These discussions underscore the commitment of both nations to bolster Armenia’s military capabilities in sensitive areas, particularly those prone to conflicts. The dialogue, which has already resulted in agreements on several fronts, now specifically includes providing medically equipped transport vehicles to operate safely in hostile environments.
Ambassador Quinn detailed the progress of the negotiations, noting that both parties have recognized the crucial need for these armored ambulances and are exploring practical measures to facilitate this essential support. “We have already agreed that we will move forward on this issue and are now working on ways to implement it so that we can provide this assistance,” Quinn said, signaling a proactive approach to Armenia’s defense needs.
Of course, these discussions do not occur by chance, as many fear a new conflict with its Azerbaijani neighbor. The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, centered primarily around the Nagorno-Karabakh region, has deep historical roots and has seen repeated escalations over the years, including significant flare-ups in 2020 and 2023. The most recent conflict dynamics involve ongoing tensions despite ceasefire agreements, with both nations accusing each other of provocations.
The Nagorno-Karabakh region, primarily inhabited by ethnic Armenians, has been the focal point of this conflict. Historically, during the Soviet era, the region was part of Azerbaijan but had a majority Armenian population. This demographic and administrative arrangement led to severe tensions after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, erupting into full-scale wars in the early 1990s, in 2020, and again in 2023.
This initiative highlights the strategic partnership between Armenia and the United States and reflects a broader commitment to enhancing humanitarian support capabilities in conflict zones. This approach could significantly enhance Armenia’s operational readiness and resilience, ensuring safer medical evacuations and frontline support during times of military engagement.
The talks are part of a broader U.S. effort to strengthen ties with Armenia, focusing on defense and development sectors to ensure stability and peace in the region.
With the above in mind, this post seems like a great time to highlight a couple of her biggest cruises following her third (and final) recommissioning– operating with the Pacific Fleet as the centerpiece of her own surface action group: Battle Group Romeo. It was the first time a battleship had operated in those waters since 1954.
This would include a lengthy 1986 West Pac cruise with port calls at Pearl, Inchon, Manila, Sasebo, Hong Kong, Pattaya Beach (!), and a brush with the Red Fleet in the Sea of Okhost before returning stateside.
Then came the 1988 West Pac cruise which saw Battle Group Romeo steam to Australia and operate in tandem with ships of the Royal Australian Navy and call at Sydney there to mark the country’s bicentennial celebration.
Drink in the “Big Thunder Down Under” pics, all taken by PH2 Barry Orell, across the 86 and 88 deployments, and currently in the National Archives.
An aerial bow view of the first battleship battle group to deploy to the Western Pacific since the Korean War underway with Australian ships during a training exercise. The ships are, clockwise from bottom: USS LONG BEACH (CGN-9), USS MERRILL (DD-976), HMAS SWAN (D-50), HMAS STUART (D-48), HMAS PARRAMATTA (D-46), USNS PASSUMPSIC (T-AO-107), USS WABASH (AOR-5), HMAS DERWENT (D-49), USS KIRK (FF-1087), USS THACH (FFG-43), HMAS HOBART (D-39) and USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62), center.An aerial bow view of the first battleship battle group to deploy to the Western Pacific since the Korean War underway. The ships are, clockwise from top: replenishment oiler USS WABASH (AOR 5), destroyer USS MERRILL (DD 976), frigate USS GRAY (FF 1054), guided missile frigate USS THACH (FFG 43), nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser USS LONG BEACH (CGN 9) and the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62), center.An aerial port bow view of the first battleship battle group to deploy to the Western Pacific since the Korean War underway with Australian ships during a training exercise. The ships are, clockwise from bottom left: USS LONG BEACH (CGN-9), USS MERRILL (DD-976), HMAS SWAN (D-50), HMAS STUART (D-48), HMAS PARRAMATTA (D-46), USNS PASSUMPSIC (T-AO-107), USS WABASH (AOR-5), HMAS DERWENT (D-49), USS KIRK (FF-1087), USS THACH (FFG-43), HMAS HOBART (D-39) AND USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62), center.An aerial port beam view of the first battleship battle group to deploy to the Western Pacific since the Korean War underway with Australian ships during a training exercise. The ships are, clockwise from left: USS LONG BEACH (CGN-9), USS MERRILL (DD-976), HMAS SWAN (D-50), HMAS STUART (D-48), HMAS PARRAMATTA (D-46), USNS PASSUMPSIC (T-AO-107), USS WABASH (AOR-5), HMAS DERWENT (D-49), USS KIRK (FF-1087), USS THACH (FFG-43), HMAS HOBART (D-39) and USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62), center.An aerial starboard bow view of the first battleship battle group to deploy to the Western Pacific since the Korean War underway with Australian ships during a training exercise. The ships are, clockwise from right: USS LONG BEACH (CGN-9), USS MERRILL (DD-976), HMAS SWAN (D-50), HMAS STUART (D-48), HMAS PARRAMATTA (D-46), USNS PASSUMPSIC (T-AO-107), USS WABASH (AOR-5), HMAS DERWENT (D-49), USS KIRK (FF-1087), USS THACH (FFG-43), HMAS HOBART (D-39) and USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62), center.A port bow view of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62) tied up at a pier with 60 other warships during the Australian bicentennial celebration.A view of the battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62) lit up at night during the Australian bicentennial celebration.
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC 903) and crew prepare to moor in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii after a 79-day Operation Blue Pacific patrol, April 9, 2024. (Tyler Robertson/U.S. Coast Guard)
The Coast Guard’s Honolulu -based “Indo-Pacific Support Cutter ” CGC Harriet Lane returned to port Tuesday after its first patrol across Oceania.
It’s a new mission for an old ship. The Harriet Lane is a 40-year-old, 270-foot Medium Endurance Cutter—known to the Coast Guard personnel who operate them as “270s.” It arrived in Hawaii in December after undergoing over a year’s worth of renovations at a Baltimore shipyard. It’s the 11th cutter to be assigned to the Honolulu-based Coast Guard District 14.
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In January it set sail for its first patrol, heading south into the high seas where members of its crew boarded fishing vessels to look for signs of illegal fishing. Over the course of its 79-day deployment, the cutter and its crew made port calls in American Samoa, Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Nauru and the Marshall Islands.
Over the course of the patrol, its crew participated in 27 vessel boardings and documented 12 violations of fishery laws.
The Coast Guard has worked to increase its presence and operations in the Pacific. In February 2023, Rear Adm. Michael Ryan, the Coast Guard deputy commandant for operations and policy, told military news outlet Defense One that the service intends to triple its deployments in the Pacific in coming years.
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The Lane’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Nicole Tesoniero, said “the Harriet Lane delivered on a commitment made to our Pacific partners for a more robust and persistent Coast Guard presence across the region … My confidence is bolstered by knowledge that the Harriet Lane is manned with a dedicated, professional and compassionate crew that could not be better equipped to handle the unique demands of this mission.”
Many Pacific Island countries lack navies or coast guards of their own, limiting their ability to patrol and enforce laws in their often vast territorial waters. Many have signed “shiprider agreements ” with the U.S. Coast Guard, in which local officials and law enforcement professionals ride along in U.S. vessels, giving local authorities access to U.S. personnel and resources to assist in operations.
Over the course of the Lane’s deployment, the ship and the crew did four boardings on the open ocean, with the rest in the maritime territory—or Exclusive Economic Zones—of Pacific Island countries alongside local authorities. Tesoniero said that working with shipriders aboard the Lane and learning about each country’s unique needs was a highlight of the deployment.
“Even ones that embarked for two or three days fell into the fold with the crew, ” she said.
The Lane and its crew also did a series of training and community outreach during port calls along the way. Ensign Aaron Motis said that a highlight of his deployment was visiting schools in Vanuatu, where members of the crew taught children about ocean safety and conservation.
Motis said throughout the deployment it was “great helping out the community and just like experiencing each culture and how different each one was and how they’re super welcoming.”
The Coast Guard has played an increasingly important role in U.S. strategy in the Pacific as Washington and Beijing compete for influence in the region. China has worked to build up influence around the globe, bringing several countries into its Belt and Road Initiative—a series of Chinese government-funded construction and infrastructure projects around the globe.
In Pacific Island nations that includes ports to support Chinese vessels and seafood-processing plants. Pacific Island nations rely on fishing charters and licenses to foreign fishermen as a critical source of income for their economies and have to walk a fine line between preserving and profiting from the fish in their waters.
Vanuatu is one of the countries that has signed the Belt and Road Initiative. In February, members of the Vanuatu police who were aboard the Lane as shipriders and working with the U.S. Coast Guardmen boarded several fishing boats and found that six Chinese vessels were violating local laws, including failing to record fish caught in their logbooks.
The Lane’s visit was the first time in years Vanuatu officials were able to physically inspect Chinese vessels actively fishing in their waters. In a statement to Reuters about the alleged violations, the Chinese Embassy in Vanuatu said the boats had fishing permits from Vanuatu’s government and that no crimes had occurred because “Chinese companies obey Vanuatu laws.”
On Friday, China’s ambassador to New Zealand Wang Xiaolong told reporters in the region that shiprider agreements and boardings of Chinese vessels are “illegal ” and “not binding to third parties.” When asked about the remarks at a news conference for Lane’s return to Hawaii, Coast Guard District 14 commander Rear Adm. Michael Day said “it’s an inaccurate statement, so I welcome the opportunity to correct the record.”
Day said, “These bilateral engagements are made in accordance with international law, with the host nation and the United States … We do these boardings at the behest of the host nations that invite us to work with them collaboratively to protect their EEZ’s.” He added that the U.S. does not target Chinese vessels and regularly boards vessels flagged to other countries that are operating around the region, and that most shiprider agreements have existed for decades.
The Lane’s crew has had little time for rest between arriving in Hawaii in December and deploying in January. They’re set for a busy year, with plans to deploy again as soon as June with another long patrol of the Pacific to make room in Pearl Harbor for international ships coming in this summer to participate in Exercise Rim of the Pacific—the world’s largest naval war game.
“Honestly, most of this in-port will be preparing for our next out-port, ” said Motis.
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USS Boxer (LHD 4) conducts flight quarters while transiting the Pacific Ocean, Nov. 6, 2023. (Evan Diaz/U.S. Navy)
The maintenance-embattled USS Boxer is heading back to San Diego just 10 days after deploying due to an engineering issue, as first reported by USNI News and confirmed to Military.com by Navy officials.
Sailing as the big deck, or lead ship, of its amphibious ready group, the Boxer had already been delayed by months when it deployed April 1. Its return further comes on the heels of an announcement by the Navy’s top leader earlier this week that the service is investigating the ship’s prolonged maintenance issues
“USS Boxer is returning to San Diego to undergo additional maintenance in support of its deployment in the Indo-Pacific region,” Lt. Cmdr. Jesus Uranga, a spokesperson for the Navy’s 3rd Fleet in the Pacific, told Military.com in an email.
The Boxer had departed for its “Indo-Pacific deployment and was conducting integration exercises with the MV-22 Osprey in the 3rd Fleet area of operations,” when it was forced to return, Uranga said.
While further details were not provided regarding the nature of the malfunction, Uranga said the ship would return to its deployment “in the near future.”
Marines and aircraft with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit were onboard the Boxer and have already been offloaded, officials told USNI News, although the ship had not yet made it back to port as of Thursday evening.
Franchetti’s inquiry will be led by three-star admirals in the Navy’s operations and plans and policy offices, she said, adding she anticipates they will come to her with initial recommendations on how to proceed “in the May timeframe, and that will start to outline the shape of the the deep dive going forward.”
While the investigation’s timing may seem coincidental, the four-star admiral said Monday that the branch was trying to be proactive and keep delays to just the Boxer.
“We’re seeing some potential delays on [the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp],” Franchetti said. “We’re trying to look ahead to make sure that we can, I want to say, nip this in the bud.”
The Wasp, which is the same class of ship as the Boxer, departed Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia, in early March only to return shortly afterward. A spokesperson for Surface Force Atlantic told Military.com following the incident that “during the underway, the ship discovered an engineering irregularity” and “returned to port to effect repairs.”
A defense official told Military.com in March that the Boxer had originally been slated to deploy late last year, but it was held up thanks to a series of delays and mechanical issues that were driven, at least partly, by poor leadership aboard the ship.
Two previous command investigations conducted on at least three different engineering breakdowns showed “a lack of procedural compliance, substandard supervisory oversight, and general complacency by the crew,” according to the ship’s strike group commander.
Those breakdowns, information on which was released to Military.com as part of a Freedom of Information Act request, revealed that the ship had experienced damage to two “forced draft blowers” on Nov. 8, 2022. A separate investigation into that incident, also provided to Military.com via FOIA request, faulted “poor quality craftsmanship, lack of industry repair skill set/capabilities” and a “lack of supervisory oversight” from the Navy offices overseeing the work.
Then on May 14, the ship had a “boiler safety” breakdown. That investigation “once again revealed a lack of procedural compliance and overall complacency of all personnel involved,” documents from the strike group commander revealed.
HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division announced the delivery of the amphibious transport dock Richard M. McCool Jr. (LPD 29) to the US Navy – the 13th vessel of the San Antonio-class ships built by Ingalls.
The US Navy acquired the San Antonio-class amphibious ship from HII in 2006. According to GlobalData’s “US Defence Market 2023-2028” report, the US Navy has 12 active units.
Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson said: “The LPD 29 delivery demonstrates how our shipbuilders are enabling our combined Navy and Marine Corps team.”
LPD 29’s completion is the culmination of craftsmanship but also serves as a prelude to Ingalls Shipbuilding’s shift towards the production of the LPD Flight II line. Two Flight II LPDs are currently under construction, and plans are in place for future endeavours.
HII continues to bolster the US Navy’s fleet with San Antonio-Class amphibious transport dock ships. The eighth vessel, Arlington (LPD 24), was delivered in December 2012. Following suit, HII delivered Somerset (LPD 25) in October 2013. Moving on, the US Navy witnessed the USS Fort Lauderdale (LPD 28) commissioning in July 2022.
The San Antonio-class ships, including LPD 29, play a role in the US Marine Corps’ Force Design construct, offering capabilities for crisis response, special operations, and expeditionary warfare missions. With the ability to operate independently or as part of larger task forces, these vessels maintain regional stability and safeguard national security interests.
After demonstrable success at the beginning of 2024, the UK Ministry of Defence announced its intention to install DragonFire on its surface combatants.
Following the successful demonstration of the UK’s new DragonFire laser directed energy weapon (LDEW) system earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced the programme will accelerate to be installed on Royal Navy (RN) ships.
The next stages of this development will include further live firings and the manufacture and installation of weapon systems onto RN platforms.
DragonFire was manufactured by a trilateral industrial partnership of Britain’s foremost defence suppliers: MBDA UK, Leonardo UK and QinetiQ.
The first successful demonstration took place at the MoD’s Hebrides range off the north-west coast of Scotland in January. These test firings were the culmination of several years of work, with the programme unveiled in 2017.
With the new security climate jolting nations into stockpiling munitions, DragonFire provides a highly cost-effective alternative. While the programme cost the MoD £100m ($125m), the Government noted that the cost of operating the laser is typically less than £10 per shot.
Following years of research and development, LDEWs are now rapidly transitioning from the sphere of experimental technologies to the actual battlefield as they reach a sufficient level of maturity to warrant deployment.
The Indian Navy submarine, INS Vagir, is on an extended-range deployment. The deployment which commenced in June 2023, will reach Fremantle, Australia today. The submarine, which is the Indian Navy’s fifth Kalvari class submarine, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in January 2023 and is based in Mumbai.
During her stay in Australia, INS Vagir will participate in various exercises with Royal Australian Navy (RAN) units on the West Coast of Australia. At present on the East coast of Australia, Indian Naval ships and aircraft are involved in Exercise MALABAR 23 from the 11th to the 21st of August and AUSINDEX 23 from the 22nd to the 24th of August. During the ongoing deployment, basic, intermediate, and advanced-level Anti-Submarine exercises are scheduled. In addition, the RAN submarine and Indian Naval P8i aircraft are scheduled to exercise with INS Vagir. This deployment will further augment the cooperation and synergy between Indian Navy and Royal Australian Navy.
The extended range deployment, 67 maiden deployment by the Indian Navy submarine to Australia showcases the capability and professional acumen to undertake sustained operations at extended ranges from the base port for prolonged durations.
The guided missile-cruiser Antietam passes the USS Arizona memorial while arriving to its new homeport at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, April 5, 2024. (Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Gavin Arnoldhendershot/Navy)
The cruiser Antietam has moved from Japan to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, as part of a “planned rotation of forces” in the region.
The shift is part of a broader rearrangement of ships in the West Pacific — including swapping the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan with the George Washington. The GW previously served in Japan from 2008 to 2015.
The Antietam left its previous homeport in Yokosuka, Japan, in January, and participated in the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative mission to augment the Coast Guard’s maritime law enforcement operations in Oceania while en route to Hawaii.
The cruiser, based in Japan since 2013, also conducted port visits in Suva, Fiji and Apra Harbor, Guam, during its transit across the Pacific.
“I’m proud of the Antietam crew for their execution of the Oceanic Maritime Security Initiative during our homeport shift from Yokosuka, Japan to Hawaii,” Capt. Victor Garza, commanding officer of Antietam, said in a statement. “I thank the families for the support they give their Sailors. It is their strength that enables us to go to sea.”
The cruiser is swapping spots with the destroyer McCampbell, which returned to Yokosuka in March.
Oregon in January 1914USS Oregon in 1898USS Oregon (BB-3) in dry dock, Brooklyn Navy Yard
USS Oregon (BB-3) was the third and final member of the Indiana class of pre-dreadnought battleships built for the United States Navy in the 1890s. The three ships were built as part of a modernization program aimed at strengthening the American fleet to prepare for a possible conflict with a European navy. Designed for short-range operations in defense of the United States, the three Indiana-class ships had a low freeboard and carried a main battery of four 13-inch (330 mm) guns in a pair of gun turrets. Oregon and her sister ships were the first modern battleships built for the United States, though they suffered from significant stability and seakeeping problems owing to their small size and insufficient freeboard.
Reactivated in 1911, Oregon spent the next several years cruising off the West Coast of the United States, frequently going in and out of service. During the Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War in 1918, she escorted a convoy for the Siberian expedition. The ship was decommissioned in 1919 and efforts by naval enthusiasts in the early 1920s led the Navy to loan Oregon to her namesake state for use as a museum ship. After the start of World War II, the Navy decided in late 1942 to scrap the ship for the war effort, but after work began the Navy requested the ship’s return for use as an ammunition hulk for the upcoming invasion of Guam in 1944. She remained off the island through the mid-1950s before being sold for scrap in 1956 and broken up in Japan.
Watch: Duke of Edinburgh attends dedication service for new minehunting mothership
The Duke of Edinburgh joined the crew of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary’s newest ship to officially welcome her into the service.
A service of dedication was held on board RFA Stirling Castle while she was alongside in Leith Docks, Edinburgh.
The vessel previously operated as an oil rig support vessel, but will now operate as a mothership for the Royal Navy’s new autonomous mine countermeasures systems.
RFA Stirling Castle will work with the Mine and Threat Exploitation Group (MTXG) to help counter the evolving threat of naval mines.
She will be used to transport and launch autonomous uncrewed boats which will scan the sea for mines.
Head of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Commodore David Eagles, said: “She will be the mothership for the emergent uncrewed autonomous mine-hunting capabilities.
“So traditionally to deal with the sea mine threat we put crewed ships into the danger zone where clearly there is an exposed risk to personnel and shipping.
“The Navy is investing heavily in very modern and sophisticated systems.
“We are at the cutting edge on Stirling Castle as we act as a host platform for these systems in both operations and trialling.
“As the technology evolves and the ability to go to greater depths and greater ranges evolves [we] will be at the forefront to do that work.”
The Duke of Edinburgh joined the crew on board RFA Stirling Castle for the service
RFA Stirling Castle is latest vessel to join the fleet of 11 platforms providing support to Royal Navy ships all over the world.
The Duke of Edinburgh, who is Commodore-in-Chief of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, met members of the ship’s crew during a tour of the vessel after the service.
Commanding Officer Captain Duncan Vernoum said: “This is an opportunity for the ship’s company to celebrate the hard work they put in, not just for today, but getting the ship to this stage.
“A lot of training has gone into making sure the ship is capable and ready to go.
“There’s still some more work to do, but this is an opportunity for us to bring the RFA family together and celebrate not just the hard work that’s been done, but obviously Stirling Castle entering into the RFA flotilla formally.”
RFA Stirling Castle will replace the Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minehunter fleet and will join the MTXG for more trials to understand how the ship’s technology can be used to enhance operations in and around the UK.
