Defence Minister Harriett Baldwin on September 7th launched plans for the procurement of the Royal Navy’s new Type 31e frigates – a day after the announcement of a new National Shipbuilding Strategy. The competition, unveiled by senior leaders from the Ministry of Defence, Royal Navy and Defence Equ
Royal Navy fleet flagship HMS Ocean has been diverted from a planned task to provide vital humanitarian aid to Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma and in the path of Hurricane José. The helicopter carrier and amphibious assault ship will join Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay, providing lo
Royal Navy warship HMS Diamond has sailed from Portsmouth Naval Base for a nine-month operational deployment. She will be taking over the Navy’s long-standing commitment to the region from HMS Monmouth, a Type 23 frigate based in Plymouth. She is the second Type 45 destroyer to sail on operational d
The lead ship of the Royal Navy’s offshore patrol vessels, the HMS Forth, started sea trials on Wednesday sailing down River Clyde for the first time. HMS Forth leads a class of five follow-on River-class vessels which will act as the RN’s eyes and ears around the UK, help to safeguard fishing stock
Getting underway from Naval Base Plymouth on Tuesday, helicopter carrier HMS Ocean started her final deployment as a commissioned Royal Navy ship. The fleet flagship – a role that will be taken by the new aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth – will be joining NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 2 in the
After delivering the first modernized Ka-27M multirole helicopter to the Russian Navy in December 2016, Rostec subsidiary Russian Helicopters is ready for serial delivery of the Ka-27m aircraft to the Russian Navy. After the first modernized unit passed all tests, the Russian defense ministry in lat
The French Navy’s newest FREMM frigate FS Auvergne started her maiden operational deployment as she set sail from homeport in Toulon on August 18. The frigate will spend the next four months operating in the Indian Ocean where she will be put through her paces by her crew. An NH90 helicopter will be
Irish boat builder Safehaven Marine has been awarded a contract to build the largest vessel in a new fleet of Royal Navy workboats which are to be delivered by Atlas Elektronik (AEUK). Safehaven Marine will supply an 18 metre Wildcat 60 catamaran, to be part of a fleet of up to 38 new workboats, ran
The Royal Marines spent four weeks at sea aboard aviation training ship RFA Argus preparing for the operation of the new Merlin Mk3 helicopters. Two Fleet Air Arm squadrons – 845 and 846 – have recently switched from Sea Kings to the green Merlin Mk3, transferred from the RAF. But in order to be abl
The Spanish defense ministry has received the fourth upgraded Agusta Bell 212 (AB212) helicopter delivered by the joint venture made up of SENER and Babcock. The aircraft is the fourth of overall seven helicopters that are to be upgraded under a project that will extend their lifespan by another 15
A reconnaissance mission flown by a Royal Navy Wildcat over the tiny Caribbean island of Montserrat has uncovered nine illegal drug plantations in the island’s forbidden zone. Naval aviators revisited the town of Plymouth on the island, 20 years after it was destroyed by a volcano eruption. Half the
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown left her homeport in Halifax and headed for Europe where she will join navy ships from several countries for a six-month deployment to NATO’s Standing Maritime Group 1. On her second deployment under the Canadian Navy’s operation Reassurance, HMCS Charl
Portuguese Navy frigate NRP Francisco de Almeida (F334) departed its homeport of Lisbon Naval Base on August 6 to join NATO’s standing maritime group 1 (SNMG1). The former Karel Doorman-class frigate will join units from Canada, Netherlands, Denmark, Spain and Norway for operations in the North and
A group of Royal Navy sailors and marines together with two Royal Navy Merlin Mk3 helicopters spent the past five months deployed aboard the French helicopter carrier FS Mistral during its Jeanne D’Arc mission. FS Mistral, together with frigate FS Courbet, embarked Royal Navy personnel in March for
