Vessels
Australian submarine HMAS Sheean returns from three-month Indo-Pacific deployment
Royal Australian Navy’s Collins-class submarine HMAS Sheean returned home to Fleet Base West after almost three months of operations in the Indo-Pacific. The navy did not reveal which exercises the submarine joined and how many port visits the crew made. The only known port visit was the one to Mala
US Marine missing from USS Essex identified, declared deceased
The US Navy has identified a Marine who was reported missing from the USS Essex on August 9 has been identified as Cpl. Jonathan Currier. After a five-day search in the Mindanao Sea, which involved the Essex amphibious ready group (ARG) and the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) in addition to Phi
HMS Queen Elizabeth setting sail for four months of F-35B trials off US coast
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to get underway from HMNB Portsmouth on Saturday for her first-of-class F-35B flight trials. The deployment is dubbed Westlant 18 and will see the carrier spend four months off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States with the aim of deve
Ronald Reagan CSG ships train with Japanese destroyer
Forward-deployed ships from the US Navy’s Ronald Reagan carrier strike group (CSG) started bilateral training with Japan Maritime Self Defense destroyer JS Kirishima on August 14. The exercise is also joined by Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) personnel from the Commander, Escort Division (
US concludes Persian Gulf exercise with Iraqi, Kuwaiti Navy
US Navy and Coast Guard personnel wrapped up a trilateral exercise with the navies of Iraq and Kuwait in the Northern Persian Gulf. The exercise concluded August 15 and focused on improving collective proficiency in maritime security tactics between the three nations and ensuring the freedom of navi
Russia’s newest Black Sea fleet corvette starts first Mediterranean deployment
The Russian Navy’s Black Sea Fleet corvette Vyshny Volochyok transited the Bosphorus on August 16 to start her first Mediterranean Sea deployment. The Buyan-M class vessel is starting the deployment after entering service in May this year and becoming the first corvette in its class to join the Blac
Australia receives P-8A Poseidon simulator training facility
Australia’s future P-8A Poseidon pilots are set to benefit from a new simulator and training systems facility at RAAF Base Edinburgh after it was officially handed over to the defense department on August 17. Australian defense minister Marise Payne said the advanced P-8A training system would bette
Dutch OPV nabs 406 kilos of cocaine in Caribbean Sea
The Royal Netherlands Navy offshore patrol vessel HNLMS Friesland has seized 406 kilos of cocaine from a vessel in a joint operation with the Sint Maarten coast guard. The drugs were seized on Thursday after a suspect vessel was spotted by Friesland’s NH90 helicopter. According to the Dutch Navy, th
UK restarts Type 31 frigate program competition
After halting a competition for the construction of five Type 31 frigates late July, the UK defense ministry has now relaunched the process. The program was halted on July 24 due to what the defense ministry identified as inadequate competition prior to awarding competitive design phase (CDP) contra
UK, Japan staging first bilateral amphibious drill off Japan
The UK Royal Navy and the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force are scheduled to conduct their first joint amphibious exercise in Japanese waters next week. Taking place on August 23 and 24, the exercise will be spearheaded by Royal Navy amphibious assault ship HMS Albion and the JMSDF tank landing ship
NOAA discovers sunken WWII destroyer USS Abner Read in Bering Sea
A team of researchers has found the wreck of US Navy destroyer USS Abner Read on the bottom of the Bering Sea off the Aleutian island of Kiska, where it sank after being torn off by an explosion while conducting an anti-submarine patrol. Seventy-one US Navy sailors were lost in the aftermath of the
All four Royal Navy tankers home as RFA Tideforce arrives in Cornwall
The final of four Royal Navy Tide-class tankers – RFA Tideforce – has arrived in Cornwall, UK, where it will now undergo military customization and armament before starting sea trials. Customisation work, including the installation of communications equipment and defensive systems, will be performed
GD NASSCO gets $147.6m for USS Cowpens cruiser modernization
The US Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO) a $147.6 million contract for work on the modernization of Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63). This is a “long-term” availability which will include a combination of m
HMCS Montreal arrives at Halifax Shipyard for dry docking work
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Montreal arrived at Halifax Shipyard August 13 for a 53-week docking work period (DWP) which will include both routine maintenance and upgrades. HMCS Montreal is the third consecutive Halifax-class frigate from the navy’s east coast fleet to enter the Halifax Shipyar