Vessels
Keel laid for second U.S. Navy Expeditionary Sea Base USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams
General Dynamics NASSCO hosted a keel laying ceremony for the future USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams, the U.S. Navy’s second Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) currently under construction at the company’s San Diego shipyard. USNS Hershel “Woody” Williams is the Navy’s second ESB ship. The 784-foot-long shi
General Dynamics gets contract to maintain five US aircraft carriers
The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics NASSCO–Norfolk a maintenance contract to perform non-nuclear planning and maintenance work during six chief of naval operations (CNO) availabilities on four Nimitz-class aircraft carriers and one Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, home-ported in or visiting Norf
US Navy fighter jet crashes near naval air station
A U.S. Navy F/A-18C Hornet aircraft crashed on Tuesday into an open field near Naval Air Station Fallon, Nevada. No one was hurt during the incident and surrounding structures were not damaged, initial reports say. According to a Navy statement, the Navy pilot managed to eject safely before the plan
Spanish frigate Cristobal Colon returns from combat system trials
Spanish Navy’s F-100 AEGIS-equipped frigate Cristóbal Colón arrived at her home port in Ferrol, Spain on August 2 after a 45-day deployment to North American waters where the ship carried out weapon systems trials. Cristóbal Colón visited the U.S. Naval Base of Norfolk for combat system ship qualifi
US 7th Fleet amphibious force changes command
U.S. Navy’s Amphibious Force 7th Fleet changed command aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) in Sasebo, Japan on August 3. During the change of command ceremony Rear Adm. Marc H. Dalton took over from Rear Adm. John B. Nowell Jr.. Nowell highlighted the work Expeditionary Strike Group 7 sailors and ma
Sparton, Ultra Electronics land sonobuoys contract
Sparton Corporation and Ultra Electronics USSI, a subsidiary of Ultra Electronics Holdings were awarded $19.2 million in contracts from their ERAPSCO/SonobuoyTech Systems joint venture. Multiple foreign contracts represent the manufacture of passive and active sonobuoys in support of multiple underw
BAE Systems prepares shipyard for Successor submarine
British defense contractor BAE Systems is upgrading its submarine construction site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria to prepare it for the construction of UK’s new Successor-class submarine. The company informed Tuesday it awarded another major contract and erected the first steelwork for the largest o
Newest US Navy nuclear submarine completes first voyage
The U.S. Navy’s newest Virginia-class submarine, USS Illinois (SSN-786), returned from its maiden open seas voyage after having completed alpha sea trials. General Dynamics Electric Boat, the company in charge of constructing the stealth submarines, informed that the 13th ship of the Virginia class
Raytheon awarded funds to improve MK-31 RAM missile
The U.S. Naval Sea Systems Command has awarded Raytheon Missile Systems a $36.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract option for design agent and engineering support services for the Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) upgraded MK-31 Guided Missile Weapon System improvement program. The MK-31 RAM Guided M
Migrant crisis: German minehunter rescues 133 off Tripoli coast
German Navy minehunter FGS Datteln rescued 133 migrants 75 kilometers north-west of Tripoli, Libya on August 1. The ship was initially tasked by the Force Headquarters to neutralize two empty rubber boats. While doing so, the ship’s crew spotted an overcrowded rubber boat in the vicinity. Upon rescu
NATO units boost exercise Sea Breeze in Ukraine
A division of NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 and maritime assets from other allied nations joined the U.S.-Ukraine co-hosted international exercise Sea Breeze in the Black Sea from July 27 to 30. Personnel from Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Lithuania, Italy, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Ukraine,
CARAT 2016 moves over to Indonesia
The annual bilateral exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) will see U.S. and Indonesian navies come together from August 2-8. The exercise will take place on the ground in Surabaya and in the waters and airspace of the Java and Bali Seas. More than 500 U.S. Sailors will particip
FGS Fulda joins NATO’s mine countermeasure group
German Navy minehunter FGS Fulda is scheduled to depart its homeport in Kiel, Germany to join NATO’s standing mine countermeasures group two on Friday, August 5. Manned by the 42 man strong ‘Charlie’ crew, Fulda will spend the next five months with the maritime group under the command of Captain lie
US Coast Guard, Royal Navy conduct VBSS drill in Bahrain
The U.S. Coast Guard maritime engagement team (MET) and the Royal Navy from HMS Portland (FS 79) recently carried out a visit, board, search and seizure (VBSS) exercise at a training site in Bahrain. The exercise was held between July 26- 27 aboard Naval Support Activity Bahrain which included a Shi