The U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer USS Higgins (DDG 76) is scheduled to return to its Naval Base San Diego homeport on February 11. The ship is on its way back from a 225-day independent deployment to the Arabian Gulf, Western Pacific, and Indian Oceans. While deployed to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fl
The U.S. facilitated exercise Cutlass Express 2016 is currently taking place in the western Indian Ocean, focusing on cooperation and teamwork. Its principle goal is to build and help to maintain the capability to protect the free flow of trade by countering maritime illicit activity. The eight-day
A Spanish Special Naval Warfare Force team (FGNE in its Spanish initials) is training Senegalese and Cape Verdean Forces on special operations missions as part of Exercise Flintlock 16. This multinational exercise is conducted by Sahel and NATO nations within the present Cooperative Security framewo
Spanish Navy’s Santa Maria-class frigate, ESPS Victoria, conducted a series of exercises with Japanese Takanami-class destroyer, JDS Suzunami, to strengthen counter-piracy cooperation between the two forces. Meeting within close distance of the internationally recommended transit corridor in the Gul
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
After a week of combat readiness operations, the South African Navy frigate SAS Spioenkop set sail to India on January 16, 2016 to participate in Exercise IBSAMAR V. Exercise IBSAMAR is a Joint and Multinational Maritime Exercise held between the Indian Navy, Brazilian Navy and South African Defence
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
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
Brazilian Navy’s BNS Amazonas came alongside in Cape Town, South Africa at the V&A Waterfront for a port call on January 8. BNS Amazonas, a 90-meter offshore patrol vessel, left Brazil late December 2015. The ship forms part of the south east naval grouping of the Brazilian Navy which is used in per
On Wednesday 06 January 2016, Operation Atalanta warship, ITS Carabiniere, and Japanese warship, JDS Suzunami, met at sea to conduct joint exercises in the Gulf of Aden. After a visit by Rear Admiral Barbieri to JDS Suzunami, the exercise began in earnest, with the two ships closing each other’s pos
EU Naval Force flagship, ITS Carabiniere, conducted maritime training with sailors from the Madagascan Navy during her port visit to Antisiranana on December 23. Following an initial briefing on fire-fighting and boarding operations, the 19 Madagascan trainees conducted a series of exercises with sa
Danish Navy vessel HDMS Absalon and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy guided-missile Liuzhou took part in combined sea training during NATO’s Ocean Shield operation. The last week’s, Gulf of Aden, sea training was set in motion by the Chinese boarding team fast roping onto Absalon heli
After being trained by the crew of Danish HDMS Absalon, 22 soldiers from the Somaliland Coast Guard boarded a small vessel in a safe and professional manner this week. The boarded vessel had been hired and assigned for the task, and the successful boarding concluded two days of demanding maritime tr
Standing NATO Maritime Group 1 (SNMG1) led by Rear Admiral Alberto Correia, Portuguese Navy, resumed NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation Active Endeavour (OAE) this week. SNMG1 currently consists of the Flagship – Portuguese frigate NRP D. Francisco de Almeida, the Spanish frigate ESPS Blas de Lezo,
