US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) has qualified the first nine F-35C Lightning II pilots during its underway period. The Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) Carrier Qualifications were successfully completed between December 7 and 11. Along with Abraham Lincoln, the “
Royal Australian Navy replenishment ship HMAS Sirius returned to Fleet Base West on December 15, concluding her Indo-Pacific Endeavour deployment. The ship’s crew of 73 returned home after four months at sea. Commanding officer, Commander Michael Oborn said that their recent mission focused on enhan
The US Navy is set to commission littoral combat ship USS Little Rock (LCS 9) in a ceremony on Saturday, December 16, at the Canalside waterfront in Buffalo, New York. The Freedom-variant littoral combat ship is the 10th LCS to enter the fleet and the fifth of the Freedom-variant design. Little Rock
US Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Key West (SSN 722) returned to Apra Harbor, Guam, on December 15, after four months of operations in the Western Pacific. Key West, under the command of Cmdr. J. Grady Hill, is returning from the US 7th Fleet area of responsibility, where the crew par
The US Navy has awarded General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding (NASCO) a $16.3 million contract for the maintenance and repairs of Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Pinckne (DDG 91). Under the contract, NASCO is to perform what is referred to as a selected restricted availability which wil
Peruvian naval shipyard SIMA has started the modernization of the Peruvian Navy’s four Type 209/1200 submarines. The first boat to undergo the upgrades is the BAP Chipana which was recently lifted out of the water onto a dry dock for the maintenance. The Syncrolift system the company used for the pr
Russian president Vladimir Putin has submitted a draft bill to the lower house of the Russian Federal Assembly which would see Russia develop a fully functional naval base at the Syrian port of Tartus. The port is already in use by Russian warships which have been making port calls there since 1977.
The US Marine Corps’ unmanned helicopter has completed a successful final flight demonstration at Marine Corps Base Quantico, the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced. The unmanned helicopter enhances autonomy options for the Marine Corps and was developed as part of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/
US defense contractor Raytheon announced it has completed design, development and testing of its Cooperative Engagement Capability system which will provide the Australian Navy’s new Hobart-class destroyers with enhanced air warfare capabilities. The systems are yet to be certified by the US Navy, h
US Navy submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) completed her homeport shift from Pearl Harbor arriving at Naval Base Guam on December 14. Asheville replaced USS Chicago (SSN 721) as Guam’s fourth forward-deployed Los Angeles-class attack submarine. Chicago shifted homeport to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, in Sep
Members of the US Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5) on December 13 started a bilateral amphibious combat rehearsal in international waters off the coast of Djibouti, Africa. They will be teaming up with the French Task Group 473.1 which is composed of
The crew of US Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) concluded the first port call of their forward-deployed patrol, departing Valletta, Malta, on December 12. USS Carney also became the first US Navy ship to moor in Valletta since 2014. “We are thankful for the hos
The Indian Navy is set to commission its first Scorpene-class submarine INS Kalvari in a ceremony in Mumbai on December 14. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will have the honor of officially inducting the submarine into service in a ceremony attended by state and navy leaders. INS Kalvari was bui
The Australian government on December 13 announced a AU$20 million contract for the upkeep of Royal Australian Navy air warfare destroyers. The contract, awarded to BAE Systems and Raytheon Australia, will see the creation of 50 new jobs at Raytheon’s Macquarie Park facility in Sydney. Today’s annou
