The German Navy is looking to expand its amphibious capabilities and intensify its maritime cooperation with the Netherlands. That is why the German fleet commander, Rear Admiral Thomas Jugel, paid a 2-day visit to the naval base in Den Helder and the amphibious centre of expertise on the island of
On 19 February, HNLMS De Ruyter, has stopped the activities of a group of suspected pirates approximately 120 nautical miles east of Eyl off the coast of Somalia. Nine suspected pirates were apprehended and taken on board of the De Ruyter. The Dutch frigate that is deployed with the European Union N
On 12 February 2013, during a port visit by the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta flagship ESPS Méndez Núnez to Port Victoria in the Seychelles, the EUNAVFOR Force Commander, Rear Admiral Pedro García de Paredes, met the Chief of Defence of the Seychelles People’s Defence Force
BAE Systems, together with Thales UK, Babcock and the UK Ministry of Defence (the Aircraft Carrier Alliance) has ventured on a major endeavor with the construction of the biggest aircraft carrier ever to be built in Britain, HMS Queen Elizabeth, which is the first unit from the Queen Elizabeth Class
Three Merlin helicopters will go a-hunting off Sicily this weekend as they join the biggest anti-submarine exercise in western Europe. The aircraft, plus 75 personnel from RNAS Culdrose in Cornwall, are Britain’s contribution to NATO’s Proud Manta, a two-week war game involving the forces of ten All
The Swedish Coast Guard MPRA aircraft left the Seychelles on 15 February 2013 after a productive four month deployment to the Seychelles as part of EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) Somalia – Operation Atalanta. The Swedish coastguard Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft, joined the operation in October 2012 and lef
Expanding cooperation in the field of maritime security was the main subject discussed during another set of bilateral staff talks between Polish and French Navies on February 14 in Gdynia (Poland). Vice admiral Ryszard Demczuk, Deputy Commander of the Polish Navy and Rear admiral Charles-Henri du C
On February 14, Vice Admiral Peter Hudson CBE (UK Navy), took over command of the NATO Maritime Headquarters during a brief ceremony in Northwood, London. He takes over at a time of major change within NATO which sees Northwood as the Alliance’s sole maritime command with command of the range of NAT
The arrival of the iconic 700-tonne forward island of the biggest aircraft carrier ever to be built in Britain, HMS Queen Elizabeth, marked a significant milestone in the construction process of the naval giant. Nevertheless, the very transport of the forward island, which arrived safely in Rosyth o
Military representatives from eight Mediterranean countries from Africa and Europe came together with the U.S. Navy for the main planning conference in support of Exercise Phoenix Express 2013 in Garmisch, Germany, Feb. 5-8. Phoenix Express, set to take place in the spring, is an at-sea maritime exe
The three-day initial planning conference for Africa Partnership Station took place in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 11-13. The primary operational elements of APS include international partner missions conducted by U.S. Naval Forces Africa, and U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area, with African n
The crew of frigate HMS Montrose are three weeks into two months of rigorous training off the coast of Devon and Cornwall to prepare them for deployment later this year. The sailors face fire, flood, air raids, submarine attack and other challenges – but have also been letting rip with their 4.5in m
Royal Navy warship Defender, the fifth of six Type 45 destroyers built by BAE Systems on the River Clyde in Glasgow, will berth at Northumbria Quay this weekend (Feb 15-18), the ship’s first visit to a non-naval port. Defender is due to be commissioned into the Royal Navy at the end of March at Port
Military leaders of the future have been treated to an exciting demonstration of Royal Naval amphibious power off the South West coast. The Plymouth-based command and control landing ship HMS Bulwark exercised off Devon and Cornwall with Royal Marines in fast boats and landing craft while helicopter
