Yesterday, NATO Allied Maritime Command (MARCOM) welcomed the NATO Operations Policy Committee (OPC), led by the NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations at NATO Headquarters, Mr. Michel Soula. The focus of the OPC visit was to update Mr. Soula and the committee on MARCOM’s operations
The guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) fires its MK 45 5-inch lightweight gun during a passing exercise with the French navy Horizon-class frigate FS Forbin (620). The exercise was undertaken on April 26 in the Mediterranean Sea. Laboon is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet
The Military Sealift Command’s joint high-speed vessel USNS Spearhead (JHSV 1), along with its embarked detachment of U.S. Navy Sailors and civil service mariners, departed Dakar, Senegal, after completing its participation in Exercise Saharan Express 2015, April 27. The recently-concluded Saharan E
Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG) 7 completed their annual Fleet Synthetic Training – Joint Exercise (FST-J) 15-72 aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) April 20-24. FST-J brings together the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marines into a computer-based synthetic training environm
Royal Navy mine hunter HMS Pembroke returned home on Thursday, April 23, to HM Naval Base Clyde following a four-month deployment. The Sandown Class Mine Counter Measures Vessel has been assigned to NATO’s Mine Counter Measures Group 1 since January this year, operating in the Baltic and North Sea.
The aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) prepares to come alongside the Military Sealift Command fleet replenishment oiler USNS Guadalupe (T-AO 200). At the time, the vessels were sailing in the Pacific Ocean. Ships comprising the John C. Stennis Carrier Strike Group are participating in a
Spanish Navy’s frigate Blas de Lezo (F103) started a journey to the North Sea and Norwegian Sea. The vessel left its homeport of Ferrol to take part in NATO’s annual antisubmarine exercise “Dynamic Mongoose 2015”. Eleven countries with a total of nine frigates, two tankers, four submarines, three ma
01 April 2015, the 35th SHADE conference convened in Bahrain to discuss counter-piracy efforts. This unique gathering held quarterly allowed over 120 representatives from the commercial shipping industry sector, Military forces engaged in counter-piracy, Civilian and International representatives wi
Three of NATO’s Standing Naval Forces have completed their participation in the UK-led Exercise JOINT WARRIOR 15-1: Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Groups ONE and TWO (SNMCMG1/2), following nearly two weeks of intense multi-national training. NATO’s t
An MH-60S Sea Hawk helicopter, assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8, conducts a helicopter visit, board, search, and seizure training exercise with Range Support Craft (RSC) 1. The operation was conducted on April 16 off the coast of San Diego, Pacific Ocean. HSC-8 provides vertical
Turkish naval ship TCG Gediz arrived to the port of Colombo, Sri Lanka, on April 26 for a two-day visit. TCG Gediz is on her way from Mumbai to port Klang in Malaysia. The ship was welcomed by the officials from the embassy of the Republic of Turkey and the Sri Lanka Navy in accordance with naval tr
US Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine USS Annapolis (SSN 760) arrived to Portsmouth Naval Shipyard on Saturday. The vessel is in the Shipyard for planned maintenance work and several system upgrades. Annapolis, the tenth “improved” Los Angeles-class submarine, is homeported in Groton, CT. She i
US Navy’s amphibious dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD 52) held a change of command ceremony on the flight deck of the USS Midway (CV 41) Museum, April 24. In the time-honored ceremony of transferring command authority and responsibility, Cmdr. DeWayne Sanders was relieved by Cmdr. Judd Krier.
U.S. Navy ships are scheduled to participate in an independent deployer certification exercise (IDCERTEX) in the Southern California operating area April 25-May 3. IDCERTEX will provide a multi-ship environment to train and certify independent deployers in surface warfare, air defense, maritime inte
