Vessels
US Navy awards contracts for LCS training facility construction
The US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast awarded a $240 million indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity design-build multiple award construction contract (IDIQ-MACC) for the construction of littoral combat ship training facilities. The first of five contracts, valued at at $24.
US Navy commissions sixteenth littoral combat ship
The crew of the US Navy’s newest littoral combat ship, the USS Charleston (LCS 18), ran aboard their ship and brought it to life in a March 2 ceremony at the Columbus Street Terminal in the ship’s namesake city. LCS-18 is the 16th littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the ninth of the [&hellip
USS Donald Cook exits Blacks Sea, closely followed by Russian frigate
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) transited the Bosphorous Strait on March 1, wrapping up ten days of Black Sea operations. While in the Black Sea, the ship conducted operations at sea with the Turkish Navy and completed a port visit to Odesa, Ukraine in
Fire breaks out aboard America’s sole heavy icebreaker
A fire broke out recently aboard the US Coast Guard’s heavy icebreaker USCGC Polar Star, the Coast Guard has informed. According to the service, the fire broke out in the ship’s incinerator room about 650 miles north of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, on February 10. The 150-member crew of the cutter spe
F-35C ready for operations
The US Navy’s carrier-based, fifth generation fighter has achieved initial operational capability, the Commander, Naval Air Forces and the US Marine Corps Deputy Commandant for Aviation jointly announced. The aircraft carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, the F-35C Lightning II, met all requi
Thales to develop air warfare mission suite for new Dutch, Belgian frigates
The Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) has contracted Thales to develop a new anti-air warfare system, dubbed the Above Water Warfare System (AWWS), which will be used on the new generation of frigates to be built for the Netherlands and Belgium. The current multi-purpose (M) frigates i
Fincantieri begins construction of first Qatari Navy OPV
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri officially started construction of the first of two Qatari Navy offshore patrol vessels in a ceremony at its Muggiano shipyard on February 27. The two OPVs will be built as part of a larger, 4 billion euro, contract which will see Finantieri deliver a total of seven s
Australian Navy farewells final Bell 429 helicopter
The Royal Australian Navy’s last Bell 429 helicopter made its final public appearance at the Australian International Airshow 2019 at Avalon, Victoria. Originally commissioned into service in 2012, Navy’s 723 Squadron operated the Bell 429s to maintain and develop the skills of junior helicopter air
US Navy chooses Florida as USS Billings commissioning site
The US Navy’s future littoral combat ship USS Billings (LCS 15) will enter service in a ceremony at Key West, Florida, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer has confirmed. The event will take place in August 2019 with the specific date yet to be announced. The future USS Billings is the 17th littora
Helicopter carrier, frigate kick off French Navy’s annual Asia-Pacific mission
Mistral-class helicopter carrier BPC Tonnerre and frigate FS La Fayette kicked off the French Navy’s annual Jeanne d’Arc mission which sees a task group spend five months on operations around the world. During this year’s edition, Tonnerre and La Fayette will first sail to the Eastern Mediterranean,
New US Navy mine-hunting sonar system wraps up developmental tests
The US Navy has completed developmental testing for the AN/AQS-20C mine-hunting sonar system for littoral combat ships at the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Panama City Division, February 26. The AQS-20C is the next generation of the AN/AQS-20 system designed to be incorporated into the LCS mine coun
Austal cuts steel for 30th US Navy LCS
Austal USA has held a metal cutting ceremony on the US Navy’s Independence-class littoral combat ship Canberra (LCS 30). Austal LCS Program Director Dave Growden had the honor of starting the router to cut the first piece of aluminium, signaling the start of construction. The LCS is a 127m frigate-s
Wreck of WWII destroyer USS Strong found off Solomon Islands
The wreckage of US Navy’s World War II destroyer USS Strong (DD 467) was discovered by the expedition crew of Paul G. Allen’s research vessel (R/V) Petrel resting 300 meters (nearly 1,000 feet) below the surface of Kula Gulf, north of the island of New Georgia, in the Solomon Islands. The destroyer
Future USS Charleston (LCS 18) entering service in South Carolina ceremony
US Navy’s Independence variant littoral combat ship Charleston (LCS 18) is set to enter service in a ceremony at Charleston, South Carolina’s Columbus Street Terminal, on March 2. South Carolina Senator Tim Scott will deliver the commissioning ceremony’s principal address. Charlotte Riley, wife of f