In 1953, the Royal Navy’s helicopter search and rescue service was founded, making 2013 its 60th anniversary of saving lives at sea and on land. And it’s looking for a little bit of help from the people of Scotland, where the red and grey liveried Sea Kings are a familiar sight across the nation. To
The launch of the head high speed patrol boat of project 03160 “Raptor” designed and built by Open JSC “Pella” by the order of RF Navy. The boat is intended to perform the following operations at day-time and at night: the transportation of group of at least 20 persons providing the highest possible
The first five next-generation Merlins have been handed over to crews at Culdrose to prepare the souped-up helicopter for front-line duties. The innards of the Mk1 has been ripped out and replaced in a £750m upgrade of the Merlin fleet to ensure it stays one step ahead of our foes until the end of t
A Royal Naval ordnance disposal team from Plymouth has successfully detonated a large WW2 bomb found in a wood in the Channel Islands. The explosion off Guernsey created a huge 200-metre tall plume of sea water when the half-tonne air-dropped land mine was disposed of with a controlled explosion und
On Sunday 18 August, fourteen participants along with several EUCAP Nestor trainers boarded the Dutch EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) Flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt in Djibouti, to embark for a one week’s training course on Maritime Security. This course, the second to be organised by EUCAP Nestor, brings t
The guided-missile frigate USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) arrived in Durres, Albania for a port visit, Aug.16. This port visit serves to continue Naval Forces Europe-Africa efforts to build global maritime partnerships with European nations to enhance regional stability. While in Durres, Sailors wil
A twice-decorated submariner who undertook dangerous convoy missions to Malta in the Second World War and plotted mines before the 1944 South Coast of France landings has celebrated his 100th birthday. Captain William Hedley Kett DSC* RD* RNR served for six years (1940 – 46) under the sea during the
On August 6th, after passing through the Suez Canal, navigating the Red Sea and crossing the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb, the Spanish warship ESPS Meteoro has been integrated into the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta. The ESPS Meteoro is the first of a series of four mod
The Royal Navy’s specialist helicopter support squadron has won a top award for engineering efficiency. Portsmouth-based 1710 Naval Air Squadron – the MOD’s centre of excellence for tri-service helicopter structural repair, modifications and scientific support – was presented with the Royal Royce Ef
Yesterday Commander Task Force 465, Commodore Peter Lenselink, visited Commander Task Force 508, Commodore Henning Amundsen, on board HNoMS FRIDTJOF NANSEN to discuss ongoing counter-piracy operations. Combined Task Force 465 is the European Union Naval Force, which executes counter piracy Operation
On 14 August, whilst in Djibouti the FGS Augsburg handed over the German commitment to the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia Operation Atalanta to FGS Niedersachsen. The handover was presided over by Captain Stefan Pauly, Branch Head of Maritime Operations from the Joint Forces Operatio
Almaz Shipyard launched the fourth patrol ship of the Project 22460, the Izumrud (Emerald) on August 14th. Having hit the water, the ship will now be subjected to further outfitting. The Project 22460 patrol ship was developed by Severnoye Design Bureau under the Russian FSB Coast Guard tender for t
