“Today, the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) released its paper “Mind The Gap: Getting Serious About Submarines”. As a result of this there has been some quite critical, and in some cases dated, analysis reported in the press. There is no denying the issue that submarine availability is
EU Naval Force flagship FS Marne and RFA Fort Victoria, flagship of the Combined Task Force 151 (CTF 151) – part of the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF) rendezvoused off the Omani coast on 18 April. EU Force Commander Rear Admiral Dupuis welcomed his Thaï counterpart, Rear Admiral Tanin Likitawong, on
The manoeuvres were conducted smoothly demonstrating a high degree of interoperability between EU NAFVOR Units and Coalition Task Force 151. Within one hour the RAS was completed, during which F76 and F44 was loaded and the formation also completed a “corpen november”. A corpen november is a manoeuv
During the last week EU Naval Force (NAVFOR) Spanish and French frigates have ensured that much needed humanitarian aid has been delivered safely to the people of Somalia. From 5 to 11 April, Spanish frigate ESPS Infanta Elena and French warship FS Aconit took it in turns to escort World Food Progra
Dutch EU NAVFOR warship HNLMS VAN AMSTEL completed two escorts of World Food Programme (WFP) chartered merchant vessels Mary Ann Hudson and Golden Bridge, on a tour between 14 and 17 April from Berbera to Bosaso and back. Both escorts in this high risk area were carried out smoothly and without any
On Saturday 14 April Spanish warship ESPS Reina Sofia, who is now operating as part of the EU’s counter-piracy mission, Operation Atalanta, stopped a Yemeni dhow that was suspected of carrying armed Somali pirates. The French Air Force Awacs E3F, FS Dixmude and her helicopters, as well as an Austral
Having taken over as the EU Naval Force (EUNAVFOR) flagship on 7 April 2012, French warship FS Marne has already been very busy out at sea ensuring that the Task Force remains fully prepared for counter-piracy operations off Somalia. In her first 3 days the ship has carried out a number of replenish
The U.S. Navy has awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat a $78 million contract to buy long lead-time material for the Virginia-class submarine SSN-792. Electric Boat is a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics . The contract provides funding for steam and electrical-plant components, the main
The U.S. Navy awarded Raytheon Company a $106.4 million modification to a previously awarded contract for the production of Aegis-related equipment, including the AN/SPY-1(D)V radar transmitter and MK99 Mod 14 Fire Control System. With this modification, Raytheon will continue its long history of re
£14m of drugs used to fund terrorist activity will never reach their destination thanks to a major bust by HMS Westminster. The Portsmouth-based warship intercepted a suspicious dhow in the Indian Ocean, seizing over 70 bales containing more than 180kg of pure heroin. The Portsmouth-based frigate po
A German-owned freighter loaded with military equipment and ammunition heading to Syria, was stopped on Friday 50 kilometres (31 miles) away from the Syrian port Tartus, a German Magazine Der Spiegel reports. The ship “Atlantic Cruiser”, leased to a Ukrainian company, White Whale Shipping, was inter
The deafening roar of supersonic aircraft can cause hearing damage to Sailors and Marines on flight decks, so the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is funding a new project to help reduce jet noise, officials announced April 12. “The noise problem falls into two categories: noise exposure on the flight
The Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs announced today the establishment of a new organisation, Fleet Support Unit – Australia, to provide better maintenance support to the Navy. The re-organisation was one of the key recommendations to come out of a review conducted by the Navy’s Continuous Impr
After passing through the Suez Canal on 1 April, the multipurpose frigate HNLMS Van Amstel officially began its participation in EU Operation Atalanta. The Van Amstel will contribute to the mission against pirates operating off the coast of East Africa up to the end of May 2012.Operation Atalanta is
