U.S. Coast Guard cutter Kukui left its homeport of Sand Island in Honolulu one last time on January 9, exactly 19 years to the day after its commissioning. The ship and its crew of 46 are sailing the cutter to the Coast Guard Yard in Baltimore for its regular scheduled midlife maintenance. When Kuku
Austal marked the start of fabrication work on the U.S. Navy’s eleventh expeditionary fast transport USNS Puerto Rico on January 18. On the same day, the keel was authenticated for the EPF 9, USNS City of Bismarck. The start of construction on Puerto Rico signifies the procurement of materials and c
While it is important for the U.S. Navy to increase the number of ships being built, it is even more important to have the shipbuilders construct the ‘right kinds of ships’, a new Senate Armed Services Committee white paper has suggested. A Small Surface Combatant that could begin procurement in 202
U.S. Marines’ F-35B Lightning II aircraft arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on January 18 as the first F-35B squadron on an operational overseas deployment. With this deployment, the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 begins a permanent change of station to MCAS Iwakuni from MCAS Yuma, Ari
U.S. Navy Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships USS Zephyr (PC 8) and USS Shamal (PC 13) returned to Mayport, Florida, concluding counter drug patrols in support of operation Martillo. The ships returned on January 17 wrapping up their 64-day patrol in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility. Marking
U.S. Navy’s attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan for a visit on January 17. The port visit is part of the Los Angeles-class submarine’s Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol. “We are honored to have the opportunity to visit Japan,” said Cmdr. Steven Tarr III, commandi
Spanish Navy’s Santa Maria-class frigate ESPS Canarias (F-86) left her homeport in Rota, Spain to join the EU mission of saving migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. Coordinated by the EU Naval Forces, operation Sophia aims to stop human trafficking in the central Mediterranean Sea. The multinational m
The U.S. Military Sealift Command’s ocean surveillance ship USNS Able (T-AGOS 20) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol. The January 16 port visit is aimed at strengthening the alliance between the U.S. and Japan through the crew’s interaction with the
The U.S. Navy has awarded ERAPSCO a $30.3 million contract for further manufacture and delivery of sonobuoys. ERAPSCO, a joint venture between Sparton Corporation and Ultra Electronics Holdings will provide production subcontracts in the amount of $18.5 million and $11.8 million to Ultra Electronics
U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) was alongside Manama, Bahrain, January 9-15, for the ship’s first port visit since entering the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Makin Island, and its crew of more than 2,400 sailors and marines, visited Bahrain to replenish supplies, pe
Eastern Shipbuilding, the shipbuilder in charge of constructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s new offshore patrol cutters, has picked MAN’s 28/33D STC engines as the main propulsion for the new vessels. The offshore patrol cutter (OPC) program is the replacement platform for the 13 Famous-class and 14 Reli
The crew of U.S. Coast Guard cutter Tahoma returned to homeport on January 13 with over three tons of cocaine seized during a 49-day patrol. Homeported in Kittery, Maine, Tahoma’s crew conducted drug interdiction efforts, strategically intercepting and boarding suspected smuggling vessels in the Eas
One of two crews assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) held a change of command ceremony at the Keyport Undersea Museum on January 13. Cmdr. Steven Everhart, relieved Cmdr. John Cage as commander of the Blue crew. Most notably, the Blue crew r
U.S. Navy personnel deployed to Rota, Spain, recently took time to practice ordnance loading in what were described as “non-traditional locations”. The U.S. 6th Fleet shared photos from the exercise showing MK 48 inert training torpedoes being loaded onto a submarine. U.S. 6th Fleet, together with t
