U.S. Navy’s second Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship, USS Germantown, held a change of command ceremony in Sasebo, Japan on May 10. Commander Severn Stevens relieved Commander Gary Harrington as commanding officer of the ship. Harrington, who assumed command of Germantown on October 27, 2014, l
Ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group Two task unit 02 (SNMG2 TU.02) recently concluded a busy port visit in Casablanca, Morocco with a passing exercise and boarding exercise off the coast of Morocco. SNMG2 TU.02 led by Canadian Navy Commander Trevor MacLean included HMCS Fredericton (FFH 3
The international maritime exercise Phoenix Express 2016 was kicked off May 17, in the Mediterranean. Navies from Europe, North Africa, and the United States gathered to begin the 10th iteration of the exercise. Phoenix Express is sponsored by U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) and facilitated by U.S. Na
The EU Political and Security Committee on May 18 appointed Brigadier Robert Magowan, an officer from the British Royal Marines, as Operation Commander for the EU Naval Force Somalia, Operation Atalanta. Brigadier Magowan is taking the place of Major General Martin Smith. He is expected to take up h
Chief of the Royal Australian Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett, welcomed his French counterpart, Admiral Bernard Rogel, in Canberra, Australia last week for a series of meetings aimed at strengthening the relationship between the two navies. The visit comes in the wake of the Australian Government’s de
Two ships assigned to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1 made a port call in the Lithuanian Port of Klaipeda. Spanish frigate ESPS Alvaro de Bazan and Royal Navy’s Type 23 frigate HMS Iron Duke came alongside May 16 and will stay until May 18. The two ships have recently completed participation in the
A total of 14 warships from ten nations took part in this year’s iteration of NATO’s ‘Baltic Fortress’ exercise. The drill was hosted by Lithuania and took place between May 6 and 13. Standing NATO Maritime Group One (SNMG-1), with Spanish F-100 frigate Álvaro de Bazán at the helm, also took part in
EU NAVFOR’s Operation Atalanta has welcomed back the Spanish Navy frigate ESPS Santa Maria. The ship was previously deployed on Op Atalanta in 2011 and will be conducting counter-piracy patrols over the coming five months. ESPS Santa Maria has an embarked Seahawk helicopter on board, allowing her to
Rear Admiral Ken Cheong, Commander of Combined Task Force (CTF) 151, recently visited the EU NAVFOR’s operation Atalanta flagship, FGS Bayern in Salalah in the Gulf of Aden. Radm Cheong, who works for Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), met the Force Commander EU NAVFOR, Radm Jan Kaack, onboard FGS Baye
Huntington Ingalls Industries delivered the U.S. Navy’s newest amphibious ship, the USS John P. Murtha. The 10th San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock to be built by HII, John P. Murtha (LPD 26) was delivered during a ceremony at Pacasgoula, Mississippi, May 13. LPD 26 is named in honor of the
German Navy’s diver support ship FGS Rottweil (M 1061) set sail for Klaipeda, Lithuania on May 12. The vessel and its crew will join minesweepers from different nation to take part in NATO’s ‘Open Spirit’ maneuver. Open Spirit arose from from the exercises of the joint mine countermeasures squadron
Spanish Navy’s offshore patrol vessel Meteoro recently helped technicians from the PLOCAN (Canary Islands Oceanic Platform) recover a damaged glider travelling from Madeira to the Canary Islands conducting several oceanographic surveys. The AUV, also known as Glider, was recovered 40 miles north of
The Aegis Ashore Missile Defense System in Romania was deemed as operationally certified in a ceremony held in Deveselu, May 12, and thereby marked a key milestone to complete Phase II of the European Phased Adaptive Approach. This ballistic missile defense system represents an increase in the capab
Spanish Navy’s Segura-class minesweeper ESPS Turia will join NATO’s Standing Mine Counter Measures Group 2 which operates in the Mediterranean and Black Sea. Crewed by 44 sailors and commanded by Captain Enrique Miguel García Morera, the ship set sail from Naval Base Cartagena, Spain on May 12 and i
