Vessels
UK, France launch tri-service amphibious drill Catamaran 2018
Royal Navy landing ship RFA Lyme Bay on June 1 joined the French helicopter carrier BPC Tonnerre in the French port city of La Rochelle, in the Bay of Biscay, to embark an expeditionary force for the amphibious exercise Catamaran 2018. In addition to the two countries’ navy and marine forces, the ex
US Navy welcomes MQ-4C Triton into service
The US Navy officially welcomed the MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft system to the fleet with a ceremony on May 31. The ceremony marked the start of flight operations, seven months after the US Navy received its first operational Triton from Northrop Grumman in November 2017. Naval Base Ventura County
NATO ships meet Russian underwater reconnaissance vessel in English Channel
RFS Yantar, the Russian Navy’s oceanographic vessel – also referred to as spy ship, underwater reconnaissance ship or seabed research ship – was escorted by several NATO ships as it transited the English Channel into the North Sea. Yantar was first escorted by a French Navy ship in the Bay of Biscay
HADR exercise Pacific Partnership 2018 concludes
The humanitarian assistance and disaster relief readiness exercise Pacific Partnership 2018 concluded June 2 as US Navy hospital ship USNS Mercy (T-AH 19) departed Nha Trang, Vietnam. This mission in Nha Trang included personnel from the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force embarked in JDS Osumi (LS
USS Ronald Reagan embarks its carrier air wing
Shortly after starting its summer patrol, the US Navy’s forward-deployed aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) embarked Carrier Air Wing 5 (CVW-5) off the coast of Japan, June 3. The three-day fly-on and requalification of flight deck crew and aircrew involved more than 60 aircraft and include
UMS Skeldar, Qinetiq join forces on Canadian Navy UAV program
UMS SKELDAR and QinetiQ Target Systems have teamed up to provide their platforms for a joint Canadian maritime program, including the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) UAV contract. Among the systems to be offered are the SKELDAR V-200 and QinetiQ’s Obsidian counter UAV drone detection solution. “Both UMS a
Seaspan to begin Canadian Joint Support Ship construction
Canadian shipbuilder Seaspan Shipyards has been awarded a CAD$66 million contract to start construction of Joint Support Ships (JSS) for the Royal Canadian Navy. Starting work in the next two months, Seaspan will build up to 52 blocks that will eventually constitute complete ships. The new joint sup
US Navy selects NSM for LCS over-the-horizon anti-ship missile
The Kongsberg-developed Naval Strike Missile is the weapon of choice for the US Navy’s littoral combat ship over-the-horizon (OTH) missile, a Pentagon contract has unsurprisingly revealed. According to a May 31 defense department announcement, US defense contractor Raytheon has been awarded a $14.8
Royal Australian Navy starting Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2018
The Royal Australian Navy is starting the second iteration of the large-scale regional engagement Indo-Pacific Endeavour (IPE 18), Australian defense minister Marise Payne has announced. A Task Group that will deploy as part of IPE 18 is scheduled to depart Townsville on June 2. Minister Payne said
Portuguese Navy’s third OPV Sines completes sea trials
Future NRP Sines, the Portuguese Navy’s third Viana do Castelo-class offshore patrol vessel, has completed its sea trials. The latest phase of sea trials took place between May 28 and 30 and was completed successfully, the navy said. The vessel is set to join the navy in July this year, commanded by
Warships arrive in Lithuania for exercise BALTOPS 2018
Some 37 ships from 16 states arrived in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda on May 31 ahead of the start of international exercise BALTOPS 2018, the Lithuanian Navy said. The US Navy says the number of participating countries and ships is higher with a total of 22 nations, 60 aircraft, 42 ships, an
Essex amphibious ready group starts COMPTUEX
US Navy ships from the Essex amphibious ready group started the composite training unit exercise (COMPTUEX) with 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit marines off the coast of California on May 30. COMPTUEX is an exercise led by Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 15 and 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, Expeditionar
Submarine tender USS Emory S. Land arrives in California for dry-docking repairs
US Navy submarine tender USS Emory S. Land (AS 39) arrived in Vallejo, Calif., on May 31, to undergo dry-docking repairs. Emory S. Land is the first fully crewed Navy ship to arrive in the city since 1996. The ship will be docked at the Mare Island Dry Dock (MIDD) to conduct scheduled repairs to [&h
Freedom-variant LCS Sioux City completes acceptance trials
US Navy littoral combat ship Sioux City (LCS 11) completed its acceptance Trials in the waters of Lake Michigan, Lockheed Martin has annonced. The future USS Sioux City is the sixth Freedom-variant LCS designed and built by the Lockheed Martin-led industry team, and is slated for delivery to the US