FEBRUARY 1, 2022 - The Middle East region’s largest maritime exercise commenced Jan. 31 during a ceremony at U.S. 5th Fleet’s headquarters in Bahrain. International Maritime Exercise (IMX) 2022, an 18-day biennial naval training event led by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, combines with exercise Cutlass Express (CE) led annually by U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa in East … [Read more...]

JANUARY 31, 2022 - The keel for the future USNS Cody, Expeditionary Fast Transport Ship (EPF 14), the first of the Spearhead-class EPF Flight II configuration, was laid at Austal USA, Jan. 26. A keel laying is the recognition of the start of a ship’s construction. It is the joining together of a ship’s modular components and the authentication or etching of an honoree’s … [Read more...]

JANUARY 27, 2022 - Patrol coastal ships USS Squall (PC 7) and USS Whirlwind (PC 11) arrived in Karachi, Pakistan, for a scheduled port visit Jan. 25. While in Karachi, the crewmembers are slated to conduct visit, board, search and seizure training with the Pakistan Navy. “We are extremely excited to visit Pakistan as we build our relationship and sharpen our competitive … [Read more...]

JANUARY 27, 2022 - U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) began operating the Saildrone Explorer unmanned surface vessel (USV) in the Arabian Gulf, Jan. 27, expanding U.S. 5th Fleet’s integration of new unmanned systems. Task Force 59, NAVCENT’s dedicated staff for new unmanned systems and artificial intelligence discovery, initiated Saildrone operational testing off … [Read more...]

JANUARY 27, 2022 - The Navy issued updated Standardized Operational Guidance (SOG) Jan. 15 with measures to help fight the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The latest SOG version 5.0 reinforces the need to protect the health of individuals and units while preserving operational readiness. Although the guidance is predominantly focused on the shipboard environment, it applies to … [Read more...]