The Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group and embarked 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) returned to homeport San Diego, after completing certification exercise (CERTEX) off the coast of Southern California Aug. 28. CERTEX was the final two-week training evolution that graded 15th MEU’s capabilities to
Adm. Katsutoshi Kawano, chief of staff, Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), visited national capital region naval activities to strengthen maritime partnerships and international relationships Aug. 27-29. Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Jonathan Greenert comments following a successful v
Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility (PHNSY & IMF) answered the call for 132 repairs to U.S. and foreign surface ships taking part in the 2012 Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise that ended Aug. 3. Held every two years by the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the two-month-long RIMPA
On August 23, the Dutch minehunter HNLMS Willemstad disarmed the 1,000th explosive since 2005 off the coast of Hook of Holland. From that year, the Dutch and Belgian navies intensified their hunt for explosives in the North Sea after 3 fishermen were killed when an aircraft bomb brought to the surfa
After an arsonist caused $450 million in damage to the USS Miami earlier this year, the U.S. Navy decided that the vessel is worth repairing, thus refusing to add it to the short but fateful list – ships lost since WWII. Between December 1941 and September 1945, over 350 U.S. Navy warships and patro
On 26 August, European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Commission Vice President, Catherine Ashton visited the French EU Naval Force Somalia Operation Atalanta (EU NAVFOR) warship La Fayette during her visit to Kenya and Somalia. She was welcomed on board by the Com
Explorers returned yesterday to the wreck site of HMS Hood as an ambitious attempt to raise the ship’s bell from the seabed resumes. If successful, the aim is to bring the bell back to Portsmouth to serve as a permanent memorial to all 1,415 men lost when the battle-cruiser sank in 1941. The ambitio
Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Mid-Atlantic held change of command ceremony onboard Naval Station Norfolk Aug. 24. Capt. John Korka relieved Capt. Mark Libonate as commanding officer. In his remarks, Libonate thanked the 3,400 men and women of NAVFAC Mid-Atlantic for their hard work a
The 10th annual Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT) exercise commenced Aug. 27, with liaison officers from the United States, Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand tracking contacts of interest in a maritime interdiction scenario. SEACAT highlights the value of inf
The Los Angeles-class, fast attack submarine USS Buffalo (SSN 715) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Aug. 27 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Western Pacific. With a crew of approximately 134 enlisted and 17 officers, Buffalo will conduct a multitude of missions and showcase the late
On 24 August 2012 the Force Commanders from the EU Naval Force Somalia – Operation Atalanta (EU NAVFOR), NATO Operation Ocean Shield (TF-508) and Combined Task Force 151 (operated by the Combined Maritime Forces – CMF) met on board the EU NAVFOR flagship ITS San Guisto (Italian Navy) to further enha
The Republic of Singapore Navy’s (RSN) Formidable-class frigate, RSS Formidable, is making a port call at the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (JMSDF) Yokosuka Naval Base from 22 to 27 Aug 2012. The port call saw an exchange of ship visits between the personnel of the two navies. Prior to the
After having taken part in the Ocean Shield counterpiracy operation, HNLMS Evertsen arrived back in her home port of Den Helder on 18 August. Defence Minister Hans Hillen emphasised the importance of the mission for the Netherlands. “Our prosperity depends, after all, on free trade, the unimpeded tr
The Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN) is participating in the annual Southeast Asia Cooperation Against Terrorism (SEACAT) exercise, together with the United States Navy and navies from Brunei, Indonesia, the Philippines and Thailand. This year’s exercise, which will be held from 27 Aug to 3 Sep 2012