Vessels
UK, France, US sign submarine cooperation agreement
United Kingdom, France and the United States are stepping up their submarine cooperation with an agreement signed by the three countries’ naval leaders on June 1. The agreement outlines anti-submarine warfare activities of the three countries as they operate in waters of Western Asia. Commander, U.S
Aquabotix’s Endura UUV placed on GSA schedule
The U.S. government has approved UUV Aquabotix’s Endura unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) for placement on the GSA schedule, the company announced on June 5. The GSA (General Services Administration) is an agency of the United States government that supplies products for U.S. government offices and
US Navy opens new submarine bridge trainer
The U.S. Navy opened a new submarine bridge trainer (SBT) at the Trident Training Facility (TRITRAFAC) in Bangor with a ribbon cutting ceremony on June 5. Rear Adm. John Tammen, commander, Submarine Group 9, Capt. John Fancher, commanding officer of TRITRAFAC Bangor, and Rear Adm. Moises DelToro, co
CACI receives $40m US Navy contract
CACI International Inc has been awarded a $40 million task order to provide services and support for the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) that will help improve organizational efficiencies and effectiveness, and will assist in developing the command’s workforce. According to the company, this five
US Marines start maintenance of open water safety craft
The U.S. Marine Corps is starting an overhaul of its open water safety craft (OWSC) this year under the Enterprise Life Cycle Maintenance Program. This is the first round of major maintenance for the OWSC, which has been in service since 2006, and is used as an emergency vessel during waterborne tra
India’s second Scorpene-class submarine starts sea trials
Future INS Khanderi, Indian Navy’s second Scorpene-class submarine, started her sea trials on June 1, leaving the Mumbai harbor for the first time. Khanderi is the second of overall six boats to be built by Magazon Dock Limited in cooperation with French submarine designer DCNS. During her maiden se
Damen cuts first steel for Australian antarctic supply research vessel (ASRV)
Construction of Australia’s new antarctic supply research vessel (ASRV) started in Romania with a steel-cutting ceremony on May 31. Dutch shipbuilder Damen is in charge of constructing the vessel at its Galati, Romania, shipyard. The shipbuilder is constructing the ASRV for Serco Defence, a subsidia
Drones provide a new way of detecting submerged mines
Drones are now capable of providing a new way to detect buried and submerged mines, U.S. Navy scientists unveiled during a recent demonstration. Oelrich, a scientist at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock’s Combatant Craft Division, and Stephanson, president and chief executive officer of
America ARG ships start final pre-deployment test
Ships gathered around the U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS America got underway from San Diego to start their final certification exercise (CERTEX) on May 31. The amphibious ready group (ARG), composed of amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22) and the amphibious dock landing sh
US Coast Guard seizes $32.5m of cocaine off Puerto Rico
The U.S. Coast Guard offloaded approximately 1,100 kilograms of cocaine in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Friday. Worth an estimated $32.5 million dollars wholesale, the cocaine was seized in a May 25 interdiction in waters off the southern coast of Puerto Rico. According to U.S. Coast Guard, three suspe
USS Green Bay completes Bonhomme Richard ARG for Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol
U.S. Navy’s San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS Green Bay (LPD 20) departed its forward-deployed base of Sasebo, Japan on June 2, becoming the final ship in the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group to set sail on a routine deployment in the Indo-Asia-Pacific. The amphibious ships, tog
French Navy ships engage Australian, Spanish Navy on their Asia deployment
After concluding amphibious drills with U.S. Marines off Guam recently, French Navy ships FS Mistral and FS Courbet trained with Australian and Spanish Navy ships in Australian waters. The French ships engaged Australian ships Success and Parramatta and the Spanish Navy’s Cristobal Colon in waters t
Kazakhstan Navy commissions its first minesweeper ‘Alatau’
The Kazakhstan Navy commissioned its first mine sweeping ship ‘Alatau’ during a ceremony held June 1 in Aktau, a city on the east bank of the Caspian Sea. The ship was built in Russia by the Mid-Nevsky Shipyard and started sea trials in August 2016, passing acceptance trials in May this year. One in
Another tanker attacked by pirates in Arabian Sea
In the second attack on commercial vessels in just two days, pirates attempted to hijack oil tanker MT NAVIG8 Providence in the Arabian Sea on June 1. The incident, confirmed by EU NAVFOR, took place in the Gulf of Oman as the MT NAVIG8 Providence was sailing 100 nautical miles east of Muscat. Accor