Amphibious & Support Ships
HMS Echo replaces Enterprise in Mediterranean operation Sophia
HMS Echo, a Royal Navy multi-role survey vessel, will be taking the place of sister ship HMS Enterprise which has represented UK’s contribution to the European migrant-crisis mission in the Mediterranean Sea. During her time spent with operation Sophia, Enterprise has saved over 9,000 lives of aroun
Maritime security agencies hold counter-piracy talks in Bahrain
Bahrain was the stage for the 39th Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) conference which was held November 30. The conference was a forum to discuss counter-piracy in the Gulf of Aden and in the Indian Ocean and the importance of cooperation between naval units in the region, industry and othe
US destroyer sails from Spain for operation Atlantic Resolve deployment
U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter departed Rota, Spain on November 30 to begin its regularly scheduled deployment. Porter’s operations will provide the ship and crew an opportunity to strengthen and build naval capabilities with allies and partners in the region and
Airbus teams up with AGI to develop ship-based landing aid systems
Airbus Defence and Space has signed a a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UK’s Aeronautical & General Instruments (AGI) to work on the integration of Airbus DeckFinder products into AGI’s ship based visual landing aid systems. The companies have agreed to jointly market a system that will provi
USS Mason, FS Charles de Gaulle commanders meet in the Med
U.S. Navy’s guided-missile destroyer USS Mason (DDG 87) commanders and French officials from the Charles de Gaulle Strike Group (CDGSG) met while operating together in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, Nov. 25, 2016. Having replaced the guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71), Mason is deployed to s
UK naval shipbuilding needs to be quicker, independent report finds
An independent report into UK’s naval shipbuilding has concluded that the small Royal Navy fleet is a result of too long procurement cycles, late orders for new ships and the policy of retaining old ships in the fleet beyond their sell date. Sir John Parker’s Independent Report into naval shipbuildi
EU extends counter-piracy mission off the Horn of Africa
The European Council extended operation Atalanta’s mandate to deter, disrupt and repress acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia until 31 December 2018. Operation Atalanta’s two-year mandate extension comes amidst concerns within European Union member states that whilst pirate attacks on merchant sh
Indra joins forces with UPM to develop sensors for Spanish future F110 frigate
Spanish company Indra has partnered with the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) to jointly develop and integrate the sensors for Spanish Navy’s future F110 frigate. The partnership agreement has been reached within the industrial plan for the PROTEC F110 program, through which Indra will boost c
Chilean Navy frigates undergo obsolescence refit ahead of air warfare systems revamp
Chilean Navy frigates Almirante Cochrane, Almirante Condell and Almirante Lynch are set to undergo an obsolescence upgrade that will be undertaken by Cohort subsidiary Sea. The programme is being carried out in preparation for a major revamp of the Chilean Navy ships’ air warfare systems. The Britis
German tanker Rhön returns from NATO deployment
German Navy’s replenishment oiler Rhön is set to return to its homeport in Wilhelmshaven after completing a two-month deployment to NATO’s standing maritime group 1 (SNMG1). Rhön is scheduled to enter harbor on November 30 after spending 57 days at sea and sailing 9,000 nautical miles. The ship depa
Lithuanian Navy receives patrol ship bought from Denmark
Lithuanian Armed Forces have officially received the P15 patrol ship, a former Danish Navy Flyvefisken-class vessel, bought earlier from Denmark. P15 was transferred to the Lithuanian Navy at a ceremony in Korsør port in Denmark on November 23. The new ship is replacing 50 years old Storm-class LNS
Royal Navy leads US task force 50 during counter-ISIS ops for first time ever
Royal Navy Commodore Andrew Burns, commander of Amphibious Task Group embarked on the U.K.’s HMS Ocean (L 12), took command of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force (CTF) 50 in the Arabian Gulf, November 25. This marks the first time a Royal Navy officer has led a U.S. task force in the Mid
DCNS gets through-life support contract for French ballistic submarines
The French Navy has awarded DCNS a through-life support contract for the four Triomphant-class ballistic nuclear submarines based in Brest. This new contract is awarded for a total duration of almost nine years. It represents a direct follow-on to the previous SSBN routine maintenance contracts. Acc
Albanian Navy starts first ever deployment with NATO
The Albanian Navy joined it’s first-ever NATO maritime mission by deploying its patrol boat ALS Oriku to Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 on Monday. The vessel will support NATO activities in the Aegean Sea as part of the international efforts to stop illegal trafficking and migration. ALS Oriku is an