Two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion aircraft are continuing to support the Malaysian coordinated search mission for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Chief of the Defence Force General David Hurley said Malaysian authorities coordinating the search had re-tasked an Australian aircraft.
Six ships, led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, departed the U.S. for Scotland, March 14, to participate in Joint Warrior 14-2, a semiannual, United Kingdom-led training exercise designed to provide NATO and allied forces a unique multi-warfare environment in which to prepare for global
After an intense three weeks of operations, the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) Mine Counter Measures and Dive Exercise 2014 (MCMEX14) closed with a traditional ceremonial Beat to Quarters at the Navy Museum in Auckland, New Zealand. The MCMEX14 was hosted by the Royal New Zealand Navy and
A trio of warships recently conducted a patrol of the North West Shelf Oil and Gas Fields as part of the Australian Government’s Border Protection Operations. HMA Ships Success, Ballarat and Toowoomba tested communications, procedures and protocols between Coastwatch, Defence assets and Oil and Gas
Guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72), departed Naval Station Norfolk March 14 on a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean Sea and surrounding waters. “It is an honor to command USS Vella Gulf as we set sail to the 6th Fleet area of operations to enhance maritime security,” said Capt. R
On 13 March 2014, EU Naval Force warship, ESPS Tornado departed Operation Atalanta’s patrol areas off the Somali coast after completing 105 days and is now heading for her home port of Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. As the ship set a navigation course for Spain, the Rear Admiral Bléjean, who is the F
The forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Donald Cook (DDG 75) departed Naval Station Rota, Spain in support of maritime security operations and theater security cooperation efforts in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, March 14. Donald Cook is the first of four des
The Bataan Amphibious Ready Group (BATARG) with embarked 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) transited the Suez Canal March 13, entering U.S. 5th Fleet’s area of operations. While deployed to the region, Bataan will conduct maritime security operations and participate in theater security cooperat
The U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, USS Kidd, has been ordered to the Indian Ocean to search for the Malaysian missing plane, according to the Agence France-Presse. The search for the Malaysian lost flight was switched to the Indian Ocean amid reports that the plane kept “pinging” a sat
Shrunken but stable U.S. Defense Department budgets through fiscal 2015 allow the U.S. Navy an acceptable forward presence and have temporarily restored critical training and operations, but the force still faces shortfalls, backlogs and higher risks, the chief of naval operations said on Wednesday.
A successful two weeks of intense anti-submarine warfare training between Navy and Air Force in the Western Australian Exercise Area concluded last Friday. Two AP-3C Orions from the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), three S-70B2 Seahawks, and HMA Ships Toowoomba and Sheean were joined by a P-8A P
As of Thursday 13 March, the Spanish Offshore Patrol Vessel, ESPS Relámpago joined the EU Naval Force to carry out counter-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia. ESPS Relámpago has replaced ESPS Tornado as the Spanish contribution to Operation Atalanta. ESPS Tornado is now on her way back home.
Guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) arrived in Bulgaria for a port visit, March 13. Truxtun’s stay in the Black Sea will allow the ship to host an exercise planning conference with NATO allies March 15. The conference will focus on a multilateral naval exercise in the spirit of reassuri
While an end to the crisis in Ukraine had proven elusive thus far, a peaceful solution remained possible, the Secretary-General’s senior United Nations political affairs official Jeffrey Feltman told the Security Council yesterday. The Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, emphasized, how
