A Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate has made a port call in Western Australia as Japan bids for a contract to build Australia’s new fleet of general-purpose frigates.
The Mogami-class frigate Noshiro arrived at the HMAS Stirling naval base near Perth on Australia’s west coast earlier this week, the Australian Defense Department confirmed Thursday. The vessel made a port call at Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory, from Feb. 28 to March 3, according to the MSDF.
Maritime Self-Defense Force frigate Noshiro arrives at the HMAS Stirling naval base near Perth on Australia’s west coast on March 11, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Australian Defense Department)(Kyodo)
In November last year, the Australian government shortlisted the Mogami-class frigate and Germany’s MEKO A200 frigate as candidates to replace its navy’s Anzac-class frigates, in a program worth up to AU$10 billion ($6.3 billion) over the next decade.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the MSDF invited Australian military officials aboard the Noshiro at the HMAS Stirling naval base.
It is believed that MSDF officials explained the advantages of the frigate’s high-stealth performance due to the few surface irregularities in the Mogami-type hull, and the advantage of being able to operate with a smaller crew compared to the German MEKO A200 vessels, according to the sources.
The frigate produced by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. can be operated by a crew of around 90, half as many as similar vessels.
The Australian government is planning a large-scale increase of its navy’s combatant fleet in the next decade, amid China’s increased military presence in the Indo-Pacific region.
SSNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE 8) departs Hanwha Ocean shipyard after a seven-month overhaul at Gyeongsangnam-do, Republic of Korea, March 12, 2025. Hanwah Ocean Photo
A Lewis and Clark dry cargo ship departed Hanwha Ocean’s Geoje shipyard on Wednesday, marking the completion of South Korea’s first maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) service of an American naval vessel amid the Navy’s efforts to find yards in the Indo-Pacific to repair ships in theater.
“The Republic of Korea’s ability to conduct large-scale maintenance to USNS ships within the Indo-Pacific Theater demonstrates the strong strategic partnership between the Republic of Korea and the United States,” said Rear Adm. Neil Koprowski, Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Korea, in a release on the MRO completion.
USNS Wally Schirra (T-AKE-8) pulled into the South Korean shipyard last summer shortly after Hanwha Ocean gained a Master Ship Repair Agreement (MRSA) certification from the Navy, which validated the company’s ability to tackle MRO projects on American vessels. A company release from the time claimed that the project would take three months, contrary to the seven months stated in the Military Sealift Command release.
According to MSC Far East, this is the first time an American vessel of this size has conducted a regular overhaul in South Korea. The maintenance period saw Hanwha Ocean shipyard workers tackle 300 work items that covered hull corrosion and the replacement of Wally Schirra’s rudder.
MSC highlighted Hanhwa Ocean’s ability to reverse engineer certain components when schematics were not available, citing the shipbuilder’s “resilient supply chains, advanced automations and skilled workforce.”
“Maintenance in theater reduces downtime and costs, while enhancing operational readiness. This is a landmark achievement to be celebrated as a symbol of our strengthened partnership and ironclad commitment to the ROK-U.S. alliance,” said Koprowski in the release.
Assigned to the U.S. Navy’s Combat Logistics Force, Wally Schirra’s maintenance in South Korea kept the supply vessel in-theater, Cmdr. Patrick Moore, commanding officer, MSC Office-Korea, highlighted this new MRO option from Hanwha Ocean as an “additional means to deliver repair of military logistics vessels in order to sustain the readiness necessary to support Fleet operations.”
Hanwha Ocean bought out Philly Shipyard in a $100 million deal last July and promised “big time” investments. In South Korea, the company manages both commercial customers and submarines for the Republic of Korea Navy. Seoul’s shipbuilding capabilities, specifically through Hanwha Ocean and Hyundai Heavy Industries, are second only to China in global rankings. American policymakers have eyed South Korean shipbuilding amid Washington’s efforts to revitalize U.S. shipbuilding.
The MRO effort also comes amid the service’s maintenance initiatives across Indo-Pacific shipbuilders. India’s Mazgaon Dock Shipbuilders, Ltd and Larsen & Toubro Ltd gained their MRSA certifications in the summer of 2023. In the Philippines, American officials have eyed local facilities at Subic Bay for MRO. Hanwha Ocean competitor Hyundai Heavy Industries – owners of the world’s largest shipyard in Ulsan – inked their MRSA last July. Japanese yards have also been eyed for similar agreements.
Russian, Chinese and Iranian warships drilling in the Gulf of Oman this week. Iranian State Media Photo
Russian, Chinese and Iranian naval ships are drilling together in the Gulf of Oman as part of an annual exercise. Meanwhile the Russian Pacific Fleet’s flagship, cruiser RFS Varyag (011) and corvette RFS Sovershenny (333) departed Vladivostok on Tuesday for a deployment to the Asia Pacific.
The Maritime Security Belt 2025 drill saw ships from the Russian Navy, the Chinese Peoples’ Liberation Army Navy, Iranian Navy and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy gathering together at Iran’s Chabahar Port on Sunday before setting out on Monday for the sea phase of the drills.
The Russian surface action group comprising corvettes RFS Hero of the Russian Federation Aldar Tsydenzhapov (339) and RFS Rezkiy (343) and fleet oiler Pechenga, all assigned to the Russian Navy Pacific Fleet, which had set out on Feb. 3 for its deployment to the Asia-Pacific and Middle East. PLAN ships participating in the exercise are destroyer CNS Baotou (133) and fleet oiler Gaoyouhu (904), both from the PLAN’s 47th Chinese Naval Escort Task Force. Iran is deploying a total of 10 ships from the Iranian Navy and IRGCN for the drills including Iranian Navy frigates IRIS Alvand (71) and IRIS Jamaran (76), IRGCN corvette Shahid Sayyad Shirazi (FS313-03) and IRGCN patrol craft Shahid Nazeri. The Azerbaijan Republic, South Africa, Oman, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Qatar, Iraq, the UAE, and Sri Lanka have sent observers to the drills according to Iranian press reports.
A Russian Ministry of Defense release on Monday stated that the exercise was first held in the waters of the Arabian Sea in 2018. This year it involves about 15 ships, support vessels and combat boats, as well as naval aviation helicopters. The objectives of the exercise are: ensuring maritime security, countering maritime threats, and preventing the spread of terrorism.”, read the release.
A Wednesday release by the Russian Ministry of Defense stated that over the past two days, warships of the three countries conducted day and night-firing of large-caliber machine-guns and small-arms at targets simulating enemy uncrewed surface vehicles and unmanned aerial vehicles and also during the exercise ship crews searched a ship captured by mock terrorists while special operations units of the three countries conducted joint operations in rescuing the hijacked ship.
The PLAN’s 47th Chinese Naval Escort Task Force, comprising of Baotou, Gaoyouhu, and frigate CNS Honghe (523) left Zhoushan, Zhejiang on Dec. 15, 2024, for its deployment to the Gulf of Aden and the waters around Somalia. China has been sending the Naval Escort Task Force since 2008 to protect Chinese ships from pirates in the region with the task force usually made up of a destroyer, a frigate and a fleet oiler. Along with anti-piracy escort missions, the Chinese Naval Escort Task Force also detaches its ships to represent the PLAN in naval exercises and defense shows in the vicinity of its deployment area of operations.
Both Japan and South Korea also have maintained their own anti-piracy task forces in the region, with South Korea dispatching the Cheonghae unit, a rotational deployment comprising of a Republic of Korea Navy destroyer with naval special forces embarked on it, to the region since 2009. In 2011, the unit rescued a South Korean tanker that had been hijacked by pirates off Somalia, rescuing all 21 crew members, killing eight of the 17 pirate that hijacked the ship. Five more pirates were captured, and four escaped. Japan initially deployed two Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers for anti-piracy missions in 2009 along with also deploying two JMSDF P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft to operate out of Djibouti supported by a maintenance element and a Japan Ground Self-Defense Force force protection unit in the same year. Japan switched to a single destroyer rotation in 2016, on the basis that piracy activity had significantly decreased while in November 2023, the Japanese government reduced the P-3C deployment to one aircraft, stating that improved facilities at Djibouti now meant that a P-3C could be returned to operational service quickly, eliminating the need for a second back-up aircraft.
On Tuesday, Russian Navy Pacific Fleet flagship, cruiser Varyag and corvette Sovershenny departed Vladivostok to perform missions in the Asia-Pacific region, according to the fleet’s press release on that day which also stated that when leaving the Golden Horn Bay and in the Sea of Japan, the ships carried out training for the crews to repel air attacks, including UAVSs and from unmanned boats, “As part of the upcoming deployment, the cruiser Varyag and the corvette Sovershenny will conduct exercises to search for and destroy enemy submarines, as well as combat exercises as part of the detachment. In addition, joint activities with aircraft of the Pacific Fleet naval aviation will be practiced,” stated the release.
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110), left, and USS Sterett (DDG-104), right, maneuvers with the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) while transiting the Surigao Strait with the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59), Dec. 22, 2024. US Navy Photo
U.S. aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is operating in the Sea of Japan after wrapping a five-day port visit to South Korea on Friday, USNI News has learned.
Carl Vinson (CVN-70) wrapped up a five-day port visit to Busan, South Korea on Friday while Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, assigned to Japan-based aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) will head to Guam this week to conduct training there until the end of March, according to the Navy.
“We are incredibly grateful to the Republic of Korea for being great hosts to the Carrier Strike Group One team,” said Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander, Carrier Strike Group 1 in the release, “Our presence is a tangible reminder of the ironclad commitment to the U.S.-ROK alliance that has contributed to peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and the Korean Peninsula for over seven decades.”
The Carrier Strike Group includes carrier Carl Vinson (CVN-70) with embarked CVW-2, cruiser USS Princeton (CG-59) and destroyers USS Sterett (DDG-104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG-110). A Republic of Korea Navy release stated that Carl Vinson, Princeton and Sterett pulled into Busan on Mar. 2.
Carl Vinson deployed from San Diego on Nov. 18, putting it just short of four months on deployment. The Japan-based carrier George Washington is unlikely to deploy until April as the fixed wing aircraft of its assigned CVW-5 departs their home base of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Iwakuni to carry out training in Guam.
The move is part of the ongoing Aviation Relocation Training Program between the U.S. and Japan where U.S. military aircraft based in Japan relocate from their home bases to carry out training elsewhere to reduce the impact of such training around their Japan home bases with the relocation being to Guam or to facilities in Japan which are not located near densely populated area.
Until March 28, 16 F/A-18 Super Hornet fighters, five E/A-18 Growler electronic attack fighters and 450 personnel from CVW-5 will relocate from MCAS Iwakuni to Guam to carry out training, a Japan Ministry of Defense (MOD) release on Friday
The statement said from Mar. 14 to Mar. 30, 10 F-35C Lightning II and 8 F/A-18 Super Hornets fighters, three E-2D Hawkeye Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEWC) aircraft and 370 personnel will relocate from Iwakuni to Guam, the release stated that this was the 79th and 80th time that training has been transferred overseas.
“The relocation of training to Guam and other locations is being implemented to reduce the impact of training activities on areas surrounding U.S. military airbases,” read the release.
CVW-5 consists of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 27 “Royal Maces”, VFA-102 “Diamondbacks” and VFA-195 “Dambusters” operating F/A-18 Superhornets, 147 “Argonauts” operating F-35C Lightning IIs, Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141, operating EA-18G Growlers, Airborne Command & Control Squadron (VAW) 125 “Tigertails”, operating E-2D Hawkeyes, Fleet Logistics Multi-Mission Squadron (VRM) 30, operating CMV-22 Ospreys, Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 12 “Golden Falcons”, operating MH-60S Sea Hawks and Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 77 “Saberhawks”, operating MH-60R Sea Hawks. CVW-5 wrapped up its last deployment on Nov. 18. 2024 with the training deployment to Guam likely being its work up phase in preparation for a patrol in Spring by the George
At MCAS Iwakuni on Saturday, the U.S. Marine Corps’ Japan-based aviation forces received their first F-35 deployment from the continental United States with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 214 “Black Sheep”, an F-35B squadron of Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAG) based at MCAS Yuma, Arizona, deploying to MCAS Iwakuni, Japan, under the Marine Corps’ Unit Deployment Program (UDP) to temporarily support MAG-12, 1st MAW flight operations in the Indo-Pacific according to a Marine Corps release on Saturday.
“Our focus during this deployment is threefold,” said Lt. Col. Robert Guyette, the commanding officer of VMFA-214 in a statement. “To seamlessly integrate within Marine forces, joint forces, and regional allies and improve warfighting readiness as a combined force, refine our ability to operate from austere locations, and align with key Marine Corps concepts like Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations to maximize survivability and airpower projection.”
The release also stated that while MAG-12 currently maintains two fully operational F-35B squadrons, “An additional F-35B squadron increases Marine aviation’s contribution to operations in the Indo-Pacific with joint forces, allies, and partners alike from established and scantily developed locations for distributed operations,” said Col. Kyle B. Shoop, the commander of MAG-12, in the release.
The UDP provides continental U.S.-based units with experience operating in the Indo-Pacific through continuous and overlapping deployments to the region, according to the release which also stated that traditionally, fixed-wing aircraft groups have supported the UDP with F/A-18 Hornets and AV-8B Harriers. While Hornet deployments are available to support the UDP in the future, VMFA-214’s deployment marked a milestone in the February 2025 Marine Aviation Plan: the transition from 4th to 5th generation aircraft, according to the release.
Maj. Gen. Marcus Annibale, the commanding general of 1st MAW, emphasized tin the release that the move is designed to meet operational needs in the Indo-Pacific with a forward-leaning approach, ““As more F-35 squadrons deploy to the remote and contested environments of the Indo-Pacific, Marine Aviation’s readiness will grow, and our capabilities as a combined force in this region will become even more lethal.”
HMS Albion’s field gun team put on an energetic display for visitors in Leith in 2022 (Picture: Royal Navy)
In a first for the legendary Field Gun Competition, gunners from all variations of the naval contest have gathered in Portsmouth to celebrate 125 years since the event that inspired it.
The heroic actions of sailors during the 119-day Siege of Ladysmith during the Boer War became part of national and naval folklore.
Guns from warships were taken apart, transformed into field guns and then transported more than 100 miles inland.
In the final stretch, these guns were carried by men of the Naval Brigade over difficult terrain, ultimately joining the battle and relieving the besieged troops.
In recognition, Queen Victoria dispatched a telegram expressing her heartfelt gratitude, saying: “Pray express to the Naval Brigade my deep appreciation of the valuable services they have rendered with their guns.”
The brave actions on the battlefield gave birth to one of the toughest and most iconic competitions in Royal Navy history – the Field Gun Competition.
Watch: The proud tradition of the Field Gun Competition
Each crew of 18 highly disciplined and physically fit field gunners races to assemble an antique field gun and runs with it, disassembling and reassembling as the competition requires, before dramatically dragging the gun home.
Speaking to BFBS Forces News in 2023, Commander Gareth Batsford, Field Gun Officer, HM Naval Base Clyde, said: “Together, the equipment – when it’s all hooked up together – is around about 1,300kg, so it’s a considerable weight and that’s why each crew consists of 18 personnel all configured to pull, push and lift the equipment at various stages during the run.”
Event coordinator Captain Alex Clark of the Royal Horse Artillery said: “It was incredible to see all aspects of the Field Gun family come together to honour this milestone.
Field gunners from HMS Seahawk, HMS Heron and HMS Devonport at the celebration on HMS Warrior (Picture: Ben Watson Media)
“This event not only paid tribute to our history but also reinforced the bonds of camaraderie that define the Field Gun community.”
In various formats, from the legendary run each year at the Royal Tournament for more than nine decades to the Brickwoods race hosted at HMS Collingwood and junior/cadet runs, the Field Gun tradition is vital in fostering teamwork, discipline and military heritage.
All branches of Field Gun – Command, Brickwoods (Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity), Junior Leaders and Cadets – were represented at an event on board HMS Warrior to celebrate what the Field Gun Competition means to the Senior Service past and present.
Cdre Andy Jordan, Vice Admiral Paul Marshall and Capt Alex Clark RHA at the 125th anniversary of the Field Gun Competition (Picture: Ben Watson Media)
Beyond commemorating past deeds, the event (which was supported by the Royal Navy and Royal Marines Charity) served as an opportunity to inspire future generations.
Young cadets and junior leaders engaged with experienced field gunners, learning first-hand about the discipline, teamwork and perseverance which define the competition.
Today the iconic event isn’t just for Royal Navy personnel.
There is a growing number of crews participating, with 24 teams representing the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, British Army and Royal Air Force.
Guests at the event included Cdres Andrew and Cath Jordan, VAdm Paul Marshall and Cdre Steve Bolton (Picture: Ben Watson Media)
The Australian Department of Defence has accepted the first Arafura-class offshore patrol vessel (OPV), the future HMAS Arafura, for further test and evaluation ahead of delivery to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN).
Arafura is the first of class vessel delivered under project SEA 1180, built by Luerssen Australia at the Osborne Naval Shipyard in South Australia. The project will deliver six Arafura-class OPVs to the RAN, with the first two constructed at Osborne. The remaining four vessels are under construction at Henderson in Western Australia.
The design is a variant of the Darussalam-class patrol vessels operated by the Royal Brunei Navy.
Optimised for regional operations
HMAS ArafuraAustralian Department of Defence
The Arafura-class vessels will be part of a wider Navy Minor War Vessel Fleet supporting civil maritime security and enhanced regional engagement in the Southwest Pacific and Southeast Asia. When not conducting maritime security missions, the vessels may support hydrographic surveys.
Named for the Arafura Sea between Australia and Indonesia, Arafura has a length of 80 metres (260 feet), a beam of 13 metres (43 feet), a draught of four metres (13 feet), a displacement of 1,640 tonnes, and space for 40 crewmembers and up to 60 additional personnel.
Two MTU 4,250kW (5,670hp) diesel engines will deliver a maximum speed of 20 knots and a range of 4,000 nautical miles, ensuring long-endurance patrol capability.
Multi-role platform ideal for low-intensity missions
Close-up of the Bushmaster 25mm stabilised gun forward of the superstructureAustralian Department of Defence
The OPV’s design will permit the installation of specialist mission packages, such as a maritime tactical unmanned aerial system. In the future, rapid environmental assessment and deployable mine countermeasures capabilities will be integrated to further expand the ship’s existing multi-mission capability.
The vessel’s standard armament consists of a Northrop Grumman M242 Bushmaster 25mm naval gun fitted on a Rafael Typhoon stabilised mount and two 12.7mm heavy machine guns. The all-gun armament is ideal for low-intensity maritime security missions such as offshore and littoral patrols, maritime border protection, anti-terrorism missions, and anti-piracy missions.
For target detection and fire control, the OPV relies on a Terma Scanter 6002 radar, a Saab situational awareness system with an EOS500 electro-optical gun director, and a Safran Vigy Engage electro-optical surveillance multi-sensor system.
Space is also available for up to three rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) for at-sea boardings and interceptions. Two RIBs measuring 8.5 metres (28 feet) long will be launched into and recovered from the water using a dedicated crane while a 10.5-metre (34.4-foot) RIB will be deployed via a stern ramp.
HMAS ArafuraAustralian Department of Defence
Arafura and its sisters are slated to replace the RAN’s Armidale-class patrol boats, Huon-class coastal minehunters, Leeuwin-class hydrographic survey vessels, and Paluma-class survey motor launches.
HMAS Arafura
SPECIFICATIONS
Type of vessel:
Offshore patrol vessel
Flag:
Australia
Owner:
Royal Australian Navy
Builder:
Luerssen Australia
Length overall:
80 metres (260 feet)
Beam:
13 metres (43 feet)
Draught:
4.0 metres (13 feet)
Displacement:
1,640 tonnes
Main engines:
2 x MTU, each 4,250 kW (5,670 hp)
Maximum speed:
20 knots
Range:
4,000 nautical miles
Radar:
Terma Scanter 6002
Cameras:
Safran Vigy Engage
Other electronics:
Saab situational awareness system; Saab EOS500 gun director
She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars. Decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, she was modernized and recommissioned in the early 1950s as an attack carrier (CVA), eventually becoming an antisubmarine aircraft carrier (CVS). In her second career, she served mainly in the Atlantic, playing a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis. She also participated in the Korean War, earning four battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation. She was the primary recovery carrier for the Apollo 7 space mission.
She was decommissioned for the last time in 1969, and sold by the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) for scrap on 1 June 1975 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Essex_(CV-9)
BREMERTON, Wash. — Naval Base Kitsap would swap the Navy’s oldest aircraft carrier for its newest under a plan released Friday. “The Navy proposes to replace an older Nimitz-class aircraft carrier at NBK-Bremerton with the next-generation Ford-class aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy,” according to a statement from U.S. Fleet Forces Command. The USS Nimitz, commissioned in 1975 just days after the fall of Saigon ended the Vietnam War, is slated to move from the naval base at Bremerton, which is west of Seattle on Puget Sound, to Naval Station Norfolk, Va., by April 2026. The Navy on Friday also released a draft environmental impact assessment calling for public comment on the plan to bring the USS John F. Kennedy to Kitsap after it is commissioned later this year. The Navy said electrical and other facilities upgrades at Kitsap would be necessary before moving the new carrier to Bremerton. “USS John F. Kennedy would arrive no earlier than fiscal year 2029,” according to the Fleet Forces Command statement. John F. Kennedy would join the USS Ronald Reagan at Kitsap. Nimitz to retire When the Nimitz arrives at Norfolk, it will begin an estimated 12-month “Ship’s Terminal Offload Plan,” or STOP, according to Naval Sea Systems Command. “The ship will no longer operate as an active part of the fleet,” said Jamie K. Koehler, a command spokeswoman. But there will be one more deployment before the Nimitz relinquishes its place in the fleet. In November 2024, the Nimitz was approved as seaworthy and combat-ready following a Navy review in San Diego. That allowed the aircraft carrier to surpass its official 50-year service life for a final deployment. The Navy won’t say which theater of operations that the Nimitz will serve its final mission. For now, the nuclear-powered carrier is at its homeport on Puget Sound where it returned Feb. 19. Congress was notified Thursday the carrier was moving to Norfolk, the U.S. Naval Institute News reported Thursday. Naval Sea Systems Command said the Nimitz would be in Norfolk until the spring of 2027 to offload equipment and materials that can be repurposed. The ship will then move to HII-Newport News Shipbuilding to begin the estimated 30-month process of removing nuclear fuel and deactivating the carrier. The company will do the work, though final details of the timeline and completion are still under discussion, according to Naval Sea Systems Command. The Nimitz, which was named for Adm. Chester Nimitz, has a crew of more than 3,200 and another 2,500 or more when carrying its air wing. Navy’s newest carrier The Navy plans to maintain its congressionally mandated 11 aircraft carriers in the fleet by commissioning the USS John F. Kennedy to replace the Nimitz. The Kennedy is the second of the new $12.9 billion Gerald R. Ford-class carriers. The proposal to homeport the Kennedy at Kitsap would see the carrier move within the next five years. The carrier will have extensive sea trials after commissioning before moving to Kitsap if the facility upgrades and environmental safeguards are made in the next several years. In addition to the Ford and Kennedy, four more Ford-class carriers have been authorized, with each to take the place of an aging Nimitz-class carrier. The Reagan, the ninth of 10 Nimitz-class carriers, will remain homeported at Kitsap. Later this month, the ship is going into a 17-month maintenance period at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard at Kitsap. The work includes technological upgrades, hull preservation, and a review of steering and powerplant components, according to Navy plans. If the work is finished on schedule, the Reagan will be available for deployment by August 2026. GARY WARNER Gary Warner covers the Pacific Northwest for Stars and Stripes. He’s reported from East Germany, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and across the U.S. He has a master’s degree from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in New York.
USS St Paul, a Baltimore-class cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named for Saint Paul, Minnesota.
Her keel was laid down as Rochester on 3 February 1943 by the Bethlehem Steel Company in Quincy, Massachusetts. She was launched on 16 September 1944 sponsored by Mrs. Marie Gordon McDonough[1], wife of John J. McDonough, then mayor of St. Paul, Minnesota; and commissioned on 17 February 1945, Captain Ernest H. von Heimburg in command. She was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 31 July 1978, and was sold for scrapping in January 1980. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Saint_Paul_(CA-73)
USS Saratoga (CV-3) was a Lexington-class aircraft carrier built for the United States Navy during the 1920s. Originally designed as a battlecruiser, she was converted into one of the Navy’s first aircraft carriers during construction to comply with the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922. The ship entered service in 1928 and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet for her entire career. Saratoga and her sister ship, Lexington, were used to develop and refine carrier tactics in a series of annual exercises before World War II. On more than one occasion these exercises included successful surprise attacks on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. She was one of three prewar US fleet aircraft carriers, along with Enterprise and Ranger, to serve throughout World War II.
Shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Saratoga was the centerpiece of the unsuccessful American effort to relieve Wake Island and was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine a few weeks later. After lengthy repairs, the ship supported forces participating in the Guadalcanal Campaign and her aircraft sank the light carrier Ryūjō during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons in August 1942. She was again torpedoed the following month and returned to the Solomon Islands area after repairs were completed.
In 1943, Saratoga supported Allied forces involved in the New Georgia Campaign and invasion of Bougainville in the northern Solomon Islands and her aircraft twice attacked the Japanese base at Rabaul in November. Early in 1944, her aircraft provided air support during the Gilbert and Marshall Islands Campaign before she was transferred to the Indian Ocean for several months to support the British Eastern Fleet as it attacked targets in Java and Sumatra. After a brief refit in mid-1944, the ship became a training ship for the rest of the year.
In early 1945, Saratoga participated in the Battle of Iwo Jima as a dedicated night fighter carrier. Several days into the battle, she was badly damaged by kamikaze hits and was forced to return to the United States for repairs. While under repair, the ship, now increasingly obsolete, was permanently modified as a training carrier with some of her hangar deck converted into classrooms. Saratoga remained in this role for the rest of the war and was then used to ferry troops back to the United States after the Japanese surrender in August. In mid-1946, the ship was a target for nuclear weapon tests during Operation Crossroads. She survived the first test with little damage, but was sunk by the second test. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Saratoga_(CV-3)
