After having assumed Command of Task Force 508 on 7th December 2012, Rear Admiral Antonio Natale reflects on his busy first month as the Commander of NATO’s counter piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield. The ships’ companies of the current task force; namely, ITS San Marco, USS Halyburton, TCG Goko
Military and civilian maritime professionals finalized the training agenda for exercise Saharan Express 2013 (SE13) during the final planning conference at the Royal Moroccan Navy Headquarters in Casablanca, Jan. 21-23. Militaries from West Africa, Europe, and the United States joined together to pl
During the reporting period of 09 – 16 January 2013 there were no piracy related incidents in the High Risk Area (HRA). The last of the hostages from the MV Orna have been released. The ship was pirated in Dec 2010 and freed in Oct 2012. However, a number of crew members had been kept […]
On Wednesday 16 January 2013 Rear Admiral Duncan Potts handed over operational command of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) to Rear Admiral Bob Tarrant. Rear Admiral Potts has commanded EU NAVFOR, the European Union’s counter piracy mission off Somalia, since August 2011. This period has wi
Sailors from HMS Northumberland spent a day helping to revamp a community centre in Tanzania during a break from anti-piracy patrols. Members of the Kigamboni showed their appreciation for the frigate’s efforts at the day’s end by performing a stunning acrobatic dance. During a break from anti-pirac
In the evening of 5th January, a merchant vessel sailing 260 miles off the Somali Coast, made a distress call, reporting that she was coming under attack by six men in a fast moving boat, armed with rocket propelled grenades. Thankfully, having employed avoidance tactics, the merchant vessel was abl
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Edinburgh has returned to sea following a two week mid-deployment period of maintenance in Simon’s Town, South Africa. The Portsmouth-based ship will now continue with her Atlantic patrol and her third crossing of the South Atlantic so far in this deployment. After two month
Three Chinese navy ships returning from counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden have docked at south Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City, kicking off a five-day good-will visit on Monday, Chinese Ministry of Defence reports citing Xinhua. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy ships belonging to the 1
Analysts forecast the Global Military Shipbuilding and Submarines Market to grow at a CAGR of 2.93 percent over the period 2011-2015. One of the key factors contributing to this market growth is the increasing share of defense budget. The Global Military Shipbuilding and Submarines market has also b
During the morning of the 26 of December, after more than two weeks at sea on board his flagship, Force Commander of the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, had a meeting with both the Djiboutian Chief of the Navy and the Chief of the Coast
Just 12 days after EU Naval Force warship BNS Louise Marie apprehended five suspect pirates at sea off the Somali Coast, the Belgium frigate has once again located a suspect skiff – this time with three men on board. The warship, which is operating as part of the European Union’s counter-piracy miss
1. January US Navy to Deploy Third Carrier Group to Persian Gulf The US will dispatch another carrier strike group led by USS Enterprise to the Persian Gulf in March 2012, reported US Navy on Jan 25. The carrier group based in Norfolk, VA will also include a guided missile cruiser and three [&hell
