On Tuesday 3 December, Spanish Ocean Patrol Vessel, ESPS Tornado joined the European Union’s counter piracy task force operating off the coast of Somalia. The warship will be part of the EU Naval Force for four months as Spain’s contribution to Operation Atalanta. Commissioned in 2012, ESPS Tornado
QinetiQ, a long established partner for SMERAS research, test and evaluation for the UK Royal Navy, has been contracted by the UK MOD to upgrade and provide on-going maintenance for a specialist software tool designed to aid in the decision making process of submarine escape and rescue systems. The
AVEVA announced today that BMT Defence Services Ltd (BMT) has chosen AVEVA Marine software to better serve its current and future customers through improved design efficiency. BMT has selected AVEVA Marine to enable tighter integration between its hull and outfitting disciplines, aiming to improve d
Russia has launched a new submarine in St Petersburg – the first in a series of six to be delivered to the Russian Black Sea fleet over the next two years. The diesel-electric submarine Novorossiysk is the latest example of non-atomic technology. It is well armed and hard to detect when submerged. A
General Dynamics Bath Iron Works (GDBIW) has received a USD 73.9 million worth DDG 51 and FFG 7 contract. Within the contract, GDBIW will provide expert design, planning, and material support services for both maintenance and modernization of the said class of ships. Design of USS Arleigh Burke (DDG
A biting wind whistled across Portsmouth Harbour as six Royal Naval Reservists plunged into the dark waters of the diving training lake at the Navy’s Horsea Island training site, swimming across the lake, completing a timed set of circuits and leaping several times from the highest platform (over 30
Since arriving in the Philippines, HMS Illustrious and her ‘floating warehouse’ of emergency supplies have been a hub of activity. The Royal Navy’s amphibious aircraft carrier arrived in the Philippines on 25 November after a short stop in Singapore to load up 500 tonnes of humanitarian aid under th
Portsmouth based HMS Lancaster has visited her final Caribbean port and started her long journey home for Christmas. The ship called into Bridgetown, Barbados, for a four day visit that also marked the island’s Independence Day. A squad of 15 sailors were sent along to participate in the 47th Indepe
During the medal ceremony which was held on the flight deck in the Gulf of Aden, the international staff and ship’s company were decorated by the Force Commander of Atalanta, commodore Peter Lenselink of the Royal Netherlands Navy. Commodore Lenselink praised the EU flag staff and ship’s company “Yo
On Saturday 1 December, an EU Naval Force Autonomous Vessel Protection Detachment (AVPD) handover ceremony was held in Djibouti between Lithuanian and Serbian Forces in Djibouti. Members of the Lithuanian Forces have spent the past four months embarked in the World Food Programme (WFP) aid ship, MV
Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Moss Point, Miss., Unmanned Systems Center started production of the first NATO Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) Block 40 Global Hawk aircraft, enhanced to meet NATO operational requirements. NATO representatives, state dignitaries, community leaders and Northrop Gru
Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) successfully joined 11 additional ships in the annual Turkish Mine Warfare Exercise NUSRET 13 in Saros Bay November 22-30. The SNMCMG2 units FGS MOSEL, FGS ROTTWEIL and TCG ERDEMLI were joined by the Hellenic Navy HS EVROPI. The Turkish Navy, u
