Ships from the US, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force and Republic of Korea Navy have kicked off a trilateral link exercise (LINKEX) in seas east of the Korean peninsula and waters near Japan. Taking place between October 24 and 25, Linkex is aimed at promoting communications, interoperability and pa
US Coast Guard’s program to equip its National Security Cutters (NSC) with small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) has received approval to start acquisition and initial operational testing on board an NSC. The service’s approval allows the program to proceed with its planned release of a request for
US Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain has developed a crack in her hull while being transported to Japan aboard the heavy lift transport vessel MV Treasure. The destroyer was being transported from Singapore to Japan where it was to undergo repairs after being involved in a collision with merchant ve
US Marines fired the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) from the flight deck of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) during the joint US Navy-Marines drill Dawn Blitz 2017. The HIMARS is a weapons system made up of the M142 five-ton chassis vehicle and
Guided missile cruisers and destroyers centered around Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) entered the US Navy’s 7th Fleet area of operations (AOO) on October 23. While there, USS Theodore Roosevelt and its carrier strike group will carry out maritime security operations, t
The US Navy christened its second expeditionary Expeditionary Sea Base, the USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams (ESB 4), in a ceremony in San Diego, California, on October 21. The ship’s namesake, Hershel Woodrow “Woody” Williams, spoke at the ceremony, and his two daughters, Travie Ross and Tracie Ross,
The US-hosted amphibious drill Bold Alligator will be joined by Mexican, Canadian and French Navy ships in addition to personnel from a number of other ally countries. Bold Alligator 2017 (BA17) started in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, on October 18 and will run through October 30 around Camp Lejeun
US sailors and marines from Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 3 and 1st Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) gathered in Southern California to kick off the amphibious exercise Dawn Blitz 2017. Dawn Blitz 2017 is a scenario-driven amphibious exercise designed to train and integrate the staffs of ESG-3
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and its carrier strike group arrived in Busan, South Korea, for a port visit on October 21. USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) and the guided-missile destroyers USS Stethem (DDG 63) and USS Chafee (DDG 90) pulled into Busan after participating in Maritime Counter S
Mine countermeasure experts form the UK and US navies embarked the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship Cardigan Bay to complete the Mine Identification and Exploitation Exercise 2017 . The exercise allowed for US and UK forces to share knowledge of mine countermeasures (MCM) capabilities in searching, identi
Collaborating under an Integrated Program Office (IPO), the US Navy and Coast Guard released a draft request for proposal (RFP) for the detail design and construction of a Heavy Polar Icebreaker (HPIB). Released on October 19, the draft RFP is for one HPIB, with options for two additional HPIBs. The
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) conducted its first flight operations with an F-35C stealth fighter on Oct. 18 during training off the coast of Southern California. An F-35C Lightning II, the Navy variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, landed on and launched from Carl Vinson during d
The US Navy will be christening its future Freedom-variant littoral combat ship Little Rock (LCS 9) in a ceremony at Canalside, Buffalo, on December 16. The announcement was made by the Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer on October 18. The future LCS 9, commanded by Cmdr. Todd Peters, is the t
Boeing has recently awarded Lockheed Martin two contracts to upgrade its IRST21 sensor system for use on the U.S. Navy’s F/A-18E/F fleet. The Block II contracts provide up to $100 million for developing advanced software, performing hardware upgrades and delivering prototypes. These efforts will fur
