Germany and France are looking to join forces in developing a new maritime patrol aircraft, according to a German defense ministry announcement. The two countries’ defense ministers are scheduled to sign a letter of intent on April 27 for cooperation on the “Maritime Airborne Warfare System” project
An Italian Navy Agusta-Bell AB 212ASW helicopter with five on board crashed into the Mediterranean Sea on April 5, the Italian Navy has informed. All five Italian Navy personnel from the helicopter were recovered immediately recovered but one crew member died during resuscitation attempts, the navy
The EU-led counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia has welcomed a new force commander in a ceremony held in Djibouti on April 5. Italian Navy Rear Admiral Simone Malvagna will now be in charge of operation Atalanta from aboard his flagship, FREMM frigate ITS Carlo Margottini. The frigate i
A new naval support facility in Bahrain for Royal Navy operations was officially opened in a ceremony on April 5. The facility will be the hub of the Royal Navy’s operations in the Gulf, Red Sea and Indian Ocean. The base will be capable of meeting the needs of British warships operating in the regi
US Navy and Marine Corps have cancelled the Alligator Dagger amphibious drill taking place off Djibouti after two back-to-back aircraft crashes. In addition to halting Alligator Dagger maneuvers, the US Naval Forces Central Command also cancelled all air operations in Djibouti after two separate avi
MBDA and Lockheed Martin announced they have completed a series of trials aimed at qualifying the integration of MBDA’s Common Anti-air Modular Missile (CAMM) with Lockheed Martin’s Extensible Launching System (ExLS) 3-Cell stand alone launcher. ExLS is Lockheed Martin’s low-cost alternative for int
US Navy ships from the Essex amphibious ready group (ARG) have completed the first series of integration exercises with 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) during amphibious squadron (PHIBRON)-MEU Integrated Training (PMINT) off the coast of Southern California. Participating units honed their abil
Steel makers Bisalloy and BlueScope have inked a new contract with Naval Group Australia to produce up to 250 tons of specialized steel. As informed, the steel produced will be tested to determine whether it meets the specification for the pressure hull of the Royal Australian Navy’s new Future Subm
A squadron of 12 French Navy Rafale M fighter jets, accompanied by three KC-135 refueling tankers, took off from the Landivisiau Naval Aviation Base in northwest France on April 4 to head to the United States for a two-month deployment. The aircraft usually fly from the French Navy aircraft carrier
Italian Navy’s multi-purpose research vessel ITS Alliance is set to return to its homeport in La Spezia, Italy, on April 6, concluding a 79-day mission in waters off Iceland and Greenland. Alliance’s mission was to support a project carried out under the custody of NATO’s Center for Maritime Researc
Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade has begun a two-week amphibious training event in international waters off the African coast of Djibouti, the US Department of Defense said. As explained, Alligator Dagger is the largest regional amphibious combat rehearsal to in
Navantia Australia announced it would be welcoming another Australian company as a partner in its bid for the Royal Australian Navy’s Future Frigate program. The latest company to join the team is the Perth-based Hofmann Engineering which provides engineering solutions and full turn-key tooling serv
The Pacific Partnership 2018 missions in Indonesia and Palau kicked off on April 2 and April 4, respectively. In Indonesia, the multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) preparedness mission officially kicked off with a two-part opening ceremony ashore and aboard the Military
Spanish shipbuilder Navantia officially started construction works on the second Royal Australian Navy auxiliary and replenishment oiler (AOR) with a steel cutting ceremony on April 4. First steel for the ship was cut at the company’s Fene facility in northwestern Spain. According to Navantia, const
