Author Archives: David Arkwright

Have you ever wondered what 215 consecutive days at sea do to a ship?

An article from Defence Media: When the USS Stout returned from its unprecedented 215-day deployment in October 2020, there was no way to hide how much of the ship was covered in rust.One reason why Navy ships look so beat up is they are made of alloys that are designed to rust on the surfaceContinue reading “Have you ever wondered what 215 consecutive days at sea do to a ship?”

Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) conducts a replenishment-at-sea with the U.S. Navy’s only forward-deployed aircraft carrier, USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) in the Philippine Sea, June 4, 2024. Ralph Johnson is forward deployed and assigned to Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 15, the Navy’s largest DESRON and the U.S. 7th Fleet’s principal surface force.

On this day in 1982, HMS Illustrious became the first Royal Navy warship to be commissioned at sea, on her way to HMNB Portsmouth from the builders where she had been rushed through to relieve HMS Invincible was providing air cover to the Falklands after the war, arriving in late August.