Authorities
NATO warships visit Plymouth for FOST training
Warship deployed to two standing NATO maritime groups arrived in Plymouth on Friday for an informal port visit and an opportunity to take part in Royal Navy’s renowned Flag Officer Sea Training (FOST). Led by Norwegian Navy Commodore Ole Morten Sandquist, visiting ships from Standing NATO Maritime G
ROKS Choi Young joins counter-piracy operation Atalanta
Republic of Korea Navy destroyer Choi Young officially joined operation Atalanta welcoming aboard the operation’s Force Commander, Rear Admiral Rafael Fernández-Pintado Muñoz-Rojas during a joint counter-piracy patrol off the coast of Somalia. The Chungmugong Yi Sun-sin-class destroyer joined EU NAV
UK hosts first Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) conference
The Royal Navy recently hosted the first Joint Expeditionary Force (Maritime) conference in Portsmouth headed by Fleet Commander Vice-Admiral Ben Key and Commander of UK Maritime Forces Rear Admiral Alex Burton. The UK, with partner nations Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and No
Spanish patrol vessel deploys to Africa
Spanish Navy offshore patrol vessel Vigía set sail from Cadiz to conduct a series of activities in Africa as part of the Spanish government’s Defense Diplomacy Plan and a follow-on of the Africa Partnership Station (APS) initiative. These deployments are intended to enhance maritime security and to
Two Royal Navy Merlins join French Navy’s Jeanne d’Arc deployment
Two Royal Navy Merlins have embarked French amphibious assault ship FS Mistral, the lead ship of French Navy task group, for the French annual Jeanne d’Arc deployment. The five-month amphibious deployment will take the force – which includes the frigate Courbet – as far east as Japan and Guam, as fa
Austrian Jagdkommandos to embark German tender for EU mission Sophia
Austrian Jagdkommandos, an Austrian Armed Forces’ Special Operations group, will embark German Navy tender ‘Main’ on March 2 to support EU’s counter-smuggling mission in the Mediterranean Sea. An official send-off ceremony for the Jagdkommandos took place in the Roßauer barracks in Vienna on Februar
New Zealand, US Navy divers hone mine countermeasure skills
Divers from the New Zealand and United States Navy honed their mine-clearing skills during a two-week multinational exercise that took place in Bland Bay, Whangaruru,in February. Exercise Fulcrum, a training activity involving primarily the Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) and the U.S. Navy, tested div
Australia marks 75th anniversary of HMAS Perth sinking
Australian sailors aboard Darwin-based patrol boat, HMAS Maryborough, marked the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Perth (I), with a midnight ceremony over the wreck in the Sunda Strait. The service took on special significance this year, with increased efforts to preserve the wreck over which
German, Swedish Navy corvettes begin drills in Baltic Sea
German Navy’s K130 corvette Ludwigshafen am Rhein left her homeport of Warnemünde on February 28 to join her Swedish Navy counterpart for Baltic Sea drills. The Royal Swedish Navy is represented by the Visby-class corvette HMS Härnösand. Sweden is not a NATO member but regularly takes part in exerci
Canada contracts Seaspan for final JSS design
The Canadian government awarded Seaspan’s Vancouver Shipyards a $230 million contract for design work on the Royal Canadian Navy’s Joint Support Ship (JSS). Announced on February 28 by ministers of defense and public services and procurement, the contract will see the company develop and finalize th
Spanish frigate joins SNMG1
Spanish Navy frigate Reina Sofía (F-84) departed naval base Rota on February 27 to integrate into the Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG1). During the two and a half-month mission, the Spanish frigate will participate in several training activities with other NATO units, among them exercise Join
US Navy, Coast Guard conclude joint Pacific patrol
The U.S. Navy hosted Coast Guard personnel for an 18-day joint mission in the Central and South Pacific to combat transnational crimes, enforce fisheries laws and enhance regional security. Under the Oceania Maritime Security Initiative, Coast Guard law enforcement detachment 103 from Pacific Tactic
Spanish frigate and oiler join NATO’s SNMG2
A Spanish Navy frigate and an auxiliary oiler left their home port in Ferrol, Spain, last weekend to join the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 in the Mediterranean Sea. Álvaro de Bazán-class frigate Méndez Núñez and oiler AOR Patiño will become part of SNMG2’s Task Unit 02 (TU.02), currently under com
New Royal Navy submarine investment a boost for Scotland economy
The UK Government, Royal Navy and Argyll and Bute Community Planning Partnership signed an agreement on February 27 that is expected to bring in more financial opportunities for the locals. Millions of pounds of investment in developing HM Naval Base Clyde as the Royal Navy Submarine Centre of Speci