04 April 2024
by Michael Fabey
The US Navy is requesting additional funding for the overhaul work on aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis to cover costs associated with the ship's redelivery delay. (US Navy)
The US Navy (USN) is requesting an additional USD731.7 million for the refuelling and complex overhaul (RCOH) of aircraft carrier USS John C Stennis (CVN 74) to cover costs associated with the delayed redelivery date for the ship, according to USN officials and the service's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 budget request documents released on 11 March.
This extension will hold up labour resources for the upcoming RCOH for carrier USS Harry S Truman (CVN 75), leading to a delay in the start of that work, USN officials told Janes .
The USN awarded HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) a USD2.9 billion contract in February 2021 for the RCOH work on Stennis , with an expected redelivery in the third quarter of 2025. The navy had previously awarded a USD187.5 million contract in August 2018 to start engineering, pre-overhaul inspections, design, material purchasing, and fabrication work.
30 April 2024
by Kate Tringham
The Belgian Navy's Modernised M (Karel Doorman)-class frigate BNS Louise-Marie (F 931) will join the EU's maritime security mission ‘Aspides' in the Red Sea in the coming week. (Guy Toremans)
The Belgian Navy's Modernised M (Karel Doorman)-class frigate BNS Louise-Marie (F 931) has been declared operationally ready to participate in the European Union's (EU's) maritime security missions in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz following a period of extended preparatory training in the Mediterranean, the service has announced.
Louise-Marie was originally scheduled to transit through the Suez Canal to join the EU's ‘Aspides' mission to protect commercial shipping in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden on 12 April. However, on 13 April the Belgian Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the deployment had been postponed ‘indefinitely' to address technical issues that had occurred during training the previous week. During the incident, one of the ship's RIM-7 M/P Sea Sparrow surface-to-air (SAM) missiles failed to launch, remaining stuck in the launch tube, and several other weapon systems also failed to shoot down the practice drone.
29 April 2024
by Michael Fabey
Virginia-class submarine New Jersey was delivered to the US Navy. (Janes/Michael Fabey)
HII's Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) unit confirmed on 25 April it had delivered Virginia-class fast-attack submarine New Jersey (SSN 796) to the US Navy (USN) in a release, noting the SSN is scheduled to be commissioned later in 2024.
The submarine delivery comes at a time when the USN shipbuilding is coming under scrutiny – with the Virginia-class programmes being one of the efforts coming under intense focus – for running far behind schedule.
Not only is the Virginia shipbuilding programme off schedule, but lawmakers are questioning the recent USN fiscal year (FY) 2025 budget request for only a single submarine, when two were expected.
However, USN officials noted they are making the best decisions possible because of workforce and supply-chain issues that continue to plague the efforts to build submarines and other naval vessels.
New Jersey is the 11th Virginia-class submarine delivered by NNS and the 23rd built as part of the teaming agreement with General Dynamics Electric Boat.
26 April 2024
by Kate Tringham
HMS Diamond shoots down a missile fired by Iranian-backed Houthis from Yemen over the Gulf of Aden using its Sea Viper missile system – the first time a Royal Navy warship has intercepted a missile in combat since 1991. (Royal Navy/Crown Copyright)
The UK Royal Navy's (RN's) Daring (Type 45)-class destroyer HMS Diamond (D 34) has successfully engaged an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) launched by Yemen-based Ansar Allah (commonly known as Houthi) rebels targeting a merchant ship in the Gulf of Aden, the service confirmed on 25 April.
During the incident, which took place around 1151 h local time (Sanaa time) on 24 April, Diamond used its Sea Viper anti-air guided weapon system to shoot down the missile, the navy said. According to a US Central Command (CENTCOM) statement issued on 25 April, the missile was likely targeting the US-flagged, owned, and operated merchant vessel MV Yorktown, which has 18 US and four Greek crew members onboard.
No injuries or damage was sustained by the ship or its crew, CENTCOM said.
Diamond
The US Navy (USN) is requesting an additional USD731.7 million for the refuelling and complex overha...
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