The Romanian Navy has deployed one its four Musca-class minesweepers to join NATO’s Standing Mine Countermeasures Group 2 as it operates in the Black Sea. SNMCMG2, with the Royal Navy’s HMS Enterprise at the helm, transited Bosphorus on January 24 and is currently on a Black Sea patrol. In addition
France, Italy and the United Kingdom have renewed an in-service support contract with Eurosam related to the upkeep of the land and naval systems in service with the three countries. The contract extension was awarded to Eurosam, a consortium between MBDA and Thales, by the European Organisation for
The Estonian naval forces are hosting this year’s edition of the international Baltic Sea ordnance disposal drill Open Spirit. The exercise is taking place from May 11 to 25 and will welcome 800 participants, the Estonian defense ministry announced following a January 23 planning conference which to
Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) developer UMS SKELDAR has joined the European Defence Fund’s OCEAN2020 autonomous systems project with its Skeldar V-200 UAV, the company announced on January 22. UMS SKELDAR is joining the naval surveillance technology project alongside its partner Saab. OCEAN2020 is t
The Royal Bahrain Naval Force received its first upgraded Al-Manama class guided-missile patrol combatant in a ceremony on January 22 at the main navy base in Mina Salman. The FPB 62 patrol combatant was delivered by Italian defense company Leonardo after the company was awarded a modernization cont
The Spanish Navy-operated polar research ship B.I.O. Hespérides has started the second phase of the 31st Spanish Antarctic Campaign after a three and a half-month voyage from her homeport in Cartagena. After making port calls in Mar de Plata and Ushuaia, the ship proceeded towards the Antarctic cont
The US Navy has ordered four additional Mk 45 naval guns to be delivered by BAE Systems under a $46.8 million contract option. The contract modification calls for upgrading existing guns to the Mod 4 configuration to increase the firepower and extend the range of the weapons. According to BAE System
US Navy’s forward-deployed command ship USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) completed her dry dock maintenance, undocking and mooring pierside at Fleet Activities Yokosuka on January 21. Blue Ridge is the oldest operational US Navy ship and this dry-docking period extended her life by approximately 20-plus year
The US Navy’s Harry S. Truman Carrier Strike Group has completed the fleet synthetic training – group commander (FST-GC) exercise on January 19, clearing another hurdle before starting the final pre-deployment exercise – Comptuex. In addition to FST-GC, Harry S. Truman sailors completed the force pr
Damaged US Navy destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) has arrived in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where it will undergo some two years of repairs after being involved in a collision with a merchant tnaker in June 2017. The Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer arrived in Pascagoula on January 19 aboa
Royal Canadian Navy frigate HMCS Charlottetown arrived at its Halifax homeport on January 19, wrapping up a six-month deployment with NATO’s Standing Maritime Group One (SNMG1). HMCS Charlottetown joined SNMG1 in August 2017, sailing in the Baltic Sea, Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean S
Royal Australian Navy and Northern Territorry community marked the 75th anniversary of the sinking of HMAS Patricia Cam in World War II. Nine lives were lost when, on 22 January 1943, a Japanese seaplane bombed and sank the auxiliary minesweeper as it sailed from Milingimbi to Elcho Island on a supp
The US Navy’s forward-deployed command ship USS Mount Whitney (LCC 20) pulled into Valletta, Malta, on January 19, 2018, for a scheduled port visit. During her time in Valletta, Mount Whitney is providing ship tours and enhancing relationships between the two countries. “The sailors and civilian mar
Video footage of smoke billowing near two submarines at the Russian submarine base in Vladivostok emerged on Sunday, but the navy says it is all part of a damage control exercise. According to Russian news agency Interfax, the press service of the Russian Pacific Fleet has denied earlier Russian med
