The Royal Saudi Naval Force (RNSF) has handed over command of Combined Task Force 150 (CTF 150), one of three task forces operated by Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), to the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). Commodore Darren Garnier of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) officially assumed command of CTF 150 on
Royal Navy Type 45 destroyer HMS Dragon has seized £1.6m of narcotics on the infamous ‘smack track’ – the heroin smuggling route between the Makran Coast of Iran and Pakistan and East Africa. Less than two weeks after seizing three tons of cannabis on the so-called ‘hash highway’, the Portsmouth-bas
The Canadian government has decided to invest in eight new search and rescue (SAR) lifeboats for the Canadian Coast Guard. On behalf of the coast guard, Public Services and Procurement Canada is acquiring the new high-endurance SAR lifeboats from Chantier Naval Forillon of Gaspé, Quebec, and Hike Me
The European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) celebrated ten years of maritime operations on December 8. Commanded from its military HQ in Northwood, London, the European Union Naval Force was officially launched on December 8, 2008. Codenamed Operation Atalanta, it is a naval force generated by EU Mem
Three shipbuilding teams have received funds from the UK to continue developing their plans for the construction of Type 31e frigates. On December 10, 2018, the country’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) awarded three contracts for the Competitive Design Phase. The contracts have been awarded to consortia
Russian Federation Navy (RuFN) ships Varyag, Admiral Panteleyev and Boris Butoma arrived in Visakhapatnam to participate in Indra Navy, the Indo-Russian maritime exercise. The 10th edition of the bilateral exercise will be conducted off Visakhapatnam from December 9 to 16, 2018. Indra Navy aims to i
The US Navy’s Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) has completed the testing of the ship’s defense capabilities during Combat Systems Ship Qualification Trials (CSSQT). As explained, CSSQT tested Abraham Lincoln’s ability to operate onboard weapons systems, including the close-
Aviators from various squadrons assigned to Commander, Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic (CSFWL) and Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic (CNAL) flew an unprecedented 21 jet flyover at the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library to honor the former naval aviator and president at his interment in College Sta
US Navy amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) returned to her homeport of Mayport, Florida, Dec. 4, after nine weeks of operations in the northern Atlantic Ocean. As flagship of the Iwo Jima Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), the ship returned to sea after completing a six-month deployment to part
Ships from NATO’s Standing Maritime Group Two (SNMG2) trained with Egyptian Navy vessels after concluding a visit to the Egyptian Navy base in Alexandria on December 4. Although hampered by the weather conditions, the passing exercise consisted of a tactical maneuvering exercise, helicopter operatio
UK defense contractor QinetiQ confirmed that it has added Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers to the naval combat systems integration support service (NCSISS) it provides in partnership for the Royal Navy. Confirmation of the £9 million contract extension follows the company’s announcement earli
The second Royal Navy Dreadnought-class ballistic missile submarine will be named HMS Valiant, the UK defense secretary has announced. In addition to naming the submarine, defense secretary Gavin Williamson announced a £400 million funding boost for the Dreadnought program. The planned funding relea
The Norwegian defense ministry has shared a detailed, and illustrated, plan of how it plans to salvage the HNoMS Helge Ingstad which has been sitting on the sea bottom in the Hjeltefjorden fjord after colliding with a tanker on November 8. While the plan provides no timetable on when the operation w
US Navy aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) worked out with the Italian Air Force in the Mediterranean Sea on November 29. F/A-18s from Carrier Air Wing One (CVW-1) embarked aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier worked with Italian Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft. “Every time we fl
