HMAS Tobruk has completed its mission in the Philippines and is returning to Australia with a load of Army engineer machinery, vehicles and 35 Army personnel. A small Recovery Support Force of 65 combat engineers, tradesmen and support personnel, mostly from Townsville’s 3rd Combat Engineer Regiment
Not a single ship was seized by pirates during the Royal Navy’s three-month spell in command of a task force patrolling the Indian Ocean for modern-day buccaneers. The ships of Combined Task Force 151 also succeeded in hunting down one pirate action group after the raiders’ two failed attempts to hi
Since arriving in the Philippines, HMS Illustrious and her ‘floating warehouse’ of emergency supplies have been a hub of activity. The Royal Navy’s amphibious aircraft carrier arrived in the Philippines on 25 November after a short stop in Singapore to load up 500 tonnes of humanitarian aid under th
Spanish fleet replenishment ship ‘Cantabria’ has just departed from the Indian port of Mormugao in Goa, the second scheduled port of call after Jakarta. During the 10-day cruise from Indonesia to the former Portuguese colony, the ship carried out a series of maintenance works and operational drills
The international maritime conference, “Galle Dialogue 2013”, organized by the Sri Lanka Navy under the aegis of the Ministry of Defence, concluded on 26th November 2013 pledging support for collaboration and cooperation for the collective prosperity. Eighty-six foreign delegates from 35 countries a
On Friday 22 November 2013 a delegation from EU Naval Force’s flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt visited the Chinese Force Commander and his staff on board the Chinese flagship CNS Jing Gang Shan in the Gulf of Aden. The visit was an opportunity to discuss counter piracy operations. The Royal Netherlands
USS Chancellorsville Finishes Combat Systems Upgrades Naval Sea Systems Command completed the first-ever Air Defense Cruiser Aegis Baseline 9 combat systems upgrade for USS Chancellorsville (CG 62), March 29. The upgrade, part of the Navy’s Cruiser Modernization program, began in April 2012 at BAE S
USS Ashland (LSD 48) and USS Germantown (LSD 42), with embarked elements of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Naval Beach Unit (NBU) 7 and Commander Amphibious Squadron (PHIBRON) 11, arrived in Leyte Gulf off the Philippines coast Nov. 20 in support of Operation Damayan. The ships will be jo
From the 15th to the 17th of November, Spanish fleet replenishment ship ‘Cantabria’ called at Tanjunk Priok in Jakarta (Indonesia). The ship was welcomed by the Chargé d’Affaires of the Spanish Embassy in Jakarta and Indonesian Navy Authorities, who organized a traditional welcoming ceremony at the
Thales has signed a contract with the Dutch shipyard Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding for the delivery and installation of a full mission systems suite for the 2 PKR class vessels under construction for the Indonesian Navy. Thales will supply the latest release of the TACTICOS Combat Management Syst
The Philippine Navy through its Naval Forces based in Southern Luzon deployed BRP Dagupan City (LC 551), a logistics support vessel and BRP Tagbanua (AT 296), a landing craft utility vessel from the City of Cebu to Matnog Pier to address the ongoing congestion of stranded rescuers, relief operations
The U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has ordered the aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) and other U.S. Navy ships to make best speed for the Republic of the Philippines. The aircraft carrier, which carries 5,000 Sailors and more than 80 aircraft, was in Hong Kong for a port visit.
An air and maritime exercise involving Australia and its regional security partners starts today in Malaysia. Exercise Bersama Lima 2013 is a Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) activity involving Australia, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Malaysia and New Zealand. Commander Australian Contingent,
The “Blackhawks” of Helicopter Mine Countermeasures Squadron 15 (HM-15) completed a two-week Airborne Mine Countermeasure (AMCM) training session in the Joint Gulf Test Range, located in the Gulf of Mexico off Naval Support Activity Panama City (NSA PC), Fla. Part of a tight-knit community, and one