Friday 13th June saw the hand over of the Commandant General Royal Marines from Major General Ed Davis, CBE to Major General Martin Smith, MBE. The handover ceremony took place in the Commandant Generals Courtyard at Commando Training Centre Royal Marines and was witnessed by Commanding Officers a
The UK Navy’s new helicopter has paid its first visit to HMS Illustrious – dropping in on the veteran carrier during a submarine hunting exercise off Cornwall. Wildcat, which will replace the long-serving Lynx on the front line from next year, touched down on Lusty in the middle of Exercise Deep Blu
Sailors aboard USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79) participated in a gunnery exercise with German navy ship, FGS Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (F218), as one of many events during Baltic Operations (BALTOPS) 2014, June 13. A Naval Gunnery Target balloon (NavTGT) served as the exercise target. Sailors fired shots f
After a ten day work-up on-board HMS Illustrious around the Cornish coast, the Merlin Carrier Air Group (MCAG) prepare to “Go Deep” as they sail westwards out into the Atlantic in pursuit of Submarines. Exercise Deep Blue has so far seen the Merlin Mk 2s from Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose put t
The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) arrived at Naval Station Rota, Spain to begin her forward deployment to the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations, June 16. Ross, departed Norfolk, Va., June 3, and is the second of four Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers to
The F-100 frigates ‘Álvaro de Bazán’, ‘Almirante Juan de Borbón’, ‘Blas de Lezo’ and ‘Méndez Núñez’ from the 31st Escort Squadron have participated in a series of exercises off the Galician coast from the 9th to the 13th of June. The goal was to enhance training on anti-air warfare, operations wit
Rear-Admiral (ESP N) Eugenio Diaz Del Rio, Commander Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2), handed over command of NATO’s counter-piracy Operation OCEAN SHIELD task force (TF 508) to Commodore (Royal Danish Navy) Aage Buur Jensen, Commander SNMG1 during an operational handover in Souda Bay on Sat
Sandown class mine hunter HMS Bangor has left Babcock’s Rosyth dockyard for sea trials on Friday, 13 June, following a successful six month Support Period (Docking) (SP(D)). The SP(D), carried out under the Surface Ship Support Alliance Class Output Management (COM) arrangements by the Babcock-led
Senior representatives from the Royal UK Navy and the Royal Netherlands Navy have signed a long-standing agreement to share operational training and naval assets. Vice Admiral David Steel CBE, Second Sea Lord and Vice Admiral Matthieu J M Borsboom, Commander Royal Netherlands Navy signed the memor
Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) arrived in Valletta on Thursday, 12 June 2014, for a scheduled port visit during the Group’s deployment to the Mediterranean to enhance maritime security in the region and strengthen relations between NATO and Malta. During this port visit, t
The Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Vella Gulf (CG 72) departed the Black Sea after a series of engagements promoting peace and stability in the region, June 12. Vella Gulf’s mission, while in the Black Sea, was to work with NATO allies and European partners, demonstrating the United
Thales Alenia Space announced on June 9 the completion of the acquisition of the space activities of Systems Engineering & Assessment Limited (SEA), part of Cohort plc. This acquisition will reinforce the perimeter of its new subsidiary Thales Alenia Space UK and will boost its growth in systems e
Hydroid, Inc., a subsidiary of Kongsberg Maritime and the leading manufacturer of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), has announced that registration is now open for its REMUS 100 Operations & Training Course, to be held during the week of September 15-19, 2014. Based out of Hydroid’s state-of-
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) has awarded up to £111 million worth of new contracts to maintain its fleet of small boats. Six UK companies will benefit from the five year contract that will involve support for 1,450 boats used by the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, Army and MoD Police. They are: – [
