Aviation
Royal Navy Roars Into Mediterranean for Key 2012 Deployment
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
Live-Fire Exercise in Caribbean Tests Skills in Water, Air
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
US Navy Task Force Arrives in Scotland
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
USA: Bonhomme Richard ARG, 31st MEU Complete CERTEX
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
Russia: Almaz Shipyard Holds Keel Laying Ceremony for Fourth Patrol Ship
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
Naval Ship ‘Shardul’ Rescues Maldivian Nationals
‘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
Largest Mine Countermeasure Exercise in Middle East Conducted
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
US Navy Ships Dpart for Scotland
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
UK: MPs Publish Report on Future Maritime Surveillance
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
UK: HMS Ambush Arrives at Faslane
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 Offloads Drugs in Costa Rica
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
USS Green Bay Departs Naval Base San Diego
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
HMAS Perth Conducts Successful Series of Gunnery Exercises
Fresh from winning the Gunnery Prize during RIMPAC 2012 in Hawaii, HMAS Perth has followed up with a successful series of gunnery exercises for Exercise KAKADU 2012. In company with KRI Frans Kaisepo¸ JDS Shimakaze and HTMS Rattanakosin, Perth fired its five inch gun down range in the North Australi
UK: Navy Unveils New Carrier Training Facility
One of the inaugural steps in preparing Royal Navy sailors to man the first of the Queen Elizabeth class carriers due in 2016 has been taken with the opening of a brand new training facility. The 65,000 tonne carrier – which weighs three times as much as HMS Illustrious – is currently being assemble