In an exercise first, Japan, the UK and Australia trained together on a joint exercise ahead of a fleet review (Picture: Joint Operations Command)
HMS Tamar has joined vessels from the Australian and Japanese navies in an exercise first for the three nations.
She has been training with the JS Noshiro of the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) and HMAS Choules of the Royal Australian Navy ahead of the upcoming Tongan International Fleet Review.
“This is the first joint exercise between Japan, Great Britain and Australia,” said the JMSDF.
HMS Tamar is a batch two River-class offshore patrol vessel and is known as the Royal Navy’s greenest warship.
She posted on social media site X: “Three-mendous. Some excellent training with our friends and allies from the Royal Australian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force en route to the Tongan International Fleet Review.”
The JMSDF added: “Great Britain and Australia are special partners for Japan in realising a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“JMSDF will continue to strengthen co-operation with allied and partner navies, contributing together to maintaining and enhancing maritime order.”
The trilateral exercise is the first of its kind between the three countries and shows ever-closer unity between the services.
It was previously announced that the UK and Japan would also hold regular trilateral military exercises in the Indo-Pacific from 2025 alongside the US.
These exercises will boost security in the region and further develop the ability of allied navies to operate side by side.
HMS Tamar trained with the Australian and Japanese navies ahead of the Tongan International Fleet Review (Picture: HMS Tamar)
Royal Navy warship HMS Trent on a previous deployment (Picture: Royal Navy)
HMS Trent is being deployed to the Cayman Islands to offer UK support following the devastation brought by Hurricane Beryl.
The Royal Navy offshore patrol vessel is scheduled to arrive at the British Overseas Territory in the Caribbean this weekend, where her crew will be ready to offer assistance with equipment and support to help communities affected by flooding and storm damage.
The hurricane, which had previously been rated Category 5, the highest classification, could bring winds of more than 155mph and has already caused a large amount of destruction in the region.
HMS Trent, who is crewed by more than 50 sailors, departed from Puerto Rico carrying bottled water, basic emergency supplies and other equipment.
The ship has a Crisis Response Troop embarked, comprising members of 24 Commando Royal Engineers and their equipment, further augmented with personnel to support planning, information operations, meteorological forecasting and image capture.
Additional personnel include a team from 700X Naval Air Squadron which provides HMS Trent’s embarked Puma Flight remote piloted air system, allowing them to conduct airborne reconnaissance and damage assessment in direct support of 24 Commando activity.
A specialist rapid deployment team has already travelled to the eastern Caribbean to provide consular assistance to any affected British nationals.
The UK continues to work with the Caribbean’s crisis response organisation, CDEMA, to provide assistance for the worst-affected islands, including St Vincent & the Grenadines and Grenada.
In previous years, members of the Armed Forces have deployed to the Caribbean under Operation Ventus to provide humanitarian assistance in the form of food and basic medical relief, as well as engineering to repair damaged homes and infrastructure, and creating flood and hurricane defences.
Hurricane Beryl has been described as the earliest Category 5 storm to form in the Atlantic, with storms of this scale usually recorded later in the summer.
HMS Trent has been deployed to the Caribbean since the end of 2023, where she has been disrupting drug networks across the world following a series of narcotics seizures at sea.
Thursday, July 4, 2024 – 23:44. Updated on Friday, July 5, 2024 – 01:00. – Nuku’alofa, Tonga
Tonga celebrated King Tupou VI’s birthday and the 50th Anniversary of the Tongan Navy with a Navy Fleet Review of visiting navy ships in Nuku’alofa on Thursday, 4 July 2024.
Multi-national brass bands marched with ships’ companies through central Nuku’alofa and through the grounds of the Royal Palace.
Tonga celebrated King Tupou VI’s birthday and the 50th Anniversary of the Tongan Navy with a Navy Fleet Review of visiting navy ships. Nuku’alofa, 4 July 2024. Photo: NZDF.
Tonga celebrated King Tupou VI’s birthday and the 50th Anniversary of the Tongan Navy with a Navy parade made up of multi-national bands and ships’ companies. Nuku’alofa, 4 July 2024. Photo: NZDF.
HM King Tupou VI with his Colonel-in-Chief of HMAF, HRH Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala made a Navy Fleet Review of six visiting navy ships and three patrol boats. Attending the review were high ranking navy officers from Australia, China, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and United States. From the region, Papua New Guinea, Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa and Kiribati sent representatives.
The celebrations on the Public Holiday included a Thanksgiving Service at the FWC Centenary Church, the Maritime fleet review, and navy parade in Nuku’alofa, followed by a Royal Luncheon at the Queen Salote Memorial Hall.
International visitors,from left, Kiribati, Royal Navy, HMAF, China, Japan, Samoa, Britain, France, Australia and New Zealand. 50th Anniversary of the Tongan Navy, Fleet Review of visiting navy ships. Nuku’alofa, 4 July 2024. Photo: NZDF.
HM King Tupou VI. Navy Fleet Review of visiting navy officers. Port of Nuku’alofa, 4 July 2024. Photo: NZDF.
Photos by Petty Officer Chris Weissenborn NZDF
HMAS Choules joined a Navy Parade made up of multi national bands and ships companies of visiting ships. Nuku’alofa, Tonga. 4 July 2024. Photo: NZDF.
Defence and security company Saab has received an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) for ten combat boats.
As informed, the contract begins in 2024 and deliveries will be made continuously over the coming years.
The order value is approximately SEK 400 million ($37.5 million).
According to Saab, the boats are based on the CB90 next generation design. They will be manufactured by Saab’s shipyard in Docksta.
“Combat boats are advanced platforms that can be used for many different types of missions. We are proud that Saab’s naval capabilities continue to contribute to Sweden’s defence,” said Mats Wicksell, head of Saab’s business area Kockums.
Saab recently agreed with Dutch shipbuilder Damen to export the advanced expeditionary C-71 submarines. The submarines have been developed for the Royal Netherlands Navy to replace the current Walrus class.
The Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF) is making a historic visit to Cape Town this week, when two training ships will arrive in port. This will be the first such visit since the founding of the Maritime Self-Defence Force after the Second World War.
JS Kashima and JS Shimakaze are due to arrive in Cape Town for refuelling on 2 July. On 3 July, at 10:00, the South African Naval Band will perform, and the Flag Officer Fleet (FOF) of the SA Navy will be on board for a welcome address and other activities. There will then be a special open ship, luncheon and evening reception on board for a limited number of guests.
On Thursday 4 July, the ships will be open to the public, including South African citizens, from 10:00-11:30 and 13:00-15:00. They will be berthed at Berth E and F beside the Cruise Terminal in the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.
There are no major events scheduled for Friday 5 July, and the ships are scheduled to set sail at 09:00 on Saturday 6 July, with a local band playing.
Approximately 570 people, including about 190 graduates of the 74th General Officer Candidate Course, are on board the JS Kashima and JS Shimakaze as part of the Overseas Training Cruise 2024. This is designed to provide Trainee Officers with on-the-job training opportunities to reinforce knowledge and skills learned at the Officer Candidate School, to familiarise them with the sea, and to cultivate qualities required as naval officers, the Japanese Embassy said.
The cruise also aims to improve understanding of the activities of foreign countries and develop global awareness through joint exercises with these countries and sailing in the Philippine Sea, the South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and the Caribbean Sea, and the Pacific Ocean, etc.
The 175-day long cruise began on 20 May and is set to conclude on 11 November this year, after covering approximately 35 000 nautical miles (65 000 km). Rear Admiral Nishiyama Takahiro, Commander of Training Squadron, is heading up the 2024 cruise.
Ports of call include Brunei (Muara), Seychelles (Victoria), South Africa (Cape Town), Senegal (Dakar), Italy (Naples), Türkiye (Istanbul), Spain (Valencia), Germany (Hamburg), United Kingdom (London and Southampton), United States (Norfolk and Pearl Harbor), and Mexico (Acapulco).
Japanese Ambassador Ushio Shigeru told a recent function in Pretoria that the visit coincides with the founding of the Japan Self-Defence Force (JSDF) on 1 July 1954. “For Japan, 1954 was nine years after Japan’s defeat in World War II and three years after the Treaty of Peace with Japan was signed. The JSDF was established as a minimum self-defence force in response to the worsening situation in East Asia.”
The Ambassador added that over the past 70 years, since its foundation, the JSDF has continued to develop, fostering a peaceful nation and saving many lives in large-scale disasters in Japan and abroad. Furthermore, the JSDF continues to contribute to the peace and stability of the international community today.
On the African continent, the JSDF participated for the first time in a United Nations (UN) peacekeeping operation in 1993 in Mozambique. In 2009, Japan began anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden and established a base in Djibouti in 2011. From 2011, an engineering unit was deployed in South Sudan and, in 2014, JSDF transport aircraft delivered personal protective equipment to Ghana during the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.
Currently, the JSDF continues to dispatch personnel to UN peacekeeping operations in South Sudan and is also engaged in anti-piracy operations in Djibouti.
JS Kashima is flagship of the JMSDF Training Fleet. She is 143 metres long, with a beam of 18 metres, and a draft of 4.6 metres. Kashima has a full load displacement of 4 050 tons. She is powered by a combined diesel or gas (CODOG) system, giving a top speed of 25 knots (46 km/h).
The ship is armed with a single Otobreda 76 mm gun and two triple 324 mm torpedo tube sets. Four saluting cannon are also carried. Kashima has a ship’s company of 370, including officer cadets. Cadets are accommodated in two-person staterooms, allowing cadets of both sexes to train aboard the ship. The open aft deck was designed for use as a ceremonial and exercise assembly area, but can be used as a temporary helicopter landing zone.
JS Kashima was launched in February 1994, and commissioned into the JMSDF in January 1995.
JS Shimakaze is a Hatakaze-class guided missile destroyer, reclassified as a training ship in 2021. Shimakaze was launched in January 1987, and commissioned in March 1988. The vessel is 150 metres long, has a beam of 16.4 metres and draft of 4.8 metres. She is powered by four gas turbines giving a top speed of 30 knots (56 km/h). Complement is 260 people.
The JS Shimakaze.
Armament comprises two 130 mm Mark 42 deck guns, eight Harpoon ship-to-ship missiles, a single SM-1MR Mk 13 Mod4 ship-to-air missile launcher, an ASROC Mk 112 octuple launcher, two 20 mm Phalanx CIWS, and two Type 68 triple torpedo tubes. An aft deck can accommodate a single SH-60K helicopter.
The Coast Guard commissioned its 56th Fast Response Cutter and first one to be stationed in the Pacific Northwest during a ceremony held in Astoria OR June 27th.
Coast Guard Cutter David Duren (WPC-1156) is the first of three planned Fast Response Cutter’s (FRC) to be homeported in Astoria.
The ceremony was presided by Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, Pacific Area Commander. Members from the Duren family were also on hand, including the cutter’s sponsor, Dawn Duren.
The namesake for the cutter, Master Chief Petty Officer David Duren, enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1965 and retired in 1993. During his career, Duren became a heavy weather coxswain and graduated from the Coast Guard’s National Motor Lifeboat School in 1969, qualifying as Coast Guard surfman No. 100.
During his tenure, Duren received two Coast Guard Medals for exceptional heroism and the Douglas Munro Inspirational Leadership Award. He deployed on search and rescue cases more than any other officer-in-charge at the time and during one year, he participated in 250 cases. Personnel under his command received a total of 24 medals and awards.
The crew of the David Duren will primarily serve in the Pacific Ocean, Puget Sound, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Columbia River. The Sentinel-class FRC is designed for multiple missions, including search and rescue; fishery patrols; ports, waterways, and coastal security; drug and migrant interdiction; and national defense.
The Coast Guard has ordered a total of 65 FRCs to replace the 1980s-era Island-class 110-foot patrol boats. The FRCs feature advanced command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance equipment; over-the-horizon cutter boat deployment to reach vessels of interest; and improved habitability and seakeeping.
The commissioning ceremony is one of the most important traditional milestones in the life of a cutter, as it represents the readiness of the cutter to conduct Coast Guard operations and marks her entry into active service.
They Navy destroyer Mason arrived home in Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Monday, following a long and dangerous cruise battling Houthi rebels in the Middle East. (Navy)
They Navy destroyer Mason arrived home in Naval Station Mayport, Florida, Monday, following a long and dangerous cruise battling Houthi rebels in the Middle East. (Navy)
The Navy destroyer Mason returned home to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on Monday after more than eight months of deployment, in which it “faced unprecedented attacks” from Iran-backed-Houthi rebels, the sea service said.
Deployed as part of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Carrier Strike Group, Mason was one of the warships at the forefront of countering Houthi drones and missiles during its cruise in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
All told, Mason was deployed for 263 days in those waters and in the Mediterranean Sea.
“I am extremely proud of this battle tested and battle proven crew who achieved unparalleled accomplishments while deployed,” Mason’s commanding officer, Cmdr. Justin B. Smith, said in a statement. “No matter the threat or challenge, they demonstrated an innate ability to sustain a high level of readiness for eight months by thinking on their feet and quickly reacting. As result of their abilities, they protected Mason’s crew and exceeded all mission tasking throughout deployment.”
Mason not only shot down air attack drones and anti-ship ballistic missiles fired from Houthi territory in Yemen that targeted both Navy and merchant ships, but also escorted and rescued 26 merchant vessels as they transited the narrow Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea.
The Navy destroyer Mason arrived home Monday. The warship’s sailors are shown here heaving in a line in May. (Navy)
In one such instance, on Nov. 26, Mason captured pirates who had seized the M/V Central Park, boarding the vessel and freeing crew members who were stuck in the ship’s citadel.
The rest of Ike’s strike group, including the carrier, the cruiser Philippine Sea and the remaining warships of Destroyer Squadron 22, are now headed home as well, and were operating in the Mediterranean this week, according to the Navy.
The current battle in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden between the Houthis and the Navy’s surface fleet is the most sustained and kinetic action the sea service has seen since World War II.
The crew of the Navy destroyer Mason puts in work in March during its deployment to the Middle East. (Navy)
It’s also the first time that anti-ship ballistic missiles have ever been used in combat, according to Navy brass.
While Ike’s air wing has pounded Houthi sites in Yemen and intercepted ordnance, warships like the Mason have often had mere seconds to identify and take out such attacks.
“U.S. and coalition vessels also are being targeted,” Rear Adm. Marc Miguez, commander of Ike’s Carrier Strike Group 2, wrote this month in the U.S. Naval Institute’s “Proceedings” magazine. “We have to be right 100 percent of the time, but the Houthis have to be right only once.”
An unidentified sailor assigned to the Navy destroyer Mason hugs a loved one after returning to Naval Station Mayport, Florida, on Monday. (Navy)
Mason and its strike group comrades steamed more than 65,000 nautical miles during this tour, launching more than 100 Standard and Tomahawk missiles, according to Miguez.
The strike group’s air wing has fired more than 80 air-to-air missiles and released more than 350 air-to-surface weapons, he wrote.
“This is all against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who are menacing civilian merchant shipping, including using anti-ship ballistic missiles against these noncombatants,” Miguez wrote.
Geoff is the editor of Navy Times, but he still loves writing stories. He covered Iraq and Afghanistan extensively and was a reporter at the Chicago Tribune. He welcomes any and all kinds of tips at [email protected].
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) underway. Bon Homme Richard, with assigned Attack Carrier Air Wing 19 (CVW-19), was deployed to Vietnam from 21 April 1965 to 13 January 1966.
She was the third Navy ship named after the city of Cincinnati, Ohio, the first being Cincinnati, an ironclad commissioned in 1862, during the Civil War, and the second being Cincinnati, a protected cruiser, that was decommissioned in 1919.
Cincinnati split her pre-war career between the Atlantic and the Pacific fleets. She served in the Scouting Fleet, based in the Atlantic, in 1924 to 1927, serving in the Pacific for a brief time in 1925 for fleet maneuvers. Cincinnati joined the Asiatic Fleet in 1927, and returned to the Atlantic from 1928 to 1932. She continued to go back and forth between oceans until March 1941, when she was assigned to Neutrality Patrol in the western Atlantic.
When the United States entered World War II she was assigned to TF41, based at Recife, and used on convoy escort duties and patrols in the south Atlantic. In 1944, she sailed for the Mediterranean to support Operation Dragoon, the invasion of the south of France. After the war, she was deemed surplus and scrapped at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in February 1946 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cincinnati_(CL-6)
These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of July 1, 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)
106 (USS 73, USNS 33)
62 (45 Deployed, 17 Local)
In Japan
The official party salute as the ceremonial color guard parades the colors during a change of command ceremony for Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Japan/Navy Region Japan (CNFJ/CNRJ) at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, June 26, 2024. Rear Adm. Ian Johnson relieved Rear Adm. Carl Lahti as the 37th commander of CNFJ/CNRJ on June 26, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS America (LHA-6) is in Sasebo. America will change homeports later this year, USNI News has learned.
In Laem Chabang, Thailand
Mass Communication Specialist 2nd class Toi Williams takes a photograph aboard the U.S. 7th Fleet flagship, USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) as Blue Ridge arrives in Laem Chabang on June 28, 2024. US Navy Photo
U.S. 7th Fleet command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC-19) arrived in Laem Chabang, Thailand on Friday for a scheduled port visit.
In the East China Sea
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol gives remarks aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) in Busan, Republic of Korea, June 25, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), along with ships and aircraft from Japan and the Republic of Korea, participated in the inaugural execution of exercise Freedom Edge, a trilateral multi-domain exercise to promote interoperability and stability in the Indo-Pacific, including the Korean Peninsula. 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, as reported by USNI News.
Carrier Strike Group 9
Sailors heave around lines during sea and anchor detail aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) as the ship departs Busan, Republic of Korea (ROK), June 26, 2024. US Navy Photo
Carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71), homeported at San Diego, Calif.
Carrier Air Wing 11
A MH-60S Knight Hawk, assigned to the ‘Eightballers’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, takes off from the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during exercise Freedom Edge, June 28, 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 Middle Pacific
Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, USS Robert Smalls (CG-62), receives a fueling line from USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), during a fueling-at-sea in the Pacific Ocean, July 1, 2024. US Navy Photo
USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) is underway in U.S. 3rd Fleet, USNI News has learned.
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 Peal Harbor, Hawaii
USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) arrives at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam for Exercise Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2024, June 25, 2024. US Navy Photo
An AH-1Z Viper, left, assigned to the ‘Blue Knights’ of Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 365 (Reinforced), and an MH-60S Knight Hawk, assigned to the ‘Dragon Whales’ of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 28, flies patrol as the amphibious assault ship USS Wasp (LHD-1) transits the Strait of Gibraltar, June 26, 2024. US Navy Photo
The command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC-20) transited eastbound through the Strait of Gibraltar on Sunday, 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.
The aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) arrived Souda Bay, Greece on Tuesday, according to ship spotters.
Eisenhower will operate briefly in the Mediterranean before returning to its homeport of Norfolk, Va., after being deployed for more than eight months. 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
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) arrives in Souda Bay, Greece, June 25, 2024. 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 removed once again due to weather to protect it, and the U.S. is considering not reinstalling it unless the aid begins flowing out into the population again, U.S. officials said Friday.
In the Red Sea
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.
On Sunday, U.S. Central Command destroyed three Iranian-backed Houthi uncrewed surface vessels in the Red Sea in a self-defense action.
On Friday, CENTCOM forces successfully destroyed seven Houthi uncrewed aerial vehicles and one ground control station vehicle in Yemen.
On Thursday, CENTCOM forces destroyed one uncrewed aerial system launched by Houthis into the Red Sea.
On Wednesday, CENTCOM forces destroyed one Houthi radar site in Yemen.
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
The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD-7) departed Norfolk, Va. on Tuesday for sea trials following a two-and-a-half-year DSRA and returned on Friday, according to ship spotters.
In the Eastern Pacific
Colombian navy special forces simulate visit, board, search, and seizure on the flight deck of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) while underway in the Pacific Ocean, June 29, 2024. US Navy Photo
The aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) conducted bilateral exercises with the Colombian Navy on Saturday.
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.
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