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Hegseth orders renaming of ship named for gay rights icon Harvey Milk https://ift.tt/wFKHW6E

By Lolita C. Baldor, The Associated Press – Jun 4, 2025, 09:25 AM

In this image provided by the U.S. Navy, the replenishment oiler Harvey Milk conducts a replenishment at sea in the Atlantic Ocean on Dec. 13, 2024. (MC2 Maxwell Orlosky/U.S. Navy via AP)

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the Navy to rename the replenishment oiler Harvey Milk, a highly rare move that will strip the ship of the moniker of a slain gay rights activist who served as a sailor during the Korean War.

U.S. officials say Navy Secretary John Phelan put together a small team to rename the replenishment oiler and that a new name is expected this month. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations, said the next name had not yet been chosen.

The change was laid out in an internal memo that officials said defended the action as a move to align with President Donald Trump and Hegseth’s objectives to “re-establish the warrior culture.”

RELATED
Navy launches ship named for gay rights leader Harvey Milk
Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office.

It marks the latest move by Hegseth and the wider Trump administration to purge all programs, policies, books and social media mentions of references to diversity, equity and inclusion. And it comes during Pride Month — the same timing as the Pentagon’s campaign to force transgender troops out of the U.S. military.

“Secretary Hegseth is committed to ensuring that the names attached to all DOD installations and assets are reflective of the Commander-in-Chief’s priorities, our nation’s history, and the warrior ethos,” Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said in a statement on the renaming. “Any potential renaming(s) will be announced after internal reviews are complete.”

The decision was first reported by Military.com. Phelan’s office did not respond to a request for comment.

The oiler Harvey Milk was named in 2016 by then-Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, who said at the time that the John Lewis-class of oilers would be named after leaders who fought for civil and human rights.

Milk, who was portrayed by Sean Penn in an Oscar-winning 2008 movie, served for four years in the Navy before he was forced out for being gay. He later became one of the first openly gay candidates elected to public office. Milk served on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and had sponsored a bill banning discrimination based on sexual orientation in public accommodations, housing and employment. It passed, and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone signed it into law.

On Nov. 27, 1978, Milk and Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, a disgruntled former city supervisor who cast the sole vote against Milk’s bill.

The ship was christened in 2021, and during the ceremony, then-Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro said he wanted to be at the event “not just to amend the wrongs of the past, but to give inspiration to all of our LGBTQ community leaders who served in the Navy, in uniform today and in the civilian workforce as well, too, and to tell them that we’re committed to them in the future.”

The ship is operated by Military Sealift Command with a crew of about 125 civilian mariners. The Navy says it conducted its first resupply mission at sea in fall 2024 while operating in the Virginia Capes. It continued to resupply Navy ships at sea off the East Coast until it began scheduled maintenance at Alabama Shipyard in Mobile, Alabama, earlier this year.

While the renaming is rare, the Biden administration also changed the names of two Navy ships in 2023 as part of the effort to remove Confederate names from U.S. military installations.

The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser Chancellorsville — named for the Civil War battle — was renamed the Robert Smalls after a sailor and former enslaved person. And the Maury, an oceanographic survey ship originally named after a Confederate sailor, was renamed the Marie Tharp after a geologist and oceanographic cartographer who created the first scientific maps of the Atlantic Ocean floor.

Maritime lore hints as to why renaming ships is so unusual, suggesting that changing a name is bad luck and tempts retribution from the sea gods.

Military Times editor Beth Sullivan contributed to this report.

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Naval parade through Wellington as part of sister city celebrations with HMAS Canberra https://ift.tt/izPkams

June 2, 2025–News from WCC

An MH-60 Black Hawk supporting Special Operations Command Pacific prepares to take flight after conducting a deck landing aboard HMAS Canberra off the coast of Queensland, Australia, during Talisman Sabre 21, July 26, 2021. TS21 supports the Indo-Pacific Pathways initiative to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific by strengthening relationships and building trust and interoperability with allies and partners. (U.S. Air Force photo by 1st Lt. Joshua Thompson)

Wellington will be celebrating its sister city partnership with Canberra this week.

Australian Capital Territory Chief Minister Andrew Barr will be leading a delegation to Wellington, to celebrate the partnership and cooperation between the two capital cities.

“This week’s celebration reflects the strength and significance of our city’s relationship with Canberra, further deepening the bonds of friendship and collaboration between us,” says Mayor Tory Whanau.

“Our partnership is a source of great pride and a key element in Wellington’s international engagements, fostering a continued exchange of ideas, culture, and goodwill.”

Chief Minister Andrew Barr said the visit was an opportunity to reaffirm the deep and growing ties between Canberra and Wellington.

“Our sister city relationship with Wellington is one of genuine friendship and mutual respect. It’s built on a shared commitment to sustainability, creativity, and inclusive growth,” says Mr Barr. “From climate action and urban planning to arts and innovation, our two capital cities face many of the same challenges and opportunities. This visit allows us to share knowledge, deepen collaboration, and celebrate what we’ve already achieved together.

“It’s also a chance to showcase the very best of Canberra – from our defence ties and creative industries to our thriving business and education sectors.”

HMAS Canberra, the Royal Australian Navy’s flagship, will take part in a series of events that includes a naval parade through the city, Ship’s company volunteering at a soup kitchen and in community clean-ups, and a rugby match against their New Zealand counterparts.

An agreement will be signed to foster closer cooperation between capital cities in the Pacific region, and a business mission from Canberra will meet with their New Zealand counterparts.

The programme of activities includes:

5-9 June: Visit by the amphibious assault ship HMAS Canberra.

5 June: A business delegation, including representatives from the Canberra Chamber of Commerce and the Canberra Convention Bureau (responsible for attracting business events to the Canberra region), will attend an economic briefing organised by the Wellington City Council.

6 June: Signing of a tripartite agreement on regional cooperation between Wellington, Canberra, and the Fijian capital, Suva.

6 June: Ship’s company from HMAS Canberra will volunteer at the Compassion Soup Kitchen from 10am to 12:30pm and participate in clean-ups from 12:30pm to 3:30pm at the Wellington Botanic Garden, Otari-Wilton’s Bush, Wellington Zoo, Wellington Harbour (near the tugboat), and Owhiro Bay.

6 June, 9:00am-12:00pm: AFL match between the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal New Zealand Navy at Rugby League Park, Newtown.

7 June, 10:00am-10:30am: Freedom of Entry parade through Wellington by around 250 Ship’s company of HMAS Canberra.

The parade begins at Queens Wharf Square, proceeds onto Jervois Quay, then turns onto Brandon Street. It continues down Lambton Quay, turning right and proceeding along Lambton Quay towards Parliament. Just before Bowen Street, the parade will be “challenged” by the Wellington District Commander of the New Zealand Police (a symbolic exchange where they will ask for identification and confirmation of permission, which will be provided via the Mayor’s charter). Following this, the parade will continue, with participants saluting VIPs on the dais at the Cenotaph. The route then continues along Bunny Street and Thorndon Quay, concluding near Pipitea Marae.

7 June, 1:30pm-3:00pm: Royal Australian Navy band concert at Pukeahu National War Memorial.

Under the sister city partnership agreement signed in 2016, Wellington and Canberra committed to promote business collaboration, tourism, educational and cultural exchanges, and the sharing of research and knowledge.

Regular visits and the signing of agreements between their business chambers, screen industry organisations, zoos, conservation eco-sanctuaries, indigenous artist exchange programmes, and botanic gardens have enhanced city-to-city relations since then.

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World’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be dismantled in Alabama https://ift.tt/7wNvMt1

By JOHN R. ROBY AL.COM • May 31, 2025

Tugboats move the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier at its launching at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Va., September 24, 1960. (U.S. Navy) (Tribune News Service) —

A Vermont company has been awarded more than a half-billion dollars to dismantle a historic aircraft carrier in Mobile, Ala. According to a Pentagon procurement notice posted Friday, NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services LLC of Vernon, Vt., has been awarded a $536,749,731 firm-fixed-price contract for “the dismantling, recycling, and disposal” of the former USS Enterprise, CVN-65. The Enterprise was the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier when it was commissioned in 1961. It was the only vessel of its class to be built, and 1,123 feet, was the longest ship to ever serve in the U.S. Navy. “The Big E” completed 25 deployments during 51 years of service, according to Naval History and Heritage Command. The carrier was deactivated in 2012 and decommissioned in 2017. The Navy’s effort to dispose of the decommissioned nuclear-powered carrier has been more than a decade in the making, AL.com has reported. The Navy has said it would see significant cost savings by outsourcing the dismantling to a private company rather than undertaking it at a Navy facility. The notice states NorthStar Maritime Dismantlement Services will be responsible for any hazardous materials encountered during the dismantling, “including low-level radioactive waste, [which] will be packaged and safely transported for disposal at authorized licensed sites.” Work is expected to be completed by November 2029.

Read more at: https://www.stripes.com/theaters/us/2025-05-31/uss-enterprise-dismantle-first-nuclear-carrier-alabama-17972761.html?utm_source=Stars+and+Stripes+Emails&utm_campaign=Daily+Headlines&utm_medium=email
Source – Stars and Stripes

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HMNZS Tui (A2, A05) , formerly USNS Charles H. Davis (T-AGOR-5), was one of nine Conrad class oceanographic ships built for the United States Navy (USN), that later saw service in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). https://ift.tt/JLQIFx8

Serving with the USN from 1963 to 1970, these ships were designed to perform acoustic experiments on sound transmission underwater, and for gravity, magnetism and deep-ocean floor studies.

Charles H. Davis underway in Boston Harbor, 30 January 1963, five days after being placed in service

The ship was recommissioned into the RNZN in late 1970, and as HMNZS Tui served as an oceanographic survey and research ship until her decommissioning in 1997. In 1999, the ship was scuttled as a dive wreck.RNZN
In 1970, she was transferred to the RNZN, and was commissioned on 11 September 1970 as HMNZS Tui. Tui was named after the Tui bird, and was the second of two ships with this name to serve in the RNZN.

After a partial refit and the installation and testing of scientific equipment, Tui began a program of work for the Defence Scientific Establishment in Auckland. For years Tui went unobtrusively about the kind of work she was designed for, primarily underwater acoustics.

Tui worked in Australian, Indian Ocean and South Pacific waters. She worked on Auckland University research, with DSIR scientists, and with other oceanographic ships. Tui also took part in several American research programs. Her acoustic research was mainly to do with the detection and tracking of submarines.

HMNZS Tui – returning home after RIMPAC

During the 1970s she made an extensive search for the Maria Theresa Reef.

Decommissioning and fate
In 1997, Tui was decommissioned and was replaced by the hydrographic ship HMNZS Resolution.

In February 1999, Tui was scuttled 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Tutukaka Heads to serve as a tourist attraction and wreck for divers, following a period of work on her which removed any objects in danger of breaking free and welding shut any areas that may have posed a hazard for wreck divers.[1] Her anchor was presented to the City of Napier

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Sitrep (with videos): First ship of new class rolled out for Royal Navy amid ongoing challenges https://ift.tt/Sbcljm4

30th May 2025 at 11:44am

Say hello to the first of a new generation of ships for the Royal Navy

This week marked a significant milestone for the Royal Navy as the Type 31 HMS Venturer was officially rolled out of the build hall in Rosyth, receiving applause from gathered workers and officials.

The Venturer is the first of five new Inspiration-class frigates, playing a vital role in the Royal Navy’s strategy to modernise its ageing fleet.

Costing up to £300m, the Venturer is viewed as a crucial and cost-effective response to the Royal Navy’s ongoing shortage of ships and personnel.

Speaking on BFBS Sitrep, defence analyst Professor Michael Clarke explained the current state of the Royal Navy, saying: “The challenges are legion. 

“It’s a very busy Navy, and it’s going to get a lot busier if we’re going to meet our current strategic expectations.” 

The Royal Navy currently comprises about 60 operational ships, not including the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA).

However, deployable numbers are a concern as Prof Clarke explained, saying that around 10 frigates and destroyers might be available for deployment at any given time.

He said: “I remember when they used to regard 32 as the irreducible minimum.

“They said, we can’t possibly exist without 32.”

Highlighting a critical gap between strategic ambitions and available resources, he said: “We’re sending a carrier battlegroup around the world with our allies, yet we’re very short of deployable ships.” 

BFBS Forces News reporter David Sivills-McCann was present during HMS Venturer’s rollout and described the event as impressive, especially for the workers involved in its construction. 

The ship’s exit from the build shed took approximately 45 minutes and was accompanied by changing weather typical of Scotland.  

Of the pride felt by those who worked on HMS Venturer, Mr Sivills McCann said: “It was a lovely day for a lot of the workers gathered who were involved in the construction, just to watch the whole thing unfold. 

A section of HMS Venturer’s hull was moved for its paint job in May 2023

“There was a lovely moment, actually, when they broke into spontaneous applause when it ended.” 

Sir Nick Hine, former Second Sea Lord and now Chief Executive of Marine at Babcock, the company overseeing the Type 31 construction, expressed the day’s importance, saying: “What a great day… the first rollout of a ship that has been built entirely by Babcock in Rosyth. 

“First time we’ve ever done that. The first of many. 

“We’ve got [HMS] Venturer out today, we’ve got [HMS] Active in the shed. We’ve got another, [HMS] Formidable, in bits around the yard that we’re going to put in the shed. 

“I mean, that’s a pretty impressive drumbeat of platform delivery.” 

HMS Venturer’s first nine crew members visited her at the factory in July 2023

Operating from the Caribbean, South Pacific, Mediterranean, Middle East and the Indo-Pacific, the new Type 31 vessels are designed to deter aggression and maintain the security of the UK’s interests, delivering a warship presence across the globe. 

HMS Venturer can pack a punch during maritime security patrols because she is equipped with a 57 mm gun, two 40 mm guns and the Sea Ceptor. 

The naval air defence weapon system can protect an area the size of Greater Manchester (500 square miles/1,300 square kilometres) by engaging multiple targets simultaneously, reaching speeds of up to three times the speed of sound as it intercepts. 

The Type 31 frigate can also be used as a launchpad for commando raids, anti-piracy operations, escorting vessels encroaching on UK waters, plus disaster relief efforts and diplomacy overseas. 

HMS Venturer’s flight deck is the largest of any Royal Navy Frigate or Destroyer and can operate a range of aircraft types such as Merlin, Wildcat and Chinook. 

These ships will replace ageing Type 23 vessels, providing modernised capabilities with a smaller crew size – 60% larger than their predecessors but requiring only 60% of the workforce.

The first steel was cut for HMS Formidable in October 2024

Sir Nick emphasised that with recruitment and retention issues affecting the Armed Forces, designing affordable and efficient ships is paramount for future naval operations. 

He said: “All navies all over the world suffer from not enough money and not enough people, so we’ve got to build ships that are affordable and we’ve got to make them be able to be operated by less people.” 

As the Royal Navy faces challenges such as budgetary constraints and personnel shortages, the rollout of HMS Venturer is an encouraging step toward building a more capable fleet ready to meet the demands of modern naval warfare. 

The aim is to have all five Inspiration-class ships operating at sea by 2030. 

You can listen to Sitrep wherever you get your podcasts, including on the BFBS Forces News YouTube channel. 

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RNZ Navy Reserves protect United States Naval Ship https://ift.tt/gcWIrmw

Reservists from three Royal New Zealand Navy units combined with Regular Forces to provide on-the-water security for a visiting US Navy ship in Wellington last week.

A small Royal New Zealand Navy Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat in front of the large grey US Navy ship, USS Blue Ridge.

30 May, 2025

Personnel from Christchurch Reserve Unit HMNZS Pegasus brought up their J3 RHIB on a trailer to Wellington, while Regular Force personnel from the Boat Squadron at HMNZS Philomel trailered their RHIB down from Auckland.

As part of a Force Protection team of Navy and NZ Police, the work involved escorting the 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge into Wellington Harbour on 16 May and patrolling the ‘Defence Zone’ around the ship during the days and nights it was berthed at Centreport wharves.

The work required the rotation of the two boats on 24/7 shifts using Philomel personnel and reservists from Pegasus, Dunedin Reserve Unit HMNZS Toroa and Wellington Reserve Unit HMNZS Olphert. The New Zealand Police launch Lady Elizabeth IV and a Police RHIB shared patrolling duties.

The Blue Ridge departed Wellington on 21 May.

Warrant Officer Combat System Specialist Richard Murray, Regular Forces and Acting Divisional Coxswain Pegasus, was the Officer in Charge for the tasking. He came with one reservist from Toroa, three Pegasus reservists and ‘Razor’, the unit’s RHIB.

The tasking was short notice but the reservists were keen to support, he said.

A RHIB attached to a white utility vehicle is prepared to be launched in an industrial area.

The Royal New Zealand Navy prepare to launch a RHIB.

The crews and boats rotated four-hour shifts, basing the RHIBs out of Seaview Marina across the harbour.

Petty Officer Maritime Trade Operations James Dunlop-Storey, HMNZS Olphert, says it’s great to see Reserves working closely with other agencies. “It was good to work so closely with Police and I look forward to working with other Government agencies in the future.”

He said they experienced the full range of Wellington weather during the protection period, including torrential rain over the weekend.

“It’s always good to spend time on the tools, and having little blue penguins and seals coming to check what we were doing is always heart-warming.”

For Christchurch, it’s another solid tasking for ‘Razor’, which is with the unit for a ‘proof of concept’ trial to test the return of small boat capability to the Naval Reserve Force.

Early this year Pegasus assisted the Environment Canterbury Harbourmaster on a Safe Boating project, taking their RHIB to harbours and lakes in Canterbury and talking to boaties.

Navy sailors in a RHIB talk to a civilian sailor on their own vessel.

The crews and boats rotated four-hour shifts, basing the RHIBs out of Seaview Marina across the harbour.

Lieutenant Commander Tim Johns, Commanding Officer HMNZS Pegasus, says it was a very good demonstration of how Reserves and Regular Forces could merge seamlessly.

“It was 50 percent Reserves, 50 percent Regular Forces, doing the same tasking together. And from the perspective of our trial, it shows our deployability of our RHIB from land. This kind of tasking grows our Navy’s collective knowledge and skill.”

The other benefit was showing the talents of the Reserve Force to Regular Force personnel.

“The Regular Force have very limited opportunity to interact with Reserves. It can be difficult to comprehend the way we operate given that reservists have other careers to manage while still providing support for the Navy.

“So this was a really good engagement piece where members of the two force elements got to learn from each other. The Reserves are staffed with a lot of ex-Regular Force personnel, and there’s a lot of recent experience we can bring to the table. This is a very good starting point to show how we can operate together on a more regular basis.”

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RNZN History – HMNZS Tui (T234) was a Bird-class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy. She was commissioned in 1941 for minesweeping and anti-submarine roles.  https://ift.tt/FldGRIC

HMNZS Tui (T234), a bird-class minesweeper of the Royal New Zealand Navy, 1944

Tui was the first of two ships with this name to serve in the Royal New Zealand Navy and was named after a native bird from New Zealand.

War service

In March 1942 in Scotland, Tui and the four Isles-class trawlers, Killegray, Inchkeith, Sanda and Scarba had been newly built for New Zealand. They were formed into a flotilla and departed from the River Clyde with a convoy bound for Canada. The trawler flotilla then left for Auckland, arriving there in August.

In Auckland, Tui was assigned to the 25th Minesweeping Flotilla and sailed for Suva to replace Matai. In December she joined her sister ships Kiwi and Moa at Nouméa. The 25th Minesweeping Flotilla had been offered to COMSOPAC, and by early December Tui, Moa, and Kiwi with Matai as flotilla leader, were all together at Nouméa ready to move north. They sailed for the Solomons, escorting a convoy some of the way. Making Tulagi their base they began anti-submarine screen patrols on 19 December 1942 off Tulagi and Lunga Point, Guadalcanal.

Torpedo Bay Navy Museum
·
In 1943, Minesweeper Bird Class Trawler, HMNZS Tui had a near miss whilst patrolling off Guadalcanal when a Japanese torpedo bomber fires at her, narrowly missing. Only her slow speed, 8 knots, saved her.
Photo: HMNZS Tui Red Watch c1940s ABJ 0171

Landing barges

On 21 January 1943, Tui and Moa came across four Japanese landing barges stopped close inshore. When Tui and Moa closed in, those aboard the barges opened fire with machine guns and small arms and got underway. At close range Moa fired on the leading barge, but a fluke shot passed through the 4-inch (102 mm) gun aperture, ignited a cordite charge and injured all seven in the gun crew. Moa managed to silence the first barge and sink the last in line with 20 mm (0.79 in) gunfire, then withdrew and attended to the cordite fire and injuries. Tui then opened fire on the barges, sinking one with her 4-inch gun, and the remaining two escaped inshore in the darkness.[1]

Submarine I-17

On 19 August 1943, while escorting a convoy from Nouméa, Tui picked up a submarine contact. She made an initial run over it without using depth charges, a second run dropping two depth charges, and a third run throwing another two depth charges. Contact was lost and Tui signalled some US Kingfisher seaplanes of US Scouting Squadron VS-57, based in New Caledonia, to join the search. One of these indicated that Tui should investigate smoke on the horizon, where a submarine was sighted on the surface and Tui opened fire at maximum range, scoring one, possibly two hits. The aircraft then dropped depth charges and the submarine sank at 23°26′S 166°50′E.

The submarine was the Japanese submarine I-17, 2,190 tons, 108 metres (354 ft) long, built in 1939. Ninety-one crewmen were lost and Tui picked up six survivors who said that Tui‘s depth charge attacks had damaged the submarine and forced it to the surface.

The commanding officer and anti-submarine control officer on Tui had doubted whether the contact was really a submarine, so the depth-charge attacks were not properly carried out. A later Naval Board report concluded that “had the proper procedure been followed and a full depth-charge pattern fired in the original attack, there is little doubt but that the submarine would have been destroyed.”[2]

I-17 was the first Axis ship to shell the United States mainland when she shelled an oil refinery near Santa Barbara on 23 February 1942.[3]

Other service

COMSOPAC released the New Zealand ships in June 1945, and Tui departed the Solomons escorting a group of six RNZN Fairmiles. On her return to Auckland, Tui worked with Kiwi and the 7th Trawler Group on the final clearing of the German minefield in the outer Hauraki Gulf.

Post-war service

Tui was put in reserve in June 1946.

Training

In 1952 the Navy wanted to free some Loch-class frigates for service in the Korean War. Tui was recommissioned in February 1952 to take over training duties previously undertaken by the frigate Kaniere. This training was carried out for the Naval Volunteer Reserve and included training for compulsory reservists as well as volunteer reservists and sea cadets.

She was also used part-time by the DSIR and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL).

Oceanographic research

Tui as an Oceanographic Research Ship

In October 1955 Tui was docked for conversion to an oceanographic research ship. On 5 March 1956, the now disarmed Tui was recommissioned and reclassified as a fleet auxiliary. She made many scientific cruises for the DSIR and NRL to places around New Zealand and Pacific islands. She investigated shipwrecks, notably MV Holmglen off Timaru in 1959 and MV Kaitawa off Cape Reinga in 1966.

Fate

Tui was decommissioned for the last time on 22 December 1967. She was stripped of her equipment and sold in December 1969 to Pacific Scrap Ltd who demolished her.

She was replaced in 1970 by a purpose-built oceanographic ship with the same name.

HMNZS Tui (A2, A05) , formerly USNS Charles H. Davis (T-AGOR-5), was one of nine Conrad class oceanographic ships built for the United States Navy (USN), that later saw service in the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN). Serving with the USN from 1963 to 1970, these ships were designed to perform acoustic experiments on sound transmission underwater, and for gravity, magnetism and deep-ocean floor studies.

The ship was recommissioned into the RNZN in late 1970, and as HMNZS Tui served as an oceanographic survey and research ship until her decommissioning in 1997. In 1999, the ship was scuttled as a dive wreck.RNZN
In 1970, she was transferred to the RNZN, and was commissioned on 11 September 1970 as HMNZS Tui. Tui was named after the Tui bird, and was the second of two ships with this name to serve in the RNZN.

After a partial refit and the installation and testing of scientific equipment, Tui began a program of work for the Defence Scientific Establishment in Auckland. For years Tui went unobtrusively about the kind of work she was designed for, primarily underwater acoustics.

Tui worked in Australian, Indian Ocean and South Pacific waters. She worked on Auckland University research, with DSIR scientists, and with other oceanographic ships. Tui also took part in several American research programs. Her acoustic research was mainly to do with the detection and tracking of submarines.

During the 1970s she made an extensive search for the Maria Theresa Reef.

Decommissioning and fate
In 1997, Tui was decommissioned and was replaced by the hydrographic ship HMNZS Resolution.

In February 1999, Tui was scuttled 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Tutukaka Heads to serve as a tourist attraction and wreck for divers, following a period of work on her which removed any objects in danger of breaking free and welding shut any areas that may have posed a hazard for wreck divers.[1] Her anchor was presented to the City of Napier

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Royal Navy shadows Russian warships near UK in second mission this month https://ift.tt/X0W3fgi

29th May 2025 at 12:07pm

HMS Dragon tracking Russian ship Yuri Ivanov (Picture: Royal Navy)

HMS Dragon, HMS Hurworth and HMS Ledbury have been involved in a five-day operation to track Russian naval activity near British waters.

Royal Navy warships and helicopters have once again been called on to monitor Russian activity around the UK – the second such operation this month.

Portsmouth-based HMS Dragon shadowed the Russian intelligence-gathering ship Yuri Ivanov as it lingered off the coast of the Outer Hebrides following Nato’s Formidable Shield exercise.

The Type 45 destroyer launched a Merlin helicopter to gather further information before the Russian vessel turned north for home in the Arctic.

Meanwhile, in the English Channel, HMS Ledbury, HMS Hurworth and a Merlin Mk2 from 814 Naval Air Squadron tracked the Russian corvette Stoikiy and two merchant ships, Sparta IV and General Skobelev, as they returned from the Mediterranean and transited east through the Channel.

HMS Hurworth kept close watch on the group, supported by Nato aircraft and warships, until it exited the North Sea.

HMS Hurworth tracks RFN Stoikiy CREDIT ROYAL NAVY
HMS Hurworth tracks RFN Stoikiy (Picture: Royal Navy)

Lieutenant Commander James Bradshaw, Commanding Officer of HMS Hurworth, said: “Monitoring activity on the seas and seabed around the UK is one of the core roles of the Royal Navy’s 2nd Mine-Countermeasures Squadron.

“This operation was all in a day’s work for the ship’s company who have shown great professionalism.

“We have kept a constant watch to ensure the security and integrity of the UK’s critical sea lanes.”

The operation involved support from Nato aircraft and ships, with the Merlin helicopter from RNAS Culdrose tracking the Russian group during the eastbound transit.

It comes just three weeks after HMS Tyne was activated to monitor similar activity, and follows Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s recent commitment to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP.

“Driving the ship close to the Russian vessels has been a new experience for me as a helmsman,” Able Seaman Mine Warfare Wayne Slater, from HMS Hurworth, said. 

“Everything has been safe and professional but we’re all trained to make sure we can respond to any aggression or incident whenever non-allied warships are operating near UK waters.”

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Minefields no challenge for the Challenger 2 – thanks to the British Army’s Trojan https://ift.tt/1ucmjBY

29th May 2025 at 10:59am

Minefields and anti-tank ditches no obstacle for the Trojan

Main battle tanks like the Challenger 2 rely on a combination of firepower, mobility and protection – all of which a potential enemy is well aware.

To slow down or halt the advance, the enemy can create anti-tank ditches and lay minefields – and even if the tanks avoid the mines they can end up being channelled into a kill zone where they can be targeted by artillery.

And that’s where the British Army’s Trojan armoured engineer vehicle comes in.

This vehicle is designed to open routes through complex battlefield obstacles and clear a path through minefields.

The Trojan Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers is a combat engineering vehicle that was designed as a replacement for the Chieftain AVRE – the ChAVRE.

The Trojan is based on the chassis of the Challenger 2 it’s designed to support, and is powered by the same Perkins CV12 diesel engine.

While the Trojan is based on the Challenger 2 chassis, it's role is very different
While the Trojan may resemble the Challenger 2, it’s role is very different (Picture: MOD)

Its standard equipment includes a dozer blade, mine plough and an excavator arm, and a mine-marking system can also be fitted.

It can also carry fascines – a bundle of pipes that are dropped into a ditch, filling the gap so it can then be driven over.

The Trojan can also tow a trailer-mounted, rocket-propelled, mine-clearing system.

Although it has no turret – the Trojan is not a tank – all this dedicated kit gives it a combat weight of 62.5 tonnes, but it can nevertheless achieve a top speed of 59km/h.

Improved visibility is achieved by incorporating direct and indirect vision devices with low-light, image-intensifying and thermal imaging capabilities. It also has a CBRN protection system.

The Trojan is based on the Challenger 2 chassis, and works in conjunction with the main battle tank
The Trojan is based on the Challenger 2 chassis, and works in conjunction with the main battle tank (Picture: MOD)

Because it can free up an armoured advance, the Trojan is considered a high-value target. It has some means of protection, being armed with the 7.62mm belt-fed L7A2 GPMG.

But it relies on the very vehicle it’s there to support – the Challenger 2 – to protect it against threats such as enemy armour.

While it was designed for the battlefield, the Trojan has the flexibility to support a wide range of operations, including humanitarian missions.

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Carrier Strike Group 25 passes through the Suez Canal, the Royal Navy reveals https://ift.tt/5bnZHdP

Jonathan Moynihan – 29th May 2025 at 11:27am

The CSG did not contain RFA Tidespring, as the tanker will travel south around the Cape of Good Hope (Picture: MOD)
The CSG did not contain RFA Tidespring, as the tanker will travel south around the Cape of Good Hope (Picture: MOD)

Carrier Strike Group 25 has sailed through the Suez Canal as it continues its onward journey to Australia, the Royal Navy has confirmed.

Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that they had “gameplanned situations” in case the carrier strike group had to deal with an attack from the Iranian-backed Houthis, according to the Telegraph.

The UK resumed strikes on Houthi drone facilities ahead of the £3bn aircraft carrier’s passage through the canal.

“The Carrier Strike Group is in a high-risk area,” Mr Healey said during his visit to MOD Corsham, the UK’s military cyber headquarters.

“We know that, they know that, they are fully trained for that, and they are as well prepared and well protected as they can be, physically, militarily, and digitally, and in cyber.”

He added that “it will be a really dangerous high-risk passage”.

The CSG did not contain RFA Tidespring, as the tanker will travel south around the Cape of Good Hope before rejoining the vessels in the Indian Ocean.

It comes after the personnel enjoyed some rest and recuperation in Souda Bay in Crete following Exercise Med Strike.

The CSG partnered with an Italian carrier strike group, led by flagship ITS Cavour, to take part in Exercise Med Strike.

The exercise involved 21 warships, three submarines, 41 fast jets, 19 helicopters, 10 patrol aircraft and 8,000 personnel.

UK and Italian F-35B Lightning jets flew day and night, while warships and submarines from both countries trained together, practising anti-submarine tactics.

It comes after the personnel enjoyed some rest and recuperation in Souda Bay in Crete following Exercise Med Strike (Picture: MOD)
The transit comes after the personnel enjoyed some rest and recuperation in Souda Bay in Crete following Exercise Med Strike (Picture: MOD)

The training was also a test of air defence skills, including dealing with aerial drone attacks.

There are 12 countries participating in the CSG deployment, known as Operation Highmast, which will last eight months and cover more than 30,000 miles.

The CSG will conduct further large-scale exercises with allies in the Middle East, Japan and Australia.

Over 4,500 British military personnel are involved, including nearly 600 RAF, 900 soldiers, and 2,500 Royal Navy sailors and Royal Marines.

For more reports about Carrier Strike Group 25, click here.

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