Spanish Navy’s F-100 frigate Cristóbal Colón got underway from her homeport in Ferrol on August 25 to join NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 in the Mediterranean Sea. The Aegis-equipped frigate will first contribute to the maritime situational awareness picture and counter-terrorism operations in the
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Stuart and oiler HMAS Sirius got underway from Fleet Base West on August 22 for several months of operations. Despite sailing together for the Australian-hosted exercise Kakadu 2018 which will be held off Darwin, both ships will have a very different schedule of ev
The US Navy-led Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise kicked off at Port Hera Navy Base in Timor Leste on August 27. The CARAT with Timor-Leste Defense Force (F-FDTL) is part of a series of drills conducted with countries in the Indo-Pacific. The nine-country exercise kicked off
US Navy’s forward-deployed destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) exited the Black Sea, August 27, after 15 days of maritime security operations and theater security engagements. USS Carney was in the Black Sea at the same time as USNS Carson City (T-EPF 7), which became the first Spearhead-class expeditiona
A nine-nation maritime domain awareness exercise kicked off in Singapore on August 27. Named Southeast Asia Cooperation and Training (SEACAT), the exercise is aimed at developing a common understanding of what is going on in the maritime environment and how best to operate as an effective unified ma
Ships from the US Navy’s Wasp amphibious ready group (ARG) met up with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) amphibious transport dock ship JS Osumi (LST 4001) in the Philippine Sea for maneuvers on August 26. During a passing exercise, multiple ships sail in formation to practice communications
German Navy frigate FGS Bayern is set to return to her Wilhelmshaven homeport on Saturday after four months of operations in the Aegean Sea. In total, the ship spent over five months underway as part of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), sailing 27,500 nautical miles. Bayern is returning to W
US Navy’s amphibious transport dock USS Anchorage (LPD 23) arrived in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, on August 24 as part of her Western Pacific deployment. The ship got underway from San Diego early July to operate as part of the Essex amphibious ready group together with amphibious assault ship USS Essex
The US Coast Guard has accepted delivery of its 30th fast response cutter, the future USCGC Robert Ward. The FRC was accepted by the Coast Guard in Key West, Florida, on Aug. 21, and will be the second FRC stationed in San Pedro, California. The cutter’s namesake, Robert Ward, was a seaman first cla
Ships deployed as part of the Royal Australian Navy’s annual maritime task group Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018 (IPE18) have returned to Australia following a three-month deployment to the Pacific. HMAS Adelaide docked in Townsville on August 23 to return embarked soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, Royal
A team of four F-35B test pilots are making final preparations for taking their aircraft aboard Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth next month. Two specially-modified F-35Bs and four pilots – Mr Wilson from BAE, the RN’s Cdr Nathan Gray, Sqn Ldr Andy Edgell and a US Marine Corps aviator
NATO’s Standing Maritime Group One (SNMG1) met up with a Japan Maritime Self Defense Force training squadron in the Baltic Sea on August 21 for a passing exercise. The JMSDF task group is composed of cadet training vessel JS Kashima and the destroyer JS Makinami. Japan is one of a number of countrie
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded BAE Systems a $146.3 million contract for the modernization of Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64). The cruiser modernization contract for BAE Systems is similar to the one awarded to GD NASSCO for the modernization of USS Cowpens (CG 63) on
US Navy explosive ordnance disposal specialists joined forces with maritime forces from the Republic of Croatia for an experimental mine countermeasures (MCM) operation in Croatian waters on August 17. In a combined partnership between US Sixth Fleet, the US Office of Naval Research, and Croatian Na
