for a bilateral mine countermeasure exercise taking place off the southeastern coast of South Korea. US Navy mine countermeasures ship USS Chief (MCM 14) arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea, on October 10 to join USS Pionee
The US Navy’s Coastal Battlefield Reconnaissance and Analysis (COBRA) system airborne mine detection system has achieved initial operational capability. This was announced on October 10 after the first phase of the operational testing was completed. COBRA’s next test will be an underway period on bo
The US Navy has commissioned USS Washington (SSN 787) – its 14th Virginia-class submarine – in a ceremony on Saturday. The commissioning ceremony took place on board Naval Station Norfolk. Submarine’s sponsor Elisabeth Mabus, daughter of the 75th Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, gave the order to “m
US Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) got underway from Naval Station Everett on October 3 to join aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt on deployment. Sampson is assigned to Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 9, which has spent the past year preparing for deployment. CSG 9 completed a
A Dutch and a Royal Navy ship recently completed what was termed by the Royal Navy as “the easiest RAS ever”, as support vessel RFA Mounts Bay took on fuel from Dutch ship HNLMS Karel Doorman in the Caribbean. A difficult – potentially dangerous – manoeuvre it’s typically performed mid-Ocean between
Sri Lankan maritime forces welcomed their US counterparts to Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, on October 1, where the two services will work together as part of the exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT). This is the first ever CARAT exercise hosted by Sri Lanka. CARAT Sri Lanka 2017 is p
US sailors and marines from the Expeditionary Strike Group 3 and 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade are set to take part in amphibious exercise Dawn Blitz 2017 off the coast of Southern California, October 20-30. Dawn Blitz 2017 is a scenario-driven exercise designed to train the Navy and Marine Corps
US Marines assigned to Fleet Antiterrorism Security Team (FAST) Company Europe worked alongside their Spanish and Italian counterparts to complete a two-week exercise in Morn, Spain. The exercise was named Lisa Azul and saw the participation of Spanish Marines from Tercio del Sur, Brigada de Infante
The US and Royal Australian Navy sent their submarines to waters south of Japan where the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) hosted a trilateral submarine competition (SUBCOMP) exercise from September 12 to 19. Japan deployed four submarines to the exercise while the US Navy participated with
Ships from the US Navy’s Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BAT ARG), together with 4,000 sailors and marines aboard, returned to Naval Station Norfolk and Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story on September 23 following a seven-month deployment. The amphibious group consists of assault ship U
The US-led live-fire integrated air and missile defense (IAMD) exercise Formidable Shield 2017 got underway on Sunday at the UK’s Hebrides Range in the vicinity of the Western Isles of Scotland. More than 14 ships, 10 aircraft, and approximately 3,300 personnel from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, t
Navy ship from the UK and US concluded their regularly scheduled mine warfare drill in the central Persian Gulf on September 21. Mine Countermeasures Exercise (MCMEX) 17-3 is a quarterly bilateral exercise aimed at ensuring undisturbed operations of naval and support vessels, as well as commercial s
Amphibious ships from the US Navy’s America amphibious ready group along with the expeditionary support base ship USS Lewis B. Puller (ESB 3) concluded over two weeks of drills off the coast of Djibouti on September 20. Marines and sailors aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA 6) with
