The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group (ABECSG) began air operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR), Nov. 22. Close air support operations and defensive counter air support operations were carried out by Carrier Air Wing Seven (CVW 7) as part of broader CENTCOM counter terrorism op
BRP Jose Rizal (FF150), the first of two multi-mission frigates built by South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries for the Philippine Navy, has started sea trials. Over the next several days, a technical crew from the shipyard will be onboard as the ship sails in waters off Ulsan, Busan and
The US Navy’s new-design aircraft recovery system, Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG), has completed its most demanding test event to date with 22 aircraft arrestments in just over 26 minutes at the Runway Arrested Landing Site (RALS) in Lakehurst, New Jersey. The two-day series of testing Oct. 23-24 eva
The Ministry of Armed Forces of Senegal has awarded French shipbuilder Piriou a contract for the construction of three offshore patrol vessels for the Senegalese Navy. As soon as the contract is in force, which is planned for early 2020, Piriou will launch the program to build these 3 patrol vessels
US Navy’s Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Cincinnati (LCS 20) arrived at its new homeport in San Diego for the first time on November 20. The navy commissioned Cincinnati, on October 5, during a ceremony in Gulfport, Miss. The ship is the 12th LCS homeported in San Diego under the lead
A task group of ships assembled around US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln entered the Persian Gulf on November 19, following a transit through the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world, with one-fifth of the world’s energy supply transitin
US shipbuilder Fincantieri Marinette Marine has started construction of the Royal Saudi Navy’s first Multi-Mission Surface Combatant (MMSC) ship. The “cut steel” ceremony took place on October 24. Delivered by Lockheed Martin as prime contractor, the 4,000-metric-ton MMSCs were ordered in 2017 under
The US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) arrived at its new homeport of Naval Station Norfolk on November 18, completing a homeport shift after spending nearly two years forward deployed Japan. The ship had been assigned to Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo and operated in t
The six-nation submarine search and rescue exercise Pacific Reach 2019 has concluded off the coast of Western Australia. Held at Fleet Base West and in the Western Australian Exercise Area, the drill involved assets from Australia, Japan, Malaysia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore and the United Sta
HMS Prince of Wales, the Royal Navy’s second aircraft carrier, sailed into her homeport of Portsmouth for the first time on November 16. It is the second time in two years the city has welcomed one of the UK’s new carriers, following HMS Queen Elizabeth’s arrival in August 2017. Captain Darren Houst
The US Navy has named its newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer in honor of late Sen. Thad Cochran, a Navy veteran. Cochran was commissioned an ensign in the US Naval Reserve in 1959 after graduating from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and complete
The IMX 19 (International Maritime Exercise) that took place in the Middle East recently gathered 30 ships and over 50 nations for two weeks of mine countermeasures evolutions. Spread across a vast area from the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean and Gulf, the exercise will see participants sharing knowled
The bilateral Indian and US armed forces exercise Tiger Triumph kicked off in Visakhapatnam, India, with the arrival of USS Germantown (LSD 42) on November 13. Tiger Triumph, which stands for tri-services India US amphibious exercise, is scheduled from Nov. 13 to 21, near Visakhapatnam and Kakinada.
South Korean shipbuilder Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has launched the third Daegu-class frigate for the Republic of Korea Navy. The future ROKS Seoul was launched on November 11 and is scheduled for delivery in early 2021. In addition to being the third ship in its class and the fourth ROK Navy s
