Vessels
USS John S. McCain completes repairs, starts at-sea tests
After sustaining significant damage in a collision with a merchant tanker in August 2017, Japan-based US Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain has completed repair and rectification work and is now ready for at-sea trials. The ship was refloated in November 2018 but subsequent tests revealed issues with
Australia’s final Adelaide-class frigate bows out of service
The Royal Australian Navy Adelaide-class guided missile frigate HMAS Melbourne retired in a ceremony at her home port of Garden Island in Sydney after 27 years of service. The 138m-long ship was decommissioned on October 26 as the last remaining of six built for the Australian Navy. Melbourne has st
Littoral combat ship Indianapolis (LCS 17) entering service
The US Navy is set to commission its newest Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, USS Indianapolis (LCS 17), in a ceremony in Burns Harbor, Indiana, on October 26. The future USS Indianapolis, designated LCS 17, honors Indiana’s state capital and largest city. It will be the fourth ship to bear the
German Navy takes delivery of first NH90 Sea Lion helicopter
The German Navy has received its first NH90 Sea Lion naval multi-role helicopter from Airus Helicopters, with two more to follow by the end of the year. In total, 18 Sea Lions have been ordered for the German Navy, with deliveries expected to be completed in 2022. The selection of the Sea Lion as th
UK F-35B tests “beast mode” loadout
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is currently undergoing extensive F-35B flight trials with the aim of determining the operational limits of both the ship and the fifth-generation stealth jets it is poised to operate. One of the trial evolutions included loading one of the jets with w
USS Springfield arrives at new homeport after 30-month overhaul
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Springfield (SSN 761) arrived at her new homeport at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam after completing a two-and-a-half year overhaul. Shortly after arriving in Pearl Harbor, the submarine and her crew conducted a change of command ceremony in whic
Fincantieri contracted for FLOTLOG forward sections deliveries
French shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique (CdA) has subcontracted Italian counterpart Fincantieri for the deliveries of forward sections of the French Navy’s future FLOTLOG (Flotte logistique) ships. The four ships that are to be built for the French Navy will be based on the Vulcano design Finca
France cuts steel for first FTI frigate
French shipbuilder Naval Group has hosted a steel-cutting ceremony for the French Navy’s first Fregate de Taille Intermediaire (FTI) frigate at its Lorient site. The lead ship in the class, to be named after the French sailor and general Pierre-Alexis Ronarc’h, is scheduled to be delivered in 2023.
Canadian Navy AOPS landing craft complete trials
Nova Scotia-based ABCO Industries has completed sea trials for the Royal Canadian Navy’s 12-meter landing craft in the summer of 2019 and delivered the first vessel in October 2019. They will supply these support boats for each of the Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ships (AOPS) currently under construct
Bahrain investing $150m to buy, refurbish its second Oliver Hazard Perry frigate
Ex USS Robert G. Bradley was retired in 2014 and is being transferred to Bahrain.
UK, France conclude Joint Expeditionary Force drill Griffin Strike
Armed forces personnel from the UK and France have concluded two weeks of training as part of the Griffin Strike exercise, a major rehearsal for the development of the UK-French Combined Joint Expeditionary Force. This year, Griffin Strike was combined with exercise Joint Warrior, and included repre
Attack submarine USS Louisville arrives in Washington for inactivation
The US Navy’s Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Louisville (SSN 724) has arrived at Naval Base Kitsap-Bremerton to start her inactivation and decommissioning process. The submarine departed Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on October 7 and arrived in Washington on Oc
Australian frigate joins North Korea sanctions enforcement mission
The Australian government is sending Anzac-class frigate HMAS Parramatta to the Korean Peninsula where it will support an operation to enforce UN Security Council sanctions imposed against North Korea. HMAS Parramatta’s sanctions enforcement mission will be part of a broader East Asian deployment. T
Teledyne to build more shallow water combat submersibles for USSOCOM
The US Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) has awarded Teledyne a contract modification for further deliveries of MK11 Shallow Water Combat Submersible (SWCS) systems. The SWCS system is a manned combat submersible vehicle specifically designed to insert and extract special operations forces (SOF) in