Amission to salvage a boat that ran aground on its maiden voyage after Australia gifted it to Fiji has begun, with efforts underway to minimise any environmental impacts including a potential oil spill.
It said in a statement that Australia had sent specialised recovery equipment that would be used to extract the boat from the reef, with a second vessel set to transport the gear to the site.
“The Republic of Fiji Navy reaffirms its commitment to minimising environmental impact during the de-fuelling process now underway,” it said.
“Measures to mitigate a potential oil spill have been deployed, and navy divers and engineers on scene continue to monitor the situation.”
The crew of RFNS Puamau returned to Suva after being collected by another vessel, RFNS Savenaca, on Saturday morning.
There are no reports of injuries due to the grounding incident but the extent of the damage to the boat remains unclear.
The event is a major embarrassment for Fiji, which accepted the vessel at a ceremony in Perth in March.
The Guardian-class patrol boat is a popular choice with Pacific countries, with many using them to survey and protect vast marine zones.
As part of the Pacific Maritime Security Program, 19 boats have been so far handed over to Pacific nations.
However, the Australian government has admitted the boats are flawed, with Pacific Minister Pat Conroy revealing the vessels have some defects including potential exhaust issues.
Two of the Guardian-class boats were destroyed by cyclones that hit Tuvalu last year.
Another boat was gifted to Samoa after another Guardian-class boat was damaged beyond repair there in 2021.
Hola! The Type 45 destroyer has called in at Palma to give the crew a well-earned break (UK Defence in Spain)
27th June 2024 at 12:17pm
HMS Diamond has stopped off in Mallorca as she makes her way home to the UK after months deployed in the Red Sea and Middle East.
UK Defence in Spain posted the arrival of the Type 45 destroyer in Palma, the island’s capital, expressing a warm welcome in both Spanish and English, wishing the crew a good break.
HMS Diamond made history in April when she shot down a Houthi missile – the first combat interception of this type in more than 30 years.
Her sister ship HMS Duncan is to continue protecting shipping lanes in the Red Sea from Houthi attacks.
The mission is part of Operation Prosperity Guardian – a multinational coalition to protect international shipping in the region.
Both Royal Navy Type 45 destroyers are armed with the Sea Viper missile system and equipped with the same radar systems, which can accurately detect faraway threats.
During her deployment, HMS Diamond shot down nine drones and one missile that were launched at cargo ships by Houthi rebels based in Yemen.
Watch: Ukrainian Bradley shoots down Russian drone
A video has appeared online showing what’s claimed to be a Ukrainian Bradley infantry fighting vehicle (IFV) shooting down a Russian first-person view (FPV) drone.
According to reports on social media, the footage was captured near Pokrovske in eastern Ukraine.
Russian forces have been relentlessly attacking the city with artillery and missiles as part of a push to take territory in Donestsk Oblast.
The Bradley IFV involved was an M2A2 operated by Ukraine’s battle-hardened 47th Mechanised Brigade, known as Magura.
The video shows the gunner tracking the drone through the Bradley’s thermal sight before opening fire with the vehicle’s M242 Bushmaster chain gun.
Produced by Northrop Grumman, the auto-cannon has a dual-feed system allowing the crew to quickly switch between ammunition types.
It can fire all Nato standard 25mm x 137mm ammunition, with a maximum fire rate of 500 rounds per minute.
A Bradley usually carries 900 rounds, with 300 of those ready to fire and 600 in reserve.
Watch: Ukrainian Bradley fighting vehicle wins furious jousting match against Russian BTR-82
More than 300 supplied to Ukraine
More than 10,500 M242 guns are in service with the US Army and other forces around the world.
Alongside the Bushmaster, the Bradley is also armed with a 7.62mm machine gun, and two TOW missile launchers that can hit armoured vehicles more than two miles away.
The US says it has supplied Ukraine with more than 300 Bradley IFVs – 10 times more than the 31 Abrams tanks Washington has delivered.
According to the Dutch open-source outlet Oryx, around 70 have been destroyed in combat, abandoned or captured.
Watch: US Army soldier explains the pros and cons of the M2A3 Bradley
Quick responses
In the video, the Bradley appears to be driving along a treeline when the Russian drone appears.
The gunner quickly aims upwards and opens fire with what appears to be standard 25mm ammunition.
These lack an airburst function – which makes the Ukrainian gunner’s accuracy even more impressive.
On the 13th round, he hits and destroys the drone, preventing the vehicle from being attacked.
Ukrainian troops like the Bradley for its high level of protection and its ability to withstand Russian mines, high-calibre guns and drones.
It was designed during the Cold War to defeat Russian armour, and several videos have emerged showing Bradleys destroying Russian armoured personnel carriers and even tanks at close range.
Launch of Natori, the 9th Mogami-class frigate. MHI picture.
The new Mogami-class of frigates is intended for surveillance missions in waters surrounding the Japanese archipelago, including the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.
Japanese shipbuilder Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has launched the latest frigate, the ninth of a planned fleet of 12 Mogami-class multirole frigates, for the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).
Named Natori, the 133 meter-long vessel (pennant number FFM-9) entered the water during a ceremony held on June 24 at the company’s Nagasaki Shipyard & Machinery Works in Nagasaki Prefecture.
The vessel is named after the Natori River (名取川, Natori-gawa) which flows through the middle of Miyagi Prefecture in the Tohoku region of northern Japan. All ships of the class are named after famous rivers in Japan. The shipyard will now proceed to the fitting out stage of the frigate, ahead of its delivery and commissioning set for by the end of fiscal year 2025, according to the JMSDF.
This is the second Japanese ship to bear the name Natori, following the third Nagara-class light cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy.
As neighboring China expands the size and capabilities of its naval forces, Japan plans to defend its southwestern Nansei island chain, which spans about 1,200 km from Kagoshima to Okinawa, stretching southwest toward Taiwan by increasing surveillance missions in Japanese coastal waters. The chain includes the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands, which are controlled by Japan but also claimed by China and Taiwan.
Equipped with compact hulls, JS Natori is being built for about 51.4 billion yen ($322 million) under a contract awarded in March 2023, according to the JMSDF. As with the other ships of the class, the 3,900-tonne vessel will have a crew complement of about 90, a beam of 16.3 m, and a hull draught of 9 m.
Powered by a combined diesel and gas (CODAG) propulsion system featuring two MAN 12V28/33D STC diesel engines and one Rolls-Royce MT30 gas turbine, the Mogami-class is capable of attaining a top speed of more than 30 knots. The Mogami-class marks the first instalment of a CODAG system on any JMSDF ship.
Launch of Natori, the 9th Mogami-class frigate. MHI picture.
The FFM will be equipped with a wide variety of weapons and systems as listed below.
BAE Systems 5-inch (127-mm) 62-caliber Mk 45 Mod 4 naval gun system ×1
The JMSDF plans to build a total of 12 Mogami-class frigates until the fiscal year 2023, with plans to acquire a new class of 12 FFMs from 2024 until 2028. The new frigates will essentially be improved Mogami-class ships that are set to be built to the design proposed by MHI. Naval News previously reported on the “New FFM” at this link.
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of June 24, 2024, based on Navy and public data. In cases where a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.
Ships Underway
Total Battle Force
Deployed
Underway
296 (USS 235, USNS 61)
108 (USS 75, USNS 33)
75 (53 Deployed, 22 Local)
In Japan
Task Force 76 Commander’s Conference attendees assemble for a group photo aboard the forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) while moored in Sasebo, Japan, June 18, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS America (LHA-6) is in Sasebo. America will change homeports later this year, USNI News has learned.
In the Philippine Sea
A C-2A Greyhound, attached to the Rawhides of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40, Det. 5, flies over USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), during flight operations in the Pacific Ocean, June 24, 2024. US Navy Photo
The carrier will head to Washington state later this year for a planned repair availability. USS George Washington (CVN-73) will replace Reagan in Japan.
In the South China Sea
Chief Fire Controlman Sean Horen, from Marsh Gibbon, England, searches for contacts aboard U.S. 7th Fleet flagship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19), June 18, 2024. US Navy Photo
U.S. 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) is underway in the South China Sea after a port visit to Manila following Valiant Shield.
In Busan, South Korea
Sailors conduct flight operations with an E-2D Hawkeye, assigned to the ‘Liberty Bells’ of Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron (VAW) 115, aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), June 18, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) arrived in Busan, South Korea, on Saturday for an exercise with South Korea and Japan. Following the exercise, Theodore Roosevelt is expected to transit to the Middle East to relieve USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and continue a U.S. presence mission in the region, USNI News reported on Friday.
Carrier Strike Group 9
Naval Aircrewman (Helicopter) 3rd Class Samuel Jiminez, from Santa Cruz, Calif., gets back in an MH-60S Knight Hawk, assigned to the ‘Eightballers’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, after performing a search and rescue training exercise, June 15, 2024. US Navy Photo
Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported at San Diego, Calif.
Carrier Air Wing 11
An F/A-18E Super Hornet, assigned to the ‘Flying Checkmates’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 211, lands on the flight deck aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), June 14, 2024. US Navy Photo
The “Fist of the Fleet” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 25 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Lemoore, Calif.
The “Black Knights” of VFA 154 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Lemoore.
The “Blue Blasters” of VFA 34 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The “Fighting Checkmates” of VFA 211 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Rooks” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 137 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The “Liberty Bells” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 115 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Point Mugu, Calif.
The “Providers” of Fleet Logistics Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
The “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station North Island, Calif.
The “Eightballers” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 – MH-60S – from Naval Air Station North Island.
Cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG-70), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
Destroyer Squadron 23 Destroyer Squadron 23 is based in San Diego and is embarked on Theodore Roosevelt.
USS John S. McCain (DDG-56), homeported at Naval Station Everett, Wash.
USS Halsey (DDG-97), homeported at Naval Station San Diego, Calif.
USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118), homeported at Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
In the Eastern Atlantic and Baltic Sea
Marines with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Special Operations Capable (SOC) transit the flight deck of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS New York (LPD-21) during the exercise Baltic Operations 24 (BALTOPS 24), June 19, 2024. US Navy Photo
Twenty NATO Allies concluded the 53rd iteration of exercise Baltic Operations 2024 (BALTOPS-24) in Kiel, Germany, on Thursday. U.S. 6th Fleet command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) arrived in Kiel on Thursday, according to ship spotters.
The amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1), recently in the Baltic Sea for the BALTOPS exercise, transited northbound under the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark on Wednesday and was spotted heading southbound in the English Channel on Friday, according to ship spotters.
The Wasp Amphibious Ready Group with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit embarked deployed from the East Coast on June 1. The ARG is made up of Wasp, USS New York (LPD-21) and USS Oak Hill (LSD-51).
The 24th MEU is composed of a command element, Battalion Landing Team 1/8, Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron 365 (Reinforced) and Combat Logistics Battalion 24 as the Logistics Combat Element.
In the Mediterranean
Rear Adm. Kavon Hakimzadeh, on-coming commander of Carrier Strike Group 2 (CSG-2,) salutes and walks past the side boys during CSG-2’s change of command ceremony aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) in the Red Sea, June 16, 2024. US Navy Photo
The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) departed the Red Sea on Saturday and will operate briefly in the Mediterranean before returning to its homeport of Norfolk, Va., after being deployed for more than eight months. The destroyer escorts assigned to the strike group will remain in U.S. 5th Fleet, a U.S. official told USNI News on Friday. USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), currently in the Pacific, will leave for the Middle East to continue a U.S. presence mission in the region, USNI News reported.
Carrier Strike Group 2
Undated photo of a Navy Hospital Corpsman aboard USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69). US Navy Photo
Carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69), homeported at Norfolk, Va.
Carrier Air Wing 3
The “Gunslingers” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 105 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana, Va.
The “Fighting Swordsmen” of VFA 32 – F/A-18F – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Rampagers” of VFA 83 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Wildcats” of VFA 131 – F/A-18E – from Naval Air Station Oceana.
The “Zappers” of Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 130 – EA-18G – from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Wash.
The “Screwtops” of Airborne Command and Control Squadron (VAW) 123 – E-2D – from Naval Air Station Norfolk, Va.
The “Rawhides” of Fleet Logistics Support Squadron (VRC) 40 – C-2A – from Naval Air Station Norfolk.
The “Swamp Foxes” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 74 – MH-60R – from Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.
The “Dusty Dogs” of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 7 – MH-60S – from Naval Station Norfolk.
Cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
Destroyer Squadron 22 Destroyer Squadron 22 is based in Norfolk, Va., and is embarked on Eisenhower.
USS Gravely (DDG-107), homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Va.
USS Mason (DDG-87), homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Fla.
The temporary U.S.-built pier aimed at boosting aid shipments to Gaza was reattached to the coast and deliveries of humanitarian assistance resumed, the Pentagon said on Thursday. The pier had been temporarily relocated to Ashdod, Israel to prevent structural damage caused by the heightened sea state.
In the Red Sea
A sailor cleans pad eyes on the flight deck as components of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Group (IKECSG), Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Laboon (DDG-58) and USS Gravely (DDG-107), steam in formation with the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH-550), the Carlo Bergamini-class frigate ITS Alpino (F 594), and the Horizon-class frigate FS Forbin (D 620) in the Red Sea, June 7, 2024. US Navy Photo
U.S. ships continue to patrol the Red Sea as part of Operation Prosperity Guardian, the U.S.-led multinational effort to protect merchant vessels moving through the region. Houthi forces in Yemen continue to attack merchant shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, while U.S. naval forces in the region have continued strikes against Houthi weapons that U.S. Central Command says are a threat to naval and merchant ships. Houthi forces say they are targeting ships with connections to the United Kingdom, the U.S. and Israel.
The U.N. Security Council on Jan. 10 approved a resolution calling on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to “cease its brazen” attacks in the Red Sea.
There has been near-daily activity in the Red Sea over the last week, with U.S. Central Command forces destroying ten Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels, eleven uncrewed aerial systems, as well as one ground control station, one command and control node, and four radars in Houthi controlled areas of Yemen, according to CENTCOM.
On Saturday, U.S. forces destroyed three unmanned surface vessels in the Red Sea.
On Thursday, U.S. forces destroyed four unmanned surface vessels and two unmanned aerial systems in the Red Sea.
On Wednesday, U.S. forces destroyed two uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea. U.S. forces destroyed one Houthi ground control station and one command and control node in Yemen.
On Tuesday, U.S. forces destroyed eight Houthi uncrewed aerial systems in Yemen.
On June 17, U.S. Forces destroyed four Houthi radars and one uncrewed surface vessel (USV) in Yemen and one UAV over the Red Sea.
The command also denied claims from Houthi forces that the group successfully attacked USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69).
In the Gulf of Aden
MV Transworld Navigator in an undated photo via Vessel Finder
On Sunday, Houthis attacked MV Transworld Navigator, a Liberian-flagged, Greek-owned, and operated bulk cargo carrier in a suspected uncrewed aerial system attack. The crew reported minor injuries and moderate damage to the ship but was able to continue its transit. CENTCOM said the attack was the fourth attack by the Houthis on Transworld Navigator.
On Saturday, Iranian-backed Houthis launched three anti-ship ballistic missiles into the Gulf of Aden.
On Tuesday, partner forces shot down one Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicle over the Gulf of Aden.
In the Persian Gulf
U.S. Coast Guard Sentinel-class Fast Response Cutters are forward-deployed to the region under Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA deploys Coast Guard personnel and ships with U.S. and regional naval forces throughout the Middle East. Initially deployed in 2003 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom, PATFORSWA is now a permanent presence based out of the Kingdom of Bahrain.
In the Western Atlantic
Deck department sailors operate a rigid-hull inflatable boat during small boat operations aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75), June 21, 2024. US Navy Photo
The aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75) arrived in Norfolk, Va., on Thursday, according to ship spotters.
In the Eastern Pacific
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) sails through the Pacific Ocean on its way to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024 on June 22, 2024. US Navy Photo
Aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is en route to Hawaii to join the Rim of the Pacific 2024 exercises
Aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN-68) departed Bremerton, Wash., on Wednesday, according to ship spotters, and returned on Sunday after completing sea trials.
As part of its transit to Japan, George Washington is participating in Southern Seas 2024, which seeks “to enhance capability, improve interoperability, and strengthen maritime partnerships with countries throughout the region through joint, multinational and interagency exchanges and cooperation,” according to a news release from U.S. Southern Command.
In addition to these major formations, not shown are others serving in submarines, individual surface ships, aircraft squadrons, SEALs, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Forces, Seabees, EOD Mobile Units and more serving throughout the globe.
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG-114), June 11, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) pulled into the South Korean city of Busan on Saturday for a port visit before carrying out the trilateral exercise Freedom Edge with South Korea and Japan. Following the exercise, the carrier is set to transit to the Red Sea, according to Pentagon officials. Meanwhile, carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) left Guam on Saturday while carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) is making its way to Hawaii for the Rim of the Pacific 2024 (RIMPAC 2024) exercise held from June 27 to Aug. 1.
Roosevelt (CVN-71), embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 and destroyers USS Halsey (DDG-97) and USS Daniel Inouye (DDG-118) docked into Busan Naval Base on Saturday morning according to a Republic of Korea Navy release.
This was the first time a carrier has visited South Korea since November when carrier Carl Vinson called at Busan.
“Our military will respond to any provocation by North Korea immediately, forcefully, and to the end, and the U.S.-ROK alliance will support peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the region based on a close cooperative system,”said Rear Admiral Lee Jae-seop, head of the Naval Operations Command’s Maritime Operations Center, in the release.
The Theodore Roosevelt CSG is expected to conduct the inaugural iteration of the multidomain trilateral Freedom Edge exercise with South Korea and Japan this week. USNI News reported on Saturday the strike group will head to the Red Sea following the completion of the exercise.
North Korea on Monday denounced Theodore Roosevelt’s visit in a press statement by Kim Kang Il, vice-minister of National Defence for North Korea, carried by state media Korean Central News Agency.
“The DPRK strongly denounces provocative action of hostile forces with all possibilities of demonstrating deterrence,” reads the statement.
Kim added that the U.S action of bringing a carrier thousands of miles away from its home to the doorstep of North Korea was “was by no means for the purpose of “repair and maintenance” or to “celebrate” the ROK-US alliance,” according to the statement.
The North Korean vice-minister also listed several actions by the U.S and South Korea that resulted in the situation worsening such an exercise dropping a precision-guided bomb from a B-1B on June 5, the new guidelines on nuclear strategic plan from the ROK-U.S. nuclear consultative group (NCG) on June 10 and the special joint air drills staged by the U.S. and South Korea from June 17-20.
“It is a very dangerous play and adventure for the U.S. and the ROK to resort to the armed demonstration before the DPRK,” said Kim who warned that North Korea condemned the U.S. and South Korean actions and was open to all possibilities in demonstrating its deterrence.
On Saturday, carrier Ronald Reagan together with cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62) left Guam following a three-day port visit according to a Navy release. The two ships arrived in Guam on Wednesday, following the Reagan CSG wrapping up participation in Exercise Valiant Shield 2024 which ended on June 18. The carrier deployed on May 16 for its last Indo-Pacific patrol as the Forward Deployed Naval Force–Japan (FDNF-J) aircraft carrier before returning to the United States later this year with USS George Washington (CVN-76) replacing it in Japan.
On Friday, Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF) destroyer helicopter carrier JS Izumo (DDH-183) together with U.S. Navy destroyer USS Rafael Peralta (DDG-115) conducted the Japan-U.S. bilateral exercise Noble Raven 24-2 in the waters around Guam where both ships carried out tactical drills together according to JMSDF release on Monday. Izumo together with destroyer JS Haguro (DDG-180) and submarine JS Jingei (SS-515) had earlier taken part in the Valiant Shield 2024 exercise. Izumo, Haguro and destroyer JS Ariake (DD-109) form the 2nd surface unit of the JMSDF’s Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024 mission, the JMSDF’s annual regional presence and engagement deployment.
In the Eastern Pacific, carrier Carl Vinson is currently making its way to Hawaii to participate in the RIMPAC 2024 exercise according to Navy imagery released on Saturday. USNI had earlier reported that the carrier had left on June 12 from San Diego and in April on the carrier’s planned participation in RIMPAC 2024 where it will lead a multinational CSG in the drills. Heading to Hawaii for RIMPAC 2024 also is amphibious warship USS Germantown (LSD-42) transporting nearly 300 Marines from the 15th Marine Expedition Unit (MEU) based out of Camp Pendleton to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam according to a navy release.
The 15th MEU is currently deployed in a disaggregated construct with some of its elements embarked on amphibious dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49) and amphibious dock landing ship USS Somerset (LPD-25) in the Indo-Pacific while the remaining portions of the MEU are in the United States though Somerset is now making its way to Hawaii to participate in RIMPAC 2024.
The failure of its rudder and roller bearings caused amphibious assault ship USS Boxer (LHD-4) to abort an Indo-Pacific deployment in April where it would also carry embarked elements of the 15th MEU while the MEU’s MV-22 Ospreys of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 165 (Reinforced) are now working their way to operational certification following the lifting of a grounding of all Ospreys on March 8 that was put in place in November last year when a USAF CV-22B Osprey crashed off Japan. The 15th MEU has been using CH-53E heavy-lift helicopters as part of VMM-165 (Rein.) for its Indo-Pacific deployment due to the absence of the Ospreys.
A Marine Corps KC-130J Super Hercules aircraft with 1st Marine Air Wing, lands on a newly designated airstrip on the island of Peleliu, Republic of Palau, June 22. (Lance Cpl. Hannah Hollerud/Marine Corps)
The Marines recently landed their first fixed wing aircraft on a recertified airfield on the Pacific island of Peleliu, which jarheads captured after brutal combat in 1944.
The KC-130J Super Hercules tanker with 1st Marine Air Wing landed Saturday, marking the first time the Corps has landed such an aircraft on the installation since the service recertified the airfield in early June, according to a Marine Corps press release.
The Marine Corps Engineer Detachment Palau, MCED-P 24.1, contains engineers from the 7th Engineer Support Battalion, 1st Marine Logistics Group. The detachment spent the past few months rehabilitating the airfield to accommodate large, fixed-wing aircraft such as the KC-130J.
“I feel privileged because I was in Peleliu in 2021 and saw the airfield transform into what it is now,” said Sgt. Brandon Gonzalez, a combat engineer squad leader who led vegetation removal and assisted with unexploded ordnance sweeping. “It truly is an honor to have been a part of this mission and see it come to fruition with a KC-130 landing.”
The second-generation River-class offshore patrol vessel has returned to her Indo-Pacific deployment (Picture: Royal Navy)
Repairs to HMS Spey have been succesfully completed thanks to the expertise and support of Japan Marine United in Yokosuka, in the Greater Tokyo Area.
The Royal Navy ship, which has been part of an extensive Indo-Pacific deployment, underwent necessary maintenance, described on X as “defect rectification”, to restore her full operational capabilities.
The vessel’s repairs were carried out efficiently, allowing HMS Spey to quickly return to a training exercise.
HMS Spey, the fifth and final of the second-generation River-class offshore patrol vessels built for the Royal Navy, is affectionately dubbed the “last of class – best of class” by her crew.
HMS SPEY recently completed defect rectification with the assistance of our friends in Japan and the support of Japan Marine United in Yokosuka. The Ship has now been fully restored to its capabilities and is back out on the high seas undertaking vital training for the Ship’s Co. pic.twitter.com/7xdEVOcheo— HMS Spey (@HMS_Spey) June 25, 2024
Working closely with Britain’s allies, the ship has been conducting security patrols aimed at combating drug-running, smuggling, terrorism, and other illegal activities.
Since May, HMS Spey has been involved in sea patrols aimed at stopping smugglers from helping North Korea develop nuclear weapons by enforcing international sanctions.
In a first-of-its-kind joint operation, the Royal Navy and its South Korean counterpart have carried out patrols around the Korean Peninsula.
HMS Spey has been assigned no permanent base and instead uses Pacific bases and ports relevant to her current mission.
HMS Spey arriving in Yokosuka in April (Picture: UK in Japan)
Before that, in 2022, the patrol vessel was involved in fishery protection operations around key islands in the Indo-Pacific, safeguarding marine resources and supporting local economies.
While the specifics of the recent “defects” have not been disclosed, Forces News has contacted the Royal Navy regarding the nature of the repairs.
The collaboration between the Royal Navy and its Japanese counterparts highlights the strong international partnerships that the UK has been involved in to maintain maritime security in the Indo-Pacific.
The UK, US and Japan are set to hold regular military exercises together in the region starting next year, in addition to participating in various ongoing exercises, which will see HMS Tamar and HMS Spey remain continuously deployed in the region.
HMS Tamar berthed alongside the USS Emory S Land and the Australian survey ship HMAS Leeuwin (Picture: Royal Navy)
HMS Tamar has successfully berthed alongside a US Navy submarine support ship in an experimental link-up which could see the Royal Navy vessel extend her operations.
Tamar, an offshore patrol vessel, used the USS Emory S Land not just as a floating quayside or jetty, but also ‘plugged in’ to the vessel’s fuel, water and power supply.
The process known as rafting up also involved a third ship, the Australian survey vessel HMAS Leeuwin, as the trio of ships linked up in Cairns in Queensland.
The US Navy’s Emory S Land acts as a tender, normally providing forward support to US Navy hunter-killer nuclear submarines.
When no naval base is available, she sustains operations, providing electricity, water, consumables, spare parts, repairs and engineering assistance.
She also sustains their crews, offering medical and dental aid, mail, food and administration.
The UK does the same for the Royal Navy and US minehunters rather than submarines – operating in the Gulf, using RFA Cardigan Bay to provide similar facilities to mine warfare vessels, extending their operations.
The experimental link-up is known as rafting up (Picture: Royal Navy)
The Royal Navy said: “All three allied navies were keen to see whether the Emory S Land could do for larger surface vessels what it already does for the Silent Service.”
HMS Tamar is seven times smaller than the tender, and as both vessels were new to each other this was not simply a case of Tamar turning up and berthing alongside the US ship.
The three navies used scale drawings and extensive discussions to make sure the link-up of the three ships passed without incident.
Once Tamar was safely berthed, she was joined outboard by Australian survey ship HMAS Leeuwin.
Connections were subsequently made to prove that fuel, water and electricity could be provided to both ships from the US tender.
HMS Tamar can perform a variety of roles, from intercepting drug-traffickers and smugglers to protecting UK territorial waters (Picture: Royal Navy)
In April, HMS Tamar was in Fiji where she had been helping the local government curb illegal fishing and drug smuggling.
The River-class patrol vessel was working with the Fijian Ministry of Fisheries, the Republic of Fiji Navy Ship Riders and the Royal New Zealand Navy.
HMS Tamar can perform a variety of roles, from intercepting drug-traffickers and smugglers to protecting UK territorial waters and providing humanitarian assistance in the wake of a disaster.
SAM LAGRONE JUNE 18, 2024 2:52 PM – UPDATED: JUNE 18, 2024 4:26 PM
USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) is moved to an outfitting berth at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Virginia, April 8, 2024. US Navy Photo
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The midlife overhaul and refueling for aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN-74) will now take about five and a half years to complete – an extension of almost 14 months, according to Navy Fiscal Year 2025 budget documents. Stennis began the refueling and complex overhaul in 2021 and was due to finish the massive, multi-billion overhaul by August 2025. However, that date was pushed to the right by more than a year to October 2026, according to the Fiscal Year 2025 budget documents released earlier this year.
Speaking to USNI News on Monday, program executive officer carriers Rear. Adm. Casey Moten said the delays are due to the workforce and material shortfalls that stretched out the delivery of USS George Washington (CVN-73), which were made worse by the restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
George Washington was at the Newport News yard for almost six years before completing the RCOH with the sailors working in the shipyard subject to some of the toughest conditions in the military, according to a 2023 Navy investigation following the deaths by suicide of several sailors assigned to the carrier.
Stennis will be in the yard less time and the service has taken steps to increase the quality of life for the sailors working on the carrier, Moten told USNI News.
That includes creating new habitability standards the carrier must meet before the Naval Sea Systems Command, the PEO and the ship’s leadership can make the decision to allow the sailors to move back aboard the carrier.
As part of the FY 2025 budget submission, the Navy requested additional funds for sailors to live off the ship during the work.
The cost increases, “include additional months of crew berthing and to provide more off-ship housing in apartments vice barracks for sailors. Beginning with [Stennis] RCOH, no on-board housing is used for crew berthing for sailors during the RCOH. In previous RCOH availabilities, crew move-aboard occurred nearly a year before the ship re-delivered,” reads the budget documents.
Lack of parking, adequate housing and other amenities, like reliable Wi-Fi and healthy food options, were highlights from an investigation that concluded sailors on Washington had the toughest living standards in the U.S. military.
Moten spoke at an announcement of a $120 million garage that would add 2,800 spots to allow sailors and shipyard workers parking nearby the shipyard with 2,000 spaces reserved for sailors working in the yard. According to the investigation, about 2,000 sailors parked in satellite lots, requiring travel of up to three hours to get to work.
Stennis left the dry dock of HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding in April to start the second part of the carrier’s RCOH and is currently pier-side at the shipyard.
