The U.S. Navy announced December 23 that the future littoral combat ships USS Detroit (LCS 7) and USS Montgomery (LCS 8) are scheduled to be homeported at Naval Base San Diego following their commissioning in summer 2016. Detroit is a Freedom-class littoral combat ship being built at Marinette Marin
Sailors from the U.S. Navy’s Expeditionary Fast Transport vessel USNS Spearhead (T-EPF 1) are preparing for their deployment in 2016 to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. Their aim will be to support the international collaborative capacity-building program Africa Partnership Station (APS). Sail
The U.S. Navy’s Naval Air Systems Command on December 21 awarded Lockheed Martin Aeronautics two contracts worth $1.255 billion. The first is a $1,171,206,489 advance acquisition contract for the advance procurement of long lead time materials, parts, components and effort to maintain the planned pr
Australian-based shipbuilder Austal announced December 21 that its Austal USA subsidiary has been awarded a contract for $51,7 million to its 11-ship $3.5 billion Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) contract for the U.S. Navy. This contract modification is expected to increase to $198,385,545 over three year
The Royal Navy’s auxiliary ship RFA Lyme Bay has returned home after patrolling the Atlantic, visiting 16 nations, helping with two disaster relief operations, and making a $53million cocaine bust. RFA Lyme Bay sailed into Falmouth, England at the weekend having completed a six-month patrol of the N
Commander Robert Shu relieved Commander Christopher England as the commanding officer of the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) during a change of command ceremony at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka (CFAY), December 15. England was Fitzgerald’s comma
The U.S. Navy might have to give up on acquiring 52 littoral combat ships and reduce the number to 40 and decide on only one shipbuilder. U.S Defense Secretary Ash Carter told this to the Navy Secretary Ray Mabus in a December 14 memo, first reported by Defense News. Carter said that the funds saved
The Canadian Navy’s hunter-killer submarine HMCS Windsor returned to Halifax December 17 after a three and a half month deployment to Western European waters. HMCS Windsor, along with HMC Ships Athabaskan, Halifax, Montréal, Goose Bay, and Summerside left Halifax in the early fall. The submarine is
The U.S. Navy announced the christening ceremony of the newest Independence-variant littoral combat ship, USS Omaha (LCS 12), that will take place in Mobile, Alabama, December 19. Omaha, designated LCS 12, honors the city of Omaha, Nebraska. Ray Mabus, secretary of the Navy, who will serve as princi
The U.S. Navy’s future DDG 51 destroyer, USS Rafael Peralta (DDG 115) started its Aegis Combat System testing at the Bath Iron Works (BIW) shipyard, December 17. The Aegis system light off marks the beginning of combat system testing for the ship. These tests will ensure all combat system equipment
Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training has been awarded a $72.4 million contract to provide U.S. and United Kingdom Trident II (D5) navigation subsystem engineering support services. The contract will see Lockheed Martin provide U.S. and U.K. fleet support and U.S. and U.K. trainer systems sup
Rear Admiral Richard W. Butler who has been the Commander of Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 4 since July 31, 2014 was succeeded by Rear Adm. Bruce H. Lindsey on December 11. The change of command ceremony was also a retirement ceremony since the former Commander Buttler retired from the Navy after more
The U.S. Navy’s Aegis-equipped Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) was launched at the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard December 12. The ship was translated from the land level facility to the drydock which was slowly flooded until the ship was afloat. You can watch
Although the U.S. Navy’s fifth Freedom-variant littoral combat ship, the USS Milwaukee, was commissioned November 21, the ship arrived at Joint Expeditionary Base (JEB), Virginia, December 11. This delay was caused by the discovery of metallic debris in the port and starboard combining gear filter s
