Vessels
Keel laid for 12th Freedom-variant littoral combat ship
The Lockheed Martin-led industry team held a keel-laying ceremony for the US Navy’s 23rd Littoral Combat Ship (LCS). The keel for the 12th Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, future USS Cooperstown, was laid on August 14 in a ceremony held at Fincantieri Marinette Marine in Marinette, Wisconsin. E
US Navy gets funds for 13 new vessels under 2019 defense bill
US president Donald J. Trump has signed a $717 billion National Defense Authorization Act under which the US Navy would get funds for a total of 13 new vessels. Signed by the president at a ceremony at Fort Drum, New York, August 13, the NDAA includes funds for three littoral combat ships, a fourth
Fincantieri acquires automation specialist Vitrociset
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri is boosting its logistic support capabilities with the acquisition of automation, command and control systems specialist Vitrociset. Fincantieri announced August 7 that it signed an agreement with commercial high-tech company Mer Mec for the joint and equally split ac
US Navy calls off search for Marine missing from USS Essex
The US Navy has called off the search for a Marine who was reported missing from amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD-2) on August 9. The Marine, assigned to the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked aboard USS Essex, is presumed dead after the US Navy announced the end of search and rescue effo
Israel-hosted exercise Reliant Mermaid 2018 comes to an end
Sailors aboard the US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) concluded participation in exercise Reliant Mermaid 2018, a maritime search and rescue and anti-terrorism force protection exercise on August 8, 2018. The drill, hosted by the Israel Defense Forces, is desi
Italy’s newest FREMM frigate joins counter-piracy operation off the Horn of Africa
After ceding command over the EU-led counter-piracy operation Atalanta off the Horn of Africa to the Spanish Navy, the Italian Navy has deployed its newest FREMM frigate – ITS Federico Martinengo – to support the mission. The frigate got underway from its homeport in Taranto and joined the operation
HHI lays keel for New Zealand Navy tanker ‘Aotearoa’
Hyundai Heavy Industries hosted a keel laying ceremony for the Royal New Zealand Navy’s future tanker HMZS Aotearoa at its shipyard in Ulsan, South Korea, on August 13. Aotearoa’s keel laying consisted of more than 500 tonnes of carefully constructed keel blocks being positioned together in the dry
Davie gets CA$610 to deliver three converted icebreakers to Canadian Coast Guard
The Canadian government has awarded Chantier Davie, of Lévis, Quebec, a CA$610 million contract to deliver three converted icebreakers to the Canadian Coast Guard. Under the contract, Davie is to acquire three medium commercial icebreakers and prepare them for coast guard service. The first vessel i
HII gets multi-million deal for USS John C. Stennis RCOH
US shipbuilder Ingalls Industries (HII) has been awarded an advance planning contract for the refueling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of the US Navy’s nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74). As informed, the RCOH is scheduled to begin in January 2021. The contract, which is init
Australia continues Indo-Pacific deployment after RIMPAC participation
Australian Navy ships and personnel are continuing their Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018 (IPE18) deployment after concluding exercise Rim of the Pacific off Hawaii in early August. Landing helicopter dock ship HMAS Adelaide and frigate HMAS Toowoomba – along with a platoon of Australian soldiers from 2R
Austal to build six 80-meter OPVs for the Philippine Navy
Australian shipbuilder Austal will be delivering six offshore patrol vessels for the Philippine Navy, the company confirmed on August 13. The confirmation follows Philippine media reports from August 11, which said the Defence Secretary of the Philippines government, Delfin Lorenzana, announced that
US Navy tests MV-22 Ospreys aboard USS George H.W. Bush
MV-22 Osprey pilots tested rolling landing and takeoffs on the flight deck of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) earlier this month. The testing took place a month after Bell Boeing received a contract to build the first 39 CMV-22B aircraft for the US Navy. The CMV-22B Osprey
First California-based US Coast Guard FRC arrives home
Base Los Angeles-Long Beach welcomed the US Coast Guard’s first California-based Sentinel-Class fast response cutter on August 11. USCGC Forrest Rednour arrived in San Pedro, Los Angeles, where the crew will begin training to become certified in law enforcement and rescue operations. The Forrest Red
Austal lays keel for 11th US Navy Spearhead-class EPF
Shipbuilder Austal has authenticated the keel for the US Navy’s eleventh Spearhead-class Expeditionary Fast Transport ship in a ceremony at its Mobile, Alabama shipyard. A keel laying is the formal recognition of the start of a ship’s construction, as the keel is the symbolic backbone of a ship. The