Vessels
US Navy minehunter starts 7th Fleet AOP patrol
U.S. Navy’s Avenger-class mine countermeasures ship USS Patriot (MCM 7) departed Sasebo, Japan, July 2 for a routine patrol in U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. During the ship’s patrol, Patriot will conduct a series of port visits throughout Japan and participate with the Japan Maritime Self-Defen
US Navy picks General Dynamics to build first six T-AO 205 replenishment oilers
As announced in the acquisition strategy for the T-AO 205 program, the U.S. Navy has picked General Dynamics to build the first six of overall 17 planned John Lewis-class fleet oilers while HII received a contract for the construction of LHA 8. General Dynamics NASSCO, a subsidiary of General Dynami
Huntington Ingalls to build new America-class amphibious ship LHA 8
The U.S. Navy has awarded Huntington Ingalls Industries a $272.4 million initial contract for the construction of the U.S. Navy’s next large-deck amphibious assault warship, LHA 8. While the initial contract is for planning, advanced engineering, and procurement of long lead time material, the award
New Commanding Officer for Royal Navy’s Scottish minehunter squadron
The Royal Navy’s Scotland-based minehunter squadron has a new Commanding Officer. The First Mine Counter Measures Squadron (MCM1), which is based at HM Naval Base Clyde, operates a fleet of seven Sandown Class vessels each of them equipped with the latest in mine hunting technology. On June 21, outg
BMT leaders weigh in on logistic support projects
Two BMT Defense Services chiefs recently expressed their views on the fleet support vessels delivered to the world’s navies and on the potential for future vessels to be less single-role specific and more multi-role in their functionality. Looking into the future, Andy Kimber, chief naval architect
Passenger ship gets navy escort
The Royal Navy is set to provide escorts to the Queen Elizabeth 2 passenger liner as she sails into and out of Liverpool this weekend. HMS Pembroke, a Sandown-class minehunter vessel, the most manoeuvrable vessel in the Navy’s order of battle, will accompany the iconic ship from Bar Light to the cit
US Navy’s forward-deployed attack submarine returns to Guam
U.S. Navy’s Los Angeles-class attack submarine USS Topeka (SSN 754) returned to its homeport of Polaris Point, Guam, on July 1 following a two-month forward operating period to the Western Pacific. This is the submarine’s first Guam homecoming after it changed homeports in May 2015 when it transferr
Elbit’s Seagull USV system launches first torpedo
Israeli defense company Elbit Systems recently completed a trial test torpedo launch from its Seagull multi-mission, autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) system in Israel’s Haifa port. The trial demonstrated the capability of Seagull to install and launch light weight torpedoes, adding to the ca
MBDA signs €1B missile deal with Qatar Emiri Naval Forces
Italian missile manufacturer MBDA signed a 1 billion euro contract on June 29 to supply the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces (QENF) with missiles for their new naval vessels to be procured from Fincantieri. Qatar is to acquire a total of seven surface vessels under the 3.9 billion euro contract which follow
MARSUR, Europe’s maritime security project
Military and civilian situational awareness practitioners have met in Hamburg, Germany to learn and share experiences with the aim of enhancing security at sea within the European MARSUR project. The Maritime Surveillance project (MARSUR) was launched in September 2006 by the European Defence Agency
US Navy promotes alternative fuel during “world’s largest naval drill”
This year’s participants of the international maritime exercise RIMPAC will use about 11.2 million gallons of a 10 percent alternative fuel blend during the exercise, the U.S. Navy said. USS John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG), also called the Great Green Fleet and the U.S. Navy’s pioneer in fuel e
RIMPAC 2016: Australia sends 3 ships, 1,650 personnel to Hawaii
More than 1,650 Australian Defence Force personnel have arrived in the United States ahead of a month of focused military training activities with 26 nations from across the globe for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2016. Australia has deployed three ships and diving personnel including HMA Shi
India inaugurates heavy weight anti-submarine torpedo
The Indian Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar handed over the ‘Varunastra’, a ship launched heavy weight torpedo’, also known as underwater missile to the Indian Navy during a ceremony held June 29. Varunastra has been developed by Naval Science and Technological Laboratory of the DRDO based at
P-8A Poseidon joins U.S. 4th Fleet
A P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft joined the U.S. Navy’s 4th Fleet by arriving at Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Comalapa, El Salvador on June 23. The Boeing-built P-8A Poseidon, one of the Navy’s newest aircraft is the platform that is currently replacing Lockheed Martin’s aging P