On 3 July 2013, whilst conducting counter-piracy patrols in the Gulf of Aden, the Force Commander of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR), Commodore Jorge Novo Palma, met with the Commander of the NATO counter-piracy Operation Ocean Shield, Commodore Henning Amundsen. HNoMS Fridtjof Nansen, fl
Dock landing ship USS Germantown (LSD 42), with the embarked 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), arrived in Darwin, Australia, July 4, prior to scheduled operations in the region. While in port, Germantown and the 31st MEU will conduct a bio-security inspection to ensure they are operating in an e
Ultra Electronics announces that its Command & Control Systems business, based in High Wycombe, has been awarded a contract worth £32m by the Republic of Indonesia’s Ministry of Defence for the mid-life modernisation of the first of the Fatahillah Class corvettes. The contract includes the developme
Defence and security company Saab has signed a contract with Watpac Construction Pty Ltd for the installation and commissioning of electronic security systems for the Australian Department of Defence. The contract amounts to MSEK 470 and deliveries will take place 2013-2014. Watpac has been contract
Pacific Partnership 2013 arrived at its third mission port, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, July 3. U.S., partner nation military members and non-governmental organization volunteers are scheduled to take part in a variety of projects while ashore in the Marshall Islands such as the installati
Minister for Defence Materiel Dr Mike Kelly AM MP today announced the first of 24 MH-60R Seahawk Romeo helicopters has successfully completed its first test flight. The initial test flight occurred at Sikorsky’s Production Facility, Connecticut USA on 26 June 2013. It passed a range of tests includi
Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel are playing a vital role as key contributors to Pacific Partnership, a United States-sponsored humanitarian and civic assistance mission to help improve the lives of people in the Pacific Region. This year, Pacific Partnership will deliver medical, dental, ve
Exercise SEA LION 13 came to a conclusion on 28 June in waters off North Queensland. SEA LION 13 provided Australian Defence Force personnel with the chance to work closely together and develop the critical skills necessary for joint amphibious operations, including Humanitarian and Disaster Relief.
Within the framework of fleet replenishment ship Cantabria’s deployment, on which the vessel embarked on June 27 after an intense program of maintenance and training at Garden Island, the ship will participate in two main activities. The first one is the collaboration with the Royal Australian Navy
The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $208.6 million contract modification to buy long lead-time material for three Virginia-class submarines. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics. Recognized as a model defense-acquisition program for its technical exce
Minister for Defence Materiel Dr Mike Kelly AM MP today announced the final keel block for the future destroyer, Hobart, has been successfully lifted into place by the AWD Alliance in Adelaide. Dr Kelly said the final keel block is the 18th of 31 blocks to be joined into what is rapidly becoming the
Last week, whilst operating off the coast of Somalia, EU Naval Force flagship Portuguese Frigate NRP Álvares Cabral and French frigate FS Guépratte both conducted a Replenishment At Sea (RAS) with RFA Fort Victoria. A RAS enables warships to replenish fuel, food and stores at sea without having to r
Nearly 100 years after France and Australia fought side by side on the Somme battlefields, HMAS Newcastle and FS Somme are united in their security efforts in the Middle East Area of Operation (MEAO). The two warships conducted coordinated maritime security operations over a five-day period in the S
Royal Navy of Oman Takes Delivery of First Khareef Class Warship The first warship built by BAE Systems for the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO) as part of Project Khareef for the design, build and delivery of three corvettes, has been formally handed over in a ceremony at HM Naval Base Portsmouth today. Fr
