Commodore Aage Buur Jensen and key members of his staff visited NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) on Friday, 12 December 2014, to formally hand over command of Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) and NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD Task Force 508 (TF-508). Vice Admiral Peter Hudson, C
HMS Defender returned to her home in Portsmouth on December 12, after more than six months deployed on high intensity operations in the Northern Gulf. The ship has spent part of her deployment supporting the US-led Carrier Task Group and her F18s conducting strikes in the fight against ISIL. The Typ
Sailors aboard Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Gridley (DDG-101) received approximately 120 supply pallets during a replenishment-at-sea, Dec. 02. The pallets were received via vertical replenishment (VERTREP) between the Gridley and Military Sealift Command Fleet Replenishment Oile
U.S. Navy frigate USS Vandegrift (FFG 48) returned from its final deployment Dec. 12, where it operated in the U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet area of responsibility (AOR). The ship will begin to make preparations for decommissioning after 30 years of service. During this final dep
Senior leaders from U.S. 7th Fleet visited Colombo, Sri Lanka and Male, Maldives and attended the Galle Dialogues international Maritime Conference Dec. 1-6, building relationships to improve maritime security in the Indo-Asia Pacific. While in Sri Lanka, 7th Fleet leaders met with officials from th
The U.S. Navy’s duty oiler in the Mediterranean Sea, fleet replenishment oiler USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195), is currently finishing a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea supplying the U.S. Navy and its allies with fuel and supplies at sea, Dec. 11, 2014. Grumman, a Military Sealift Comman
US Navy’s Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) arrived to Souda Bay, Greece, on December 10. The vessel pulled into the Marathi NATO pier facility during a scheduled port visit. Leyte Gulf, homeported in Norfolk, is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of
849 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) has set off for the Gulf this week to support Royal Navy and coalition forces on operations in the Middle East. 849 NAS has played an essential role in training the Culdrose Sea King Force aircrew and engineers as well as supporting frontline operations. It has also supp
Bath Iron Works is being awarded a $21,1 million modification to previously awarded contract to exercise options for DDG 51-class lead yard services. This work will provide class engineering and design services including technical assistance to the follow shipbuilders in the interpretation and appli
Littoral combat ship USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) stopped in Guam to refuel before continuing on to Southeast Asia, Dec. 11. Fort Worth is on her maiden 16-month rotational deployment in support of the Indo-Asia-Pacific region. Building on USS Freedom’s (LCS 1) inaugural 10-month deployment from March to
Command of guided-missile destroyer USS McFaul (DDG 74) passed from Cmdr. Lester A. Brown Jr., to Cmdr. Michael J. Gunther during a change of command ceremony at Naval Station Norfolk, Dec. 5. Rear Adm. Bruce Lindsey, commander, Carrier Strike Group 10, congratulated Brown and Gunther on their succe
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has directed the Navy “to move forward with a multi-mission small surface combatant based on modified Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) hull designs.” Consistent with the Fleet’s views on the most valued capabilities delivered by a small surface combatant, the modified LCS
Representatives from international counter-piracy organisations, as well as nations deploying warships independently, have gathered in Bahrain to discuss how they can best work together to combat the threat posed to shipping by criminal gangs from Somalia. NATO chaired the 34th Shared Awareness and
The US Navy’s forward-deployed amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) is getting ready to take to the seas. One of the first steps of that process is completed by a group of Sailors with a knowledge of the seas and all the accompanying obstacles that they present. The Sailors of the Na
