Spanish Navy Rear Admiral Rafael Fernández-Pintado Muñoz-Rojas assumed the role of force commander of the European Union’s counter-piracy operation Atalanta off the Horn of Africa. Rojas assumed command on board his flagship, ESPS Galicia, during a ceremony held in Djibouti on Friday. Djibouti is a
U.S. Navy sailors aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) arrived in Plymouth, United Kingdom, for a regular port visit and for the opportunity to complete the Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST) certification FOST is an advanced warfare certification training event
Over ten ships from four nations are participating in the annual, Royal Navy of Oman-hosted exercise Khunjar Haad that takes place in the Gulf of Oman. Ships from the Royal Navy of Oman are joined by U.S., French and Royal Navy ships in gunnery and air defense exercises aimed at maintaining the sail
The German Navy and Air Force are once again enhancing their relationship with the South African Navy through a drill called “Good Hope VII”. As the “VII” in the name of the bilateral maneuver suggests, this is the seventh time the two countries are organizing the exercise. This is, however, the fir
UK defence company BAE Systems announced on February 23 that Ian King, chief executive, BAE Systems plc, will retire in June this year. The company board confirmed today that Charles Woodburn, currently chief operating officer, will be appointed as Chief Executive from 1 July 2017. Until that time,
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile cruiser USS Hue City (CG 66) parted ways with the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group and arrived in Tallinn, Estonia, for a scheduled port visit on February 22. While in port, Hue City is scheduled to host distinguished military and civilian visitors for an on-board
Having completed sea trials in January following a two-year refit, Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Westminster and her crew started combat readiness drills. The frigate has flashed up her main gun for the first time in two years – putting down 23 rounds a minute – and welcomed a submarine-hunting M
The Royal Netherlands Navy’s logistic support vessel HNLMS Pelikaan is undergoing refit works at the naval base Parera in Willemstad, Curaçao, where it is expected to remain until April 2017. HNLMS Pelikaan was launched in 2006 in Galati, Romania, and sailed into Willemstad for the first time on 11
Royal Fleet Auxiliary Gold Rover entered Portsmouth one final time on February 22, marking the end of her 43-year career. The tanker made the entry minutes after a wartime bomb was moved from the harbour. RN divers dealt with the German 250kg device which was dredged up overnight as part of preparat
FGS Nordrhein-Westfalen, the second ship in the class of German Navy’s four new F125 frigates, has successfully completed the first set of her builder’s sea trials, German defence procurement office announced on February 21. The frigate spent nine days at sea, from January 27 to February 4, conducti
Royal Navy bomb disposal experts have been called in on Wednesday morning to deal with another unexploded Second World War device found in the entrance to Portsmouth Harbour. The German SC250 bomb was found in the early hours of February 22 in the excavator head of a barge dredging the harbour – par
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS St. John’s and Spanish frigate Almirante Juan de Borbon concluded their operations in the Black Sea and returned to the Mediterranean Sea to continue their deployment with NATO standing maritime group 2. On January 31, 2017, the vessels transisted into the Black Sea
