Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) and Standing NATO Mine-Countermeasures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) met on Wednesday, 30 October 2013, for a joint training opportunity at sea near Crete, Greece. Both Groups have been operating in the Mediterranean in support of the counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE
Northrop Grumman Corporation and the U.S. Navy successfully completed the first flight of the next-generation MQ-8C Fire Scout unmanned helicopter at Naval Base Ventura County, Point Mugu, Calif. At 12:05 p.m. the MQ-8C Fire Scout took off and flew for seven minutes in restricted airspace to validat
During the scheduled port-call at Tunis, the frigate ‘Álvaro de Bazán’ (F-101) and the Turkish frigate ‘Salihreis’, integrated into the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 (SNMG-2), have trained with naval units from the Tunisian Navy. These PASSEX-type exercises are intended to assure that the participa
HMS Illustrious has had to fend off a succession of attacks from Omani jets off the coast of Oman during the opening stages of the last major exercise by the UK’s amphibious task group east of Suez. The veteran warship was expected not just to thwart the attackers, but put Royal Marines ashore on th
HMS Ledbury has sailed into Poland for the start of a NATO exercise involving ships from partner nations including Norway, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Estonia. The two-week exercise will see the personnel take part in a number of warfare serials including hunting for dummy mines, di
The United States and New Zealand announced on Monday a resumption of military-to-military contacts as part of expanded defense cooperation that will see the first visit by a New Zealand naval vessel to an American port in more than three decades. The announcement followed a meeting at the Pentagon
Bluefin Robotics, a Quincy-based provider of Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs), announced that the company, in support of the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), has successfully completed a long-endurance UUV mission from Boston to New York totaling over 100 hours with NRL’s Reliant “Heavyweight” UU
The Royal Navy’s Response Force Task Group (RFTG), currently deployed on Cougar 13, has successfully completed a six day exercise, Omani Cougar, with the Royal Omani Armed Forces. The maritime exercise tested the full integration of the Royal Navy and Royal Navy of Oman by conducting conventional ma
A new warship has been handed over to the Royal Navy of Oman amid colourful celebrations on HM Naval Base Portsmouth this morning. AL RAHMANI is the second of three 99 metre corvettes designed, built and delivered for the Royal Navy of Oman as part of Project Khareef. Her Interim Acceptance, in whic
Hundreds of friends and family members gathered at Naval Base San Diego Oct. 29 to welcome home the crew of guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59) following a seven-month deployment that included regional security, theater security cooperation and maritime presence operations. The ship and cre
Army and RAF personnel have been getting their sea legs on board HMS Richmond while on her patrol of the South Atlantic. The Yorkshire Regiment and 230 Squadron RAF are affiliated to the Portsmouth-based Type-23 frigate and seven personnel were given the opportunity to stay on board and experience l
Members from Naval Cooperation and Guidance for Shipping (NCAGS) and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT) as well as commercial shipping industry representatives came together for exercise Lucky Mariner 14-1, Oct. 27. Lucky Mariner is a biannual U.S. Navy, coalition, and commercial shipping e
This past weekend, two NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Maritime Group TWO (SNMG2) paid a visit to the port of Tunis. The port visit provided the crew of the SNMG2 ships a welcome break from the high tempo supporting NATO’s counter-terrorism Operation ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR (OAE), actively deterring t
On Tuesday, 29 October 2013, SNMCMG1 marked 40 years of service afloat with a ceremony in port, during the harbour phase of Exercise STEADFAST JAZZ 2013. More than 260 crewmembers from six SNMCMG1 ships participated in this event along with former commanders of the Group and official guests from all
