USS Fitzgerald’s Chief Sonar Technician (Surface) Benjamin Lebron has developed a new program that assists in locating and tracking submarines and improves his ship’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities. The program, known as Single Leg Bearing Range (SLBR), is a passive target-motion analysis tacti
The new LX(R) line of U.S. Navy amphibious combat ships could be built faster than the LPD line and could be procured as early as 2018, a U.S. Senate Defense Appropriations Subcommittee hearing indicated on March 2. U.S. Senator Thad Cochran chaired the hearing to review the FY2017 budget request fo
The U.S. Navy said it had relieved the chief of the boat (COB) of the Pearl Harbor-based fast attack submarine USS Columbia (SSN 771) of his duties March 2. The Navy pointed out to “poor leadership” as the cause of the chief’s removal. Master Chief Machinist’s Mate (Non-Nuclear, Submarine Auxiliary)
Germany Navy corvette FGS Erfurt, part of Operation Atalanta, provided specialist training to Somaliland Coast Guard students in coordination with EUCap Nestor under the Local Maritime Capacity Building efforts. EUCap Nestor is a civilian mission which is mandated to support the development of marit
U.S. Navy’s command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) conducted a combined search and rescue (SAR) exercise with the Republic of Cyprus Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC) Lanarca in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, February 29. The purpose of the exercise was to increase response capabi
The U.S. Navy’s Southwest Regional Maintenance Center has awarded General Dynamics a contract for the phased maintenance availability (PMA) of USS Essex (LHD-2). Under the $156,5 million contract, GD will plan and perform depot-level maintenance, alterations, and modifications on the U.S. Navy’s amp
U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6), flagship of the Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), took the Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7 aboard for a patrol in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. Bonhomme Richard arrived in White Beach, Okinawa February 28 to r
Images: EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta warships met with their Chinese counterparts in the Indian Ocean to conduct joint training on February 27. Main focus of the training were air operations with the ships’ embarked helicopters. The Chinese ships, tanker CNS Taihu and frigate CNS Daquing, also conduc
Royal Australian Navy’s Adelaide-class guided missile frigate HMAS Darwin has started patrols under Operation Manitou having replaced sister ship HMAS Melbourne. The crew of HMAS Darwin has benefited from mission-specific training in the Kingdom of Bahrain, prior to setting out on the ship’s first p
USNS Grapple, U.S. Navy’s Military Sealift Command ship, departed Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story in Virginia Beach on February 29 to begin its deployment to Africa in the 6th Fleet’s area of operations. With a crew of approximately 45 U.S. Navy divers and Civil Service mariners, Gr
Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minehunter HMS Pembroke has been training off the west coast of Scotland for the past two weeks preparing to join NATO’s Standing Mine Counter Measures Group 1. Crew 1 from the Royal Navy’s Faslane-based First Mine Counter Measures Squadron (MCM1) have been putting the shi
U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (Ike) successfully completed the Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) Material Inspections, February 25. Due to operational requirements, this was Ike’s first INSURV in nearly 10 years with more than 1,400 of those days spent at sea. INSURV is
Images: Belgian Navy Belgian Navy’s Tripartite-class minehunter M924 Primula detected what it classified as a potential mine in the Gootebank area, about 14 nautical miles off the coast, February 25. The Navy ship thereafter used its Seafox-I ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and identified the sonar
Royal Navy’s third Astute-class submarine HMS Artful test fired its Common Combat System which will be used in the RN submarine fleet in the future. Using a Spearfish torpedo for the test, the system was able to interpret sonar readings, and then attack a moving target with a practice weapon. The CC
