The UK Royal Navy has seized an £8.5m haul of heroin after a raid on a suspect vessel in the northern Arabian Sea. Nearly 60 kilograms of the drug was seized by sailors and Royal Marines from HMS Somerset, the Plymouth-based Type 23 Frigate, who intercepted the fishing boat in Royal Navy fast boat
The Spanish Ambassador to the United Kingdom, His Excellency Mr Federico Trillo-Figueroa Martínez Conde, yesterday visited the Operational Headquarters of EU Naval Force at Northwood Base, North London. He was met by the Deputy Operational Commander of Operation Atalanta, Rear Admiral Bartolomé Bauz
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) transiting the Black Sea on May 24. The cruiser entered the Black Sea on May 23. Vella Gulf is deployed in a multi-mission role in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility to contribute to regional maritime security and to suppor
The oceanic patrol vessel (BAM in its Spanish initials) ‘Relámpago’, currently participating in the European-led counter-piracy operation ‘Atalanta’ in the Indian Ocean, has provided medical assistance to a ‘dhow’-type fishing boat off the coast of Somalia. The ‘Relámpago’ carried out a friendly a
Phoenix Express 2014, a multinational maritime exercise between North African, European, and U.S. naval forces, which began its inport phase at the NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Center (NMIOTC) in Souda Bay, May 13, is now in its underway operations phase in the central Mediterranean
The boarding squad of the Spanish Navy frigate ‘Cristóbal Colón’ (F-105) visited a ‘dhow’-type fishing boat north of the IRTC (Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor) in the Arabian Sea. The ‘dhow’ was sailing back to her Iranian home port with 16 people on board: 13 Iranian and 3 Pakistani
The Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel (OPV) ‘Tarifa’ has just departed from Cartagena to participate in the International Joint Deployment Plan in the Western Mediterranean Sea to monitor the fishing campaign of the Bluefin Tuna. This operation forms part of the European Fishing Agency initiativ
Personnel from European, North African and U.S. Naval forces began preparing for the underway segment of Phoenix Express Exercise 2014 (PE14) by standing up the maritime operations center in Sigonella, May 26. Planners from 10 countries have begun tracking ships leaving ports and integrating logis
Last Friday, 23 May 2014, the five NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE (SNMCMG1) arrived in Riga, along with FGS Elbe, which assumed its new role as flagship for the Group upon Germany’s assumption of command on Monday, May 26. SNMCMG1 is visiting the port as part
HMS Portland’s ship’s company has celebrated the ship’s 13th birthday as they enter the fifth month of a seven-month deployment as the Royal Navy’s Atlantic Patrol Ship. HMS Portland was built on the Clyde and launched by her sponsor, Lady Heather Brigstocke on 15 May 1999. Following successful comp
UK Defence Secretary Philip Hammond has delivered a speech at the annual meeting of the Chiefs of European Navies in Portsmouth. During his speech to the Chiefs of European Navies on 23 May, Hammond was clear on the role the addressed audience must play in explaining the importance of Europe’s par
Members of Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 (EODMU 8), Platoon 802 wrapped up their participation in exercise Open Spirit 2014, May 22. Held annually in one of the Baltic States, the exercise aims to clear shipping routes, communication lines, and fishing areas and search for and dispose
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) will enter the Black Sea Friday, May 23, to promote peace and stability in the region. Vella Gulf’s mission is to work with NATO allies toward mutual goals, demonstrating the United States’ commitment to strengthening and improvin
A considerable load has been put on France due to its intention to continue with the construction and sale of Mistral-class ships to Russia. France said that the delivery of two warships to the Russian Navy will not be affected by the current EU sanctions imposed on Russia amid the Ukrainian crisi
