VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.– Sailors assigned to Assault Craft Unit 4 prepare material recovered in the Atlantic Ocean from a high-altitude balloon for transport to federal agents at Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek Feb. 10, 2023. US Navy Photo
The Navy and Coast Guard have finished collecting the remnants of a Chinese high altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of South Carolina, U.S. Northern Command announced Friday. Read More
Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 conduct pre-dive checks during recovery efforts of a high-altitude balloon in the Atlantic Ocean, Feb. 7, 2023. US Navy Photo
The amphibious warship that has served as the nerve center for the recovery of the remains of a Chinese spy balloon is headed back to port to drop off what divers have recovered, a defense official confirmed to USNI News. Read More
Sailors assigned to Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2 recover a high-altitude surveillance balloon off the coast of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Feb. 5, 2023. US Navy Photo
A contracted offshore supply vessel left Virginia bound for the crash site of the Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, USNI News has learned. Read More
Cmdr. Brad Fancher, commanding officer of the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall (LSD-50), observes the debris field of a high-altitude surveillance balloon on Feb. 4, 2023. US Navy Photo
A U.S. amphibious warship, explosive and ordnance divers and underwater robots are off the coast of South Carolina surveying about a square mile off the Atlantic Ocean for the remains of a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon a U.S. fighter shot down on Saturday, defense officials told reporters on Monday.
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Video stills of the Chinese Spy Balloon after it was hit with an AIM-9X anti-air missile fired from a F-22 Raptor on Feb. 4, 2023.
A trio of Navy warships, service divers and the FBI are on the hunt for the wreckage of a high-altitude Chinese spy balloon that was shot down on Saturday by an Air Force F-22 Raptor off the coast of South Carolina, Defense Department officials told reporters Saturday. Read More
Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Omar Bowen, left, assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit Bahrain, administers the COVID-19 vaccine to Lt. j.g. Kory Hill, anti-terrorism officer aboard amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD-22), in Manama, Bahrain on Feb. 26, 2021. US Navy Photo
The COVID-19 pandemic continued to affect the Navy’s functioning, even as vaccines were rolled out to the fleet. The past year brought ebbs and flows in terms of the number of cases with peaks brought by the Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2. Read More
Sailors assigned to guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) prepare to depart Manama, Bahrain, during a sea and anchor detail, March 21, 2021. Philippine Sea is deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of naval operations to ensure maritime stability and security in the Central Region, connecting the Mediterranean and Pacific through the western Indian Ocean and three critical chokepoints to the free flow of global commerce. US Navy photo.
Cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG-58) has returned to sea fully mission capable after spending nearly a month in port in Bahrain to deal with COVID-19 cases within the crew. Read More
Hospitalman Cheyenne Bostick, center, assigned to amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22), prepares to administer a COVID-19 vaccine to Sailors assigned to guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58) in Manama, Bahrain, March 2, 2021. US Navy photo.
An amphibious warship is back to sea in the Middle East after spending two weeks in Bahrain trying to contain the spread of COVID-19 among its crew. Read More
Lt. Matthew Johnson, right, a registered nurse assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Unit Bahrain, verifies the medical paperwork of amphibious transport dock ship USS San Diego (LPD 22) Commanding Officer Capt. Kevin Ralston before administering the COVID-19 vaccine in Manama, Bahrain, Feb. 26. San Diego, part of the Makin Island Amphibious Ready Group, and the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit are deployed to the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations. US Navy photo
Two ships in the Middle East that recently discovered COVID-19 cases among the crew have finished testing all personnel and begun vaccinating those who want the shot, a Navy spokeswoman told USNI News. Read More
Visit, board, search and seizure Sailors assigned to guided-missile cruiser USS Philippine Sea (CG 58), deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet and operating in support of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), prepare to board a dhow suspected of carrying narcotics in the international waters of the North Arabian Sea, Jan. 30. CMF is a multinational maritime partnership which exists to counter illicit non-state actors on the high seas, promoting security, stability and prosperity in the Arabian Gulf, Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Gulf of Oman. US Navy photo.
This post has been updated to include additional information from U.S. 5th Fleet.
The Navy is trying to stem the spread of COVID-19 on two ships deployed to the Middle East. Read More
