The British duo joined warships from the USA, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan – including an old Royal Navy favourite – for the war games in the Gulf of Oman. In the seemingly ever-present haze of the Gulf region, a Trafalgar-class submarine and an approximate American counterpart, USS Pittsburgh, lead a
Type 23 frigate HMS Somerset has begun a nine month docking period being undertaken by Babcock at Devonport – marking the first refit to be undertaken under the Surface Ship Support Alliance (SSSA) Class Output Management (COM) Phase 2 arrangements, which officially came into effect last month (Apri
An aircraft at the cutting edge of naval airpower will return to RNAS Yeovilton for its annual Air Day on 23 June. Living up to its name, the Dassault Rafale (‘Squall’, or ‘Hurricane’) will tear through the skies over this key Royal Naval Air Station. The Dassault Rafale M is the French Navy’s most
HMS Dauntless played a key part in helping to keep the waters off West Africa safe during a major international exercise. The Portsmouth-based destroyer joined warships and personnel from ten other nations off Senegal for Exercise Saharan Express aimed at dealing with the enduring threats of people
An enhanced helicopter facility has opened at HMS Raleigh to help with the training of British and NATO warships off the coast of Devon and Cornwall. In their distinctive blue livery, two Dauphin helicopters which serve the RN’s premier training organisation are parked on new landing pads at HMS Ral
Swooping low over the Firth of Clyde a Hawk jet banks as it approaches Ailsa Craig, preparing to make another pass of HMS Blyth. It’s just one action-packed episode from the largest military exercise in Europe, now approaching its climax in and off Scotland. Whilst much of the media attention is foc
Aircrew from the Culdrose-based Search and Rescue 771 Squadron proudly showed off their Sea King helicopter at the exhibition dedicated to lifesaving in the National Maritime Museum, Falmouth – attracting record visitor numbers. Personnel from 771 Naval Air Squadron made the short trip to the Cornis
All eleven pirates that were apprehended by EU Naval Force warship FS Nivose in May 2009 and transferred to Kenyan authorities in May 2009 were found guilty on 19 April 2012. By ruling of the Magistrate the eleven pirates now face 20 years imprisonment. It was 3 years ago when French frigate FS Nivo
The Counter-Piracy force of the European Union (EU NAVFOR), typically comprising 4 – 7 Surface Combat Vessels patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa, was joined by the French navy frigate FS Guépratte today, 25 April 2012. The 125 meter long FS Guépratte with 3600 metric tonnes displacement
Fourteen university students were given a taste of naval aviation as they joined 727 Naval Air Squadron for two weeks. The students, who normally serve with University Royal Naval Units and their P2000 patrol boats, were treated to a fortnight at RNAS Yeovilton where they learned the basics of fligh
Dutch EU NAVFOR warship HNLMS VAN AMSTEL completed two escorts of World Food Programme (WFP) chartered merchant vessels Mary Ann Hudson and Golden Bridge, on a tour between 14 and 17 April from Berbera to Bosaso and back. Both escorts in this high risk area were carried out smoothly and without any
The Royal Navy helicopter and commando carrier, HMS Illustrious, has joined one of the largest military exercises in Europe. The exercise, which includes participants from the UK, USA, Germany, Netherlands, France, Norway, Denmark and Canada, will take place between April 16 and 26 and is designed t
£14m of drugs used to fund terrorist activity will never reach their destination thanks to a major bust by HMS Westminster. The Portsmouth-based warship intercepted a suspicious dhow in the Indian Ocean, seizing over 70 bales containing more than 180kg of pure heroin. The Portsmouth-based frigate po
Three “blue-nosed” Reservists from HMS Sherwood in Nottingham have returned from a major exercise inside the Arctic Circle The biggest war game of the winter, involving 16,000 service men and women from 12 nations, was played out amid the Norwegian fjords and mountains in the harshest of winter weat
