As the Royal Navy’s HMS Albion awakens from her four-year slumber, her sailors raise a toast with veteran matelots. The assault ship has been in extended readiness since 2011 in her home base of Devonport, being brought back to life so she can take over as the nation’s principal amphibious vessel fr
Last week Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG2) met with Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) while operating in the Eastern Mediterranean. Both groups had the opportunity to perform a passing exercise, characterized as sailing in formation. SNMG1 took the opportunity to refuel with SNMG2 ESPS CA
This week Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) entered in the port of Aksaz, Turkey for a planned port visit during its assignment to NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR. After the group assemble in Palma de Mallorca (Spain), the German flagship frigate FGS HAMBURG, followed by t
The UK MOD has awarded contracts worth £80 million to upgrade the backbone of the Royal Navy surface flotilla, the Type 23 Frigates. A £68M contract, with Rolls-Royce subsidiary MTU, which includes a training and transitional support package, will see each ship supplied with four new diesel generato
Raytheon Anschütz has been selected by BAE Systems to provide the Integrated Navigation and Bridge System (INBS) for the UK Royal Navy’s new Type 26 Global Combat Ships. Raytheon Anschütz is under contract to deliver the Integrated Bridge and Navigation System for the first three ships, including cu
A Merlin from 814 Naval Air Squadron is guided down on to the flight deck of Italy’s flagship for the first time as part of the international migrant mission in the Mediterranean. The 814 NAS crew normally based at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose near Helston in Cornwall flew on to the Aircraft Car
NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1) concluded a visit to Istanbul July 27, following their participation in Exercises BREEZE and SEA SHIELD during Group’s deployment into the Black Sea. Led by Rear Admiral Alberto Correia (Portuguese Navy), SNMG1 comprised during the Blac
The US destroyer USS Jason Dunham sailed into Devonport Naval Base, UK, to begin a five day visit on Friday, July 31. USS Jason Dunham has been on deployment from her home port of Norfolk, Virginia since January this year. She has visited various European countries such as Montenegro, Bulgaria and P
Bath Iron Works Gets USS Zumwalt’s Propellers Rolls-Royce has delivered the twin fixed pitch propellers to Bath Iron Works for installation on the US Navy’s most modern surface combatant, the future USS Zumwalt, the first ship of the DDG 1000 multi-mission destroyer class. Portsmouth Naval Base Prep
This month, a Damen RoRo 5612 was launched at Halong Shipyard in Vietnam. The RoRo is one of nine Damen vessels ordered by the Royal Bahamas Defence Force as part of its Sandy Bottom Project. The vessel’s multi-purpose capabilities will be put to use by the Defence Force in a range of situations inc
This year marks the 70th Anniversary of the Royal Navy Aircraft Handlers Branch, who was formed to meet a need in 1945 to launch and recover aircraft from the navy’s large carriers. The first Aircraft Handlers (AH) were intrinsically involved with operations at the latter part of World War 2, that s
Spanish warship, ESPS Galicia, recently reached the halfway point in her deployment as the flagship for Operation Atalanta. Since joining the Operation in May 2015, ESPS Galicia has sailed over 15,000 nautical miles, conducting counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden and Somali basin, as well as
Work has begun to revamp facilities in Portsmouth Naval Base so it can accommodate Britain’s biggest warships. It will take 18 months and £34m (about USD 53 million) to turn the 90-year-old structure at Middle Slip Jetty into 21st Century moorings meeting all the needs of Britain’s future flagship.
Colombian Navy warship, ARC 7 de Agosto, recently completed sea trials with the Spanish Navy prior to her collaboration with Operation Atalanta off the coast of Somalia. Conducted at the Spanish Navy Combat at Sea Centre in south western Spain, the sea training ensured that ARC 7 de Agosto was ready
