Refuting negative press reports, UK’s Maritime Forces commander Rear Admiral Alex Burton pointed to the Royal Navy’s numerous operations in 2016 during a speech he delivered to the All Parties Parliamentary Group (APPG) for the Armed Forces at the Palace of Westminster on January 16 Below is a trans
U.S. Marines’ F-35B Lightning II aircraft arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni on January 18 as the first F-35B squadron on an operational overseas deployment. With this deployment, the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 121 begins a permanent change of station to MCAS Iwakuni from MCAS Yuma, Ari
A Polish commander is now at the helm of NATO’s standing mine counter measures group two (SNMCMG2) following a change of command ceremony in Polish Naval Base Swinoujscie. Commander Aleksander Urbanowicz took over from his Greek counterpart, Captain Panagiotis Papageorgiou, who led the group aboard
U.S. Navy Cyclone-class patrol coastal ships USS Zephyr (PC 8) and USS Shamal (PC 13) returned to Mayport, Florida, concluding counter drug patrols in support of operation Martillo. The ships returned on January 17 wrapping up their 64-day patrol in the U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility. Marking
The Indian Navy has contracted a U.S.-based marine salvage company to lift the INS Betwa which tipped over during a December 6, 2016 incident that left two sailors dead and a number of others injured. Resolve Marine Group received a INR 20 crore (US $2.9 million) contract to return the frigate to an
U.S. Navy’s attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan for a visit on January 17. The port visit is part of the Los Angeles-class submarine’s Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol. “We are honored to have the opportunity to visit Japan,” said Cmdr. Steven Tarr III, commandi
Spanish Navy’s Santa Maria-class frigate ESPS Canarias (F-86) left her homeport in Rota, Spain to join the EU mission of saving migrants in the Mediterranean Sea. Coordinated by the EU Naval Forces, operation Sophia aims to stop human trafficking in the central Mediterranean Sea. The multinational m
2017 will be a busy year for the Royal Australian Navy’s aircraft maintenance and flight trials unit which has seven first of class flight trials scheduled before September. The unit, along with Royal Australian Air Force’s aircraft research and development unit, and Army aviation test and evaluatio
Norwegian Navy frigate HNOMS Roald Amundsen became flagship of NATO’s standing maritime group one which held a change of command ceremony in La Coruña, Spain, on January 14. Norwegian Navy Commodore Ole Morten Sandquist took command of SNMG1 from Spanish Navy Rear Admiral José Enrique Delgado Roig.
The UK Ministry of Defence has contracted Amec Foster Wheeler to support its Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme (NNPP) with research and technology (R&T) services. The work is worth approximately £35m over five years and will sustain about 70 jobs at Amec Foster Wheeler’s offices and laboratories in
The U.S. Military Sealift Command’s ocean surveillance ship USNS Able (T-AGOS 20) arrived at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Japan, as part of its Indo-Asia-Pacific patrol. The January 16 port visit is aimed at strengthening the alliance between the U.S. and Japan through the crew’s interaction with the
The U.S. Navy has awarded ERAPSCO a $30.3 million contract for further manufacture and delivery of sonobuoys. ERAPSCO, a joint venture between Sparton Corporation and Ultra Electronics Holdings will provide production subcontracts in the amount of $18.5 million and $11.8 million to Ultra Electronics
U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island (LHD 8) was alongside Manama, Bahrain, January 9-15, for the ship’s first port visit since entering the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. Makin Island, and its crew of more than 2,400 sailors and marines, visited Bahrain to replenish supplies, pe
Eastern Shipbuilding, the shipbuilder in charge of constructing the U.S. Coast Guard’s new offshore patrol cutters, has picked MAN’s 28/33D STC engines as the main propulsion for the new vessels. The offshore patrol cutter (OPC) program is the replacement platform for the 13 Famous-class and 14 Reli
