Amphibious & Support Ships
German P-3C Orion detachment conclude operation Atlanta stint
German soldiers and personnel assigned to the P-3C Orion Maritime Patrol Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) detachment are concluding a three-month deployment to the EUNAVFOR’s operation Atalanta this week. Before the 85 personnel depart their current base in Djibouti to fly home to Germany, Atalanta Fo
Fincantieri boosts naval services business with Isselnord acquisition
Italian shipbuilder and defense contractor Fincantieri announced it acquired Isselnord to boost its naval services business. The agreement for the initial acquisition of of a majority stake in the company was signed through Fincantieri’s subsidiary company Delfi with full takeover to be completed wi
USS Carney makes pit stop in Spain
U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Carney (DDG 64) returned to Naval Station Rota, Spain on June 12, for a mid-patrol availability period. Carney is currently on its third forward-deployed naval force ballistic missile defense patrol in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations. “So far, this patrol
Saab bags Swedish Navy submarine support contract
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV) has contracted Saab for maintenance and support of submarines and submarine rescue systems. According to Saab, the framework agreement covers the time span 2017-2019 and the initial order value amounts to SEK 69 million (approx. US$7.9M). The framewo
ZNT Yard launches two SAR boats for Russian Navy
Russian Nizhegorodsky Teplokhod Shipyard (ZNT Yard) launched two Project 23040 search and rescue boats (SAR) for the Russian Navy on June 8. Named РВК-1239 and РВК-1261, they are the 19th and 20th boats in their class. ZNT Yard is to build an overall 22 units in the class for service in the navy’s B
NATO’s Sea Guardian operation underway in Western Mediterranean
Two frigates and a patrol vessel are conducting a maritime security operation in the Western Mediterranean as part of NATO’s operation Sea Guardian. Led by a French Navy Captain onboard French frigate FS Guepratte, along with Italian frigate Scirocco and Spanish Offshore Patrol Vessel ESPS Serviola
Kership launches French Navy’s first Offshore Support and Assistance Vessel ‘Loire’
Kership, a joint venture between DCNS and Piriou, launched the French Navy’s first Offshore Support and Assistance Vessel (BSAH) Loire, on June 1. Named after French rivers Loire, Rhone, Seine and Garonne, the BSAH vessels will be used for the deployment of forces for State operations at sea. French
En route home, USS George H.W. Bush strikes ISIS from the Med
U.S. Navy’s George H.W. Bush carrier strike group (GHWBCSG) on Tuesday continued strike missions against ISIS positions after crossing the Suez Canal on Monday. USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) and the cruisers and destroyers accompanying it are currently on the return leg of their deployment after com
UK, France, US sign submarine cooperation agreement
United Kingdom, France and the United States are stepping up their submarine cooperation with an agreement signed by the three countries’ naval leaders on June 1. The agreement outlines anti-submarine warfare activities of the three countries as they operate in waters of Western Asia. Commander, U.S
Damen cuts first steel for Australian antarctic supply research vessel (ASRV)
Construction of Australia’s new antarctic supply research vessel (ASRV) started in Romania with a steel-cutting ceremony on May 31. Dutch shipbuilder Damen is in charge of constructing the vessel at its Galati, Romania, shipyard. The shipbuilder is constructing the ASRV for Serco Defence, a subsidia
French Navy ships engage Australian, Spanish Navy on their Asia deployment
After concluding amphibious drills with U.S. Marines off Guam recently, French Navy ships FS Mistral and FS Courbet trained with Australian and Spanish Navy ships in Australian waters. The French ships engaged Australian ships Success and Parramatta and the Spanish Navy’s Cristobal Colon in waters t
Another tanker attacked by pirates in Arabian Sea
In the second attack on commercial vessels in just two days, pirates attempted to hijack oil tanker MT NAVIG8 Providence in the Arabian Sea on June 1. The incident, confirmed by EU NAVFOR, took place in the Gulf of Oman as the MT NAVIG8 Providence was sailing 100 nautical miles east of Muscat. Accor
Italian Navy decommissions two more Minerva-class corvettes
The Italian Navy retired two Minerva-class corvettes, ITS Fenice and ITS Sfinge, during a May 29 ceremony at the Augusta Naval Base. The formal flag-lowering ceremony, attended by Italian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Valter Girardelli and the Commander in Chief Admiral Donato Marzano, marked the end
Saber Strike 17 kicks off in Latvia
The annual combined-joint exercise Saber Strike 17 kicked off with troops and vehicles coming ashore with tactical landing crafts from maritime prepositioning ships in the Baltic Sea to Ventspils, Latvia, May 23-24, 2017. The exercise is held at various locations throughout the Baltic region and Pol