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HONOLULU — The Navy said it relieved the commander of a Pearl Harbor-based destroyer after losing confidence in her leadership. The Navy said in a brief news release that Cmdr. Kathryn J. Dawley was removed as the USS Hopper’s leader on Tuesday. It did not elaborate on the reason for her dismissal. Capt. Don Rauch, deputy commander of Destroyer Squadron Three One, has temporarily assumed command of the Hopper until the Navy identifies a permanent replacement. Dawley took over as the ship’s commander a year ago. A Navy news story from that time said Dawley was the first female commanding...

The new year is barely three weeks old and already the US Navy’s “freedom of navigation” operations are eliciting furious threats of retaliation from the Chinese military. Since President Donald Trump took office one year ago, the Navy and Air Force have increasingly sought to test the Chinese military response in the Pacific by sailing or flying within a certain perimeter – usually 12 miles – of one of China’s disputed territorial holdings in the South China Sea, according to RT.In the latest clash, the USS Hopper missile destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles of Huangyan Dao, a tiny island...

George Bush calls Iran 'leading terror sponsor' By Damien McElroy In Riyadh Last Updated: 4:46pm GMT 13/01/2008 President George W Bush has condemned Iran as the foremost threat to global security as he attempted to rally Gulf states behind a tougher line against the Islamic Republic during a tour of the region. In a keynote speech in Abu Dhabi President Bush said it was time to confront an Iran that supported terrorism and defied the United Nations to pursue secret nuclear research. "Iran is today the world's leading state sponsor of terror," he said. "It sends hundreds of millions of...

Three U.S. Navy Ships Approached by Iranian Boats Story Number: NNS080107-05 Release Date: 1/7/2008 11:41:00 AM From Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command/Commander, U.S. 5th Fleet Public Affairs BAHRAIN (NNS) -- Following a routine transit through the Strait of Hormuz, Jan. 6, three U.S. Navy ships operating in international waters in the Persian Gulf were approached by five Iranian small boats that demonstrated irresponsible confrontational behavior near the U.S. ships. U.S. Navy ships USS Port Royal (CG 73), USS Hopper (DDG 70) and USS Ingraham (FFG 61) were steaming in formation at approximately 8 a.m. as they finished a routine...

Friends come and go, but shipmates are forever. Okay Freepers I know many of you have been reading and hearing details of the Iranians harassment of our warships entering the gulf. My shipmate/friend states that many of the crewmembers onboard are angry about how the story is being reported in the press and that family members have been emailing his boat to the point that email has been taken offline. Before going offline, my friend stated that the crews of all three ship responded as their training required and it was this training that proved superior to that of the...

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's Foreign Ministry said Monday that a confrontation between Iranian boats and U.S. Navy ships in the Persian Gulf over the weekend was "something normal" and was resolved. It suggested the Iranian boats had not recognized the U.S. vessels. The Pentagon said that in the incident early Sunday, five small Iranian boats repeatedly "charged" U.S. warships in the Gulf's Hormuz Strait and dropped boxes in the water. The boats warned the U.S. ships that they would set up "explosions," a U.S. Defense Department official said. The U.S. craft were on the verge of opening fire when the...

Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats harassed and provoked three US Navy ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, threatening to blow up the American vessels, US officials said Monday. They described it as a serious provocation. US forces were on the verge of firing on the Iranian boats in the early Sunday incident, when the boats turned and moved away, a Defense Department official said. "It is the most serious provocation of this sort that we've seen yet," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. White House spokesman Tony...

WASHINGTON, (AP) -- In what U.S. officials called a serious provocation, Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats harassed and provoked three U.S. Navy ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, threatening to explode the American vessels. U.S. forces were on the verge of firing on the Iranian boats in the early Sunday incident, when the boats turned and moved away, a Pentagon official said. "It is the most serious provocation of this sort that we've seen yet," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the record. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said:...

CNN) -- The U.S. military reported Monday on a "significant" confrontation involving five Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats that "harrassed and provoked" three U.S. naval ships in international waters over the weekend. U.S. military officials said the incident occurred Saturday night in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping channel leading in and out of the Persian Gulf. The five Iranian ships made "threatening" moves -- in one case coming within 200 yards of a U.S. ship, the U.S. officials said. n one radio transmission, the Iranians told the U.S. Navy: "I am coming at you. You will explode in a...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2008 – Three U.S. Navy vessels took evasive actions after five Iranian boats buzzed the ships transiting the Straits of Hormuz yesterday, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said today. Speaking to Pentagon reporters, Whitman called the Iranian provocation “a serious incident.” The fast Iranian boats approached at “distances and speed that showed reckless, dangerous and potentially hostile intent,” he said. The incident lasted about 15 to 20 minutes, he said. The Navy ships were going into the Persian Gulf when the Iranian boats confronted them. “Small, Iranian fast boats made some aggressive maneuvers against our vessels and indicated...

US Navy commanders were moments away from firing on Iranian attack ships during a skirmish in the Straits of Hormuz, it has emerged. Damien McElory: American armada prepares to take on IranA Pentagon spokesman revealed that five Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy boats harrassed and provoked three US ships in the narrow waterway at the mouth of the Persian Gulf at the weekend.   The Persian Gulf is the scene of tensions between Iran and the US The Iranian craft came within 200 yards of the US vessels, which were sailing in international waters. The Iranian provocations included disregarding warnings...

WASHINGTON, Jan. 7, 2008 – The commander of the U.S. 5th Fleet in the Middle East today called the behavior of Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats that buzzed three U.S. Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz yesterday “unduly provocative.”  Navy Vice Adm. Kevin J. Cosgriff, who also commands U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, briefed Pentagon reporters via video teleconference from his headquarters in Manama, Bahrain. He said the USS Port Royal, USS Hopper, USS Ingraham were inbound to the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz yesterday morning. The ships were in the midst of a routine transit in...

Breaking News U.S. officials: 5 Iranian Revolutionary Guard boats harassed, provoked 3 U.S. Navy warships in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

MANAMA, Bahrain -- A sailor from USS Hopper went overboard during U.S. Navy operations in the Arabian Sea, the U.S. military said Friday. The sailor went missing Thursday around 7:30 a.m. local time while the ship was conducting maritime security operations, said the statement from the Naval Forces Central Command in Bahrain. "A 'man overboard' was immediately called and air and surface forces from the Hopper, USS Port Royal and USS Ingraham began conducting search and rescue operations," it said. The sailor, whose name was not released, has not been found but the search continues, the Navy said. Lt. John...

Story Number: NNS040326-08 Release Date: 3/26/2004 11:20:00 AM By Journalist 3rd Class Devin Wright, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Almost 130 Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets took part in an annual four-day spring camp beginning March 19. The spring camp consists of a day of boot camp-style instruction on military protocol, and a basic seamanship course that includes sailing and kayaking. There is also a physical readiness portion in which cadets hike Diamond Head and complete second class swimming qualifications. Cadets also receive an historical overview of the Navy here in Hawaii,...