Vessels
Patria contracts Saab for Finnish Navy Squadron 2000 mid-life upgrade program
Finland’s Patria has contracted Swedish defense contractor Saab for work on the Finnish Navy Squadron 2000 mid-life upgrade program. The contract awarded to Saab is worth SEK 960 million (approx. US$117.7 million) with deliveries set to start in 2018. According to Patria, the total value of the upgr
Royal Navy to mark centenary of Orkney destroyer catastrophe
The Royal Navy and residents of the Orkney Isles are set to mark the centenary of the sinking of two destroyers off South Ronaldsay in a snowstorm on January 12 1918. Just one man survived when HMS Opal and Narborough ran aground when they were caught a snowstorm during a patrol. One hundred years t
Indian Navy Mig-29K crashes at Goa airport, pilot ejects
An Indian Navy Mig-29K aircraft went off runway during a take off at Goa airport on January 3, an Indian Navy spokesperson confirmed. The aircraft’s trainee pilot managed to eject before the aircraft crashed and caught fire. The incident caused delays in civilian arrivals and departures at the Goa a
Dutch frigate nabs 1,600kg of cocaine on New Year’s Eve
Dutch Navy frigate HNLMS Van Speijk intercepted 1,600 kilos of cocaine during a New Year’s Eve operation in the Caribbean region. The drugs were discovered on a Tanzanian flagged merchant ship en route to the Dominican Republic. An embarked NH-90 detected the suspicious ship prompting a US Coast Law
German air defense frigate FGS Sachsen deploys to operation Sophia
F124 air defense frigate FGS Sachsen will become the first German Navy vessel to deploy in 2018, getting underway from her homeport of naval base Wilhelmshaven on January 5. The lead ship of the F124 frigates is joining the EU-led operation Sophia in the Mediterranean Sea. The goal of the mission is
UGL, Babcock joint venture lands AU$200m Australian Navy contract
The joint venture team composed of UK defense contractor Babcock and Australia’s UGL has been awarded a new five year agreement for the maintenance of Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigates. Under a contract worth around £115 million (AU$200 million), the Naval Ship Management (NSM) joint vent
Australian frigate HMAS Warramunga seizes eight tons of hashish in Arabian Sea
Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Warramunga seized almost eight tons of hashish and 69 kilograms of heroin from three separate vessels in the Arabian Sea over a course of two days. The crew of Warramunga seized the drugs in an operation spanning between December 27 and 29, 2017. According to the A
Russian Navy’s new diesel-electric icebreaker arrives at its Northern Fleet homeport
The Russian Navy’s diesel-electric icebreaker ‘Ilya Muromets’ arrived at its Northern Fleet homeport on January 2, the Russian Navy announced. The ship’s crew made their first crossing from the Baltic Sea to the Kola Bay and were welcomed in Severomorsk by Northern Fleet commander Admiral Nikolay Ev
Report: Royal Navy helicopter carrier HMS Ocean definitely sold to Brazil
UK helicopter carrier HMS Ocean has reportedly been bought by Brazil. The purchase was confirmed by Brazilian defense minister Raul Jungmann, according to UK Defence Journal. Brazil is reportedly paying £84 million for the UK helicopter carrier which recently returned from her final deployment as a
Happy new year 2018!
Naval Today team wishes all our readers joyous holidays and a happy and prosperous New Year! We would also like to thank our readers for the continuous support over the year and we look forward to bringing you the latest stories about the naval world next year as well. May 2018 bring you fair winds
Northrop Grumman bags $255m MQ-4C Triton production contract
The US Naval Air Systems Command has awarded Northrop Grumman a $255 million contract for the Lot 3 low-rate initial production of three MQ-4C Triton unmanned aircraft. The contract will also include trade studies and tooling in support of the Persistent Maritime Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Of
USS Wasp stops in Hawaii en route to new Japan homeport
US Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD 1) pulled into Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on December 28 for a final port call en route to her new homeport of Sasebo, Japan. Wasp departed Norfolk, Virginia, August 30, but was diverted to the Caribbean in the wake of hurricanes Irma and
US Navy submarine tender USS Frank Cable completes overhaul
US Navy submarine tender USS Frank Cable (AS 40) has completed an eight-month planned, dry-dock repair availability and is now headed for her Guam homeport. The submarine tender was overhauled by Vigor Industrial, in Portland, Oregon, and departed the shipyard on December 21. Fifty-six million dolla
South Korea retires Ulsan-class frigate, Pohang corvettes
The Republic of Korea Navy on December 27 announced the decommissioning of an Ulsan-class frigate and two Pohang-class corvettes. The decommissioned frigate is the Chungnam, with pennant number FF-953. The frigate spent 31 years in ROK Navy service after commissioning in 1986 as the third ship in th