Amphibious & Support Ships
Swedish Navy joins European Amphibious Initiative
In 2015 Swedish Navy joined an organization called the European Amphibious Initiative (EAI) formed by five EU nations in 2000. The initiators were France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. The aim of this organization is to strengthen the interoperability of European forces and optimize and
HMS Bulwark gets new captain
Royal Navy’s Fleet Amphibious flagship HMS Bulwark has sailed into 2016 with a new captain and several trophy additions. Captain James Parkin succeeded Captain Nick Cooke-Priest who departed the ship for a post in the Ministry of Defence in London. Parkin joined the Royal Navy as a Warfare Officer i
Danish Navy acquires new sonar technology for mine countermeasures
Danish Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation (DALO) has procured imaging sonar technology from maritime security company, Sonardyne International Ltd, UK to support Danish Navy’s Mine Counter Measure activities. The Solstice side-scan sonar will be fitted to Saab Seaeye’s Double Eagle SAROV
Two German Navy ships leave homeports to join Op Sophia
German Navy’s combat support ship FGS Frankfurt am Main and the corvette FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein left their homeports January 11. They will take part in Operation Sophia, EUNAVFOR’s mission of stopping human trafficking and saving lives in the central Mediterranean Sea. Looking forward to the upco
Gallery: HMS Protector completes Antarctic patrol
The UK Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol ship has just completed a historic five week patrol to the East Antarctic and Ross Sea. HMS Protector is the first Royal Navy, or UK Government, vessel to have visited the region in 80 years or to have traveled so far south having dipped below 77 degrees latitude. Her
Russian warships in Shanghai, China
Russian Navy’s Pacific Fleet ship formation led by the destroyer Bystry visited the port of Shanghai within the combat task performance in the Pacific Ocean on January 17. The other two ships in the formation are the oil tanker Boris Butoma, and the rescue vessel Altai. All three are commanded by Re
Two guided missile frigates launched for Indonesian Navy
Indonesian shipyard PT PAL has launched the first of two SIGMA 10514 Perusak Kawal Rudal (PKR) guided-missile frigates designated for the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL). The ships were modularly constructed in the Netherlands and Indonesia in collaboration with Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (DSNS). The
British aircraft carrier berth renamed
Buckingham Palace, the London residence of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, has agreed Princess Royal Jetty as the new name for the berth at Portsmouth Naval Base which will accommodate the 65,000-tonne HMS Queen Elizabeth. The jetty, currently known as Middle Slip Jetty, is being strengt
ESPS Victoria scans the coast of Somalia
The Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Victoria, currently deployed in operation Atalanta, visited a total of 30 craft off the coast of Somalia during the second week of January. These endeavors were part of the European Union mission, and are intended to ascertain that piracy in the area is fully under cont
HMS Defender Hosts Bahraini Royalty to mark Bicentenary
A Royal Navy warship has hosted His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Simon Martin CMG, to launch the year of 200th anniversary celebrations of Bahrain-UK relations. The event was an opportunity for HMS Defender to demons
RFA Mounts Bay Heads to Mediterranean
RFA Mounts Bay has sailed from the UK on deployment to the Mediterranean where she will provide a continuous amphibious capability over coming months. The Bay Class Landing Ship is perfectly suited for such a deployment with access to a flight deck, vehicle deck, wet dock, container storage, medical
USNS Laramie Supports Operation Atalanta
Last week in the Gulf of Aden, Operation Atalanta’s flagship ITS Carabiniere and Spanish warship ESPS Victoria met with USNS Laramie and carried out a combined replenishment at sea (RAS). The two warships positioned themselves at the same time on either side of the USNS oiler, in order to receive fu
EGV Bonn becomes NATO SNMG2 flagship
The German Navy replenishment ship EGV Bonn will depart its homeport of Wilhelmshaven on January 9 to join NATO’s Standing NATO Maritime Group 2. Commanded by Rear Admiral Jörg Klein, the crew of EGV Bonn will take part in several international maneuvers during their upcoming deployment. Looking for
HMCS Fredericton deploys to the Mediterranean
Royal Canadian Navy’s Halifax-Class frigate HMCS Fredericton departed the Canadian Forces Base Halifax on January 5 to deploy to the Mediterranean Sea. The ship’s deployment is part of the Canadian Armed Forces’ Operation Reassurance that is aimed to support NATO’s efforts in promoting security and