Vessels
Naval Group announces first French FTI frigate suppliers
French shipbuilder Naval Group recently announced the selection of first equipment suppliers for the five future intermediate-size frigates (FTI) to be built for the Marine Nationale. As part of the framework construction contract awarded to Naval Group by the French Defence Procurement Agency in Ap
India, Myanmar kick off maiden bilateral naval exercise
India and Myanmar have kicked off their first bilateral naval exercise IMNEX-18 which will be held odd the east coast of India. Two Union of Myanmar Navy ships – frigate UMS King Sin Phyu Shin and offshore patrol vessel UMS Inlay – arrived in Visakhapatnam on March 25 ahead of the start of the exerc
HMAS Choules hosts first of class flight trials for CH-47F Chinook
Royal Australian Navy landing ship HMAS Choules recently welcomed the Army’s CH-47F Chinook helicopter aboard for its first of class flight trials. Elements from the Australian Army’s 5th Aviation Regiment and the Aircraft Maintenance and Flight Trials Unit embarked Choules for the duration of the f
USS Abraham Lincoln wraps up F-35C fleet carrier qualifications
US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) completed fleet carrier qualifications (CQ) for the F-35C Lightning II program over a five-day period in the Atlantic Ocean. The US Navy said the milestone was achieved while the carrier was underway between March 17-21. Pilots ass
Qinetiq unveils design of new Portsdown Technology Park facility
Construction of a new naval testing facility at the Portsdown Technology Park (PTP) in Portsmouth, UK, is set to begin soon, UK defense technology company Qinetiq announced as it unveiled the facility’s design. Together with the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), Qinetiq is investing £23m in
USS Carl Vinson wraps up drills with JMSDF helicopter carrier JS Ise
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) completed a series of evolutions with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) helicopter carrier JS Ise (DDH 182) in the South China Sea on March 23. The two ships were joined by US destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) training drills and sai
US destroyer starts Oceania maritime security patrols
US Navy’s Hawaii-homeported destroyer USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) and embarked US Coast Guard personnel started joint maritime security patrols in the Western Pacific on March 26. The destroyer’s mission is part of the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative (OMSI) which is designed to reduce and elim
India’s Goa Shipyard delivers second OPV to Sri Lankan Navy
India’s Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) delivered the second advanced offshore patrol vessel ‘SLNS Sindurala’ to the Sri Lankan Navy in a ceremony in India on March 22. The 105-meter vessel was delivered 25 days ahead of schedule, according to the shipbuilder. The two OPVs, built under a US$ 155 million
Report: US sails destroyer near Chinese claimed island
The US Navy destroyer USS Mustin (DDG 89) sailed close to an artificial island built by China in the South China Sea, Reuters reported citing US officials. On March 23, 2018, the destroyer reportedly approached Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, a disputed area. The operation, called by the US Na
Obangame Express kicks off in Gabon
Obangame Express, an exercise sponsored by US Africa Command (AFRICOM) and designed to improve regional cooperation, kicked off on March 21 with an opening ceremony in Libreville, Gabon. The annual exercise aims to enhance maritime domain awareness (MDA), information-sharing practices, and tactical
Indian Navy decommissions frigate, three minesweepers
The Indian Navy decommissioned an indigenously built frigate and three Russian-built minesweepers in separate ceremonies on March 22 and 23. Both the frigate and the minesweepers provided over 30 years of service for the Indian Navy. INS Ganga, the indigenously-built Godavari-class guided-missile fr
Royal Navy, Thales trial surface warship sonar software upgrades
French defense and technology company Thales worked with the Royal Navy recently to see if upgrades in submarine sonar systems could be applied on towed array sonars used on surface ships such as the Type 23 frigates. Sonar 2076 is the Royal Navy’s major sonar platform on all submarines, while the T
US Navy to commission 64th Arleigh Burke destroyer ‘Ralph Johnson’
The US Navy is set to commission its 64th Arleigh Burke destroyer in a ceremony in Charleston, South Carolina, on Saturday, March 24. The future USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) is the 30th DDG 51 class destroyer built by the Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII) shipyard and the first warship named for Me
USS Bonhomme Richard pulls into Okinawa on Indo-Pacific patrol
US Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) arrived at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, for a visit as part of its Indo-Pacific deployment. The ship arrived in Okinawa on March 22 following a week of unit-level training at sea. Bonhomme Richard’s crew has cond