Australia's HMAS Ballarat has completed a port visit to Sepanggar, Malaysia as part of a three month South East Asia deployment. She was in the region to enagage with the Royal Malaysian Navy, and load supplies before she returns to Australia for further exercises. Chief of Joint Operations, Vice Admiral David Johnston, said Ballarat’s deployment provided an opportunity to engage with many nations in South East Asia. “Our enduring military to military engagement activities contribute to security and stability in our region,” he said.

China said on Friday it was monitoring U.S. military activities in the South China Sea, after two U.S. bombers conducted training flights over the disputed waters. The U.S. Pacific Command said on its website that two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer bombers flew a 10-hour training mission from Guam over the South China Sea on Thursday, in conjunction with the Navy's USS Sterett guided-missile destroyer. The exercise comes after a U.S. warship in late May carried out a "maneuvering drill" within 12 nautical miles of an artificial island built up by China in the South China Sea. The U.S. military conducts such "freedom of navigation" patrols to show China it is not entitled to territorial waters there, U.S. officials said at the time.

Louisiana-based shipbuilder Metal Shark said it has been awarded a contract worth up to $54 million from the U.S. Navy to build Near Coastal Patrol Vessels (NCPVs) for U.S. partner nations through the Department of Defense Foreign Military Sales (FMS) program. Metal Shark’s proposal was selected by Naval Sea Systems Command from a field of six competing shipyards. Under the terms of the award, Metal Shark will build up to thirteen 85-foot Defiant-class welded aluminum cutters for the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Guatemala and other U.S. partner nations.

L3 Maritime Systems said it has received an $11 million contract from VSE Corporation to upgrade the Machinery Control Systems (MCS) on two minehunting ships for the Egyptian Navy. These ships were formerly U.S. Navy Osprey-class vessels, and L3 supplied the legacy control systems. L3 Maritime Systems’ MCS solutions provide advanced automation and control of the ships’ propulsion, electrical, ventilation and other systems. They will be implemented using ruggedized industrial control system equipment to enhance supportability by the Egyptian Navy. Robert Gaylord, president of L3 Maritime Systems, said, “L3 has a broad and significant installed base across the U.S. Navy and U.S. Coast Guard, as well as foreign allied navy platforms.

Missiles flew about 200 km into sea off east coast - S.Korea; launch is fourth by Pyongyang in four weeks. North Korea fired what appeared to be several land-to-ship missiles off its east coast on Thursday, South Korea's military said, a day after the South postponed full deployment of a controversial U.S. anti-missile system designed to deter a North Korean attack. The launches, the latest in a fast-paced series of missile tests defying world pressure to rein in its weapons programme, come less than a week after the United Nations Security Council passed fresh sanctions on the reclusive state. South Korea on Wednesday said it will hold off on installing remaining components of the U.S.

U.S. Navy ships are on track to spend more time in the South China Sea this year, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift said on Thursday in China, where a U.S. warship was making a port call. The visit by the USS Sterett guided-missile destroyer to Zhanjiang in Guangdong province, the first U.S. warship to visit China since President Donald Trump took office, comes amid tension in the disputed South China Sea, where Washington has criticised Beijing for building artificial islands. U.S.

Royal Australian Navy frigate HMAS Ballarat has completed a passage exercise with Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, Royal Canadian Navy and United States Navy ships during her South East Asia deployment. The exercise, conducted in the South China Sea from 8-10 June, included Japanese ships Izumo and Sazanami, Canadian ship Winnipeg and USS Sterett. The ships completed close quarters manoeuvres, helicopter operations, personnel exchanges, gunnery exercises and air defence training.

Russia’s military expenditures in 2011 totaled $71.9 billion, which made the country the world’s third largest military spender, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) think tank said in a recent report. Last year, Russia increased its military spending by 9.3 percent, according to figures released by the SIPRI. “Further increases in military spending are planned, notably in equipment, research and development (R&D) and support for the arms and military services industry over the period 2011–20, with plans to replace the majority of Russia’s mostly Soviet-era military equipment with modern weaponry by 2020,” the report said.

The U.S. Navy’s 10th Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) USS Gabrielle Giffords was commissioned at the Port of Galveston, Texas, on Saturday, June 10, becoming the 16th ship to be named for a woman and only the 13th ship to be named for a living person since 1850. The ship’s homeport will be San Diego. “This is the fifth such LCS in a 10-ship Independence–variant ship program with Austal USA that uses our LM2500. The two LM2500 engines are arranged in a combined diesel and gas turbine or CODAG configuration with two diesel engines…

The U.S. National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) issued a Special Advisory stating that coalition naval forces are conducting military operations in waters of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Arabian Gulf. All vessels in these waters are urged to keep a safe distance away from military vessels and to clearly identify themselves so as to avoid the inadvertent use of force. Note use of the term military operations rather than military exercises. Source: HK Law

China has launched regular military exercises in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Strait, says the Chinese People's Liberation Army's Daily, the Chinese military's official newspaper. The China's military newspaper reported that eight days of "military missions" had begun on Friday in the northern parts of the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Strait, adjacent to the Korean Peninsula. Until next Friday, China's maritime authorities have banned ships from sailing in the affected areas. The brief report did not give details, including the purpose of the drills or how many troops were mobilized.

The Port of Jacksonville is one of the busiest ports in the country for the staging and mobilization of military equipment and supplies during times of national crisis. While not currently involved in the nation's war on terrorism, port officials have recently taken steps to improve coordination in the future. The Coast Guard Captain of the Port, Department of Defense agencies and the Jacksonville Port Authority will sign an updated memorandum of understanding Monday morning at 8 a.m. at the Port Authority Building for the utilization of domestic civil port facilities and services necessary to support future military and commercial port readiness needs. The Port Readiness Committee memorandum lays out responsibilities of the U.S.

Coast Guard Captain of the Port of Wilmington, Captain Jane M. Hartley, has brought in more than 100 Coast Guard active duty and reserve personnel to provide waterborne and shoreside safety and security of military equipment loading operations here and in Morehead, City, N.C. The United States is repositioning some of its military forces where required to support the President’s global war on terrorism and to prepare for future contingencies. One of the Coast Guards responsibilities, as the lead agency for maritime homeland security and as a branch of the Armed Forces, is to ensure the safety and security of military outloads in U.S. ports. The Coast Guard has established a security zone in Morehead City to run between Jan.

Diversification is the key at Oregon-based North River Boats. Listening closely to the customer’s needs recently won the day on a multi-hull U.S. Navy contract, but that’s not all that’s happening in Oregon. Roseburg, Ore.-based North River Boats has, over time, thrived by delivering one of the most diverse vessel portfolios in North America. Those offerings include both domestic and foreign deliveries, as well as recreational, commercial and military hulls. And, if that formula has taught them just one thing, then that metric would be that different customers need different features.

OceanWorks welcomes Keith La Rose to its team in the position of Business Development Manager – Military in Vancouver office. Acting as Business Development Manager for the military industry, Keith’s primary function will be to expand OceanWorks’ penetration of the military market by further raising awareness of the company’s proven custom engineering, standard products, and service capabilities. Throughout his extensive sales career, Keith has held various professional and sales management positions…

SeeByte, the global leader in creating smart software for unmanned maritime systems, is pleased to announce that the Royal New Zealand Navy has chosen to purchase three upgraded seats of SeeTrack Military. The Royal New Zealand Navy, one of SeeByte’s longest-standing customers, first purchased three seats of SeeTrack Military in 2006. The software is now used globally by 16 of the world’s navies. Ron Tyson of New Zealand Offshore Technology (NZOT), who managed the acquisition, commented “It is great news that the Royal New Zealand Navy will have the most up-to-date version of SeeTrack. WOCSS James Harper, Commanding Officer of the Mine Counter Measures Team said: "SeeTrack Military is well known as the MCM software tool of choice.

New report reveals boom in private military security forces fighting Indian Ocean pirates. Research into the use of private military security companies in the Indian Ocean has found the fight against Somali-based pirates has become a private battle as global defence cuts reduce naval counter-piracy deployments. The report, 'Pirates and Privateers: Managing the Indian Ocean's Private Security Boom'  sheds new light on the serious problem of Somali piracy and highlights new problems…

General Dynamics Canada is proud to announce a contribution of half a million dollars over three years to support the work of the Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research (CIMVHR). The contribution will fuel research into understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of operational stress injuries (OSIs) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) thereby enhancing the lives of Canadian military personnel, Veterans, their families and their communities. The $500…

Saudi Arabia, at war in Yemen and competing for regional influence with arch-rival Iran, projects a 6.7 percent rise in defence spending in 2017 to 191 billion riyals ($50.8 billion), according to official budget figures released on Thursday. The kingdom, one of the world's biggest military spenders, forecasts a decline in Security and Regional Administration, a separate spending category that is military-related, to 96.7 billion riyals from 102.3 billion. Military spending was originally projected at 179 billion riyals in 2016 but actual military spending has been around 205.1 billion. Security and Regional Administration spending will be 100.6 billion in 2016, according to the budget's preliminary estimates.

Luerssen, ThyssenKrupp and German Naval Yards have agreed to bid jointly for a German navy warship contract after competition authorities struck down an earlier bid, an industry source said. The contract had originally been worth 1.5 billion euros($1.68 billion) but it is unclear how much the government will ultimately pay. The contract for five corvettes, which had been due to be awarded without tender to a consortium of ThyssenKrupp and Luerssen, was struck down by the German cartel office after German Naval Yards complained.

Chinese military chief General Fang Fenghui said on Thursday the drilling rig that has provoked riots in Vietnam is operating in China's territorial waters and will continue conducting its operations despite the violence. Fang, speaking at a Pentagon news conference with top U.S. military officer General Martin Dempsey, said other countries in the region were provoking conflict in the South China Sea. He urged Washington to take an "objective view" about the situation, which he said was fueled by the U.S. military pivot to Asia. (Reporting by David Alexander; Editing by Eric Beech)

The national security considerations of governments and long-term planning undertaken for military expenditure have ensured that revenue for the Global Military Shipbuilding and Submarines industry has been relatively stable. IBISWorld expects that industry revenue will increase at an annualized 1.2% to $38.9 billion in the five years through 2012. “This growth is primarily attributed to the demand for military ships and boats to protect coastal waters and to expand and renew navy fleet sizes,” says IBISWorld industry analyst David Stephen. “The contributions to industry revenue are particularly strong from North America, Europe and North Asia.” Government military budget cuts are forecast to lead to slower revenue growth of 0.3% over 2012.

Bureau Veritas has joined forces with prominent military ships designers and builders to update and complete its Rules for Classification of Naval Ships. The new rules, which build on Bureau Veritas’s experience with high-technology vessels and materials, will provide designers and builders with a safe, pragmatic, robust and rational framework for military ships of all sizes. Yves Le Gal, head of military developments at BV’s Paris head office, says, “Naval concerns about the safety of military ship in peacetime have prompted the development of naval classification rules. This new edition, dated September 2006, benefits from experience gained during the recent new construction programmes for the French navy.