Dzirhan Mahadzir – July 3, 2025 5:00 PM

Aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN-73) arrived in Manila on Thursday for a port visit, the first since it departed Japan in June for its first patrol as a forward-deployed ship.

Philippine news channel ABS-CBN reported that George Washington was in Manila Bay for a port visit beginning Thursday. The carrier was in the Philippine Sea on Monday and in the South China Sea on Tuesday, when it hosted diplomats based in the Philippines from Australia, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the U.K., according to a social media post by the U.S Embassy in the Philippines. The carrier then hosted Philippine media Wednesday.

The George Washington Carrier Strike Group includes carrier George Washington, cruiser USS Robert Smalls (CG-62) and destroyer USS Shoup (DDG-86). George Washington departed Yokosuka on June 10 to carry out carrier qualification training for its embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5, completing it on June 16, and immediately starting its summer patrol.

The George Washington CSG is currently the only U.S. Navy CSG operating in the Indo-Pacific since the Nimitz CSG departed for the Middle East. The America Amphibious Ready Group with amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6), amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD-22), amphibious dock landing ship USS Rushmore (LSD-47) and the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit is the only ARG/MEU team operating in the Indo-Pacific. The America ARG is in the Coral Sea conducting operations ahead of its participation in the U.S.-Australian led multinational exercise Talisman Sabre ,which takes place from July 13 to Aug. 4 in Australia.

The United Kingdom Carrier Strike Group, led by Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales (R09), is now making its way across the Java Sea, sailing to Australia to take part in Talisman Sabre. RN destroyer HMS Dauntless (D33), Royal Australian Navy destroyer HMAS Sydney (DDG42), RN frigate HMS Richmond (F239), Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Ville De Quebec (FFH332), Royal New Zealand Navy frigate HMNZS Te Kaha (F77), Royal Norwegian Navy frigate HNoMS Roald Amundsen (F311), Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Mendez Nunez (F-104) and fleet oiler RFA Tidespring (A136) is escorting Prince of Wales.

The U.K. CSG split off between Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia, carrying out port visits with Prince of Wales, Dauntless, Sydney, Roald Amundsen and Tidespring departing from Singapore on Sunday. In contrast, Ville De Quebec departed Port Klang, Malaysia, on the same day to rejoin the U.K. CSG. Richmond, Te Kaha and Mendez Nunez departed from Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta, Indonesia, on Tuesday.

On Thursday, the People’s Liberation Army Navy Shandong Carrier Strike Group – carrier Shandong, cruiser CNS Yan’an (106), destroyer CNS Zhanjiang (165) and frigate CNS Yuncheng (571) – arrived in Hong Kong to carry out a port visit until Monday. The visit marks the carrier’s first visit to the city.

China’s other operational carrier, CNS Liaoning (16), visited the city in 2017. The Shandong CSG conducted dual carrier operations with the Liaoning CSG in the Philippine Sea in June, with both CSGs returning to their home ports after departing the Philippine Sea.

China has ramped up its aerial operations around Taiwan ahead of Taiwan’s annual military exercise Han Kuang, held from July 9-18.

On Wednesday, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported that from 6 a.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, People’s Liberation Army aircraft conducting 53 sorties and eight PLAN ships were detected operating around Taiwan. Thirty-seven out of 53 sorties crossed the median line between Taiwan and China, entering Taiwan’s northern and southwestern Air Defense Identification Zone.

On Thursday, the MND reported that from 6 a.m. Wednesday to 6 a.m. Thursday, 41 PLA aircraft sorties and nine PLAN vessels were detected, with 30 out of 41 sorties crossing the median line and entering Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ. The ADIZ is a larger area than air space and is claimed by an individual state.

Japan’s Joint Staff Office issued a Wednesday news release on flights of suspected Chinese unmanned aerial vehicles, which appeared to be conducting surveillance flights over the Philippine Sea off Taiwan’s east coast.

On Wednesday morning, a presumed Chinese UAV had flown in from the East China Sea, passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan and subsequently flew over the Philippine Sea off Taiwan’s east coast, according to the release, which included a map showing the drone reaching a point parallel to the center of Taiwan’s east coast before turning back. The UAV flew back the same way and passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan to return to the East China Sea.

A presumed Chinese UAV flew in from the East China Sea, passed between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan, and flew over the Philippine Sea, according to the release. Fighter aircraft from the Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled in response.

The Republic of Korea Navy issued a Thursday news release saying it began operational service of its six P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft, which arrived in South Korea in June last year.

Over the past year, the ROKN completed all preparations for operational deployment, including crew and maintenance personnel training, day and night flight training, tactical training, and final evaluations, according to the release.

“The P-8A is expected to enhance the Republic of Korea Navy’s anti-submarine warfare capabilities and serve as a force that can respond quickly in the event of maritime operations,” reads the release.

Tim Cooper – 2nd July 2025 at 8:35am

Teams from across all three services and even abroad recently came together to compete in one of the Royal Navy’s proudest and most enduring traditions – the Field Gun Competition.

There’s honour at stake and it’s taken extremely seriously.

But have you ever wondered what it’s all about, how it started and why it still goes ahead today?

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In order to find out I took a look behind the scenes and met some of those taking part.

My visit to HMS Collingwood began a day before the annual Field Gun Competition, which is officially called the Brickwood Trophy, took place.

Each element of the contest was gone through again and again – and the same happened in an area called the Field Gun Village.

Here, each team have their own space – a bit like a quaint version of an F1 paddock – and it’s usually kept very private, so it was a real treat for me to be allowed backstage, as it were.

I saw how all the field guns are lined up when the teams aren’t practising, and met the team from Joint Force Command (JFC) Naples, the Nato base.

Almost a dozen nationalities were represented in this team, including Master Sergeant Lisa Owens from Samoa, who serves in the US Army.

She said: “I like the physical aspect of it. When we came here in ’22, we had never seen the gun before, so we had to learn all the drills within 48 hours.

“I fell in love with it – since day one.”

I saw how Lisa had really embraced it, motivating the team, keeping them all focused and ensuring that Naples has a team going into the future even after she returns home to Fort Knox.

MSgt Owens added: “Me and a few other girls that have left JFC, we’ve been pushing everyone at JFC.

“I mean, we even advertise it to our commander. He loves it because we do public runs on JFC.

“It’s helped give a realistic or holistic view of everyone and how we perform the drills on the gun.”

For those who don’t know, the competition is based on an action where sailors had to haul their naval guns from their ships to help relieve the British Army in the besieged town of Ladysmith during the Boer War in 1900.

Ever since, the competition has taken place in varying forms and styles.

Taking the gun apart and reassembling it is symbolic of what the sailors would have had to do to get their guns across the treacherous terrain of South Africa.

Lieutenant Commander Gary Nicholson explained: “This is a competition that we’ve been running since 1907.

“Two men or two women can lift this barrel off the ground and rip the wheels off.

“We then come back to the breech here, and the breech opens, and there is a blank shell, 5.56, that’s placed in here.

“It’s put up the spout, and there are six firings throughout the competition. The breech comes over, sets off the charge, and that’s one round that’s been shot.”

Lt Cdr Nicholson showed me the limber box. “This is where the gun shells are stored,” he explained.

“And on the completion of the run, all six are in here with the extractor, which is the tool that’s used to extract them from the gun barrel.

“The box is on the ground and it’s built up, and the wheels are placed on with the shackles, and the pin is inserted into the axle.”

There’s loads of respect here between the teams. Every time one goes to practise, warm applause ripples around the encampment.

The downtime, though, is also a time for healing.

Practice and competition see a heavy gun move about very quickly – and injuries are sadly a part of it.

Regular maintenance is needed for the competitors. So, given this, why do people want to do it?

Able Rate Connor Merrin is a new member of the HMS Seahawk team who have made good recently, winning three years in a row.

He said: “It’s my grandad. He was Navy, and he told me about it, and so I thought I’d do it for him as well. He loved the idea of me doing it.”

On the big day itself, tight units were built and comradeship forged.

And while it may be tradition, fun and exciting, Field Gun is of massive use for the modern military.

“We’re really testing our sailors and all the things that we need to see for them and when they’re operating at sea,” said Captain Tim Davey, Commanding Officer of HMS Collingwood.

“So the teamwork, the camaraderie, leadership, spirit, grit and discipline are all the things that we need to see.”