Romanian frigate ROS Regele Ferdinand today joined the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) – Operation ATALANTA, combating piracy off Somalia. In doing so she becomes the first Romanian warship to take part in the EU’s counter-piracy operation. Commissioned into the Romanian Navy in 2004, the 146
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) (SS/SW) Rick D. West gave his last ‘HOOYAH’ during the change-of-office ceremony at the Washington Navy Yard, Sept. 28. Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert was the guest speaker for the ceremony and highlighted MCPON West’s accomplishments
More than 3,000 sailors and Royal Marines are geared up for a three-month deployment to the Mediterranean – the key workout in 2012 of the UK’s new task force. Cougar 12 will see the Response Force Task Group train with the French – including their flagship Charles de Gaulle – and Albanians among ot
Six countries participated in a helicopter live-fire exercise in the Caribbean Sea, Sept. 25, during UNITAS, an annual multinational exercise that involves naval forces from 13 partner nations to promote interoperability and cooperation with each other and is hosted by U.S. 4th Fleet. Participants i
Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) 26, guided-missile cruiser USS Gettysburg (CG 64), guided-missile destroyer USS Mitscher (DDG 57) and Helicopter Maritime Strike (HSM) 46 Detachment 2 pulled into the port of Faslane, Scotland for a port visit, Sept. 26. Gettysburg, Mitscher and fleet replenishment ship U
Bonhomme Richard Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), along with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), completed a certification exercise (CERTEX) Sept. 24. The two-week exercise took place from Sept. 10-24 focusing on the Bonhomme Richard ARG and 31st MEU’s capabilities of doing certain missions such
Almaz Shipyard held a keel-laying ceremony for the fourth patrol ship of Project 22460 (hull No 504) named Izumrud (Emerald). The Project 22460 patrol ship was developed by Severnoye Design Bureau under the Russian FSB Coast Guard tender for the construction of new-generation of littoral zone patrol
‘RANKURI’, a 95 feet long Maldivian mechanical boat, with four personnel onboard, reported missing at sea off the Southern coast of Maldives since 17 Sep 12 was rescued by Indian Naval Ship ‘INS Shardul’ on 20 Sep 12. On a request from the Maldivian authorities on 19 Sep 12, the Indian Navy diverted
Navies from six continents and more than 30 nations kick off the most widely attended international exercise ever held in the region, Sept. 16. International Mine Countermeasures Exercise (IMCMEX) 12 is the first of what is intended to be a recurring partnership event. “This exercise is about mines
Two U.S. Navy ships, led by Commander, Destroyer Squadron (COMDESRON) 26, departed from the U.S. for Scotland, Sept. 17. The ships will take part in the Joint Warrior 12-2 exercise with allied navies. Joint Warrior is a coalition exercise designed and led by the Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staf
Concerns exist about the MoD’s capacity to manage the risk created by the capability gap in maritime surveillance and about its ability to react to demand in the short and medium term, says the Defence Committee in its report, published yesterday, entitled “Future Maritime Surveillance”. The Committ
HMS Ambush – the second of the Navy’s planned flotilla of seven Astute-class submarines – yesterday made her debut in Scotland as she arrived at Faslane. The £1bn boat has spent the past four days undergoing trials on the 200-mile journey from the yard where she was built to her new home. The £1bn [
USS Carr (FFG 52) offloaded 4,134 pounds of marijuana, worth 4 million dollars recovered during Countering Transnational Organized Crime (CTOC) operations in the U.S. 4th Fleet (C4F) area of responsibility in support of Operation Martillo, Sept. 17. During a routine night patrol in the Western Carib
Amphibious transport dock ship USS Green Bay (LPD 20) departed Naval Base San Diego, Sept. 17 with the Peleliu Amphibious Ready Group (PELARG) and 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU) for a scheduled deployment to the Western Pacific. In addition to Green Bay, the Peleliu ARG consists of amphibious
