Vessels
US destroyer Gravely becomes NATO group flagship
US Navy Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) assumed the role of Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) flagship in a change of command ceremony in Denmark on January 14. US Navy Rear Adm. Edward Cashman assumed command of SNMG1 from Royal Danish Navy Commodore Anders F
French Navy receives first F3-R upgraded Rafale
The French Navy officially received its first Rafale M fighter jet upgraded to the F3-R standard in a ceremony at the Landivisiau Naval Air Base. The first flight of F3-R from Landivisiau took place on December 17, the defense ministry said. The aircraft was delivered after the upgrade was approved
Romania suspends EUR 1.6b corvette tender
The Romanian defense ministry on January 11 announced it is suspending the tender for the procurement of four new multi-role corvettes and upgrades of two frigates currently in service with the Romanian Navy. As explained by the ministry, the procedure was put on hold until irregularities discovered
Australian frigate lands CMF’s first drug seizure of 2019
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat seized over 3.1 tons of hashish in the Arabian Sea during an operation that took place on January 8 and 9. The seized drugs are worth an estimated $155 million and are the first narcotics seized by a Combined Maritime Forces member in 2019. The fishing ves
US amphibious ships train with JMSDF counterparts in East China Sea
US Navy ships from the Wasp amphibious ready group (ARG) met up with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) amphibious transport dock ship, JS Kunisaki (LST 4003), for two days of exercises on January 11 and 12. During the cooperative deployment, ARG ships and JS Kunisaki conducted communication
USS Wichita enters service
USS Wichita (LCS 13), the US Navy’s seventh Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, was brought to life during a commissioning ceremony at Naval Station Mayport on January 12. “The LCS, like your favorite mobile device, offers more portability and maneuverability, while being much less conspicuous,” s
US destroyer Donald Cook resumes European patrol
US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) departed Naval Station Rota, Spain resuming it’s eighth forward-deployed naval forces (FDNF) patrol in the US 6th Fleet area of operations, January 12. Donald Cook was in Naval Station Rota for a training and maintenance
NASSCO expands San Diego shipyard with new panel line
US shipbuilder General Dynamics NASSCO held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on January 11 to commission its new panel line, which expands steel production capabilities for the construction of commercial and government ships in San Diego. The new panel line enables distortion-free welding of plates as thin
Austal receives LCS support contract
Shipbuilder Austal USA has received a $21 million contract from the US Department of Defense for support activities on the littoral combat ship (LCS) program. Austal will be the prime contractor for undertaking a dry docking of LCS 14 to carry out various support and sustainment activities. This awa
Royal Navy sending another ship on Asia-Pacific deployment
The Royal Navy will deploy Type 23 frigate HMS Montrose to Japan later this year, where the ship will contribute to the enforcement of UN sanctions on North Korea. Montrose will be the fourth British warship to visit Japan and operate in the region in the past 12 months. Fellow Plymouth-based frigat
Indian Navy tests air-droppable logistics containers
The Indian Navy announced it has successfully tested the Sahayak air-droppable containers, deploying them from IL-38 aircraft off Goa in the Arabian Sea on January 8, 2019. Sahayak Containers will enhance the operational logistics capability of the navy, allowing it to supply spares and stores to sh
Germany starting construction of first new K130 corvette next month
A consortium of three German shipbuilders is scheduled to officially begin works on the first of five new K130 corvettes in February this year, the German Navy chief has announced. Speaking in Dobbin-Linstow on January 10, Vice Admiral Andreas Krause said the steel-cutting ceremony for the future FG
SIMBAD-RC-launched Mistral missile defeats fast boats in latest test
French missile systems specialist MBDA announced they tested the Mistral missile against fast boats such as fast inshore attack craft in a demonstration in front of a number of foreign delegations. The firing was performed from a SIMBAD-RC automated naval turret firing from the land against a fast m
US, Greek marines kick off exercise Alexander the Great
Approximately 300 US Marines and an equal number Greek military personnel have arrived in the port city of Volos, Greece, to start exercise Alexander the Great 2019. ATG19 is a bi-lateral security cooperation training exercise involving primarily Hellenic Marines from the 32nd Marine Brigade and US