South Korea to sign contract for MH-60R this month

South Korea will go ahead to sign the contract to buy 12 MH-60R naval helicopters from Lockheed Martin this month.

An MH-60R Sea Hawk, assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 71, takes off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) in the Pacific Ocean, Feb. 5, 2019. The John C. Stennis is deployed to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations in support of security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Grant G. Grady)

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Study found that noise from EA-18G at Whidbey Island could affect marine life

A new study published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering on Nov. 16 says noise from EA-18G deployed to NAS Whidbey Island could have an impact on orcas and other endangered marine animals.

USN EA-18G 270615 (5)
Pablo Fernicola from United States, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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Japan to build 2 Aegis warships, extend range of Type 12 SSM

Japan has officially decided that it will build two more Aegis warships to replace the abandoned Aegis Ashore program, Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said Wednesday.

180712-N-HO130-2002 PACIFIC MISSILE RANGE FACILITY BARKING SANDS, Hawaii (July 12, 2018) Members of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) fire a Japanese Type 12 Surface-to-Ship Missile (SSM-12) at the ex-USS Racine (LST-1191), positioned at sea, during a sinking exercise, July 12, at Pacific Missile Range Facility Barking Sands on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, during the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise. This marks the first time the U.S. Army and JGSDF have participated in a sinking exercise during RIMPAC. Twenty-five nations, 46 ships, five submarines, about 200 aircraft, and 25,000 personnel are participating in RIMPAC from June 27 to Aug. 2 in and around the Hawaiian Islands and Southern California. The world’s largest international maritime exercise, RIMPAC provides a unique training opportunity while fostering and sustaining cooperative relationships among participants critical to ensuring the safety of sea lanes and security of the world’s oceans. RIMPAC 2018 is the 26th exercise in the series that began in 1971. (U.S. Navy photo by Master Chief Mass Communication Specialist Brian Brannon/Released)

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