The last of the U.S. Navy’s E-2C Hawkeyes forward-deployed to Japan departed Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi on June 1, marking the end of 44 years of service in Japan. The aircraft from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 115 “Liberty Bells” are one of the Navy’s longest-serving forward d
U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Diligence returned from a Caribbean Sea patrol after seizing $2.2 million worth of marijuana and some 375 kilograms of suspected cocaine. USCGC Diligence returned to Wilmington on Wednesday after spending 65 days on patrol. The cutter’s crew was deployed in support of Joint I
The U.S. Navy has received the future aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), in Newport News, Virginia, May 31. With a price tag of $12.9 billion, USS Gerald R. Ford is the most expensive ship ever built for the U.S. Navy. It is also the first new U.S. aircraft carrier design in 40 years. Add
Another U.S. Navy Los Angeles-class submarine visited Japan after her sister boats previously paid three visits to Asian ports in the last couple of months. USS Olympia (SSN 717) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka May 31 for a visit as part of its deployment to the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. The se
Personnel from the Japan Self Defense Force and the U.S. military comprising 34 different commands across ground, maritime, and air services met for bilateral amphibious and mine warfare discussions, May 22-24. The staff talks were hosted by Japan Maritime Self Defense Force’s Mine Warfare Command,
After three months of operations, personnel from this year’s Pacific Partnership mission returned to Singapore USNS Fall River (T-EPF 4) on May 31. Their return marked the conclusion of this year’s mission. Fall River departed Singapore on March 4 and served as the command platform for the Pacific P
The government of Canada has extended the country’s contribution to international maritime security operations in the Middle East and East Africa under operation Artemis. Announced by defence minister Harjit S. Sajjan and parliamentary secretary Jean Rioux, operation Artemis authorizes the Canadian
The international maritime search and rescue and non-combatant evacuation exercise Argonaut is underway off Larnaca, Cyprus. The Eastern Mediterranean Sea exercise kicked off on May 27 and will conclude on June 2. Argonaut is designed to increase interoperability by developing individual and collect
U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Commands (NAVMETOCCOM) spent the last several months preparing for an operational demonstration of unmanned systems which is taking place in the Gulf of Mexico between May 31 and June 1. Operations and observations collected during the demonstration will be in
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Stethem (DDG 63) returned to its forward-deployed base at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, on May 28. Stethem departed Yokosuka in January to begin its 2017 patrol in the Western Pacific. “Over the past four months, our operations provide
GE’s Marine Solutions announced it has completed a series of fire tests on a new composite LM2500 marine enclosure as part of the Module Modernization Program (MMP). According to the company, the tests verified that the composite material reduces weight and improves performance. The MMP is a program
The Royal Canadian Navy laid the keel for its second Harry DeWolf-class arctic and offshore patrol vessel, future HMCS Margaret Brooke, on May 29. The keel-laying ceremony took place at Halifax Shipyard and was marked by the placing of a coin onto the keel of the ship by Olivia Strowbridge, the firs
Ships and submarines from the navies of Germany, Norway and the United States completed some 20 days of anti-submarine warfare drills in the Norwegian Sea. Dubbed Eastlant 2017, the Norwegian-hosted exercise started on May 8 and concluded on May 26. Not much has been said about the exercise, and the
Naval forces from the U.S. and Thailand kicked off the 23rd annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) in Sattahip, Thailand, on May 29. CARAT is a major naval engagement in South and Southeast Asia and provides a regional venue to address shared maritime security priorities, enhance i
