Vessels
Spanish frigate joins operation Sophia
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
Australian Navy’s aviation unit braces for busy 2017
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
Standing NATO Maritime Group One changes command in Spain
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.
UK MOD contracts Amec Foster Wheeler for Naval Nuclear Propulsion Programme work
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
US Navy surveillance ship visits Japan
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
US Navy contracts Sparton and Ultra for sonobuoys delivery
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
USS Makin Island sailors visit Bahrain
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
US Coast Guard OPCs to be powered by MAN 28/33D STC engines
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
UK awards Lockheed Martin £269M for Crowsnest airborne surveillance systems
The UK defence ministry has awarded Lockheed Martin a £269 million contract to deliver the Royal Navy’s new airborne surveillance and control system that will protect the nation’s future Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Named Crowsnest, the new system will see the Royal Navy’s Merlin MK2 hel
US Coast Cutter returns home after seizing 3 tons of cocaine
The crew of U.S. Coast Guard cutter Tahoma returned to homeport on January 13 with over three tons of cocaine seized during a 49-day patrol. Homeported in Kittery, Maine, Tahoma’s crew conducted drug interdiction efforts, strategically intercepting and boarding suspected smuggling vessels in the Eas
US Navy ballistic missile submarine changes command
One of two crews assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Ohio-class ballistic-missile submarine USS Pennsylvania (SSBN 735) held a change of command ceremony at the Keyport Undersea Museum on January 13. Cmdr. Steven Everhart, relieved Cmdr. John Cage as commander of the Blue crew. Most notably, the Blue crew r
Gallery: US 6th Fleet loads ordnance in Spain
U.S. Navy personnel deployed to Rota, Spain, recently took time to practice ordnance loading in what were described as “non-traditional locations”. The U.S. 6th Fleet shared photos from the exercise showing MK 48 inert training torpedoes being loaded onto a submarine. U.S. 6th Fleet, together with t
HMCS Charlottetown returns from six-month NATO mission
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown returned to her home port of Halifax on January 13, concluding a six-month deployment to Eastern and Central Europe. The frigate deployed within operation Reassurance which is Canada’s contribution to NATO efforts in the region. HMCS Charlottetown acted
Second Thai Navy OPV to feature Servowatch platform management system
Thailand’s Bangkok Dock selected British Servowatch to deliver their integrated platform management system (IPMS) for the second River-class design patrol boat currently under construction for the Royal Thai Navy. The yet unnamed second Krabi-class offshore patrol vessel is being built in Thailand u