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The U.S. Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald collided with a merchant vessel off the coast of Japan in the early hours of Saturday morning local time, the Navy's 7th Fleet said. The Fitzgerald was operating about 56 miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan, when it hit the merchant vessel at approximately 2:30 a.m. local time. In a statement, the 7th Fleet said it was looking into "the extent of personnel injuries," as well as damage.

The US military labeled the actions of an Iranian vessel "unsafe and unprofessional" after it trained a laser on a US helicopter Tuesday. Three US Naval ships and a US Marine Corps CH-53E helicopter had an unsafe and unprofessional interaction with an Iranian Navy vessel while transiting the international waters of the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from the US military

After Congresswoman Gabby Giffords was shot, the Navy named an Independence-class littoral combat ship after her. I wonder if they will do the same for Congressman Steve Scalise? Fair is fair

Studies are underway to “take a hard look” at putting eight mothballed Oliver Hazard Perry frigates back into service as well as extending the life of existing Arleigh Burke guided-missile destroyers to help the Navy reach its goal of a 355-ship fleet, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. John Richardson said on Tuesday. Speaking before an audience at the U.S. Naval War College, Richardson said service leaders were looking at “every trick” to put more platforms into the fleet including bringing back some Perrys into service. “We’re taking a hard look at the Oliver Hazard Perry-class frigates. There’s seven or eight...

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Navy intends to buy at least 80 more Boeing F/A-18E-F Super Hornets over the next five years to address its fighter shortfall, a change from its previous on-the-books plan to zero out the aircraft program beginning next year, service officials said in congressional testimony today. The Navy’s written testimony to the Senate Armed Services seapower subcommittee notes the “Fiscal Year 2018 President’s Budget requests $1.25 billion in [the Navy’s aircraft procurement account] for 14 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet aircraft” and that, “with the support of Congress, we will also procure a minimum of 80 additional Super Hornets...

An Oceana sailor was in Virginia Beach Police custody Wednesday after she allegedly stabbed her wife, an E-3 stationed on the carrier Eisenhower, inflicting life-threatening injuries. Aviation Electronics Technician 3rd Class Zyriel Patterson, who is stationed at Fleet Readiness Center Mid-Atlantic, was charged with malicious assault and could face up to 20 years in prison after police say she stabbed her wife multiple times at a residence off base. The incident occurred around 10:30 Monday night. A Navy report on the incident obtained by Navy Times said Patterson initially fled the scene but was later apprehended. She is being held...

This F/A-18F Super Hornet, belonging to VFA-213 "Blacklions" and operating aboard the USS George H.W. Bush in the eastern Mediterranean, is equipped with one uniquely massive and highly destructive payload. No less than ten 1,000lb GBU-32 JDAMs are slung under its wings. In addition, a pair of 188lb AIM-9X Sidewinders adorn its wingtips. A 400lb ATFLIR targeting pod is attached on its left intake station, and a 480 gallon centerline fuel tank rounds out its external stores list. Add in the four multiple ejector racks and the pylons, not to mention 412 rounds of 20mm ammo, and this "Rhino's" stores...

A proposal to introduce a multi-role 35mm gun system into the RAN could broaden capabilities and provide potential commonality with the ground-based air defence requirement being sought under Project Land 19 Phase 7B. Julian Kerr | Sydney This would, however, require a major change to the status quo, and the acceptance by Navy of the benefits to be derived from a sophisticated gun system in a calibre with which it is not familiar in the Australian environment. Current RAN smaller-calibre weaponry is a mixed bag; 30mm cannon on the Huon class minehunters, 25mm cannon on the Canberra class Landing Helicopter...

China's construction of military base in the strategic location of Djibouti is just the first of what will likely be an ongoing expansion in friendly foreign ports around the world, says a Pentagon report. IMAGE: The Gwadar port that Pakistan is developing with Chinese help. China is likely to establish additional military bases in Pakistan and other countries with which it has longstanding friendly ties and similar strategic interests, a new Pentagon report said on Wednesday as the world's largest army increasingly flexed its muscles. In its annual report to the Congress on China's military build-up, the United States Department...

Though Russian officials have delayed plans to move forward with two of its major surface ship programs indefinitely, including a new aircraft carrier, the Kremlin insists it will move ahead with work on a modern amphibious assault ship. Despite assurances to the contrary, there is little evidence that the country’s shipbuilding infrastructure is anymore ready for this task, and the project could easily end up deferred in the face of other priorities. On June 4, 2017, Russia’s state-owned news outlet Sputnik reported that the Ministry of Defense had included the proposed Lavina-class amphibious assault ship in its up-coming modernization plan,...

More than two decades after it was discovered at the bottom of Lake Champlain, a Revolutionary War gunboat may see the light of day under a museum plan to raise and preserve the vessel. The Spitfire, a 54-foot boat that's part of a fleet built by Benedict Arnold before he turned traitor, sank a day after the 1776 Battle of Valcour Island, helping delay a British advance down the lake. The Spitfire's sinking made it possible for the 1777 American victory at the Battle of Saratoga - a key moment in the American Revolution.

Naval officer Lt. Cmdr. Edward C. Lin will serve six years in prison for mishandling classified information in an attempt to impress women. As part of a plea deal, Lin will only have to serve six years instead of the nine that Judge Cmdr. Robert Monahan sentenced him to Friday, and since he’s already spent 646 days in prison, he effectively has only four years left of confinement, The Virginian-Pilot reports. He will also be dismissed from the Navy and lose all pay allowance. Prosecutors wanted 12 years and the defense hoped to bring down the sentence to 1.5 years...

THEN: In 1939, the U.S. Navy awarded the relentless Andrew Higgins with a contract to build his Eureka boats for the military. Despite his now-famous contribution to the U.S. effort in World War II -- most notably his Higgins landing craft, a later version of the Eureka boat -- the path to this contract was bumpy and difficult, something that only someone as determined as Higgins could overcome. Although the New Orleans boat builder had successfully sold his boats to the Coast Guard and Army Corps of Engineers, the Navy was more interested in developing its own technology than testing...

The Chinese navy is taking arsenal ships in a new direction—as giant submersibles. Post-Cold War naval theorists have long dreamed of recreating the old battleships' power through massive "arsenal ships," or warships carrying hundreds of guided missiles that could fire at land and sea targets. Now it looks like China wants to make that dream a reality.

The U.S. Navy has officially received the first of a whole new class of aircraft carriers. The Navy announced Thursday that the USS Gerald R. Ford will now go through various workups at sea before becoming operational in 2020.

The U.S. Coast Guard transferred a high-endurance cutter to its Vietnamese counterpart in Honolulu, the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi said on Friday, in the latest effort to deepen ties with its former foe.

It hasn't happened since the infamous Black Hawk Down battle in 1993. Last month, a US soldier was shot and killed fighting in Somalia. Reports indicate the Navy SEAL was serving alongside his Somali counterparts — not advising from the operating base — as they battled al-Shabab militants.

The proposed Shortfin Barracuda Block 1A concept for Australia will be an entirely new, unproven diesel-electric submarine class. By putting the cart firmly before the horse, the Australian Department of Defence has accepted maker DCNS’ proposal to define the displacement of the future submarines before the design, equipment selection, integration and validation of systems have been completed. Both the Japanese and the Germans offered alternative, proven platforms — the former an evolved Soryu-class and the latter an amalgam of their Type 212, 214 and 218 designs. The French have offered a submarine design that houses the evolved propulsion system of...

The Almaz Central Maritime Design Bureau offers an export version of the Project 22800E corvette equipped with Italian-made 76-mm gun mount OTO Melara, diesel engines MTU and radioelectronic weapons Thales, reports Mil.Today referring to the design bureau. Potential buyers are also offered a fully import-substituted version with Russian engines, the gun mount and radars. The export version of the Project 22800E debuted at the Army-2016 defense show. The corvette version fitted with imported components may be more interesting for foreign customers, the design bureau staff told Mil.Today. The question is primarily about the Indian Navy which is going for maximal...

In the first unofficial challenge to Beijing over China’s domination of disputed waters in the South China Sea since President Trump took office, a US navy warship sailed within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea according to the WSJ. The navy vessel, the USS Dewey, traveled close to the Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands, among a string of islets, reefs and shoals over which China has territorial disputes with its neighbors. The “freedom of navigation” operation which in the past has infuriated Beijing, comes as Trump is seeking Beijing’s...