Vessels
US Navy’s newest destroyer visits Mexico en route to homeport
US Navy’s newest Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) arrived in Manzanillo, Mexico, for a port visit on April 10. The destroyer is en route to its new homeport after entering US Navy service in a ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina, on March 24. Ralph Johnson
Australian Navy divers hard at work during Commonwealth Games
Royal Australian Navy clearance divers are supporting the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games by ensuring the safety and security of Queensland waterways. Around 30 navy personnel are at the Gold Coast providing support to the Queensland Police Service (QPS) with security planning and operations in a
Lockheed, Cobham team up for US Navy’s new E/A-18 Growler jammer low band
Defense technology companies Lockheed Martin and Cobham announced they are joining forces to bid for the US Navy’s Next Generation Jammer Low Band (NGJ-LB) program to replace the current ALQ-99 tactical jamming system currently on the E/A-18 Growler aircraft. The NGJ-LB system will be integrated on
AeroVironment tests sensor-to-shooter UAV pair from a US Navy riverine craft
American technology company AeroVironment announced it has demonstrated its Puma-Switchblade combination of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in an automated sensor-to-shooter (S2S) configuration from a US Navy coastal riverine craft. The UAV pair combines the existing RQ-20B Puma Block 2 small UAS wit
Russian Navy receives logistics support ship Elbrus
Russian Navy’s new Project 23120 logistic support vessel ‘Elbrus’ has completed acceptance trials and was delivered to the navy’s auxiliary fleet. Elbrus was subsequently commissioned into the Northern Fleet in a ceremony held on April 4, according to the shipbuilder. Elbrus will be followed by a se
USS Dallas bows out
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class submarine USS Dallas (SSN 700) officially retired in a decommissioning ceremony in the controlled industrial area (CIA) at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard (PSNS) Bremerton, on April 4. The decommissioning ceremony, a time-honored naval tradition, retires a ship from service th
Turkish frigate TCG Gediz joining NATO’s SNMG1
Turkish Navy frigate TCG Gediz is joining the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) for over two months of operations with international partners. The former US Navy Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigate got underway from her Aegean Sea homeport of Aksaz Naval Base on April 6 and is currently on a port
US Navy eyeing procurement of 17 presidential helicopters
The US Navy is considering an acquisition of the full fleet of new presidential helicopters, Marine Corps program manager for the VH-92 program Col. Eric J. Ropella disclosed at the 2018 Sea Air Space Exposition, April 9. The news comes four years into a $1.2 billion contract for the new VH-92 presi
Photo: Wasp ESG sails with JS Shimokita in East China Sea
US Navy ships from the Wasp expeditionary strike group met up with Japan Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) amphibious transport dock JS Shimokita (LST 4002) in the East China Sea on April 9 for bilateral maneuvers. The US Navy has shared photos of the navigational maneuvers which were held to “dem
Canada investing in Arctic subsea surveillance
The Canadian government is starting to invest in defense research which will improve subsea surveillance solutions for its Arctic regions. On April 6, the government announced it has awarded a contract to Cellula Robotics to develop a fuel cell that would boost the ability for autonomous underwater
General Dynamics orders BAE’s Mk110 guns for Independence variant LCS
General Dynamics has awarded BAE Systems a contract to provide two additional Mk110 naval gun systems for the Independence variant of the US Navy’s littoral combat ship (LCS). The additional guns are part of a follow-on to a current contract, bringing the total number of Mk110 systems to 15 for the
USS Porter arrives in France for patrol’s 1st port call
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) arrived in Cherbourg, France, on April 7 for a scheduled port visit. The visit is aimed at enhancing US-France relations as the two nations work together to strengthen regional security and stability. During Porter’s time in Cherbo
New Philippine Navy frigates to start construction following design review
The Philippine Navy’s troubled frigate acquisition project is set to make headway after the navy’s technical inspection and acceptance committee approved a design review for the two new vessels. According to Philippine media reports, the design review was approved March 23 while a ceremonial steel c
Oldest submarine in US Navy service returns from final deployment
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class submarine USS Bremerton completed her final deployment as an active US Navy ship, returning to her homeport at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on April 6. The completion of her Western Pacific deployment marks the end of the ship’s active service in the Pacific. According