The U.S. Navy and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) kicked off the annual bilateral training exercise MultiSail 2017 on March 6, with ships getting underway from the Apra Harbor in Guam. Six U.S. Navy ships, two JMSDF ships and a number of subsurface and other special units will spend the ne
U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) arrived at White Beach, Okinawa, Japan, on March 4. During the port visit, the ship will embark Marines of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), along with their vehicles and cargo, prior to departing for a routine patrol. “We are go
U.S. defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced that it has branded its Dual Mode Plus laser-guided bomb (LGB) as Paragon. Paragon has been integrated on the F/A-18 while F-16 test flights are planned for the second quarter of 2017. In a U.S. Navy test from August 2016, the Dual Mode Plus demonstr
U.S. Navy’s amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) returned to operations in the South China Sea, March 2. Green Bay returned to sea after successfully completing exercise Cobra Gold 2017 (CG17) February 24, operating in the Gulf o
Royal Canadian Navy’s last Iroquois-class destroyer HMCS Athabaskan is set to be decommissioned at the Canadian Forces Base Halifax on March 10, after 44 years of service. The destroyer returned to her homeport on March 1 after completing the final underway of her career. During the underway, HMCS A
Iraqi and Pakistani naval officers joined the U.S. Coast Guard for a multilateral visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise at Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Feb. 26-Mar. 9. The exercise, held at the ship-in-the-box (SIB) facility, is the first time in three years that the Iraqi and Pakistan
Divers from the New Zealand and United States Navy honed their mine-clearing skills during a two-week multinational exercise that took place in Bland Bay, Whangaruru,in February. Exercise Fulcrum, a training activity involving primarily the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and the U.S. Navy, tested div
Canadian Navy’s coastal defence vessel HMCS Saskatoon has begun patrols in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean in support of a multinational campaign against transnational criminal organizations. Deploying under Canada’s operation HMCS Saskatoon is joining operation Martillo (Hammer), a U.S., European,
U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Coronado (LCS 4) returned to Changi Naval Base in Singapore, Feb. 25 following a port call in Muara, Brunei and routine patrols in the Sulu Sea and South China Sea. After completing the four-day port visit in Brunei, Coronado conducted a passing exercise and visit,
USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), the U.S. Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship, departed Sasebo, Japan for a regularly-scheduled patrol in the 7th Fleet area of responsibility on February 27. Bonhomme Richard is scheduled to finalize shipboard certifications and conduct joint force operation
In an effort to accelerate progress on the electromagnetic railgun development, BAE Systems announced the acquisition of Ohio-based IAP Research. Prior to the acquisition, IAP Research was a major BAE Systems subcontractor on the U.S. Navy-led development of an electromagnetic (EM) railgun. The Dayt
Over ten ships from four nations are participating in the annual, Royal Navy of Oman-hosted exercise Khunjar Haad that takes place in the Gulf of Oman. Ships from the Royal Navy of Oman are joined by U.S., French and Royal Navy ships in gunnery and air defense exercises aimed at maintaining the sail
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) parted ways with the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group and arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, for a scheduled port visit on February 22. While in port, Hue City is scheduled to host distinguished military and civilian visitors for an on-board
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh-Burke class guided-missile destroyer USS Hopper (DDG 70) concluded an independent deployment to the Arabian Gulf, western Pacific, and Indian Ocean and returned to Pearl Harbor on February 21. Hopper spent 180 days forward-deployed to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleets, with more than 3
