While the focus of attention during Exercise KAKADU 2014 is on the interoperability of the coalition fleet at sea in the waters north of Australia, several teams of people have been working hard in Darwin to ensure smooth sailing. One of these teams consists of 14 officers from the Royal Australia
Between 6 – 7 September, the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando took the opportunity to embark HNLMS Van Speijk and BNS Leopold I. Both frigates recently joined the EU Naval Force to conduct EU counter-piracy operations and they will remain in the area of operations off the coast of Soma
Two Australian Defence Force (ADF) medical officers have joined the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) – Navy hospital ship Peace Ark on its medical assistance mission currently under way in the South Pacific. The deployment results from an invitation from the Vice Chairman of the Central Military Com
The next generation of Australian submarines could be the Japanese-built Soryu Class submarines which will replace the Collins Class vessels. The Abbott Government’s contract worth more than $20 billion for up to 10 submarines will be announced before the end of the year and, according to news.com
The final week of Exercise KAKADU 2014 has commenced with ‘free-play’ that provides participants with the opportunity to test their naval warfare capabilities, with the ships and aircraft divided into opposing fictional ‘Blue’ and ‘Red’ forces. The ‘Blueland’ forces, lead by the Royal Australian N
Over 80 service members from across the Department of Defense, as well as Australia, Canada, Japan and United Kingdom, are participating in the CNO’s Navy Global War Game 2014 in Newport, R.I., Sept. 8-12, 2014. Global ’14 is hosted by the Naval War College, and is the third in a series of the Chi
Sailors from Submarine Group 7 and organizations around the world participated in a training and response for Simulated Submarine Casualty Exercise (SMASHEX) at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, Aug. 27-28. SMASHEX is a table top exercise to test procedures and practices required in the very unlikely eve
Huntington Ingalls Inc., Coronado, California, is being awarded a $24,2 million modification to a previously awarded cost-plus-award-fee contract for USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) fiscal 2014 planned incremental availability. A planned incremental availability includes the planning and execution of d
The participants of the KAKADU exercise from the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions have completed the first sea phase of the Royal Australian Navy’s largest maritime warfare exercise. Occurring off the coast of Darwin from 25 August to 12 September 2014, eight ships and 26 aircraft from Austra
EU Naval Force warship HNLMS Van Speijk has carried out her first friendly approach in the Gulf of Aden. Following a routine logistical stop in Djibouti, HNLMS Van Speijk was assigned to patrol in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), monitoring merchant traffic and safeguarding s
As Australia’s largest naval warfare exercise for 2014, KAKADU is providing an important opportunity to hone and exchange knowledge for Australia and fourteen coalition nations working together on a variety of air defence, anti-submarine and surface warfare serials. Five of the participating natio
On Tuesday 2 September the EU Force Commander, Rear Admiral Guido Rando, welcomed the Commander of the Japanese Escort Task Group, Captain Tsutomu Okawa, on board the EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Andrea Doria. Both ships are conducting counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden. The Japanese Es
On Saturday 30 August, EU Naval Force warship BNS Leopold I conducted their first friendly approach with two Yemeni fishing vessels. Having sighted the vessels at sea with approximately 15 men, women and children on board, the warship’s Boarding Party was dispatched to investigate the situation. O
After leaving her home port of Zeebrugge on Sunday 10 August, Belgian Navy warship BNS LEOPOLD I has arrived in the Gulf of Aden to commence counter-piracy operations with the EU Naval Force. This is the fourth time that this multi-purpose frigate, with 157 men and 13 women on board, has participa
