During the evening of November 22, a search and rescue exercise was conducted by ESPS Meteoro and her embarked helicopter. The exercise was part of an intensive air-sea training programme. During the exercise, two qualified rescue divers from the embarked air wing simulated two men who had been wash
Helicopter and commando carrier HMS Illustrious has arrived in the Philippines to begin to deliver humanitarian aid provided by the Department for International Development (DfID). HMS Illustrious will take over from HMS Daring which has been distributing aid and assisting villagers in remote commun
HMS Illustrious departed Singapore en route to the Philippines on Friday, November 22. During 48 hours alongside Sembawang naval shipyard in Singapore, over 500 tons of disaster relief aid was loaded into the hangar by the men and women serving in HMS Illustrious, a team from the Department for Inte
Babcock has begun work to deliver an upgrade and maintenance programme on HMS Sutherland, which will see the Type 23 frigate receive extensive upgrades and improvements that will significantly increase the ship’s sustainability and fighting capability. Sutherland docked down on Friday, 22 November,
Royal Naval fliers have been training on how to land on the ever-moving deck of a warship as they get closer to landing their ‘wings’ flying qualification. Aircrew from 702 Naval Air Squadron left their base at Royal Naval Air Station Yeovilton in Somerset to join Plymouth frigate HMS Monmouth and p
Chaplain Lt. Brian Kirschenbaum, of Carrier Air Wing Five, assisted aircrews in the Guiuan area with the loading and unloading of supplies and interacted with local citizens who were in need of food and shelter. Members from the U.S. aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) helped hundreds of
A Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose based Merlin Mk 1 flight is en route to the Philippines. The seventeen strong team, currently embarked in Portsmouth based amphibious helicopter carrier HMS Illustrious, were in the latter stages of the UK Response Force Task Group’s Cougar 13 autumn deployment whe
UK Royal Fleet Auxiliary, RFA Lyme Bay is heading for home having completed a 32 day tour of duty with Operation Atalanta – the European Union’s counter piracy operation off the coast of Somalia. RFA Lyme Bay departed the UK in mid August to form part of the Cougar 2013 Response Force Task Group (RF
General Dynamics National Steel and Shipbuilding Co.(NASSCO) has received a $12.1 million worth contract modification to exercise the option for the fitting-out availability of San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, the USS Somerset (LPD 25). The contract includes engineering, planning, manage
The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 2 departed Norfolk to begin Composite Training Unit Exercise (COMPTUEX)Nov. 20. COMPTUEX is a series of training exercises designed to certify the carrier strike group deployment-ready by testing its ability to react to real-world scenarios and perform
Ticonderoga guided-missile cruiser USS Cowpens (CG 63) commenced its aid to the Republic of the Philippines in support of Operation Damayan, Nov. 16. The cruiser has been providing aid to the locals affected by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda via SH-60B Seahawk helicopter supply-drops provided by its embarke
The Aegis guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) returned home to Naval Station Norfolk Nov. 18 marking the successful completion of her nine-month maiden deployment. Gravely deployed to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations Feb. 15. She supported maritime security and theater security opera
The Military Sealift Command dry cargo and ammunition ship USNS Charles Drew (T-AKE 10) keeps warships like aircraft carrier USS George Washington (CVN 73) mission ready with fresh food, JP-5 fuel and even ammunition with vertical replenishments and conventional replenishments, Nov. 17. During Opera
USS Freedom (LCS 1) arrived at Brunei’s port of Muara Nov. 18 to take on fuel and supplies in preparation to support humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts in the Philippines. The port visit occurs during the annual bilateral exercise Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) Br
