Ships from the U.S. Navy’s Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15 and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) are participating in the annual bilateral training exercise Multi Sail 2016, which is taking place from March 6-11. Participants include six U.S. surface units, four Japan Maritime
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Darwin has uncovered and seized a large weapons cache after boarding a small fishing vessel approximately 170 nautical miles (313 kilometres) off the coast of Oman. The frigate’s crew initially conducted a flag verification boarding. After assessing the vessel to b
Royal Australian Navy’s landing helicopter dock ship HMAS Canberra, stationed off the Coast of Fiji’s Koro Island, began amphibious operations March 2 to help those affected by tropical Cyclone Winston which struck Fiji on February 20. Commander Joint Task Force 635, Captain Brett Sonter, said the l
Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class guided missile frigate HMAS Darwin has started patrols under Operation Manitou having replaced sister ship HMAS Melbourne. The crew of HMAS Darwin has benefited from mission-specific training in the Kingdom of Bahrain, prior to setting out on the ship’s first p
Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class guided-missile frigate HMAS Melbourne returned to her Sydney homeport on February 28 after 203 days of deployment and five narcotics seizures. In the five interceptions, the frigate seized a total of 977 kg of heroin valued at approximately $390 million. Melbou
The Royal Australian Navy is relocating two of its decommissioned ships so that new ships, primarily the 27,500 tonne, 230m long Canberra class amphibious ships, HMA Ships Canberra and Adelaide, have more space. Decommissioned Navy ships Tobruk and Sydney will shortly be moved to the eastern side of
Representatives of the U.S. Navy and other Pacific Partnership nations gathered in Singapore February 22-26 for a planning conference in preparations for the 2016-mission. Now in its 11th year, Pacific Partnership is the largest annual multilateral humanitarian assistance and disaster relief prepare
Australian Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence unveiled the long-awaited 2016 Australian Defence White Paper February 25. The plan is set to increase defence spending by AUS $29.9 billion (approx. US $21.5 billion) over the following ten years. A Defence Industry Policy Statement (DIPS) and a
The Royal Australian Navy is contributing to the humanitarian assistance mission to Fiji in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Winston with three helicopters. Two MRH-90 helicopters will depart HMAS Albatross to join another MRH-90 from 808 Squadron onboard HMAS Canberra in Brisbane, Australia before
Boarding party teams of the Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class frigate HMAS Darwin recently sharpened their counter-terrorism skills as the ship begins maritime patrols in the Middle East region with Combined Maritime Forces (CMF). During Darwin’s stopover in Bahrain, the Australian sailors cond
U.S. Navy’s oldest Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Bremerton (SSN 698) docked in Sembawang, Singapore for a port visit during its Indo-Asia-Pacific deployment on February 22. USS Bremerton, nicknamed “Bad Fish” by the crew, has had routine presence throughout the region for more than 30 years
New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Murray McCully said that the Navy’s Multi-Role Vessel the HMNZS Canterbury would be sent to Fiji to support relief and recovery efforts following tropical cyclone Winston. According to a tweet by the Fiji government spokesman, 42 people were confirmed dead in the wake
Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac class frigate HMAS Ballarat recently started sea trials in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia, after undergoing the Anti-Ship Missile Defence Upgrade. The sixth frigate of its class built for the Royal Australian Navy, Ballarat was the fifth vessel to proceed to mariner
The Australian government is offering industry assistance to small and medium-sized businesses from the defence and shipbuilding sector under its Industry Facilitation and Support Program (IFSP). The government of Western Australia has announced the ninth round of the IFSP which offers $30,000 in ma
