Amphibious & Support Ships
Germany and the Netherlands sign Joint Support Ship LOI
The Letter of Intent, signed February 4 between the Netherlands and Germany, breaks the ground for the development of the Joint Support Ship initiative and the amphibious operation capability. Germany is thereby acquiring new capabilities while the Dutch Navy is enabled to equip its ships more effic
HMS Mersey starts counter drug ops in Caribbean Sea
Royal Navy’s River class offshore patrol vessel, HMS Mersey, has sailed from Florida, USA after completing her final preparations to start Counter Drug Operations in the Caribbean and Central America. The ship arrived in Key West, Florida after battling storms en route. Key West is home to the Joint
Russian Navy plans large-scale exercise of Caspian flotilla
30 surface ships, motorboats and auxiliary vessels, more than 1000 servicemen and over 100 pieces of military equipment will be involved in the Russian naval exercise Caucasus 2016. The Russian Navy said that ship formations and Marine units of the Caspian flotilla started preparations for the strat
US and Royal Navy continue work on submarine systems
General Dynamics Mission Systems announced February 2 that the U.S. Navy recently awarded a follow-on, omnibus contract that continues work on fire control systems and subsystems aboard U.S. Navy and United Kingdom’s Royal Navy nuclear ballistic-missile submarines (SSBN). According to General Dynami
EGV Berlin returns home a tad earlier
Even though the German Navy’s combat support ship EGV Berlin was more than 24 hours early, around 250 people gathered at the Naval Base Wilhemshaven to welcome the ship’s crew home. EGV Berlin was forced to sail into port earlier due to a strong hurricane warning, as locking in the harbor would have
Sneak peek: Royal Navy fighter jet debuts later this year
The Royal Navy has said their new strike fighter will make its UK debut later this year. The F-35B Lightning II stealth jet which will fly from the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers is due to appear at the Royal International Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford in July. Royal Navy personnel are current
Protection for FS Charles de Gaulle
Fighter jets aboard the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle have been conducting airstrikes against the Daesh positions in Syria since November 2015 while the carrier itself was positioned in the Persian Gulf. While the carrier is a powerful offensive ship it lacks armament to protect itsel
U.S., Royal Navy conduct mine countermeasure exercise
U.S. Navy Expeditionary Mine Countermeasures (EXMCM) Company 1 teamed up with British Second Mine Warfare Battle Staff (2MWBS) onboard RFA Cardigan Bay in the Arabian Gulf to complete the mine countermeasures squadron exercise (Squadex), January 23-25. Squadex is a mine countermeasures exercise desi
HMS Queen Elizabeth receives first compartment
UK’s Aircraft Carrier Alliance has installed the first of just over 3,000 compartments on Britain’s new aircraft carrier. It was handed over for the crew of HMS Queen Elizabeth, ready to be loaded with equipment. With the 65,000-tonne ship due to sail later this year, and the ship’s company due to m
Migrant airlifted at high seas
One German corvette and one Spanish frigate participated in a medical evacuation of a migrant previously saved in the Mediterranean Sea. On January 28, German frigate FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein carried out her first rescue operation on her deployment with Operation Sophia. The frigate embarked a tota
Chilean Navy orders new Antarctic icebreaking vessel
Vard Marine, a Fincantieri company designing and building specialized vessels, announced Februaury 1 that it has been selected to design one Antarctic icebreaking vessel for the Chilean Navy. The company said the contract value was approximately four million Euros. Vard Marine has been awarded the c
BAE Systems picked for Thai Navy patrol vessel construction
British multinational defence company BAE Systems today, January 29, signed a contract with the Thai shipbuilding company Bangkok Dock to assist in the licensed construction of a second 90 metre Offshore Patrol Vessel for the Royal Thai Navy. Under the agreement, BAE Systems will provide engineering
Op Atalanta: ESPS Victoria, JDS Suzunami meet in Gulf of Aden
Spanish Navy’s Santa Maria-class frigate, ESPS Victoria, conducted a series of exercises with Japanese Takanami-class destroyer, JDS Suzunami, to strengthen counter-piracy cooperation between the two forces. Meeting within close distance of the internationally recommended transit corridor in the Gul
HMS Diamond hosts deck landing exercise
Royal Navy’s Type 45 destroyer, HMS Diamond, has been the host of deck landing training during her first sail of 2016. The Navy’s next generation multi-role helicopter ‘Wildcat’ deck landing training was conducted throughout the day and into the night for a 2 week period in January. The aim was to s