Babcock has been awarded a contract by the MoD for a £350 million three-and-a-half year refit of the Trident missile carrying submarine HMS Vengeance, to be undertaken at Babcock’s Devonport Royal Dockyard. HMS Vengeance is the fourth and last of the Vanguard class submarines to undergo a Long Overh
Russia protects regime of Syrian president Assad because it is afraid of losing naval bases in Latakia and Tartus, writes president of Eurasia Group Ian Bremmer in his article published by The Financial Times. If Assad’s regime falls down, Russia may direct its eyes, say, to Greece which urgently ne
Naval forces of Brunei and Indonesia finished a 5-day long joint exercise codenamed HELANG LAUT 13B/12. The thirteenth annual bilateral exercise was conducted in March 19-23. Brunei Navy was the host party. The exercise’s objective is strengthening of relations, development of cooperation and mutual
The events off Libya brought recognition to some of the personnel involved in that long and demanding operation. And further east the work in the Gulf and Iraq has won plaudits for other RN sailors. Lt Cdr James Byron has been recognised with one of the top three military honours – the Distinguished
Sailors aboard the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVN 65) hosted a material, maintenance and management assist (3MA) team March 22 as they evaluated the ship’s 3M program. The 3MA team consists of senior enlisted members ranging from chief petty officers to master chief petty officers from Command
Black Sea Fleet (BSF) 17-th Diving School based in Sevastopol trains divers for the whole Russian Navy. Having passed theoretical course, cadets started practical dives. Servicemen directed by experienced instructors are practicing submersion at coast-based training range and at sea from a special v
As of 23 March 2012 the Counter-Piracy force of the European Union (EUNAVFOR) which normally includes between 4 and 7 warships patrolling the Gulf of Aden and Horn of Africa will be joined by two new warships of the French navy; Frigate FS GEORGES LEYGUES and Amphibious Assault Ship FS DIXMUDE. FS G
The Commander of Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Major General Dato Paduka Seri Haji Aminuddin Ihsan bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin received a courtesy call from the Commodore Tentera Nasional Indonesia – Angkatan Laut (TNI-AL), His Excellency Commodore Pranyoto S.P
The future USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) completed a major developmental test, March 20, demonstrating the integration of the Engineering Control System (ECS) software and the ship’s Integrated Power System (IPS) at the Land Based Test Site at Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division, Ship Systems E
On Friday 23 March 2012 the Council of the European Union confirmed its intention to extend the EU Naval Force (EU NAVFOR) counter-piracy mission, Operation ATALANTA off the Somali coast until December 2014. At the same time the Council also extended the area of operations to include Somali coastal
The next trial phase of Project 677 Lada diesel electric submarine St. Petersburg will be carried out in 2012, reports ITAR-TASS referring to director of Admiralteyskie Verfi shipyard Alexander Buzakov. As for him, the further fate of the project will be determined after trials. Russian Navy Command
Sailors assigned to guided-missile frigate USS Simpson (FFG 56) completed a weeklong Surface Reactionary Force Bravo (SRFB) course, March 18. The SRFB course is a mandatory anti-terrorism awareness course for crewmembers who stand quarterdeck, topside and roving watches. “My hope is that they take a
The handing-over ceremony of aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya being modernized in Russia for India will be held in Dec 2012, reported information agency Press Trust of India referring to sources in Indian defense ministry. The Russian-Indian largest-ever military export contract on modernization of
Sailors from guided-missile destroyer USS Laboon (DDG 58) participated in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade, March 18. The crowd of nearly 600,000 expressed their affection, cheering and whistling as the formation stepped off smartly and began the three-mile march through the city. “I had no idea
