HMS Daring’s Lynx proved indispensable in first finding devastated remote communities in the Philippines – then delivering vital aid to them. During a hectic five days of flying, the helicopter carried more than eight tonnes of aid, ferried 150 people about and got to villages far beyond the reach o
Between the 12th and 20th of November, the Spanish Navy Maritime Action Staff participated in the multinational exercise ‘MNEX-13’ of naval-cooperation with merchant shipping. This exercise, organized every two years, is designed to enhance interoperability and training of NCAGS personnel (Naval Coo
On Saturday, 23 November 2013, Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) performed an opposed boarding exercise on the French oiler FS VAR, the culmination of four months of intense combined training that demonstrated the interoperability of the Group’s three ships. The Group’s flagship ESPS ALVARO D
HMS Illustrious tops up her fuel tanks ready for her arrival in the Philippines. The Portsmouth based amphibious helicopter carrier met with Australian tanker HMAS Sirius in the South China Sea roughly halfway through the 1200 nautical mile journey between Singapore and the Philippines. HMS Illustri
Twenty-six international defence attaches have been shown the vital role that Portsmouth plays in supporting the Royal Navy worldwide. The London-based officials visited Portsmouth Naval Base to see the part it plays in keeping surface ships available for operations. The attaches were also told how
Britannia Maritime Security (BMS) is launching a unique laser which offers the private maritime security industry a non-lethal option for repelling hijackers or other potential attackers. The SMU – 100 Laser Dazzler, which works both day and night at 800 metres with two square metres coverage, is de
The delegation of the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence held talks with the leaders of the International Secretary and the NATO International Military Staff. During the meeting with Terry Stamatopoulos, NATO’s Assistant Secretary General for Political Affairs and Security Policy, the parties discussed t
During the evening of November 22, a search and rescue exercise was conducted by ESPS Meteoro and her embarked helicopter. The exercise was part of an intensive air-sea training programme. During the exercise, two qualified rescue divers from the embarked air wing simulated two men who had been wash
On Friday 22 November 2013 a delegation from EU Naval Force’s flagship HNLMS Johan de Witt visited the Chinese Force Commander and his staff on board the Chinese flagship CNS Jing Gang Shan in the Gulf of Aden. The visit was an opportunity to discuss counter piracy operations. The Royal Netherlands
The Naval Service Ship LÉ Roisín made a significant detention of a Dutch Registered Fishing Vessel on friday, November 22, for alleged breaches of fishing regulations. The fishing vessel was detained shortly after 11am approximately one hundred nautical miles north west of Tory Island and is expecte
HMS Illustrious departed Singapore en route to the Philippines on Friday, November 22. During 48 hours alongside Sembawang naval shipyard in Singapore, over 500 tons of disaster relief aid was loaded into the hangar by the men and women serving in HMS Illustrious, a team from the Department for Inte
Having participated in the NATO exercise Joint Warrior, HMS Blyth began her Operational Sea Training (OST) package in late October. This meant undergoing a demanding programme of world renowned intensive training, designed to train crews in a series of realist challenging scenarios. The first two we
UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary, RFA Lyme Bay is heading for home having completed a 32 day tour of duty with Operation Atalanta – the European Union’s counter piracy operation off the coast of Somalia. RFA Lyme Bay departed the UK in mid August to form part of the Cougar 2013 Response Force Task Group (RF
In the early morning of Tuesday 19 November, EU Naval Force warship ITS Libeccio carried out a replenishment at sea (RAS) with the American auxiliary ship, USNS Arctic. The RAS, which was conducted in coordination with the US Fast Combat Support Ship, required the two ships to sail very close togeth
