In a true display of multinational military cooperation, ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 escorted a Ro-Ro sealift ship sailing for the UK’s Royal Fleet Auxiliary carrying Norwegian military equipment to Lithuania. The operation, which took place from May 23 to 24, is part of NATO’s enhan
The Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (NDMA) has contracted BMT Defence Services (BMT), a subsidiary of BMT Group Ltd, for consultancy services on the country’s submarine acquisition program. According to BMT, the contract is a framework agreement through which BMT can either conduct stand-alone tas
The crew of U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS James E. Williams (DDG 95) started their deployment departing Naval Station Norfolk on May 23. USS James E. Williams will be conducting a regularly-scheduled deployment to perform maritime operations in the Navy’s 5th and 6th F
The Spanish Navy-operated research ship ‘Hespérides’ returned to her homeport in Cartagena on May 23, concluding the 30th Spanish Antarctic campaign. During the almost six months Hesperides spent at sea, scientists carried out 17 projects, mostly related to climate change. Rotating on the ship, more
German Navy’s fourth and final 125 class frigate (F125) ‘Rheinland-Pfalz’ was christened at thyssenkrupp Marine Systems’ Hamburg site on May 24. The frigate ‘Rheinland-Pfalz’ is scheduled to be handed over to the German defense procurement agency BAAINBw in spring 2020. Malu Dreyer, premier of the s
German Navy frigate FGS Brandenburg has completed repairs and returned to sea following a grounding incident in Greece, in April this year. The frigate ran aground on the morning of April 17 while departing the port of Piraeus, Greece. FGS Brandenburg collided with a jetty and damaged her rudder and
Canadian company 2G Robotics announced it has been selected to supply AUV-based laser scanning, stills imaging, and illumination solutions for the Royal Norwegian Navy’s Hugin AUVs. 2G Robotics will work on the latest contract that will see Kongsberg Maritime deliver four AUVs to the Norwegian Defen
Austrian unmanned air system manufacturer showcased its CAMCOPTER UAS to Norwegian defense forces and security agencies earlier this month at the Andøya Test Center (ATC). The event, held approximately 300 kilometers north of the Arctic Circle, was attended by the Norwegian Coastguard, Royal Norwegi
Navy ships from BALTRON states – Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia – kicked off the international maritime exercise Baltic Fortress 17 on May 19 in Estonian territorial waters. Joining the Baltic nations navies were sailors from the Belgian Navy’s minehunter BNS Primula who arrived to Estonia last week.
Irish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel LÉ Eithne departed the Haulbowline naval base on May 23, starting her Mediterranean Sea deployment. Commanded by Commander Brian FitzGerald, the 72 crew of LÉ Eithne will help fight smuggling and prevent loss of life at sea off the Libyan coast. The operation is d
Future fliers and engineers of the Royal Navy’s Wildcat helicopters spent three weeks off the Portuguese coast recently, waging an all-out imaginary war. With aviation training ship RFA Argus as their home, the pilots and observers were charged with protecting the 28,000-tonne vessel from all threat
French prosecutors are looking into a 2008 contract signed between shipbuilder DCNS and Brazil for the delivery of five submarines, French media have reported. The investigation will try to determine whether bribes helped the French defense contractor win the 6.7 billion euro contract for five diese
