The Egyptian port of Alexandria welcomed a Russian missile cruiser yesterday, according to the New Zealand Herald. Varyag, the flagship of the Russian Pacific Fleet, docked in Alexandria ahead of one of the highest-level visits by Russian officials to the country in decades. During the unofficial vi
The UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) ship, Fort Victoria, simultaneously refueled the Australian ship, HMAS Melbourne, and the Norwegian ship, HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen, in balmy conditions off the north-eastern coast of Somalia. This risky manoeuvre requires nerves of steel from each ship’s captain and
Maritime forces from the United States, 10 East African and two European nations, along with several international organizations, commenced the multinational maritime exercise Cutlass Express 2013, Nov. 11. Exercise Cutlass Express 2013, held in several operational areas in waters off East Africa, i
Rear Admiral Geoffrey Biekro, Ghana Navy Chief of Naval Staff, visited the MWS recently as part of a wider visit to the UK. During his time at HMS Collingwood the Admiral visited the Close Range Training Simulator, the Bridge Simulator, met with Ghana Navy students on the International Warfare Offic
On November 10, the Ukrainian Navy Hetman Sahaidachnyi (U130) frigate within the Multinational Ship Component under the Ocean Shield operation proceeded to the third patrolling phase in the Gulf of Aden. During the second patrolling phase, from October 29 through November 7, the personnel of the nat
Onboard RFA Lyme Bay, which is part of European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta, the Boarding teams from the Fleet Contingency Troop and K Company 43 Commando Royal Marines have taken advantage of the Lynx MK 8 that embarked from RFA Fort Austin to practice fast roping techn
The Nimitz Carrier Strike Group reentered the U.S. 5th Fleet Area of Responsibility (AOR) after transiting the Suez Canal, Nov. 8. The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), along with embarked Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 11, Carrier Air Wing 11, and Destroyer Squadron 23, spent nearly three weeks in
On Sunday NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD warship HDMS ESBERN SNARE boarded two small craft and detained nine suspected pirates, following an attack in the area the previous day. On the previous day, the Danish flagged vessel TORM KANSAS reported she was attacked unsuccessfully by pirat
The Lithuanian Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD), deployed with the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta since August 2013, is tasked with the protection of the World Food Programme (WFP) ship MV Caroline Scan. Embarked on the Caroline scan around the clock, the AVPD en
Friday, 01 November 2013 was a memorable day for Cdr C.E. Khumalo, as it was his first time in his South African Navy (SAN) career history that he assumed command. He said it was an honour to take over Naval Station Durban (NS Dbn), soon to be Naval Base Durban. Senior members from the South [&helli
Just a few weeks after the Operation Commander of the EU Naval Force, Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant, issued another warning about the on-going piracy threat, there have been two more piracy related incidents off the Somali coast. The first incident happened on Tuesday 5 November, when EU Naval Force Germ
General Sir Richard Shirreff, KCB CBE, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR) paid a visit to NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) on Wednesday, 6 November 2013, and met with its Commander, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, CBE. The two NATO leaders took the opportunity for an exchange of views
