Vessels
Canadian ships return from worldwide operations
Royal Canadian Navy vessels ranging from coastal defense vessels through frigates to replenishment oilers returned to their Atlantic and Pacific bases from operations in European, South American, and Asia-Pacific waters. Kingston-class coastal defense vessels HMCS Edmonton and Nanaimo returned to Ca
Stantec gets $35m for Portsmouth submarine base upgrade design
The US Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) has awarded design firm Stantec a $35 million contract for the planning and preliminary design of a multi-mission dry dock and other upgrades at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) in Kittery, Maine. Stantec’s work will include comprehensive prelimin
Kearsarge ARG ships deploy from Norfolk
US Navy sailors attached to the amphibious ready group centered around the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) started their deployment on December 17, after getting underway from Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia. In addition to USS Kearsarge as the flagship, the group includes S
Indian Navy commissions fifth LCU
The Indian Navy has commissioned its fifth Mk-IV landing craft utility in a ceremony at Port Blair on December 19. The ship has been indigenously designed and built by M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata. The LCU is an amphibious ship with its primary role being transportatio
US Navy establishes first CMV-22B carrier onboard delivery squadron
The US Navy established Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30 – its first CMV-22B squadron – in a ceremony at Naval Base Coronado on December 14. VRM-30 was established to begin the navy’s transition from the C-2A Greyhound, which has provided logistics support to aircraft carriers for fou
Russia commissions lead Karakurt-class corvette Mytishchi
The Russian Navy commissioned its lead Project 22800 guided-missile corvette ‘Mytishchi’ in a ceremony on December 17. The corvette will join the Baltic Fleet after completing sea and state trials and testing all systems and weapons. Mytishchi is the first of over 20 planned Project 22800 ships (als
Argonauts complete F-35C carrier qualifications on USS Carl Vinson
The “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147 completed their carrier qualifications December 12 aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the US Navy has announced. The carrier qualifications are the final required component for Commander Joint Strike Fighter Wing (CJSFW) to issue the squadron its sa
HII launches 18th US Navy Virginia-class submarine
US shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries has launched the 18th Virginia-class submarine Delaware (SSN 791) at its Newport News Shipbuilding division. During a three-day process that began last Wednesday, the 7,800-ton submarine was moved out of a construction facility and into a floating dry doc
US Navy lays keel for littoral combat ship Mobile (LCS 26)
The US-based subsidiary of Australian shipbuilder Austal hosted a keel-laying ceremony for the future Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Mobile (LCS 26) in MObile, Alabama on December 14. The ship’s sponsor, Rebecca Byrne, wife of Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., authenticated the keel for the
Sea Venom demonstrates lock on before launch capability in third test firing
French missile developer MBDA announced that the Anglo-French Sea Venom-ANL anti-ship missile recently completed another firing trial, bringing the missile program a step closer to production. The latest firing builds on previous two from July 2017 and May 2018. Conducted on November 14 from a Frenc
Thales UK brings in MSubs for UUV research
Thales UK announced it has teamed up with Plymouth-based MSubs Ltd. for research in the field of unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs). The agreement follows the opening of a new UK maritime autonomy center in the south-west of England, in October this year. Thales has invested £1 million in the facil
Australian submarine HMAS Rankin returns from seven-month deployment
Royal Australian Navy Collins-class submarine HMAS Rankin returned to her homeport at Fleet Base West after seven months of operations. Arriving just in time for Christmas, the crew were welcomed by friends, family and representatives of the Submarine Force. Rankin’s return to her home port comes af
Canadian Coast Guard welcomes first medium icebreaker CCGS Captain Molly Kool
The first of three new Canadian Coast Guard medium icebreakers was handed over to the coast guard in a ceremony in British Columbia on December 14. As noted during the ceremony, the CCGS Captain Molly Kool is also the first new Canadian Coast Guard icebreaker in twenty-five years. The first ship wil
USS Harry S Truman returns from historic dynamic force deployment
US aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman returned home on December 16, becoming the first US Navy Nimitz-class carrier to complete a deployment under the new dynamic force employment concept. In all, the flattop spent some seven months on operations since first deploying from naval station Norfolk on