A mine hunter of the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) detonated a heavy sea mine in the Wielingen channel, the very busy southern approach to the Westerschelde. The mine constituted a direct threat to shipping. The previous night, the Navy had received a report of a fishing cutter catching a mine-like
On 13 August the Luxembourg Maritime Patrol Aircraft Detachment deployed in support of the EU anti-piracy operation ATALANTA passed its 4.000th operational flight hour during its 707th operational sortie in theatre. This milestone occurred when Captain SOLOMON and his crew were crossing the equator
Counter piracy forces from the EU Naval Force Somalia (EU NAVFOR) Operation Atalanta and NATO disrupted two pirated dhows and freed the crew taken hostage in the Gulf of Aden. On 10 August, a suspicious dhow, reportedly pirated in Bosaso – Somalia, was located off the coast of Oman by the Spanish EU
The Commander of the British naval task force in Libya last year returned to his flagship to pay homage to some of the sailors, soldiers and marines who distinguished themselves during the conflict. Commodore John Kingwell ADC visited HMS Ocean to present his personal commendations to twelve Royal N
HMS Bulwark welcomed a delegation of safety and security officials from the Rio 2016 Olympic planning committee to the Royal Navy’s Flagship currently conducting operational duties in support of the security operations in Weymouth Bay. Captain Alex Burton Royal Navy, Commanding Officer, welcomed the
After a three day hunt by NATO and EU counter piracy forces, HNLMS Rotterdam in close cooperation with EU unit FGS Sachsen, has successfully disrupted a pirated dhow. This end game took place in the coastal waters of Somalia. The crew has been freed and is in good condition. The suspected pirates wi
Portsmouth-based warship HMS Westminster returns home today (August 13) from a deployment to the Middle East which included a £14m drugs bust. The Type 23 frigate seized more than 70 bales containing pure heroin – which would have funded terrorist activity – from a dhow in the Indian Ocean. During s
The guided-missile destroyer USS Farragut (DDG 99) continued to strengthen relationships with Baltic nations as it began a four-day port visit in Riga, Latvia, Aug. 4. During the port visit, Sailors played a game of basketball against members of the Latvian National Armed Forces and participated in
On Tuesday 7 August 2012 seven Somali men were found guilty by a Kenyan court of attempting to commit an act of piracy against a French fishing vessel, MV Captain St Vincent, off the Somali Coast in October 2009. Following the terrifying attack, the pirates, operating in 2 attack skiffs, were locate
Scheldepoort Repair & Conversion Yard has been awarded a substantial Royal Netherlands Navy contract to modernise and upgrade the propeller shaft lines and generator sets of four Air Defence and Command Frigates. Part of the Damen Shipyards Group, Scheldepoort is based in Vlissingen in the south of
Amazonas, the first of three BAE Systems built Ocean Patrol Vessels being delivered the Brazilian Navy, departed the UK for Rio de Janeiro this morning after her crew completed a rigorous programme of Flag Officer Sea Training with the Royal Navy off the South coast. Supported by a team from BAE Sys
This week FGS Sachsen has taken up station patrolling the Gulf of Aden, under the command of the European Union Naval Force (EUNAVFOR). She will shortly relieve fellow German frigate FGS Bremen which has served so successfully in countering-piracy with EUNAVFOR since May of this year. Bremen has mad
HRH The Princess Royal took time out from her busy schedule supporting London 2012 Olympic events nationwide to visit members of the Maritime Security Forces who have been providing the safety net and protective screen around the Olympic sailing venue across 50 square mile of Dorset’s coastline and
As of August 4th, 2012, HNLMS Rotterdam is the flagship of NATO counterpiracy operation Ocean Shield. The Landing Platform Dock took over the tasks of air defence and command frigate HNLMS Evertsen in the waters off the coast of Somalia. Along with the Rotterdam’s 320-strong crew, Commodore Ben Bekk
