A small team of about 20 Royal Danish Air Force officers and enlisted men fly along the coast of Somalia, verifying shipping activity, distinguishing legitimate maritime traffic from suspected pirate vessels and identifying probable pirate activities off the coastline of Somalia. The crew operates a
The Australian government has signed a contract with Austal to build and sustain up to 21 steel-hulled vessels to replace the existing fleet of Pacific Patrol Boats as part of Australia’s new Pacific Maritime Security Program. Austal was previously selected as preferred bidder for the contract. Now,
Having concluded her deployment to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1, German Navy submarine U 34 returned to her homeport in Eckernförde, Germany. The Type 212 A submarine set sail for Scotland with the ‘Foxtrott’ crew at the end of March. She joined SNMG 1 to participate in the international exercis
Royal Australian Navy’s Anzac-class frigate HMAS Stuart (III) was recently docked in preparation for her anti-ship missile defence upgrade. Both forward and aft masts will be replaced with upgraded combat sensors and communication systems as part of the upgrade. The upgrade of the ships lasts approx
The UK Ministry of Defense has awarded Qinetiq a £1m ($1.45m) contract to demonstrate the integration of unmanned systems into Royal Navy operations. Under the contract with the Mine countermeasures and Hydrographic Capability (MHC) team in the MOD’s Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), QinetiQ wil
Spanish Navy frigate Santa María (F-81) set sail from Rota Naval Base to integrate into the EU-led counter-piracy Operation Atalanta in the Indian Ocean until the end of September. The farewell ceremony was presided over by Commander 41st Escort Squadron, Captain Ramón Godín. Operation Atalanta is a
The majority of maintenance availabilities, or scheduled periods of ship maintenance and modernization, that were completed from fiscal years 2011 to 2014 took more time than scheduled, thereby reducing the time during which ships were available for training and operations, GAO said in a recently pu
The Australian Government has signed a long-term contract for the sustainment of ANZAC Class Frigates centered in Western Australia. The strategic partnership between BAE Systems Australia Defence Pty Limited, Saab Australia Pty Ltd, Naval Ship Management Australia Pty Ltd (a joint venture between U
Turkey began construction of the nation’s first amphibious assault ship with a steel cutting ceremony on April 30. Based on the Spanish Navy’s landing helicopter dock (LHD) Juan Carlos I and designed by Navantia, the Turkish version of the ship will be named TCG Anadolu and have the pennant number L
Australia and China have joined 16 other ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) nations participating in an ASEAN-hosted exercise. The regional maritime security and counter-terrorism exercise is being held in Brunei and Singapore from May 2 – 12, 2016. Minister for Defence, Senator Maris
Operation Atalanta’s German Flagship, FGS Bayern, rescued 92 people from a stricken vessel in the Gulf of Aden on April 29, 2016. The vessel had initially been sighted by the Japanese Maritime Patrol and Reconnaissance Aircraft (MPRA) of Combined Task Force 151 who had noticed it had been in the sam
The U.S. Navy has awarded BAE Systems a $72 million contract to produce and deliver propulsor systems for Block IV Virginia-class (SSN 774) submarines. The contract’s value could eventually amount to $162.9 million if all options are exercised. “The propulsor contributes significantly to the overall
French defense and security company ECA Group recently demonstrated their autonomous underwater vehicle in the harbor of Brest, France. The A27-M AUV, as the vessel is named, was demonstrated to a number of French and foreign naval officials including representatives of OCCAR. ECA Group displayed th
Sailors assigned to U.S. Navy’s aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) returned to Naval Station North Island in San Diego after completing three days of sea trials. The at-sea period allowed Team Vinson to assess the ship’s state of readiness and ensure that the Chief of Naval Operations Planned
