Cmdr. Stefan Walch is the commanding officer of USS Gonzalez (DDG 66), an Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer currently sailing off the coast of Canada taking part in the international exercise Cutlass Fury 2016. Undeterred by the exercise’s busy schedule, Cmdr. Walch has found time to take
Air and surface units from the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Air Force came together to conduct a concept of operations simulated exercise during Valiant Shield 2016, Sept. 17. The concept of operations simulation is designed to improve the interoperability and tactics between multiple U.S.
Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Ballarat has recently returned home to Fleet Base West following a six-month Pacific deployment. Commanding Officer, Commander David Landon said the deployment had a number of highlights, including acting as consort to one of Navy’s newest ships HMAS
U.S. Navy’s amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) launched the NATO Sea Sparrow surface-to-air missile to engage a target drone during a fleet firing exercise. The missile was launched on September 18 off the coast of the U.S. territory of Guam during the biennial Valiant Shield exerc
Indian shipbuilding company MDL has launched the nation’s second indigenously built Visakhapatnam-class destroyer INS Mormugao. Weighing 2844 tonnes at launch, the destroyer entered water for the first time during a September 17 ceremony in Mumbai. Also called Project 15B, the ships are an improved
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) is preparing a £30M contract which will see a number of companies join together to develop a Laser Directed Energy Weapons (DEW) capability demonstrator that will give the government an insight into laser weapon possibilities. Led by the missile producer MBDA, the in
Naval units taking part in the Australian-hosted multinational maritime exercise have sailed out of Darwin to begin the sea phase of Exercise Kakadu. The ships separated into three multi-national task groups once outside the harbor and will spend the next eight days undertaking a graduated program o
Ships assigned to the Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group (BHR ESG), with embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, joined the U.S. military exercise Valiant Shield 2016, on September 15. Valiant Shield is a biennial exercise held between the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force in an effor
Following a request for information (RFI) for its Squadron 2020 project to construct four ice-going offshore patrol vessels, the Finnish Navy has now signed a letter of intent (LOI) with the Rauma-based shipbuilding company Rauma Marine Constructions. If the LOI is realized, the company will build f
HMAS Hobart, the first of three Royal Australian Navy Aegis-equipped air warfare destroyers, has started builder’s sea trials leaving ASC’s Osborne, South Australia shipyard for the first time. A number of alongside dock trials in preparation for Hobart’s first departure to sea were carried out, inc
U.S. ships and aircraft used live fire munition to sink a decommissioned U.S. Navy guided missile frigate in waters 30,000 feet deep and 117 nautical miles northeast of Guam on September 13. The boat sank in five hours after sustaining 22 missile hits, finally succumbing to hellfire missiles shots b
U.S Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) pulled into Toulon, France for a scheduled port visit September 13. While in port, Ross plans on conducting a community relations project and hosting a tour of the ship. Toulon will be Ross’ fifth port visit since getting unde
The U.S. Marine’s F-35 Lightning II and the Navy’s Aegis air and missile defense weapon system worked together for the first time during a live fire exercise. According to Lockheed Martin, the company involved in the production of both systems, the event successfully demonstrated the integration of
The Republic of Korea Navy (ROKN) helped U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Decatur (DDG 73) conduct an emergency medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) of a sailor in need of medical attention on September 11. At approximately 11 a.m., Decatur notified Commander, Destroyer Squadron (CDS) 15 that a sail
