Amphibious & Support Ships
Royal Navy trainee pilots land aboard RFA Wave Ruler
Engineers and aircrew from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose’s Merlin training Squadron took to the high seas recently to allow eight trainee aviators to carry out their first deck landings and secondary roles training. Along with their flying instructors as well as 20 air engineers from 824 Naval Ai
Royal Navy’s new offshore patrol vessel enters the water
The first of the Royal Navy’s new style of River-class offshore patrol vessels has entered the water for the first time. Forth completed her 1¾-mile journey from BAE Systems shipyard at Govan on the Clyde to the company’s Scotstoun site. The first plate of steel was delivered to Govan in October 201
RFA Mounts Bay assists in removal of chemical weapons
RFA Mounts Bay has assisted in the removal of the last batch of known materials which could be used in the manufacture of chemical weapons from Libya. The UK provided RFA Mounts Bay to support the Danish-led maritime operation, escorting a Danish transport ship through the Mediterranean as it carrie
HMS Diamond to help tackle arms trafficking
The Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond will sail to the southern Mediterranean to join an operation aimed at countering arms trafficking. The Type 45 destroyer left Portsmouth on Wednesday evening and will replace the Royal Fleet Auxiliary ship RFA Mounts Bay during a planned maintenance period. Meanwhi
HNLMS Tromp, USNS John Ericsson conduct RAS
Recently, operation Atalanta’s Dutch Flagship, HNLMS Tromp, has been refueled at sea by the American tanker, USNS John Ericsson, in the Gulf of Aden. Refuels such as this are referred to by sailors as Replenishment At Sea (RAS) and are vital for ensuring ships can continue with their important missi
HMS Ledbury secures Royal Regatta
The men of HMS Ledbury, one of 8 Hunt class Mine Counter Measure (MCM) ships of the Royal Navy, had the honour to act as Guardship for this year’s Royal Regatta. Usually a role bestowed on larger warships, this was a fine opportunity for her Ship’s Company to prove quite how effective a ‘minor war [
German Navy corvette joins NATO’s SNMG1
German Navy’s K130 Braunschweig corvette FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein is set to leave the Warnemünde navy base on August 31 to join the NATO Standing Maritime Group 1. The 63 sailors that form the ship’s complement will set sail under the command of corvette captain Marco Köster. During their time with
German Navy frigate to return to war against Daesh
The German Navy will, once again, send the Bremen-class frigate Augsburg to support the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle in the fight against Daesh in Syria. FGS Augsburg will be part of the carrier’s strike group which is in charge of ensuring the carrier operations are not interrupted
German Navy tanker to return from counter piracy mission
German Navy tanker Spessart (A1442) is scheduled to return to Navy Base Kiel on August 26 after spending 88 days deployed to the EU-led counter-piracy operation Atalanta off the Horn of Africa. Once it enters the port, the tanker will have sailed a total of 24.830 nautical miles, equivalent to a sai
Royal Navy’s Trafalgar-class submarine HMS Trenchant returns to the fleet
Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered submarine HMS Trenchant was declared operational again following almost two years of maintenance and weapon and sensors upgrades in Devonport Naval Base. The crew of the Trafalgar-class submarine staged a ceremony in Plymouth, August 19, to mark the vessel’s readiness fo
Royal Navy Base Portsmouth receives new navigational lights
New lights that will guide the Queen Elizabeth Class carriers safely into Portsmouth harbor will soon be completed as the top sections of the structures are put in place, the UK government announced. The final construction stage involves lifting the superstructures onto the pile foundations driven e
US Navy command ship arrives in France for WWII commemorations
U.S. Navy’s 6th Fleet command and control ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) arrived in Theoule-sur-Mer, France, August 14 for a scheduled port visit to participate in commemorative events honoring the liberation of southern France by allied forces during World War II. The primary reason for the port v
US Marines, Navy kick off Bold Alligator in Norfolk
U.S. Marine and Fleet Forces commands (USFF and MARFORCOM) kicked off exercise Bold Alligator 2016 (BA16) in Norfolk on August 15. BA16 is a synthetic, scenario-based simulation exercise designed to train Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 2 and 2d Marine Expeditionary Brigade (2d MEB). As part of the
Royal Navy sailors prepare for Queen Elizabeth carrier flight operations aboard USS Wasp
The Royal Navy sent six sailors, from Navy command headquarters in Portsmouth, England, to integrate into Wasp’s flight deck operations to prepare them for their upcoming Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Her Majesty’s Ship (HMS) Illustrious was the last carrier in British service before bein