Naval Today team wishes all our readers joyous holidays and a happy and prosperous New Year! We would also like to thank our readers for the continuous support over the year and we look forward to bringing you the latest stories about the naval world next year as well. May 2018 bring you fair winds
US Marines embarked aboard French amphibious assault ship LHD Tonnerre (L9014) concluded ten days of amphibious operations in the vicinity of Djibouti during the Alligator Dagger exercise. US marines and sailors from the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit and Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51/5th Ma
The Royal Navy will have a total of 13 vessels and one of its four Vanguard-class submarines on deployment overseas and in home waters over the holiday season, according to the Royal Navy. What is missing from the list of deployed assets are any major warships as no frigates or destroyers are curren
Swedish defense major Saab announced it has acquired combat boat producer N. Sundin Dockstavarvet AB and the repair shipyard Muskövarvet AB, strengthening its presence in the naval sector. Saab said the acquisition of the companies would become effective on December 29, 2017. Dockstavarvet, based ou
Finland’s defense minister on December 19 authorized the country’s defense forces’ logistics command to sign contracts for the upgrade of Hamina-class fast attack missile craft (FAC). The authorization follows the signing of a letter of intent and a pre-design activities contract with Patria Aviatio
The Italian Navy has taken over command of the operation Sophia task force from the Spanish Navy in a ceremony at Italian naval base Taranto. On the occasion, Italian Navy Rear Admiral Giuseppe Berutti Bergotto replaced Spanish Navy Rear Admiral Javier Moreno as the new deputy force commander. Durin
Dutch steel-construction manufacturer Ravestein has delivered a new caisson to the UK Royal Navy for installation at Portsmouth Naval Base. With the new caisson in place, the naval base has reopened the former “14” dry dock for the first time since 2002. Reopening this dock takes the base capability
Taking a break from her Atlantic patrol duties, Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay stopped in Bermuda on December 15 for a three day visit. The ship has been deployed to the region to provide humanitarian and disaster relief for the UK’s Caribbean overseas territories and Bermuda. This year RFA Mounts
Members of the US Naval Amphibious Force, Task Force 51, 5th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (TF 51/5) on December 13 started a bilateral amphibious combat rehearsal in international waters off the coast of Djibouti, Africa. They will be teaming up with the French Task Group 473.1 which is composed of
A NATO exercise involving warships from Italy, Greece and Turkey and the international merchant shipping community is taking place in the international waters of the central and eastern Mediterranean Sea. This focused security patrol is being conducted in coordination with a Naval Cooperation and Gu
German Navy tanker FGS Rhön is scheduled to return to its homeport in Wilhelmshaven on December 12, concluding a four-month deployment to the Mediterranean and North Sea. The ship spent four months with NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1), supplying the warships with fuel and fresh water and oc
The Mexican Navy received the final two of overall ten AS565 MBe multi-mission Panther helicopters during a delivery ceremony at Airbus Helicopters in Marignane, France. The Mexican Navy was the first customer of the new version of the Panther after ordering the units in 2014. The first four helicop
Finnish boat builder Boomeranger Boats will be delivering its rigid hull inflatable boats to the United Arab Emirates and the Indian Navy after signing the contracts earlier this year. Announcing the contracts, the company said it is set to deliver a total of 34 special operations boats to the Unite
Italian Navy frigate and current operation Atalanta flagship ITS Fasan trained with ships from the Chinese PLA Navy and Republic of Korea Navy off the coast of Somalia recently. Fasan first rendezvoused with South Korean and Spanish Navy ships after delivering medicine to the Somalian port city of H
