Vessels
Virginia-class submarine ‘Illinois’ reaches Pearl Harbor homeport for first time
The US Navy’s recently-commissioned Virginia-class fast-attack submarine USS Illinois (SSN 786) moored at her new homeport in Hawaii for the first time on November 22. Arriving at Pearl Harbor, USS Illinois (SSN 786) completed her homeport change from Groton, Connecticut, where it was built by Gener
Saab to deliver more radars for US Navy Independence-variant LCS
Swedish defense and security company Saab has announced a contract for the delivery of further Sea Giraffe AMB naval radars for the US Navy’s Independence-variant littoral combat ships LCS 28 and LCS 30. The US military designation for the Sea Giraffe AMB radar is AN/SPS-77. Saab said the work would
Lockheed Martin gets $22m under Saudi Arabian littoral combat ship contract
Lockheed Martin has received a $22.7 million contract modification under a wider, $6 billion contract for the construction of four up-gunned littoral combat ships for the Saudi Arabian navy. The contract modification was administered through the US Naval Sea Systems Command under the foreign militar
HII launches US Coast Guard’s eighth national security cutter
Ingalls Shipbuilding launched the US Coast Guard’s eighth national security cutter Midgett (WMSL 757) in Pascagoula, Mississippi, on November 23. Midgett was translated via Ingalls’ rail car system to the floating dry dock last week, and the dock was moved away from the pier on Tuesday night. With t
HMS Queen Elizabeth sails with Consolite NVG lighting
When Royal Navy aircraft carrier Queen Elizabeth got underway from Rosyth in June this year, the ship sailed with a specialized night vision goggle (NVG) lighting suite developed by UK-based lighting specialist Consolite. As the company explained, the aircraft carrier’s original design did not incor
French amphibious task group leaves Toulon for Indian Ocean deployment
A French Navy amphibious task group got underway from the Toulon naval base on Wednesday, November 21, for a deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Composed of Mistral-class amphibious assault ship LHD FS Tonnerre and the Horizon-class air defense destroyer FS Chevalier Paul, the task
Albanian patrol boat concludes navy’s first NATO deployment
Albanian Navy Iliria-class patrol boat ALS Oriku has wrapped up a full year of operations with the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2), concluding the Albanian Navy’s first ever NATO deployment. Deploying with SNMG2 in November 2016, the Damen-built patrol boat spent over four thousand hours on p
US Navy aircraft crashes off Okinawa en route to USS Ronald Reagan
A US Navy aircraft with 11 crew and passengers has crashed into the Philippine Sea southeast of Okinawa, the US 7th Fleet said in a statement. The aircraft crashed at approximately 2:45 p.m., Wednesday, while en route to the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) which is currently operating
Heat signals a ray of hope for Argentine submarine running short on air: reports
A US Navy P-8A Poseidon involved in the search for the Argentine submarine ARA San Juan has reportedly detected a heat signal some 300 kilometers off the coast of Puerto Madryn. The reports, which emerged in Argentine media, fuel new hope of finding the submariners alive. The 44 crew of the diesel-e
Naval Group delivers new visual defense simulators to French Navy
The French Navy has received a new visual defense simulator (Simdav) at its base in Brest, the system manufacturer Naval Group announced on November 22. Brest is the second base to receive the Simdav after Toulon received one at the end of 2016. Both deliveries are part of a 5-year modernisation and
HMAS Hobart starts MH-60R Seahawk helicopter trials
The Royal Australian Navy’s recently-commissioned destroyer HMAS Hobart recently added an MH-60R Seahawk helicopter to the list of her capabilities, certifying its deck for helicopter handling. The deck handling trial took place at the Oiler Wharf, Garden Island, Sydney, on November 7. At the center
Virginia submarine USS Mississippi visits Korea
US Navy’s Virginia-class attack submarine USS Mississippi (SSN 782) arrived in Jeju-do, Republic of Korea, for a port visit on November 22. The visit comes a day after Los Angeles-class submarine USS Key West pulled into Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan. Mississippi is also the first US submarine to
US hospital ship USNS Comfort returns from Puerto Rico mission
The US Military Sealift Command-operated hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20) entered its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk on November 20 after concluding its Puerto Rico medical care mission. Comfort departed Virginia Sept. 29, and had been in Puerto Rico for almost two months providing disaster r
USS Higgins deploys to Asia, Middle East
US guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) got underway from San Diego on November 20 to start a regularly scheduled independent deployment to the US 7th Fleet and 5th Fleet areas of operation. Higgins has a crew of nearly 330 sailors, officers and enlisted, and is a multi-mission ship designe