The Chairman of NATO’s Military Committee, General Knud Bartels, travelled to the Gulf of Aden on 28-30 October 2013 to visit the Ukrainian Navy frigate Hetman Sahaydachniy deployed there as part of Operation Ocean Shield, NATO’s counter-piracy mission. “Ukraine’s ability to plug in and out of NATO’
Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine-Countermeasures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) met on Wednesday, 30 October 2013, for a joint training opportunity at sea near Crete, Greece. Both Groups have been operating in the Mediterranean in support of the counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE
Royal Navy frigate HMS Northumberland has had a chance encounter with a Russian battlecruiser while practising flying training off the West Coast of Scotland. The Devonport-based warship had been working with her Merlin helicopter in waters between the Shetlands and Faroes when the Kirov Class Pyotr
After nine months operating as part of the Royal Australian Navy Fleet, Spanish Armada Ship, ESPS Cantabria was farewelled from her temporary homeport of Garden Island, Sydney. Chief of Navy, Vice Admiral Ray Griggs, AO, CSC, RAN joined the Spanish Ambassador to Australia, HE Mr Enrique Viguera, Com
The Navy bade farewell to the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Ford (FFG 54) after more than 28 years of service during a decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station Everett, Oct. 31. The ceremony featured former USS Ford commanding officers, plankowners and family of the ship’s na
During the scheduled port-call at Tunis, the frigate ‘Álvaro de Bazán’ (F-101) and the Turkish frigate ‘Salihreis’, integrated into the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2), have trained with naval units from the Tunisian Navy. These PASSEX-type exercises are intended to assure that the participa
HMS Illustrious has had to fend off a succession of attacks from Omani jets off the coast of Oman during the opening stages of the last major exercise by the UK’s amphibious task group east of Suez. The veteran warship was expected not just to thwart the attackers, but put Royal Marines ashore on th
“A milestone”. This is how Brigadier General Dick Swijgman, Flag Officer Caribbean, described the seizure of 1,450 kilogrammes of cocaine by the CARIB guard ship HNLMS Amsterdam, earlier this week. The drugs represent a market value of over € 40 million. “This last drug haul brings the total of drug
HMS Ledbury has sailed into Poland for the start of a NATO exercise involving ships from partner nations including Norway, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Estonia. The two-week exercise will see the personnel take part in a number of warfare serials including hunting for dummy mines, di
The Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group (RFTG), currently deployed on Cougar 13, has successfully completed a six day exercise, Omani Cougar, with the Royal Omani Armed Forces. The maritime exercise tested the full integration of the Royal Navy and Royal Navy of Oman by conducting conventional ma
The aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), along with embarked Carrier Strike Group 11, Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11, and Destroyer Squadron 23 arrived in Naples, Italy for a port visit, Oct. 30. The visit allows Nimitz Strike Group Sailors and Marines the chance to experience the local culture and cust
Army and RAF personnel have been getting their sea legs on board HMS Richmond while on her patrol of the South Atlantic. The Yorkshire Regiment and 230 Squadron RAF are affiliated to the Portsmouth-based Type-23 frigate and seven personnel were given the opportunity to stay on board and experience l
