Vessels
Royal Navy frigate deploys to Asia with new Sea Ceptor missile system
Type 23 frigate HMS Argyll became the third Royal Navy ship to deploy to Asia as she got underway from her Devonport Naval base on June 18. The frigate will be spending the next nine-months in Asia, sailing as far as Japan as part of a national push to strengthen military and diplomatic ties in [&he
USS Carl Vinson gets underway for RIMPAC
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) got underway from its San Diego homeport on June 18 to take part in the biennial Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. Carl Vinson is joining more than 50 surface ships and submarines, and re
HMAS Warramunga completes record-breaking Middle East deployment
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga is returning from a Middle East deployment which saw the crew seize over AU$2 billion of narcotics over the course of eight months. In total, the Australian warship intercepted 16 vessels carrying illicit narcotics, seizing a total of around 31.8 tonnes
Royal Navy minehunter Shoreham heads for Persian Gulf deployment
Royal Navy mine hunter HMS Shoreham departed HM Naval Base Clyde on June 18 for a deployment to the Persian Gulf. The Sandown-class minehunter’s 40 crew started a 6,000 mile journey to the Gulf region from the Argyll and Bute base to take over from sister-ship HMS Bangor who has spent the past three
Bulgarian Navy stages large scale drill in preparation for Sea Breeze 2018
The Bulgarian Navy is staging a fleet wide drill with the aim of preparing units for the international Black Sea exercise Sea Breeze. Dubbed Black Sea – 2018, the local exercise is taking place from June 18 to 22 and will see the participation of 25 Bulgarian naval and auxiliary ships. The exercise
Damen, Saab team up for Brazilian Tamandaré-class corvette RFP
Dutch shipbuilder Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Swedish defense contractor Saab announced they are joining forces to bid for the Brazilian Navy’s corvette acquisition project. Brazil issued a request for proposals for the construction of four new Tamandaré-class corvettes in December 2017. Un
Steel cutting ceremony marks start of Canadian Joint Support Ships construction
A steel-cutting ceremony at Seaspan’s Vancouver shipyard marked the start of construction of the Royal Canadian Navy’s Joint Support Ships. The ceremony was attended by Canadian defense minister Harjit S. Sajjan. Under a CAD$66 million contract announced earlier this month, Seaspan will build up to
Aquabotix’s SwarmDiver begins testing at US Navy Undersea Warfare Center
Unmanned underwater vehicle developer Aquabotix announced it has entered a special purpose cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the US Navy to start testing of its SwarmDiver micro swarming unmanned surface vehicle (USV). The CRADA with Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Div
German tender ‘Rhein’ to become NATO SNMCMG2 flagship
German Navy tender FGS Rhein is departing its Kiel homeport on June 20 to head for the Mediterranean Sea where it will join NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 (SNMCMG2). During its time in the Mediterranean and Black Sea, the 100-meter long Elbe-class replenishment ship will serve as flags
Lithuanian-hosted exercise BALTOPS 2018 concludes
The US Navy-led and Lithuanian-hosted international exercise BALTOPS 2018 concluded on June 15 as participating ships arrived in Kiel, Germany. During the two-week BALTOPS exercise, over 100 drills in surface, subsurface, air defense, mine counter measures, maritime interdictions, and joint personne
Essex Amphibious Ready Group completes final pre-deployment drill
Ships from the US Navy’s Essex Amphibious Ready Group (ARG) and Marines attached to 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) completed the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) off the coast of Southern California, June 15. COMPTUEX is a sea and land-based deployment certification event involving
US 7th Fleet completes Indo-Pacific theater security cooperation patrol
US 7th Fleet personnel embarked aboard the expeditionary fast transport ship USNS Millinocket (T-EPF 3) completed a month-long theater security cooperation (TSC) patrol in the Indo-Pacific, June 15. More than 40 members of the 7th Fleet staff, including US 7th Fleet Band members and Marines from Fle
Australian frigate HMAS Anzac returns from three-month Southeast Asia deployment
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Anzac returned to her homeport at Fleet Base East on June 17, completing a three-month Southeast Asia deployment. Anzac deployed as part of a three ship task unit with HMA Ships Success and Toowoomba. Departing Fleet Base East in March, Anzac visited seven ports in
US Navy receives future USS Thomas Hudner from General Dynamics
The US Navy received its future guided-missile destroyer USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116) from General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (BIW) in a ceremony on June 15. During the delivery ceremony, a flag was raised onboard USS Thomas Hudner which was previously flown over Arlington National Cemetery by Capt. Hu