After spending six months at sea, German Navy’s Frankenthal-class mine hunter Weilheim returned to its homeport in Kiel, Germany on February 7. The German Navy 3rd Squadron ship was part of both the German contribution to NATO’s mine countermeasures group, the Standing NATO Mine Counter Measures Gro
Fighter jets aboard the French aircraft carrier FS Charles de Gaulle have been conducting airstrikes against the Daesh positions in Syria since November 2015 while the carrier itself was positioned in the Persian Gulf. While the carrier is a powerful offensive ship it lacks armament to protect itsel
One German corvette and one Spanish frigate participated in a medical evacuation of a migrant previously saved in the Mediterranean Sea. On January 28, German frigate FGS Ludwigshafen am Rhein carried out her first rescue operation on her deployment with Operation Sophia. The frigate embarked a tota
Leaders of navies from across the Pacific and Indian Ocean came to Hampshire, Great Britain for a series of talks on cooperation, security and trade in the region. The Pacific and Indian Oceans Shipping Working Group saw representatives attending from the navies of several nations including Australi
Operation Sophia, the EU-mission in the Mediterranean, has been making headlines with migrant-rescue operations. The main goal of the mission, however, is to disrupt the networks of migrant smugglers. The German Navy says the Op Sophia is succeeding in this undertaking. The EU-operation entered the
The German Navy corvette FGS Erfurt rendezvoused with the Spanish Navy helicopter Toro 07 in The Gulf of Aden to conduct a rather uncommon exercise. The helicopter is regularly embarked on the Spanish frigate ESPS Victoria which is also deployed to the EU NAVFOR Operation Atalanta at the Horn of Afr
Cutlass Express, one of four regional Express Series exercises facilitated by U.S. Naval Forces Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet is scheduled to take place in the West Indian Ocean from January 30, to February 6. The exercise focuses on increasing interagency capabilities in deterring counter-piracy, counter i
German Navy Rear Admiral Christophe Mueller-Meinhard has handed over the role of Deputy Commander (DCOM) of the European Union Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta, to Rear Admiral Jonas Wikstrӧm of the Swedish Royal Navy. The handover took place at the EU Naval Forces’ Operational H
Commanding Officer of Danish HMDS Absalon, Commander Per Moll Petersen paid a visit to Allied Maritime Command – MARCOM to deliver the Staff his mission debrief regarding his most recent deployment in NATO Operation Ocean Shield. During this visit, MARCOM Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Giorgio Lazio r
Having spent less than two months idle in the port during her routine maintenance period, the Italian aircraft carrier ITS Cavour now rejoined the EUNAVFOR Med operation Sophia. The Italian light aircraft carrier ITS Garibaldi assumed Cavour’s role on November 25, 2015. Now that the original mission
In 2015 Swedish Navy joined an organization called the European Amphibious Initiative (EAI) formed by five EU nations in 2000. The initiators were France, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK. The aim of this organization is to strengthen the interoperability of European forces and optimize and
The UK Royal Navy’s Ice Patrol ship has just completed a historic five week patrol to the East Antarctic and Ross Sea. HMS Protector is the first Royal Navy, or UK Government, vessel to have visited the region in 80 years or to have traveled so far south having dipped below 77 degrees latitude. Her
Spanish ESPS Numancia, based at Naval Station Rota, left her homeport in the morning of January 18 to relieve the frigate Canarias which was deployed in the Mediterranean Sea with EUNAVFOR’s Operation Sophia. The frigate sailed off to her area of operations after a ceremony which was presided over b
ITS Carabiniere, flagship of the EU Naval Force, paid her first visit to Antisiranana, Madagascar from December 22 to 26. Having berthed, Rear Admiral Stefano Barbieri and the Commanding Officer of ITS Carabiniere, Commander Francesco Saladino were received by the Commander of the local Naval Base,
