Vessels
Mine warfare drill Noble Melinda concludes in Israel
The Israeli Navy recently hosted explosive ordnance disposal divers from the navies of the US and France for mine countermeasure exercise Noble Melinda 2018. The exercise focused on enhancing cooperation and regional maritime security by sharing tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) and fosterin
Fincantieri starts construction of first Doha-class corvette for Qatari Navy
Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri has marked the official start of construction of the first Doha-class corvette for the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces. The steel cutting ceremony for the vessel took place on Monday at the Muggiano (La Spezia) yard, in the presence of the Qatari defense minister, His Excell
State Department clears $70m worth of upgrades for Bahrain Navy flagship
The US State Department has approved $70 million worth of items and services for the upgrades of Royal Bahrain Navy frigate RBNS Sabha. The approved sale includes engineering, technical, and logistics services, documentation, and modification material for US Navy supplied systems and equipment. RBNS
Spanish Navy commissions fifth BAM ship ‘Audaz’
The Spanish Navy commissioned its fifth Buque de Acción Marítima (BAM) ship in a ceremony in San Fernando on July 27. The ceremony was chaired by Ángel Olivares Ramírez, Secretary of State for Defense, with the head of the Spanish Navy (AJEMA), Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón, and other gover
Trinidad and Tobago to buy two Cape-class patrol boats from Austal
Australian shipbuilder Austal announced that the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago government intends to purchase two Austal-designed Cape-class patrol boats. The purchase would enhance the border protection capabilities of the country in conjunction with the existing Coast Guard fleet, and will join
Italian AV-8B Harrier lands aboard USS Iwo Jima for maintenance in North Carolina
US Navy’s Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) has embarked an Italian AV-8B Harrier jet as it sails home from a deployment to Europe and Middle East. The jet and its crew landed on July 18 and will later cross the Atlantic Ocean with the sailors and marines aboard the Iwo Jima. [
US aircraft carrier responds to distress call near Hawaiian island
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) has rescued five mariners stranded in shallow water near Hawaii’s Niihau island. The five mariners issued a distress call from their 36-foot vessel on July 27. Two MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopters assigned to the “Black Knights” of Helicopter Sea Combat S
Royal Navy frigate joins Combined Task Force 150 in Red Sea
Royal Navy frigate HMS Argyll joined the international Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150) during a recent visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Currently under command of Royal Navy Commodore Steve Moorhouse, CTF 150 is part of the 32-nation Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), is responsible for disrupting the
Australian Navy receives second air warfare destroyer ‘Brisbane’
The Australian defense procurement office has accepted delivery of the Royal Australian Navy’s second Hobart-class air warfare destroyer NUSHIP Brisbane in a ceremony in Adelaide on Friday. The Department of Defence Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group received the ship after it completed se
US 7th Fleet sailors rescue divers off Guam
US Navy’s Guam-based “Island Knight” sailors from Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 25 rescued three divers separated from their boat more than 15 miles from the Guam shore on July 26. US Coast Guard Sector Guam notified HSC-25 that the divers who were spearfishing had gone missing. A rescue miss
Second FPB 72 MKII fast patrol boat ready for delivery to Philippine Coast Guard
‘Panglao’ – the Philippine Coast Guard’s second FPB 72 MKII fast patrol boat – has been loaded in Saint-Nazaire, France, and is ready for delivery. The first boat in the class – Boracay – was loaded for delivery to the Philippines early June. Built by French shipbuilder Ocea, Panglao is one of four
French Navy commissions second offshore support vessel ‘Rhone’
The French Navy commissioned its second Loire-class offshore support and assistance multipurpose vessel – BSAH Rhone – in a ceremony on July 6. Rhone entered service after being launched by the Kership joint venture in Concarneau, north-western France, in November 2017, and completing all trials off
Russia lays keel for sixth Project 12700 minesweeper
The Sredne-Nevsky Shipyard marked the official construction-start of the Russian Navy’s sixth Project 12700 minesweeper with a keel-laying ceremony at its St. Petersburg shipyard on July 25. The monolithic-fiberglass vessel is named ‘Peter Ilyichev’ and is expected to be handed over to the navy by N
French Navy receives fifth FREMM multi-mission frigate ‘Bretagne’
French shipbuilder Naval Group has delivered the fifth FREMM multi-mission frigate, FS Bretagne, to the French Navy. Bretagne was handed over to the French Government Defense procurement and technology agency (DGA) on July 18, nine months after it concluded its first trials. The anti-submarine warfa