Top News of the Week October 7 – 12, 2013

October 13, 2013

VIDEO: DDG 1000 Zumwalt-Class Destroyer Pending Christening (USA)

The christening of the U.S. Navy’s newest guided missile destroyer, Zumwalt (DDG 1000), will take place on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at General Dynamics Bath Iron Works.

HMS Ramsey Sailors Learn from Their American Minehunting Counterparts

Sailors from HMS Ramsey visited their American minehunting counterparts to see how they do their business ahead of a US-UK-French exercise in the Gulf. The Brits joined Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 – known as the Blackhawks – in Bahrain to see their giant Sea Dragon helicopters find and destroy mines.

Royal Navy of Oman Welcomes AL SHAMIKH

The Royal Navy of Oman has organised a reception at Said bin Sultan Naval Base to welcome AL SHAMIKH, the first of the three Khareef class warships built by BAE Systems under the sultanate’s Project Khareef.

USA: NNS Gears Up for Gerald R. Ford’s Floating Out

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS) will begin the flooding of Dry Dock 12 on Friday morning, October 11, where the aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) has been under construction since November 2009, Huntington Ingalls Industries announced.

Australia: ASC and Its Partners to Compete for SEA 1654 Phase 3

ASC and its partners have welcomed the opportunity to compete for SEA 1654 Phase 3 – Combat Support ships. ASC’s Aegir 18A proposal would see work allocated to shipyards across Australia including Williamstown, Victoria; Newcastle, New South Wales; and Osborne, South Australia.

GALLERY: Australia’s Hobart Destroyer Gets Aegis Tower

The main radar tower for the first of Australia’s three Air Warfare Destroyers, Hobart, has been successfully lifted into position. Australian Minister for Defence Senator David Johnston confirmed progress on the Hobart was well advanced, with the Air Warfare Destroyer (AWD) Alliance successfully lifting the Aegis tower onto the ship structure.