Vessels
ECA Group showcases mobile port and coastal protection system
French company ECA Group recently demonstrated its unmanned solution for port and coastal protection in the Toulon area, south of France. The mobile system is based on several robotic systems, a USV Inspector Mk2 and a UAV IT180-60, controlled and supervised from a centralized Command and Control ce
Watch: Boeing’s giant Echo Voyager UUV starts sea trials
Boeing’s extra large unmanned undersea vehicle (XLUVV), the 51 foot (15 meter) long Echo Voyager, has started sea trials off the coast of Southern California, the company announced. Boeing test engineers are checking the vehicle’s communications, autonomy, propulsion, systems integration and the veh
Kership launches French Navy’s first Offshore Support and Assistance Vessel ‘Loire’
Kership, a joint venture between DCNS and Piriou, launched the French Navy’s first Offshore Support and Assistance Vessel (BSAH) Loire, on June 1. Named after French rivers Loire, Rhone, Seine and Garonne, the BSAH vessels will be used for the deployment of forces for State operations at sea. French
HMS Queen Elizabeth crew moves on board
Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is one step closer to departing Rosyth after the ship’s company took up residence on board the UK’s future flagship. Over the last couple of months, the 700-strong ship’s company has been navigating their way around the 65,000 tonne aircraft carrier fa
En route home, USS George H.W. Bush strikes ISIS from the Med
U.S. Navy’s George H.W. Bush carrier strike group (GHWBCSG) on Tuesday continued strike missions against ISIS positions after crossing the Suez Canal on Monday. USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and the cruisers and destroyers accompanying it are currently on the return leg of their deployment after com
US Navy awards General Dynamics $105m for USS Makin Island dry-docking
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded General Dynamics a $105.3 million contract for the dry-docking maintenance of Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island. During its phased maintenance availability, Makin Island is set to undergo a combination of maintenance, modernization and
USS Abraham Lincoln completes flight deck qualifications
U.S. Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) completed its Flight Deck Carrier (FDC) qualifications during an underway period in the Atlantic Ocean. The certification ensures that Abraham Lincoln’s flight deck as well as the sailors who conduct flight operations is capable
Wood Group bags Royal Navy submarine insulation contract
Royal Navy’s Astute-class submarine builder BAE Systems has awarded Wood Group a two-year contract to provide insulation installation services on the Barrow-in-Furness-based submarines. Wood Group did not disclose the contract value but added that it includes up to three one-year extension options.
US Coast Guard cutter concludes patrol with $147m drugs seized
The crew of U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Valiant returned to Naval Station Mayport on June 6 after seizing an estimated $147 million worth of cocaine. They also assisted in the removal of another $170 million of contraband interdicted by other Coast Guard cutters and apprehending 10 suspected drug smuggl
Russia’s second Admiral Gorshkov class frigate tests engines ahead of builder’s trials
Russian Navy’s second Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate (Project 22350), ‘Admiral Kasatonov’, has started tests of diesel generators ahead of her builder’s trials that are reportedly set to start later this year. According to shipbuilder Severnaya Verf, Admiral Kasatonov should complete the engine room
CARAT Thailand concludes
The U.S. and Royal Thai Navy concluded eight days of bilateral training events ashore and at sea and wrapped up the 2017 edition of the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise on June 6. This is the 23rd-annual CARAT exercise and the Royal Thai Navy has been a participant in the s
Australian Navy commissions ADV Cape Inscription
The Royal Australian Navy commissioned its second Australian Defence Vessel (ADV), ‘Cape Inscription’, during a ceremony on June 6. ADV Cape Inscription was officially named in Henderson and had the Australian White Ensign hoisted on it for the first time. The two Cape-class patrol boats for the nav
After Japan, US Navy attack submarine visits South Korea
Almost exactly a month after visiting Japan, U.S. Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Cheyenne (SSN 773) arrived in Busan, Republic of Korea (ROK) for a port visit on June 6. Both port calls are part of the submarine’s regularly scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific but come at a tim
Scavengers loot Australian WWII ship sunk in Java Sea
A recent dive on the wreck of the Royal Australian Navy’s World War II cruiser HMAS Perth revealed that due to illegal salvage activity, only 40 percent of the vessel is in place. The findings are the result of a joint dive conducted by maritime archaeologists from the Australian National Maritime M